Advertise on podcast: Spectacle: An Unscripted History of Reality TV

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★★★★★

4.5

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370 reviews

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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 3: This season of Spectacle delves into the history of true crime -- from the cases that shook us to our core, to its passionate audience, and what narratives and stereotypes it reinforces in our culture. From Neon Hum Media and Sony Music Entertainment. Spectacle: True Crime is available June 23rd. 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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True Crime | 1. In Cold Blood to Serial & true crime tropes

2022/06/23

Host Mariah Smith is back for season 3 to dissect a messy obsession. This is Spectacle: True Crime. In our pilot episode, we look at how the 2014 podcast Serial changed the true crime game. And how it’s a callback to an OG in the genre, the 1965 true crime novel In Cold Blood. We’ll dissect how Truman Capote got a wee bit too close with killer Perry Smith and how good Phillip Seymour Hoffman was in the 2005 film Capote. Plus, you’ll hear from true crime experts Jean Murley and Sarah Weinman. You won’t want to miss it. A Neon Hum Media and Sony Music Entertainment production. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts to binge all episodes now or listen weekly wherever you get your podcasts. Find more great podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcasts Learn more about your ad choices. Visitmegaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

OG true crime sensation Lizzie Borden

2022/06/23

Spectacle host Mariah Smith and senior producer Joanna Clay dissect an OG true crime sensation that is the alleged axe murderer… Lizzie Borden. Pre-In Cold Blood, the investigation into the deaths of Lizzie’s father and stepmother shocked the nation. The trial, widely covered by the press, was a defining media spectacle of the period. Join us for a conversation on the murders, the obsession with the case… and, of course, what this obsession says about us.

Introducing Spectacle: True Crime

2022/06/09

Why is it that after a long, hard day of work we want to unwind with a glass of wine and… murder? From In Cold Blood to Serial, America is obsessed with true crime. The genre has simultaneously stoked our most primal fears, reaffirmed our safety, and transformed us into armchair prosecutors. As a culture we pay close attention, both to piece together the puzzle but also to understand the twisted humanity…What leads someone to commit a crime? And could we be the next victim? In this season of Spectacle, we’ll delve into the history of true crime -- from the cases that shook us to our core, to its passionate audience… and what narratives and stereotypes it reinforces in our culture. This is Spectacle Season 3: True Crime. A Neon Hum Media and Sony Music Entertainment production. Coming June 23rd. Listen & follow on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, Stitcher or wherever you get your podcasts. Find more great podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcasts

Las Vegas | 1. The American Sideshow

2022/02/10

Spectacle is back with a new season and this time the spectacle isn’t reality TV it's a place. it’s had many names over the years: Sin City, City of Lights, Glitter Gulch. In this season of Spectacle, we’re going to dive deep into all there is to know about the fabulous, the incorrigible… Las Vegas. In our first episode, Host Brent Holmes connects with magician and Vegas headliner, Penn Jillette. Performing off Broadway in NYC, Penn thought of the desert city as a place entertainers went to die. But after an encounter with Dean Martin, Penn had his ass kicked “artistically" -- and never looked back. A Neon Hum Media and Sony Music Entertainment production. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts to binge all episodes now or listen weekly wherever you get your podcasts. Find more great podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcasts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Spectacle Extra: Penn Jillette

2022/02/10

An extended interview with Penn Jillette, the world class magician and performer.

Las Vegas | 2. The Capital of Fast Love

2022/02/17

In the final scene of Viva Las Vegas, Elvis and Ann Margaret stand in front of a wood-framed chapel, happily married, running out into the street as the credits roll. Nearly 60 years later, you can get married at that very same church -- by Elvis. Well, a fake Elvis. Numerous spur of the moment nuptials would solidify Las Vegas as the capital of fast love. Known for the quickie wedding and... the quickie divorce. Did you know Ria Gable (Clark Gable's ex) escaped to a Nevada divorce ranch? Or that divorce ranches were even a thing? That's what this episode is all about: How Vegas revolutionized marriage and – in the process – launched a two billion dollar industry. A Neon Hum Media and Sony Music Entertainment production. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts to binge all episodes now or listen weekly wherever you get your podcasts. Find more great podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcasts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Spectacle Extra: Tierney Finster

2022/02/18

Writer and critic Tierney Finster discusses marriage, divorce, and the Las Vegas Strip.

