The Sewers of Paris: Recent Episodes
Matt Baume
Revealing stories about the books, movies, tv, music and more that have changed the lives of gay men. Each week, a guest plucks a piece of entertainment from their past, and answers the question: how did it change your life?
This week marks the birthday of the author and activist James Baldwin, and to mark the occasion we’re heading into the Sewers archives for a conversation that touches on the expansiveness of Baldwin’s writing. In 2022, I spoke with a guest named Jonathan about how literature helped him discover a larger world — which led to a lifetime of eye-opening experiences, from a brief marriage to a woman to enduring the impact of Hurricane Katrina.
My guest on The Sewers of Paris this week is Iain Bell, who made a career out of his personal passion for music. But he took a winding road to get there ... and could never have predicted that a job as a personal trainer would be a crucial step towards premiering an opera in Vienna.
My guest this week grew up in challenging circumstances — a gay kid in Nigeria with a religious family, Bisi couldn’t imagine anywhere on Earth he might belong. Especially after he came out on national television, and had to apply for asylum to escape his increasingly dire living situation. It took a lot of work to get himself to a much happier place — along with the support of his friends, and inspiration from music that helped keep him going.
And just a heads-up: This episode touches on some sensitive themes, including suicide, survival sex work, and abuse.
A few months ago, I came across an incredible video. It’s the early 70s, and a local Chicago talk show is interviewing a doctor who wrote a sex education book that millions of people across the country were reading … unaware that it was full of wildly incorrect and frankly homophobic claims about homosexuals. The interview is going smoothly until suddenly a man jumps up from the studio audience and does what nobody else had dared — he confronts the doctor about his misinformation and demands he explain himself. That man in the audience was Murray Edelman, and I’m very excited to say that he’s my guest this week on The Sewers of Paris.
Here’s the video — jump to 9:25 to see Murray’s interruption: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PChFM8kAjhw
A quick reminder that I have a new video up on YouTube about the long, messy fight for marriage equality, check that out at https://YouTube.com/mattbaume. Join me for weekly livestreams every Sunday on Twitch. Check out my book Hi Honey, I’m Homo! at GaySitcoms.com; subscribe to my email newsletter at MattBaume.com, and if you’re enjoying The Sewers of Paris, support the show on Patreon at Patreon.com/mattbaume.
My guest on this week's Sewers of Paris is writer/comedian Mano Agapion, whose work you may know from his appearances on Hacks and Bajillion Dollar Properties, his writing on the new Punky Brewster, or from his podcasts We Love Trash and Drag Her. Mano developed his sense of humor alongside the weirdest comedies he could find, growing up in an immigrant household, and for a long time thought that he had to keep his gay life and his comedy life separated. Until he figured out that being gay is, itself, very funny.
When you compare what queer life was like at the end of the 80s to the start of the 2000s, the differences are so shocking it’s hard to believe that those years are only separated by a single decade. The author and historian Hugh Ryan has a new book about the people who shaped that decade, entitled My Bad: A Personal History of the Queer Nineties and Beyond. I spoke to Hugh back in 2020, when he released his previous book When Brooklyn was Queer. We spoke about his love for pulpy sci-fi novels that filled his middle school days with magic horses; and about how he became a mild mannered academic by day and rowdy party monster by night. And after a series of adventures, including one in which he moved into another person’s life, Hugh found a calling in queer history.
You might’ve seen that I have a new video up on YouTube this week — it’s about the long hard fight for marriage equality, and how some Hollywood icons got involved in the cause. The battle for the freedom to marry has been very much on my mind lately, so I wanted to revisit an interview from 2022 with Chris Geidner. You may know Chris for his day job, reporting and writing on some of the most pressing legal issues of the day — including his expert attention to all matters Supreme Court. But he’s just as passionate about musical theater, going all the way back to the time he was enthralled by Phantom of the Opera. In fact, it was one little twist of fate that led him to a legal career instead of a life in the theater — but, as he discovered, the two careers aren’t as different as one might think.
Next week sees the release of a new Supergirl movie, so for this week’s Sewers of Paris we’re diving into the archives to revisit my 2020 interview with artist Joe Philips. Joe’s illustrations of handsome, happy gay men were some of the first glimpses I got of gay life, back in the 90s when I was a teenager exploring the Internet. I remember finding his art both sexy and wholesome, showing scantily-clad young men in romantic scenes. It wasn’t until a few years later that I learned about his work on mainstream superhero comics … and his more erotic artwork. Joe’s portfolio spans a wide variety of settings and themes, not unlike his childhood, which spanned rural farms and big cities, with influences that include classic TV, Broadway musicals, church, and his grandmother: A practicing witch.
We’ll have that interview in a moment. First a quick reminder that I host weekly livestreams every Sunday on Twitch, and I hope you’ll join me for those. Plus — check out my book Hi Honey, I’m Homo! at GaySitcoms.com; subscribe to my email newsletter at MattBaume.com, and if you’re enjoying The Sewers of Paris, support the show on Patreon at Patreon.com/mattbaume.
Also, if you’re in Seattle, I’m hosting a live talk about coming-out scenes this Monday, June 22! It’s at Elliott Bay Books on Capitol Hill, and tickets are free. More info on my website at mattbaume.com/events.
For this week’s episode, we have two guests: Andrew Klaus-Vineyard and Daniel Talbott are the directors of a new documentary short called Welcome to Tool Shed, which opens to the door to an iconic leather bar in Palm Springs. They’re just back from showing the film at Cannes, and it’ll be popping up at film festivals around the world in the coming months. Daniel and Andrew are longtime collaborators, first with daring theater projects, then with queer horror, and now with a documentary about how a generation that never expected to be senior citizens, and what they have to teach us about not just enduring difficult times, but thriving.
My guest this week is Caleb Roehrig, author of young adult mysteries and the occasional romance. Caleb had always wanted to be an author, but life intervened and he found himself living in LA, working as a producer on reality TV shows. He didn’t realize it at the time, but that work was a training ground for storytelling. Though he still might not have figured it out until an economic crisis forced him to try something new.
We’ll have that interview in a moment. First a quick heads-up that Sewers of Paris episodes will take a pause for the month of May — but you can come see me live, because I’ll be on a book and speaking tour all month long. Come see me in Stockholm; Vienna; Utrecht; and Heidelberg, Germany. Details and dates here!
The world just celebrated Shakespeare’s birthday — born in late April, a scant four hundred and sixty two years ago, which makes him almost as old as this podcast. Over the years we’ve had many guests on The Sewers of Paris for whom Shakespeare’s work was an inspiration, and this week we’ll hear my 2021 with Jeffrey Masters — then the host of the acclaimed podcast LGBTQ&A, and now a senior producer at The New Yorker Radio Hour. Jeffrey launched his career in interviews and storytelling with a move to LA, planning to be an actor. And at first, he found that his Shakespearean training left him unprepared for what Hollywood was looking for.
Also: A quick heads-up that the Sewers of Paris will take a little pause for the month of May — but you can come see me live, because I’ll be on a book and speaking tour all month long. Come see me in Stockholm; Vienna; Utrecht; and Heidelberg, Germany. More details and dates are on my website.
My guest this week on The Sewers of Paris is Jes Battis, who’s just written an appreciation and analysis of the movie Labyrinth entitled It’s Only Forever. Labyrinth turns 40 this year, which marks 40 years of Jes’ particular fascination with the goblin characters — and wondering why he’s always felt so eager to descend into their weird scrungly world. Fortunately, writing a book about it provided some clues.
To mark the recent re-re-re-rebooting of The Muppet Show, this week we’re heading into the Sewers archives to revisit my 2020 interview with Dan Steadman. Dan grew up in a household that was so religious, his parents forbade him from watching certain episodes of The Muppet Show, due to a guest appearance by Alice Cooper. His upbringing in a sheltered religious community found him placed in a lot of unusual circumstances, including a reboot of his entire identity when his family swapped lives with a family in Brazil. A career in showbiz took him to Los Angeles, where he worked alongside big-time celebrities and also faced a crisis — the more comfortable he was living as an openly gay man, the more he realized that he’d have to cut ties with some of the homophobic celebrities he worked with.
A few weeks ago I came across an online video from a comic convention featuring a phalanx of comic book figures — life-size statues, painted to look like they’d walked off the pages of a comic book. Their creator is Greg Maraio, an actor and artist in Boston who fills his time between shows with this unique project that’s turned into an artistic calling … though for many years, it seemed like it was bringing him to financial ruin.
We’ll have that interview in a moment. First a quick reminder that I host weekly livestreams every Sunday on Twitch, and I hope you’ll join me for those. Plus — check out my book Hi Honey, I’m Homo! at GaySitcoms.com; subscribe to my email newsletter at MattBaume.com, and if you’re enjoying The Sewers of Paris, support the show on Patreon at Patreon.com/mattbaume.
The day this episode comes out, March 26 2026, is the 115th birthday of renowned playwright Tennessee Williams. And to mark the occasion, we’re heading into the Sewers archives to hear my 2020 interview with writer William V. Madison, whose career was inspired in part by a moving experience in college involving a Streetcar Named Desire. That brought William to a series of adventurous jobs, from working on Broadway shows to producing the news alongside Dan Rather, singing to Angela Lansbury, earning a nickname from Fidel Castro, and writing a biography of Madeline Kahn.
My guest this week is illustrator Ricardo Bessa, whose beautiful art features lush colorful fantasy settings and characters on fabulous adventures, often very queer. Ricardo knew he was a fish out of water in the town where he grew up, and planned to move to London to find others like him … and that worked, at first, but he didn’t count on running into burnout that nearly ended his career.
On last week’s episode we heard from drag comedienne Pissi Myles, and this week we’ll hear from Pissi’s husband, photographer and creative director David Ayllon. David’s specialty is weird colorful visions that lean heavily on the spooky, the queer, and the poppiest of pop art — a career that he thought he’d blown after one particularly disastrous interview and a years-long search for something that seemed, for a long time, impossible: A job that pays the bills and is creatively fulfilling.
We’ll have that interview in a moment. First a quick reminder that I host weekly livestreams every Sunday on Twitch, and I hope you’ll join me for those. Plus — check out my book Hi Honey, I’m Homo! at GaySitcoms.com; subscribe to my email newsletter at MattBaume.com, and if you’re enjoying The Sewers of Paris, support the show on Patreon at Patreon.com/mattbaume.
My guest this week is drag comedienne Pissi Myles, who always knew she needed to be on stage but wasn’t always sure where she fit in… thanks to a music theater education that left her feeling like she couldn’t measure up to her classmates, and comparing herself to the host of Blues Clues. That is, until she discovered a wig and heels and her calling, which these days involves ruining showbiz classics, in a loving way.
We’ll have that interview in a moment. First a quick reminder that I host weekly livestreams every Sunday on Twitch, and I hope you’ll join me for those. Plus — check out my book Hi Honey, I’m Homo! at GaySitcoms.com; subscribe to my email newsletter at MattBaume.com, and if you’re enjoying The Sewers of Paris, support the show on Patreon at Patreon.com/mattbaume.
This week marks the 30th anniversary of the release of Pokémon, and to celebrate we’re diving into the Sewers archives to hear my 2019 chat with Cody Shipman. Cody’s a graphic designer and artist here in Seattle whose work is very beautiful, very gay, and very explicit. For a long time, he felt hesitant about blending his gay interests and his nerdy interests together. But it was when he finally merged them that he found inspiration for some of his most rewarding work to date.
Check out Cody’s (not safe work work!) art here: https://www.codyshipman.com/
Also, a quick heads up that I’m planning a European book tour this spring and summer, where I’ll be reading from my book Hi Honey I’m Homo!, as well as sharing clips from classic queer sitcom episodes. Plans for that are still coming together. But if you or someone you know is connected to a bookstore, university, community group, or any other organization in Europe that would like to collaborate on a book event in May or June of 2026, please get in touch so I can try to make it happen!
Also, a quick reminder that I host weekly livestreams every Sunday on Twitch, and I hope you’ll join me for those. Plus — check out my book Hi Honey, I’m Homo! at GaySitcoms.com; subscribe to my email newsletter at MattBaume.com, and if you’re enjoying The Sewers of Paris, support the show on Patreon at Patreon.com/mattbaume.
This week, I’m welcoming back Randy West, who was my guest in the Sewers of Paris way back in 2017. Randy is a TV industry veteran whose voice you might recognize from announcing on shows like The Price is Right, Supermarket Sweep, Big Brother, and countless others. From his decades behind a microphone, Randy’s been present for the creation of a lot of iconic TV shows, and these days he’s helping to preserve that past at one of the most important production studios in the world.
We’ll have that interview in a moment. First a quick heads up that I’m planning a European book tour this spring and summer, where I’ll be reading from my book Hi Honey I’m Homo!, as well as sharing clips from classic queer sitcom episodes. Plans for that are still coming together. But if you or someone you know is connected to a bookstore, university, community group, or any other organization in Europe that would like to collaborate on a book event in May or June of 2026, please get in touch so I can try to make it happen!
Also, a quick reminder that I host weekly livestreams every Sunday on Twitch, and I hope you’ll join me for those. Plus — check out my book Hi Honey, I’m Homo! at GaySitcoms.com; subscribe to my email newsletter at MattBaume.com, and if you’re enjoying The Sewers of Paris, support the show on Patreon at Patreon.com/mattbaume.
My guest this week is Steven Salvatore, author of young adult romances like And They Lived…, No Perfect Places, and When Love Gives You Lemons. Steven’s plan, when he was younger, was to be an artist… until a cruel art teacher crushed his dreams. But that set the stage for him to discover a passion for writing, and for exploring stories about young queer people in love.
We’ll have that interview in a moment. First a quick heads up that I’m planning a European book tour this spring and summer, where I’ll be reading from my book Hi Honey I’m Homo!, as well as sharing clips from classic queer sitcom episodes. Plans for that are still coming together. But if you or someone you know is connected to a bookstore, university, community group, or any other organization in Europe that would like to collaborate on a book event in May or June of 2026, please get in touch so I can try to make it happen!
My guest this week is game developer Tim Cain, who’s shown us what the end of the world looks like. Back in the mid-90s, Tim was working with a small team on a post-apocalyptic game with a 1950s aesthetic — a weird mix of styles that Tim was worried would bomb so hard he expected his next job would be serving fast food. But … that game was Fallout, which became a massive phenomenon, with multiple sequels and a TV series based on the game that just wrapped its second season. One of the recurring themes of Fallout is people stepping out of bomb shelters and discovering there’s more to life than self-isolation. Something Tim had to force himself to do when he decided it was time to emerge from the closet.
Watch Tim's YouTube videos: https://www.youtube.com/@CainOnGames
And check out his chocolate blog: https://chocolateihaveknown.wordpress.com/
Also, a quick reminder that I host weekly livestreams every Sunday on Twitch, and I hope you’ll join me for those — lately we’ve been watching the film Strangers on a Train and comparing it to the screenplay and Hitchcock’s original, even gayer cut of the film. Plus — check out my book Hi Honey, I’m Homo! at GaySitcoms.com; subscribe to my email newsletter at MattBaume.com, and if you’re enjoying The Sewers of Paris, support the show on Patreon at Patreon.com/mattbaume.
My guest this week is Massachusetts State Senator Julian Cyr, whose district includes Cape Cod, Martha's Vineyard, and Nantucket — a situation he never expected to find himself in. As a teenager, Julian was mainly focused on singing, and planned to pursue a career in the humanities. But when budget cuts threatened local arts programs, he organized people to speak up, and discovered he had a knack for leadership that eventually brought him to a specialized program at NYU, the Obama White House, and now to the last place on Earth he ever thought he’d go — the place where he grew up.
We’ll have that interview in a moment. First a quick reminder that I host weekly livestreams every Sunday on Twitch, and I hope you’ll join me for those; also check out my book Hi Honey, I’m Homo! at GaySitcoms.com; subscribe to my email newsletter at MattBaume.com, and if you’re enjoying The Sewers of Paris, support the show on Patreon at Patreon.com/mattbaume.
My guest this week is queer artist and illustrator Cheyne Gallarde, whose style blends drag icons with classic comic book covers. Cheyne first discovered drag in queer bars of Hawaii, and after a memorable night getting pulled up onstage, he started translating the magic that he saw in the community into literal super powers.
We’ll have that interview in a moment. First a quick reminder that I host weekly livestreams every Sunday on Twitch, and I hope you’ll join me for those; also check out my book Hi Honey, I’m Homo! at GaySitcoms.com; subscribe to my email newsletter at MattBaume.com, and if you’re enjoying The Sewers of Paris, support the show on Patreon at Patreon.com/mattbaume.
Congratulations to actor-writer-comedian Joel Kim Booster, who got married last month to his partner John. You might know Joel as the writer and star of the movie Fire Island, or as a voice actor in KPop Demon Hunters, or from shows like Big Mouth, Search Party, and Loot. But before all that, Joel was a guest on The Sewers of Paris, way back in 2017, when we talked about his childhood, his coming out, and a period when he was homeless. To celebrate his wedding, we’re taking a trip back to that conversation for this week’s episode.
And by the way, if you’d like to see Joel live, he has a shows coming up in San Francisco, part of SF Sketchfest: https://sfsketchfest.com/2026-lineup/
You may know this week’s guest from his online persona, The Black Gay Comic Geek — an identity that grew out of his Buffy fandom, which was so intense that for a time he was an administrator of a Buffy role-playing community where he was a magic shop owner and queen of the vengeance demons. These days, Michael flies around the country covering pop culture, always looking for his great passions: Blood, sex, gore, and magic.
Check out Michael’s work at https://linktr.ee/blackgaycomicgeek
We’ll have that interview in a moment. First a quick reminder that I host weekly livestreams every Sunday on Twitch, and I hope you’ll just us for those; also check out my book Hi Honey, I’m Homo! at GaySitcoms.com; subscribe to my email newsletter at MattBaume.com, and if you’re enjoying The Sewers of Paris, support the show on Patreon at Patreon.com/mattbaume.
My guest this week is author Jumata Emill, whose new novel is entitled I Don’t Wish You Well. It’s about a true-crime writer who uncovers a queer coverup in his hometown — based in part on Jumata’s prior work as a real-life crime reporter, before he made the jump to fiction.
We’ll have that interview in a moment. First, a quick heads up that I have a new video out about the making of the Jinkx Monsoon and BenDeLaCreme holiday special. Check that out at youtube.com/mattbaume.
And please join me for weekly livestreams every Sunday on Twitch; check out my book Hi Honey, I’m Homo! at GaySitcoms.com; subscribe to my email newsletter at MattBaume.com, and if you’re enjoying The Sewers of Paris, support the show on Patreon at Patreon.com/mattbaume.
I can think of few better ways to spend the holidays than seeing some live queer theater, whether it’s Golden Girls Live, a sing-along to Mame, or shows with some of my local Seattle drag legends like Dina Martina and Scott Shoemaker. And one of the most iconic holiday duos to emerge from the Emerald City is Jinkx Monsoon and BenDeLaCreme. Every year they create a new holiday show and tour it around the world, and you might recall that when theaters were closed in 2020 they taped a holiday special and streamed it online.
My latest YouTube video is the behind-the-scenes story of that special’s creation. And I was very fortunate to speak with the writer, director, co-producer, and co-star, BenDeLaCreme — who graciously made time to chat with me while on tour this year. For this week’s Sewers of Paris, we’ll hear that full conversation. We talked about DeLa’s history with the holidays, the ulterior motive behind the holiday show, and the future of queer theater.
Huge thanks to DeLa for chatting with me. When this episode goes live, there are still a few performance dates left on this year’s tour, and you should absolutely go see them live if you can. And if not, stream past year’s shows at JinkxAndDeLa.com/.
My guest this week is Steven Milliken, author of a book of autobiographical essays entitled Late Bloomer Baby Boomer. Steven was a class clown who grew up to become a teacher in some fairly rough schools, and had to move in and out of the closet over the years as he navigated sensitive careers alongside alcoholism and sobriety
We’ll have that interview in a moment. First, a quick heads up that I have a new video coming this weekend about the making of the Jinkx Monsoon and BenDeLaCreme holiday special, including an exclusive interview with BenDeLaCreme and lots of never before seen behind the scenes footage. That goes live this Sunday, December 21 — check out my videos at youtube.com/mattbaume.
And if you’re doing some holiday shopping right now, just a reminder that my book Hi Honey I’m Homo makes an excellent present — and although shipping deadlines might be tight, you can still get the ebook, and audiobook at gaysitcoms.com.
Plus: I’ve activated gift memberships on Patreon — so you can give your friends and lovers access to literally hundreds of hours of bonus videos. That’s at Patreon.com/mattbaume .
My guest this week had his big screen debut alongside Adam Baldwin and Matt Dillon in 1980; made a career getting gays online with PlanetOut in the 90s; and today work for TED Talks, bringing together who are doing, as he describes it, some of the weirdest work in he world. Tom Rielly’s had a lot of jobs, and one of the constants has been figuring out new ways to bring audiences along for an unpredictable ride.
We’ll have that conversation in a moment. First, a quick heads up that I have a new YouTube video out about the powerful gay magic behind The Wizard of Oz and Wicked. Check out my videos at youtube.com/mattbaume.
And if you’re doing some holiday shopping right now, just a reminder that my book Hi Honey I’m Homo makes an excellent present — you can get it in paperback, ebook, and audiobook at gaysitcoms.com. And I’ve activated gift memberships on Patreon — so you can give someone access to literally hundreds of hours of bonus videos starting at about $21 for an entire year. That’s at Patreon.com/mattbaume .
For this week’s Sewers of Paris, I’m chatting with four Oz superfans about their intense connections to films like The Wizard of Oz, books like Return to Oz, and adaptations like Wicked. These conversations are all part of my new video about Oz and queer culture that just went live on YouTube — check that out at YouTube.com/mattbaume . In this episode, you’ll hear from writer and artist Terry Blas about his childhood traveling between Idaho and Mexico, which felt very similar to Dorothy’s journey; you’ll hear from writer Josh Trujillo about his youthful obsession to Oz collectibles; from YouTuber Emma McMahon about the positive lessons she picked up from Wicked, before she even knew she needed to hear them; and Oz scholar Dee Michel about his surprising historical discoveries about Oz and queer culture.
