Renowned horror and mystery author Edgar Allan Poe achieved critical acclaim with his bone-chilling literary works, like “The Tell-Tale Heart” and “The Raven.” But behind his writing’s success was a life filled with heartbreak, tragedy and death. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Nov 02, 2020•52 min•Ep. 78
From the deaths surrounding Rosemary’s Baby to the curse of The Exorcist, supernatural scares and morbid accidents have plagued Tinseltown for decades. But modern Hollywood horrors are often due to something much more insidious. What’s really to blame when movie-making goes horribly wrong? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Oct 26, 2020•51 min•Ep. 77
The 21st century has seen the evolution of haunted house fascination into pay-to-play scares, where bold visitors seek out rattling experiences to test their resolve in the face of terror. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Oct 19, 2020•47 min•Ep. 76
It’s an injection of over-the-top luxury and a grueling marathon of showmanship. New York Fashion Week is a ritual, kept alive by devotion. But as the costs mount and relevancy declines, will it become a relic of an industry in constant flux? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Oct 12, 2020•48 min•Ep. 75
Brands like H&M, Zara, Forever 21 and Fashion Nova draw in customers with the promise of trendy clothing on the cheap. But beneath the low price tag lurks a high cost to the environment, public health and garment workers around the world. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Oct 05, 2020•50 min•Ep. 74
Throughout the ‘90s and 2000s, the world knew Alexander McQueen as the “hooligan of English fashion.” Celebrities like Lady Gaga, Naomi Campbell and Rihanna all walked Hollywood red carpets in his glamorous gowns. But behind his masterful designs was a man who battled addiction, anxiety and depression. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Sep 28, 2020•50 min•Ep. 73
Reality shows like America's Next Top Model and the broadcast of Victoria's Secret Fashion Show can offer an inside look at the glitz and glamor of modeling. They also promote narrow standards of beauty and mask a culture of sexual harassment and assault. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Sep 21, 2020•46 min•Ep. 72
Modern day fairy tale, or nightmare of twisted proportions? Despite being the face of the fashion industry, a model’s life is not as glamorous or wealthy as it may seem. Body image disorders, sexual abuse, and racism run rampant in this line of work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Sep 14, 2020•47 min•Ep. 71
Blue jeans have long been heralded as an iconic American wardrobe staple. The lust for that perfect pair of jeans transformed not only an era, but an entire industry—and not necessarily for the better. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Sep 07, 2020•47 min•Ep. 70
Their brands represent luxury and glamour, but both Coco Chanel and Hugo Boss sided with the Nazis during World War II—contributing information and designs to the party, and forever stitching hate into their legacies. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Aug 31, 2020•41 min•Ep. 69
This week, we’re unraveling the fashion industry’s 19th century origins. Progress was everywhere… But with each apparently miraculous innovation came pain, illness—and even death. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Aug 24, 2020•49 min•Ep. 68
When you think of fashion, you might think of a particularly stylish friend, or the latest “it” bag, or a haute couture runway. Fashion can be beautiful and intriguing—but it’s not just an innocent expression of beauty or creativity. It’s an industry. And it’s largely in the business of garnering as much profit as possible, whatever the cost to workers, consumers, or the planet. For 8 weeks, starting August 24th, we’re discussing fashion’s darkest secrets, from the bone-crushing origins of the c...
