Life Upon the Wicked Stage

Jen, Ashley, and Olivia host the second annual Floozie Awards for Season 3 of The Wicked Stage Pod, a true-crime podcast under arts and entertainment, using real-time voting across comedic and serious categories. They define "biggest thumb" and award it to Lou Pearlman over nominees including Charles Manson, Jerry Lee Lewis, Joseph McCarthy, Andrew Cunanan, Arthur Miller, and Alan Griffin Stanford Jr. "Creepiest old man" goes to Marilyn Monroe's boarding house predator. Best side character is Orson Welles; most unproblematic man is the boy bands; most shocking moment is the Twilight Zone helicopter crash; best surprise cameo is Alice Cooper; most wanted merch is "The blimps all crashed. We're starting a boy band." Floozy of the Year is unanimously Marilyn Monroe. They promote socials, Patreon, Spotify playlist, and sponsorships. 00:00 Listener Warning 00:16 Meet The Hosts 00:42 Floozie Awards Setup 02:53 How Voting Works 03:47 Biggest Thumb Nominees 15:58 Thumb Winner Reveal 17:36 Creepiest Old Man Category 22:51 Jen Panera Dating Story 28:57 Olivia Disney Liar Story 37:14 Boarding House Predator 38:36 Picking the Worst Floozy 39:55 Emotional Support Triscuit 44:53 Blimps to Boy Bands 46:16 Fresh Whores and Dickies 51:17 Triscuits Blimps Whores Vote 54:07 Best Side Character Nominees 01:00:47 Orson Welles Wins 01:02:58 Merch Brainstorm Aftermath 01:04:50 Most Problematic Stage Mom 01:13:23 Charlotte Shelby Takes It 01:14:12 Most Unproblematic Man 01:19:09 Boy Bands Win One 01:20:55 Most Shocking Moments 01:29:59 Best Surprise Cameos 01:32:18 Most Wanted Merch 01:35:50 Floozy of the Year 01:43:17 Season Wrap Up

The hosts of Life Upon the Wicked Stage introduce a true-crime/arts podcast episode about Athalia Ponsell Lindsley (born Maryanne Fetter), a wealthy Florida-raised former Powers model, Broadway chorus girl, and early TV hostess whose life later shifted to real estate, civic organizations, political activism, and inventing a patented potato-related kitchen utensil. After moving to St. Augustine, marrying former mayor James "Jinx" Lindsley, and clashing publicly with neighbor/county engineer Alan Griffin Stanford Jr. over his credentials and alleged corruption, Athalia reported he threatened her. On January 23, 1974, she and her pet blue jay Clementine were brutally killed on her porch with a machete. Evidence included an eyewitness who initially identified Stanford, a blood trail to his home, and a dumped bundle containing a machete checked out by Stanford and his bloodied clothing and watch, but police mishandling and defense arguments led to his acquittal; a friend, Frances Bemis, was later murdered while Stanford was out on bail, and both murders remain officially unsolved.

00:00 Listener Warning

00:17 Show Intro and Hosts

01:03 He-Man and Movie Chat

02:07 Small World Animatronics

04:35 Robocall Name Riff

06:50 Meet Athalia Ponsell

12:29 Old Money Origins

17:13 New York Reinvention

23:18 Modeling and Chevy Girl

33:18 Broadway Chorus Years

35:01 Game Show Hostess Era

37:34 Gossip Column Romance

41:25 Midroll Intermission Break

43:51 First Marriage Ends Fast

47:40 Florida Reinvention Years

50:58 Clubs Patents And Pedigree

53:58 Move To St Augustine

58:50 Town Politics And Prejudice

01:04:35 Feud With County Engineer

01:10:54 Threats And Case Date

01:14:28 Bathroom Stop Setup

01:16:57 Doorbell And Mailbox Walk

01:18:25 Machete Porch Attack

01:21:09 Eyewitness And Suspect ID

01:29:58 Blood Trail And Coverup

01:31:34 Dump Bundle Evidence

01:36:39 Motive And Trial Fallout

01:41:04 Acquittal And Lasting Impact

01:45:26 Closing Tribute And Signoff

The hosts of "Life Upon the Wicked Stage," a true-crime podcast framed through arts and entertainment, discuss the distinction between serial and spree killings while recounting Andrew Cunanan's 1997 murder spree. They describe the first two murders involving Cunanan's acquaintance Jeffrey Trail, beaten to death with a hammer in David Madson's apartment, and Madson, who was forced to travel with Cunanan and later shot near Rush Lake, Minnesota. They note law enforcement missteps, including treating the early deaths as domestic violence, delays in FBI coordination, and Cunanan not being added to the FBI Most Wanted list until June 12. They cover subsequent killings of Lee Miglin (brutally murdered and car stolen), William Reese (killed for his truck), and Gianni Versace, shot at close range outside Casa Casuarina on July 15, 1997, amid a rapid media circus and failure to warn Versace despite Cunanan's claims of knowing him.

