Obsession

4.3 (339)
SOCIETY & CULTURE
SERIES

Are you obsessed with obsession? Have you ever blurred the line between love and infatuation? In "Obsession," we'll delve deep into the history, culture, science and often deadly consequences of unrequited love. You'll learn what makes someone turn pathological and hear from real people who have experienced both sides of obsessive relationships -- and they're more common than you might think. This podcast series is funded by Focus Features and produced by LA Times Studios. The Los Angeles Times newsroom was not involved in the creation of this series.

TRAILER

Introducing Obsession

"Obsession" premieres Monday February 25th

S1

•

2 min

Climate change is battering California. Can the state find a way forward? Listen every Thursday as award-winning L.A. Times columnist Sammy Roth dives deep with scientists, energy leaders, legislators, activists and journalists who are experts on today's climate challenges and solutions. They’ll discuss everything from electric cars to renewable energy to the difficulties of phasing out fossil fuels. Sammy has been reporting on climate and energy in California and the American West for over a decade, touring sprawling solar farms, coal-fired power plants and hilltops blanketed with wind turbines. He’s focused on telling stories that challenge public officials and energy companies to do better. Smoglandia OUT NOW: Hosted by Times Columnist Patt Morrison, this six-part series examines air pollution in Los Angeles, taking a closer look at the city’s complex history of smog.

4.7 (95)

BUSINESS
Expect twists, turns and a fresh look at true crime on L.A. Crimes, the latest podcast from L.A. Times Studios. Host Madison McGhee (“Ice Cold Case”) brings you the stories behind the most compelling cases from the people who know them best. Join Madison as she sits down with the journalists behind The Times’ most jaw-dropping investigations, Hollywood crime experts and pop culture personalities for the inside scoop on the scams, celebrity stories, and criminal cases everyone’s talking about. New episodes every Wednesday.

4.2 (34)

TRUE CRIME
These were murders that would turn any town on its head, but La Jolla, Calif? That rich jewel by the sea? Thirty years ago, a man and his new wife were murdered in their bed. That’s a long time for a double homicide to stay in the public eye and imagination, but these were no ordinary murders. The killer was the man’s first wife, Betty Broderick. Betty and Dan Broderick had looked like the perfect couple, right up until they weren’t. After four children and nearly 15 years of marriage, after the riches they both worked for were finally within reach, he walked out and began having an affair with his assistant. But divorce ended the Brodericks’ marriage only on paper. “Till death do you part” turned out to be the way it would ultimately end: bitter, savage and fatal. It took two criminal trials to send Betty Broderick to prison, and we’ll hear not only from her divorce attorney, but also from the criminal defense attorney who argued for her in two murder trials, plus the foreman of the jury that convicted her. So many things burned this case into memory: The principals were rich. The jealous killer was, for a change, the woman, not the man. It’s been the subject of TV movies and books. It’s resonated with two generations of Americans -- deserted wives, unhappy husbands. And it’s raised some questions about how divorce laws may contribute to what’s called the feminization of poverty. All of these issues remain critical and controversial in contemporary America today. Thirty years after five bullets, two coffins and one California prison inmate No. W42477, why can’t we look away from Betty Broderick?

3.8 (1998)

TRUE CRIME
From Christopher Goffard, the Los Angeles Times reporter and host behind the hit podcasts “Dirty John” and “Detective Trapp,” comes a new eight-episode true crime podcast, “The Trials of Frank Carson.” “The Trials of Frank Carson” is a story of power, politics and the law in California’s Central Valley. Frank Carson was Stanislaus County’s most controversial defense attorney, a wizard with juries and a courtroom brawler with an unapologetically caustic style. He racked up legal wins for decades. He was the terror of police and prosecutors, often accusing them personally of corruption. When a small-time thief disappeared, police — some of them Carson’s longtime adversaries — launched a massive investigation into a spectral underworld of street hustlers, junkies and snitches. Carson was charged with murder, accused of masterminding a conspiracy. It would be one of the longest criminal trials in California history, with the flinty veteran of so many courtroom wars on trial for his life. The Trials of Frank Carson was produced by the Los Angeles Times and Western Sound.

4.4 (1157)

TRUE CRIME
For nearly half a century, Bill Cosby brought warmth and laughter into hearts across the country, cementing his image as “America’s Dad.” But he also led a dark, secret life preying on women. The comedian carefully coaxed each one into feeling safe and cared for, then left them to pick up the pieces of their lives. It all started with Andrea Constand. She carried the burden of being the only one of the 60-plus accusers whose case could be tried in a court of law. Now, she's telling her side of the story, along with firsthand accounts from more than a dozen survivors, jurors and prosecutors. From the Los Angeles Times, and hosted by investigative reporter Nicki Weisensee Egan, "Chasing Cosby" is the definitive take of the rise and fall of Bill Cosby.

4.6 (4626)

TRUE CRIME
The Envelope podcast pulls back the curtain to reveal intimates stories from this award season’s top contenders. A-list actors, directors and showrunners join Los Angeles Times entertainment reporters Yvonne Villarreal and Mark Olsen for conversations about their personal lives and creative processes — and how it all fuels their art.

3.5 (320)

TV & FILM

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Alison Becker

Host

4.3

out of 5

339 Ratings

Be mindful of stigmatizing language

10/25/2020

JournalistBeth1982

I like this podcast, but it can actually be really helpful when working on these themes to consult multiple professionals. The use of the term pathological is extremely controversial, and should really be reserved for people who are experiencing intense distress around a severe disorder. It’s also an incredibly stigmatizing term. What you’re really talking about most of the time is extreme attachment panic, which is actually fairly common. I’m a clinical social worker, and I think our field is more evolved than folks who are traditional psychologists on this issue. Unfortunately the real problem with using this kind of language is that you will dissuade people from seeking help. Obviously it’s never OK to cross someone else’s boundaries, or engage in any violence, but as a society we also need to realize that this has become an acceptable language of distress. We need to really interrogate that, and that system, instead of pathologizing people. Seeking mental health support is already so so hard.
Terrible voice actors

02/03/2022

AnnaPrekeges

I’ve run out of other podcast episodes to listen to, so I stumbled across this and it’s decent to have SOMETHING to listen to. However, it seems like the entire thing is meant to be one huge ad for their movie they CONSTANTLY bring up. Voice acting is B-movie status and I’m betting their movie is too. Don’t mean to be rude, but the voice acting is just so f-ing bad.
Interesting

08/16/2021

oldjohnhall

But including pointless interviews w Chloe Moretz is annoying
Pretends to be informative

04/09/2021

One Obsessed Yank

Wish it was actually informative. Stories are interesting but the voice actors are cringey and bad. Chock full of pseudoscience by “experts” but some actual psych data.

Are you obsessed with obsession? Have you ever blurred the line between love and infatuation? In "Obsession," we'll delve deep into the history, culture, science and often deadly consequences of unrequited love. You'll learn what makes someone turn pathological and hear from real people who have experienced both sides of obsessive relationships -- and they're more common than you might think. This podcast series is funded by Focus Features and produced by LA Times Studios. The Los Angeles Times newsroom was not involved in the creation of this series.