Liar City

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Everybody lies. Some are terrible at it, some do it frighteningly well. Sooner or later, most of us get caught. This is the story of the lies we tell, and what happens when they crumble. This is Liar City.

Brian Flanagan

  • Oct 31, 2017 LATEST EPISODE
  • infrequent NEW EPISODES
  • 49m AVG DURATION
  • 55 EPISODES


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Latest episodes from Liar City

Freedom Club

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 31, 2017 65:30


This week, join Brian and Darien as they tell the tale of our nation's most prolific homegrown environmental terrorist, Ted Kaczynski.  Follow Liar City on Twitter. We'll pay you handsomely in East German coins. 

Satanic Panic V: Mazes and Monsters

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 31, 2017 48:06


This week, join Brian and Darien as they tell the stories behind the 1980's D&D moral panic.  Follow Liar City on Twitter. Seriously. Go do that now. We'll wait.

How I Got To Memphis (Kaufman Part 2)

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 27, 2017 60:23


This week, join Darien and Brian as they conclude the Andy Kaufman story.    Follow Liar City on Twitter.

That's Entertainment! (Part One)

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 16, 2017 47:21


This week, join Darien and Brian as they tell (half of) the fascinating story of a man who just might be the world's best bullshit artist, the incomparable Andy Kaufman. 

The Boys in the Bank

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 30, 2017 50:30


This week, join Brian and Darien as they tell the real story behind one of the strangest crimes of the 1970s -- the simple robbery of a Brooklyn bank that became a local sensation, then a media circus, and finally a critically-acclaimed movie.  Follow Liar City on Twitter. 

The Sinful Messiah and The Seven Seals

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 3, 2017 55:06


This week, join Brian and Darien as they wade through the origins of the Branch Davidian group, and the lead-up to the infamous Waco Siege.  Follow Liar City on Twitter.

Great Artists Steal: The Xerox PARC Story

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 17, 2017 51:54


This week, join Brian and Darien as they tell the story of the PC revolution from the perspective of a group of researchers and scientists who should be credited for it -- the people of Xerox PARC.   

Psycho Skate

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 6, 2017 57:15


This week, join Brian and Darien as they discuss the life and crimes of former professional skater Mark "Gator" Rogowski.    Follow Liar City on Twitter.

A Carpenter and a Crane

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 21, 2016 72:07


This week, join Brian and Darien as they wade through the sordid details of the seemingly idyllic lives of actor Bob Crane and his best pal: a videography enthusiast named John Carpenter.  Follow Liar City on Twitter.

What Happens In Vegas

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 25, 2016 58:52


This week, join Brian and Darien as they return from hiatus to discuss the infamous OJ Simpson trial.  No, not that one. The other one. It's a parade of sadness and scumbaggery this week.    Follow Liar City on Twitter.

Get to the Choppah!

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 24, 2016 49:09


This week, join Brian (and a very special guest) as they tell the story of the world's very own Governator, Arnold Schwarzenegger.  Well that, plus about a million other things. Thanks again, Chelsea. Follow Liar City on Twitter.  

Right Next Door To Hell

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 20, 2016 44:13


This week, join Brian and Darien as they tell the story of what happened at 2207 Seymour Avenue, a nondescript Cleveland home that became a horrific prison for three young girls.    Follow Liar City on Twitter. 

The Away Team

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 21, 2016 50:24


This week, join Brian and Darien as they discuss the history of the infamous Heaven's Gate cult.  Follow Liar City on Twitter.

Games People Play: The Quiz Show Scandals

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 30, 2016 53:04


This week, join Brian and Darien as they tell one of the most fascinating stories from the early history of television -- the story of Herb Stemple, Charles Van Doren, and the infamous quiz show scandals.  Follow Liar City on Twitter. 

Satanic Panic IV: Screaming For Vengeance

Play Episode Listen Later May 31, 2016 46:22


This week, join Brian and Darien as they tell the tale of James Vance v. Judas Priest, the most infamous  of all the subliminal messages cases -- and one of the few that ever actually made it to trial.    Follow Liar City on Twitter. 

