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Characters

Cloud10

Diving deeper on the characters we love to consume! Laura Diez hosts guest conversations and shares stories exploring the portrayals of real people on reality tv, fictionalized women that stay in our memories, and pop culture legends. New episodes Tuesdays and Fridays.

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  • 26 episodes
  • weekly
  • Avg 22 min
  • English

Episodes 26

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Counted on this page — what you have heard stays on this device, so it is not something the list can be paged by.
  • June 9 · 10 min

    Marilyn and Ella Fitzgerald

    The unlikely friendship of Marilyn Monroe and Ella Fitzgerald, and the phone call that helped quietly boost one of the greatest careers in music history! We're covering one of my favorite Marilyn stories after last week's episode - the story of her calling up Hollywood's Mocambo night club to lobby on behalf of Ella Fitzgerald's residency, and how Ella Fitzgerald credits Marilyn to her "never playing a small club again." Find me everywhere: linktr.ee/literallylaurad Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  • June 5 · 11 min

    Love Island USA Premiere Recap!

    Let's talk about the first episode of Love Island USA! We're overviewing the intro package themes - a lot of mentions of marriage, babies, and the narratives of being "lovers." Plus, the maturity and weight that is implied by people coming in with regular jobs. Plus, the disconnected initial couples - where two of the five already not interested in continuing to "date" because of a trait they would not pursue in the real world. I loved the fun of leaning into "Love Island norms," like making breakfast and comments as the cast explores the villa. Lastly: are people just here for fame? And if so - who cares? Find me everywhere: Linktr.ee/literallylaurad Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  • June 2 · 25 min

    Marilyn Monroe and Playboy: the magazine she did not consent to launching

    On the week marking what would be Marilyn Monroe's 100th birthday, we are revisiting (and reframing) one of the most famous brand relationships she was understood to be a part of: Playboy Magazine, serving as their first ever cover model. We'll overview the story of why Marilyn posed nude in the first place, how Hugh Hefner got his hands on the rights to those images, and her own reflection on how she was used to generate millions (with not even a thank-you note). Plus, the follow-up invitation to pose for the magazine, after she posed unclothed in a swimming pool on the set of Something's Got To Give - photos that ended up in Life Magazine, successfully generating buzz for her career again while Fox poured money and attention into Elizabeth Taylor. The Playboy "invitation" came on her last day alive. Finally, we'll overview another Playboy model's celebrated "kinship" to Marilyn, Anna Nicole Smith, and our understanding of how Marilyn was used as a template for the magazine's next 60+ years. Find me everywhere!! Linktr.ee/LiterallyLauraD Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  • May 29 · 18 min

    Love Island USA S8: Cast, Predictions, + More!

    We got our first glimpse of the new cast of the world's biggest reality show, Love Island USA! We'll overview today what we know so far about the twelve OG Islanders entering the Villa. Plus, I'll share some of my predictions for this upcoming season and what I *do not* want to see! For the Love Island USA season, I think Friday episode of Characters will be focused on overviewing the happenings and ongoing discussions of the previous week on the show (so we can continue the real-time conversations we'll be having on social media!). Find me everywhere: linktr.ee/literallylaurad Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  • May 26 · 24 min

    VS Angels Across America: A Fashion Show for the Masses

    The Victoria's Secret Fashion Show has been one of the highest viewed fashion moments since its television debut in 2001. We're overviewing the history of the fashion show: from the modest first show in NYC in 1995, to the sensational show in Cannes in 2000, and the history-making first broadcasted show in 2001. We're zooming in on one of my favorite pop culture moments: the 2004 Angels Across America Tour, when in lieu of the cancelled show, the brand sent Heidi, Gisele, Tyra, Alessandra, and Adriana to four cities in five days. The 2004 tour changed so much about how the brand was recognized and related to by the everyday consumer - VS became the most aspirational mall brand. We'll talk about the fashion of this tour, its impact, and what people mean when they say "they want the OGs back." Find me everywhere: linktr.ee/literallylaurad Time stamps: 00:00 Intro, Casting Calls in 2026 02:22 Early VS Fashion Shows (1999-2000); First Angels 05:37 2001 First Televised Fashion Show 06:23 Who are the Angels? 08:18 2004 Cancellation 09:15 Angels Across America Tour 14:49 2005 Show + Beyond 15:52 Impact of Angels Across America 17:42 Open Casting Calls Today Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  • May 22 · 12 min

    Kelsey vs. Rosie, RHORI

    Was the fight between Kelsey and Rosie *really* about the square footage of Rosie's home? Let's unpack that altercation... that I feel will be a foundational conflict in this franchise's next few seasons. After Kelsey arrives at Rosie's home, with sirens, announcing "house police" (allegedly a joke) .. the scene almost instantly becomes an altercation attacking insecurities around notoriety, sense of accomplishment, and local celebrity status. What do 30-something women want from being on a Real Housewives? Find me everywhere: linktr.ee/literallylaurad Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Showing 21–26 of 26 episodes