Stay ConnectedImperfect Paradise is LAist’s weekly on-demand news magazine show that pulls back the curtain and dives deeper into the biggest and most consequential SoCal stories of the week from our newsroom. New episodes drop every Friday.
Support for this podcast is made possible by Gordon and Dona Crawford, who believe that quality journalism makes Los Angeles a better place to live.
We take you behind the scenes of the L.A. City Council tape scandal, a year later. The secret recordings of the conversation among four of the city’s most powerful Latino leaders making racist, derogatory insults – exposed thorny, unresolved issues of race and politics. Host Antonia Cereijido explores those issues and speaks with the people who were most affected by the tapes, includingformer councilman Mike Bonin. And for the first time since resigning, former L.A. City Council President Nury Martinez breaks her silence.
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This podcast is supported by Gordon and Dona Crawford, who believe quality journalism makes Los Angeles a better place to live.
This program is made possible in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people.*
“Imperfect Paradise: Nury & The Secret Tapes” tells the story of the biggest political scandal in recent Los Angeles history. A secret recording leaked online in 2022 exposed then-LA City Council President Nury Martinez making racist and derogatory remarks. A year after the scandal and her resignation, Nury breaks her silence in an exclusive interview with LAist.
From LAist Studios, “Imperfect Paradise: Nury & The Secret Tapes,” coming September 27, 2023.
We are excited to announce LAist Studios' award-winning narrative podcast "Imperfect Paradise" relaunches in September as a weekly show with Antonia Cereijido as our host! Be sure to follow and subscribe to "Imperfect Paradise" wherever you get your podcasts.
From LAist Studios: "Imperfect Paradise", new weekly episodes coming September 27th.
In this episode, Ruth and Elliot Handler are gone, and the new Mattel team, led by a man who feared the volatility of the toy business, diversified the company and made a big gamble on electronics. It didn’t work. Fortunately, Barbie ends up in the sure hands of some trailblazing women executives, who could see that the culture was moving in a direction very compatible with Barbie’s persona. From the workforce to the workout, Barbie was a doll of her times.
This podcast is supported by Gordon and Dona Crawford, who believe quality journalism makes Los Angeles a better place to live.
For Barbie, the cultural upheaval of the 60s and 70s incites one identity crisis after another as Mattel tries to keep up with the times. On top of that, she has a new boyfriend to deal with. Ken's creation is a big hit for Barbie fans, but he’s facing a few growing pains of his own. In this episode, we investigate Ken's origin story, delve into the inner workings of Mattel, and hear how Barbie's inventor, Ruth Handler, was ousted from her own company.
This podcast is supported by Gordon and Dona Crawford, who believe quality journalism makes Los Angeles a better place to live.
"LA Made: The Barbie Tapes," from LAist Studios, tells the true story of the making and marketing of the most famous doll in the world, Barbie, told by the people who did it. We’ll hear from Mattel co-founder Ruth Handler, who spent years trying to convince her own company to make a teen aged fashion doll.
LAist Studios & USC Annenberg's School of Journalism Present: How COVID Changed Everything
A series where graduate students in the USC Annenberg School of Journalism examine the many ways—both dramatic and nuanced—that the pandemic has changed life in ways we are only now beginning to understand.
Part 3: Acting
While the pandemic caused a lot of stasis, it also inspired plenty of action. Once we accepted the changes that the pandemic brought, what did we do with them? How did we take action? In this episode: LA cultural workers fight for better work conditions, one survivor decides to fight back against domestic violence, a small foundation keeps the legacy of a ground-breaking Finnish gay artist alive, and a nurse rethinks the way we process death and dying.
Content Warning: This series contains sensitive subject matter and mentions of domestic violence. Listener discretion is advised.
LAist Studios & USC Annenberg's School of Journalism Present: How COVID Changed Everything
A series where graduate students in the USC Annenberg School of Journalism examine the many ways—both dramatic and nuanced—that the pandemic has changed life in ways we are only now beginning to understand.
Part 2: Adapting
Change is a given, but COVID-19 truly forced the hand of change. In this episode we explore the ways people have found to adapt and rethink how we accept change. In this episode: the fate of a beloved Hollywood record store, the reflections of an American Hockey League player, the impact of COVID-19 on a sickle cell patient, and the challenges of pandemic-related gentrification in Mexico City.
Content Warning: This series contains sensitive subject matter. Listener discretion is advised.
LAist Studios & USC Annenberg's School of Journalism Present: How COVID Changed Everything
When the World Health Organization declared an end to COVID-19 as a global health emergency last month, it marked an over 3 year journey through the deadliest pandemic in US history. While COVID-19 may no longer be an official public health emergency, the effects it's had on every fabric of society can’t be overlooked.
In this series, graduate students in the USC Annenberg School of Journalism examine the many ways—both dramatic and nuanced—that the pandemic has changed life in ways we are only now beginning to understand: in the workplace, the family and the world. Every story is about change. Every narrative involves a moment or moments when everything was different from before.
Part 1: Rethinking
The pandemic forced us to rethink how we approach both daily life and life’s milestones. People had to get creative with how they held ceremonies, how they coped with stress and how they would carve a new way of life post pandemic. In this episode: a wedding that takes place in a video game, services at one of the oldest synagogues in the western hemisphere, the de-stressing power of ice baths, and a group of international Gen Zers re-examines the meaning of life and work.
Content Warning: This series contains sensitive subject matter. Listener discretion is advised.
Brian returns to Los Angeles. But his ideas of "home" have changed.
Music from this episode composed by: Geir Sundstøl, Modarchive, Natalia Lafourcade, Old Saw, Woo, Yeahman
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