11 episodes

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.

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    • True Crime
    • 4.4 • 318 Ratings

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.

    9. Where The Butt Ends

    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
    8. The Final Act

    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
    7. The Golden Goose

    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
    6. A Tad of Cyanide

    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

    • 44 min
    5. 31 Days in February...One Day in April

    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

    • 40 min
    4. Three Men and a Lawsuit

    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

    • 53 min

Customer Reviews

4.4 out of 5
318 Ratings

318 Ratings

nerdtak ,

Fascinating

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

/isaac ,

Excellent

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

andlevine ,

Stick with what you know and watch what you say

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.

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