Welcome to Your Fantasy

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

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

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

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

As the Chippendales rise, paranoia grips Steve Banerjee, leading to rivalry and costly mistakes. A beach photo shoot turns chaotic when gunfire erupts, adding layers of fear and suspicion. Tensions mount between Banerjee and Nick DeNoia, culminating in shocking betrayals and a tragic confrontation. The infamous calendar blunder illustrates the fine line between success and failure in a fiercely competitive environment. Dive into personal struggles and the darker undercurrents of fame that shaped the lives behind the iconic brand.

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

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

The podcast explores the revamp of the Chippendales show by a new hire, Nick De Noia, and his efforts to turn it into a theatrical extravaganza. It delves into Nick's background as a children's TV producer, his perfectionism, and the influence of Unicorn Tales. The podcast also discusses the early days of Chippendales, the understanding of female sexuality, and the creation of the 'Perfect Man'.

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

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