Stop Everything!

Deborah Frances-White host of the hit podcast The Guilty Feminist unpacks unattainable perfection, ageing and spills the tea on the Netflix series Baby Reindeer. Plus Barbara Streisand's Ozempic post and the algorithms that are serving up outrage.

Vietnamese-Australian actor Hoa Xuande is breaking into Hollywood's big league as the star of HBO's The Sympathizer, a limited series based on Viet Thanh Nguyen's Pulitzer-prize winning novel. Hoa is Stop Everything's special guest, and he's taking us behind the scenes of this A24-produced series, telling us about how he landed this huge role, and what it was like to act opposite heavyweights like Robert Downey Jr. and Sandra Oh.

How do Star Trek: The Next Generation and all the other Star Trek spin off series give us hope for the future? Guest Critic Steven Oliver shares how pop culture passions for sci fi and superheroes have helped sustain him through tough times. BW also shares a glimpse into her nerdy teenage past; and stick around to the end of the episode for Steven's surprise spoken word performance.

New ABC comedy series White Fever follows Jane Thomas, a woman trying to cure her fetish for hairy white men while simultaneously processing the emotional and psychological impact of being a Korean transracial adoptee. Ra Chapman, White Fever's creator and star, is this episode's guest critic and she's in to talk about everything from growing up Asian in a white family to … sex dolls.

Jojo Siwa's ditched her giant bow for a glam rock makeover, celebrity chef David Chang's chili crunch trademark grab is flaring nostrils, and a viral essay making the case for marrying an older man — have left us wondering 'What the hell are they thinking?!' Guest critic Hannah Reich is back to update us on her addiction to mumfluencers and how she's spending her TikTok Time.

Well, a good chunk of them at least. Guest critic and elite Beyhive member Maria Lewis is in to help decode the layers of meaning in Beyoncé's latest album, Act II: Cowboy Carter, a country album that transcends the country genre. Also, a review of Oscar-nominated actor Dev Patel's directorial debut, Monkey Man.

We're talking about SBS' hit survival show Alone Australia, because season two has just kicked off, with 10 Aussies dropped into the wilderness of Te Waipounamu, the South Island of Aotearoa/New Zealand. This ep's guest critic is comedian, actor and broadcaster Annie Louey, who's sharing how her stint working in the funeral industry led to comedic inspiration for her ABC Fresh Blood web series, I'm So Sorry For Your Loss; her appreciation for ripped Korean torsos on Netflix's Physical 100; and the special name bond she shares with her sister.

RuPaul's Drag Race royalty is in The House of Stop Everything! Michelle Visage, Drag Race judge and incoming host of Drag Race Down Under, is this episode's guest critic. Ever the straight talker, Michelle gets candid about her friendship with RuPaul, giving critiques, career longevity, dealing with ageism and her favourite non-Drag Race pop culture.

It's the Oscars episode and Stop Everything! alum Benjamin Law is back to debrief on everything from John Cena's modesty shield to Oppenheimer's Best Picture win. And Catherine, Princess of Wales, aka Kate Middleton, has had to apologise after a doctored family photo was retracted by news agencies around the world. We're digging into the Royal Photoshop fail.

Director Denis Villeneuve's Dune Part 2, starring the youthful and attractive foursome of Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, Florence Pugh and Austin Butler, is riding a high-speed sandworm of success at the box office. Guest critic Wenlei Ma is in to share her Dune review and ponder the psychological horror of the viral sandworm popcorn bucket. Also: closing the loop on J.Lo, BW reports back on The Greatest Love Story Never Told, which is the making-of documentary of the superstar's chaotic musical feature, This is Me … Now.

We're obsessed with TikTok user Reesa Teesa's 50-part TikTok series, Who TF Did I Marry?!? Guest critic Tahlea Aualiitia is in to help explain, analyse and marvel over Reesa Teesa's storytelling prowess and the wild details of her marriage to a pathological liar.

