Description

Content warning: Showgirls depicts sexual violence as a central theme, and this is discussed in the podcast.

The podcast tackles Paul Verhoeven's misunderstood masterpiece Showgirls (1995), and celebration the singularity of Elizabeth Berkley's incredible performance as Nomi Malone, the eternal cowboy of America.

And then we bring Sex Month to a close by doling out some expert sex advice.

Next week (May 1, 2026): The Devil Wears Prada (2006)!

Watch Matt's video essay about Paul Verhoeven: https://youtu.be/pzK6CiMUMxM 

Time stamps:

• 00:10:17 — History segment: The career of Paul Verhoeven; Verhoeven and Joe Eszterhas's collaboration leads to Showgirls; the career of Elizabeth Berkley; the legacy of Showgirls; a brief history of the NC-17 rating
• 01:02:10 — Movie discussion
• 02:30:25 — Sex advice questions
• 02:45:20 — Final thoughts & star ratings

Showgirls was directed by Paul Verhoeven and written by Joe Eszterhas. Starring Elizabeth Berkley, Kyle MacLachlan, Gina Gershon, Gina Ravera, Glenn Plummer, and Robert Davi as Al. 

Sources:

• "'Showgirls': Paul Verhoeven on the Greatest Stripper Movie Ever Made" by Jennifer Wood | Rolling Stone (2015) - https://bit.ly/41O38Va
• "How 'Showgirls' Became a Queer-Movie Classic" by Jeffrey McHale | The Daily Beast (2020) - https://bit.ly/42rP2ZD
• Review of Showgirls by Roger Ebert | The Chicago Sun-Times (1995) - https://bit.ly/3QgXbxx
• "Interviews | Vulgar Moralism: Paul Verhoeven's Black Book" by Robert Koehler | Cinema Scope (2006) - https://bit.ly/4w0cScO
• "The Naked Truth About 'Showgirls' by Kenneth Turan | The Los Angeles Times (1995) - https://lat.ms/4mKi3Jz 
• "Interview with Elizabeth Berkley" by Danielle Cantor | Jewish Women International (2011) - https://bit.ly/4vMHA91
• "Farmington Hills' Elizabeth Berkley so excited for 'Saved by the Bell' reboot" by Kurt Anthony Krug | The Detroit News (2020) - https://bit.ly/4tFp4xV
• "The Staggering Transformation Of Elizabeth Berkley" by Cassie Daigle | Nicki Swift (2024) - https://bit.ly/4vNdkL5 

Transcript: https://1weekrentalpod.com/2026/04/showgirls-1995/#transcript 

Artwork by Laci Roth.  

Check out Laci's coloring videos on YouTube! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-kKLhWb2g0bKA-RrvvLh0Q/ 

Matt has a monthly spin-off podcast covering the James Bond films! Check out PodJob: A James Bond Podcast on Apple Podcast (https://bit.ly/4jRL2K1), Spotify (https://bit.ly/4a8jM6E), and YouTube (https://youtube.com/@podjob007).

Music by Rural Route Nine. Listen to their album The Joy of Averages on Spotify (https://bit.ly/48WBtUa), Apple Music (https://bit.ly/3Q6kOVC), or YouTube (https://bit.ly/3MbU6tC).

Songs by Rural Route Nine in this episode:

• "Winston-Salem" - https://youtu.be/-acMutUf8IM
• "Snake Drama" - https://youtu.be/xrzz8_2Mqkg
• "24 Hours Is Like Three Weeks!" - https://youtu.be/xhmAga_DGv0 
• "The Bible Towers of Bluebonnet" - https://youtu.be/k7wlxTGGEIQ 

Follow the show! 

• Twitter: @1weekrental | @MattStokes9 | @LRothConcepts
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• Bluesky: @1weekrental.bsky.social

1-Week Rental used to be Load Bearing Beams.