Dee Michel: https://www.deemichel.info/
Josh Trujillo: https://www.joshtrujillo.com/
Terry Blas: https://terryblas.com/
Emma McMahan: https://www.mcmahan.media/
Emma’s YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@mediaprocessingchannel/
Watch Emma's video about Wicked's stage-to-screen adaptation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pWZ1nB1mNy0
To mark the recent release of the second Wicked film, for this week’s episode we’re revisiting my 2020 interview with Dee Michel, author of the book Friends of Dorothy: Why Gay Boys and Gay Men Love the Wizard of Oz. Dee’s book is an in-depth examination of queer Oz fandom, which for him has its roots in happy memories of watching the movie with his dad. Dee grew up in the 1950s with the threat of the red scare looming over his family — his parents met at a Communist Party meeting, and there was the constant threat that the family would be exposed. Added to the general chaos of the time was the discovery that his father was gay, and Dee’s own struggle to find his place in the world.
And before we get to that, a quick heads up that I have a new YouTube video coming this weekend about the powerful gay magic behind The Wizard of Oz and Wicked. Check out my videos at youtube.com/mattbaume.
I am delighted to welcome back a friend of the Sewers, film critic and holiday aficionado, Linoleum Knife’s Alonso Duralde. His book, Have Yourself a Movie Little Christmas, is now out in a revised and updated edition, gathering even more expert recommendations for holiday films to enjoy this season and year-round. We chatted about how Christmas movies have changed since he wrote the first edition of his book, fifteen years ago, and what the future of holiday films might be. And also why he’s been baking Christmas cookies all year long.
And before we get to that, a quick heads up that I have a new YouTube video coming at the end of this month about the powerful gay magic behind The Wizard of Oz and Wicked. Check out my videos at youtube.com/mattbaume.
And as always, if you’re enjoying The Sewers of Paris, head over to Patreon.com/mattbaume to become a member, support the show, and get access to bonus videos and much more.
The second of the Wicked films comes out later this month, and so for this week’s episode we’re jumping into the Sewers archives to hear my 2017 chat with Tony winner Stephen Oremus, who was the music director for Wicked on Broadway and conducted the orchestras for the two Wicked films. He was also music director for the Academy Awards, taught Idina Menzel how to sing “Let it Go,” and worked on everything from Book of Mormon to Avenue Q to 9 to 5. Not bad for a kid who started his musical career by sneaking out of the house to sing showtunes at his best friend’s piano.
We’ll have that conversation in just a minute. First, a quick heads up that I have a new YouTube video out about Frankenstein and the gay director who brought the monster to life, James Whale. And I have a new video coming later this month about The Wizard of Oz. Check out my videos at youtube.com/mattbaume.
And throughout November, join us for Wizard of Oz themed livestreams over at http://twitch.tv/mattbaume.
And as always, if you’re enjoying The Sewers of Paris, head over to Patreon.com/mattbaume to become a member, support the show, and get access to bonus videos and much more.
My guest this week is Trung Le Nguyen, author of the new graphic novel Angelica and the Bear Prince. Trung’s books emerge from his lifelong love of fairy tales, some of them quite dark, and also his fascination with people figuring out how to take care of each other.
We’ll have that conversation in just a minute. First, a quick heads up that I have a new YouTube video out about Frankenstein and the gay director who brought the monster to life, James Whale. That’s at youtube.com/mattbaume. And throughout November, join us for a week of Wizard of Oz themed livestreams over at http://twitch.tv/mattbaume — leading up to a new video at the end of the month about why that film has always held particular importance for the gays.
And as always, if you’re enjoying The Sewers of Paris, head over to Patreon.com/mattbaume to become a member, support the show, and get access to bonus videos and more.
My guest this week has been giving a lot of thought lately to what he was born to do. Wellington Love is one of the producers of the new documentary I Was Born This Way, which tells the story of Archbishop Carl Bean. That might not be a household name, but you’re certainly familiar with his work and the people he’s influenced — from his pioneering activism around HIV/AIDS, and also his musical career and the disco anthem that inspired Lady Gaga’s Born this Way.
We’ll have that conversation in just a minute. First, a heads up that I have a new YouTube video out about Frankenstein and the gay director who brought the monster to life, James Whale. That’s at youtube.com/mattbaume.
And to celebrate the occasion, we’ll be watching the 1970s parody, Young Frankenstein, on Twitch — and following along with the screenplay, comparing the very funny script to what made it to the screen. Join me for that this Saturday and Sunday at noon pacific at Twitch.tv/mattbaume.
And as always, if you’re enjoying The Sewers of Paris, head over to Patreon.com/mattbaume to become a member, support the show, and get access to bonus videos and more.
My guest this week is Jim Farmer, festival director of Atlanta’s Out on Film fest. Jim’s a longtime arts reporter in Atlanta, though he got his start in journalism doing just-the-facts newsgathering — a beat that bored him to tears, until he decided to take the reins and create his own career doing what he loved.
We’ll have that conversation in just a minute. First, a reminder that for the entire month of October I’m hosting livestreams of films by and about James Whale, the iconic director behind many classic Universal horror films. This weekend we’re watching Whale’s Frankenstein and Bride of Frankenstein. That’s at Twitch.tv/mattbaume this Saturday and Sunday.
And also a reminder that I have a new YouTube video out about the movie Kiss of the Spider Woman. And I have a new video coming later this month about James Whale and Frankenstein. That’s at youtube.com/mattbaume.
And as always, if you’re enjoying The Sewers of Paris, support the show on Patreon at Patreon.com/mattbaume.
Now that we’re in October already, it’s a fine time to reflect on the uncanny grasp that horror has in the hearts of so many queer people. So for this week’s episode, we’re heading into the Sewers archives for a chat with director Jeffrey Schwarz, for whom horror is just one small slice of the story. Jeffrey’s made a lifelong study of film, starting with an early job editing the documentary The Celluloid Closet, right up to today with documentaries about people like Divine, Vito Russo, and horror icon William Castle. I chatted with Jeffrey back in 2017, when he was about to debut a documentary about the flamboyant producer Alan Carr — a fitting subject, since as a young gay man, Jeffrey found kindred spirits in people who, like him, reveled in intensity and excess.
We’ll have that conversation in just a minute. First, a reminder that I have a new YouTube videos out about the movie Kiss of the Spider Woman. That’s available now at youtube.com/mattbaume.
And also! For the entire month of October I’m hosting livestreams of films by and about James Whale, the iconic director behind 1931’s Frankenstein and many other classics. Join me every Saturday and Sunday on Twitch for movies like The Old Dark House, The Invisible Man, and of course Frankenstein and The Bride of Frankenstein. This weekend we’ll be watching clips from the 1994 film Gods & Monsters, and examining how closely that fictional account of Whale’s life follows the reality. That’s at Twitch.tv/mattbaume this Saturday and Sunday.
And as always, if you’re enjoying The Sewers of Paris, support the show on Patreon at Patreon.com/mattbaume.
My guest this week is writer Mark Waddell. His novel, Colin Gets Promoted and Dooms the World, comes out next week on October 7 — a queer story about an office worker whose career advancement involves world-ending consequences. There’s an autobiographical edge to the story, since in his real life Mark had a dream job going back to childhood… and it was only after he achieved it that he realized just how harmful his dreams were, and decided to leave it all behind to become a writer.
We’ll have that conversation in just a minute. First, a few announcements: As I’m sure you know, I make YouTube videos about iconic movies and TV shows, and I have a brand new video out now about the movie Kiss of the Spider Woman — and how it was made in defiance of the film industry, in defiance of Ronald Reagan, and in defiance of multiple fascist dictators. That’s available now at youtube.com/mattbaume.
The topic of next month’s video is the iconic 1931 Frankenstein film and its maker, James Whale — and in his honor, for the entire month of October I’m hosting livestreams of films by and about James Whale. Join me every Saturday and Sunday on Twitch for movies like The Old Dark House, The Invisible Man, Gods and Monsters starring Ian McKellen and Brendan Fraser, and of course Frankenstein and The Bride of Frankenstein. These films helped define a century of scary movies, and they are incredibly queer. It all starts this Saturday October 4 at noon pacific at Twitch.tv/mattbaume.
As you may have seen, I have a new video premiering this weekend about the 1985 film Kiss of the Spider Woman, which features an iconic performance from a then-obscure actor named Raul Julia. Thanks to my research into Raul’s career, I’ve had another of his iconic roles on my mind lately — that of Gomez Addams in the Addams Family films.
So for this week’s Sewers of Paris, we’re diving into the archives to hear from someone whose creative work was heavily inspired by the Addamses. Back in 2020, I spoke with Hamish Steele, whose graphic novel Deadendia had just been adapted into an animated series at Netflix. Drawing from his love of Dr Who, The Addams Family Values, and other queer-ish ensembles, Hamish’s work in print and in animation has its own devoted cult following.
We’ll have that conversation in just a minute. First — if you’re enjoying The Sewers of Paris, I hope you’ll consider supporting the show on Patreon at Patreon.com/mattbaume. You may also enjoy my YouTube videos about the making of iconic movies and TV shows. I have a new video premiering this weekend about the movie Kiss of the Spider Woman. And check out my weekly livestreams on Twitch; also check out my book Hi Honey, I’m Homo!; and my email newsletter. There’s links to all that in the episode shownotes, and at MattBaume.com.
My guest this week is David Secter. As a student in the 1960s, David bluffed his way into getting equipment, money, and crew to make a groundbreaking queer film called Winter Kept us Warm. And despite the fact that he went in with zero filmmaking experience, the movie wound up becoming the first English-language Canadian film to screen at Cannes … and went on to inspire the work of many other filmmakers, including David’s classmate David Cronenberg.
We’ll have that conversation in just a minute. First — if you’re enjoying The Sewers of Paris, I hope you’ll consider supporting the show on Patreon at Patreon.com/mattbaume. You may also enjoy my YouTube videos about the making of iconic movies and TV shows. I have a new one coming up about the movie Kiss of the Spider Woman. And check out my weekly livestreams on Twitch where we’ll be watching the behind-the-scenes commentary on Victor/Victoria this weekend; also check out my book Hi Honey, I’m Homo!; and my email newsletter. There’s links to all that in the episode shownotes, and at MattBaume.com.
I’m chatting this week with two guests: TV producer David Moor and historian Dr. Lee Arnott of the delightful podcast The Problematic Gaze — that’s “gaze” as in an intent stare, though they’re the other kind of gays as well. David and Lee both grew up in small towns where it felt like life would never begin, but the lure of London called them to greater, gayer things…as did their passionate fandom for a show about a strange man who suddenly appears to rescue humans from their mundane lives.
We’ll have that conversation in just a minute. First — if you’re enjoying The Sewers of Paris, I hope you’ll consider supporting the show on Patreon at Patreon.com/mattbaume. You may also enjoy my YouTube videos about the making of iconic movies and TV shows. I have a new one out about why the X-Men are so very gay. And check out my weekly livestreams on Twitch where we’re halfway through our watch-along of Victor/Victoria, starring Julie Andrews; also check out my book Hi Honey, I’m Homo!; and my email newsletter. There’s links to all that in the episode shownotes, and at MattBaume.com.
My guest this week is the Reverend Joseph Peters-Mathews, the vicar of St. Hilda St. Patrick Episcopal Church in Lynnwood Washington. Joseph’s path to the clergy took him from the small-town South to New York City, along the way developing a love for musical theater that he puts to work in his sermons … and that inspired him and his husband to propose to each other.
We’ll have that conversation in just a minute. First — if you’re enjoying The Sewers of Paris, I hope you’ll consider supporting the show on Patreon at Patreon.com/mattbaume. You may also enjoy my YouTube videos about the making of iconic movies and TV shows. I have a new one out about why the X-Men are so very gay. And check out my weekly livestreams on Twitch where we’re about to start a watch-along of Victor/Victoria, starring Julie Andrews; my book Hi Honey, I’m Homo!; and my email newsletter full of stories about the making of gay movies and TV. There’s links to all that in the episode shownotes, and at MattBaume.com.
I have two guests on this week’s Sewers of Paris, both of them connected to a secret society of mutants. JP Karliak is the voice of Morph on X-Men ‘97, among many other roles; and Anthony Oliveira is a writer of many Marvel comics, among many other books. I spoke to them both about why the X-Men hold particular importance for them — part of my research for a new video about the 2000 X-Men films. That video goes live this Sunday, August 31, 2025, and it’ll feature excerpts from my conversations with Anthony and JP. But I wanted to make my full conversations with them available for you to listen to here.
My new video about the X-Men films comes out on Sunday August 31 -- watch it at http://youtube.com/mattbaume
Watch the video version of my conversation with JP: https://youtu.be/xkjMkk5wARM
Watch the video version of my conversation with Anthony: https://youtu.be/vBKeVctu-PM
Check out Anthony's comics: https://www.marvel.com/comics/creators/14145/anthony_oliveira
Read his award-winning book, Dayspring: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/713616/dayspring-by-anthony-oliveira/
Listen to Anthony's podcast, The Devil's Party, on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/meakoopa
Join him in Toronto for Dumpster Raccoon Cinema: https://anthonyoliveira.com/dumpster-raccoon-cinema
Learn more about Queer Vox: https://queervox.org/
Follow JP on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jpkarliak/
Another great chat with JP about their work on X-Men 97: https://youtu.be/3OfYfwp_GUs
More of JP's work: https://www.jpkarliak.com/
My guest this week is David Duffield, who simultaneously lives in the past, the present, and the future. David’s work as a historian excavates queer histories that had previously been withheld from public view. It’s a project that gives those of us alive today a connection to the lives of people who came before us. And it’s inspired, in part, by David’s connection to values he picked up from his love of science fiction.
Find David’s work at the Colorado LGBTQ History Project: https://lgbtqcolorado.org/programs/lgbtq-history-project/
The Words We Teach: TheWordsWeTeach.com
The Denver Principles: https://thedenverprinciples.com/
GLBT Historical Society: https://www.glbthistory.org/
History Unerased: https://unerased.org/
We’ll have that conversation in just a minute. First — if you’re enjoying The Sewers of Paris, I hope you’ll consider supporting the show on Patreon at Patreon.com/mattbaume. You may also enjoy my YouTube videos about the making of iconic movies and TV shows. I have one coming up about the X-Men. And check out my weekly livestreams on Twitch where we’ve been watching the X-Men films; my book Hi Honey, I’m Homo!; and my email newsletter full of stories about the making of gay movies and TV. There’s links to all that in the episode shownotes, and at MattBaume.com.
My guest this week is Jon Kinnally, author of the new memoir I'm Prancing As Fast As I Can: My Journey From a Self-Loathing Closet Case to a Successful TV Writer With Some Self-Esteem. Jon knew from an early age that he wanted to entertain people, and he got his shot in the ‘90s when, barely making ends meet as a cater-waiter, he landed a dream job writing for a new show called Will & Grace … and suddenly found himself at the center of a phenomenon that made him feel like a star at a rock concert.
We’ll have that conversation in just a minute. First — if you’re enjoying The Sewers of Paris, I hope you’ll consider supporting the show on Patreon at Patreon.com/mattbaume. You may also enjoy my YouTube videos about the making of iconic movies and TV shows. And check out my weekly livestreams on Twitch where we’ve been watching the X-Men films; my book Hi Honey, I’m Homo!; and my email newsletter full of stories about the making of gay movies and TV. There’s links to all that in the episode shownotes, and at MattBaume.com.
My guest this week is from the future. Sean’s the host of the TrekCulture podcast, an expert on all things Star Trek, and his name is even the inspiration for a Star Trek character in one of the novelizations. That’s fitting, because it was a novel that helped point Sean in the right direction with his life — not a Star Trek novel, but the story of a gay teen in Ireland in the mid 90s. I was recently a guest on Sean’s podcast, where we went deep on sci-fi, and now I’m thrilled to have him join me here.
We’ll have that conversation in just a minute. First — if you’re enjoying The Sewers of Paris, I hope you’ll consider supporting the show on Patreon at Patreon.com/mattbaume. You may also enjoy my YouTube videos about the making of iconic movies and TV shows — I’ve got a new one out about the movie But I’m a Cheerleader. And check out my weekly livestreams on Twitch where we’ve been watching the X-Men films; my book Hi Honey, I’m Homo!; and my email newsletter full of stories about the making of gay movies and TV. There’s links to all that in the episode shownotes, and at MattBaume.com.
You are almost certainly acquainted with my guest on this week’s episode — through the episodes he wrote of Will & Grace, Roseanne, Frasier, and the show he helped create, The Chris Isaak Show. Bill was a theater guy who get his foot in the door of TV thanks to a few lucky breaks and some colleagues who recognized how funny he was, and he went on to play an important role in shaping TV comedy in the ‘90s. And now, after a break to raise two kids, he’s picking up where he left off.
We’ll have that conversation in just a minute. First — if you’re enjoying The Sewers of Paris, I hope you’ll consider supporting the show on Patreon at Patreon.com/mattbaume. You may also enjoy my YouTube videos about the making of iconic movies and TV shows — I’ve got a new one out about the movie But I’m a Cheerleader. And check out my weekly livestreams on Twitch, my book Hi Honey, I’m Homo!, and my free email newsletter full of stories about the making of gay entertainment. There’s links to all that in the episode shownotes, and at MattBaume.com.
For this week’s episode of The Sewers of Paris, we’re trying something new — I’ll interview my guest, Christian Garcia, about the movies that changed his life. And then he’ll interview me about the media that shaped mine, for his podcast. Christian’s the host of That Ol’ Gay Classic Cinema, which focuses on the golden age of Hollywood. And as you’ll hear… after years of thinking that he could only enjoy old movies by himself, creating the podcast brought him in contact with a community he never knew existed.
We’ll have that conversation in just a minute. First — if you’re enjoying The Sewers of Paris, I hope you’ll consider supporting the show on Patreon. You may also enjoy my YouTube videos about the making of iconic movies and TV shows — I’ve got a new one coming this weekend about the movie But I’m a Cheerleader. And check out my weekly livestreams on Twitch, my book Hi Honey, I’m Homo!, and my free email newsletter full of stories about the making of gay entertainment. There’s links to all that in the episode shownotes, and at MattBaume.com.
On last week’s episode, I talked with comedian Tim Murray, co-star of the new show Wish You Were Queer, alongside Michael Henry and Trixie Mattel. This week, we’re going behind the scenes to chat with the show’s producer, Frank Spadafora. Frank’s a former theater kid who realized that his real talent lay in wrangling his weird queer friends into making zany projects — sort of like Kermit the Frog, but very very gay.
We’ll have that conversation in just a minute. First — if you’re enjoying The Sewers of Paris, I hope you’ll consider supporting the show on Patreon. You may also enjoy my YouTube videos about the making of iconic movies and TV shows — I just posted a new video about the twenty-year anniversary of Brokeback Mountain, and I’ve got a new one coming soon about the movie But I’m a Cheerleader. And check out my weekly livestreams on Twitch, my book Hi Honey, I’m Homo!, and my free email newsletter full of stories about the making of gay entertainment. There’s links to all that in the episode shownotes, and at MattBaume.com.
My guest this week is comedian Tim Murray, co-star of the new show Wish You Were Queer, alongside Michael Henry and Trixie Mattel. The show follows two friends on a real road trip around the country, each week exploring a new city where they have just a few days to create a new stand-up show for each local audience. The entire series is streaming now on OUTtv. Tim’s entry into entertainment came from a very different genre from comedy — a childhood interest in horror. But as you’ll hear, making people laugh and making people scream isn’t as different as it might seem.
We’ll have that conversation in just a minute. First — if you’re enjoying The Sewers of Paris, I hope you’ll consider supporting the show on Patreon. You may also enjoy my YouTube videos about the making of iconic movies and TV shows — I just posted a new video about the twenty-year anniversary of Brokeback Mountain. And check out my weekly livestreams on Twitch, my book Hi Honey, I’m Homo!, and my free email newsletter full of stories about the making of gay entertainment. There’s links to all that in the episode shownotes, and at MattBaume.com.
My guest this week is Professor Luis Alvarez-Hernandez, whose bookSee Me! tells the stories of gay and trans men in South Texas. Luis was inspired, in part, by Puerto Rican performers on Drag Race to explore his own place in the queer community — and to study the ways in which drag queens sometimes step into the role of unofficial social workers for folks who have few other places to turn.
We’ll have that conversation in just a minute. First — if you’re enjoying The Sewers of Paris, I hope you’ll consider supporting the show on Patreon. You may also enjoy my YouTube videos about the making of iconic movies and TV shows — I just posted a new video about the twenty-year anniversary of Brokeback Mountain. And check out my weekly livestreams on Twitch, my book Hi Honey, I’m Homo!, and my free email newsletter. There’s links to all that in the episode shownotes, and at MattBaume.com.
This week, I’m welcoming author Christopher Rice back to The Sewers of Paris to talk about his new book, Party of Three— a steamy romance about a gay couple who finds room for a third. On past episodes, I’ve chatted with Christopher about finding inspiration, for example from soapy shows of the 70s and 80s. This time, we’ll go deep on his writing process and the process of psychoanalyzing himself and the characters he creates. Plus, the story of how he once helped solve a murder.
We’ll have that conversation in just a minute. First — if you’re enjoying The Sewers of Paris, I hope you’ll consider supporting the show on Patreon. You may also enjoy my YouTube videos about the making of iconic movies and TV shows — I have a new one coming this weekend about the complex legacy of Brokeback Mountain. And check out my weekly livestreams on Twitch, my book Hi Honey, I’m Homo!, and my free email newsletter. There’s links to all that in the episode shownotes, and at MattBaume.com.
My guest this week is drag legend Courtney Act, who you may know from Drag Race, Australian Idol, and from her countless live shows and music videos and albums. Now Courtney has a new podcast called RnR with Courtney Act where she goes deep with friends, celebrities, and celebrity friends. In part, it’s a way for her to recapture that intimate, close-knit relationships she had with other queer people early in her career, before fame turned everything upside-down.
And if you’re in Seattle, I hope you’ll join me this Tuesday June 24th at my upcoming live show What’s so Gay About Frasier. It’s a deep-dive into the private life of Seattle’s most eligible bachelor — and an investigation into why he keeps finding himself at the center of queer misunderstandings. It’s on Tuesday, June 24 at Elliott Bay Books on Capitol Hill at 7pm. Tickets are free, and I have all the details at mattbaume.com/events.
