Bowen Yang & Matt Rogers Curated The Ultimate Cool Girl Gift Guide
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Photo Courtesy of Marshalls
If there’s one thing we can count on Bowen Yang and Matt Rogers for, it’s a hyper-specific pop culture reference. For the last decade, the comedic duo have mined the deepest corners of queer cultural zeitgeist on their podcast Las Culturistas, which snagged iHeartRadio’s Podcast Of The Year Award in 2023. This holiday season, their new Marshalls campaign — It’s Giving Gifts! — channels their encyclopedic archive of niche archetypes into the highest form of holiday-season community service: helping shoppers find the perfect present for every type of person in their lives.
From best gifts “for the homebody who loves their sourdough starter more than you, and you have accepted that” to selections for “the cool girl who is always late and makes you think punctuality is kind of embarrassing” and “the teen who has so much drip you were left with no choice but to use the word “‘drip’ to describe them” — each gift guide offers meticulously curated, cross-category selections from designer labels and beloved brands at a wide variety of price points.
“Saying that you love Marshalls is like ordering Diet Coke for the table,” Yang tells Refinery29 while we chat in-store at Marshalls in Manhattan. “You empower other people to say something they thought was buried: ‘Oh, wait, I’ve always loved Marshalls too.’”
Below, Yang and Rogers share their best tips for picking the perfect gift, their most formative holiday memories, and the greatest presents they’ve ever given — and received.
From best gifts “for the homebody who loves their sourdough starter more than you, and you have accepted that” to selections for “the cool girl who is always late and makes you think punctuality is kind of embarrassing” and “the teen who has so much drip you were left with no choice but to use the word “‘drip’ to describe them” — each gift guide offers meticulously curated, cross-category selections from designer labels and beloved brands at a wide variety of price points.
“Saying that you love Marshalls is like ordering Diet Coke for the table,” Yang tells Refinery29 while we chat in-store at Marshalls in Manhattan. “You empower other people to say something they thought was buried: ‘Oh, wait, I’ve always loved Marshalls too.’”
Below, Yang and Rogers share their best tips for picking the perfect gift, their most formative holiday memories, and the greatest presents they’ve ever given — and received.
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Let’s talk about my personal favorite gift-guide archetype — gifts for “the cool girl who is always late and makes punctuality seem kind of embarrassing.” To reference the recurring segment on your podcast — what are the cultural moments that made this cool girl who she is today?
Bowen Yang: We all know this girl. We might even be this girl. This girl saw Mean Girls in theaters at least 5 times in 2004. She really imprinted on — not Romy and Michelle — but she identified with their bullies. Maybe [they identify] with Janeane Garofalo ’cause they like a quick-smoke cigarette because they have places to be and they are always late to those places.
Matt Rogers: I would say it's that girl from high school who you're like: "You learned the wrong thing from Regina George.” But… she looked good.
Bowen Yang: We all know this girl. We might even be this girl. This girl saw Mean Girls in theaters at least 5 times in 2004. She really imprinted on — not Romy and Michelle — but she identified with their bullies. Maybe [they identify] with Janeane Garofalo ’cause they like a quick-smoke cigarette because they have places to be and they are always late to those places.
Matt Rogers: I would say it's that girl from high school who you're like: "You learned the wrong thing from Regina George.” But… she looked good.
There’s so many cute purses and shoes in the “cool girl” gift guide. Where is the cool girl wearing these accessories while out and about in Manhattan?
Yang: She’s taking this to Balthazar, Carbone, the Whitney, the Circle Line Cruise so she can swing around [her purse] while the DJ plays a song on a boat.
Rogers: She’s going to take this to Zero Bond. She’s going to walk past Taylor Swift, and Taylor’s gonna go: “So sorry, where did you get that bag?” She’ll say: “Marshalls.” And she’s going to wink at Taylor, and Taylor's gonna be like: "Travis, we gotta go. Let's get to Marshalls."
Yang: She’s taking this to Balthazar, Carbone, the Whitney, the Circle Line Cruise so she can swing around [her purse] while the DJ plays a song on a boat.