Aug 23, 2020•2 min
In the mid-to-late ‘90s, collecting Beanie Babies was all the rage. But the cute stuffed animals belied the sketchy business practices of the company that produced them, and the sinister greed of the adults who invested in the fad. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Aug 10, 2020•48 min•Ep. 66
Equipped with the talent of Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen and Dennis Rodman, the Chicago Bulls dominated NBA basketball in the ‘90s. But their dynasty was plagued with vicious conspiracies, betrayals, and fractured teammate relationships. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Aug 03, 2020•48 min•Ep. 65
In 1992, the brutal beating of Rodney King by LAPD officers sparked a chaotic uprising in Los Angeles. Two years later, the nation absorbed every detail of the trial of O.J. Simpson, which again highlighted the lingering tension and mistrust between police and the Black community. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Jul 27, 2020•51 min•Ep. 64
Throughout the 1990s, much of America’s food was made by machines, flavored by labs, and kept safe from regulation by lobbyists. Add an explosion of fast-food marketing and fad diets, and consumer eating habits changed drastically—with dire consequences. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Jul 20, 2020•43 min•Ep. 63
For the family of Queen Elizabeth II, the ‘90s were a disaster. The British monarchy received unprecedented scrutiny on everything from sex scandals to castle fires to Diana’s death at the end of the decade. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Jul 13, 2020•47 min•Ep. 62
Since its origins in the U.K. back in the 1950s, pop music has developed quite the sugary-sweet reputation. But during the ‘90s, the underbelly of the candy-coated industry was rotting away—and endangering its young stars in more ways than one. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Jul 06, 2020•44 min•Ep. 61
While Nickelodeon became a breakout network that would both excite and intrigue younger viewers, in its heyday, the channel had its fair share of grim moments. This included everything from the stomach-churning origins of its show props, to the decidedly mature themes of its animated series. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Jun 22, 2020•46 min•Ep. 59
Many people expected that the Internet would be one of the most radically impactful tools since the invention of the wheel—and they weren’t wrong. But while the web fulfilled its bright promises of a global person-to-person connection, it turns out this bond isn’t always friendly or cooperative. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Jun 15, 2020•45 min•Ep. 58
When you think of the 1990s, you probably think of your favorite cartoons, music groups, and wacky fruit snacks. And you probably think of them fondly. But all the nostalgia around the ‘90s has made us forget the rampant exploitation, violence, and tragedy that also characterized the decade. For 10 weeks, starting June 15th, we’re tackling The Dark Side Of: The ‘90s. It will be disturbing. Gripping. And, as always, it will feature the in-depth research you’ve come to expect from us. Listen free ...
Jun 14, 2020•2 min
Space has had militaristic ties since man had dared travel into the beyond. So it begs the question, what does it mean for the fate of all those living on earth if a militarized region eventually becomes weaponized? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Jun 08, 2020•50 min•Ep. 57
Ever wanted to live farther away from society? Although government and private agencies are racing to visit our “red” neighbor, a trip to Mars would take nine months. When, and if, colonists land, they'll face inhospitable conditions unlike anything on earth. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Jun 01, 2020•50 min•Ep. 56
A vacation house on the moon? It could happen. NewSpace is a global industry created by billionaire corporations to monetize the Milky Way. Tourism, colonization, and outsourced manufacturing are just a few of the ways these companies are hoping to capitalize on space. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
May 25, 2020•51 min•Ep. 55
It’s easy to ignore the fact that rocket launches have environmental impacts. After all, spaceships are constantly leaving the earth, and it’s admittedly a majestic sight to behold. But just how much pollution do they create outside the atmosphere? The answer could be deadly. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
May 18, 2020•46 min•Ep. 54
The Space Race and Civil Rights movements overlapped during the 1960s. But even after the Apollo program fulfilled its initial mission, future expeditions would remain a priority...and at a hefty—and controversial—price tag. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
May 11, 2020•52 min•Ep. 53
The United States learned collectively with the Challenger shuttle disaster in 1986 that a big day in space exploration can, in mere seconds, turn from bad to tragic. But how many know that this disaster, and others like it, could've been prevented? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
May 04, 2020•49 min•Ep. 52
Since its inception in the 1950s, the nature of the Space Race has been to champion fortitude and mental stability for astronauts—which is quite a problem, granted that sending mankind into space poses an assortment of frightening health and mental hazards. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Apr 27, 2020•49 min•Ep. 51
We are thrilled to bring you a brand new episode of The Dark Side Of today and for the foreseeable future. We thank you for your patience during this unprecedented time. Before man ever went into orbit, a host of other species were forced to make the dangerous, and often fatal voyage. And while America was championing the famed Mercury 7 astronauts, NASA was sidelining a slew of qualified females and other, non-white candidates… Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoice...
Apr 20, 2020•51 min•Ep. 50
If you enjoy the stories told in The Dark Side Of, check out this episode from our series Female Criminals: By 2004, Lisa Nowak’s friendship with Bill Oefelein had heated up into an extramarital affair. Despite knowing she was risking her marriage and job, Lisa didn’t care. She loved Bill. But when he tried to leave her for a younger woman, Lisa’s love turned into a dangerous obsession. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Apr 13, 2020•51 min•Ep. 49