Remember this moment: when Taylor Swift played the biggest shows of her career on the Melbourne stop of her Eras tour. As Sydney gears up for its own weekend of Taylor Swift mania, we're getting deep into Swiftology with Brittany Spanos, a senior writer for Rolling Stone who's followed Swift's career and teaches a course about her at NYU. And Stop Everything! resident Swiftie Sarah Mashman shares her concert review.

The Super Bowl feels the Taylor Swift effect, with record high viewership around the world.   We’re talking Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce wish fulfilment, Usher’s half-time show and Beyonce’s new music announcement with guest critic Maria Lewis!  And Jennifer Lopez’s This is Me ... Now feature musical is out. Is it as chaotic as the trailer led us to believe?

Millennial dream couple Maya Erskine and Donald Glover star in a reimagined Mr. and Mrs. Smith, the 2005 assassin action film that launched Brangelina (rip) into the strastosphere, and we are bathing in the new series' moody, gig economy, sexy misfit vibes. Also, a Grammys wrap with this ep's guest critic, Jack Evans, BTN reporter, Beyoncé aficionado and new dog daddy.

This ep guest critic Hannah Reich opens up about how she spends her TikTok Time, introducing us to the accounts of famous mumfluencers, Indy Clinton and Nara Smith. Are mumfluencers purveyors of wholesome, relatable content, like a healthy, homemade snack? Or are they flaunting their curated, unattainable privilege during a cost of living crisis?! How are regular mums supposed to read these online performances of motherhood? Also: a look at The Brothers Sun, Netflix's new series about a Taiwanese organised crime family, starring Academy Award winner Michelle Yeoh.

Justice for Margot Robbie and Greta Gerwig, who were left out of the Oscar nominations for best actress and director. Meanwhile Ryan Gosling, who played Ken, scored a best actor nod. Is this the patriarchy, and horses, at work? Kween Kong of RuPaul's Drag Race Down Under (season 2) is the first Stop Everything! guest critic of 2024. Also in this ep: JLo's trailer for This Is Me … Now, the Emmys, Disney's Wish, Singles Inferno season 3 and detoxing from MAFS

We're ushering in Drag royalty and their champions. Local legend Kween Kong stops by to talk about how life has changed since being a finalist on the second [and best] season of RuPaul's Drag Race Down Under. And Fenton Bailey was a queer kid coming of age in the UK in the seventies. Television changed his life, inspiring him to move to New York and start a production company with co-founder Randy Barbato: World of Wonder. From there, World of Wonder worked with Britney Spears, Carrie Fisher and Tammy Faye Bakker but their most enduring collaboration is of course with RuPaul Charles. In 1993 they shot the film clip for RuPaul's 1993 hit, Supermodel (you better work) which became a staple on MTV, and in 2008 they produced season one of RuPaul's Drag Race.

We're getting the inside story on a new documentary about legendary YA author Judy Blume and spending time with disability inclusion advocate Sinéad Burke How did Sinéad Burke go from teen fashion blogger to two-time British Vogue cover model with over 200,000 instagram followers? Sinéad shares her story with Stop Everything! and talks about why inclusive design is important to everyone. And at 85, global bestselling author Judy Blume is a living legend who's long overdue for celebration. Filmmakers Davina Pardo and Leah Wolchok are directors of the feature documentary 'Judy Blume Forever' that takes stock of the life and legacy of the beloved groundbreaking author.

We're learning about managing fame, making mistakes and the art of forgiveness. Celebrity chef, cookbook author and millennial influencer Alison Roman takes BW + BL behind the scenes of her YouTube Home Movies and shares her biggest regret of 2020. And Ronald Gladden, star of Jury Duty answers all our burning questions about his experience on the mockumentary series and how his life has changed since its release.

