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 in the new true crime podcast, Welcome To Your Fantasy.

In 1980’s Steve Banerjee opened the very first Chippendales in Los Angeles, CA and grew the business from a seedy club to a global phenomenon. This eight episode series combines the stories of 60+ interviews with investigators, co-conspirators, and former dancers capturing both the drama and cultural impact of the era. The show is a Pineapple Street Studios production in association with Gimlet and will air exclusively on Spotify.

Listen to the first episode above or check out the brand-new trailer here.

Show Credits

Host and Co-Producer: Natalia Petrzela
Pineapple Street Studios – Executive Producers: Jenna Weiss-Berman and Max Linsky
Gimlet – Executive Producer: Lydia Polgreen
Senior Producer: Eleanor Kagan
Producer: Christine Driscoll
Associate Producer: Erin Kelly
Consulting Producers: Nicole Hemmer and Neil J. Young
Editors: Joel Lovell, Maddy Sprung-Keyser, Collin Campbell
Original Music: Daoud Anthony
Music Supervisor: Jasmine Flott

Check Out More Local Podcasts Here