Welcome to the 1980s, where the war on drugs rages on and America's teenagers are caught in the crossfire. Enter Straight Incorporated, a controversial new reha...
Princess Diana graces Straight Incorporated with her presence at the invitation of the First Lady, Nancy Reagan. Their visit puts the program in the international spotlight. Enrollment numbers explode, but more teenagers to rehabilitate means more parents to indoctrinate. At Straight, adults take their cues from kids, no matter how vicious the mandate. Whether you call it rehabilitation or brainwashing, the program’s roots lead back to a powerful and unsettling origin.
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47:00
S2|E5: The Mayflower Group
Straight Incorporated sets its sites on the next prime market. The suburbs of Washington, D.C., with its population of wealthy and powerful parents who are also desperate and vulnerable to Straight’s propaganda. But one of the kids there comes up with a daring plan that threatens to upend Straight’s expanding empire.
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54:37
S2|E4: Drug Warriors
As Straight Incorporated makes plans to expand across the country, the program’s founder recruits a powerful ally with connections to the White House. But in order to secure a presidential endorsement, Straight will have to answer one glaring question. Is the program brainwashing kids?
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41:59
S2|E3: Start Again
The Seed is heading down a dark and dangerous path, but nobody seems to realize it, except for the kids. As The Seed grows, so does the ego of its founder, Art Barker. The bigger the program gets, the more rumors start to spread about what is really happening behind closed doors. When people start asking questions they are alarmed by the answers.
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54:46
S2|E2: The Seed
To understand Straight, we have to look back at its predecessor: The Seed. This Florida-based rehab center was founded by Art Barker, a former alcoholic and stand-up comedian turned rehabilitation guru. In the 1970s, he took his new act on the road, performing not in empty comedy clubs, but in packed warehouses filled with teenagers and their desperate parents.
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Welcome to the 1980s, where the war on drugs rages on and America's teenagers are caught in the crossfire. Enter Straight Incorporated, a controversial new rehab program that promises its tough love approach can set kids back on the straight and narrow. But for the survivors of Straight, their experience tells a horrifyingly different story — one of abuse, torture, and brainwashing. Season 2 of “The Sunshine Place” delves into the shocking tale of Straight Incorporated, an experimental teen rehab that descended into a sadistic cult exploiting parents' deepest fears and their children's vulnerabilities. This heart-wrenching exploration of parenting, family, and the human spirit intertwines with the dark underbelly of power, money, and politics. And at the heart of it all, we find a connection back to the subject of “The Sunshine Place” Season 1, Synanon. Executive Produced by Robert Downey Jr., Susan Downey, and Emily Barclay Ford of Team Downey, together with Josh McLaughlin of Wink Pictures.
The Sunshine Place is an Audacy original.
South Africa