‘In The Name of The Diva’ with Dan Brophy

Not a Swiftie? You Need to Calm Down: this episode is for you.I'm joined by author, journalist & deputy editor of Pedestrian, Matt Galea. We break down Taylor Swift as a case study in modern artistry—her ability to turn the smallest details into epic emotions, reinvent herself through carefully crafted “eras,” and soundtrack our lives with songs that grow and change as we do.In this conversation we explore:✨ Why Taylor’s storytelling is her true superpower✨ How her eras (1989, reputation, folklore) are a masterclass in reinvention✨ The blurred line between PR myth and personal truth in pop culture✨ Why queer fans connected to her long before rainbow anthems✨ What Miss Americana revealed about politics, fame, and control✨ And the one album you should start with if you’ve never really listenedTaylor may not be your diva yet—but by the end of this chat, you’ll see why she’s one of the defining icons of the 21st century.📌 Subscribe for more diva devotion, queer cultural deep-dives, and conversations with creators who know that pop is never just pop.For more on Matt: https://www.instagram.com/mattygaleax/For more on Dan: www.linktr.ee/danbrophy

For all Dan's Link's and more on The Men's Circle: https://linktr.ee/danbrophyIn The Name of The Diva is a theosophical discussion of queer icons...My guest this week is Dino Dimitriadis—one of Australia’s most extraordinary theatre-makers. If you’ve seen one of their plays, you’ll know: you walk out changed. Their work is camp, dark, surreal, cinematic—lit and staged like nothing else.Dino’s work has transcended Australian theatre from the mainstream to the fringes and back again.I first saw Dino’s Metamorphoses at The Fitz, and since then I’ve chased down everything they’ve done. Recently, they’ve stepped into new worlds—like staging Nicol & Ford’s Sydney Fashion Week runway. And most recently that vision is turned towards the subversive deliciously palatable remounting of Hedwig and the Angry Inch starring Sean Miley Moore. (Hey diva, come on the show!)But today, it’s all about divas. And the diva Dino adores above all others? Bette Midler.I’ve loved Bette since I was four years old—thanks to Beaches. If you’re queer and haven’t seen it… fix that immediately. Call your best gays, grab popcorn and tissues, and prepare yourself.But Bette’s legacy goes deeper: from The Divine Miss M to Hocus Pocus to The First Wives Club. She was there for the gays before it was cool—performing in New York bathhouses in the 70s, singing show tunes and cracking jokes as Bathhouse Betty. One of the greatest diva origin stories of all time.That wit, that ferocity, that camp sensibility—it’s carried through everything she’s ever done. So much so that Patti LuPone literally played a Bette-inspired character in American Horror Story: NYC. Divas on divas.Speaking of, there’s an undeniable activism - a sense of purpose and the intention of creating change that beautifully links Dino’s work and Bette’s - as her environmental activism is one of the most notable elements of her plume offscreen, and Dino, its the drive to transform societal narratives around queerness - and more recently and specifically, transness.So when Dino—who is currently touring to tour Hedwig around Australia—chose Bette Midler as their diva, it feels nothing short of DIVINE.This chat is an inspiration and an education to all those who need it. So get your notes app ready, because Dino is about to remind us why Bette Midler is one of the OG queer divas of the 20th century - who’s still doin’ it.Here’s my deep dive with Dino Dimitriadis, on the diva they adore above all others: Bette Midler.More on Dino: https://www.instagram.com/dino__dimitriadis/For all Dan's Link's and more on The Men's Circle: https://linktr.ee/danbrophy

Join The Men's Circle IN PERSON or ONLINE: https://linktr.ee/danbrophyIn this episode...A multi-hyphenate diva deserves a multi-hyphenate diva, so it feels correct that I would be talking Beyonce with actor, singer & designer Lyndon Watts.It is a very good tie to be a Beyonce fan. She is in her empirical phase. After rising to prominence in the late 90s as the foremost part of Destiny’s Child, in the 2020s Beyonce is undeniably in her empirical phase - a critical and commercial zenith where there is simply no other artist that is as culturally significant.From the state-of-the-art presentation of The Renaissance Tour, to her free-flowing between genres, which is as much a statement on race and, there has never been a more exciting time to be a Beyonce fan.One of the most enjoyable discoveries of The Diva Pod has been how each guest has taken the conversation in a unique direction. While my previous chats have been a little more about album highlights and standout tracks, this conversation was much more about how Beyonce has informed and inspired Lyndon’s creative expression, the politics of their art and the importance of knowing where you have come from in order to be truly unique with what you choose to bring through your work.I love that this is about more than just the work itself, but a jump-off point to discuss the broader themes of identity and queerness.For more on Dan: https://linktr.ee/danbrophyFor more on Lyndon: https://www.instagram.com/lyndonwatts_/For more on Socaboy: https://socaboy.com.au/

Join The Men's Circle IN PERSON or ONLINE: https://linktr.ee/danbrophyIn this episode...A multi-hyphenate diva deserves a multi-hyphenate diva, so it feels correct that I would be talking Beyonce with actor, singer & designer Lyndon Watts.It is a very good tie to be a Beyonce fan. She is in her empirical phase. After rising to prominence in the late 90s as the foremost part of Destiny’s Child, in the 2020s Beyonce is undeniably in her empirical phase - a critical and commercial zenith where there is simply no other artist that is as culturally significant.From the state-of-the-art presentation of The Renaissance Tour, to her free-flowing between genres, which is as much a statement on race and, there has never been a more exciting time to be a Beyonce fan.One of the most enjoyable discoveries of The Diva Pod has been how each guest has taken the conversation in a unique direction. While my previous chats have been a little more about album highlights and standout tracks, this conversation was much more about how Beyonce has informed and inspired Lyndon’s creative expression, the politics of their art and the importance of knowing where you have come from in order to be truly unique with what you choose to bring through your work.I love that this is about more than just the work itself, but a jump-off point to discuss the broader themes of identity and queerness.For more on Dan: https://linktr.ee/danbrophyFor more on Lyndon: https://www.instagram.com/lyndonwatts_/For more on Socaboy: https://socaboy.com.au/

Beauty this devastating needs to be celebrated. This is a video version of my chat with Christian Wilkins on Kylie Minogue.I wanted to get Christian’s perspective on the enduring Kylie mystique - her camp outrageousness and somehow simultaneous relatability that has kept us delighted for four decades (!)Christian and I discuss how she gave us permission to feel the fever… aka fan the flames of our 'femme fantasy'... and as kids who were looking to understand the feeling of falling in love.

I wanted to get Christian’s perspective on the enduring Kylie mystique - her camp outrageousness and somehow simultaneous relatability that has kept us delighted for four decades (!)Christian and I discuss how she gave us permission to feel the fever… aka fan the flames of our 'femme fantasy'... and as kids who were looking to understand the feeling of falling in love.

I'm joined by the incomparable Isis Avis Loren, winner of Drag Race Down Under Season three across 12 years of drag alchemy.Isis has blended Egyptian goddess mystique with Italian silver screen glamour - and just a DASH of nona hysteria into a stage persona that is the DEFINITION of Australian drag excellence.In this episode, we are having a theosophical dissemination of Lady Gaga.We’ll talk about why she is Isis’s #1, how lessons learnt from Gaga have inspired and informed her life and work.