Episodes

  • Spectacle: An Unscripted History of Reality TV Trailer

    Spectacle: An Unscripted History of Reality TV Trailer
    Jan 28 2021
    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.  A Neon Hum Media and Sony Music Entertainment production. Coming February 10th. 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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    3 mins
  • Reality TV | 1. An American Family

    Reality TV | 1. An American Family
    Feb 10 2021
    In the first episode of season 1 of Spectacle, we'll go back to the show that started it all -- An American Family. Most probably haven't heard of the 1973 PBS docuseries but many argue it inspired reality TV. The series that followed the Loud family of Santa Barbara became part of the cultural moment -- spoofed on SNL and by Albert Brooks. Host Mariah Smith gets behind-the-scenes details from filmmakers and finds out why the show can't be streamed, anywhere, anymore. 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 podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    43 mins
  • Reality TV | 2. Manufacturing The Real World

    Reality TV | 2. Manufacturing The Real World
    Feb 10 2021
    More than 25 years ago, MTV debuted The Real World. The cast of 7 artists had no idea what they were getting into when they moved into a Soho loft together. They had been told the show was a documentary following their lives. But they weren't prepared for how producers stirred up drama and cast for conflict. Looking back, the first season is surprisingly timely. A lot of it hinges on whether or not Julie - a young white woman - is racist. In this episode, we talk to cast and critics about how The Real World created a formula for quick, cheap, insatiable television. 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 podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    45 mins
  • Reality TV | 3. How Survivor revealed America’s tribalism

    Reality TV | 3. How Survivor revealed America’s tribalism
    Feb 17 2021
    When Survivor premiered in 2000, there was nothing like it. It was like Lord of Flies meets Castaway. That first season enthralled audiences as contestants backstabbed all for a chance to win $1 million dollars. Ultimately, the show also became a microcosm of greater society. With some seasons segregating by race or class, it emulated the divisions we see on the mainland. What does Survivor tell us about ourselves? In this episode, we talk to Survivor cast member Max Dawson and aficionados Andy Dehnart, Mike Bloom and Racquel Gates. 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 podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    37 mins
  • Reality TV | 4. The Bachelor/Bachelorette, our problematic fave

    Reality TV | 4. The Bachelor/Bachelorette, our problematic fave
    Feb 24 2021
    The Bachelor and the Bachelorette have been on the air for nearly 20 years. Millions of people watch every episode. But have you ever wondered why it's still must-see TV -- given its problematic gender dynamics, its heteronormativity and its lack of diversity? In this episode, we dive into this problematic fave with people who know it well -- S2 Bachelor Aaron Buerge, S3 Bachelorette Jen Schefft Waterman and Bachelor Nation experts Claire Fallon and Emma Gray. 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. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    47 mins
  • Reality TV | 5. Behind the gates with the ‘Real’ housewives

    Reality TV | 5. Behind the gates with the ‘Real’ housewives
    Mar 3 2021
    It's easy to get distracted by the glamorous trappings of the Real Housewives. The fancy cars, the McMansions, the Botox. But the franchise remains compelling because the women share what they are going through from evictions, postpartum depression and run-ins with the law. They’re real women with real problems -- that they allow the whole world to see. No two iterations are alike, but there’s something for everyone in the 10 Housewives shows from  Orange County and Atlanta to New York and Potomac. In this episode, Mariah Smith talks to Housewives Historian Brian Moylan, reality TV scholar Racquel Gates and former RHOC cast member Peggy Tanous. 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 podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    35 mins
  • Reality TV | 6. Keeping up with the Kardashian empire

    Reality TV | 6. Keeping up with the Kardashian empire
    Mar 10 2021
    From Kim’s sex tape scandal to Kourtney pulling her baby out during labor, to the scary Paris robbery -- the Kardashian sisters have shared it all over the past 20 seasons. That’s what this episode is all about. How Keeping Up with the Kardashians created TMI television. Nothing is off limits. This week, host Mariah Smith talks to New York Times writer-at-large Amy Chozick and KUWTK expert Professor Laurie Ouellette. 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 podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    32 mins
  • Reality TV | 7. Queer Eye, a master class in male vulnerability

    Reality TV | 7. Queer Eye, a master class in male vulnerability
    Mar 17 2021
    Queer Eye for The Straight Guy was an instant hit in 2003. Oprah, Jay Leno, even President George W. Bush were talking about the Fab Five. They were promoted as gay superheroes, who came in and made over a straight man’s life – but we never really got to know them. The Netflix reboot, out in 2018, changed all that. Today's Fab Five shares their struggles and opt for “make better” over “makeover.” In his episode, host Mariah Smith talks to OG culture guy Jai Rodriguez, interior design guy Bobby Berk and superfan Tobin Low. 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 podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    43 mins