Since 2018, Irish writer Caroline O’Donoghue has been putting lowbrow in the limelight. Her popular podcast Sentimental Garbage – which has a particularly dedicated Australian fan base – began life as a defence of chick lit and romance fiction. These days, it offers witty and sincere takes on all kinds of cultural touchstones that are often framed as guilty pleasures, from the generation-defining music of Avril Lavigne to the high drama of Sex and the City to the incredible versatility of the word ‘like’. In this conversation, which has been lightly edited and condensed for clarity, Caroline talks to Griffith Review Editor Carody Culver about rediscovering our pop-culture obsessions without the cringe factor. 

CARODY CULVER: When did you first become aware that women – so often it’s women – are made to feel ashamed for enjoying certain forms of pop culture?