Also, if you’re enjoying The Sewers of Paris, I hope you’ll consider supporting the show on Patreon. You may also enjoy my YouTube videos about the making of iconic movies and TV shows — I have a new video about the magic of Star Trek’s Lwaxana Troi. And check out my weekly livestreams on Twitch, my book Hi Honey, I’m Homo!, and my free email newsletter. There’s links to all that in the episode shownotes, and at MattBaume.com.
My guest this week is the comedian Ricky Sim, who’s currently touring with his show Coming Out to Dead People. As the name might suggest Ricky’s coming-out process was a little bumpy. Starting with the time that he smuggled an adult VHS tape into the one place he felt safe watching it … a church basement. (Check out Ricky’s upcoming shows in Chicago and New York at https://www.rickysim.com/#tour-dates .)
We’ll have that conversation in just a minute. First — if you’re in Seattle, I hope you’ll join me at my upcoming live show What’s so Gay About Frasier. It’s a deep-dive into the private life of Seattle’s most eligible bachelor — and an investigation into why he keeps finding himself at the center of queer misunderstandings. It’s on Tuesday, June 24 at Elliott Bay Books on Capitol Hill at 7pm. I have all the details in the shownotes and at mattbaume.com/events.
Also, if you’re enjoying The Sewers of Paris, I hope you’ll consider supporting the show on Patreon. You may also enjoy my YouTube videos about the making of iconic movies and TV shows — I have a new video about the magic of Star Trek’s Lwaxana Troi. And check out my weekly livestreams on Twitch, my book Hi Honey, I’m Homo!, and my free email newsletter. There’s links to all that in the episode shownotes, and at MattBaume.com.
My guest this week is culture writer Erik Piepenburg, author of the new bookDining Out: First Dates, Defiant Nights, and Last Call Disco Fries at America's Gay Restaurants. It’s a nationwide tour of the places queer people gather to eat, and how those places satisfy more than just our literal hunger. When Erik started the project, he expected that he’d be documenting the dying-out of gay restaurants, but he found something surprising and thriving instead.
We’ll have that conversation in just a minute. First — if you’re in Seattle, I hope you’ll join me at two upcoming live events. The first is a book signing and sitcom-themed hangout at the Northgate Barnes & Noble — that’s this Sunday, June 8 from noon to 4pm. Come enjoy clips from classic sitcoms, get your copy of Hi Honey, I’m Homo! signed, and pick up some free stickers & bookmarks! The store’s located right off the light rail — just take it up to Northgate.
The second event this month is a presentation entitled What’s so Gay About Frasier — a deep-dive into why Seattle’s most eligible bachelor keeps managing to find himself at the center of queer farces. That’s on Tuesday, June 24 at Elliott Bay Books on Capitol Hill at 7pm. I have all the details in the shownotes and at mattbaume.com/events.
Also, if you’re enjoying The Sewers of Paris, I hope you’ll consider supporting the show on Patreon. You may also enjoy my YouTube videos about the making of iconic movies and TV shows — I have a new video about the magic of Star Trek’s Lwaxana Troi. And check out my weekly livestreams on Twitch, my book Hi Honey, I’m Homo!, and my free email newsletter. There’s links to all that in the episode shownotes, and at MattBaume.com.
My guest this week is writer Christopher Tradowsky, who loves nothing more than to slip into the sanctuary of an old-fashioned movie palace, to commune with strangers all indulging together in whatever escape is unspooling up on the screen. These days, those great vintage movie houses are getting harder to find. But Christopher’s extending an invitation to discover that magic through his new book, Midnight at the Cinema Palace, a novel about three friends — or maybe more? — whose love of film draws them into a 1990s-era film noir.
We’ll have that conversation in a minute. First, if you’re enjoying The Sewers of Paris, I hope you’ll consider supporting the show on Patreon. You may also enjoy my YouTube videos about the making of iconic movies and TV shows — I have a new video about the magic of Star Trek’s Lwaxana Troi. And check out my weekly livestreams on Twitch, my book Hi Honey, I’m Homo!, and my free email newsletter. There’s links to all that in the episode shownotes, and at MattBaume.com.
Also -- if you're in Seattle, come grab a signed copy of my book, Hi Honey, I'm Homo!, hang out and chat about great queer comedy, and pick up some freebies next Sunday June 8 -- I'll be at Northgate Barnes & Noble, signing books & showing my favorite sitcom clips. It's right off the Northgate light rail stop -- see you there!
My guest this week is filmmaker Peter McDowell, whose documentary Jimmy in Saigon is a sort of detective story that follows Peter’s attempt to unravel into the strange death of his brother … and also an unspoken love story that had been hidden for years. Peter didn’t expect to find himself making this documentary, and for a long time didn’t even think of himself as a filmmaker. It wasn’t until recently that he decided to spend his entire savings trying to unravel a mystery that had hung over his family for decades.
We’ll have that conversation in a minute. First, if you’re enjoying The Sewers of Paris, I hope you’ll consider supporting the show on Patreon. You may also enjoy my YouTube videos about the making of iconic movies and TV shows. And check out my weekly livestreams on Twitch, my book Hi Honey, I’m Homo!, and my free email newsletter. There’s links to all that in the episode shownotes, and at MattBaume.com.
My guest this week is Alexis Langlois, director of the film Queens of Drama — a musical love story about two performers who enter a forbidden romance behind the scenes of a pop-star competition. Alexis has been making films with a troupe of irregulars for years, inspired by John Waters’ Dreamlanders and the recurring actors in the films of David Lynch. His style is scrappy, independent, political, and very queer … so you can imagine his surprise when he was invited to present his latest work at Cannes.
We’ll have that conversation in a minute. First — if you’ve been watching the latest season of Drag Race All Stars, you’ve seen Bosco and Irene the Alien absolutely stealing the show with great looks, funny banter, and a mischievous friendship. And you can get even more of that Irene and Bosco magic — having an absolute riot playing Dungeons & Dragons. A couple years ago Bosco and Irene joined me and my partner James for a D&D adventure, and we just posted the full audio for you to check out. Over six hours of these two drag stars on a fun, chaotic fantasy romp. You don’t need to know anything about D&D to listen — it’s basically like an audiobook that you can put on to enjoy while you’re doing something else. I think you’ll love it — Here’s a link: https://youtu.be/rD8tJTtAMYA
And if you’re enjoying The Sewers of Paris, I hope you’ll consider supporting the show on Patreon. You may also enjoy my YouTube videos about the making of iconic movies and TV shows. I have a new video out now about the British sitcom Vicious, starring Ian McKellen and Derek Jacobi. And check out my weekly livestreams on Twitch, my book Hi Honey, I’m Homo!, and my free email newsletter. There’s links to all that in the episode shownotes, and at MattBaume.com.
My guest this week is Pete Crighton, whose debut book The Vinyl Diaries comes out next week on May 13. It’s a memoir and a disocography, based on a journal that Pete kept of his various hookups with men over the years and the soundtrack of each encounter and relationship.
We’ll have that conversation in a minute. First, if you’re enjoying The Sewers of Paris, I hope you’ll consider supporting the show on Patreon. You may also enjoy my YouTube videos about the making of iconic movies and TV shows. I have a new video out now about the British sitcom Vicious, starring Ian McKellen and Derek Jacobi. And check out my weekly livestreams on Twitch, my book Hi Honey, I’m Homo!, and my free email newsletter. There’s links to all that in the episode shownotes, and at MattBaume.com.
A new film called Lavender Men comes to theaters this month, and streaming in June — it’s about a theatrical stage manager who daydreams about her connection to Abraham Lincoln through queer romance. I’m chatting with two of the folks involved in the film this week: Lovell Holder directed the film, and Roger Q. Mason is the writer and star. They’re longtime collaborators, going back to college when Lovell was entranced by Roger’s performance in Romeo and Juliet as the Nurse. And this film is just one step in their plans to change the world.
We’ll have that conversation in a minute. First, if you’re enjoying The Sewers of Paris, I hope you’ll consider supporting the show on Patreon. You may also enjoy my YouTube videos about the making of iconic movies and TV shows. I have a new video out now about the British sitcom Vicious, starring Ian McKellen and Derek Jacobi. And check out my weekly livestreams on Twitch, my book Hi Honey, I’m Homo!, and my free email newsletter. There’s links to all that in the episode shownotes, and at MattBaume.com.
My guest this week is the writer, director, and co-star of the new Argentinian film Most People Die on Sundays. Iair grew up watching soap operas, pulled into on-screen melodramas. And now as an adult, he gets to make movies and work alongside the actors he used to watch on his favorite shows. But that’s only the start of what makes his latest film so personal.
We’ll have that conversation in a minute. First, if you’re enjoying The Sewers of Paris, I hope you’ll consider supporting the show on Patreon. You may also enjoy my YouTube videos about the making of iconic movies and TV shows. I have a new one coming this weekend about the British sitcom Vicious, starring Ian McKellen and Derek Jacobi. And check out my weekly livestreams on Twitch, my book Hi Honey, I’m Homo!, and my free email newsletter. There’s links to all that in the episode shownotes, and at MattBaume.com.
You may have seen writer, actor, and comedian Jeffery Self on the shows 30 Rock, Desperate Housewives, and Jeffery & Cole Casserole alongside Cole Escola. Or you might know him from his books, Drag Teen and A Very Very Bad Thing. Jeffery’s latest book Self-Sabotage: And Other Ways I've Spent My Time came out last month. And for this week’s episode, we’re heading into the Sewers archive to revisit my conversation with Jeffery from 2017, when we talked about forming a rebel theater troupe in his small southern hometown; testing his capacity for sass on television; and creating the circle of friends that he knew he needed in his life.
We’ll have that conversation in a minute. First, if you’re enjoying The Sewers of Paris, I hope you’ll consider supporting the show on Patreon. You may also enjoy my YouTube videos about the making of iconic movies and TV shows — my latest is about the film Dog Day Afternoon. And check out my weekly livestreams on Twitch, my book Hi Honey, I’m Homo!, and my free email newsletter. There’s links to all that in the episode shownotes, and at MattBaume.com.
You might’ve seen this week’s guest, Andrew Gurza, in the news lately. An activist and advocate for people with disabilities, he recently drew headlines for talking openly about how sex workers have changed his life, and why he believes the government should pay for them. Andrew has a new book coming out this month called Notes from a Queer Cripple: How to Cultivate Queer Disabled Joy (and Be Hot While Doing It!). And for this week’s Sewers of Paris, we’re diving into the archives to revisit my conversation with Andrew from 2017. At that time, he was hosting a podcast called Disability After Dark, and had recently organized a successful accessible sex party in Toronto. Now, his mission has continued: To demolish cultural taboos around disability and sex.
As you might’ve heard, I have a new video up on YouTube about the film Dog Day Afternoon, and a queer bank robber who stunned New York way back in the 1970s. For this week’s episode, we’re diving into the Sewers of Paris archives to explore queer life (and, occasionally, crime) in New York of the ‘70s. Back in the spring of 2020 I spoke with a man who remembered that era well; he earned the nickname Tree thanks to his six-foot-five stature, and he’s been a part of New York’s gay community going back to the fifties, when he didn’t even know a community existed. Tree’s been a member of Brooklyn street gangs, worked with the mob, and counted among his friends Buddy Holly, Bea Arthur, and Rock Hudson.
My guest this week is author and architect Robert Raasch, whose recent debut novel The Summer Between is a coming-of-age adventure set in Greenwich Village of the late 1970s. It’s a topic that Robert knows well, having lived through that time himself — making the most of the thrilling disco and loft parties and sexual exploration it had to offer. And now his book offers a glimpse back at the best of those years, and maybe some inspiration for recapturing that energy of liberation.
We’ll have that conversation in a minute. First, if you’re enjoying The Sewers of Paris, I hope you’ll consider supporting the show on Patreon. You may also enjoy my YouTube videos about the making of iconic movies and TV shows. And check out my weekly livestreams on Twitch, my book Hi Honey, I’m Homo!, and my free email newsletter. There’s links to all that in the episode shownotes, and at MattBaume.com.
My guest this week is writer SW Kent, whose new novel is The Storyteller from Balincia. He’s been a storyteller himself since he was a kid, but for the first act of his career he had to rest his fiction-writing muscles so that he could concentrate on his job, which largely concerned programs for diversity, equity, and inclusion. In that role, he helped people in marginalized communities tell their stories. Now it’s his turn to tell his own story, through his favorite genre of dark epic fantasy.
We’ll have that conversation in a minute. First, if you’re enjoying The Sewers of Paris, I hope you’ll consider supporting the show on Patreon. You may also enjoy my YouTube videos about the making of iconic movies and TV shows. And check out my weekly livestreams on Twitch, my book Hi Honey, I’m Homo!, and my free email newsletter. There’s links to all that in the episode shownotes, and at MattBaume.com.
We’re trying different for this week’s Sewers of Paris. Instead of one guest, we have three — the cast of the new film Throuple. It’s a polyamorous romcom, a concert film, a coming-of-age story … and also a culmination of a long journey for Michael Doshier, Tommy Heleringer, and Stanton Plummer-Cambridge, who each individually struggled to find their place in the world before coming together for a movie that was extremely difficult to get made.
Throuple has its theatrical debut in New York and LA this week, and then it’ll be available online later this year.
We’ll have that conversation in a minute. First, if you’re enjoying The Sewers of Paris, I hope you’ll consider supporting the show on Patreon. You may also enjoy my YouTube videos about the making of iconic movies and TV shows. And check out my weekly livestreams on Twitch, my book Hi Honey, I’m Homo!, and my free email newsletter. There’s links to all that in the episode shownotes, and at MattBaume.com.
With the Oscars this weekend, we’ve reached the culmination of the year’s awards season. And for this week’s Sewers of Paris we’re diving into the archives for a chat with an awards show legend: Bruce Vilanch, who's been slipping sly queer comedy into our entertainment since before some of us were even born. Starting out as a joke writer for great divas of the 1970s and then moving on to variety shows, the Academy Awards, and a notorious holiday special, Bruce provided a subtle queer infusion into American showbiz for decades.
We’ll have that conversation in a minute. First, if you’re enjoying The Sewers of Paris, I hope you’ll consider supporting the show on Patreon. And you may also enjoy my YouTube videos — I just released a new video about the movie Cruising, and how a Hollywood director accidentally wandered into an explosive fight between New York’s gay leaders and the NYPD.
Also check out my weekly livestreams on Twitch, my book Hi Honey, I’m Homo!, and my free email newsletter. There’s links to all that in the episode shownotes, and at MattBaume.com.
My guest this week is director Corey Sherman, whose latest film is Big Boys — a story of a teenager who isn’t even out to himself when he goes on a camping trip and starts to develop feelings for his cousin’s boyfriend. Corey’s work has often had an autobiographical element, going back to his college webseries Billiams about a queer wolf attending a liberal arts school. Big Boys gave him a chance to tell a personal story that had been building up inside him ever since he was a kid, running around with a camcorder and making movies with his friends … and also holding onto desires that he wasn’t sure he was supposed to have.
We’ll have that conversation in a minute. First, if you’re enjoying The Sewers of Paris, I hope you’ll consider supporting the show on Patreon. And you may also enjoy my YouTube videos — I just released a new video about the movie Cruising, and how the Hollywood filmmaker accidentally wandered into an explosive fight between New York’s gay leaders and the NYPD.
Also check out my weekly livestreams on Twitch, my book Hi Honey, I’m Homo!, and my free email newsletter. There’s links to all that in the episode shownotes, and at MattBaume.com.
My guest this week is author and psychotherapist Wayne Scott. His new book, The Maps They Gave Us, is a memoir about navigating a rocky period in a marriage, about narrowly dodging divorce through non-monogamy, and about rediscovering his relationship with the queer community with support from his wife. It’s a complex journey, with surprising parallels to a cowboy story that was a point of obsession and mystery in his youth.
We’ll have that conversation in a minute. First, if you’re enjoying The Sewers of Paris, I hope you’ll consider supporting the show on Patreon. And you may also enjoy my YouTube videos, my weekly livestreams on Twitch, my book Hi Honey, I’m Homo!, and my free email newsletter. There’s links to all that in the episode shownotes, and at MattBaume.com.
Welcome to a special episode of The Sewers of Paris! All this month, the Old Church Concert Hall in Portland is celebrating Black History Month with performances honoring Black artists. And I was lucky enough to speak with Kingsley, who helped organize the venue’s Blacker the Berry night, coming up on Saturday the 22nd.
Kingsley’s inspirations span a wide range of genres, starting with a youthful obsession with heartbreak songs before her heart had ever been broken; continuing with a degree in opera; and with her recent work which gleefully breaks all the rules she spent years learning.
Check the shownotes for more info about Kingsley, The Old Church’s Black History Month lineup, and the Blacker the Berry show next weekend.
And if you’re enjoying The Sewers of Paris, I hope you’ll consider supporting the show on Patreon. And you may also enjoy my YouTube videos, my weekly livestreams on Twitch, my book Hi Honey, I’m Homo!, and my free email newsletter. There’s links to all that in the episode shownotes, and at MattBaume.com.
Kingsley: https://www.iamkingsley.com/
Old Church Concert Hall: https://www.tocportland.org/all-events
Blacker the Berry tickets: https://www.etix.com/ticket/p/91587145/the-blacker-the-berry-iicelebrating-black-creatives-featuring-kingsley-with-veana-babythe-dutchess-more-portland-the-old-church
My guest this week is musician George Alley — a returning guest who first appeared on the podcast in 2018. Back then, we talked about how he escaped some rough bullying as a kid by creating music … and by joining a street gang. Now, he’s released a new album with a Valentine’s Day twist, so I invited him back for a new chat about the punk artists who were his musical influences, and about why he doesn’t mind being the villain of his own songs.
We’ll have that conversation in a moment. First, if you’re enjoying The Sewers of Paris, I hope you’ll consider supporting the show on Patreon. And you may also enjoy my YouTube videos, my weekly livestreams on Twitch, my book Hi Honey, I’m Homo!, and my free email newsletter. There’s links to all that in the episode shownotes, and at MattBaume.com.
Cast your mind back, if you will, to the 1990s, when reality TV was new. Though the genre was young, many had already written off shows like The Real World as trash. But one young man saw an opportunity, and thought that maybe there was a way he could use television to save lives. His name was Pedro Zamora, and his work wound up changing the course of more lives than he could have possibly imagined. That story’s the subject of a new video that I just posted this weekend — about Pedro, about MTV, and about a turning point in the fight against AIDS.
When Pedro was on The Real World in 1994, one of his closest friends was an artist named Judd Winick. Judd very generously spoke to me about his time on The Real World for my video. I have excerpts from that interview in the video on YouTube. But Judd shared so many fascinating stories and insights that I wanted to make our full conversation available. So this week, for a special episode of the Sewers of Paris, you’ll hear my full interview with Judd Winick. We chatted about getting onto The Real World, about befriending Pedro, and about becoming part of a movement that changed the course of history.
Check the episode description for a link to my YouTube video about Pedro’s work and legacy.
And if you want to see more of Judd’s work, I’m also including links to his book Pedro & Me; to the upcoming 11th book in Judd’s HiLo series; and more information about the National AIDS Memorial and the Pedro Zamora Scholarship.
My video about Pedro: https://youtu.be/o2Le9Bf_s3w
Pedro & Me: https://us.macmillan.com/books/9780805089646/pedroandme/
HiLo Book 11: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/741634/hilo-book-11-the-great-space-iguana-by-judd-winick/
The Pedro Zamora Scholarship: https://www.aidsmemorial.org/pedro-zamora-scholarship
Donate to the National AIDS Memorial and the scholarship: https://www.aidsmemorial.org/donate-now
My guest this week is filmmaker David Beck. His childhood love of theater led him to a life as an actor — and also a difficult struggle to keep his head above water in a career where work was unpredictable and fiercely competitive. After coming out of the closet with the help of a few illicit substances, a chance offer from a friend led to a reinvention behind the camera. His new film, Regarding Us, is the story of a trans woman working at a Catholic school. It comes out next week, but it very nearly never saw the light of day.
We’ll have that conversation in a moment. First, if you’re enjoying The Sewers of Paris, I hope you’ll consider supporting the show on Patreon. And you may also enjoy my YouTube videos, my weekly livestreams on Twitch, my book Hi Honey, I’m Homo!, and my free email newsletter. There’s links to all that in the episode shownotes, and at MattBaume.com.
(PS: Thanks for your patience with the podcast schedule while I heal up! I'm feeling much better, and I'm not expecting any more gaps between episodes.)
This month sees a rerelease of the classic ‘80s film The Goonies, which is about to turn 40. In honor of that milestone, we’re heading into the Sewers archives to hear my 2018 chat with Andrew Putschoegl, whose childhood mirrored that of ‘80s films where groups of neighborhood kids are thrown together into unstructured days of outdoor exploration. In those movies, each kid tends to have one unique trait that sets them apart, and marks them as an outcast. For Andrew, that trait was that at the age of 9, he suddenly woke up to find his hair falling out. It was a medical mystery that made his already-awkward teenage years even more difficult.
We’ll have that conversation in a moment. And I also want to give you a quick heads-up that there may be some breaks between episodes of the podcast. I just learned that I’ve sustained some damage to my spine — nothing too serious and I’m getting treatment, but I might need to step away from my desk now and then for medical appointments and rehab. I’m expecting to make a full recovery, it’ll just take a couple months to get back to 100%.
The short version of what’s going on is that one of my lower vertebrae has slipped slightly to the side, and it’s pressing on a nerve that’s causing blindingly bad pain all the way down one leg. But there’s good news! As these things go, it’s the least severe grade of damage; I’m on some wonderful painkillers at the moment; and I have a team of experts helping with my recovery. As I’m typing this, my pain is at a 2 out of 10, which is a huge relief after a few days of not being able to move! It’s looking pretty good for me to get better, but I’ll have to be patient as it won’t happen overnight. In the mean time, the painkillers should add to the unhinged chaos of my weekend livestreams.
I’ll be posting about my recovery process on Bluesky, so give me a follow there if you’d like to see how things are coming along. As a little tease, right now you can see an ultrasound image of my left butt cheek!