Method Acting in a Bathrobe

Play Episode Listen Later May 13, 2016 40:06


This week, join Brian and Darien as they discuss one of the most fascinating Mafia figures of all time - Vincent 'Chin' Gigante.  Follow Liar City on Twitter.

Not in Great Neck: The Friedman Story

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 16, 2016 55:00


This week, join Brian and Darien as they tackle one of the most frustrating cases to come out of the child sex abuse panic of the 1980's -- the story of Arnold and Jesse Friedman.  Follow Liar City on Twitter.

The Devil You Know: Castro and the Mariel Boatlift

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 5, 2016 59:35


This week, Liar City welcomes a very special guest to the show -- Jesse from I Doubt it With Dollemore.  Join Brian and Jesse as they discuss the two immigration crises the world is currently facing, then tag along as they get into the Mariel Boatlift -- the largest wave of U.S. immigration that can be definitively traced back to one person and the inspiration for the hit movie Scarface. Follow Liar City on Twitter, then check out Jesse's show.   

Girls on Film: The Traci Lords Story

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 25, 2016 50:08


This week, join Brian and Bren as they tell one of the most fascinating, heartbreaking, and - ultimately - infuriating stories to come out of the 1980s adult film industry: the tale of Traci Lords. Follow Liar City on Twitter.

A Viking Funeral With Gram Parsons

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 3, 2016 56:49


This week, join Brian and Darien as they discuss the life, the tragic death, and the very weird aftermath of Gram Parsons -- the biggest star there never was.    Follow Liar City on Twitter.

A Rockefeller By Any Other Name

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 18, 2016 47:33


This week, join Brian and Darien as they discuss the mind-bending case of notorious con man Christian Gerhartsreiter -- better known to the world (at least for a while) as Clark Rockefeller.    Follow Liar City on Twitter

Pitch Black Outback

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 8, 2016 45:24


Join Brian and Darien as they dive into a listener request: the story of Lindy Chamberlain, a Seventh Day Adventist and loving mother who became one of the most infamous women in Australian history -- all in a single, horrible night.    Follow Liar City on Twitter  

Fatty's in a Little Jam

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 27, 2016 48:17


This week, join Brian and Darien as they discuss the most notorious scandal to come out of silent film-era Hollywood, the story of Fatty Arbuckle's swift rise and shocking fall.    Follow Liar City on Twitter: @LiarCityPodcast

Still a Great Year

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 24, 2015 47:06


Join Brian, Darien, and Bren as they recap and recount their first year bringing you Liar City.    Follow Liar City on Twitter.

Rajneesh and the Salad Bar Bio-Terrorists

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 24, 2015 40:50


After a difficult week of unspeakable crimes against the civilized world, join Brian and Darien for a discussion of the first (and most wide-reaching) act of bioterrorism ever committed on American soil.    Follow Liar City on Twitter

The Man in the Mirror

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 19, 2015 50:01


Join Brian, Bren, and Darien for a discussion of Michael Jackson's life, centering on the allegations of child molestation that dogged him for his final 15 years.    Follow Liar City on Twitter

Tania Head and the WTC Survivor's Network

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 2, 2015 51:40


This week, join Brian and Bren as they discuss Tania Head, the former president of the World Trade Center Survivor's Network.    Follow Liar City on Twitter.     

The Dread Pirate Roberts: Digital Kingpin

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 5, 2015 45:38


This week, join us as we talk about one of the most fascinating cases of online crime in recent memory: The Silk Road, and its founder and leader -- The Dread Pirate Roberts.  Follow Liar City on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/LiarCityPodcast

Make Do and Mend: John Money and the Reimer Family

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 28, 2015 44:45


This week, join us as we tell the sad tale of Bruce/Brenda/David Reimer -- the boy who was raised as a girl.    Follow Liar City on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/LiarCityPodcast

Stella Liebeck's Coffee and Neil Young's Middle Finger

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 18, 2015 50:29


This week, Liar City takes on a couple of legendary frivolous lawsuits -- Stella Liebeck v. McDonald's and David Geffen v. Neil Young.    Follow Liar City on Twitter.

