In the 1980s the “male exotic dancers” of Chippendales were everywhere, selling the promise of women’s liberation for the price of a few dollars in a g-string. But behind the powerful mullets, oiled pecs, and non-stop parties lies a much darker story of greed, corruption and murder. Historian Natalia Petrzela exposes one of the great, sordid, unexamined stories in American culture.
It’s the end of the season, but it’s not the end of the story. Natalia is joined by fellow historians and co-producers Nicole Hemmer and Neil J. Young for a discussion of the things that fascinated them most about exploring Chippendales history. You’ll hear from the women who went to the club over the years, the dancers on what it feels like to age as professional hot people, and the specific ways in which Steve Banerjee harnessed the power of American capitalism. Find out which Chippendales dancer ran for President of the United States. Hear the Chippendales original song Natalia can’t get out of her head. We may never learn where the butt begins or ends, but perhaps some mysteries are better left unsolved.
Follow us on Instagram for archival footage, photos and more at @chippendalesrevealed.
Recreate the club experience for yourself with our playlist on Spotify.
Did you ever go to Chippendales? Got a wild story? A burning question? Leave us a short voicemail at (323) 475-9424.
Cover artwork by Lindsay Mound.
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24 Aug 2021
8. The Final Act
Steve Banerjee’s final move leaves the community reeling. But the show’s legacy lives on in the lives of the people who built it, and in the theaters around the world where the Chippendales dancers continue to perform today.
Follow us on Instagram for archival footage, photos and more at @chippendalesrevealed.
Recreate the club experience for yourself with our playlist on Spotify.
Did you ever go to Chippendales? Got a wild story? A burning question? Leave us a short voicemail at (323) 475-9424.
Cover artwork by Lindsay Mound.
The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is 1-800-273-8255. Other international suicide helplines can be found at befrienders.org. You can also text TALK to 741741 for free, anonymous 24/7 crisis support in the US from the Crisis Text Line.
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17 Aug 2021
7. The Golden Goose
When a hired hitman flips on his boss, the FBI begins an investigation that turns into a years-long international manhunt. Can the lead investigator—a rookie agent who plays by his own rules—match wits with the paranoid strip kingpin who manages to evade capture at every turn?
Follow us on Instagram for archival footage, photos and more at @chippendalesrevealed.
Recreate the club experience for yourself with our playlist on Spotify.
Did you ever go to Chippendales? Got a wild story? A burning question? Leave us a short voicemail at (323) 475-9424.
Cover artwork by Lindsay Mound.
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10 Aug 2021
6. A Tad of Cyanide
1991. The UK. An international muder plot featuring a hitman, cyanide, male strippers, and a kingpin who’s determined to take out his competition at any cost. Hollywood movie plot? Or just another day in Steve Banerjee’s reality?
Follow us on Instagram for archival footage, photos and more at @chippendalesrevealed.
Recreate the club experience for yourself with our playlist on Spotify.
Did you ever go to Chippendales? Got a wild story? A burning question? Leave us a short voicemail at (323) 475-9424.
Cover artwork by Lindsay Mound.
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3 Aug 2021
5. 31 Days in February...One Day in April
The bigger Chippendales gets, the more paranoid Steve Banerjee becomes, until everything and everyone begins to look like a threat. A confidante creates a rival beefcake calendar, and a printing error of his own becomes a million dollar mistake. Meanwhile in New York, a stranger walks into the office of Nick De Noia, and changes everything.
Follow us on Instagram for archival footage, photos and more at @chippendalesrevealed.
Recreate the club experience for yourself with our playlist on Spotify.
Did you ever go to Chippendales? Got a wild story? A burning question? Leave us a short voicemail at (323) 475-9424.
Cover artwork by Lindsay Mound.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
27 Jul 2021
4. Three Men and a Lawsuit
In 1982, after being turned away at the door of Chippendales, a UCLA law student brings a racial discrimination lawsuit against the club. His life, and the life of one of the L.A. club dancers, become unexpectedly linked.
Follow us on Instagram for archival footage, photos and more at @chippendalesrevealed.
Recreate the club experience for yourself with our playlist on Spotify.
Did you ever go to Chippendales? Got a wild story? A burning question? Leave us a short voicemail at (323) 475-9424.
Cover artwork by Lindsay Mound.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
20 Jul 2021
3. Part of the Act
Greed. Cocaine. Porn in Times Square. It’s New York in the ‘80s and the destination for Chippendales’ flashy second location. As Chippendales gains national fame and daytime talk show ubiquity, Nick de Noia and Steve Banerjee enter into a fateful agreement aimed to take them to bigger heights.
Follow us on Instagram for archival footage, photos and more at @chippendalesrevealed.
Recreate the club experience for yourself with our playlist on Spotify.
Did you ever go to Chippendales? Got a wild story? A burning question? Leave us a short voicemail at (323) 475-9424.
Cover artwork by Lindsay Mound.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
13 Jul 2021
2. The Perfect Man
The Chippendales show gets a revamp from Steve Banerjee's latest hire, Nick De Noia. An Emmy Award-winning children's TV producer with a big ego and even bigger opinions, Nick uses his song-and-dance sensibility to turn the show into a full-blown theatrical extravaganza. But could “Mr. Chippendales” be more trouble than he’s worth?
Follow us on Instagram for archival footage, photos and more at @chippendalesrevealed.
Recreate the club experience for yourself with our playlist on Spotify.
Did you ever go to Chippendales? Got a wild story? A burning question? Leave us a short voicemail at (323) 475-9424.
Cover artwork by Lindsay Mound.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
6 Jul 2021
1. A Disneyland for Adults
When Steve Banerjee, a young Indian immigrant, arrives in Los Angeles, he is determined to start a successful business just like his two idols, Hugh Hefner and Walt Disney. And by 1979, he does. With the help of a Canadian pimp Steve turns his crumbling dive bar into the hottest nightclub in L.A. Welcome to the early days of Chippendales, where women lose their inhibitions and men lose their clothes. But don't look too closely because what's hidden beneath those oiled pecs and dollar-stuffed g-strings is more twisted than you could ever imagine.
Follow us on Instagram for archival footage, photos and more at @chippendalesrevealed.
Recreate the club experience for yourself with our playlist on Spotify.
Did you ever go to Chippendales? Got a wild story? A burning question? Leave us a short voicemail at (323) 475-9424.
Cover artwork by Lindsay Mound.
Banerjee Interview copyright Eric Gilbert.
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10 Feb 2021
Episode 1 Sneak Peek: A Disneyland For Adults
It’s 1987, and the Chippendales dancers are packing nightclubs across America with their sold-out male exotic dance shows. As crowds of women scream for the mullets, the spandex, and the tans...a shocking event about to change the course of the brand and its booming business forever.
This is a sneak peek of Episode 1 of Welcome to Your Fantasy. To hear full episodes, every week, follow and listen for free at spoti.fi/WelcomeToYourFantasy.
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26 Jan 2021
This Is Chippendales…Revealed
In the 1980s the “male exotic dancers” of Chippendales were everywhere, selling the promise of women’s liberation for the price of a few dollars in a g-string. But behind the powerful mullets, oiled pecs, and non-stop parties lies a much darker story of greed, corruption, and murder. Listen as historian Natalia Petrzela exposes one of the great, sordid, unexamined stories in American culture. The pants come off on February 10th.
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