My guest this week is Danny Roberts, one of the stars of Real World: New Orleans, which originally aired on MTV in 2000. Danny was planning to become a teacher and wound up on the show through a series of coincidences, accidents, and last-minute changes of plan, so he was a little unprepared for the fame that he soon found thrust upon him. To say nothing of the weird — and sometimes awful ways — that fame took control of his life. But fortunately, he was able to find a way to take control back.
Check out Danny’s work with History UnErased at https://unerased.org/
I recorded this interview with Danny for a video that I’m working on about The Real World’s cultural impact. That’ll be coming your way on YouTube a bit later in January, so stay tuned for that — and subscribe to my free email newsletter to get a heads-up when it goes live, at mattbaume.com.
It's the 500th episode of the Sewers of Paris, and to celebrate James and I are doing a special Q&A with questions sent in by listeners! Huge thanks to everyone who sent questions, and let me know if you'd like to hear more episodes like these!
And as requested by patron David, here are some of my favorite early episodes for anyone who wants to get started with the podcast, or jump back and re-listen:
Camp is like Pornography (Ep. 1: Eurovision)
I was Quite Happy to be the Villain (Ep. 2: Julian and Sandy)
Not a Fan of Hanging Around in Reality (Ep. 36 - Steve Kmetko)
The Person I was in Namibia and the Person I am Now (Ep. 44 - Desperate Housewives)
The Joke of Being Gay (Ep. 45 - Polyester & Arrested Development)
I Embrace Being High-Strung (Ep. 50 - Louis Virtel & Jeopardy!)
You Don't Want to See Minnie Mouse Take Her Head Off (Ep. 63 - Ben DeLaCreme)
A Kid Who Had Powers in Japan (Ep. 79 - Sailor Moon)
A Need to be Doused in Black Culture - (Ep. 95 - Sonari Glinton)
A Big Purple Man in a Loin Cloth (Ep. 96 - Gargoyles)
My Life is Drama -- Make me Laugh (Ep. 100 - Dan Savage)
Failed Mystics (Ep. 114: Buffy, X-Men, He-Man, and Lwaxana Troi)
My guest this week is Sean Hemeon — an actor, writer, painter, and former Mormon drug dealer. Sean’s currently working on a memoir that details just how deep he fell into a violent, and at times deadly world of dealing crystal meth. And how an arrest, a lucky break, and a love of acting helped pull him out.
We’ll have that conversation in a moment. First, if you’re enjoying The Sewers of Paris, I hope you’ll consider supporting the show on Patreon. And you may also enjoy my YouTube videos, my weekly livestreams on Twitch, my book Hi Honey, I’m Homo!, and my free email newsletter. There’s links to all that in the episode shownotes, and at MattBaume.com.
My guest this week is director Sav Rodgers, whose new film is Chasing Chasing Amy. It began as an exploration of the origin of the infamous ‘90s rom-com, but in the process of making the documentary, interviewing folks, and digging deeper into the movie’s message, Sav uncovered some surprising truths about himself — ones that he was reluctant to include in the documentary, but eventually realized … he had to.
Here’s a link to the online premiere of Chasing Chasing Amy on December 15, 2024, with a special introduction by Kevin Smith and a Q&A with Sav & Riley Rodgers: https://watch.eventive.org/chasingchasingamy/play/6747ce291f64c511e374f759
We’ll have that conversation in a minute. First a quick reminder — this month we’ll be hitting the 500th episode of The Sewers of Paris! And to celebrate, I’m doing a special Q&A episode, answering questions from listeners. So if you have anything you’d like to ask — about the podcast, about pop culture and queer history, or just for recommendations — please send it along to at matt@mattbaume.com.
My guest this week is pop culture writer Frank DeCaro, whose latest book is Disco: Music, Movies, and Mania under the Mirror Ball. Frank grew up in disco’s heyday, which he experienced through teenage disco parties in the New Jersey suburbs. He also experienced the anti-disco conspiracy that sent the genre into a sort of musical witness protection program for the following decade or two. We talked about the conspiracy among music critics to suppress disco in the ‘70s — and why disco’s outlived those who tried to squash it.
Also, just a quick reminder — this month we’ll be hitting the 500th episode of The Sewers of Paris! And to celebrate, I’m doing a special Q&A episode, answering questions from listeners. So if you have anything you’d like to ask — about the podcast, about pop culture and queer history, or just for recommendations — please send it along to at matt@mattbaume.com.
Before we get to this week’s episode, I have a question for you. And that question is … do you have any questions for me? I ask because we’re coming up on the 500th episode of The Sewers of Paris next month, and to celebrate I’m going to be doing a special Q&A episode where I answer questions from listeners. So if you have anything you’d like to ask — whether it’s about the show, or for recommendations, or about pop culture and queer history — please send it along to at matt@mattbaume.com.
Also, a head’s up that may be of interest: This week sees the release of Part 1 of Wicked — a musical inspired by The Wizard of Oz. And although, when I initially heard about the film, years ago, my first reaction was “oh, there’s no way that’ll be any good” … folks, I’ve seen it, and it is, in fact, very good. So to mark the movie’s release, I’m releasing special episode of my companion podcast, Matt’s So-Cast Pod, where we talk about the strange parallels between the musical Wicked and the TV show My So-Called Life — both written by the same woman, Winnie Holzman.
And also, on this week’s Sewers of Paris, we’re diving deep into the archives for a chat about why The Wizard of Oz has had particular resonance for gay men ever since the book was first published over a hundred and twenty years ago. My guest is Josh Trujillo, who was so obsessed with Oz that as a kid he attended Oz conventions, and discovered that they served as a sort of meeting-place for older closeted gay men who felt unable to meet in public or in bars.
We spoke back in 2015 — it was the third-ever episode of this podcast! So my apologies that the audio quality is at times a little peaky. Nevertheless I hope you’ll enjoy this trip back in time.
My guest today has experienced reality TV as both a viewer and a participant. Growing up in Australia, Antony’s window to the world was watching American daytime talk shows like Oprah and Ricki Lake, where he’d occasionally catch an episode with queer guests. But it was after he moved to Hong Kong that he discovered a queer community that felt like home — and then when a friend invited him to appear on a dating show called Boyscation Too, he decided to try becoming one of those queer TV personalities he caught glimpses of in his youth.
We’ll have that conversation in a minute. And by the way, if you want to watch Antony’s dating show experience, all episodes are now streaming free on YouTube with English subtitles.
Also, if you’re enjoying The Sewers of Paris, I hope you’ll consider supporting the show on Patreon. And you may also enjoy my YouTube videos, my weekly livestreams on Twitch, my book Hi Honey, I’m Homo!, and my free email newsletter. There’s links to all that in the episode shownotes, and at MattBaume.com.
My guest today is Chad Anderson, host of the Graymalkin Lane podcast. Chad grew up in a home that was not exactly a happy place to be, for a variety of reasons — among them, the rule that everything always had to look as though everything was fine. His one escape: Comic books, and despite being forbidden to read them he found a way to amass quite the collection. For decades, he felt the pressure to hide a lot about himself — and when he finally realized, after kissing another man, that it was time to come out, it was hard to envision how to write the next chapter of his life. Fortunately, by that point he was something of an expert when it came to stories of liberation.
We’ll have that conversation in a minute. First, if you’re enjoying The Sewers of Paris, I hope you’ll consider supporting the show on Patreon. And you may also enjoy my other projects, like my podcast about the 90s TV series My So-Called Life, and my YouTube videos! Plus, check out my weekly livestreams on Twitch, my book Hi Honey, I’m Homo!, and my free email newsletter. There’s links to all that in the episode shownotes, and at MattBaume.com.
My guest this week got his start performing in high school, when he worked as a carnival barker. Bruce Costella drew inspiration from his environment, which consisted largely of theme parks thanks to a move to Florida initiated by his lesbian grandmothers. Now, he uses that EPCOT-based background in his own international theater productions.
We’ll have that conversation in a minute. First, if you’re enjoying The Sewers of Paris, I hope you’ll consider supporting the show on Patreon. And you may also enjoy my other projects, like my podcast about the 90s TV series My So-Called Life, and my YouTube videos! Plus, check out my weekly livestreams on Twitch, my book Hi Honey, I’m Homo!, and my free email newsletter. There’s links to all that in the episode shownotes, and at MattBaume.com.
My guest this week is Ian Carlos Crawford, who you may know from the podcasts Slayerfest 98 and My Bloody Judy. As a youngster Ian felt something awakened in him by powerful women like Storm and Buffy — but it wasn’t until moving to New York that he discovered it was a fandom he shared with a lot of other queer folks. And while that was a pleasant discovery, New York had some other less pleasant surprises in store for him, especially when he landed a job at Buzzfeed at possibly the worst possible time.
We’ll have that conversation in a minute. First, if you’re enjoying The Sewers of Paris, I hope you’ll consider supporting the show on Patreon. And you may also enjoy my other projects, like my podcast about the 90s TV series My So-Called Life, and my YouTube videos! Plus, check out my weekly livestreams on Twitch, my book Hi Honey, I’m Homo!, and my free email newsletter. There’s links to all that in the episode shownotes, and at MattBaume.com.
I have a new YouTube video premiering this weekend about the miniseries Tales of the City, based on the books by Armistead Maupin, and for this week’s episode we’re diving into the Sewers archives to revisit my 2020 interview with Michael — who, like the main character of Tales, moved to San Francisco to discover himself and wound up finding someone he didn’t expect. I recorded this conversation almost exactly five years ago, and a lot has changed for Michael since then — stay tuned at the end of our conversation for an update about his life that Michael just recorded.
And like I mentioned, I’ll have a new YouTube video coming about the miniseries Tales of the City, and the Republican scheme in the 90s to use a gay love story to defund PBS. That’s going live this Sunday, October 27, at youtube.com/mattbaume.
My guest this week is Ben Graetz, also known as Miss Ellaneous — an Australian drag performer whose work is infused with influences that range from a life-changing Tina Turner concert to his family’s First Nations heritage. Ben knew he wanted to perform from an early age, and attended an arts school with some actors whose names you’ll probably recognize. But he struggled to figure out what his place in the theater was, and even stepped away for a few years … before coming at it from a new angle, and finding a way to make it work, on his terms.
And if you’re going to be in Australia, Miss Ellaneous will be a featured performer at Brisbane’s Melt festival later this month — stay tuned for more details about that in our conversation, and check the show notes for a link.
We’ll have that conversation in just a moment. First, if you’re enjoying The Sewers of Paris, I hope you’ll consider supporting the show on Patreon. Patrons get access to an exclusive Discord server, stickers and books in the mail, bonus videos, and more. You can join the Patreon at patreon.com/mattbaume.
And you may also enjoy my other projects, like my podcast about the 90s TV series My So-Called Life, and my YouTube videos! Plus, check out my weekly livestreams on Twitch, my book Hi Honey, I’m Homo!, and my free email newsletter. There’s links to all that in the episode shownotes, and at MattBaume.com.
I’ve got a special conversation for you this week: Toni Godwin Sells is the Chief Business and Strategy Officer at the Museum of Pop Culture in Seattle. MoPOP is about to open a new exhibit dedicated to the works of Keith Haring and Toni and I spoke about Keith’s work to bring art to unlikely places — and how Toni found connection with other queer nerds through pop culture touchstones from a love of Dr. Who to designing outfits for drag shows.
We’ll have that conversation in just a moment. First, if you’re enjoying The Sewers of Paris, I hope you’ll consider supporting the show on Patreon. Patrons get access to an exclusive Discord server, stickers and books in the mail, bonus videos, and more. You can join the Patreon at patreon.com/mattbaume.
And you may also enjoy my other projects, like my YouTube videos! I have a brand new video about the show My So-Called Life, and how the character Rickie Vasquez changed television forever. Plus, join me for weekly livestreams on Twitch, my book Hi Honey, I’m Homo!, and my email newsletter. There’s links to all that in the episode shownotes, and at MattBaume.com.
My guest this week is Johnnie McNamara Walker, whose solo shows The Heterosexuals and Redheaded Stepchild led to him being described as a comic genius by The Irish Times. Johnnie spent a lot of his youth doing everything he could to hide the queer kid trying to break free — while also finding himself drawn irresistibly to singing, dancing, and wearing as many wigs as he could. Now, he’s not only broken free from that turmoil, but it’s part of what fuels an artistic project that he says isn’t so much a planned career as an all-consuming compulsion.
My guest this week is jazz musician Richard Cortez, whose new album Mood Swings comes out in one month, on October 24, 2024. Richard’s love of music was instilled early in life, but he hit some road bumps on his first attempt to move to New York and make it big in the arts. That was followed by various jobs in health care, in more adult careers, and occasionally flipping between stripping and jazz singing before he finally found success with his latest project.
We’ll have that conversation in just a moment. First, if you’re enjoying The Sewers of Paris, I hope you’ll consider supporting the show on Patreon. Patrons get access to an exclusive Discord server, stickers and books in the mail, bonus videos, and more. You can join the Patreon at patreon.com/mattbaume.
And you may also enjoy my other projects — my YouTube videos, weekly livestreams on Twitch, my book Hi Honey, I’m Homo!, and my email newsletter. Check out all that at MattBaume.com.
Also, I hope you’ll check out a new documentary series premiering on CNN on September 22, about TV milestones that shaped American culture. It’s called TV on the Edge, and I’m just one of the folks interviewed on the show.
This weekend, there’s a new documentary coming to theaters about the life of Christopher Reeve, the actor who played Superman. It’s called Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story, and it’s about his career, the injury that changed his life, and about what Superman the character means to different people. For this week’s episode, we’re diving into the Sewers archives to revisit a 2018 conversation on that topic. My guest was Glenn Kiser, whose name you might not recognize but he’s had a hand in countless films over the last thirty years — helping to craft movies alongside directors like David Fincher, Spike Jonze, Jane Campion, and George Lucas. As a kid, Glenn would obsess over movies and dream of the day he could make his own — never dreaming that his journey could take him from living on an isolated ranch in Texas to working at Skywalker Ranch.
We’ll have that conversation in just a moment. First, if you’re enjoying The Sewers of Paris, I hope you’ll consider supporting the show on Patreon. Patrons get access to an exclusive Discord server, stickers and books in the mail, bonus videos, and more. You can join the Patreon at patreon.com/mattbaume.
And you may also enjoy my other projects — my YouTube videos, weekly livestreams on Twitch, my book Hi Honey, I’m Homo!, and my email newsletter. Check out all that at MattBaume.com.
Also, I hope you’ll check out a new documentary series premiering on CNN on September 22, about TV milestones that shaped American culture. It’s called TV on the Edge, and I’m just one of the folks interviewed on the show.
My guest this week is Mark Segal, who started making waves in the 1960s and hasn’t stopped since. Mark was there for Stonewall, he was there for the organizing of the first Prides that followed, and he was ready to get arrested for the cause of gay liberation — and was many times, including on one memorable occasion when he invaded a broadcast of the CBS evening news. These days, he claims the title of the nation’s most awarded LGBT journalist, he continues to oversee operations at the Philadelphia Gay News, and he has some wisdom to offer queer people following the trail that he blazed.
We’ll have that conversation in just a moment. First, if you’re enjoying The Sewers of Paris, I hope you’ll consider supporting the show on Patreon. Patrons get access to an exclusive Discord server, stickers and books in the mail, bonus videos, and more. You can join the Patreon at patreon.com/mattbaume.
And you may also enjoy my other projects — my YouTube videos, weekly livestreams on Twitch, my book Hi Honey, I’m Homo!, and my email newsletter. Check out all that at MattBaume.com.
Also, I hope you’ll check out a new documentary series premiering on CNN on September 22, about TV milestones that shaped American culture. It’s called TV on the Edge, and I’m just one of the folks interviewed on the show.
Tony Maietta and Brad Shreve are the co-hosts on the podcast Going Hollywood, where they talk about their favorite films. And on this week’s Sewers of Paris, we’ve got a double feature — first an interview with Tony and then an interview with Brad. Tony’s an actor-turned-writer whose books include The Marble Faun of Grey Gardens, which he wrote after a chance encounter with The Marble Faun himself. And Brad’s a writer of queer mystery novels, though he went through a pretty rough time before his writing career took shape — spiraling through drug use, homelessness, and a period where the only way he could communicate with his then-boyfriend, now-husband was through the video game Second Life.
We’ll have those two conversations in just a moment. First, if you’re enjoying The Sewers of Paris, I hope you’ll consider supporting the show on Patreon.
Patrons get access to an exclusive Discord server, stickers and books in the mail, bonus videos, and more. You can join the Patreon at patreon.com/mattbaume.
And you may also enjoy my other projects — my YouTube videos, weekly livestreams on Twitch, my book Hi Honey, I’m Homo!, and my email newsletter. Check out all that at MattBaume.com.
This week, I’m chatting with two guests, Koaty and Sumner Blayne. They’re adult performers, they’re a real-life couple, and they’re two of the stars of the new Tubi reality series House of Heat, which centers on a house full of porn performers. So how did a structural engineer and a nice Mormon boy wind up in that particular line of work?
We’ll have that conversation all about that in just a moment. First, if you’re enjoying The Sewers of Paris, I hope you’ll consider supporting the show on Patreon.
Patrons get access to an exclusive Discord server, stickers and books in the mail, bonus videos, and more. You can join the Patreon at patreon.com/mattbaume.
And you may also enjoy my other projects — like my YouTube videos for a queer look at movie and television history, my weekly livestreams on Twitch, my book Hi Honey, I’m Homo!, and my email newsletter. Or you might like Matt’s So-Cast Pod, a podcast about the 90s TV series My So-Called Life.
My guest this week is A. Ashley Hoff, author of the new book With Love, Mommie Dearest: The Making of an Unintentional Camp Classic. In it, Hoff chronicles the making and cultural impact of a particularly iconic film, and seeks to understand how such a weird piece of culture got made … and why it’s become so important to so many people.
We’ll have that conversation in a moment. First, if you’re enjoying The Sewers of Paris, I hope you’ll consider supporting the show on Patreon.Patrons get access to an exclusive Discord server, stickers and books in the mail, bonus videos, and more. You can join the Patreon at patreon.com/mattbaume.
And you may also enjoy my other projects — like my YouTube videos for a queer look at movie and television history, my weekly livestreams on Twitch, my book Hi Honey, I’m Homo!, and my email newsletter. Or you might like Matt’s So-Cast Pod, a podcast about the 90s TV series My So-Called Life.
My guest this week is Dr Jason Durant, a New York based therapist who kicked himself out of the closet with some help from jam bands and a crush on a straight boy. It was discovering The Grateful Dead while at a Christian college that helped him come to terms with himself. And a job on a pot farm that led him to complete a degree in psychology.
Jason has a new book out about his experiences, entitled Boy From the North Country: A Queer Therapist Looks Back at Overcoming Trauma With Mindfulness. There’s a link to where you can find it in the description of this episode.
We’ll have that conversation in a moment. First, a quick heads-up that just this week I’ve posted a new video over on YouTube — it’s the story of Howard Ashman, and how a gay hippie who just wanted to put on fun shows with his friends wound up revolutionizing Broadway and Disney. That’s at YouTube.com/mattbaume.
Also, if you’re enjoying The Sewers of Paris, I hope you’ll consider supporting the show on Patreon. Patrons get access to an exclusive Discord server, stickers and books in the mail, bonus videos, and more. You can join the Patreon at patreon.com/mattbaume.
And you may also enjoy my other projects — like my YouTube videos for a queer look at movie and television history, my weekly livestreams on Twitch, my book Hi Honey, I’m Homo!, and my email newsletter. Or you might like Matt’s So-Cast Pod, a podcast about the 90s TV series My So-Called Life.
As you may have heard, I have a new YouTube video coming this weekend about Howard Ashman, the lyricist behind The Little Mermaid among many other works. So for this week’s episode, we’re diving into the Sewers archives to revisit my 2016 interview with artist Terry Blas. Terry was inspired to become an artist after seeing The Little Mermaid — and it helped him figure out how he could navigate the world wearing a variety of hats: Nerdy, Hispanic, Mormon, gay, comic illustrator.
In the near-decade since I first interviewed Terry, he’s produced some fantastic comics, all of which you should check out — Lifetime Passes, Hotel Dare, Dead Weight, as well as biographical books about Cesar Chavez and Frida Kahlo just to name a few. I got a huge kick out of listening back to this conversation with Terry, knowing how much success was about to come his way.
We’ll have that conversation in a moment. If you’re enjoying The Sewers of Paris, I hope you’ll consider supporting the show on Patreon. Patrons get access to an exclusive Discord server, stickers and books in the mail, bonus videos, and more. You can join the Patreon at patreon.com/mattbaume.
And you may also enjoy my other projects — like my YouTube videos for a queer look at movie and television history, my weekly livestreams on Twitch, my book Hi Honey, I’m Homo!, and my email newsletter. Or you might like Matt’s So-Cast Pod, a podcast about the 90s TV series My So-Called Life.
My guest this week is Greg Lockard, author of the graphic novels Liebestrasse and Trick Pony. Greg’s career in comics started on the business side, handling paperwork and contracts, but he always felt he had stories inside him trying to burst out. So when an opportunity to climb the corporate ladder came, he was faced with a tricky choice — stay in the office, or break away from that job security to strike out on his own with a gay love story he’d been waiting to tell.
If you’re enjoying The Sewers of Paris, I hope you’ll consider supporting the show on Patreon. Patrons get access to an exclusive Discord server, stickers and books in the mail, bonus videos, and more. You can join the Patreon at patreon.com/mattbaume.
And you may also enjoy my other projects — like my YouTube videos for a queer look at movie and television history, my weekly livestreams on Twitch, my book Hi Honey, I’m Homo!, and my email newsletter. Or you might like Matt’s So-Cast Pod, a podcast about the 90s TV series My So-Called Life.
If you’re a member of my Patreon, you may have seen that this week’s bonus video is about a bizarre Broadway-ish show called Let My People Come. It’s a musical so strange I couldn’t believe it was real the first time I heard of it — which happened right here on this podcast several years ago. For this week’s episode, we’re revisiting my 2017 conversation with Eric Marcus. He’s a writer, journalist, and creator of the Making Gay Historypodcast, and when we last spoke he opened my eyes to a truly incredible piece of showbiz history.
If you’re enjoying The Sewers of Paris, I hope you’ll consider supporting the show on Patreon. Patrons get access to an exclusive Discord server, stickers and books in the mail, bonus videos, and more. You can join the Patreon at patreon.com/mattbaume.