We're talking happily-ever-after with Julia Quinn, author of the Bridgerton romance novels. With its multiracial (and hot) casting and steamy sex scenes, Julia Quinn's Bridgerton series found new and enthusiastic audiences via Shondalands's hit screen adaptations for Netflix. BW and romance correspondent Rudi Bremer talk to Julia about collaborating with Shonda Rhimes on the new Queen Charlotte series and novels, and what she's learned about writing non white and queer characters. And BL and BW hear from the director and cast of Rye Lane, a British romcom that sends its leads on a colour-saturated caper through the landmarks of South London.

We're going behind the scenes and in front of the cameras of documentary series Alone Australia. Alone Australia, SBS's version of the international series hit our screens and our hearts as ten contestants battled and embraced the elements on the West Coast of lutruwita/Tasmania. BW + BL spoke to Producer Riima Daher about everything from training participants how to use camera gear in the wilderness to where they poop. And after 67 days surviving solo, Alone Australia winner, Gina Chick packed her possum skin coat and left her home. Gina shares how she packed on the kilos to prepare for the show and why she kept the camera rolling as she grieved her late daughter Blaise.

Stop Everything! It's a big one this week. It's our final show before we break for summer, and we're wrapping the year in pop culture with two of our favourite members of the Stop Everything! cinematic universe: comedian, author and Drag Race Down Under judge, Rhys Nicholson; and broadcaster, film and tv critic and Stop Everything! fill-in cohost, Wenlei Ma. And — we are farewelling co-host Benjamin Law, who's stepping back from Stop Everything! After SIX years, so he can focus on some big exciting and non-disclosable projects in 2024. BW and BL tell their Stop Everything! origin story, laugh through a classy selection of bloopers and hug it out as they close the book on a very special era of the show. We're sad but we're also excited! Because Stop Everything! continues in 2024 in a new format, with BW hosting solo and welcoming a rotating roster of guest critics each week to talk all things pop culture.

Award-winning director Corrie Chen takes us behind the scenes of The Artful Dodger, a re-envisioning the Dickens classic, Oliver Twist, set in 1850s colonial Australia. Corrie talks about directing an all star cast and how she coped with all blood and gore of the series many surgery scenes. BL has a religious experience watching Beyoncé's Renaissance tour film, and BW and BL trawl through the pop culture news of the week: Former US Congressman George Santos' Cameo-powered pivot; Billie Eilish's coming out story; and how the Dutch translation of a new book about Harry and Meghan put names to bombshell disclosures made during the couple's 2021 Oprah interview.

Nineties supermodel Linda Evangelista isn't dating because she doesn't "want to hear somebody breathing" — and frankly, we're into it! With that quote, Evangelista joins a pantheon of unbothered older women (Whoopi Goldberg, Kim Catrall, Nancy Pelosi, Maxine Waters) who dgaf what you think about them. And we're getting on the blower for a phone call with writer, humourist, and New York City icon Fran Lebowitz! Fran talks about her resistance to the digital age, playing a judge on Law and Order and how she's getting ready for her 2024 tour of Australia. Also: BW watches 3+ hours of Faraway Downs, Baz Luhrmann's six-part recut of his 2008 epic, Australia, to find out what's new, and the answer is — more ham; BL reports back on Bottoms, a hectic, genre bending queer high school comedy starring The Bear's Ayo Edebiri and The Idol's Rachel Sennott.

Dr Kate Adams is here to spill all the behind-the-scenes beans about The Real Housewives of Sydney. Dr Kate talks about the drama of #FurGate, explosive arguments and why she said yes to joining the cast of RHOS. In other drama, BW and BL gossip about the shock firing and sudden rehiring of Open AI CEO Sam Altman; and what they think of reality competition show Squid Game: The Challenge and spooky true crime podcast Ghost Story.

We’re gossiping about the end of the actors strike; Fellow Travellers, a new series that blends history with horny sex scenes; and that Vogue photo shoot of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and fiancee Lauren Sanchez. And Kelsey McKinney and Alex Sujong Laughlin, co-creators of Normal Gossip, take us behind the scenes of their hit podcast that trades in low stakes, high drama gossip about normal people.

