“The Dream” Shows That Multi-Level Marketing is Anything But

If you’re on Facebook, there’s a good chance you’ve seen someone advertising for something in a multilevel marketing scheme. Recently, these look like Jamberry or Scentsy, but if you haven’t heard of those, you’ve likely hard of their forerunners: Avon, Mary Kay, Pampered Chef, Amway, and the list goes on and on. In Little Everything and Stitcher’s The Dream, hosts Jane Marie and Dann Gallucci want to figure out what makes multilevel marketing (MLM) schemes so attractive, pervasive, and predatory.

While each episode of The Dream has its own arc, it’s a serialized story, so be sure to start on the first episode, “Episode 1: Wanna Swim in Cash?” The twelve-part first season starts of with the discussion of Tupperware parties and “the airplane game,” and each episode looks into a different part of MLMs while also adding more depth and information to their ongoing investigation.

The Dream shares much of its production and positioning with true crime podcasts, but it feels distinctly separate from them as well. In production, it overlaps with true crime with its sleek editing–its combination of discussion between the hosts and field recordings (when they can get them), and its catchy but unobtrusive music beds. Each episode is highly polished, but the hosts keep discussion casual and personal, adding that intimate touch that true crime often aims to achieve. One of the main differences is that here, in my opinion, that personal touch feels more at home. MLMs are something most people have experienced, and leaving that familiarity out of the story would feel disingenuous, whereas if reporting on a murder case, that level of intimacy from the reporter can feel unethical.

In The Dream, the hosts do try to show the borderline illegality of MLMs, but they also want to get into the ethos of how they market themselves–and instead of just trying to solve something from the outside, they fully immerse themselves in the culture. They send one of their team to work for LimeLife by Alcone, a cosmetics MLM, to see what the culture is like and document her progress. This is where the show’s similarities to Serial meet their similarities to Oh No Ross and Carrie: the analysis meets the experience, actually immersing themselves in the culture they’re trying to discuss.

And it’s here that the podcast loses some of the judgmental standpoints of most true crime podcasting and becomes something deeply empathetic. The most important facet of The Dream‘s storytelling is its treatment of the people who find themselves wrapped up in MLMs. The hosts don’t see these people–who are, by and large, women with unstable finances and a deep feeling of isolation–as stupid, naive, or annoying.

They see these people as victims being preyed on by a system that recognizes their desperation for financial stability and community, and exploits it. The Dream is as much an investigation of MLMs as it is an inquiry into how capitalism benefits from sexism. The Dream never outwardly claims this, but it’s a concept that lingers with you after each episode.

The Dream is an intriguing, addictive listen that feels equally suspenseful and informative. It’s the perfect blend of a human interest foundation on top of a true crime blueprint that will leave you craving the next episode, as well as looking at those Facebook MLM vendors in a completely new light.

Listen: Stitcher | Apple