EP4 - Manufacturing the Band

Dark Alleys of Media

Lou Perlman became infamous for creating some of the bestselling Boy Bands in the world and running a ponzi scheme for over 40 years. What did this guy get up to? How did he make his money?

More importantly, why were boy Bands such money makers for studios and what lies behind the extravagant facade?

We deep dive into Perlmans past, his scams, the exploitation of his artists and then look into how this is the norm in the music industry where music and the artists are commodities.

In the end of the episode, we listen to the words of the very honest, Simon Cowell.

The Boy Band Con: The Lou Perlman Story (WATCH)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CcCRs0Ic3FI&t=1823s

Menudo: Forever Young looks at the Exploitative Nature of Boy Bands
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/menudo-forever-young-exploitation-boy-bands_n_62b9cfc4e4b0cf43c86835f8

Dirty Pop: Boy Band Scam Awkwardly Curates the Facts

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/dirty-pop-boy-band-scam-review-flawed-celebrity_n_669fe59ae4b08943f2a14923

The True Story Behind Dirty Pop: The boy Band Scam

https://time.com/7002523/dirty-pop-netflix-time-studios/

The Dark Questions Netflix’s Lou Perlman Doc Dirty Pop Doesn’t Answer

https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/story/lou-pearlman-backstreet-boys-nsync-dirty-pop

Making the Band: Dark History of boy Bands

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ahxk3GTi5yc

Lou Perlman: The Evil Behind 90s Boy Band

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XbOzY9pRxA0

All About the Disgraced Con Artist Who Discovered NSYNC and the Backstreet Boys

https://www.ranker.com/list/scary-lou-pearlman-stories/carly-silver

Record Breaking Revenues in the Music Business, But are Musicians Getting a Raw Deal

https://www.forbes.com/sites/oisinlunny/2019/05/15/record-breaking-revenues-in-the-music-business-but-are-musicians-getting-a-raw-deal/

Music Industry Monopolies: Are They Preventing Growth

https://www.gearnews.com/music-industry-monopolies-are-they-preventing-growth/

How Music Monopolies own your ears (and Everything that goes in Them)

https://challenge-magazine.org/2022/05/16/how-music-monopolies-own-your-ears-and-everything-that-goes-in-them/

Diary of a CEO: Simon Cowell Opens Up About His Heartbreaking Loss & His Regrets About One Direction
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BvsbCdCG8gE