Gerbil

Latest episodes

Showing 5 · updated from the feed

4 - Tail Between His Legs

In the 1980’s after Rock Hudson's death, Hollywood's homophobia is in full panic mode, and American culture is whispering about – and mocking – the sexuality of leading m

Oct 1
46 min

3 - Sex Object

Playing pimps and hustlers, attacking the press, projecting an unreadable sexuality — welcome to early Richard Gere. Bret Easton Ellis, Karina Longworth, and journalist M

Sep 24
46 min

1 - The Word

Say "gerbil" to someone and watch their face. Everyone's heard the rumor. Nobody knows where it came from. Reporter Allen Salkin isn't sure he should be the one to dig in

Sep 17
40 min

2 - The Philadelphia Gerbil Panic of 1985

Could Jerry Penacoli — Philly's golden-boy newsman, be the Gerbil rumor's actual patient zero? Eyewitnesses and archival tape tell a wilder, sadder story than anyone reme

Sep 17
51 min

Gerbil: Inside Hollywood’s Most Unkillable Rumor - Trailer

The Richard Gere gerbil rumor won’t die. Why? Did a movie star really show up at a hospital in the 1980s with a rodent in his rectum he’d inserted for sexual pleasure? In

Sep 15
1 min

Chart trend

Position in the TV & Film chart (US), last 90 days.

#1#50#98SepOct

#9

all-time peak

3

days in the top 10 since Sep 2026

Chart positions

Where Gerbil ranks today in each Apple Podcasts chart (US, Oct 6, 2026).

#13 ▲ 11 TV & Film US

What listeners say

A curated, balanced selection of Apple Podcasts reviews.

This podcast isn’t just about a gerbil. It’s about our culture. It’s about why we like to believe the insane and ridiculous and take people down. This rumor has lived for decades and it all started before the Internet. Why did it grab a hold of us so strongly? I remember talking about it in middle school. This podcast does a fabulous job explaining why. Can’t wait for more episodes!

Cassie S Gug · Sep 2026

We strive to present a balanced view by showing a diverse range of reviews from Apple Podcasts.