00:00 Listener Warning

00:15 Meet the Hosts

00:41 Spree vs Serial Killers

03:08 Cunanan Case Begins

03:48 Jeffrey Trail Murder

04:42 Motive and Relationships

09:38 Confrontation at Apartment

12:35 Hostage and David Madson

16:49 Mid Episode Intermission

17:57 Law Enforcement Missteps

19:01 Police Bias Missteps

19:50 Spree Case Reforms

20:38 Miglin Brutal Murder

22:33 Truck Theft Killing

23:44 Most Wanted Delay

26:49 Versace Risk Ignored

30:24 Versace Final Morning

36:05 Media Circus Aftermath

39:01 Dove Bullet Mystery

40:16 Podcast Wrap Up

The Floozies open with personal travel updates, including Ashley's "soft elopement" wedding before an Italy trip, Jen's Lisbon Filmapalooza trip with Rotten Rabbit TV (including making a short film) followed by 10 days in Paris, and Olivia's private-jet travel to an Alice Cooper concert where she reconnects with theater contacts. They then introduce the episode's topic: Gianni Versace's life and murder, discussing American Crime Story and questions about "assassination" vs murder and serial vs spree killers. Olivia outlines Versace's upbringing in Italy, his mother's tailoring influence, classical studies, founding his label in 1978, his bold aesthetic, supermodel-era runway innovations, Medusa branding symbolism, and long-term partner Antonio D'Amico. Olivia begins profiling killer Andrew Cunanan's background—elite schooling, status-obsessed fantasies, family instability, sexuality conflicts, relationships with older wealthy men, and escalating pathology after his father fled in 1988—setting up a later timeline of the 1997 killings and law enforcement missteps.

00:00 Listener Warning

00:15 Meet The Hosts

00:47 Chipmunks Nostalgia

03:34 Louvre Ninja Turtles

04:16 Soft Elopement Wedding

08:51 Lisbon Film Festival Trip

14:53 Private Jet Alice Cooper

19:07 Versace Episode Setup

23:46 Versace Early Life

28:59 Milan Label Breakthrough

31:04 Supermodels And Runway Shows

35:43 Medusa Logo Meaning

38:29 Partner And Privacy Talk

44:05 Privacy And Algorithms

44:50 Versace And Damico Reality

46:41 Cunanan Enters Story

48:16 Murder Versus Assassination

57:37 Cunanan Childhood And Status

01:09:01 Sex Work And Grooming Talk

01:16:38 Family Collapse And Rage

01:19:43 Psychology Risk Factors

01:30:12 Spree Timeline And Wrap

Jen, Ashley, and Olivia discuss theories about Marilyn Monroe's death, separating documented facts from speculation, following Donald Wolfe's 1998 book Last Days of Marilyn Monroe. They review claims that Monroe may have been a homicide victim tied to alleged Kennedy relationships and potential political fallout, including testimony from Deputy DA John Miner suggesting drugs entered through the large intestine (possibly via enema) and questions about missing organ samples. They examine Peter Lawford's (yes, Jen gets it right this time) reported sedated phone call and contrast it with Joe DiMaggio Jr.'s later account that Monroe sounded normal, plus disputed time-of-death estimates. They highlight shifting statements by housekeeper/nurse Eunice Murray, delays in contacting police, Sergeant Jack Clemmons' discomfort with the "soldier position" and orderly pill bottles, and a broken window with contested glass patterns. They cover alternative explanations including medical negligence, accidental overdose, narrative control, intelligence monitoring, and organized crime connections, noting the 1982 DA review found no conclusive homicide evidence, and the death remains listed as "probable suicide."