Going Downhill With Janet Cooke

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 20, 2015 53:04


Listen as Liar City celebrates an arbitrary anniversary with a very special episode. From Janet Cooke's perky prose to Jimmy Gronen's magnets, the 25th edition of Liar City is chock full of lies.  Follow Liar City on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/LiarCityPodcast    

God Only Knows: Brian Wilson Meets Eugene Landy

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 26, 2015 53:43


Few things in life are as timeless as the music of The Beach Boys. They had a magical combination of soaring harmonies and an unepected level of technical sophistication coupled with the constantly-evolving talents of their once-undisputed leader Brian Wilson.  What happened to Wilson when the pressure got to be too much is what we're talking about this week.   

Investing 101: Ponzi, Patreon, and Plush Toys

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 17, 2015 35:09


This week, we'll tackle a true rags to riches story: Charles Ponzi. While his specific exploits are a lot less remembered than his name, his plucky, can-do attitude in the face of overhwhelming odds gave inspiration to dozens of upstarts with names like Bernie Madoff, Nicholas Cosmo, and Charles Keating.    Check out our Patreon: http://www.patreon.com/liarcity Follow Liar City on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/LiarCityPodcast

Satanic Panic III: West Memphis Boogeymen

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 5, 2015 53:07


The case of the West Memphis Three might be the last gasp of the satanic panic that gripped America a couple decades ago. A horrible crime against three innocent boys, with teenagers dressed in black the only suspects in sight, the story reads like a John Grisham novel.  Will we ever know the truth of it?    Follow us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter Or head to the website  

Henry Hill: Goodfella, College Basketball Enthusiast

Play Episode Listen Later May 19, 2015 37:30


This week, rather than talk about deflated footballs, we take a stroll down memory lane and discuss the weird ending that GoodFellas should've had: The fallout from the 1978-1979 Boston College points shaving scandal.  Follow us on Twitter Follow us on Facebook  

Billy Collins and Luis Resto's Gloves

Play Episode Listen Later May 3, 2015 39:45


Madison Square Garden was packed to capacity on the night of June 16th, 1983. Everyone was expecting a good fight, but nobody was all that excited about the undercard -- a fight between two welterweight fighters that nobody had ever heard of.  Pretty quickly, that changed. Billy Collins and Luis Resto have had their names etched into history, but for all the wrong reasons.    follow us on Twitter: @LiarCityPodcast follow us on Facebook: Liar City  

The Raccoon Attack / Andrew Wakefield's Truth Inoculation

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 24, 2015 47:58


Brian and Bren explain their unexpected absence last week, then explain why Andrew Wakefield and Jenny McCarthy are dangerously insane human beings. 

Drinking The Kool-Aid With Jim Jones

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 10, 2015 58:18


Jonestown, Guyana. A 3,500 acre commune in the middle of a jungle, was supposed to be a socialist paradise on earth for Jim Jones and his many followers. Instead, it became a metaphor for all the reasons why you should never put your life in someone else's hands.  Join us as we detail the history of The People's Temple, Jim Jones, and Leo Ryan -- the congressman who came to South America for answers, but found something much, much worse waiting for him. 

Go Ask Alice and A Million Little Pieces

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 2, 2015 50:28


This week, we talk about two books: one a memoir, one a diary, both of them total bullshit.  Join us as we discuss the origins of, and the fallout from, two of the most ridiculous pieces of "non-fiction" ever published.    Follow us on Twitter: @liarcitypodcast   

Operation Freakout and Project Normandy

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 27, 2015 51:18


"What is true is what is true for you," L. Ron Hubbard was fond of saying.Wise words from a dangerously insane human being. Join us as we tell the tale of Scientology's humble beginnings, its dramatic growth spurt, and the horrible things the group has done in their quest to 'clear the planet.'