And you may also enjoy my other projects — like my YouTube videos for a queer look at movie and television history, my weekly livestreams on Twitch, my book Hi Honey, I’m Homo!, and my email newsletter. Or you might like Matt’s So-Cast Pod, a podcast about the 90s TV series My So-Called Life.
Returning to TheSewers of Paris this week is voice actor JP Karliak — you heard him as the voice of Morph on X-Men '97, but he’s also been keeping busy with lots of other projects, from advocating for up-and-coming queer voice actors to performing alongside Rhianna in an upcoming Smurfs movie. We last spoke in 2020, and a lot has happened since then — both in JP’s career, and in voice acting in general.
We’ll have that conversation in a moment. First, if you’re enjoying The Sewers of Paris, I hope you’ll consider supporting the show on Patreon. Patrons get access to an exclusive Discord server, stickers and books in the mail, bonus videos, and more. You can join the Patreon at patreon.com/mattbaume.
And you may also enjoy my other projects — like my YouTube videos for a queer look at movie and television history, my weekly livestreams on Twitch, my book Hi Honey, I’m Homo!, and my email newsletter. Or you might like Matt’s So-Cast Pod, a new podcast about the 90s TV series My So-Called Life.
We’ll have that conversation in a moment. First, if you’re enjoying The Sewers of Paris, I hope you’ll consider supporting the show on Patreon. Patrons get access to an exclusive Discord server, stickers and books in the mail, bonus videos, and more. You can join the Patreon at patreon.com/mattbaume.
And you may also enjoy my other projects — like my YouTube videos for a queer look at movie and television history, my weekly livestreams on Twitch, my book Hi Honey, I’m Homo!, and my email newsletter. Or you might like Matt’s So-Cast Pod, a new podcast about the 90s TV series My So-Called Life.
This week I’m chatting with Christopher Rice, a returning guest who’s just published a fourth book in his steamy “Sapphire Cove” series. This latest novel, entitled Sapphire Dawn, features a plucky porn performer butting heads with an unlucky-in-love wedding planner. Christopher, writing under the name C. Travis Rice, did a lot of research to make sure he captured the realities of the adult industry — both good and bad.
We’ll have my conversation with Christopher in a moment. First, if you’re enjoying The Sewers of Paris, I hope you’ll consider supporting my work on Patreon for as little as $2 a month. Patrons get access to a Patron-exclusive Discord server, stickers and books in the mail, bonus videos, and more. You can join the Patreon at patreon.com/mattbaume.
And you may also enjoy my other projects — like my YouTube videos for a queer look at movie and television history, my weekly livestreams on Twitch, my book Hi Honey, I’m Homo!, and my email newsletter. Or you might like Matt’s So-Cast Pod, a new podcast about the 90s TV series My So-Called Life.
My guest this week is Alonso Duralde, author of the new book Hollywood Pride, a fascinating historical tour through queer Hollywood history. If Alonso’s name sounds familiar, you might recall him from several past Sewers of Paris conversations, or from the movie and TV podcasts he hosts with his husband Dave White — two men of excellent taste and encyclopedic knowledge of entertainment history.
We’ll have my conversation with Alonso in a moment. First, a reminder that if you’re enjoying The Sewers of Paris, I hope you’ll check out my other projects — like my YouTube videos for a queer look at movie and television history, my weekly livestreams on Twitch, my book Hi Honey, I’m Homo!, and my email newsletter. Or you might like my new podcast about the 90s TV series My So-Called Life, titled perhaps a bit too obtusely Matt’s So-Cast Pod.
And if you support my work on Patreon, you’ll get backer rewards like Discord access, weekly bonus videos, queer stickers in the mail, and more. You can join the Patreon at patreon.com/mattbaume.
Apologies for this week's episode coming a day late! I'm just catching up between Pride events and a power outage that halted editing for a bit. But here's the latest Sewers of Paris, continuing the monthlong Pride specials with excerpts from some of the best conversations I’ve had over the last nine years.
This week, we’re talking about science fiction. We’ll hear from folks for whom sci-fi was an escape … and also an inspiration for future work, from throwing parties to inventing the technology that powers the Internet, to sending robots to Mars.
Full conversations that are excerpted in this episode:
Episode 10, Charlie
Episode 93, José
Episode 215, Alan
Episode 223, Troy
Episode 358, David
Hello, I’m Matt Baume, and welcome to the Sewers of Paris. We’re on a podcast search for entertainment that changed queer peoples’ lives.
This week, I’m continuing the monthlong Pride special, bringing you excerpts from some of the very best Sewers of Paris conversations I’ve had over the last nine years.
This week, we’re talking comics books. We’ll start with a conversation with writer Andrew Wheeler, whose tales of adventure and intrigue stand in sharp contrast to his domestic life. Then moving on to artist DJ Kirkland, who pursued his dreams in spite of — or maybe in order to spite — a particularly mean art school teacher. Then we’ll hear from artist Justin Hall, whose erotic imaginings are seemingly without limit. And finally the delightful writer Anthony Oliveira, who hosted a panel with me just last week at the Toronto Public Library.
And also a quick note: if you’re in Seattle, I hope you’ll come see me at Elliott Bay Books this Friday, June 21st! I’ll be talking about The Golden Girls, and what made those ladies such powerful queer icons — both on screen and in real life. Full details on all that at mattbaume.com/events.
Full conversations with this week’s guests:
My 2018 conversation with Andrew Wheeler
My 2016 conversation with DJ Kirkland
My 2019 conversation with Justin Hall
My 2017 conversation with Anthony Oliveira
I’m continuing the monthlong Pride special, bringing you excerpts from some of the very best Sewers of Paris conversations I’ve had over the last nine years. This week, we’re talking musicals — a roundup of conversations about songs on stage and on screen. We’ll start with a conversation about Pippin with voice actor Cam Clarke; then moving on to Rocky Horror with a programmer named Matt; then a chat about Sondheim with NPR’s Ari Shapiro; and finally a talk with Gregory Maguire, author of the novel Wicked.
And if you’re in Seattle, I hope you’ll come see me at Elliott Bay Books next week, June 21st! I’ll be talking about The Golden Girls, and what made those ladies such powerful queer icons — both on screen and in real life. Full details on all that at mattbaume.com/events.
Here are the full conversations with all my guests this week:
Cam Clarke
Matt Hintzen
Ari Shapiro
Gregory Maguire
Starting this week, I’m doing something special for Pride. Throughout the month of June, I’m going to bring you the very best of the last nine years of Sewers of Paris interviews — excerpts from some of my very favorite conversations. We’re starting this week with a roundup of some of the fabulous Drag Race performers that have stopped by the show, starting with BenDeLaCreme, continuing on the Peppermint, then Jaymes Mansfield, Alaska, and then paying tribute to Chi Chi DeVayne.
I’ll have more best-ofs next week — for that episode, themed around musicals of stage and screen.
And if you’d like to hear the full interviews, check out these episodes:
Ben DeLaCreme: Episode 303
Peppermint: Episode 306
Jaymes Mansfield: Episode 304
Alaska and Jeremy: Episode 198
Chi Chi DeVayne: Episode 299
And for some more BenDeLaCreme, check out Matt’s So-Cast Pod Episode 1.
You may have most recently heard this week’s guest on X-Men 97, where he plays the character morph — but you’ve also heard him as the voice of the Green Goblin, the Joker, Boss Baby, Archie, Wile E. Coyote, and so many more I’ve lost count. I spoke with JP Karliak back in 2020 about his career as a voice actor for video games and animation. And for this week’s episode, we’re celebrating season 1 of his X-Men role by revisiting that interview about the animated villains who inspired him as a kid.
We’ll have that conversation in a minute. First, a reminder that if you like The Sewers of Paris, you’ll probably also enjoy my other projects. This weekend I’ve got a new YouTube video premiering about the movie Cabaret — you can join us for a livestream and premiere at youtube.com/mattbaume starting at 11am pacific.
Or you might want to check out my new podcast where we dive into the 90s TV series My So-Called Life, one episode at a time — it’s available now wherever you listen to podcasts, just search for Matt’s So-Cast Pod.
And check out my Twitch livestreams, videos, my book, my newsletter, and more at MattBaume.com.
My guest this week is Jared Pechaček, author of the forthcoming fantasy-horror novel The West Passage. Jared’s work is heavily informed by his homeschooling and his upbringing in the Pentecostal church — influences that found their way into his writing without him realizing it. When he finally did understand just how much his fiction revealed about him, it was like finding clues that his brain had been dropping for years. Clues that helped point him in the direction of understanding his past, and coming to terms with it.
We’ll have that conversation in a minute. First, a reminder that if you like The Sewers of Paris, you’ll probably also enjoy my other projects. For example, my weekly livestreams on Twitch.
Or you might want to check out my new podcast where we dive into the 90s TV series My So-Called Life, one episode at a time — it’s available now wherever you listen to podcasts, just search for Matt’s So-Cast Pod.
And check out my videos, my book, my newsletter, and more at MattBaume.com.
The writer Steven Rowley is known for numerous novels: Lily and the Octopus; The Celebrants; The Editor; and The Guncle, which is about a gay man who finds his hands full when he takes in a niece and nephew he never expected to raise. Not only did that novel win the Thurber Prize — it’s now the first installment in a series, with his latest novel, A Guncle Abroad, coming out on May 21, 2024. For this week’s episode, I’m diving into the Sewers archives to revisit my 2016 interview with Steven. At that point, his debut novel Lily and the Octopus had just hit shelves. We spoke about how he’d spent a large chunk of his career disguising himself, writing rom-com scripts about heterosexual relationships. But there came a point when he decided to stop de-gaying his stories — and little did he know then just how much success that choice would bring him.
We’ll have that conversation in a minute. First, a reminder that if you like The Sewers of Paris, you’ll probably also enjoy my other projects. For example, my weekly livestreams on Twitch. This weekend we’ll be continuing our watch-along for the musical episode of The Love Boat.
Or you might want to check out my new podcast where we dive into the 90s TV series My So-Called Life, one episode at a time — it’s available now wherever you listen to podcasts, just search for Matt’s So-Cast Pod. And check out my videos, my book, my newsletter, and more at MattBaume.com.
My guest this week is writer, activist, and former gold trader Karl Dunn, whose new book How to Burn a Rainbow is a memoir of how he pieced his life back together after a chaotic divorce. Karl’s journey from wedded bliss through a nightmare of legal battles and losing his livelihood and then ultimately finding inner peace sounds like a Hollywood narrative — which isn’t surprising, given that he worked for a time as a screenwriter, drawing on inspiration from wildly different sources from epic sci-fi novels to angry hip-hop to confrontational queer activism.
We’ll have that conversation in a minute. First, a reminder that if you like The Sewers of Paris, you’ll probably also enjoy my other projects. For example, my weekly livestreams on Twitch — this weekend we’ll be starting a two-part watch-party of the movie Cabaret.
Or you might want to check out my new podcast where we dive into the 90s TV series My So-Called Life, one episode at a time — it’s available now wherever you listen to podcasts, just search for Matt’s So-Cast Pod.
And check out my videos, my book, my newsletter, and more at MattBaume.com.
My guest this week is Eli McCann, a lawyer, a humor columnist for the Salt Lake Tribune, and a devotee of Lucille Ball since the age of six. That made him an easy kid to shop for, and by the time he was a teen he’d amassed a treasure trove of Lucy memorabilia … which nearly led to a crisis when he caught wind of his classmates’ plan to ambush him at home and reveal what had been, until then, a mostly private obsession.
We’ll have that conversation in a minute. First, a reminder that if you like The Sewers of Paris, you’ll probably also enjoy my new podcast where we dive into the 90s TV series My So-Called Life, one episode at a time. It’s available now wherever you listen to podcasts — just search for Matt’s So-Cast Pod.
And you may also like my YouTube videos for a queer look at movie and television history, my weekly livestreams on Twitch, my book Hi Honey, I’m Homo!, and my email newsletter. You can get all that and more at MattBaume.com.
My guest this week is writer and artist Tim Fish. I first came across his work in the book Liebestrasse, written by Greg Lockard and illustrated by Tim. It’s the story of two men connecting in Berlin in the leadup to World War II, and it’s typical of Tim’s interests — personal, emotional, and thoughtful. Tim’s always been interested in comics, but for many years it was something of a secret identity for him — a passion that he thought was just a hobby, until he turned thirty and realized he wanted to walk away from his day job and become a full time artist. To make that work, he had a rich vein of inspiration to draw from, starting with Hanna Barbera cartoons.
We’ll have that conversation in a minute. First, a reminder if that if you like The Sewers of Paris, you’ll probably also enjoy my new podcast about the 90s TV series My So-Called Life. The podcast is called Matt’s So-Cast Pod, and it’s available now wherever you listen to podcasts.
And you may also like my YouTube videos for a queer look at movie and television history, my weekly livestreams on Twitch, my book Hi Honey, I’m Homo!, and my email newsletter. You can get all that and more at MattBaume.com.
Next week, comedy legend Carol Burnett turns 91 years old, and in honor of her amazing career and life, for this week’s episode of the Sewers of Paris podcast we’re diving into the archives to revisit my 2018 chat with Carol superfan Justin Root. Justin’s entry to showbiz was kind of a cliché: a pretty young face who arrives in LA with no plan other than getting famous in movies. And yet, within a few days of moving from Ohio to Hollywood, Justin found himself in front of movie cameras. It didn't take long for the entertainment industry to discover Justin, but it took another decade -- and some terrified cruising in the local video store -- for Justin to find himself.
We’ll have that conversation in a minute. First, a reminder if that if you like The Sewers of Paris, you’ll probably also enjoy my new podcast about the 90s TV series My So-Called Life. This week’s episode features the wonderful Guy Branum, talking about his experience writing for television and why he’s a superfan of actress Bess Armstrong. The podcast is called Matt’s So-Cast Pod, and it’s available now wherever you listen to podcasts.
And you may also like my YouTube videos for a queer look at movie and television history, my weekly livestreams on Twitch, my book Hi Honey, I’m Homo!, and my email newsletter. You can get all that and more at MattBaume.com.
My guest this week is author Rasheed Newson, a TV writer who got his start on the show Lie to Me and has gone on to write for The 100, Narcos, Bel Air, and more. Last year his debut novel, My Government Means to Kill Me, made a big splash — it’s the story of a young gay black man who moves to New York during the HIV epidemic. And although Rasheed didn’t experience that world first-hand, he discovered during his writing process that in a strange way, he’d been preparing himself to tell that story for years without ever realizing it.
We’ll have that conversation in a minute. First, a reminder if that if you like The Sewers of Paris, you’ll probably also enjoy my new podcast about the 90s TV series My So-Called Life. This week’s episode features the delightful Anthony Oliveira, who appeared on The Sewers of Paris just a few weeks ago. We talked all about My So-Called Life episode 3, in which we learn a lot more about the gay teen named Rickie — and we also talked about Anthony’s own experience as a semi-closeted teen in Catholic school, and how his secret boyfriend wasn’t quite as secret as he thought. The podcast is called Matt’s So-Cast Pod, and it’s available now wherever you listen to podcasts.
And you may also like my YouTube videos for a queer look at movie and television history, my weekly livestreams on Twitch, my book Hi Honey, I’m Homo!, and my email newsletter. You can get all that and more at MattBaume.com.
My guest this week is director Monty Wolfe, whose queer romcom Exploding Boy is now available on streaming. Monty’s path to filmmaking took a lot of swerves over the decades — starting with a teacher who saw the potential in a young teenager, and maybe something a little queer. That was followed by some less helpful guidance from other adults in his life, a job at a news station that he landed by accident, a decision to completely upend his life and move across the country in part to get as far as possible from a homophobic coworker, and a boyfriend who believed in Monty’s dreams and pushed him to go after them.
We’ll have that conversation in a minute. First, a reminder if that If you like this podcast, you might enjoy my new show about the 90s TV series My So-Called Life. The podcast is called Matt’s So-Cast Pod, it features a bunch of fabulous guests, and it’s available now wherever you listen to podcasts.
And you may also like my YouTube videos about movies and TV shows, my weekly livestreams on Twitch, my book Hi Honey, I’m Homo!, and my email newsletter. You can get all that and more at MattBaume.com.
My guest this week is Jesse Murray, who got hooked on soap operas as a kid when he watched them with his mom … and then as an adult, found himself working in writer’s rooms at ABC, helping to make soap operas for a new generation. As a young viewer, Jesse’s enthusiasm for the soaps was bolstered when he saw gay teenage characters on daytime TV. It’s a measure of inclusivity that’s steadily improved in the years since — thanks to folks behind the scenes who appreciated its importance.
We’ll have that conversation in a minute. And by the way, speaking of gay teens on television: If you like this podcast, you might enjoy my new podcast about the 90s TV series My So-Called Life, which featured a groundbreaking gay teenager named Rickie, played by Wilson Cruz. The podcast is called Matt’s So-Cast Pod, it features a bunch of fabulous guests, and it launches March 25, 2024. You can subscribe now wherever you listen to podcasts, and at SoCastPod.com.
And you may also like my YouTube videos about movies and TV shows. I just premiered a new video about the 1961 movie Victim, which helped overturn England’s 400-year-old ban on homosexuality. Also check out my weekly livestreams on Twitch, my book Hi Honey, I’m Homo!, my email newsletter. You can get all that and more at MattBaume.com.
And by the way, here are some fun soap clips that Jesse sent along:
Susan Lucci being amazing as Erica: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-YlCHBbE_8
Susan Lucci being even more amazing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RT98I87Fsaw
Another fun Erica scene, ending on a hilarious delivery of “I’m not even that rich!” https://youtu.be/RT98I87Fsaw?si=Sg_B6i-91L7W-aOU&t=444
Erica compares herself to Yoko Ono: https://youtu.be/NH9xsXKbpuA?si=oiXnjNdZZlEmCFHe&t=323
My guest this week is Anthony Oliveira, whose new book Dayspring comes out this Easter, April 2, 2024. That’s a particularly suitable pub date, since the book is an exploration of how Christian ideas can infuse and are infused by queer love. Anthony’s a returning guest to The Sewers of Paris — I last spoke to him back in 2017, when our conversation focused on monsters and villains and standing in opposition to so-called decent society. Now, nearly a decade later, Anthony’s found himself engaged in a different sort of project: Building queer community through his writing, speaking, podcasting, and film series.
We’ll have that conversation in a minute. First, a quick reminder that if you like this podcast, you’ll probably enjoy my other projects — starting with my brand new podcast that launches next week! The new show is all about the beloved TV series My So-Called Life, and why it’s such a perfect encapsulation of the 90s and also the timelessness of teen angst. The podcast is called Matt’s So-Cast Pod, it features a bunch of fabulous guests, and it launches March 25, 2024. You can subscribe now at socastpod.com.
You may like my YouTube videos about movies and TV shows, and by the way I have a new one launching this weekend about the 1961 movie Victim. Also check out my weekly livestreams on Twitch, my book Hi Honey, I’m Homo!, my email newsletter. You can get all that and more at MattBaume.com.
This week, March 17, marks 54 years since the premiere of the groundbreaking film The Boys in the Band. Set in a New York apartment in the 1960s and based on the play by Mort Crowley, it was one of the first major movies to feature majority-queer characters. And to mark that 54th birthday, for this week’s Sewers of Paris I wanted to revisit my conversation with someone who knew the world of 60s Greenwich Village very well, playwright Robert Patrick.
Robert wandered into the Village as an unsuspecting young gay man in the 1960s. He was only supposed to be there for a day, but he wound up staying for years, witnessing -- and participating in -- one of the most important periods in American theater history. He passed away last year, having written hundreds of plays — as Samuel French called him, “New York’s most-produced playwright.”
We’ll have that conversation in a minute. First, a quick reminder that if you like this podcast, you’ll probably enjoy my other projects — like my YouTube videos about movies and TV shows, my weekly livestreams on Twitch, my book Hi Honey, I’m Homo!, and my email newsletter. You can get all that and more at MattBaume.com.
My guest this week is my friend and colleague Tyler Albertario, a writer and researcher with a magnetic enthusiasm for queer history and culture. Tyler always had an interest in our vast queer past, but it was a chance viewing of a show about gay life in the 80s that turned it into a more serious field of study — and that’s led to some of his fascinating insights into the silver age that we’re living in right now.
We’ll have that conversation in a minute. First, a quick reminder that if you like this podcast, you’ll probably enjoy my other projects — like my YouTube videos about movies and TV shows, my weekly livestreams on Twitch, my book Hi Honey, I’m Homo!, and my email newsletter. You can get all that and more at MattBaume.com.
For this week’s episode, the recent release of Dune Part 2 reminded me of a Sewers of Paris episode from 2018 where my guest Ryan and I talked about the grip that fear can have on a person’s mind. Ryan grew up in a rough environment, where his parents subjected him to devastating homophobia and dangerous "ex-gay" treatments. After Ryan legally emancipated himself from his family, what followed was a period of homelessness and addiction that took years for him to overcome. But overcome them he did — and now in 2024 he’s working as a civil rights attorney in Los Angeles.
We originally recorded this interview back in 2018, during a thunderstorm in Colorado, so you'll hear some noise of rain in the background and a few rolls of thunder that were oddly well-timed for Ryan's story.
We’ll have that conversation in a minute. First, a couple quick announcements, starting with a reminder that I’ve got a weekly newsletter about LGBTQ+ entertainment history. You can sign up for that at MattBaume.com.
Also, check out my YouTube channel for videos about the making of iconic pop culture. I just released a new video about the movie Rebel Without a Cause — that’s at YouTube.com/mattbaume. And I’ve got one coming your way in March about the movie Victim.
And I hope you’ll join me for weekly livestreams over on Twitch every Sunday afternoon. That’s at twitch.tv/mattbaume.
Also! If you haven’t yet, take a look at my book about the history of queer characters on American sitcoms, Hi Honey, I’m Homo! Available now wherever books are sold. Go to gaysitcoms.com for details and to get a signed copy.
Big thanks to everyone who makes this show possible on Patreon — visit patreon.com/mattbaume to support Sewers of Paris and get patron-exclusive benefits.
