Leon Neyfakh is a journalist and podcaster best known as the co-creator and host of Slow Burn, Fiasco, and Backfired. He has been a reporter for Slate, The Boston Globe, and The New York Observer and is the author of the book The Next Next Level. Listen to his newest podcasts here. Season 3: OnlyFantasy In this provocative investigation into OnlyFans— the adult platform where subscribers around the world spent more than $7 billion in 2024— journalist Leon Neyfakh teams up with comedian and OnlyFans creator Gracie Canaan for a one-of-a-kind exploration into the current state of human connection. Throughout, they discover that the site originally built for spicy adult content has quietly and surprisingly become something more complicated— an emotional marketplace where desire, performance, care, fantasy, and vulnerability seemingly blur together. As Neyfakh and Canaan navigate timely questions about autonomy, performance, and profit, a question emerges: is connection mediated by a screen still authentic? To find the answer, they meet creators building lucrative businesses, subscribers who believe they’ve found something real, professional “chatters” who are paid to simulate affection, and pioneers who have helped engineer intimacy at scale. Captivating and tender, OnlyFantasy is ultimately about the cost of loneliness, the seductive power of desire, and how the rules of human intimacy are being rewritten online. Is what’s happening on OnlyFans real? Or is it only a fantasy? Season 2: Final Thoughts: Jerry Springer Jerry Springer wasn’t supposed to become the host of The Jerry Springer Show. Before the chairs started flying and the fights became a daytime TV staple, the man then known as Gerald Springer was an idealistic rising star in Democratic politics, with ambitions to one day be elected governor of Ohio. From Leon Neyfakh and Prologue Projects — the team behind Slow Burn, Fiasco, Backfired, and Think Twice: Michael Jackson — comes Final Thoughts: Jerry Springer. You may think you know Springer, the notorious ringmaster of what TV Guide once called “the worst show in television history.” But long before Springer’s name became synonymous with outrageous guests, taboo confessions, and vicious on-stage brawls, he was the mayor of Cincinnati — a serious and popular politician who many believed was the future of the Democratic Party. So, what happened? This series traces Springer’s unlikely transformation — from the son of Jewish refugees who fled Nazi Germany, to a respected public servant, to the face of a show many called a symptom of cultural decline. Through intimate interviews with the people who knew him best — family, political insiders, and the producers who helped shape his show — Final Thoughts will bring you closer than ever to the man behind the spectacle, and maybe even cause you to rethink some of your own life choices. Final Thoughts isn’t just a story about one man’s improbable career path. It’s about how far someone can go for success and what they’re willing to trade to stay on top. Was Springer pulled into the gutter, or did he just understand it better than anyone else? Season 1: Think Twice: Michael Jackson More than a decade since Michael Jackson’s death, his legacy remains complicated and unresolved. Think Twice: Michael Jackson is an exploration of the King of Pop’s life and impact — and an investigation into why his global influence continues to endure, despite the disturbing allegations against him. In this ten-part series, journalists Leon Neyfakh and Jay Smooth bring you a new perspective on the Michael Jackson story, based on dozens of original interviews with people who watched it unfold from up close.
What this show covers
internet culturetrue crimeOnlyFansparasocial relationshipsmurder investigationcold casedocumentary seriesfamily secretsdigital desireonline relationshipssecrecypersonal storytellingdigital intimacyonline deceptionhealthcare system
What listeners will find here
A daughter learns her mother was murdered—and starts digging into 30 years of lies
Lauren Malloy discovers that her mother, Lori, did not die of natural causes as she was told for decades. This episode introduces a 10-part true crime investigation as Lauren follows contradictions, hidden histories, and the possibility that the people closest to her know more than they admit.
A preview of an episode about digital desire, secrecy, and an old online crush
Based on the show notes, this episode starts with a message from a subscriber’s wife and follows hosts Gracie Canaan and Leon Neyfakh as they explore digital desire and why secrecy can feel thrilling. It also includes a conversation with Leon’s first online crush.
OnlyFans betrayal, intimacy, and the hidden labor behind online fantasy
This preview suggests an episode about subscribers who believed their OnlyFans relationships were real, and the fallout when they learned otherwise. Leon Neyfakh and Gracie Canaan also speak with a former paid “chatter” about how performing intimacy for money changed her sense of self.
A cowboy surgeon, a broken system, and a new Dr. Death story
This preview, based only on the published show notes, introduces Dr. Death: The Cowboy, Audible’s fifth season of the series. It teases a Western-flavored medical scandal involving failed surgeries, alleged fraud, and a wider fight to hold a surgeon accountable.
A finale about paid intimacy, loneliness, and what a year on OnlyFans changed
This preview is based only on the published show notes. In the series finale, Gracie marks her first “fanniversary,” meets a subscriber in person, and reflects with Leon on what a year inside OnlyFans has revealed about loneliness, care, and self-worth.
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