Western Folklore

So what's real when it comes to our subject? I'm gonna find out.

[dramatic music] The Hollywood Reporter presents Gerbil, a journalistic investigation into the urban legend about Richard Gere and a rodent.

I'm Allen Salkin.

This is episode five, "Without a Base, Without a Trace." [upbeat jazz music] When I first start researching, it appears unlikely that gerbilling is real, especially since, when you think about it, it's so cruel.