My guest this week is artist Paul Robinson, who just launched a fantastic new project called Twelve Soldiers. It’s a year-long series of monthly profiles, spotlighting heroes of the queer community — and it’s just one of the ways that Paul hopes to give back to a community that’s been very good to him. Starting from the early days of his career as a photographer, working with friends like Lara Flynn Boyle and Jennifer Tilley, to his more recent projects like elevating the work of emerging filmmakers in Africa and around the world.
We’ll have that conversation in a minute. First, a couple quick announcements, starting with a reminder that if you like this podcast, you’ll probably like my weekly newsletter about LGBTQ+ entertainment history. You can sign up for that at MattBaume.com.
Also, check out my YouTube channel for videos about the making of iconic pop culture. I just released a new video about the movie Rebel Without a Cause — that’s at YouTube.com/mattbaume.
And I hope you’ll join me for weekly livestreams over on Twitch every Sunday afternoon. That’s at twitch.tv/mattbaume.
Also! If you haven’t yet, take a look at my book about the history of queer characters on American sitcoms, Hi Honey, I’m Homo! Available now wherever books are sold. Go to gaysitcoms.com for details and to get a signed copy.
Big thanks to everyone who makes this show possible on Patreon — visit patreon.com/mattbaume to support Sewers of Paris and get patron-exclusive benefits.
There’s a new trailer out for the upcoming Wicked movie, so I thought it was a good time to dive into the Sewers archives to revisit my chat with Gregory Maguire, author of the Wicked novel, among many other works. Though I’m sure you’re familiar with his book and the musical adaptation, you may not know the extent to which Gregory’s childhood was infused with elements of fairytale — from the fantasy novels he devoured, to the family tragedy that led to his time in an orphanage.
We’ll have that conversation in a minute. First, a couple quick announcements, starting with a reminder that if you like this podcast, you’ll probably like my weekly newsletter about LGBTQ+ entertainment history. You can sign up for that at MattBaume.com.
Also, check out my YouTube channel for videos about the making of iconic pop culture. I’ve got a video coming your way this Sunday, February 18, about the movie Rebel Without a Cause at YouTube.com/mattbaume.
And I hope you’ll join me for weekly livestreams over on Twitch every Sunday afternoon. That’s at twitch.tv/mattbaume.
Also! If you haven’t yet, take a look at my book about the history of queer characters on American sitcoms, Hi Honey, I’m Homo! Available now wherever books are sold. Go to gaysitcoms.com for details and to get a signed copy.
Big thanks to everyone who makes this show possible on Patreon — visit patreon.com/mattbaume to support Sewers of Paris and get patron-exclusive benefits.
My guest this week is a sort of collector of culture. Sam is the co-host of a YouTube series called P and S — be careful not to say it too quickly in polite company — where he and his friend Ewan dissect the strangest pop culture artifacts they can find. Sam’s sensibility was shaped in part by stories about fictional oddballs finding each other. And now through his own videos and comedy, he’s creating culture that helps oddballs find each other in real life. You can find more of Sam’s work via Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok.
We’ll have that conversation in a minute. First, a couple quick announcements, starting with a reminder that if you like this podcast, you’ll probably like my weekly newsletter about LGBTQ+ entertainment history. You can sign up for that at MattBaume.com.
Also, check out my YouTube channel for videos about the making of iconic pop culture. I’ve got a video coming your way about the movie Rebel Without a Cause at YouTube.com/mattbaume.
And I hope you’ll join me for weekly livestreams over on Twitch every Sunday afternoon. That’s at twitch.tv/mattbaume.
Also! If you haven’t yet, take a look at my book about the history of queer characters on American sitcoms, Hi Honey, I’m Homo! Available now wherever books are sold. Go to gaysitcoms.com for details and to get a signed copy.
Big thanks to everyone who makes this show possible on Patreon — visit patreon.com/mattbaume to support Sewers of Paris and get patron-exclusive benefits.
My guest this week is Mark Daley. Mark’s background is in politics, and included some time as communications director for Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign. But a few years ago, he stumbled across an opportunity to apply his advocacy skills in a new arena, when he and his partner became parents — under circumstances that were not exactly what they’d planned. Mark has a new book out entitled Safe — it’s a look back at how he became a dad, how he maintained a family amidst the challenges of the foster system, and how he founded TheFosterParent.com to help families like his.
We’ll have that conversation in a minute. First, a couple quick announcements, starting with a reminder that if you like this podcast, you’ll probably like my weekly newsletter about LGBTQ+ entertainment history. You can sign up for that at MattBaume.com.
Also, check out my YouTube channel for videos about the making of iconic pop culture. I’ve got a video coming your way this month about the movie Rebel Without a Cause at YouTube.com/mattbaume.
And I hope you’ll join me for weekly livestreams over on Twitch every Sunday afternoon. That’s at twitch.tv/mattbaume. This weekend we’re continuing our watch along — and debate about the queerness — of James Dean in Rebel Without a Cause.
Also! If you haven’t yet, take a look at my book about the history of queer characters on American sitcoms, Hi Honey, I’m Homo! Available now wherever books are sold. It was just named one of the American Library Association’s Stonewall Book Honorees! Go to gaysitcoms.com for details and to get a signed copy.
Big thanks to everyone who makes this show possible on Patreon — visit patreon.com/mattbaume to support Sewers of Paris and get patron-exclusive benefits.
My guest this week is David Levy, co-host of the Muppeturgy podcast. David thrives when he’s putting on a show, goofing around with friends, finding ways to make an audience laugh — but finding the best way to do that took some trial and error and a bit of a lawsuit.
We’ll have that conversation in a minute. First, a couple quick announcements, starting with a reminder that if you like this podcast, you’ll probably like my newsletter. Every week I share fun stories about the making of beloved movies and TV shows, as well as the fascinating people behind them. You can sign up at MattBaume.com.
Also, check out my YouTube channel for videos about the making of iconic pop culture — I just released a new one about the 2004 movie Straight Jacket, which made a big splash when it came out, then disappeared for mysterious reasons, and is finally poised for a triumphant return. That’s now live at YouTube.com/mattbaume. And keep your eyes peeled for my upcoming video about Rebel Without a Cause.
And I hope you’ll join me for weekly livestreams over on Twitch every Sunday afternoon. That’s at twitch.tv/mattbaume. This weekend we’re about to start a watch-along of the movie Rebel Without a Cause.
Also! If you haven’t yet, take a look at my book about the history of queer characters on American sitcoms, Hi Honey, I’m Homo! Available now wherever books are sold. It was just one of the American Library Association’s Stonewall Book Honorees! Go to gaysitcoms.com for details and to get a signed copy.
Big thanks to everyone who makes all my work possible on Patreon — visit patreon.com/mattbaume to support Sewers of Paris and get patron-exclusive benefits.
My guest this week is Dean FM, a genderqueer rapper from Massachusetts. Dean was always a colorful kid and loved to escape into music — but never considered that it might become a career until a series of setbacks made him re-evaluate where he was living and what he was doing with his life. Dean just released a new album — there’s a link to that in the shownotes — and he has big dreams for what’s next.
We’ll have that conversation in a minute. First, a couple quick announcements, starting with a reminder that if you like this podcast, you’ll probably like my newsletter. Every week I share fun stories about the making of beloved movies and TV shows, as well as the fascinating people behind them. You can sign up at MattBaume.com.
Also, check out my YouTube channel for videos about the making of iconic pop culture — I just released a new one about the 2004 movie Straight Jacket, which made a big splash when it came out, then disappeared for mysterious reasons, and is finally poised for a triumphant return. That’s now live at YouTube.com/mattbaume.
And I hope you’ll join me for weekly livestreams over on Twitch every Sunday afternoon. That’s at twitch.tv/mattbaume. We’ll be watching Straight Jacket this weekend, as well as some of my favorite scenes from the drag camp classic Girls Will be Girls.
Also! If you haven’t yet, take a look at my book about the history of queer characters on American sitcoms, Hi Honey, I’m Homo! Available now wherever books are sold. Go to gaysitcoms.com for details and to get a signed copy.
Big thanks to everyone who makes all my work possible on Patreon — visit patreon.com/mattbaume to support Sewers of Paris and get patron-exclusive benefits.
This month sees the return of the Ryan Murphy series Feud, with its first new season in about five years. The topic this time is Truman Capote and his battles with high society. In honor of Capote’s return to the zeitgeist, for this week’s episode we’re diving into the sewers archives to revisit my 2017 conversation with Joseph Krebs, for whom Truman’s work played a pivotal role. Josef's done a lot of thinking about the impact he can have on the world, whether through the evangelical church where he grew up, or in the world of theater where he eventually found a more satisfying home. Like his heroes, Joseph’s work has always been about chasing the feeling of ecstasy.
We’ll have that conversation in a minute. First, a couple quick announcements, starting with a reminder that if you like this podcast, you’ll probably like my newsletter. Every week I share fun stories about the making of beloved movies and TV shows, as well as the fascinating people behind them. You can sign up at MattBaume.com.
Also, check out my YouTube channel for videos about the making of iconic pop culture — I’ve got a new one coming your way about a queer film that vanished for years and has only recently resurfaced. That’s coming next Sunday, January 14 at YouTube.com/mattbaume.
And I hope you’ll join me for weekly livestreams over on Twitch every Sunday afternoon. That’s at twitch.tv/mattbaume.
Also! If you haven’t yet, take a look at my book about the history of queer characters on American sitcoms, Hi Honey, I’m Homo! Available now wherever books are sold. Go to gaysitcoms.com for details and to get a signed copy.
Big thanks to everyone who makes all my work possible on Patreon — visit patreon.com/mattbaume to support Sewers of Paris and get patron-exclusive benefits.
Sorry this episode’s coming a day late! I’m recovering from laryngitis and still can’t talk, so you’ll hear a Very Special Guest introducing this week’s episode.
My guest this week is Jin De Luong, author of the novel Naked Love Berlin. Jin never intended to uproot his life and move across the planet. But on what was supposed to be a short vacation, he fell in love — first with a city, and then with a man. And he took a cue from one of his favorite literary icons and let an adventure carry him away into the bars and backrooms of Berlin.
We’ll have that conversation in a minute. First, a couple quick announcements, starting with a reminder that if you like this podcast, you’ll probably like my newsletter. Every week I share fun stories about the making of beloved movies and TV shows, as well as the fascinating people behind them. You can sign up at MattBaume.com.
Also, check out my YouTube channel for videos about the making of iconic pop culture — I’ve got a new one coming your way about a queer film that vanished for years and has only recently resurfaced. That’s coming next Sunday, January 14 at YouTube.com/mattbaume.
And I hope you’ll join me for weekly livestreams over on Twitch every Sunday afternoon. That’s at twitch.tv/mattbaume.
Also! If you haven’t yet, take a look at my book about the history of queer characters on American sitcoms, Hi Honey, I’m Homo! Go to gaysitcoms.com for details and to get a signed copy.
Big thanks to everyone who makes all my work possible on Patreon — visit patreon.com/mattbaume to support Sewers of Paris and get patron-exclusive benefits.
I can’t believe this is the case, but we’re just about at the end of 2023 — somehow — and I figured this was a good time to look back at some of my favorite Sewers of Paris episodes of the past year. From a New Orleans ghost-hunter who was inspired by Monty Python, to queer romance novels, to bad gays, to the shocking stories behind 1970s couture, I was lucky enough to chat with a lot of really intriguing guests over the last 12 months. So for this year-end episode, I’ve gathered the first few minutes of some of my favorites, and I present them to you here. Links to these episodes are in the description if you’re like to listen to the full thing.
I know I say thanks for listening every week, but truly, thank you from the bottom of my heart for listening along to these interviews, for sending suggestions for future guests, and for making my work possible by supporting Sewers of Paris on Patreon or just by sharing episodes with people in your life. It’s a real honor to have you along for this ride, and I look forward to even more in 2024.
Featured guests:
Andrew Farrier: https://www.mattbaume.com/sewers-shownotes/2023/1/5/never-saying-no-to-anything-ep-413-andrewmonty-python
Christopher Rice: https://www.mattbaume.com/sewers-shownotes/2023/3/30/enemies-to-lovers-ep-419-christopher-ricegay-romance-novels
Trip Galey: https://www.mattbaume.com/sewers-shownotes/2023/7/27/my-favorite-fairy-ep-426-fairy-talestrip
Jesse Finley Reed: https://www.mattbaume.com/sewers-shownotes/2023/7/20/the-fantasy-that-they-sold-us-ep-425-international-malejesse
Ben Miller: https://www.mattbaume.com/sewers-shownotes/2023/8/24/you-and-your-peacocks-are-ridiculous-ep-430-salomeben-miller
Huw Lemmey: https://www.mattbaume.com/sewers-shownotes/2023/8/31/to-be-disgusting-is-good-ep-430-beautiful-thinghuw-lemmey
Jon Ginoli: https://www.mattbaume.com/sewers-shownotes/2023/11/2/loud-brash-profane-and-punk-ep-440-pansy-divisionjon
Tim Sheridan: https://www.mattbaume.com/sewers-shownotes/2023/11/9/playing-with-toys-all-over-again-ep-441-timtransformers
Eric Gonzaba: https://www.mattbaume.com/sewers-shownotes/2023/11/16/why-do-people-live-like-this-ep-442-erickennedy-center-honors
As we veer ever closer to Christmas, this week's episode is a dive into the Sewers of Paris archives for a chat with Scott Shoemaker. Along with his partner Freddie, Scott’s great passion is live weird theater, which manifests in such projects as an ongoing series of live shows in which he plays a boozy pill-popping version of Ms Pac Man, or his annual Christmas show where he finds new ways every year to ruin and then hastily repair the holidays. Growing up, Scott dreamed of being a rock star — and as it turns out, dressing his friends in goofy costumes and taking them on the road to sing and dance and tell jokes is oddly close to a super queer version of rock stardom.
We’ll have that conversation in a minute. First, a couple quick announcements, starting with a reminder that if you like this podcast, you’ll probably like my newsletter. Every week I share fun stories about the making of beloved movies and TV shows, as well as the fascinating people behind them. You can sign up at MattBaume.com.
Also, check out my YouTube channel for videos about the making of iconic pop culture — I just released a new video about how America fell in love with closeted gay actor Rock Hudson in the 1950s, and what happened when his truth was revealed. That’s at YouTube.com/mattbaume.
And I hope you’ll join me for weekly livestreams over on Twitch every Sunday afternoon. That’s at twitch.tv/mattbaume.
Also! If you haven’t yet, take a look at my book about the history of queer characters on American sitcoms, Hi Honey, I’m Homo! — available now wherever books are sold, and it makes a very pleasant holiday gift. Go to gaysitcoms.com for details and to get a signed copy.
Big thanks to everyone who makes all my work possible on Patreon — visit patreon.com/mattbaume to support Sewers of Paris and get patron-exclusive benefits.
My guest this week is New York comedian Justin Randall, who was a very different person when he moved to the big city a few years ago. Back then he was a closeted actor, and the idea of coming out seemed like a distant dream — and not a good one. But things changed when he started getting up on stage as a stand-up comedian, and discovered the liberating power of making people laugh … and of making fun of the things that once seemed scary.
We’ll have that conversation in a minute. First, a couple quick announcements, starting with a reminder that if you like this podcast, you’ll probably like my newsletter. Every week I share fun stories about the making of iconic movies and TV shows, as well as the fascinating people behind them. You can sign up at MattBaume.com.
Also, I just released a new video on YouTube — this one’s about how America fell in love with closeted gay actor Rock Hudson in the 1950s, and what happened when his truth was revealed. That’s at YouTube.com/mattbaume.
And I hope you’ll join me for weekly livestreams over on Twitch every Sunday afternoon. This weekend we’ll be watching Christmas at Pee-Wee’s Playhouse, one of the most chaotic holiday specials ever made. That’s at twitch.tv/mattbaume.
And one last plug — if you haven’t yet, please do take a look at my new book about the history of queer characters on American sitcoms, Hi Honey, I’m Homo! — available now wherever books are sold, and a very pleasant holiday gift. It was just named one of Vulture’s top comedy books of 2023, and one of NPR’s books we love! Go to gaysitcoms.com for details and to get a signed copy.
Big thanks to everyone who makes all my work possible on Patreon — visit patreon.com/mattbaume to support Sewers of Paris and get patron-exclusive benefits.
We have two guests this week — filmmakers Melina Maerker and David Miller are the co-creators of a new documentary entitled We Live Here: The Midwest, which follows a variety of brave families enduring challenging circumstances as queer people in conservative parts of the country. Both Melinda and David came to filmmaking out of a desire to tell other peoples’ stories, and create a space where people can feel listened to — inspired, in their early careers, by two very different films.
We’ll have that conversation in a minute. First, a couple quick announcements, starting with a reminder that if you like this podcast, you’ll probably like my weekly newsletter where I share fun stories about the making of iconic movies and TV shows, as well as the fascinating people behind them. You can sign up at MattBaume.com.
Also, I’ve got a video coming your way this Sunday, December 10 about 50s heartthrob Rock Hudson — it’s the story of how America fell in love with a closeted gay man, and what happened when his truth was revealed. That’s at YouTube.com/mattbaume.
And I hope you’ll join me for weekly livestreams over on Twitch every Sunday afternoon. That’s at twitch.tv/mattbaume.
Also! If you haven’t yet, take a look at my new book about the history of queer characters on American sitcoms, Hi Honey, I’m Homo! — available now wherever books are sold, and a very pleasant holiday gift. Go to gaysitcoms.com for details and to get a signed copy.
Big thanks to everyone who makes all my work possible on Patreon — visit patreon.com/mattbaume to support Sewers of Paris and get patron-exclusive benefits.
My guest this week is Lucas Hilderbrand, author of the new book The Bars Are Ours, which provides a deep look at the history of gay bars. Before he launched into this intriguing field of study, Lucas bounced around queer culture for several years, looking for the place where he fit in — a journey that included a particularly traumatic experience in musical theater. And it’s probably not a surprise that his attention focused on the ways that queer people connect with each other, and the things that we lose when we lose institutions like gay bars.
We’ll have that conversation in a minute. First, a couple quick announcements, starting with a reminder that if you like this podcast, you’ll probably like my weekly newsletter where I share fun stories about the making of iconic movies and TV shows, as well as the fascinating people behind them. You can sign up at MattBaume.com.
Also, I’ve got a video coming your way on December 10 about the creation of 50s heartthrob Rock Hudson — and the group of secretly-gay men who designed an icon of American masculinity. That’s at YouTube.com/mattbaume.
And I hope you’ll join me for weekly livestreams over on Twitch every Sunday afternoon. This weekend we’ll be watching my favorite rom-com of all time, His Girl Friday, which started out as a play about two men before being gender-swapped to include the future Auntie Mame. That’s at twitch.tv/mattbaume, Sunday at noon pacific, 3pm eastern.
Also! If you haven’t yet, take a look at my new book about the history of queer characters on American sitcoms, Hi Honey, I’m Homo! — available now wherever books are sold, and a very pleasant holiday gift. Go to gaysitcoms.com for details and to get a signed copy.
Big thanks to everyone who makes all my work possible on Patreon — visit patreon.com/mattbaume to support Sewers of Paris and get patron-exclusive benefits.
A new biopic just debuted on Netflix entitled Rustin, about the incredible life of Bayard Rustin — a civil rights leader who worked with Martin Luther King Jr. And this week, we’re diving into the Sewers of Paris archives to hear my 2017 interview with Bayard’s surviving partner, Walter Naegle, as well as with filmmaker Matt Wolf, who made a documentary about Walter entitled Bayard and Me. In addition to playing a key role in advising Martin Luther King Jr, Bayard also worked on behalf of refugees, and became an queer spokesperson in the 80s. Because there was no relationship recognition at the time, adopted his partner, Walter, in 1982 -- and that's just one of the subjects explored in Matt Wolf's documentary and in the new biopic.
We’ll have that conversation in a minute.
First, a couple quick announcements. I’ve got a video coming your way in early December about the creation of 50s heartthrob Rock Hudson — and the group of secretly-gay men who designed an icon of American masculinity.
Also I hope you’ll join me for weekly livestreams over on Twitch every Sunday afternoon. This weekend we’ll be watching highlights from Rock’s many rom-coms with Doris Day. That’s at twitch.tv/mattbaume, Sunday at noon pacific, 3pm eastern.
And if you haven’t yet, take a look at my new book about the history of queer characters on American sitcoms, Hi Honey, I’m Homo! — available now wherever books are sold. Go to gaysitcoms.com for details and to get a signed copy.
Big thanks to everyone who makes all my work possible on Patreon — visit patreon.com/mattbaume to support Sewers of Paris and get patron-exclusive benefits.
And you can keep up with all of my work through my email newsletter. Every week you’ll get stories about the making of iconic movies and TV shows — sign up for that at MattBaume.com.
My guest this week is historian Eric Gonzaba, whose fascinating work includes the Wearing Gay History archive — a collection of vintage queer t-shirts — and Mapping the Gay Guides, an accounting of queer travel guides from the 60s and 70s. Eric’s interest in history was piqued at an early age, when he developed an obsession for the Kennedy Center Honors, which pay annual tribute to lifetime innovators in the cultural fields. And it’s through his field of study that he continues to explore our sometimes-murky queer past, and inspire others to do the same.
We’ll have that conversation in a minute.
First, a couple quick reminders, starting with a heads-up that my new video about the rise and fall and rise again of 50s heartthrob Tab Hunter is now up on YouTube! And I’ll have a video about the creation of Rock Hudson coming your way very soon.
Also I hope you’ll join me for weekly livestreams over on Twitch every Sunday afternoon. This weekend we’ll be watching the queer Thanksgiving classic Addams Family Values. That’s at twitch.tv/mattbaume, Sunday at noon pacific, 3pm eastern.
And if you haven’t yet, take a look at my new book about the history of queer characters on American sitcoms, Hi Honey, I’m Homo! — available now wherever books are sold. Go to gaysitcoms.com for details and to get a signed copy.
Big thanks to everyone who makes all my work possible on Patreon — visit patreon.com/mattbaume to support Sewers of Paris and get patron-exclusive benefits.
My guest this week is an old friend. I first met Tim Sheridan about a decade ago, when we were both writers trying to figure out how to make a living doing what we loved. Well, it took some time, but we both figured it out. Today, Tim’s the celebrated writer of major movies and comics, from Justice League to He-Man and Transformers and Batman and Superman. His latest series is Alan Scott: The Green Lantern, which explores the story of a superhero hiding his homosexuality in the 1940s.
