The Cult of American Apparel: “Sweatshop or Sex Shop?”
Was I In A Cult?
PodcastOne
4.4 • 3.1K Ratings
🗓️ 18 August 2025
⏱️ 71 minutes
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Summary
It was one of the coolest jobs you could get in the 2000s. The swoopy bangs. The gold lamé leggings. The sexually charged ads. American Apparel wasn’t just a brand — it was a vibe. And today’s guest, Zsuzsi was on the front lines of it all. From art school to assistant manager to overseeing a hot New York City store, she was living the dream… until it started to feel more like a fever dream — and eventually, a cult.
Today’s story is about what happens when the "American dream" disguises exploitation in trendy cotton basics — and how one man's charisma fueled a culture of unchecked abuse, manipulation, humiliation, and grooming… all hidden behind the label “Made in the USA.”
And the worst part? He’s still at it.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Your first great love story is free when you sign up for a free 30-day trial at audible.co. |
| 0:05.5 | That's audible.co.uk slash Wondery. |
| 0:11.5 | The views, information, or opinions expressed by the guest appearing in this episode solely belong to the guest and do not represent or reflect the views or positions of the hosts, the show, podcast one, |
| 0:22.4 | this network, or any of their respective affiliates. I didn't enter into the workforce thinking that my |
| 0:29.4 | job was going to abuse me. I had full faith that I live in a free society. I live in a country |
| 0:36.4 | that's all about the American dream |
| 0:38.8 | and advancing my career. |
| 0:40.8 | And if I just put in the work, |
| 0:42.7 | I'm going to be rewarded with X, Y, and Z. |
| 0:45.7 | And we can see that's not how it's working out. |
| 1:08.0 | I'm going cult. Yes. Who are you? Liz Ayakousy. And I'm Tyler Mism. That's who I am. And that American dream Job was one of the most controversial brands of the early 2000s, a brand that was selling, well, more than just T-shirts. |
| 1:19.6 | We are talking about American Apparel. The new night Purify me |
| 1:32.3 | Don't spare my life |
| 1:37.3 | Crucify me |
| 1:43.3 | The new brand of clothing has been appearing in cities around America. |
| 1:47.8 | American Apparel. |
| 1:48.7 | American Apparel. |
| 1:50.9 | It's one of the fastest growing and hippest clothing makers in the country. |
| 1:55.0 | It just felt cool because it was so different. |
| 1:57.3 | I like the different. |
| 1:59.1 | Now that's a clip from the Netflix documentary Train Wreck, the cult of American apparel that |
| 2:04.4 | exposes the brand and, well, the douche behind it. |
... |
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