Britney Spears' long-awaited memoir delivers the goods — from Justin Timberlake's betrayals to details of the conservatorship that ruled the pop star's life for 13 years. BW read the book in one day and has lots of views. And live from Kaurna Country — Stop Everything's show from In Other Words at Oz Asia Festival! Cookbook author and MasterChef fan favourite Sarah Tiong and author and restaurateur Durkhanai Ayubi on everything from how they like to eat their feelings to why you should pay $30 for Bánh mì

Friends fans of all ages are mourning the death of Matthew Perry, who played Chandler Bing on the long-running sitcom. But is Friends what Perry wanted to be remembered for? Hasan Minhaj has clapped back at a New Yorker article that found inaccuracies and embellishments in stories he's told in comedy specials. Minhaj published a 20-minute fact check video of The New Yorker's fact check of him — and we're wading through the entrails. And hear from Jessica Yu, director of Quiz Lady, a new comedy starring Sandra Oh, Awkwafina and Will Ferrell; and Xavier Ho, ABC Top 5 Arts resident, who's got gaming tips for non gamers.

Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour is box office gold. Geriatric millennial correspondent Ben Law checks out the nearly three-hour concert movie and reports back on his favourite eras.  Screenwriter and showrunner Greg Daniels is the creative mind behind beloved shows like The Office (US), Parks and Recreation and King of the Hill. He talks to Ben and Beverley about his current show, Upload, which takes a dystopian turn into the world of big tech and digital afterlives. And file it under the category of things no one asked for: a four-hour recut of Baz Luhrmann’s 2008 epic (flop) Australia is heading to Disney+. Beverley revisits Australia — the movie — to see how it holds up (spoiler alert: Hugh Jackman’s jacked torso holds up.)

How did Brian Jordan Alvarez strike viral gold with his universe of face filter TikTok characters like TJ Mack, Rich Southern Aunt, Australian Rick and more? Brian takes us through TJ Mack’s hit Sitting (which is the opposite of standing). Jada Pinkett Smith’s new memoir shares new disclosures about the state of her marriage to Will Smith — do they put the infamous 2022 Oscars slap in a new light? And like the true sickos they are, BW and BL are back slurping at the trough of the Real Housewives of Sydney.

Like so many people, we’re devastated by the sudden death of comedian Cal Wilson. We’re paying tribute to Cal, who was a fixture on Australian TV and beloved in the comedy community and beyond.  Drag royalty Kween Kong stops by to talk about how life has changed since being a finalist on the second [and best] season of RuPaul’s Drag Race Down Under, including the surreal experience of being nominated for a Logie.  And The Real Housewives of Sydney is back after a six-year hiatus with a cast of housewives who were … born with breasts?? If you’re curious, confused and slightly horrified, you’ve come to the right place.

Are you a Linda, Christy, Cindy or Naomi? The 90s served us legendary supermodels, but how are the women who conquered the fashion world looking back on that era in their new Apple TV+ series?

Admit it, you have questions about our AI future. Is generative Artificial Intelligence here to help you with tasks you don't want to do? Or is it more likely it's going to take your job and threaten the existence of humanity itself? In this special episode, author and screenwriter Simon Rich joins us. He happens to have the inside track on super intelligent AI that already exists — and the technology makes ChatGPT look like the dumbest kid in class. BL and WM also discuss the new action movie The Creator, a story about a former American soldier who's tasked with stopping an AI weapon which happens to take the form of a doe-eyed child.Show notes:

We're all guilty of loving problematic faves. Is it still OK to read Harry Potter or watch Woody Allen movies? How do you reconcile your love for murky pop culture with the ethics of being a good person? In this special episode, Benjamin Law and Wenlei Ma confess to their problematic faves and attempt to determine whether it's still OK to declare their loyalty to them or if it's something to be disavowed. We also chat to Karyn Moynihan and Anna Carey about Double Love, a podcast which recaps and re-litigates the blockbuster 1980s teen publishing phenomenon, Sweet Valley High.