We’ll have that conversation in a minute.
First, a couple quick reminders, starting with a heads-up that my new video about the rise and fall and resurrection of 1950s heartthrob Tab Hunter is now up on YouTube!
And I hope you’ll join me for weekly livestreams over on Twitch every Sunday afternoon. With Thanksgiving fast approaching, this weekend we’ll be watching a bunch of classic Thanksgiving-themed sitcom episodes. That’s at twitch.tv/mattbaume, Sunday at noon pacific, 3pm eastern.
And if you haven’t yet, take a look at my new book about the history of queer characters on American sitcoms, Hi Honey, I’m Homo! — available now wherever books are sold. Go to gaysitcoms.com for details and to get a signed copy.
Big thanks to everyone who makes all my work possible on Patreon — visit patreon.com/mattbaume to support Sewers of Paris and get patron-exclusive benefits.
My guest this week is Jon Ginoli, who started the band Pansy Division in the early 90s. Jon was responding to a lack of queer music in the punk scene and a lack of punk music in the queer scene, and with the help of his bandmates he was among the first to successfully marry those two separate worlds — first in little dive venues in San Francisco, and before long, opening for Green Day at Madison Square Garden. Pansy Division is still touring to this day — check out their website for upcoming tour dates, including what will be the band’s one thousandth concert.
My guest this week is actor Ray Stewart, who first came to my attention in the role of Darryl Driscoll on the 70s sitcom Barney Miller. Ray played half of a same-sex couple at a time when such characters were vanishingly rare. But you’ve also seen him on everything from The Bob Newhart Show to Benson to Days of Our Lives and more — and that’s not even touching on his career in film and Broadway. Ray’s work has taken him around the world and across countless stages, and at 91 years old he’s still working in the career he loves — and now, using his success to help other artists like him.
We’ll have that conversation in a minute.
First, a couple quick reminders, starting with a heads-up that my new video about Psycho and the creation of Norman Bates just went live — check that out on my YouTube channel. And keep your eyes peeled for my next video, all about the life and loves of 50s heartthrob Tab Hunter. Also, I hope you’ll join me for weekly livestreams over on Twitch every Sunday afternoon at twitch.tv/mattbaume. We just did a watch-along of the anarchically gay Paul Lynde Halloween Special, and we’ll be enjoying even more queer Halloween treats this weekend.
Also if you haven’t yet, take a look at my new book about the history of queer characters on American sitcoms, Hi Honey, I’m Homo! — available now wherever books are sold. Go to gaysitcoms.com for details. You can even get a signed, personalized copy … which would make a great holiday gift.
Big thanks to everyone who makes all my work possible on Patreon — visit patreon.com/mattbaume to support Sewers of Paris and get patron-exclusive benefits.
My guest this week is Karel Bouley. Back in the 90s, Karel and his partner Andrew Howard were the first openly queer couple to host a major market drive time radio show in the US. And after Andrew unexpectedly passed away in the early 2000s, Karel helped change California laws around suing for wrongful death. For leaving a mark in those and many other ways, the city of Long Beach will recognize the couple with a ceremony next week, adding them to the local wall of fame in Harvey Milk Plaza. I talked to Karel about his inspirations, getting into radio, and how Barbra Streisand gave him something to aspire to.
We’ll have that conversation in a minute.
First, a couple quick reminders, starting with a heads-up that my new video about Psycho and the creation of Norman Bates is now live — check that out on my YouTube channel. Also, I hope you’ll join me for weekly livestreams over on Twitch every Sunday afternoon at twitch.tv/mattbaume. We just did a watch-along of some excellent episodes of Alfred Hitchcock Presents, and we’ll be enjoying some very gay Halloween specials this weekend.
And if you haven’t yet, take a look at my new book about the history of queer characters on sitcoms, Hi Honey, I’m Homo! — available now wherever books are sold. Go to gaysitcoms.com for details. You can even get a signed, personalized copy … which might make a nice holiday gift, if you’re the kind of person who likes getting your shopping done early.
Big thanks to everyone who makes all my work possible on Patreon — visit patreon.com/mattbaume to support Sewers of Paris and get patron-exclusive benefits.
I’m speaking this week with Wilson Paulino, who co-hosts the Wilferland podcast with his partner Fernando. Wilson grew up in a pretty idyllic tourist town in the Dominican Republic, where life was good … as long as he didn’t talk about who he really was. Quietly closeted, he watched gay couples on American TV shows, living lives that seemed impossibly far away. But meeting his partner helped open a new chapter for them both — one that bears surprising resemblance to some of their favorite fictional queer heroes.
We’ll have that conversation in a minute.
First, a couple quick reminders, starting with a heads-up that I’ve got a video coming your way this weekend about the making of the movie Psycho and the long strange journey of Norman Bates.
Also, I hope you’ll join me for weekly livestreams over on Twitch every Sunday afternoon at twitch.tv/mattbaume. Last time we watched some classic episodes of Alfred Hitchcock Presents, and we’ll be continuing that this weekend. And if you haven’t yet, take a look at my new book about the history of queer characters on sitcoms, Hi Honey, I’m Homo! — available now wherever books are sold. Go to gaysitcoms.com for details. You can even get a signed, personalized copy … which might make a nice holiday gift, if you’re the kind of person who likes getting your shopping done early.
Big thanks to everyone who makes all my work possible on Patreon — visit patreon.com/mattbaume to support Sewers of Paris and get patron-exclusive benefits.
In honor of the start of October, the spookiest month, this week we’re diving into the Sewers of Paris archives to hear my 2015 interview with Jamie Mauer, who you may also know as Rantasmo, the creator of the Needs More Gay YouTube series. Jamie grew up loving unsettling stories — like a lot of queer people. For those of us who feel pressure to hide their true selves, horror and fantasy — and particularly Halloween — provide a chance to trade one mask for another, be someone new, and scare everyone else for a change.
We’ll have that conversation in a minute.
First, a couple quick reminders, starting with a heads-up that I’ve got a video coming your way soon on YouTube about the making of the movie Psycho and the long strange journey of Norman Bates.
Also, I hope you’ll join me for weekly livestreams over on Twitch every Sunday afternoon at twitch.tv/mattbaume. This weekend we’ll be watching and dissecting some classic episodes of Alfred Hitchcock Presents. And if you haven’t yet, take a look at my new book about the history of queer characters on sitcoms, Hi Honey, I’m Homo! — available now wherever books are sold. Go to gaysitcoms.com for details.
Big thanks to everyone who makes all my work possible on Patreon — visit patreon.com/mattbaume to support Sewers of Paris and get patron-exclusive benefits.
My guest this week is Frank Abate, who’s about to open the first shelter and community center for queer youth in the Dominican Republic. He’s been working on this project for a long time, with the help of many fellow activists, and it hasn’t been easy. But Frank’s drawn inspiration from many sources, from moving queer stories in movies like Torch Song Trilogy … and from his travels around the, which were partially inspired, many years ago, by sitcoms. Which is how queer youth in the Dominican Republic will soon have new opportunities to thrive thanks. in some small part, to Ron Howard.
We’ll have that conversation in a minute.
First, a couple quick reminders, starting with a heads-up that I’ve got a video coming your way soon on YouTube about the making of the movie Psycho and the long strange journey of Norman Bates.
Also, I hope you’ll join me for weekly livestreams over on Twitch every Sunday afternoon at twitch.tv/mattbaume. And if you haven’t yet, take a look at my new book about the history of queer characters on sitcoms, Hi Honey, I’m Homo! — available now wherever books are sold. Go to gaysitcoms.com for details.
Big thanks to everyone who makes all my work possible on Patreon — visit patreon.com/mattbaume to support Sewers of Paris and get patron-exclusive benefits.
My guest this week is Scott Mainprize, a two-spirit author, lawyer, and instructor based in Ottawa. Scott’s been walking in multiple simultaneous worlds his whole life, and he’s always found himself drawn to stories of characters doing the same — starting with a childhood interest in the movie The Little Mermaid and a lesser known TV show called The Little Vampire. Both are about people figuring themselves out while living in places they were told they weren’t allowed to be — a topic of particular interest in Scott's adult work with justice systems, and in his new novel The First Few Feet in a World of Wolves.
We’ll have that conversation in a minute.
First, a couple quick reminders, starting with a heads-up that I’ve got a video coming your way soon on YouTube about the making of the movie Psycho and the long strange journey of Norman Bates.
Also, I hope you’ll join me for weekly livestreams over on Twitch every Sunday afternoon at twitch.tv/mattbaume. And if you haven’t yet, take a look at my new book about the history of queer characters on sitcoms, Hi Honey, I’m Homo! — available now wherever books are sold. Go to gaysitcoms.com for details.
Big thanks to everyone who makes all my work possible on Patreon — visit patreon.com/mattbaume to support Sewers of Paris and get patron-exclusive benefits.
My guest this week is Tate Barkley, whose new memoir comes out next week and is entitled Sunday Dinners, Moonshine, and Men. It’s the story of a closeted kid growing up in an environment surrounded by toxic masculine figures, protective women, and moonshine operations that planted the seeds of a dangerous relationship with alcohol. Pulling himself up out of that world was a years-long process — and these days, Tate’s found a life that brings him joy he couldn’t possibly have envisioned back then.
We’ll have that conversation in a minute.
First, a couple quick reminders, starting with a heads-up that my new video about Some Like it Hot is now live — check that out on my YouTube channel. Also, I hope you’ll join me for weekly livestreams over on Twitch every Sunday afternoon at twitch.tv/mattbaume. We just started a watch-along of the movie Psycho, and we’ll be resuming that this Sunday the 17th.
And if you haven’t yet, take a look at my new book about the history of queer characters on sitcoms, Hi Honey, I’m Homo! — available now wherever books are sold. Go to gaysitcoms.com for details.
Big thanks to everyone who makes all my work possible on Patreon — visit patreon.com/mattbaume to support Sewers of Paris and get patron-exclusive benefits.
My guest this week is Frankie Miranda, the first openly gay president and CEO of the Hispanic Federation — a nonprofit serving the Latino community. Frankie’s background isn’t what you might expect for the head of a political organization. When he moved from Puerto Rico to New York, the plan was to study theater. But his dramatic training turned out to serve him well in work where he could serve his community — especially after stepping into a leadership role that threw him multiple immediate curveballs. Fortunately, he was prepared — thanks in part to confidence-building pop divas and an education that included daytime TV.
We’ll have that conversation in a minute.
First, a couple quick reminders, starting with a heads-up that my new video about Some Like it Hot is now live — check that out on my YouTube channel. Also, I hope you’ll join me for weekly livestreams over on Twitch every Sunday afternoon at twitch.tv/mattbaume. And if you haven’t yet, take a look at my new book about the history of queer characters on sitcoms, Hi Honey, I’m Homo! — available now wherever books are sold. Go to gaysitcoms.com for details.
Big thanks to everyone who makes all my work possible on Patreon — visit patreon.com/mattbaume to support Sewers of Paris and get patron-exclusive benefits.
On last week's Sewers of Paris podcast I spoke with Ben Miller of the Bad Gays book and podcast. This week I’m talking to his co-host and co-author, Huw Lemmey, a writer whose work investigates the disgusting. It’s an unlikely fascination, one borne out of attitudes he heard expressed about queer people when he was growing up. In looking at the realities of human life, from its best to its worst, Huw’s writing has evolved from asking whether people can be loveable despite being gross … to whether they are lovable because they are gross.
Also, a couple quick reminders, starting with a heads-up that I’ve got a new video coming your way this weekend on YouTube! This one’s about the behind the scenes making of the film Some Like it Hot. Join me Sunday at 11am pacific at youtube.com/mattbaume for a livestream and then the premiere of the video.
And I hope you’ll join me for weekly livestreams over on Twitch! Every Sunday afternoon we watch and talk about classic episodes of television, great movies, and occasionally old commercials that have a way of sticking with you. That’s at twitch.tv/mattbaume every Sunday.
And if you haven’t yet, take a look at my new book about the history of queer characters on sitcoms, Hi Honey, I’m Homo! — available now wherever books are sold. It’s the book that Dan Savage called “a triumph” and said “everyone should read this book.” So you should! Go to gaysitcoms.com to get a copy and request a personalized signature.
My guest this week is Ben Miller, co-author and co-creator of the Bad Gays book and podcast. Ben was headed for a career in international relations until he realized just how out of place he was in that role. It was a lucky encounter with a historical communist leader who helped him course-correct, and now he helps lead the largest queer archive in the world while enjoying his passions for opera and some of the most infamous queer villains in history.
We’ll have that conversation in a minute.
First, a couple quick reminders, starting with a heads-up that I hope you’ll join me for weekly livestreams over on Twitch! Every Sunday afternoon we watch and talk about classic episodes of television, great movies, and occasionally old commercials that have a way of sticking with you. Lately we’ve been doing a watch-along of one of the greatest comedies ever made, Some Like it Hot. The livestreams are every Sunday at noon pacific over at twitch.tv/mattbaume.
And I also have a Some Like it Hot video coming your way soon on my YouTube channel. It’s the behind the scenes story of the making of the film that helped change movies as we know them, including the incredible backstage drama that threatened to destroy some of the lead actors’ lives. That’s coming your way soon at YouTube.com/mattbaume.
And if you haven’t yet, take a look at my new book about the history of queer characters on sitcoms, Hi Honey, I’m Homo! — available now wherever books are sold. It’s the book that Dan Savage called “a triumph” and said “everyone should read this book.” So you should! Go to gaysitcoms.com to get a copy and request a personalized signature.
Big thanks to everyone who makes all my work possible on Patreon — visit patreon.com/mattbaume to support Sewers of Paris and get patron-exclusive benefits.
My guest this week is John Griffiths, the founder and executive director of GALECA — that’s The Society of LGBTQ Entertainment Critics. From an early age, John loved spending time with TV families, and as an adult he turned that passion into a career, spending time hob-nobbing and covering icons of entertainment. But like those found-families that captured his attention as a kid, he’s also assembled a family of his won — one consisting of hundreds of like-minded queer journalists and cultural critics.
We’ll have that conversation in a minute.
First, a couple quick reminders, starting with a heads-up that I hope you’ll joining me for weekly livestreams over on Twitch! Every Sunday afternoon we watch and talk about classic episodes of television, great movies, and occasionally old commercials that have a way of sticking with you. That’s every Sunday at noon over at twitch.tv/mattbaume.
And over on my YouTube channel, I’ve got a video coming your way about the behind the scenes story of the movie Some Like it Hot — including the incredible backstage drama that threatened to tear many of the lead actors apart. That’s coming your way soon at YouTube.com/mattbaume.
And if you haven’t yet, take a look at my new book about the history of queer characters on sitcoms, Hi Honey, I’m Homo! — available now wherever books are sold. It’s the book that Dan Savage called “a triumph” and said “everyone should read this book.” So you should! Go to gaysitcoms.com to get a copy and request a personalized signature.
Big thanks to everyone who makes all my work possible on Patreon — visit patreon.com/mattbaume to support Sewers of Paris and get patron-exclusive benefits.
My guest this week is illustrator Kevin Jay Stanton. I can’t remember how he first came to my attention, but for the last few years I’ve been following him and his lovely artwork of plants and woodland creatures, which find their way onto all manner of objects from tarot cards to bomber jackets. Kevin’s work draws heavily from the natural world, which is why I was surprised to hear that for a time, he set those motifs aside and was pursuing work that he was told would be more commercially lucrative — until he figured out how much better it feels to do work that feels good.
We’ll have that conversation in a minute.
But first — a quick reminder to check out my YouTube channel for videos about film and TV history. I just posted a video about the behind-the-scenes making of All in the Family — the rise and fall and afterlife of the Bunker family. And I’ve got a video coming soon about the backstage battles behind the movie Some Like it Hot. That’s at YouTube.com/mattbaume.
And I hope you’ll join me every Sunday for livestreams — we’ve been watching a lot of classic TV shows and films & talking about our favorite parts. You can join us for those at twitch.tv/mattbaume.
Also take a look at my new book about the history of queer characters on sitcoms, Hi Honey, I’m Homo! — available now wherever books are sold. Go to gaysitcoms.com to get a copy and request a personalized signature.
Big thanks to everyone who makes all my work possible on Patreon — visit patreon.com/mattbaume to support Sewers of Paris and get patron-exclusive benefits.
My guest this week spent eight years auditioning for Drag Race before he was accepted and his life completely changed. Alexis Michelle, aka Alex Michaels, was a theater performer when he discovered a love of drag, and gradually figured out how to turn his hobby into his career. Now Alexis known for two much-talked about appearances on Drag Race, for appearing on the show Dragnificent, for multiple off-Broadway roles, an album, and an upcoming live tour. But Alex (and Alexis) are only just getting started — ever since seeing his first Sondheim show at the age of five, he’s never stopped dreaming of Broadway. And he’s never been closer to making that dream a reality.
We’ll have that conversation in a minute.
But first — a quick reminder that I have a new book out! It’s about the behind-the-scenes history of queer characters on sitcoms, and the role that comedy played in queer liberation. It’s called Hi Honey, I’m Homo! and it’s available now wherever books are sold. I can even sign and personalize your copy before shipping it to you — just go to gaysitcoms.com and look for the instructions for ordering a signed copy.
Also don’t forget to swing by my YouTube channel for videos about film and TV history. That’s at YouTube.com/mattbaume — I’ve got one coming this Sunday, August 6, about the-behind-the-scenes making of All in the Family. Also, join me every Sunday for livestreams over on Twitch at twitch.tv/mattbaume where I share the amazing bits of film & TV history that I come across in my research.
Big thanks to everyone who makes all my work possible on Patreon — visit patreon.com/mattbaume to support Sewers of Paris and get patron-exclusive benefits.
My guest this week is Trip Galey, who grew up in the macho world of rodeo before leaving it all behind to join the world of fairies. At his first opportunity, Trip left home to study literature and Shakespeare, finding himself drawn to classical fantasies — to the point that he reshaped his life around them, finding a home in England and dedicating himself to the study of magical tales. Now, his first novel is about to debut. It’s entitled A Market of Dreams and Destiny, and it’s about a human teen who sees an opportunity to escape the oppressive world of his childhood for one of freedom, magic … and romance with a mysterious man.
We’ll have that conversation in a minute.
But first — you may have heard that I too have a new book out! It’s about the behind-the-scenes history of queer characters on sitcoms, and the role that comedy played in queer liberation — and continues to play to this day. It’s called Hi Honey, I’m Homo! and it’s available now wherever books are sold. I can even sign and personalize your copy before shipping it to you — just go to gaysitcoms.com and look for the instructions for ordering a signed copy.
Also if you’re a fan of queer culture, and I’m sure you are, don’t forget to swing by my YouTube channel for my videos about film and TV history. That’s at YouTube.com/mattbaume — I’ve got one coming soon about the behind the scenes making of All in the Family. And join me every Sunday for livestreams over on Twitch at twitch.tv/mattbaume where I share the amazing bits of film & TV history that I come across in my research.
Also, big thanks to everyone who makes all my work possible on Patreon — visit patreon.com/mattbaume to support Sewers of Paris and get patron-exclusive benefits.
My guest this week is Jesse Finley Reed, co-director and co-producer of the new documentary All Man, which dives deep into the famous (or infamous) catalog/magazine International Male. If you were a curious young queer in the 90s, chances are good that you took a furtive look through the pages of International Male, or had copies hidden in places only you knew about. It was a source of daring, adventurous fashion, and plenty of exposed male flesh. When it comes to telling the story of the rise and eventual fall of International Male, Jesse has a particularly personal connection — going back to his teen years and a doctor who completely changed the course of his life.
We’ll have that conversation in a minute.
But first — you may have heard that I too have a new book out! It’s about the behind-the-scenes history of queer characters on sitcoms, and the role that comedy played in queer liberation — and continues to play to this day. It’s called Hi Honey, I’m Homo! and it’s available now wherever books are sold. I can even sign and personalize your copy before shipping it to you — just go to gaysitcoms.com and look for the instructions for ordering a signed copy.
Also if you’re a fan of queer culture, and I’m sure you are, don’t forget to swing by my YouTube channel for my videos about film and TV history. That’s at YouTube.com/mattbaume — I just published a new video about the incredible work of Norman Lear that I think you’ll love. And join me every Sunday for livestreams over on Twitch at twitch.tv/mattbaume where I share all of the amazing bits of film & TV history that I come across in my research.
Big thanks to everyone who makes all my work possible on Patreon — visit patreon.com/mattbaume to support Sewers of Paris and get patron-exclusive benefits.
I have two guests this week — Shantel Buggs and Trevor Hoppe are the co-authors of a new book about how queer people talk to each other about sex entitled “Unsafe Words: Queering Consent in the #MeToo Era.” I spoke to them both about what brought them to this topic, and about their individual experiences growing up as queer people in very different environments. We’ll hear first from Shantel, who planned to be a doctor before she felt the unexpected call from a very different field of study. And then from Trevor, who was a self-described “horny little teenager” whose early experiences with gay community involved a chaotic nosebleed caused by dancing too close to a butt.
We’ll have those conversations in a minute. And just a heads-up before we get going — this episode will include some brief discussion of sexual assault.
But first — you may have heard that I too have a new book out! It’s about the behind-the-scenes history of queer characters on sitcoms, and the role that comedy played in queer liberation — and continues to play to this day. It’s called Hi Honey, I’m Homo! and it’s available now wherever books are sold. I can even sign and personalize your copy before shipping it to you — just go to gaysitcoms.com and look for the instructions for ordering a signed copy.
Also if you’re a fan of queer culture, and I’m sure you are, don’t forget to swing by my YouTube channel for my videos about film and TV history. That’s at YouTube.com/mattbaume — I just published a new video about the incredible work of Norman Lear that I think you’ll love. You can also subscribe to my email newsletter for weekly dispatches, and join me every Sunday for livestreams over on Twitch at twitch.tv/mattbaume where I share all of the amazing bits of film & TV history that I come across in my research.
Big thanks to everyone who makes all my work possible on Patreon — visit patreon.com/mattbaume to support Sewers of Paris and get patron-exclusive benefits.