Las Vegas | 3. Scorsese's Casino and the Mob in Vegas

2022/02/24

Las Vegas, through the eyes of Martin Scorsese, is where you went to be legit. It's where a criminal could operate out in the open. Dark alleys and dimly lit rooms were traded for c-suite offices. In Vegas, you could make real money. Casino was the perfect vehicle to show how the mobster went mainstream – in Vegas – and in our culture. In this episode, we’ll dive into the tropes of the film. And how, to this day, the problematic backstory of Vegas is celebrated – even though, you know, it came through stealing tax dollars and, you know, murder. Host Brent Holmes will explore what our romance with mobsters says about us. A Neon Hum Media and Sony Music Entertainment production. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts to binge all episodes now or listen weekly wherever you get your podcasts. Find more great podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcasts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Spectacle Extra: Geoff Schumacher

2022/02/25

The vice president of exhibits and programs for the Mob Museum Geoff Schumacher, talks about how mob movies depict organized crime and the history of the mob in Vegas.

Las Vegas | 4. The Bold Legacy of Moulin Rouge, the First Integrated Casino in Vegas

2022/03/03

Las Vegas has a way of forgetting its history. Like many cities across America, Vegas was segregated. From the ‘40s through integration, The Strip welcomed whites only, forcing Black people to live on the other side of the tracks. On the Westside. But they made it home, with hotels, restaurants and bars of their own. This week, Brent dives into the brief yet brilliant history of the first integrated casino, the Moulin Rouge, exploring what integration actually looked like for Black performers. And now, how the residents of the Historic Westside have recently taken its future into their own hands, breeding hope for a second renaissance, maybe one even better than the last. A Neon Hum Media and Sony Music Entertainment production. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts to binge all episodes now or listen weekly wherever you get your podcasts. Find more great podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcasts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Spectacle Extra: Claytee White

2022/03/04

Claytee White, the Director of the Oral History Research center at UNLV, discusses the historic Westside of Las Vegas, the Moulin Rouge, and the legacy of segregation in the city, and much more.

Las Vegas | 5. Is Hunter S. Thompson "The Bad Art Friend"?

2022/03/10

By the late 60s, that Vegas “anything goes” philosphy was fully solidified. And look no further than Hunter S. Thompson’s drug-fueled literary romp, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, to see this on full display. In making his surreal, snide and colorful portrait of Las Vegas – Thompson would later be accused of erasing the identity of the man who helped tell the tale. And that’s what this episode is about, how Thompson capitalized on a fantastical version of Vegas, and his friend – Chicano journalist Oscar Acosta – to promote the enduring representation of Las Vegas as “Sin City.” So what did he leave out? And what do people continue to leave out to espouse this fever dream fantasy of Vegas as a vice vacation? Host Brent Holmes digs into it with filmmaker Phillip Rodriguez and writers Zach Baron, Abby Aguirre and Scott Dickensheets. A Neon Hum Media and Sony Music Entertainment production. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts to binge all episodes now or listen weekly wherever you get your podcasts. Find more great podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcasts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Podcast reviews

Read Spectacle: An Unscripted History of Reality TV podcast reviews

4.5 out of 5

370 reviews

★★★★★

DanWStock 2022/05/15

Season 2 is a triumph

Season 1 didn’t really interest me too much but season 2 on Las Vegas has been one of my favorite podcasts of the year. Entertaining, informative, wel...

★★☆☆☆

Margaret CA 2022/06/21

S2 E12 - Huge disappointment

Loved season 1, fun and great energy !! Season 2 was good, very informational and good interviews. The episode regarding the Westside, segregation, an...

★★★★★

colette pomerleau 2022/03/03

compelling, especially from a las vegas-born listener

The thoughtfulness and depth of narration behind telling the story of Las Vegas not only makes me feel proud to be from such a place, but it…makes me ...

★★★★☆

elysian012 2022/03/23

Enjoying Vegas

Interesting mini stories about Las Vegas!

★☆☆☆☆

ubtctc 2022/03/15

Season 2 host is a racist

She’s racist against white people.

★★★★★

(Clementime) 2022/02/25

Attends to be in a good description with defense in twined with a desert w/o 🌵

Diaz dash four an awesome

★★☆☆☆

jJackcj75 2022/03/01

Test

Aaa

★★☆☆☆

Dan T. 123 2022/02/26

Host is terrible

In season two, the host is just really bad. Episode 3 is the best example. It had no purpose. 50% (not kidding”) was him delivering long sermons / ar...

★★☆☆☆

JEKDC 2022/02/22

Not Vegas

The whole show is about his family not Vegas

★★☆☆☆

StillWater1 2022/02/04

Not bad

Lots of racial commentary and constantly harping on it. Wish it. Otherwise interesting. (The voice is irritating!!!!)

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