Special Edition: Unhinged in Los Angeles

About This Audiobook

This isn’t your polished NPR roundtable—it’s a late-night, cocktail-fueled rant about the bizarre spectacle of modern aerial and dance competitions. *Unhinged in Los Angeles* drops you into a conversation so raw and unscripted, you’ll forget you’re listening to an audiobook. The narrators (likely the authors themselves) lean into the messy, half-drunk energy of two insiders dissecting the pretensions, politics, and sheer weirdness of their industry. Their chemistry crackles with the kind of unfiltered honesty you’d only get from friends who’ve seen too much—and are finally spilling the tea.

The audiobook’s brevity (just 93 minutes) works in its favor: no filler, no meandering, just rapid-fire takes that swing between hilarious and unsettling. The narration style is loose, conversational, and occasionally sloppy—think *My Favorite Murder* meets a backstage gossip session. What makes it distinctive? The refusal to perform ‘professionalism.’ Instead, you get the sense these are the rants they’d usually save for 2 a.m. at a dive bar, now immortalized in audio form. Not for purists, but perfect for anyone who’s ever side-eyed a ‘visionary’ choreographer or a judge’s questionable scoring."

"review": "I’ll admit, I side-eyed the title *Unhinged in Los Angeles* at first—how *unhinged* could it really be? Turns out, pretty damn. This audiobook feels like eavesdropping on a conversation that was never meant for public consumption, and that’s its superpower. The narrators (who sound like they’re either best friends or about to throw hands) riff on everything from the cult-like intensity of competition circuits to the performative woke-ness of contemporary dance. Their delivery is a masterclass in controlled chaos: one minute they’re cackling over a ridiculous costume malfunction, the next they’re dissecting the classist underbelly of ‘artistic integrity’ with surprising sharpness.

That said, the production isn’t flawless. The audio levels fluctuate—sometimes you’re straining to hear over clinking glasses, other times a sudden laugh blows out your eardrums. And while the unscripted vibe is refreshing, there are moments where the tangents (like a 10-minute detour into a feud with a ‘method acting’ aerialist) test your patience. But those rough edges are also what make it feel alive. If you’ve ever rolled your eyes at a pretentious art critique or a judge’s nonsensical feedback, this will feel like vindication. Just don’t listen to it sober—it’s better with a drink in hand, preferably something strong."

"tags": [
"unfiltered arts commentary