70 episodes

Spectacle is a series that analyzes the cultural and societal implications of your guilty pleasures. From reality TV to true crime, Spectacle simultaneously celebrates and critiques the media, people and places that define us. For advertising opportunities, contact podcastadsales@sonymusic.com.

SEASON 3: This season of Spectacle delves into the history of true crime -- from the cases that shook us to our core, to its passionate audience, and what narratives and stereotypes it reinforces in our culture. From Sony Music Entertainment. Spectacle: True Crime is available June 23rd.

SEASON 2: Las Vegas
It's a city that has defined popular culture. An oasis in the desert, a mirage — a playground for adults replete with casinos, showgirls, and all-you-can-eat buffets. But how did Vegas become “Sin City”? From the genesis of shotgun weddings, to film portrayals of the mob-era, to the social engineering behind mega-casinos…season 2 of Spectacle explores the fabulous, the incorrigible, Las Vegas.

SEASON 1: Reality TV
Reality TV is dismissed as guilty pleasure, low brow... even trash. But whether you want to admit it or not, you probably have heard of Snooki, Lisa Vanderpump or Kim Kardashian. Over the past 30 years, reality TV has become a place to see the social and political moment play out in real time -- from racial tensions on The Real World New York to gender dynamics on The Bachelor. On this season, join host Mariah Smith as she dissects the history of the genre one show at a time, revealing how it's shaped our culture and how our culture shaped it.

Spectacle: True Crime Spectacle

    • Society & Culture
    • 4.4 • 421 Ratings

Listen on Apple Podcasts
Requires subscription and macOS 11.4 or higher

Spectacle is a series that analyzes the cultural and societal implications of your guilty pleasures. From reality TV to true crime, Spectacle simultaneously celebrates and critiques the media, people and places that define us. For advertising opportunities, contact podcastadsales@sonymusic.com.

SEASON 3: This season of Spectacle delves into the history of true crime -- from the cases that shook us to our core, to its passionate audience, and what narratives and stereotypes it reinforces in our culture. From Sony Music Entertainment. Spectacle: True Crime is available June 23rd.

SEASON 2: Las Vegas
It's a city that has defined popular culture. An oasis in the desert, a mirage — a playground for adults replete with casinos, showgirls, and all-you-can-eat buffets. But how did Vegas become “Sin City”? From the genesis of shotgun weddings, to film portrayals of the mob-era, to the social engineering behind mega-casinos…season 2 of Spectacle explores the fabulous, the incorrigible, Las Vegas.

SEASON 1: Reality TV
Reality TV is dismissed as guilty pleasure, low brow... even trash. But whether you want to admit it or not, you probably have heard of Snooki, Lisa Vanderpump or Kim Kardashian. Over the past 30 years, reality TV has become a place to see the social and political moment play out in real time -- from racial tensions on The Real World New York to gender dynamics on The Bachelor. On this season, join host Mariah Smith as she dissects the history of the genre one show at a time, revealing how it's shaped our culture and how our culture shaped it.

Listen on Apple Podcasts
Requires subscription and macOS 11.4 or higher

    True Crime | 1. In Cold Blood to Serial & true crime tropes

    True Crime | 1. In Cold Blood to Serial & true crime tropes

    Host Mariah Smith is back for season 3 to dissect a messy obsession. This is Spectacle: True Crime. In our pilot episode, we look at how the 2014 podcast Serial changed the true crime game. And how it’s a callback to an OG in the genre, the 1965 true crime novel In Cold Blood. We’ll dissect how Truman Capote got a wee bit too close with killer Perry Smith and how good Phillip Seymour Hoffman was in the 2005 film Capote. Plus, you’ll hear from true crime experts Jean Murley and Sarah Weinman. You won’t want to miss it.



    A Neon Hum Media and Sony Music Entertainment production.

    Subscribe on Apple Podcasts to binge all episodes now or listen weekly wherever you get your podcasts.



    Find more great podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcasts

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

    • 40 min
    OG true crime sensation Lizzie Borden

    OG true crime sensation Lizzie Borden

    Spectacle host Mariah Smith and senior producer Joanna Clay dissect an OG true crime sensation that is the alleged axe murderer… Lizzie Borden. Pre-In Cold Blood, the investigation into the deaths of Lizzie’s father and stepmother shocked the nation. The trial, widely covered by the press, was a defining media spectacle of the period. Join us for a conversation on the murders, the obsession with the case… and, of course, what this obsession says about us.

    True Crime | 2. "Hot Ted Bundy"

    True Crime | 2. "Hot Ted Bundy"

    In this week’s episode, we’ll dissect our problematic sexualization of serial killers. Yeah, it’s kinda sick that #HotTedBundy is a thing. We’ll talk to criminologist Dawn Cecil and Vox culture reporter Alissa Wilkinson on the fascination around Bundy, the Netflix film that broke Twitter and how we can do better in telling these stories. You won’t want to miss it.



    A Neon Hum Media and Sony Music Entertainment production.

    Subscribe on Apple Podcasts to binge all episodes now or listen weekly wherever you get your podcasts.



    Find more great podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcasts

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

    • 37 min
    Three Female Serial Killers You've Probably Never Heard Of

    Three Female Serial Killers You've Probably Never Heard Of

    Welcome to Spectacle Extra! If you liked episode 2, where we dissected our messy obsession with serial killers... you’ll want to keep listening. Because in this episode, senior producer Joanna Clay talks to serial killer expert Harold Schechter, who has written more than a dozen books about serial killers. They expand on our conversation around serial killers, talking about some early female serial killers you've probably never heard of.

    True Crime | 3. How Televised Trials Of The 90s Turned Crime Into a Spectacle

    True Crime | 3. How Televised Trials Of The 90s Turned Crime Into a Spectacle

    In the 1990s, a true crime phenomenon took over our lives – the televised trial. For the first time, we weren’t just getting snippets with takes from journalists and pundits. We were watching gavel-to-gavel coverage. Certain cases stuck with us, such as the 1994 trial of the Menendez Brothers and 1995 trial of OJ Simpson. In this episode, host Mariah Smith will dig into how these cases brought us into the courtroom, turning us into the 13th juror – featuring You’re Wrong About podcast host Sarah Marshall and Court TV’s Vinnie Politan.



    A Neon Hum Media and Sony Music Entertainment production. 



    Subscribe on Apple Podcasts to binge all episodes now or listen weekly wherever you get your podcasts. 



    Find more great podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcasts
    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    • 44 min
    The “Memeification” of the Johnny Depp v. Amber Heard Trial

    The “Memeification” of the Johnny Depp v. Amber Heard Trial

    This week on Spectacle Extra, we’re talking about the “memefication” of the Johnny Depp v. Amber Heard trial. Spectacle Senior Producer Joanna Clay and Vanity Fair writer Delia Cai will get into how social media played a role in framing perceptions of Amber Heard and Johnny Depp and what this response says about us.

Customer Reviews

4.4 out of 5
421 Ratings

421 Ratings

hjcoffman ,

Good, but needs some fact checking

The podcast is interesting, but for researched podcast, there are basic facts that are wrong. The Thing about Pam was on NBC/ Peacock - not Hulu. Motive for Murder is not Lori Vallow (that’s Mommy Doomsday)

otr teacher ,

A bit disappointed

Loved the series on reality TV, but the true crime episodes are a real disappointment. There are some good moments, but instead of getting serious opinions from psychologists, television critics and other experts they spend an inordinate amount of their time taking to each other (“I spoke with my producer…” seems to be a regular feature) about the content rather than the attraction of true crime in pop culture. I hope their next series gets back on track.

A_Trap ,

HER VOICE

I wanted to love this but god the hosts voice is SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO annoying. Can’t do it. “MER-DERE” ugh.

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