The Castle: Part 2
Imperfect Paradise
LAist Studios
4.5 • 535 Ratings
🗓️ 6 December 2023
⏱️ 38 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Part 2: Once inside the iconic members-only Magic Castle, queer hobbyist magician Carly Usdin starts to become disillusioned with the club. LAist Senior Producer Natalie Chudnovsky dives into how this comes to a head in 2020, when the Magic Castle faces allegations of racism and sexism.
For more, visit https://LAist.com/ImperfectParadise
Support LAist Today: https://LAist.com/donate
Go to Hellofresh.com/50imperfect and use code 50imperfect for 50% off plus 15% off the next 2 months!
Grow your business–no matter what stage you’re in. Sign up for a one-dollar-per-month trial period at SHOPIFY.COM/paradise
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.
Transcript
Click on a timestamp to play from that location
| 0:00.0 | Support for LAIST comes from CarPros Kia and the new 2027 Kia Telluride Hybrid. |
| 0:06.3 | Redesigned with striking new looks, advanced driver assistance features, and third row seating. |
| 0:11.7 | You can learn more at CarPros Kia in Glendale, Huntington Beach, and Moreno Valley. |
| 0:16.7 | LAISD is supported by Elephant Energy. |
| 0:19.4 | Elephant Energy is LA's expert in installing modern and efficient heating and cooling systems, |
| 0:24.5 | the new standard for whisper-quiet comfort year-round. |
| 0:28.0 | They handle the design and the rebates to save you thousands. |
| 0:31.0 | Claim your rebates at elephantenergy.com. |
| 0:34.8 | Hey, this is In Perfect Paradise from LAS Studios. |
| 0:38.3 | I'm your host, Antonia Ceregido. |
| 0:40.3 | This is the castle part two. |
| 0:42.3 | Last episode, we met Carly Usted and learned about how they got obsessed |
| 0:46.3 | with a member-only club in Hollywood called The Magic Castle |
| 0:50.2 | and spent a whole year learning magic to access the space. |
| 0:58.2 | It felt like you were back in time in a place where like almost everyone there's an older, |
| 1:00.0 | white, cis, heterosexual man. |
| 1:02.4 | It's their world that you're stepping into. |
| 1:07.1 | And Carly was excited to be part of changing the castle by bringing their friends and maybe even starting a club for queer magicians. |
| 1:10.7 | Coming up on the show, in the wake of George Floyd's murder and protests in 2020, Carly |
| 1:16.9 | reaches a breaking point. |
| 1:19.0 | And the Magic Castle faces a reckoning. |
| 1:23.5 | I still to this day, will not enter the building alone. |
... |
Please login to see the full transcript.
Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from LAist Studios, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.
Generated transcripts are the property of LAist Studios and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.
Copyright © Tapesearch 2026.