It's a great week for anyone who loves a scandal, especially a media one. The return of The Newsreader and Morning Wars within days of each other means we're well served when it comes to fictional high-drama in newsrooms. All that shouting and backstabbing! The Newsreader's Sam Reid joins us to chat about what to expect for the second season, and his curious obsession with vintage TV sets. Plus, BL and WM discuss the furore surrounding Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis after their support for Danny Masterson in the wake of his conviction for rape — and the fraught use of character references in sexual assault cases.

Cancellations! Price rises! Too many services! Streaming was supposed to be a pop culture utopia where audiences could pay $10 for everything they ever wanted to watch. A decade on, viewers are forking out for multiple services and their favourite shows are being canned. Journalist and streaming expert Dan Barrett joins us to wade through the mess and forecast what the future holds for the industry and audiences. Speaking of mess, BL and WM discuss the muddy disaster of Burning Man and whether festivals will now always be at the mercy of climate change. Plus, how people reacted to the Venice Film Festival's inclusion of Woody Allen, Roman Polanski and Luc Besson. And, we take a look at the new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie and the enduring power of a thoroughly silly (in the best ways) franchise.

Everywhere you look, there's a cultural bin fire. The flames of disaster are burning down the house and we can't stop staring. First there's the shameless comeback of the Fyre Festival, the disastrous party that never was. Then there's Disney scuttling a super expensive streaming series it's already finished filming and may now never see the light of day. And, of course, there's the calamitous Sex and the City revival And Just Like That, which finished its second season with an anticipated cameo and a narrative whimper. Plus, Australian authors Jenna Guillaume and Will Kostakis drop in to chat about all things Young Adult books, TV shows and movies, and how to walk the tightrope of the culture wars.

If Taylor Swift's nemesis Scooter Braun is having a bad week, is it a pretty safe assumption that TayTay is having a good one? So, why is everyone talking about Braun right now? Plus, Real Housewives superfan Ben mounts a spirited defence of the reality TV juggernaut and tries to convince non-believer Wenlei to give it a go. And, actor and comedian Matt Okine stops by to chat about his bold adventure, a remake of iconic Australian series Mother and Son while BL and WM wrestle over the Bradley Cooper "Jewface" controversy.

The internet is blowing up over the bedroom antics in queer rom-com Red, White and Royal Blue, but is it actually sexy? And is mediocrity what's been missing in LGBTQI+ representation? BL and WM discuss the messy, QAnon-adjacent controversy that's engulfed box-office barnstormer, child sex trafficking movie Sound of Freedom. Plus, authority on all things comics Maria Lewis stops in to talk about her new book, Mockingbird: Strike Out, and the state of play in the world of superheroes.

Already proclaimed as one of the best films of the year, Past Lives is a stunning drama that hits you right in the feels. There will be tears. Past Lives writer and director Celine Song drops in to talk about her semi-autobiographical movie, reinvention, and destiny as a pick-up line. BL and WM discuss the blazing Australian success story that is horror flick Talk to Me, and the tragedy of its ban in Kuwait. Plus, the frothy and melancholic delights of Only Murders in the Building.

Superstars and Neighbours alums Daniel MacPherson and Remy Hii drop in to chat about their new stage production, 2:22: A Ghost Story, and reveal their own spooky encounters with the unexplained. BL and WM delve into the Logies Awards and what Sonia Kruger's divisive win of the Gold says about Australian TV and the public's short memory of not-so-long-ago transgressions. Plus, we banter about the cultural phenomenon of The Bear and Jeremy Allen White's short-shorts, and look at The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart and the challenge of telling stories of family violence on screen.

Barbenheimer has conquered the world, inspiring film lovers to return to the cinema. But is it enough to save moviegoing after the pandemic drop-off? And, are Barbie and Oppenheimer actually any good? We talk to Barbie stars America Ferrera and Issa Rae about what it's like to live in Greta Gerwig's Barbieland, and their journey from indifference to love. Actor Zoe Chao pops in for a chat about The Afterparty and her murder mystery solving skills. And we delve into who the real Hollywood villains are in the pitched battle between the studios and the actors and writers.

