Gambling, Pornography, and the Making of Modern America with Dennis Broe

·49 min·4 clips

Dennis Broe reveals how gambling and pornography industries shaped modern America, starting with a 3,650% porn theater boom.

This episode of Explaining History features an interview with Dennis Broe, returning to discuss his new novel 'Pornocopia'. The book uses a fictional narrative set in 1952 to examine the historical emergence of gambling and pornography industries in the United States. Broe begins by highlighting the economic scale of these sectors, noting that porn industry profits grew to $76 billion globally in 2024, exceeding the U.S. movie industry. He connects this growth to a shift from productive capitalism to extractive rentier capitalism since the 1970s. The conversation delves into the mob's role, with Broe explaining how Las Vegas was initially established to launder drug money, while pornography grew in Los Angeles' San Fernando Valley. A key moment reveals that Donald Trump's family fortune originated from his grandfather's saloons and brothels. Broe discusses the addictive nature of both industries, citing studies on gambling's link to bankruptcy and the internet's role in proliferation. He critiques how these industries short-circuit intimacy and reflection, offering hedonistic nihilism instead. The episode also touches on historical parallels, such as the FBI's focus on communism over organized crime under J. Edgar Hoover, and the Kefauver hearings. Broe references pop culture like the film 'Boogie Nights' to illustrate industry transitions. Throughout, he emphasizes how gambling and pornography have moved from societal margins to mainstream, driven by neoliberal atomization and elite scams. The interview concludes with details on Broe's book availability and upcoming sequel.

As heard by us

A skeptical look at gambling, pornography, and modern American history.

This episode uses gambling and pornography as a way into a larger argument about modern American history. Dennis Broe ties Las Vegas, Los Angeles, and a long culture of corruption together in a way that feels pointed without getting sloppy, and the links between media, the 1960s…

Read the full review in PlayNext →

Why you'd press play

Press play if you want vice, media, and modern America in one long historical line.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

Listen to the show on

Apple Podcasts Spotify

Play clips from this episode More from Explaining History