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Phil meets Shelley at the Farmer's Market and is greeted by an explosive surprise. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Reality TV is dismissed as guilty pleasure, low brow... even trash. But whether you want to admit it or not, you probably have heard of Snooki, Lisa Vanderpump or Kim Kardashian. Over the past 30 years, reality TV has become a place to see the social and political moment play out in real time -- from racial tensions on The Real World New York to gender dynamics on The Bachelor. On this season, join host Mariah Smith as she dissects the history of the genre one show at a time, revealing how it's shaped our culture and how our culture shaped it. Listen and subscribe to Spectacle on Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Phil is summoned to see Professor Stanley for an unusual negotiation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Phil meets an old man with a unique connection to Edna. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Phil seduces a woman, and finally gets to the bottom of something. Amanda and Geoffrey are joined by Jamie Loftus (https://twitter.com/jamieloftusHELP) and Caitlin Durante (https://twitter.com/caitlindurante), hosts of The Bechdel Cast (https://www.iheart.com/podcast/105-the-bechdel-cast-30089535/). Jamie has a new podcast called Lolita, out now (https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1119-lolita-73899842/). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Phil makes an important drunken acquaintance. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Phil goes to a dance hall, creeps everyone out, and (once again) stumbles his way into a lead. Amanda and Geoffrey are joined by comedians Dani Fernandez (https://twitter.com/msdanifernandez) and Ify Nwadiwe (https://twitter.com/IfyNwadiwe), hosts of the recently-concluded Nerdificent Podcast (https://twitter.com/nerdificent). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With the police hot on his tail, Phil makes a questionable decision (shocking!) to meet Shelley in a very public place. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Phil gets some disappointing information from Carlos.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Phil gets robbed, and only then does he realize he's lost something precious. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Phil stumbles into his first real breakthrough. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Phil pretends to be a census-taker, and rounds out his day with some light breaking and entering. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Phil goes to a fancy hotel and does not get much detective work done. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Phil looks for Professor Stanley and gets nowhere. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Phil makes his first foray into detective work, and is instantly baffled by what he finds. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Phil makes an upsetting discovery and a questionable plan. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Phil gets into a very public argument. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Phil goes to a party, has a terrible time, and makes a deal with his wife. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the first episode of Dirt Cheap, hosts Amanda Meadows and Geoffrey Golden plunge into chapter one of Murder in the Glass Room, a Los Angeles noir novel from the 1940s. We meet Phil Norris, a misanthropic, furniture-obsessed bookie who seems to have more enemies than friends. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The first season of Dirt Cheap is dropping in just one week! We're reading Murder in the Glass Room, a Los Angeles noir novel starring a misanthropic bookie-turned-detective named Phil Norris. Phil's not very good at being a detective, but he sure is trying. Tune in for our first episode, dropping next Thursday, October 15th. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices