In the 2004 reality TV show, there's something about Miriam. Six very attractive guys compete

for a cash prize and for the love of the beautiful and mysterious Miriam Rivera, a Mexican

trans woman. It's meant to be her big break, the moment she becomes the superstar she always wanted to be. But in this

era of cruel reality TV, the show producers have a different goal. They want to pull off the biggest

shock in TV history. During the show's finale, the on-screen drama sparked an international

uproar about gender, sexuality, and whether reality television had

finally gone too far.

And this special show within a show, we're featuring Trace Lissette's new podcast miniseries,

Harsh Reality, a story about love, lies, reality TV, and a woman ahead of her time.

If you enjoy the show, please listen to all their episodes by following

Harsh Reality, The Story of Miriam Rivera, everywhere fine podcasts are found. I'm Fausto Fález.

I'm Mark Phelian. Please enjoy this special clip of Harsh Reality, the story of Miriam Rivera.

Nowadays, if you go to Times Square right in the heart of Manhattan, you go to see the bright lights and to get your picture taken with Spider-Man.

You go for the Lion King or celebrityity Waxed Figures or Ripley's Believe It or Not.

But this is 1999, and New York is practically a different city.

Times Square is still flashing with light, but it's full of strip clubs and adult

movie theaters. You can hire someone to go back to your hotel room with you as long as you pay

cash in advance. You can score some heroin, or you can get mugged. It's edgy. It's dangerous,

but girl, it's definitely exciting. New York City

nightlife was amazing. 42nd Street was alive with strip clubs and go-go dancing. They had the trans

working at show center, the men dancers working at show palace, the females working at Show World.

In 1999,

...