possibly the best pedro pascal sound bite of all time??
also: listening to tyler, the creator’s surprise album and abbey being bitten by the bat(man)
pov of the week
Interviewing celebs is undeniably one of the most surreal parts of being in the pop culture commentary space, for obvious reasons. It feels glamorous at times, being in the presence of Hollywood A-listers at the gorgeous red carpets for Wicked or Gladiator II. But it also involves standing and waiting for hours, only to be skipped over because the show must go on and the celebs have places to be. Over the years, I’ve tried to ask curious and specific questions that highlight the actors’ presence in pop culture, as well as their particular experience in the title they’re currently promoting.
In the last few years, there’s certainly been a noticeable shift in how these interviews are perceived. As movie press tours ramp up their social media presence deeper into the territory of viral TikTok trends and fan edits, interviews that reference this kind of internet lingo tend to be more popular. It’s no secret that going viral can be an important part of movie publicity, so this is naturally reflected in today’s celebrity interviews.
For years, it seemed as though these interviews were going viral because that’s what people wanted. That remains true in some ways, but there now seems to be a growing appetite from fans for questions about filmmaking and acting.
And I’m not against that all! Some of my favourite interviews are with directors who are incredibly happy to dig deep into their movie, or with “smaller” actors who have more time to sit with me and actually have a conversation about their role. (Subscribe to our YouTube channel where I’ll be posting more of these ones!) But they tend to be exceptions. Unfortunately, more often than not, I (like many other publications) am often incredibly pressed for time in the press junket format.
I’m still learning how to make the most of the few minutes I have with people, and the reality is that the goalposts are changing all the time. Some fans want to see their favourite celebs reference the latest meme and have a cheeky moment. Others want to hear about their specific role and character, or how the movie will impact the existing lore of a franchise. I asked Pedro Pascal to elaborate on why he pronounces his name the way it’s said in his native Spanish because it meant a lot to me that he embraces his first language with such intention. Some people didn’t get it, while others shared their own journeys of non-Anglo name pronunciation. Can’t win ’em all.
For now, I get to live with the experience that Pedro Pascal jokingly told me, to my face, that he “just wants to get people off”. If that isn’t a career highlight, I really don’t know what is.
— Lia
Hello!! It’s Ky back to share another hot lesson I’ve picked up from this great podcast from the super cool org Teach Us Consent. Because while (unlike what we usually hear) consent isn’t a one stop thing, it's an important and ongoing journey. And it’s actually super hot.
hot lesson #4: “Porn is becoming the default sex educator before a lot of us have had our first kiss”
Listen back: Teach Us: How Porn and Algorithms Influence Us (26:15)
This week’s ep is such a fascinating and important conversation that touches on porn, specifically about how easy it is for kids to access it now. Anthony Stefanos chatted to Daniel Principe, Blake Pavey, Gina Martin and James Rowbottom about how some of the messages we picked up from engaging with porn when we were younger need to be unlearned if we want to have respectful and meaningful pleasure as adults.
It was suuuuper devastating to think that before some people even have their first sexual experience, they’ve already been conditioned by mainstream porn that’s often laced with sexism, racism and violence. It’s hard to conceive of the damage that could have on how a person perceives their potential sexual partner. But it’s not surprising. I can even remember the first time I came across porn online when I was 12. As Dan said, we’re not bad, wrong, or in trouble for seeing it because it’s super natural to be curious and have desires. However, if I had safe and accessible sex education at school, one that actually included queer sex and didn’t promote abstinence, then I wouldn't have found myself in some situations I now regret.
Anthony brought up that a lot of porn often portrays women’s resistance as part of their desire — which is something I had never really considered. As if a “no” is something to overcome to achieve sex, rather than respect. See how easily that can reinforce a culture of sexual violence?
some things on my radar this week:
Woke up yesterday to Tyler, The Creator’s surprise ninth album, Don’t Tap the Glass, and new Instagram features?... The dance-centric 10-track project dropped with a set of rules: “Number one, body movement. No sitting still. Number two, only speak in glory, leave your baggage at home. Number three, don’t tap the glass.”
The Coldplay kiss cam exposed an affair last weekend and it’s become the latest talking point about viral justice and instant moralism. Lots to unpack on the ethicality of it all but look, I’d probably be embarrassed if I got caught at a Coldplay concert too.
Avatar: Fire and Ash just dropped a smoldering poster, giving us the first look at the Fire Na’vi, and more specifically GOT actor Oona Chaplin’s character Varang! The movie’s coming out on December 19 this year, so we don’t have to wait another 10 years thank god.
Anne Hathaway has been blessing us with set pics from The Devil Wears Prada 2, and it’s looking like we’re getting another montage of walking down NYC streets in different outfits. The movie will be released in 2026, 20 years after the original (feeling old).
aux
songs to add to your playlist rn:
‘06 wayne rooney - Jim Legxacy
Some of Jim Legxacy’s best work is put forth on his XL debut. Variety of sonic inspirations but it never leans too heavily on its influences. Plus a Dave feature always helps too…how do I - Anieszka
Such a soothing new single from Anieszka, her therapeutic musings are NOT to be missed!!jarrodsammutfreestyle_ - Station Hayds
Special guest rec from Zion Garcia!! It’s ya favourite artist’s favourite artist typa deal. He put me onto this song last week and it’s been stuckkk on repeat.
(Save this playlist btw, updating every week!!)
How to Have Sex (2023) | coming-of-age movie, not a tutorial video
As far as debut feature films go, Molly Manning Walker might take the cake for my favourite yet, with Tara's storyline hitting the nail on the head — for young women's “sexual coming-of-age” culture, for the questionable limits we push consent to adhere to external pressures, and for the loneliness women feel after experiencing something like Tara did. Most of us women have had an experience like Tara’s and that's exactly why the knot in my stomach stayed from start to finish, anticipating how the ugly truth would play out. It brings up a crucial conversation about consent and friendship that we should all be chatting about.
The Dark Knight (2008) | I watched this for you Heath Ledger <3
I spent 24 years of my life thinking Batman got his super powers from being bitten by a bat, so finally watching The Dark Knight was eye-opening to say the least. It took me far too long to watch this, I KNOW, but I famously h*te superhero movies because... well, ya know... they’re a tad loser-y. However much to my disdain, this was hot. I was engaged! And excited! What on earth!! Maybe I need to give those guys flying around in capes a chance. But does this mean Catwoman wasn’t bitten by a cat…?
The Fantastic Four: First Steps (2025) | I just wanna be besties w the silver surfer
While I’ve just admitted superhero movies basically give me hives, I do have a soft spot for the so-bad-it’s-good 2005 Fantastic Four film. So going to an advanced screening for this was very, very cool!! Vanessa Kirby was the standout performance for me, although it is worth mentioning I’m starting a petition for Joseph Quinn to dye his hair blonde permanently. Was it predictable and a touch cheesy? Yes, but it was also undeniably at least a little bit fun!! It didddd feel like some sacrifices were made in the storytelling to set the audience up for a sequel, which… might just be on the cards…
(More faves on our letterboxd if you wanna follow us there and if you’re keen to hear more from miss abbey you can say hi over on punkee <3)
Junkee Media acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the land where this newsletter was produced, the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation.
