Spectacle is a series that analyzes the cultural and societal implications of your guilty pleasures. From reality TV to true crime, Spectacle simultaneously celebrates and critiques the media, people and places that define us. SEASON 2: Las Vegas It's a city that has defined popular culture. An oasis in the desert, a mirage — a playground for adults replete with casinos, showgirls, and all-you-can-eat buffets. But how did Vegas become “Sin City”? From the genesis of shotgun weddings, to film portrayals of the mob-era, to the social engineering behind mega-casinos…season 2 of Spectacle explores the fabulous, the incorrigible, Las Vegas. SEASON 1: Reality TV Reality TV is dismissed as guilty pleasure, low brow... even trash. But whether you want to admit it or not, you probably have heard of Snooki, Lisa Vanderpump or Kim Kardashian. Over the past 30 years, reality TV has become a place to see the social and political moment play out in real time -- from racial tensions on The Real World New York to gender dynamics on The Bachelor. On this season, join host Mariah Smith as she dissects the history of the genre one show at a time, revealing how it's shaped our culture and how our culture shaped it.
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2023-10-10 | A podcast series that marvels at the sheer magnitude of the human spirit and the lengths we will go to preserve the most sacred of things – life. Join primitive survival expert and United States Marine Corps Veteran, Donny Dust, as he hosts the brand-n... |
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2023-08-01 |
The Dark Secrets of the "White Devil" - Witness Smoke Screen: Betrayal on the Bayou Betrayal on the Bayou is a podcast about a former DEA agent Chad Scott, who for almost two decades, stopped at nothing to put drug dealers behind bars. He controlled a web of snitches and played people like pawns. His successes earned him awards from h... |
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2023-07-11 |
Unmasking the Spectacle: Draptomaniax Reveals Untold Stories of Black History From Dean of Black Twitter, Michael Harriot, comes a Black history podcast like you've never heard before. Using a recipe that includes detailed research, barbershop humor and a little seasoned salt, a parade of cookout-certified celebrity guests helps... |
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2023-06-01 |
Step into the Dark Side of Hollywood: Experience Death on The Lot This season, we’re getting into 1950s Hollywood, ground zero for a cultural transformation that would upend every aspect of Americans’ lives. A movie theater in every city, a TV in every living room, and a Post-war America determined to be happy at any... |
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2023-02-01 | Smoke Screen: Deadly Cure is a podcast about a family on the fringe who convinced tens of thousands of people across the globe to buy a miracle liquid made of poison, the international conspiracy they ignited, and the people who fought to take them dow... |
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2022-09-23 | Sharing a preview of a new Sony Music Entertainment and Pushkin podcast, Death of the Artist. For more than 35 years, accusations of murder shrouded one of the art world’s most storied couples: Was the famous sculptor Carl Andre involved in the death o... |
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2022-09-08 |
True Crime | 12. True Crime, Glass of Wine, Bed by 9 -- A White Lady Obsession True crime podcasts have developed a devoted female following. It’s made fun of in SNL skits and coined cutesy phrases on t-shirts like “true crime, glass of wine, bed by nine.” The thing is, some of the most popular true crime podcasts are largely led... |
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2022-09-01 |
True Crime | 11. Forensic Files, CSI and the Peddling of Junk Science This week on Spectacle, forensic sciences. Shows like CSI or Forensic Files make us believe that fingerprints, bite marks or tool marks can close the case. But in reality, aside from DNA, none of it is legit. In fact, it’s been publicly called out by t... |
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2022-08-25 |
True Crime | 10. Is Prestige True Crime Sensationalizing Real Pain? If you’re turned on any streaming channel, from Netflix to Hulu to HBO Max, true crime dominates. As of late, what’s especially popular are shows and movies that give true crime the arthouse movie treatment. There's killer cinematography, an A-list cas... |
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2022-08-18 | It's not often that cases get the justice they deserve, unfortunately. But in the Law & Order: SVU universe, victims always get justice delivered by a certain superwoman detective. In this week’s episode, Host Mariah Smith looks into how this popul... |
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