The Substance starring Demi Moore and Margaret Qualley has fast become the most talked-about horror of the year, with audiences divided on whether it’s a feminist masterpiece, or a ‘vile and disgusting’ exemplar of the male gaze. We get into how the film taps into our own fears around ageing and how Demi’s role was influenced by career-long toxic media scrutiny. Also this week, we deep-dive into the horrific allegations and rumours that have come to light since Diddy’s arrest, from his ‘freak offs’ and disturbing relationship with a young Justin Bieber, to the music mogul’s careful curation of a ‘legit’ celebrity persona. Is all of Hollywood as dark and sinister a place as it seems? As part of our conversation about male sexual assault, we also discuss the No1 show on Netflix right now, Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story.
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Reccs/ Culture discussed
The Substance (in cinemas)
I’m a 50-something woman and nothing about Demi Moore’s anti-ageing body horror rings true, Telegraph
‘We can be violent to ourselves. Brutal’: Demi Moore on body image, reinvention and her most shocking role yet, Guardian
Real Ageing is scarier than what’s going on in The Substance, The Cut
Helter Skelter by Ninagawa Mika (2012)
Once More From The Top by Emily Layden
Blink Twice (2024), Apple TV
I Survived Diddy’s White Party, YouTube
Yummy, Justin Bieber (YouTube)
The staggering fall of Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs – from music mogul to criminal charges, Guardian
The Powerful Celebs Who Acted as Diddy’s Human Shield, Daily Beast
Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story, Netflix
The Wild, True Tale Behind Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story, Vanity Fair
Behind every Al-Fayed and Diddy there is a small army of enablers, Guardian
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