64 episodes

Imperfect Paradise is an award-winning weekly narrative podcast showcasing California stories with universal significance, hosted by Antonia Cereijido. Each deeply reported story is driven by characters who illuminate aspects of American identity and underscore California's reputation as a home for dreamers and schemers, its heartbreaking inequality, its varied and diverse communities, its unique combination of dense cities and wild places. New episodes premiere Wednesdays, with broadcasts on LAist 89.3 the following Sundays.

Support for this podcast is made possible by Gordon and Dona Crawford, who believe that quality journalism makes Los Angeles a better place to live.

Imperfect Paradise LAist Studios

    • Society & Culture
    • 4.5 • 488 Ratings

Imperfect Paradise is an award-winning weekly narrative podcast showcasing California stories with universal significance, hosted by Antonia Cereijido. Each deeply reported story is driven by characters who illuminate aspects of American identity and underscore California's reputation as a home for dreamers and schemers, its heartbreaking inequality, its varied and diverse communities, its unique combination of dense cities and wild places. New episodes premiere Wednesdays, with broadcasts on LAist 89.3 the following Sundays.

Support for this podcast is made possible by Gordon and Dona Crawford, who believe that quality journalism makes Los Angeles a better place to live.

    The Forgotten Revolutionary Redux: Part 1

    The Forgotten Revolutionary Redux: Part 1

    Imperfect Paradise: The Forgotten Revolutionary, the 2022 podcast from LAist Studios, has been optioned by Participant and is simultaneously being developed as a scripted and documentary limited series. 

    Part 1:

    Oscar Gomez was a star of the 1990s Chicano student movement and then, unexpectedly, he died. A rattling event in host Adolfo Guzman-Lopez’s life spurs him to investigate Oscar’s death. 

    Grow your business–no matter what stage you’re in. Sign up for a one-dollar-per-month trial period at SHOPIFY.COM/paradiseSupport for this podcast is made possible by Gordon and Dona Crawford, who believe that quality journalism makes Los Angeles a better place to live.

    This program is made possible in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people.
    Support LAist Today: https://LAist.com/donate

    • 32 min
    The Forgotten Revolutionary Redux: Part 2

    The Forgotten Revolutionary Redux: Part 2

    Part 2:

    Adolfo learns that there was a dark side to Oscar’s experience in the Chicano student movement. 

    Grow your business–no matter what stage you’re in. Sign up for a one-dollar-per-month trial period at SHOPIFY.COM/paradiseSupport for this podcast is made possible by Gordon and Dona Crawford, who believe that quality journalism makes Los Angeles a better place to live.

    This program is made possible in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people.
    Support LAist Today: https://LAist.com/donate

    • 46 min
    LAist Investigates: The Unknown Mandate - Accessing Medication Abortion at California Universities

    LAist Investigates: The Unknown Mandate - Accessing Medication Abortion at California Universities

    Imperfect Paradise host Antonia Cereijido is joined by LAist Senior Health Reporter Jackie Fortier and Higher Education Correspondent Adolfo Guzman-Lopez to break down their investigation into why many students and faculty across California's public universities don't know that medication abortion is mandated on their campuses. This is the latest LAist Investigates episode on Imperfect Paradise that highlights reporting from our newsroom.

    CONTENT WARNING: This episode includes first-hand description of an outpatient abortion procedure.

    For additional information and resources, you can visit https://abortion.ca.gov/

     

     

    Grow your business–no matter what stage you’re in. Sign up for a one-dollar-per-month trial period at SHOPIFY.COM/paradiseSupport for this podcast is made possible by Gordon and Dona Crawford, who believe that quality journalism makes Los Angeles a better place to live.
    Support LAist Today: https://LAist.com/donate

    • 34 min
    Strippers Union: Part 4

    Strippers Union: Part 4

    Part 4: Half a year after Star Garden reopens as a union club, the dancers are still negotiating a contract. LAist producer Emma Alabaster brings you the latest. Plus, some of the dancers have set their sights on a different dream: a worker-owned cooperative strip club. 

