40 Years of South by Southwest: The Festival That Changed It All

South by Southwest is celebrating its 40th anniversary, and it looks different than it ever has. Greg Rosenbaum, the festival's head of programming, joins me to talk about the creative reset forced by the demolition of the Austin Convention Center, the new neighborhood clubhouse model that's embedding communities throughout the city, and what it actually means to run all of SXSW simultaneously for the first time. Plus, the story of how the Daniels went from screening music videos at SXSW in 2012 to sweeping the Oscars with Everything Everywhere All at Once, and what that journey says about what the festival has always been trying to do. Newsweek will be at SXSW this year, covering it all. In fact, I'll be on stage with Jamie Lee Curtis on March 14 for what is sure to be a conversation worth the trip alone. Also, Newsweek’s Editor-In-Chief Jennifer Cunningham will be there on March 16 for the panel on the future of news. If you see us there, make sure to say hi. And make sure you watch this space and subscribe to my newsletter for all the latest.  Subscribe to my newsletter: https://for-the-culture.beehiiv.com Follow me: https://linktr.ee/halanscott  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Outlander audience is massive, and I learned that firsthand when I chatted with Caitríona Balfe, who plays Claire in the beloved, long-running Starz series. The response to that conversation, and to the show itself, was overwhelming. So I started wondering: who is the person who truly understands this fandom from the inside out? Turns out, she exists, and her name is Reshma Gopaldas. Reshma is a writer and podcaster who has been covering Outlander for years. If you haven't read her interviews with Caitríona and Sam Heughan in Vogue, do yourself a favor and click the link below. She joined me to talk about the series, its fandom and why the show connects with people in such a singular way. With the final season coming to Starz, there's no better time to listen. Listen to my chat with Caitríona Balfe: https://www.newsweek.com/entertainment/outlanders-caitriona-balfe-bids-farewell-a-quarter-of-our-lives-11537618 Follow Reshma on Substack: https://substack.com/@reshmago Follow Reshma on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ReshmaGo Read her Vogue feature: https://www.vogue.com/article/caitriona-balfe-sam-heughan-outlander-season-8-interview Subscribe to my newsletter: https://for-the-culture.beehiiv.com Follow me: https://linktr.ee/halanscott See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Some stories don't have clean endings. A.J. Daulerio published Hulk Hogan's sex tape, watched Gawker collapse under the weight of a $140 million lawsuit, and spent years wondering if he'd ever work again. He was somewhere between 90 and 100 days sober when he sat in that courtroom. He didn't know yet that all of it, the public humiliation, the professional exile, the long uncomfortable crawl back to himself, would eventually become the foundation for something genuinely good. Daulerio joined me to talk about that journey. We got into the Hulk Hogan trial, what sobriety actually looks like a decade in, and how The Small Bow podcast became a community for people who needed somewhere to land. He also talks about writing Hogan a letter in 2018 without telling his lawyers. It's a conversation worth sitting with. Visit thesmallbow.com to listen and watch the podcast.  Subscribe to my newsletter: https://for-the-culture.beehiiv.com Follow me: https://linktr.ee/halanscott See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

I love weird. I especially love weird when it incorporates my favorite moments in pop culture. So when I recently saw Linus Karp and Joseph Martin's live show "Gwyneth Goes Skiing," a sort of musical retelling of Gwyneth Paltrow's 2023 ski crash trial, I knew I needed to chat with them. Turns out Karp and Martin are a pop culture nerd's favorite duo, because they've done tons of shows that scratch that weird, nostalgic itch: shows like "Diana: The Untold and Untrue Story," about Princess Diana, and "Fit Prince," a spoof on Hallmark made-for-TV movies. I chatted with this comedy duo and couple about pop culture, where they come up with ideas for their shows, and whether Paltrow herself has ever come to see it. For more on their work, follow their production company: https://www.instagram.com/awkwardprods For their live shows, visit https://linktr.ee/awkwardprods Subscribe to my newsletter: https://for-the-culture.beehiiv.com Follow me: https://linktr.ee/halanscott See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Jenna Lewis-Dougherty and Kyle Fraser join Newsweek’s H. Alan Scott to break down their Survivor 50 exits, shocking game moves and who they're rooting for to win it all. Subscribe to my newsletter: https://for-the-culture.beehiiv.com Follow me: https://linktr.ee/halanscott  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Tom Ellis is ready for his next chapter. The actor talks CBS’ CIA, the new Dick Wolf drama he couldn't turn down. It’s a character who won't be naked like Lucifer but could still “put you on the floor with one move.” Subscribe to my newsletter: https://for-the-culture.beehiiv.com Follow me: https://linktr.ee/halanscott See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Gabriel Basso is back as Peter Sutherland in season three of Netflix’s The Night Agent, and he's thinking big. "Relatability breeds success and success kills relatability.” It's a juxtaposition that shapes both his character and his outlook on his career. Subscribe to my newsletter: https://for-the-culture.beehiiv.com Follow me: https://linktr.ee/halanscott See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Caitriona Balfe reflects on the final season of the STARZ epic historical drama Outlander, bidding farewell to Claire, and to Sam Heughan’s Jamie Fraser after spending a “quarter of our lives” on the show.   Subscribe to my newsletter: https://for-the-culture.beehiiv.com Follow me: https://linktr.ee/halanscott See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Daniel Radcliffe on starring with Tracy Morgan in The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins, his Broadway journey and Harry Potter: “I love that people love those movies.” Subscribe to my newsletter: https://for-the-culture.beehiiv.com Follow me: https://linktr.ee/halanscott See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Stephanie and Ashley from Plus Size Park Hoppers join Newsweek’s H. Alan Scott to discuss how their viral Instagram and TikTok accounts help plus-size Disney fans navigate theme parks with confidence. "We've all had those experiences where we go to get on a ride and we aren't able to fit and it doesn't feel good," Stephanie shares. The duo opens up about handling online hate, the loneliness epidemic driving parasocial relationships, and defending Disney adults. "Walt did not build Disney World for children," Ashley notes. "The whole message behind it was so adults can go and feel like children again." They also discuss Universal's restrictive policies and their mission to show that "you don't have to wait until you fit a certain mold to go enjoy yourself." Subscribe to my newsletter: https://for-the-culture.beehiiv.com Follow me: https://linktr.ee/halanscott See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.