We Need to Talk About Spencer Pratt

About this episode

Jo Piazza explores Spencer Pratt's unexpected journey from reality TV star to political candidate and the implications for modern media and politics.

Years ago, Spencer Pratt was dismissed as a fame-hungry reality TV idiot with frosted facial hair and a crystal obsession. But looking back? He may have understood modern media better than almost anyone else on television. Now he’s running for mayor of Los Angeles. Jo digs into the strange pipeline from reality TV to political power, why audiences are drawn to “outsider” candidates they already feel connected to, and how the attention economy changed politics forever. Because as ridiculous as Spencer Pratt for mayor sounds, it also feels deeply, painfully American. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

People in this episode

Host: Jo Piazza

Topics covered

• reality TV
• politics
• media
• outsider candidates
• attention economy

Keywords

• Spencer Pratt
• reality TV
• political power
• Los Angeles
• attention economy
• outsider candidates

Mentioned in this episode

Places: Los Angeles

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