Listen to the Show on all Podcast Apps "The Magnificent Others with Billy Corgan" https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-magnificent-others-with-billy-corgan/id1793783665?i=1000689358669
Billy Corgan sits down with Soft White Underbelly creator Mark Laita for a wide ranging talk about why Laita documents society’s “invisible” people. Laita traces the project back to his Chicago area upbringing, teen fascination with street life, and long career as an ad and music photographer. He describes approaching subjects without judgment, the adrenaline of gaining their trust, and the hard lesson that most don’t want help. The pair dig into systemic roots of homelessness and addiction, the fentanyl surge, why real reform must start with kids’ self worth, and the limits of charity or state aid once people are deeply broken. They also touch on ethics Studs Terkel’s influence, and Laita’s plan to broaden his lens beyond Skid Row. The conversation ends on lighter ground with shared memories of Chicago rock shows, cheap ticket discoveries like Cheap Trick and a jaw dropping early Van Halen set—underscoring how music and storytelling intertwine in both of their lives.