00:00 Listener Warning

00:16 Meet the Hosts

00:52 Cold Open Banter

01:48 Marilyn Death Theories

04:35 Wolfe Kennedy Theory

07:52 Autopsy Enema Evidence

13:59 Peter Lawford Call

19:21 Eunice Murray Timeline

30:00 Conflicting Phone Calls

32:45 Clemmons Scene Doubts

36:04 Soldier Pose Window

43:48 Intermission Plug

44:39 House Layout Window

46:11 Odd Scene Details

46:57 Kennedy Timeline Debate

49:57 Claims Versus Facts

50:31 Toxicology And Drug Risks

56:07 Theory Medical Negligence

57:02 Theory: Accidental Overdose

01:03:27 Theory: Timeline Shifts

01:10:20 Theory: Narrative Control

01:12:18 FBI CIA Surveillance Theory

01:15:48 Mob And Staging Theories

01:22:06 Why The Case Endures

01:28:29 Final Reflections And Wrap

Jen, Ashley, and Olivia open their true-crime-in-entertainment podcast with personal updates and then begin a two-part episode on Marilyn Monroe, including a warning about disturbing content and an apology for misnaming Peter Lawford. Jen recaps Monroe's early life as Norma Jean Mortenson (born June 1, 1926), marked by her mother Gladys Baker's severe mental illness, foster care and an orphanage, an unknown father, and reported childhood sexual assault by a tenant. At 16 she married James Dougherty to avoid returning to an orphanage; after he joined the Merchant Marines, she was discovered modeling at the Radio Plane Company, divorced, and signed with 20th Century Fox in 1946 as "Marilyn Monroe," with a studio-driven image overhaul. They discuss her intelligence, acting study under Lee Strasberg, founding Marilyn Monroe Productions, troubled marriages to Joe DiMaggio and Arthur Miller, worsening mental health and heavy sedative use, and the contested August 4–5, 1962 timeline of her death in Brentwood, including accounts from Eunice Murray, Dr. Greenson, Sgt. Jack Clemmons, and rumors involving the Kennedys to be explored in part two. 00:00 Quick Correction and Warning 00:36 Hosts Catch Up 01:39 Kristin Chenoweth Encounter 02:56 Movie Cameo and Scheduling Chaos 08:29 Introducing Marilyn Monroe Case 11:38 Death Night Overview 12:49 Before Marilyn Childhood 17:08 Foster Homes and Abuse 27:12 Teen Marriage Escape 34:51 Brains Behind the Bombshell 41:52 Making of Marilyn Begins 44:06 Intermission and Plug 44:55 Fox Contract and New Name 47:13 Face Changes Debate 48:17 Platinum Blonde Power 49:47 Hair Color Confessions 51:57 Early Films and Playboy 53:51 Manufactured Icon Persona 57:24 Love and Marriage Tension 57:55 DiMaggio Jealousy Fallout 01:01:11 Arthur Miller Betrayal 01:10:02 Marilyn Pushes Back 01:14:02 Doctors and Drug Spiral 01:26:01 Final Day Timeline 01:28:13 Clemmons and Suspicions 01:34:04 Kennedy Theories Tease

Ashley dives into the "Twilight Zone: The Movie" disaster, detailing the July 23, 1982, on-set helicopter crash in California that killed actor Vic Morrow and child actors Micah Dinh Le (7) and Renee Shin-Yi Chen (6) and injured six others. They discuss John Landis's "Time Out" segment and explain how studio concerns about an unsympathetic protagonist led Landis to add a Vietnam rescue ending involving the children, who were hired illegally and paid under the table, hidden from safety personnel, and whose parents were allegedly misled about helicopters and explosives. Testimony and an NTSB report attributed the crash to special-effects explosions damaging the helicopter, while Landis and others were tried and acquitted of manslaughter; civil suits were settled. The episode covers fallout involving Spielberg, industry safety reforms and hotlines, and reflections on performers advocating for safety.

00:00 Listener Warning

00:14 Meet the Hosts

00:39 Rage Triscuit Banter

01:53 Tea Talk and Catnip

04:31 Episode Reveal and Intro

06:15 Twilight Zone Disaster Overview

07:32 Movie Structure and Cast

11:48 Landis Segment Plot

16:34 Key Players Landis and Morrow

22:17 The Night of the Crash

35:37 Safety Failures and Illegal Child Labor

44:33 Aftermath and Spielberg Reaction

47:49 Eddie Murphy Fallout

50:16 Warnings Before the Crash

53:11 Trial Testimony and Blame

01:01:12 Settlements and Film Release Ethics

01:07:53 Safety Reforms After Tragedy

01:12:49 Aftermath for Landis and Morrow

01:20:14 Safety PSA and Wrap Up

Jen dives into the post–World War II Red Scare in Hollywood, framing it as a true-crime-like witch hunt driven by fear rather than evidence. Beginning with HUAC's October 20, 1947 investigation, they explain how subpoenas, the question "Are you now, or have you ever been a member of the Communist Party?", and pressure to "name names" split witnesses into "friendly" and "unfriendly," leading to the Hollywood 10's contempt convictions and prison sentences. They describe the Waldorf Statement and the unofficial blacklist's career-destroying power, highlighting affected figures including Lee Grant, Dorothy Comingore, Lillian Hellman, Orson Welles, John Garfield, Paul Robeson, and Charlie Chaplin, while noting Lucille Ball was cleared. They cover cooperators like Elia Kazan, Ronald Reagan, and Walt Disney, McCarthy's later rise and censure, Arthur Miller's The Crucible as allegory, and how Dalton Trumbo's credits on Spartacus/Exodus helped crack the blacklist.