Rogers: She’s going to take this to Zero Bond. She’s going to walk past Taylor Swift, and Taylor’s gonna go: “So sorry, where did you get that bag?” She’ll say: “Marshalls.” And she’s going to wink at Taylor, and Taylor's gonna be like: "Travis, we gotta go. Let's get to Marshalls."
Be honest, did you have any specific friends in mind when creating the “cool girl”” gift guide?
Yang: I would say our friend Greta [Gerwig] — who we love. Greta is giving both Sabrina Carpenter and early aughts SJP, plus the dad’s girlfriend from The Parent Trap.
Rogers: Yeah. Any stepmother from any movie where the stepmother comes in and is like: "It's off to boarding school with you.” But we love that stepmother. We aspire to be her.
Yang: I would say our friend Greta [Gerwig] — who we love. Greta is giving both Sabrina Carpenter and early aughts SJP, plus the dad’s girlfriend from The Parent Trap.
Rogers: Yeah. Any stepmother from any movie where the stepmother comes in and is like: "It's off to boarding school with you.” But we love that stepmother. We aspire to be her.
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For the person who just can’t decide on a gift — what picks from your gift guides do you think are the most universal crowd-pleasers?
Yang: Silk pajamas, skincare… this bag is a star. This bag has been with us the entire campaign. And I will never forget about her — she's high impact.
Rogers: And you really can't go wrong with a candle.
Yang: Silk pajamas, skincare… this bag is a star. This bag has been with us the entire campaign. And I will never forget about her — she's high impact.
Rogers: And you really can't go wrong with a candle.
You’re clearly both great gift-givers — but what about receiving? Was there a childhood gift that genuinely shaped who you are today
Rogers: This was the year that PlayStation 2 came out. I was a video game kid — Bowen Yang still is — and I really wanted that PS2. And they were like: "You're not getting it. It's too expensive and no one can get it." And then on Christmas day, I kept opening up PS2 games, and I was like: "Well, I guess you got me the games for one day when I get the system, right?" They were like: "Exactly, one day when you get the system." Low and behold, the last gift hiding under the couch was the PS2, and I was a very happy boy.
Yang: Mine was after Batman Forever came out. I had a Batgirl, Alicia Silverstone action figure — that really spoke to me and has since.
Rogers: This was the year that PlayStation 2 came out. I was a video game kid — Bowen Yang still is — and I really wanted that PS2. And they were like: "You're not getting it. It's too expensive and no one can get it." And then on Christmas day, I kept opening up PS2 games, and I was like: "Well, I guess you got me the games for one day when I get the system, right?" They were like: "Exactly, one day when you get the system." Low and behold, the last gift hiding under the couch was the PS2, and I was a very happy boy.
Yang: Mine was after Batman Forever came out. I had a Batgirl, Alicia Silverstone action figure — that really spoke to me and has since.
What’s the most unexpected place you’ve ever spent the holidays?
Yang: Someone in my family recently pitched, out of nowhere: “What about Scottsdale this Christmas?” I said: “What about it? We don’t know anybody there.” No shade to Scottsdale it’s just like... why would we go there?
Rogers: I will be doing a Tampa Christmas because my parents snowbird down there. People who know me are like: “Matt Rogers, Florida for Christmas, checks out.”
Yang: Someone in my family recently pitched, out of nowhere: “What about Scottsdale this Christmas?” I said: “What about it? We don’t know anybody there.” No shade to Scottsdale it’s just like... why would we go there?
Rogers: I will be doing a Tampa Christmas because my parents snowbird down there. People who know me are like: “Matt Rogers, Florida for Christmas, checks out.”
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What are your favorite types of gifts to give?
Yang: Candles are a go-to. I think we're finally, as a culture, coming out of the stigma around candles as gifts. For a while there, it was like: "Oh, you got a candle? How impersonal." No. No one's gonna turn down a candle.
Rogers: I really hit the jackpot one year when I realized that I could get bespoke drink coasters and customize them for my friends. So I got coasters with different pop stars on them and I gave them to all my friends for the pop star that they stan. And I do think that was my best idea and now I have to think of something else creative.
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