About this episode
Chuck Barris , the legendary creator of "The Dating Game" and "The Gong Show," reveals the shocking double life detailed in his book and upcoming film "Confessions of a Dangerous Mind." While America knew him as the zany game show host dancing with contestants and banging his gong, Barris claims he was simultaneously working as a CIA assassin, eliminating over thirty enemies of the American state during his television career. This bizarre juxtaposition of public entertainer and covert killer creates one of the most surreal stories in entertainment history. Barris explains how his television work provided perfect cover for international travel, allowing him to carry out government-sanctioned murders while maintaining his celebrity status. The conversation explores what constitutes a "dangerous mind" and whether Barris truly possessed the psychological profile capable of such extreme compartmentalization. His matter-of-fact discussion of taking lives contrasts sharply with his goofy television persona, raising questions about the nature of identity and the hidden lives of public figures. Whether true confession or elaborate fiction, Barris's account forces listeners to reconsider everything they thought they knew about this entertainment icon.