00:00 Listener Warning and Intro

00:42 Cold Open Banter

01:30 Back to 1947 Setup

04:46 HUAC Targets Hollywood

11:02 What the Red Scare Was

22:31 Hollywood 10 Explained

27:26 Waldorf Statement Blacklist

33:15 Who Got Hit Hardest

34:15 Women Blacklisted Stories

38:23 Orson Welles Under Fire

41:50 Blacklist Tragedies Garfield Robeson

46:48 Chaplin Exiled Lucy Survives

51:45 Lucy Beats the Blacklist

54:31 Friendly Witnesses Exposed

54:46 Kazan Names Names

56:23 Reagan and Red Scare

57:33 Disney Testifies Too

01:02:31 McCarthy Takes the Stage

01:07:36 Army Hearings Collapse

01:09:54 Arthur Miller Strikes Back

01:13:17 Trumbo Writes in Secret

01:16:18 Spartacus Breaks the Ban

01:18:21 Real Crimes and Echoes

01:22:11 Final Thoughts and Signoff

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Olivia recaps the docuseries "Dirty Pop: The Life and Times of Lou Pearlman," and traces Pearlman's path from a bullied, document-forging kid with an obsession with blimps to founding Airship International, allegedly aided by a Nazi-affiliated businessman and mafia-linked backing. They describe how Pearlman created Transcontinental Records, formed and controlled Backstreet Boys and NSYNC (rehearsing in a blimp hangar, touring schools, sent to Germany to break big), presented himself as "Big Papa," and kept bands unpaid while signing himself as a "sixth member" to collect royalties, ultimately extracting a $64 million buyout. As investors and authorities closed in, an Employee Investment Savings Account and fake "German savings bank" documents unraveled into a massive fraud: about 2,000 victims, $300 million, plus $200 million in bank fraud; a questioned death of associate Frankie Vasquez; Pearlman's Bali arrest; a 25-year sentence; death in prison in 2016 (spoiler alert); and only $10 million recovered. And of course, Olivia's very personal connection to it all.

00:00 Listener Warning 00:16 Meet the Hosts 00:42 Why Lou Pearlman 03:34 Lou Early Life 06:16 Blimp Business Origins 07:11 Nazis and Mob Money 12:58 Boy Band Blueprint 14:03 Backstreet Boys Rise 22:47 Germany Breakthrough 26:34 NSYNC Rival Setup 29:44 Money Disputes Explode 32:54 Blimp Crashes Insurance 36:18 Lawsuits and Buyouts 42:08 Transcon New Roster 42:36 Intermission Break 43:30 Natural and Flashy Life 46:22 Billionaire Mindset Gap 46:43 9/11 Jet Clearance Story 48:50 Transcon Empire Shopping Spree 52:21 Employee Savings Ponzi Pitch 55:04 Regulators Close In 56:28 Fake Checks Trigger FBI 58:56 Frankie Vasquez Tragedy 01:01:09 Natural Breakup and IRS Shock 01:06:39 FBI Raids and Global Run 01:11:46 Bali Tipoff and Arrest 01:15:45 Fraud Exposed in Court 01:22:18 Prison Calls and Survivor Guilt 01:29:23 Death and Aftermath

Ashley delves into the life and death of Hollywood actor Gig Young (born Byron Ellsworth Barr), a prolific Golden Age performer with over 100 film credits, Oscar nominations, and a Best Supporting Actor win for They Shoot Horses, Don't They? (1969), yet persistent feelings of inadequacy rooted in an emotionally cold childhood and alleged sexual abuse by a caregiver. Known as the charming second lead who "loses the girl," Young struggled with insecurity, career frustration, and alcoholism, leading to lost roles including Blazing Saddles and the original voice of Charlie on Charlie's Angels. Married five times, he had one daughter, Jennifer, and fought child support before later being linked to controversial psychologist Eugene Landy. On October 19, 1978, three weeks after marrying fifth wife Kim Schmidt, Young fatally shot her and then himself in their Osborne Apartments unit in Manhattan; no motive or note was found, and the case was ruled murder-suicide.

00:00 Listener Warning

00:17 Meet the Hosts

00:37 Elderberry Cold Open

02:32 Case Reveal Gig Young

05:06 Early Life and Family

14:12 Abuse and Insecurity

18:17 Acting Breakthrough

22:27 Second Lead Career

30:25 Oscar and Downfall

33:51 Sexuality Rumors

40:12 Five Marriages Timeline

45:14 Patreon and Ratings

46:09 Paternity Fight Fallout

48:12 Fifth Wife Kim Schmidt

49:50 Career Collapse Alcoholism

52:55 Osborne Apartments Detour

56:48 Meet Dr Eugene Landy

01:03:45 Brian Wilson Control Scheme

01:11:19 Landy Treats Gig Young

01:13:57 Murder Suicide Discovery

01:21:16 Aftermath Motives Legacy

01:28:07 Closing Reflections Next Pod