Welcome to Your Fantasy

4.4 (321)
TRUE CRIME
UPDATED WEEKLY

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.

08/31/2021

9. Where The Butt Ends

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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

1 hr
08/24/2021

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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

39 min
08/17/2021

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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

41 min
08/10/2021

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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

45 min
08/03/2021

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

41 min
07/27/2021

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

54 min
07/20/2021

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

43 min
07/13/2021

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

48 min
07/06/2021

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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

50 min
02/10/2021

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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

8 min
SEASON 1 TRAILER

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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

3 min

TRAILER

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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

S1

•

3 min

Natalia Mehlman Petrzela, Ph.D.

Host

4.4

out of 5

321 Ratings

Fascinating

06/09/2022

nerdtak

What a wild story! This was so fascinating. I couldn’t stop listening and binged the whole thing in two days.
Excellent

02/12/2022

/isaac

I loved this podcast, the story it told, and especially the warmth of the host. I could have listened to several more episodes like the last one, where the three historians talk about the impact of chippendales
Stick with what you know and watch what you say

05/17/2022

andlevine

I really liked this podcast until episode 6 when the host referred to reserve police officers as “basically mall cops”. My husband is a reserve deputy sheriff, and I can assure you that is not the case. How dare you.
Episode 8

01/03/2022

ShenJohn

Is unavailable

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.