What I Learnt From Maggie Zhou

Maggie Zhou is a Melbourne-based freelance writer, content creator, and co-host of the Culture Club podcast, where she brings a sharp, relatable voice to everything from pop culture to sustainable fashion. Her expertise shines through in her contributions to renowned outlets like The Guardian, Harper’s Bazaar, Frankie, and Refinery29. I got to chat with Maggie all about her journey in writing, how she blends personal stories with larger cultural conversations, the evolution of Culture Club, and her thoughts on the intersection of social media and relationships.In your work, you weave in your own experiences and perspectives, whether discussing eco-friendly fashion or identity. How do you navigate sharing your story while keeping the focus on the larger issue at hand?

I wish I could say I was more considered about this, but I’m drawn to share elements of my life simply if it feels right to do so. By that I mean if it’s something I’m comfortable putting out on social media, and if it feels like it’d add value in some way.

I recognise that topics like sustainability are scary and daunting to navigate, and so by bringing in my own experiences, I hope to lessen that insecurity for others and bridge that gap of relatability and understanding.

And I feel like you absolutely achieve this!
With your extensive background in journalism and content creation, from publications like The Age and Frankie to Refinery29, what have been some of the most formative experiences for your voice as a writer?

I was a massive reader as a kid. I knew my local library inside out, and it was common for me to spend entire afternoons just reading. For instance, for a few years, it became a tradition for me to reread the entire series about a certain wizard with a certain transphobic author every summer holidays.

Another noteworthy text was Frankie. I’ve loved Frankie magazine for a long, long time. I think it was the first time a publication’s writing resonated with me to the degree it did. It was – and is – funny, witty, smart, self-deprecating, introspective and quirky. I marvelled at the writers’ ability to be all those things at once. That writing style definitely rubbed off on me.

Growing up on the internet, sites like Tumblr really influenced the way I related to art, culture and the world around me. For better or for worse, the internet has acted as a sort of diary for me, seeing me through all these years.

Your articles cover everything from pop culture to pressing societal issues. How do you choose the topics you want to dive deeper into? Are there particular themes you feel most passionate about right now?

Now that I’m freelance, I feel really lucky that I’m able to write about the topics I choose. The breath of topic varies a lot, for instance, I’ve recently written a piece tackling personal style, and another on dumpster diving.

Covering fashion, especially with a sustainability slant, is something I’m really drawn to. I also love dissecting cultural conversations, looking at what’s happening on social media and what the implications are for us at large. Recently, I’ve taken more interest in the intersection of social media and relationships.

I am fascinated by social media and relationships! Especially parasocial relationships!

Culture Club is such an engaging podcast, and you and Jasmine bring a unique blend of current affairs, pop culture, and personal reflections to each episode. How did the idea for the podcast come about, and how has your vision for it evolved?

Thank you, that’s very sweet! We started the podcast in 2020 during our lockdowns. Jas and I had only met a handful of times, but found that we were drawn to similar conversations; so much so that we pitched similar stories to publications on more than one occasion! Our tag line from the beginning prefaces that we chat about “pop culture, current affairs, the internet and our lives” and that much has stayed the same.

In the last four years, so much has changed in our personal and professional lives. The bones of our podcast remain the same, but the way we approach topics has matured. We’re also more drawn to segments about internet trends and to wider conversations about relationships and friendships.

I feel like you’re able to explore the “vibes” of internet culture with such humour and depth. What does your research process look like for each episode, especially for tracking trends and curating discussions on complex topics?

About a year ago, Jas and I started a two-person Slack so we could separate our Culture Club conversations from our personal friendship conversations. We have many channels, such as one dedicated to our guest episodes, another for meme dump submissions and yet another one for episode topics. Throughout the week, we’ll drop in any links we find interesting and sift through them the day of recording.

We typically split what topics we’ll research. The process often looks like reading a variety of articles on the matter, and seeing what conversations around it are like on Twitter and TikTok. For more hefty discussions, we’ll both work on finessing the notes together.

For listeners, Culture Club provides an inclusive, conversational space. How do you and Jasmine work to create that feeling of inclusivity, especially when tackling issues that might be more polarising or sensitive?

I really appreciate you saying that; that’s the vibe we’re going for! Jas and I both lean on our journalism backgrounds to create robust, well-researched episodes, while injecting our Gen Z and Zillennial experiences to make conversation light and relatable. At the same time, it’s really important to us that we take what we’re saying seriously and give topics the space and love they need.

The power of podcasting is that they are edited! We take our time with sensitive issues, rerecording sentences and such to make sure they land well. At the end of the day though, it’s our own podcast for a reason; we’re not afraid to be outspoken on what matters to us.

What’s next for you creatively? Are there any new topics or media projects that you’re especially excited about exploring, either in your writing or on the podcast?

Recently I hosted two panels for Melbourne Fashion Week and I’ve already locked in a couple panels for next year. I jump at the chance to connect and chat with people IRL so I’m looking forward to more opportunities like these. Otherwise, you’ll catch me doing what I love: writing feature articles, creating content and recording Culture Club!