Blame it on the Fame: Milli Vanilli

3.9 (162)
SOCIETY & CULTURE
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When Frank Farian first laid eyes on Rob Pilatus and Fab Morvan, he saw everything he wasn’t. They were handsome, young, and Black. But Frank had something they didn’t. He had power. So, Frank offered them a devil’s bargain. Almost overnight, Milli Vanilli’s debut album went five times platinum and scored a Grammy nomination. But when the lie at the center of their success started to unravel, Rob and Fab would discover the hard way the difference between star power and real power. From Wondery, Blame It on the Fame is a story about the lie that shot to #1 and what it cost to tell the truth. Hosted by Amanda Seales. Listen to Blame It on the Fame on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. You can listen early and ad-free on Wondery+. Join Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Start your free trial by visiting wondery.com/links/blame-it-on-the-fame/ now.

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HISTORY
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TRUE CRIME
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TRUE CRIME
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COMEDY
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TRUE CRIME
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4.8 (15274)

SPORTS

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3.9

out of 5

162 Ratings

Would give it a 5 BUT

Jun 7

Lyls2018

Really enjoyed this podcast MINUS the narrator. Narrator sounded so unprofessional. Story telling was off. I always loved Milli Vanilli and supported them throughout the horrible debacle they endured. I always said there was more to it. Anyone young and with ambition would've done the EXACT same thing these young men did. Unfortunately no one advocated for them. May Fab forever RIP
Blames Racism Not Other Factors

Jul 3

JFONAV

As an 80’s kid, I looked forward to listening to the inside story Wondery is usually good at providing. Instead, from the very beginning, the podcast focused on racism against Rob and Fab as a reason for what they did instead of other factors. Other (talented) performers faced racism. But they succeeded based on their hard work and ability. Milli Vanilli took a shortcut to fame and fortune. Was the racism they faced ONE factor? Undoubtedly. Was it the PRIMARY factor? Unlikely. Unfortunately, this podcast makes it sound as if racism was a reason for their duplicity, not an excuse. There is a big difference between “reason” and “excuse”, the host and producers failed to understand that concept.
Forget the bad reviews

Jun 25

Meg313131

I love the narrator. Fun podcast. Good flow. It’s informative but feels like gossiping w a friend that grew up witnessing the craziness of the Milli Vanilli era with me.
Very interesting

Jun 25

AmyLynnWyo

I was really taken with this podcast. I had memories of this episode in pop culture history but was too young to fully grasp the implications of what was happening. This is interesting from a historical perspective to get a broader view of this tragedy. I thought Amanda Seals was wonderful and would listen to any podcast she hosts. She has a lovely voice and adds a nice mix of her own humor and opinion to liven things up. If you want more in depth information about what happened with this strange story, this podcast is for you.

When Frank Farian first laid eyes on Rob Pilatus and Fab Morvan, he saw everything he wasn’t. They were handsome, young, and Black. But Frank had something they didn’t. He had power. So, Frank offered them a devil’s bargain. Almost overnight, Milli Vanilli’s debut album went five times platinum and scored a Grammy nomination. But when the lie at the center of their success started to unravel, Rob and Fab would discover the hard way the difference between star power and real power. From Wondery, Blame It on the Fame is a story about the lie that shot to #1 and what it cost to tell the truth. Hosted by Amanda Seales. Listen to Blame It on the Fame on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. You can listen early and ad-free on Wondery+. Join Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Start your free trial by visiting wondery.com/links/blame-it-on-the-fame/ now.