Infamous America - Introducing "Harsh Reality" From Wondery and Novel

Episode Date: December 6, 2021

It was supposed to be a reality show with a twist. In a sun-drenched villa in Ibiza, six hot guys compete for a cash prize and for the love of the beautiful and mysterious Miriam. It’s meant to be her big break: the moment she becomes the superstar she was born to be. But this is the era of “cruel reality TV” and the show producers have a different goal: they want to surprise the men with the fact that Miriam is trans. A new six-episode investigative series from Wondery, the makers of The Shrink Next Door and The Apology Line, and from Novel, HARSH REALITY is the story about love, lies, reality TV and a woman before her time: Miriam Rivera. Written by Agnes Borinsky and hosted by Trace Lysette. Listen to Harsh Reality: http://wondery.fm/HR_Infamous_America  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the early 2000s, millions of households across the world tuned in to watch contestants battle for the last rose or to be the final survivor on the island. And I don't know how many listeners know this, but I spent the first 14 years of my professional life working in the film and television industry in Los Angeles. My first job was in the summer of 2000, and I distinctly remember hearing the talk around town about this insane new show where the producers were going to strand a bunch of people on a deserted island for 30 days. And I remember thinking there is absolutely no way they're going to do that. No way. That's crazy. And now, of course, here we are 20 years later, and they're still doing it. But that was the beginning of the reality TV game show craze.

And as the popularity of those shows grew, each new one needed to be bigger, flashier, and more scandalous than the last. But in the case of one infamous dating show, the real drama was happening off-screen, and it shaped the future of reality TV. The reality series, There's Something About Miriam, seemed like a pretty standard dating competition. Six young men vied for the affection of Miriam Rivera, a beautiful model from Mexico. But when Miriam revealed that she was a trans woman during the show's finale, the on-screen drama sparked an international uproar about gender, sexuality, and whether reality television had finally gone too far.

Wondry's new podcast mini-series, Harsh Reality, the story of Miriam Rivera, reveals what happened behind the scenes of that infamous TV show and how a multimillion dollar lawsuit and media fallout impacted the lives of Miriam, the contestants, and changed the rules of reality television forever. I'm about to play you a preview of harsh reality, but while you're listening, be sure to follow Harsh Reality,

the story of Miriam Rivera on Apple Podcasts or Amazon Music. Or you can listen early and ad free by joining Wondry Plus in Apple Podcasts or the Wondery app. And a quick heads up here, there is a moment of adult language in this preview. So beware. Dom passes long rows of desks lined with brand new Apple Macs, clear with turquoise backs. On each desk is a cup of branded turquoise pins with the name of their company printed on the side, writer pictures. In the conference room, they have Dom sign a non-disclosure agreement, standard practice.

Then they switch on a screen. I was shown a video of Miriam. In my world, we all know Miriam. We all know how captivating she is. So I have no trouble imagining what Dom was thinking, looking at her. For one thing, she's beautiful. The camera loves her. She could be a movie star

Straight glossy black hair The latest designer shades perched on top of her head Long tan legs for days But a lot of people are beautiful Miriam is magnetic At the time she was 21 Living in New York and working as a model You can tell from her smile that she's got a sense of humor

She's flirting with the camera Turning and walking away answering questions about her hobbies. Watching the footage, it's hard not to love her. The video ends. Dom nods. You see a lot of these screen test videos when you work in TV, but Dom can tell.

There's something special about Miriam. He looks over at Remy, who is watching him intently. Is he missing something? You know, didn't have a clue what was going on until Remy said, well, the thing is, she's got a cock. and then I realized everything was a bit different. And that's the show. That's the pitch Joe Pilkington had heard in her office at Sky.

The one that's going to upend reality TV as we know it. Push the culture forward. Excavate the profound and twisted depths of male sexuality. The show that's going to be a hit. In the name of the show, there's something about Miriam. Six open-minded liberal guys will spend two weeks in an island paradise with Miriam. They'll complete challenges, go on dates, and try to win her heart. One by one, she'll send them home.

She'll choose a winner. And then she'll tell him, on national TV, what the producers have been making her keep to herself. The cameras will be rolling, the lucky winner's face in frame, and everyone watching at home will wait with bated breath to see what he'll say next. And that, boys and girls, is entertainment.

From Wondery and Novel comes a new story about love. We had discussions, what if you actually fell in love and should say, well, that would be great, but it's very unlikely. Lies. If the secret got out, it was game over for the show. And reality TV.

I can't remember whether it was ever proved or just a rumor that LeVille have been used for Paul films. Just had that feel about it. I was just blunt with them and was like, yeah, you should feel guilty actually because you signed up for this and you knew what you were doing. They ripped her apart. The British tabloid press ripped her apart. You know, they'd stitch us up. We're going to stitch them up as best we can. Why? Why would you do this? Who are you to do this? Do you realize the damage you've done by doing

this? I'm Trace Lissette. Follow harsh reality, the story of Miriam Rivera on Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, or you can listen early and ad-free by joining Wondry Plus in Apple Podcasts or the Wondry app. Someone said, hey, we'd love to have you on the show. This is what happens next. Give us a few weeks and then we'll fly you out to Spain and screw your life over. Follow harsh reality, the story of Miriam Rivera on Apple Podcasts or Amazon Music, or you can listen early and ad-free by joining Wondry Plus in Apple Podcasts or the Wondry app.