Jenny Kee's designs have travelled from Bondi beach to the catwalks in France to Princess Diana, who famously wore Jenny's Blinky koala knit at a polo match in the 80's The self-dubbed 'glamorous granny' was a proponent of slow fashion before fast fashion was exposed for its environmental and humanitarian harm. Jenny Kee sat down with BL + BW to share her early memories of growing up in Bondi, her move to London in the sixties and her 1am exercise routine in Sydney's Blue Mountains.

Fenton Bailey was a queer kid coming of age in the UK in the seventies. Television changed his life, inspiring him to move to New York and start a production company with co-founder Randy Barbato: World of Wonder. From there, World of Wonder worked with Britney Spears, Carrie Fisher and Tammy Faye Bakker but their most enduring collaboration is of course with RuPaul Charles. In 1993 they shot the film clip for RuPaul's 1993 hit, Supermodel (you better work) which became a staple on MTV, and in 2008 they produced season one of RuPaul's Drag Race. Fenton Bailey spoke to BL + BW from New Zealand while they were filming season three of Drag Race Down Under

When 16-year-old Casey Donovan won season two of Australian Idol, she was thrown into the spotlight. Almost twenty years on, Casey reflects on her steps from Idol to stage shows, and finding her way back home with guest host Jack Evans Meanwhile, rapper Barkaa's been touring her debut EP Blak Matriarchy since 2021, and she told guest host Rudi Bremer about her ideas behind Blak Matriarchy, the Elders she's learnt from, and getting back into the studio.

We're sharpening our knives with the crew of the Revenge and discovering how Brian Cox is able to empathise with unsympathetic characters. Actor and trained fencer, Vico Ortiz tells BW + BL how tending bar helped them master knife spinning in two weeks in order to play Jim, a non-binary, knife throwing pirate in Our Flag Means Death, a queer normative rom com based on the real life pirates Blackbeard and the Gentleman Pirate. And Brian Cox shares how he finds his motivation to play unsympathetic (terrible) characters on stage and screen. Brian spoke to BW in 2022 ahead of an Australian book tour.

We're gasping at the end of Harry and Meghan's Spotify deal, checking in on the Hollywood writers strike and worried about Miranda on And Just Like That. Following news that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's $20 million content deal with Spotify has ended after just one season of a podcast, senior executive and podcaster Bill Simmons lashed the couple as "f**king grifters." Is this fair? Screenwriter and playwright Anchuli Felicia King gives an update on the WGA writers strike, which has brought US television production to a standstill for nearly two months. AFK is a writer on HBO's adaptation of Viet Thanh Nguyen's Pulitzer-prize winning novel, The Sympathiser starring Robert Downey Jr and Sandra Oh. And — it's another chaotic week for TV reviews as (spoiler alert) BW and BL take apart the first two episodes of season two of And Just Like That.

We're spending time with disability inclusion advocate Sinéad Burke and trying to forget the first two episodes of HBO's The Idol. How did Sinéad Burke go from teen fashion blogger to two-time British Vogue cover model with over 200,000 instagram followers? Sinéad shares her story with Stop Everything! and talks about why inclusive design is important to everyone. And why is HBO's The Idol, starring Lily-Rose Depp, co-created by The Weeknd and Euphoria's Sam Levinson, making us want to claw our faces? BW and BL discuss the punishing first two episodes of the much-discussed series.

We're doling out advice in the Stop Everything x Big Mood Little Mood live show with Danny Lavery! Danny Lavery is host of advice podcast Big Mood Little Mood, a New York Times bestselling author, Substack superstar, and former Dear Prudence advice columnist. He jumps on stage at the Sydney Writers Festival with Ben and Bev to talk through letters from listeners looking for help. Then, a couple of podcast recommendations and some thoughts on Channel 4's long-running dinner party competition show, Come Dine With Me.