    Here are some resources that informed our reporting:


    LA Co-op Lab
    U.S. Federation of Worker Cooperatives
    2021 Worker Cooperative State of the Sector Report
    Yes, A Stripper Podcast

    For more resources 

    Grow your business–no matter what stage you’re in. Sign up for a one-dollar-per-month trial period at SHOPIFY.COM/paradiseSupport for this podcast is made possible by Gordon and Dona Crawford, who believe that quality journalism makes Los Angeles a better place to live.
    Support LAist Today: https://LAist.com/donate

    • 34 min
    Strippers Union: Part 3

    Strippers Union: Part 3

    Part 3: The Star Garden Topless Dive Bar reopens as a union strip club, but the fight doesn’t end there. What happens after the victory? LAist Producer Emma Alabaster has the story.

    Here are some resources that informed our reporting:


    Working It: Sex Workers on the Work of Sex  (In particular, the essay "White Supremacy in Organizing" by Domino Rey)
    Yes, A Stripper Podcast
    Unequal Desires: Race and Erotic Capital in the Stripping Industry by Siobhan Brooks
    T**s and Sass: Service Journalism by and for Sex Workers

    Click here for more resources 

    Grow your business–no matter what stage you’re in. Sign up for a one-dollar-per-month trial period at SHOPIFY.COM/paradiseSupport for this podcast is made possible by Gordon and Dona Crawford, who believe that quality journalism makes Los Angeles a better place to live.
    Support LAist Today: https://LAist.com/donate

    • 46 min
    Strippers Union: Part 2

    Strippers Union: Part 2

    Part 2: When the Star Garden strippers go public with their union campaign, they get pushback from the club’s management and a group they didn’t anticipate - other strippers. LAist Producer Emma Alabaster reports.

    Grow your business–no matter what stage you’re in. Sign up for a one-dollar-per-month trial period at SHOPIFY.COM/paradiseSupport for this podcast is made possible by Gordon and Dona Crawford, who believe that quality journalism makes Los Angeles a better place to live.

     
    Support LAist Today: https://LAist.com/donate

    • 43 min

Customer Reviews

4.5 out of 5
488 Ratings

488 Ratings

Reyoktam ,

My new favorite podcast

Great show with real journalistic integrity. So many times broadcast news drops a story once the headlines are pushed out by the newest topic with no follow up. This podcast does a deep dive into the stories that affect all of us and the way we move forward as a society.

Beachespeaches ,

People vs Emily Guerin

Emily Guerin is so mealy-mouthed (and vaguely an apologist for racist, entitled behavior) in the People vs Karen episode. She goes so far as to rue that a white woman’s feeeeelings are on trial. Spoiler: it was her actions that were on trial. And her actions endangered the reputations and lives of two innocent people of color. Ms Guerin’s entire take is pathetic. Shame that she’s on the air.

Tarkito ,

Surprisingly Amateurish

Feels more like a college radio show than a professional podcast.

The hard left political angle, as well as the chicken little climate “crisis”
screeching that infuse every aspect of the show, as well as long pauses that make me think the show ended or dropped out, the horrible reading skills of the hosts, improper pronunciation, and childish sounding speaking voices (interspersing sentences with “like”) all add up to a particularly inept cavalcade of ineptitude.

Top Podcasts In Society & Culture

The Viall Files
Nick Viall
MeSsy with Christina Applegate & Jamie-Lynn Sigler
Wishbone Production
Stuff You Should Know
iHeartPodcasts
This American Life
This American Life
Unlocking Us with Brené Brown
Vox Media Podcast Network
Shawn Ryan Show
Shawn Ryan | Cumulus Podcast Network

You Might Also Like

California City
LAist Studios
Reveal
The Center for Investigative Reporting and PRX
This American Life
This American Life
Throughline
NPR
The Daily
The New York Times
Radiolab
WNYC Studios