Little Marjoe is Bad, But Not Evil

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 20, 2015 38:45


Little Marjoe Gortner was probably the weirdest child prodigy the world has ever known. An ordained minister by the age of 4, his talent for preaching the gospel was remarkbale. This week, we'll talk about what happened when Marjoe grew up, grew a conscience, and decided to blow it all up.  Follow us on Twitter: @LiarCityPodcast 

John Holmes Has a Big Problem

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 13, 2015 52:50


From the early 70s until the early 80s, there was only one man you thought of when you thought of adult cinema: John Holmes. As the smooth-talking detective Johnny Wadd, he thrilled audiences with semi-competent acting and incredibly competent sex scenes. His story didn't end when the camera shut off -- that's really where it started. It's a story so full of sex, drugs, murder, and lies that it almost seems like a badly written movie.  Follow us on Twitter: @LiarCityPodcast  

Kevin Mitnick and The Art of Deception

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 6, 2015 55:58


This week, we dive deep into the history of computer hacking, taking a closer look at the story of Kevin Mitnick, a.k.a. The Condor, at one time the most wanted cyber-criminal in the world.  Listen to the story of toy whistles, blue boxes, and a scared, overzealous government, struggling to figure out what punishment might fit a new kind of crime. 

John DeLorean's Manufactured Fall

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 23, 2015 54:28


The legend of John DeLorean is just that: a legend. His reputation, once impeccable, was destroyed by a well-publicized arrest for cocaine trafficking.  It’s a great story, and a familiar arc: a rich, accomplished man brought down by his own hubris and greed. The fact that it's not remotely true never really seems to come up.  This week, we'll ressurect the legend, and piece together the remarkable story of John DeLorean, and the iconic car that bears his name.     

Lance Armstrong's Favorite Mistake

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 13, 2015 55:06


It's hard to judge Lance Armstrong. While he's certainly a man who defied horrific odds to reach the absolute pinnacle of success, there is now zero doubt that he was also a cheater, a liar, and a bully.  Can we blame him? Should we hold athletes to higher standards than we hold, say, rock stars? Let's talk about it. 

Satanic Panic II: Judy Johnson and the McMartin Preschool Trial

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 3, 2015 46:41


Once the Satanic Panic of the early 1980s really sets in, a group of daycare workers in Manhattan Beach, California, become the most hated people in America. The fact that the allegations were absurd -- secret tunnels, beheadings, toilet bowl passageways -- didn't matter to a world obsessed with protecting its children.     

Howard Hughes Meets Clifford Irving

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 20, 2015 47:16


Which image comes into your mind when you think of Howard Hughes? Famous aviator? American playboy? Batshit crazy person?  All of those things are kind of true. This week's story, however, is about one of the many untrue things surrounding Howard Hughes -- Clifford Irving's "autobiography" of him. 

Running on Empty With Rosie Ruiz

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 12, 2015 38:02


Before 1972, women weren't even officially allowed to participate in the Boston Marathon, but by 1980, a woman named Rosie Ruiz would become the most famous runner in its history. Sadly, it was for all the wrong reasons.    

Robert Tilton and God's Wallet

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 6, 2015 43:41


If you've ever stayed up so late on Saturday night that it turned into Sunday morning, you may have seen this week's subject at work. Robert Tilton, king of the 'prosperity gospel', was one of the most shameless, shameful preachers to ever work a crowd.  This week, we dive into his inspirations, his history, and what he's up to today. 

Dr. Oz Does The Hadacol Boogie

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 1, 2015 34:33


While there's no question that Dr. Oz promotes some wacky products on his show, he's certainly not the first person to turn the public's trust into a cash machine.  This week, we'll talk about a literal snake oil salesman -- the shifty-eyed, razzle-dazzle pitchman behind Stanley Clark's Snake Oil Liniment, and Senator Dudley Leblanc -- mastermind of Hadacol, and, of course, the magical Dr. Oz himself. 

'Michelle Remembers' and The Satanic Panic

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 27, 2014 51:14


 This week, we go back to the 1980's to talk about one of the weirdest and saddest episodes in American history: the satanic panic.     

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