The C-Word

Savannah was the most famous porn performer of the 90s — she ushered in a totally new era of celebrity for other adult film stars. At her peak she made six-figures and was a tabloid mainstay. But behind the scenes, she gained a reputation for bad on-set behavior as her drug addiction spiraled out of control. In the first episode of a two-part series, Lena and Alissa examine Savannah’s origins as Shannon Wilsey, a teenager struggling to move on from a violent childhood and developing what would become a lifelong passion for older male rock stars. This episode was first published on 03/11/2021. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Sulli was a major K-pop star, singer, and actress, known as “the Kim Kardashian of South Korea.” Her pivot away from her initial “baby girl” persona in the K-pop girl group, f(x), resulted in tremendous backlash and online harassment. Controversies ranged from her dating life to her clothing choices to her feminist beliefs. In this episode, Lena and Alissa discuss K-pop training schools, fan entitlement, and the tragic epidemic of K-pop-related suicides in South Korea. This episode was first published on 02/25/2021. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

If you’ve been on this journey with us, you know that Alissa and Lena are obsessed with sharp, witty, decisive women. Today, we’re stepping out of the archives to introduce you to a woman who is helping us look at ourselves and answer big questions with a refreshing amount of grit and zero judgment. Meet Suzy Welch. Suzy is a three-time New York Times bestselling author and the NYU professor behind the cult-favorite class, Becoming You. She’s spent her career as a business journalist and academic dismantling the myths of "perfect" success. Suzy hosts a podcast—also called Becoming You—where she tells the freaking truth about life and work today, without the sugar-coating and definitely without the despair. In a world that loves to call women "crazy" for changing their minds or wanting something more, Suzy offers a roadmap for the pursuit of authentic purpose. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Although Sondra Locke’s work as an actress & director garnered critical praise and an Academy Award nomination, she was perhaps best known for her 13-year romantic relationship with Clint Eastwood. The highly publicized court battle that followed their relationship forever linked her name with his and fueled endless gossip. In this episode, Lena and Alissa discuss the etymology of “Daddy,” the gaze of male Hollywood power players, and the obstacles facing women who carve their own path in the entertainment industry. This episode was first published on 02/11/2021. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Gia Carangi, considered by many to be the world’s first supermodel, was once so renowned she was known simply as GIA. Her stunning rise from a troubled Philadelphia childhood to the top of the New York fashion scene preceded an equally dramatic downfall, marked by heroin addiction and wild on-set behavior. She died in 1986 of AIDS-related complications. In this episode, Lena and Alissa follow the ups and downs of Gia’s life, with a particular focus on how her sexuality and gender presentation shaped her career and enduring legacy. This episode was first published on 01/28/2021. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Lena and Alissa welcome the new year with an iconic early 20th-century party girl: La Marchesa Luisa Casati. They delve into Luisa’s obsession with the occult, her high-profile artistic and romantic relationships, and her singular desire to become a “living work of art,” all the while investigating the double-edged sword of our society’s fascination with eccentric women. This episode was first published on 01/14/2021. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

​In Part 2, Lena and Alissa resume their discussion on Brittany Murphy. By the late 2000s, Brittany’s career was stagnant and rumors about her erratic behavior and her sketchy new marriage were widespread. Tragically, her life was cut short in December 2009. In this episode, Lena and Alissa discuss the harmful effect of gossip blind items, celebrity paranoia, and the public’s fixation on conspiracies surrounding Brittany’s death. This episode was first published on 12/17/2020. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Brittany Murphy of the 90s won our affection with her talent, iconic laugh, and breakout role as goofy but lovable Tai in ​Clueless​. But the Brittany Murphy of the 2000s weathered tabloid speculation about her appearance and high-profile relationships, a dwindling supply of roles, and an addiction to prescription pills. In part 1, we grapple with the first half of Brittany’s life. Lena and Alissa discuss Brittany’s childhood, the promising start to her career, and the obstacles that would lead to her death in 2009. This episode was first published on 12/12/2020. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Lena and Alissa discuss a different kind of c-word subject: Yolanda Saldívar. She became known for robbing the world of beloved Tejano music star Selena. In this episode, Lena and Alissa discuss Saldívar's criminal history, how obsessive fandom is related to public interest, and whether the term “c-word” is applicable in Yolanda’s case. This episode was first published on 11/19/2020. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In part 2, Lena and Alissa discuss the latter half of Anna Nicole’s life. By 2002, she had become one of the first E! reality television celebrities with ​The Anna Nicole Show​. Early gossip websites like TMZ and Perez Hilton covered her weight gain, messy public appearances, and a debacle over the paternity of her second child. In this episode, we discuss Anna Nicole’s addiction, her eccentric entourage, the public’s thirst for her downfall, and the tragic events that led to her death at age 39. This episode was first published on 11/05/2020. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Model and reality TV superstar Anna Nicole Smith assumed several roles in America’s public consciousness. In the 90s she was branded as as a sex symbol and “the next Marilyn Monroe” and in the 2000s we turned her into a punch line. We loved and then ridiculed her platinum blonde hair, massive boobs, Texas accent, and “loopy” manner. In this episode, Lena and Alissa discuss Anna Nicole Smith’s origin story, her rise as 1993’s Playboy Playmate of the Year, and her relationship with an octogenarian billionaire which would later take her to the Supreme Court and launch her reputation as an iconic gold digger. This episode was first published on 10/22/2020. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Wendi Deng was the third wife of media magnate and billionaire, Rupert Murdoch. The public was quick to call her a gold digger, latching onto the 38-year age difference in their marriage, Wendi’s humble upbringing in China, and her controversial involvement in the Murdoch family business. But despite criticism and rumors about her personal life, Wendi leveraged Rupert’s connections to build a name for herself as a businesswoman, film producer, and advisor in the tech world. Lena and Alissa discuss ambition, Wendy’s celebrity dinner parties & annual pre-Met Gala gathering, and the hypocrisy of the term “gold digger.” This episode was first published on 10/08/2020. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Lena and Alissa pick up where they last left Whitney Houston in Part 1. In the second half of Whitney’s career, her reputation as America’s pop sweetheart was hindered by tabloid speculation about drug use and criticism of her live performances. In this episode Lena and Alissa discuss the phenomenon of the Diane Sawyer interview, Whitney’s stint on reality television, her daughter Bobbi Kristina Brown, and why the public still overlooks Whitney’s talent and legacy after her death. This episode was first published on 09/24/2020. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Whitney Houston: “The Voice,” the myth, the legend. She sang her way into the hearts of America, moving a nation and bearing the weight of its attention on her psyche. As her star grew, Whitney faced backlash, questions about her identity, and intense intrusion into her personal life. In the first of two parts, Lena and Alissa chart the young Whitney’s rise to fame, her essential early relationships with Robyn Crawford and Bobby Brown, and the start of struggles that would eventually lead to her untimely end. This episode was first published on 09/10/2020. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices