piffle pod
Perez Hilton, Ozempic & Being Sent Back to the Early 2000s Against Our Will
⚠️ Content note: this episode discusses self-harm, body image, eating disorders and the impact of body commentary in media. If any of these themes are difficult for you, please skip this episode or take care while listening. Resources are linked below. This week we start with Perez Hilton — specifically his recent TikTok live self-harm incident, and while we're glad he's getting help, seeing his name back in the headlines sent us straight back to the early 2000s. His blog was one of the most influential and cruel sources of commentary on women's bodies of that era, and we found ourselves unpacking how much of that seeped into us as teenagers. Combined with the shrinking bodies of celebrities in 2026 — the Ozempic era — and the relentless commentary around Ariana Grande's body specifically, we've been feeling sent back in time against our will. We reflect on what it was like growing up exposed to tabloids and blogs that were so openly cruel about women's bodies, and how that content shaped the way we felt about ourselves — and how some of those feelings have been unexpectedly resurfaced. But we don't leave it there. We also talk about antidotes — the things that pull us out of that headspace and back into our bodies in a good way. We share a reel from content creator Gemma Dimond (@gemdimond) that really resonated with us, and we talk about finding hobbies and passions that have nothing to do with how you look. Elo also reviews two films she saw at the Melbourne International Film Festival — Whistle , a documentary about the surprisingly passionate world of competitive whistling, and Maddie's Secret , a brilliantly overacted satirical comedy starring John Early that sends up the clichéd made-for-TV melodramas about women (with eating disorders) from the 2000s — and lands somewhere surprisingly moving while handling the subject matter with sensitivity. Urs also reviews Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey — loved it, but bring napkins for your ears. If this episode brought up anything difficult, please reach out to the Butterfly Foundation: butterfly.org.au or call 1800 33 4673. Not experts. Just enthused. Leave a comment, like and subscribe, or share this episode with a friend! To stay up to date with all things Piffle, follow us on Instagram or TikTok @piffleproductions, or email us at piffleprod@gmail.com Music by Michael and Tilly.