Welcome back to the Sewers of Paris. Thanks for your patience during the brief pause in the podcast during the month of June — and now I’m delighted to get back behind the mic for more conversations about the entertainment that changed the lives of queer people. On tonight’s episode:
My guest this week is Manuel Betancourt, whose new book of essays about hunks, heartthrobs, and what pop culture taught him about men — and the desire for them. Manuel’s found his way through a series of re-inventions, moving from Colombia to Canada to New York and California, each time deciding to try out a new life as he zeroed in on the one that fits best — one that, it turns out, includes naked garden parties.
We’ll have that conversation in a minute. But first — you may have heard that I too have a new book out! It’s about the behind-the-scenes history of queer characters on sitcoms, and the role that comedy played in queer liberation — and continues to play to this day. It’s called Hi Honey, I’m Homo! and it’s available now wherever books are sold. I can even sign and personalize your copy before shipping it to you — just go to gaysitcoms.com and look for the instructions for ordering a signed copy.
Also if you’re a fan of queer culture, and I’m sure you are, don’t forget to swing by my YouTube channel for my videos about film and TV history. That’s at YouTube.com/mattbaume — and I’ve got a new video premiering this weekend all about Norman Lear that I think you’ll love. You can also subscribe to my email newsletter for weekly dispatches, and join me every Sunday for livestreams over on Twitch at twitch.tv/mattbaume — on the last livestream, we watched clips from a bunch of my favorite failed TV show pilots, and there’s lots more to watch on the next one.
Oh and one more thing — I’ve added two new free features to my Patreon. The first is a free tier that gets monthly Q&A videos where I respond to questions and clips sent in by folks like you. And the second is a free trial, so you can watch hundreds of Patreon-exclusive bonus videos for a week, and then decide if you want to stick around. You can check out the Patreon at patreon.com/mattbaume.
On the last episode of Sewers of Paris, we heard from Max Miller, host of the YouTube series Tasting History the book of the same name. This week, we’re revisiting my 2020 conversation Max’s partner José, who as a kid was a shy gay nerd before he grew up to be … also a shy gay nerd. But one who helped launch Disney Plus, who now cohosts a YouTube series of his own, created a life for himself he could never have imagined when he was young.
Also: A quick reminder that I’ve got a book of my own about to come out — Hi Honey, I’m Homo — and I’ll be hosting live readings this month in New York, Chicago, Seattle, Portland, and we’re about to add Los Angeles to the itinerary.
On this week's Sewers of Paris podcast, we’re diving into the archives to revisit my 2020 interview with Max Miller. He’s the creator of the Tasting History YouTube channel, and author of the new book Tasting History, which comes out this week. In Max’s video series, he shares historical recipes and intriguing stories about the origin of the foods that humans have eaten throughout history, and his book expands on that work. It was inspired, in part, by Max’s appreciation for The Great British Bakeoff, and at first he didn’t intend for his videos to be anything other than a fun hobby to entertain family and friends — which is why nobody was more surprised than him when it took off, making unexpected use of his background in musical theater and his time swinging from the rafters of a cruise ship.
We’ll have that conversation in a minute. First, a reminder that I’ve got a book of my own about to come out in May — tracing the history of queer characters on American sitcoms and entitled Hi Honey, I’m Homo. I’ll be hosting live book readings around the country to celebrate launch! So far we have New York, Chicago, and Seattle on the calendar, and we’re about to add Portland. Plus there’s more on the way. Check out the details at gaysitcoms.com, or subscribe to my weekly newsletter for all the latest at mattbaume.com.
My guest this week is Andrew Rimby, host of the Ivory Tower Boiler Room podcast. Andrew’s career as an entertainer began at an early age as a stage performer, but then he took an unexpected swerve into academia, and he’s spent the last decade pursuing a PhD, exploring the work of Victorian poets and in particular the homoerotics of Walt Whitman and Oscar Wilde.
We’ll have that conversation in a minute. First, a reminder that I’ve got a book coming out this May — Hi Honey, I’m Homo, now available for pre-order at gaysitcoms.com. And we’ve just announced a bunch of in-person events I’ll be hosting around the country to celebrate the book launch! So far we have New York, Chicago, and Seattle on the calendar with more on the way. Check out the details at gaysitcoms.com.
And! I popped by Andrew’s podcast to talk about my work, activism, and queer liberation. Check that out here.
Author Christopher Rice is known for a lot of things, from his thrillers to his podcast to collaborations with his mother Anne Rice to his more recent foray into novels about gay romance. I spoke to him last year about his book Sapphire Sunset, and now he has a new book in that series coming out. It’s entitled Sapphire Storm, and it’s about two men who start as bitter enemies before they realize that there’s an irresistible force pulling them closer together.
I caught up with Christopher for an update to our previous conversation, and we spoke about his writing process and why gay romance matters. Because of his busy schedule, this conversation’s a little shorter than the usual Sewers of Paris interviews. But chatting with Christopher is always a delight — and if you want more, after this episode you can jump back to our conversation last year in episode 378.
Also, a quick update on my upcoming book about the history of queer characters on sitcoms, Hi Honey I’m Homo: we’ve announced some live in-person events, with more on the way! Head over to GaySitcoms.com to see if I’m coming to your town for a reading and book signing — so far we have events confirmed for New York, Chicago, and Seattle, with additional ones in the works.
My guest this week is Harvey Brownstone, who in 1995 became Canada’s first openly gay judge. Focusing his career on family law, Harvey helped shine a spotlight on Canada as a destination for same-sex couples to wed before it was legal in the US. But before all that, he was a young gay kid who’d been thrown out of the house, struggling through school, living on welfare, and searching for others like him.
We’ll have that conversation in a minute. First just want to let you know that we’re gearing up for the release of my book, Hi Honey I’m Homo, on May 23rd. It’s all about the history of queer characters on sitcoms, and you can pre-order now at gaysitcoms.com. As the book release approaches, there may be a few gaps in the podcast release schedule — but I’m hoping to keep those to a minimum. Thanks for your patience, thanks to everyone who’s pre-ordered already!
If you happen to be in Toronto this weekend, you may want to find your way down to Massey Hall on Saturday night for a one-night-only performance called Och and Oy!, starring actor Alan Cumming and NPR correspondent Ari Shapiro. Their collaborative show is a mix of cabaret and storytelling, and to mark its debut, I’m diving into the Sewers archives to revisit my 2018 conversation with Ari Shapiro, who was then as now one of the hosts of NPR’s flagship show All Things Considered. As a journalist, Ari primarily tells other people's stories, but his own story is considerably is more winding than you might expect -- behind his calm voice is a man who spent time as an undocumented immigrant, who carried mace for protection in high school, and who might never have found his place on the radio if a gay icon hadn't intervened on his behalf.
We’ll have that conversation in a minute. First, a reminder that I’ve got a book coming out this May about the history of queer characters on sitcoms, from Bewitched to The Golden Girls to Friends. It’s called Hi Honey, I’m Homo. Pre-orders are open — and those pre-orders are so important, so if you’ve been meaning to get one in, now’s the time! Head over to gaysitcoms.com to reserve your copy.
And if you like pop culture history, check out my YouTube channel for tales from behind the scenes of iconic movies and TV shows! I just posted a video about the movie The Birdcage and its long winding journey to the screen, and I’ve got another coming soon about a gay couple that transformed the way television depicted queer people in the 1970s — and the psychiatrist who tried to stop them. Check those videos out at YouTube.com/mattbaume.
This week we’re concluding my conversation with filmmaker David Weissman (We Were Here, The Cockettes, Conversations With My Elders) with part 3 of our talk. Previously we talked about his background in hippie enclaves of Los Angeles in the 1960s, and then his move to San Francisco. We ended our last conversation on a pause, since it was moving in a direction David wasn’t prepared to talk about — and so this week we’re resuming with an explanation of what happened.
This week we’re picking up my previous conversation with filmmaker David Weissman, who started off in hippie enclaves of Los Angeles in the 1960s before moving up to San Francisco for the particularly adventurous 70s. In this part of our chat, we touch on SF’s counterculture scene, the music and nightlife, and also the political upheaval that soon followed.
Just as we were starting to talk about the 1980s … our connection momentarily dropped out. And when we picked up, David asked to pause the interview, because it was going in a direction that he wanted to reconsider. So you’re about to hear our conversation up to about that point, and then I’ll pop back in to explain what happened next.
My guest this week is documentary filmmaker David Weissman, who was in exactly the right place at the right time to have a front-row seat to one of the most revolutionary periods in American culture. In fact, he wasn’t just an observer of the Venice Beach LSD scene in the 60s, or of San Francisco’s chaotic drag cauldron in the 70s — he was an active participant, exploring and enjoying an explosion of music, live performance, and a rejection of institutions that once seemed unassailable. My conversation with David delves deep into what it was like to bounce around beach communities, music festivals, and underground theater in California during that time … and he has so many great stories and memories to share that we’re going to be breaking our conversation into multiple parts, with the first coming this week. I hope you’ll find David’s perspective as fascinating as I did.
We’ll have the first half of that conversation in a minute. First, a reminder that I’ve got a book coming out this May about the history of queer characters on sitcoms, from Bewitched to The Golden Girls to Friends, and how the real-life story of queer liberation is told over decades of television comedy. It’s called Hi Honey, I’m Homo, and pre-orders are open — head over to gaysitcoms.com to get all the details.
And if you like pop culture history, check out my YouTube channel for tales from behind the scenes of iconic movies and TV shows — I just posted a new video about Alfred Hitchcock’s movie Rope, which featured a gay couple as the main characters all the way back in 1948 — unbeknownst to censors, of course. Also unbeknownst were the details of a real life gay love affair going on behind the scenes between the movie’s writer and its star. Check that out at YouTube.com/mattbaume.
And a big thanks to everyone who supports The Sewers of Paris on Patreon! Head over to SewersOfParis.com to support the show, and listen to over 400 past episodes.
My guest this week is Andrew Farrier, a New Orleans tour guide and podcaster who began his career in a small Louisiana town, giving tours of haunted houses as a kid. A child of hippies, Andrew was given wide latitude to explore creative pursuits, and it wasn’t long before he found himself in New Orleans, testing the boundaries of performance and exploring surprising histories — from early gay inhabitants to a close friend’s long-hidden connection to voodoo.
We’ll have that conversation in a minute. First, a reminder that I’ve got a book coming out next year about the history of queer characters on sitcoms, from Bewitched to The Golden Girls to Friends, and how the real-life story of queer liberation is told over decades of television comedy. It’s called Hi Honey, I’m Homo, and pre-orders are open — head over to gaysitcoms.com to get all the details.
And a big thanks to everyone who supports The Sewers of Paris on Patreon! Head over to SewersOfParis.com to support the show, and listen to over 400 past episodes.
Hello and welcome to the Sewers of Paris Holiday Special Special! In the spirit of the season, we’re diving back into the Sewers archives for my 2017 conversations with numerous past guests about their very favorite seasonal entertainment. We'll have an appreciation of Batman Returns from writer Anthony Oliveira, author of Lord of Empyre: Emperor Hulkling among many other works. There's a tribute to Snow Miser from Glen Weldon of NPR's Pop Culture Happy Hour. Performance artist Johnnie Jungleguts will explain why Eyes Wide Shut is his favorite Christmas movie. Videomaker & Dungeon Master Carlos Maza will bring us tidings of Arianna Grande and gay men's choruses. And there's lots more guests and lots more special -- we've got everything to fill your hearts with festive cheer at this, the darkest time of year.
We’re doing something a little different on this week’s episode — we’ve got TWO guests. Kaela Joseph and Tanya Cook are the authors of the new book Fandom Acts of Kindness, which is about how fandoms can change the world, from Star Trek to Xena Warrior Princess to Supernatural and Our Flag Means Death. Kaela and Tanya have spent years within various nerdy communities, where they’ve seen how fans can use their love of all things geeky to make the world a better place.
We’ll have that conversation in a minute. First, a reminder that I’ve got a book coming out next year about queer sitcoms! It’s called Hi Honey, I’m Homo, and pre-orders are open — head over to gaysitcoms.com to get all the details.
And a big thanks to everyone who supports The Sewers of Paris on Patreon! Head over to SewersOfParis.com to support the show, and listen to over 400 past episodes.
This week my guest is J.P. Der Boghossian, and I’m also his guest. JP’s the host of the podcast This Queer Book Saved My Life, where he talks to queer folks about their favorite books. And we’re doing a sort of podcast exchange — for the first half of the episode I’ll interview him about the entertainment that impacted him the most, and then he’ll turn things around and interview me about one of my favorite books. Let me know what you think of this little experiment! And check out his podcast at ThisQueerBook.com.
We’ll have that conversation in a minute. First, a reminder that I’ve got a book coming out next year about queer sitcoms! It’s called Hi Honey, I’m Homo, and pre-orders are open — head over to gaysitcoms.com to get all the details.
And a big thanks to everyone who supports The Sewers of Paris on Patreon! Head over to SewersOfParis.com to support the show, and listen to over 400 past episodes.
This week’s guest is Noah Adams, a researcher investigating the experiences of people who are trans and autistic. Noah’s understanding of himself began with cartoons in childhood, with characters that drew his interest in ways that he wouldn’t fully understand until years later.
By the way, in our conversation, Noah mentions a fundraiser that he’s doing to help queer people relocate to safety — here’s the link for that if you’d like to chip in.
Also, a big thanks to everyone who supports The Sewers of Paris on Patreon! Patrons get hours of exclusive bonus videos about pop culture history, stickers and stuff in the mail, and names in the credits of YouTube videos.
My guest this week is Ben Sander, creator of the character Brini Maxwell, a drag hostess who’s helmed shows about crafting, cooking, and homemaking, for decades. It all started with a little cable access show that he produced with some help from his mother, before becoming a cable TV series, with live shows that continue to this day — with Brini the character continuing to evolve as Ben her creator explores new artistic frontiers.
(Also: if you’re a fan of pop culture history — and I think you are — you’ll probably enjoy Sam’s great blog from a few years back, The Obscurity Factor.)
We’ll have that conversation in a minute. First, a reminder that I’ve got a book coming out next year about queer sitcoms! It’s called Hi Honey, I’m Homo, and pre-orders are open — head over to gaysitcoms.com to get all the details.
Also, big thanks to everyone who supports The Sewers of Paris on Patreon! Patrons get hours of exclusive bonus videos about pop culture history, stickers and stuff in the mail, and names in the credits of YouTube videos.
My guest this week is Edgar Gomez, author of the book High Risk Homosexual. Edgar spent years trying to figure out who he was, bouncing from one group to another — which took him from skater cliques to an encounter with a sex worker in Nicaragua to enrolling in school to become a cop, until he was expelled after being falsely accused of being a drug dealer. Edgar auditioned a lot of identities before he found one that felt right — one that allowed him to continue infiltrating and exploring all the different ways that human beings find to connect with each other.
We’ll have that conversation in a minute. First, a reminder that I’ve got a book coming out next year about queer sitcoms! It’s called Hi Honey, I’m Homo, and pre-orders are open — head over to gaysitcoms.com to get all the details.
Also, big thanks to everyone who supports The Sewers of Paris on Patreon! Patrons get hours of exclusive bonus videos about pop culture history, stickers and stuff in the mail, and names in the credits of YouTube videos.
My guest this week is Josh Weed, who ten years ago became a minor online celebrity after writing a blog post about how he was gay, Mormon, and happily married to a woman. Well, things have changed a bit since then. In 2018, Josh and his now ex-wife decided that it just wasn’t working, and they parted ways to pursue new relationships. Since then, they’ve both re-married, and remain close friends. And Josh has had some space to reflect on the cultural forces that gave them a distorted view of human sexuality … and those that helped them break free, including a handful of unexpected films.
We’ll have that conversation in a minute. First, a reminder that I’ve got a book coming out next year about queer sitcoms! It’s called Hi Honey, I’m Homo, and pre-orders are open — head over to gaysitcoms.com to get all the details.
Also, big thanks to everyone who supports The Sewers of Paris on Patreon! Patrons get hours of exclusive bonus videos about pop culture history, stickers and stuff in the mail, and names in the credits of YouTube videos.
My guest this week is Josh Weed, who ten years ago became a minor online celebrity after writing a blog post about how he was gay, Mormon, and happily married to a woman. Well, things have changed a bit since then. In 2018, Josh and his now ex-wife decided that it just wasn’t working, and they parted ways to pursue new relationships. Since then, they’ve both re-married, and remain close friends. And Josh has had some space to reflect on the cultural forces that gave them a distorted view of human sexuality … and those that helped them break free, including a handful of unexpected films.
We’ll have that conversation in a minute. First, a reminder that I’ve got a book coming out next year about queer sitcoms! It’s called Hi Honey, I’m Homo, and pre-orders are open — head over to gaysitcoms.com to get all the details.
Also, big thanks to everyone who supports The Sewers of Paris on Patreon! Patrons get hours of exclusive bonus videos about pop culture history, stickers and stuff in the mail, and names in the credits of YouTube videos.
This week I’m talking to Mayor John Bauters — yes that’s right the actual mayor of Emeryville, which are the words on the sash that was made for him by Pixar studios, just one of the constituencies in his East Bay town. John never planned to become an elected official, and he doesn’t care if people vote him out. Which is maybe what makes him such an unusual leader.
We’ll have that conversation in a minute. First, a reminder that I’ve got a book coming out next year about queer sitcoms! It’s called Hi Honey, I’m Homo, and pre-orders are open — head over to gaysitcoms.com to get all the details.
Also, big thanks to everyone who supports The Sewers of Paris on Patreon! Patrons get hours of exclusive bonus videos about pop culture history, stickers and stuff in the mail, and shoutouts in YouTube videos.
My guest this week is Professor Paul Baker, a writer and linguist whose work includes some FASCINATING explorations of Polari, the secret 19-century queer language that existed in England a century ago. He’s also delved deep into the history of British don’t-say-gay laws, gay seafarers, and in an upcoming book about campy queer culture. Given his expertise in campy sitcoms, drag stars, and celebrated actresses, I have a feeling that he speaks a language in which listeners of this podcast will be particularly fluent.
We’ll have that conversation in a minute. First, a reminder that I’ve got a book coming out next year about queer sitcoms! It’s called Hi Honey, I’m Homo, and pre-orders are open — head over to gaysitcoms.com to get all the details.
Also, big thanks to everyone who supports The Sewers of Paris on Patreon! Patrons get hours of exclusive bonus videos about pop culture history, stickers and stuff in the mail, and shoutouts in YouTube videos.
Over on YouTube, I just released a new video about the long queer history of vampire lore — from Victorian novels about killer lesbians and undead seamen to early motion pictures and then the groundbreaking novel Interview With the Vampire in the 1970s. A new adaptation of Interview just premiered on AMC this week, and so in honor of that we’re diving into the Sewers archives to revisit my 2015 interview with Levi Hastings.
Levi’s an illustrator who grew up feeling like a misfit in his tiny religious Idaho town. He could tell he was an outsider, and so he decided to lean into it: embracing anything dark and sinister and brooding. It felt good to freak the world out with his talk of vampires and Marilyn Manson ... but it was also a little lonely. He knew there were other people like him out there in the world, he just wasn't sure where to find them… until he embarked on an eye-opening road trip.
We’ll have that conversation in a minute. First, in case you haven’t heard, I’ve got a book coming out next year about queer sitcoms! It’s called Hi Honey, I’m Homo, and pre-orders are open — head over to gaysitcoms.com to get all the details.
Also, big thanks to everyone who supports The Sewers of Paris on Patreon! Patrons get hours of exclusive bonus videos about pop culture history, stickers and stuff in the mail, and shoutouts in YouTube videos.
For this week’s episode, I couldn’t decide if I wanted to run an interview about horror movies, since October’s about to begin — or about romantic comedies, in recognition of Billy Eichner’s new rom-com Bros. So I decided to run an episode about horror AND romance. It’s a revisit of my 2018 interview with Michael Varrati, Hollywood screenwriter responsible for such films as From Hell She Rises, and Seven Dorms of Death … and also A Christmas Reunion and A Christmas in Vermont. Michael's genre-hopping might seem a little weird, but he's not alone in straddling horror and rom-com.
We’ll have that conversation in a minute. First, in case you haven’t heard, I’ve got a book coming out next year about queer sitcoms! It’s called Hi Honey, I’m Homo, and pre-orders are open — head over to gaysitcoms.com to get all the details.
Also, big thanks to everyone who supports The Sewers of Paris on Patreon! Patrons get hours of exclusive bonus videos about pop culture history, stickers and stuff in the mail, and shoutouts in YouTube videos.
My guest this week has two lives — his theater life and his law life. By day, you may know Chris Geidner for his reporting and writing on some of the most pressing legal issues of the day. But he’s just as passionate about musical theater, going all the way back to the time he was enthralled by Phantom of the Opera. In fact, it was one little twist of fate that led him to a legal career instead of a life in the theater — but, as he discovered, the two careers aren’t as different as one might think.
We’ll have that conversation in a minute. First, in case you haven’t heard, I’ve got a book coming out next year about queer sitcoms! It’s called Hi Honey, I’m Homo, and pre-orders are open — head over to gaysitcoms.com to get all the details.
Also, big thanks to everyone who supports The Sewers of Paris on Patreon! Patrons get hours of exclusive bonus videos about pop culture history, stickers and stuff in the mail, and shoutouts in YouTube videos.
You might know my guest this week from his saucy art on Twitter, but there’s much more to his work than X-Men in Speedos. Josh Cornillon grew up reading sophisticated graphic novels in his native France, and those books infuse the writing and illustration that he does today.
We’ll have that conversation in a minute. First, hey in case you haven’t heard, I’ve got a book coming out next year about how subversive queer comedy transformed the American sitcom over the last half century! It’s called Hi Honey, I’m Homo, and pre-orders are open — head over to gaysitcoms.com to get all the details, to pre-order your copy, and to sign up for my newsletter to get excerpts and updates.
Also, big thanks to everyone who supports The Sewers of Paris on Patreon! Patrons get hours of exclusive bonus videos about pop culture history, stickers and stuff in the mail, and shoutouts in YouTube videos.
TJ Klune’s childhood grew up reading books in a forest under the trees, which sounds idyllic … minus the part about how he was mercilessly bullied. Literature and libraries were his safe haven, and in fact a librarian was the first person he ever came out to. In his adult life, TJ found himself working a grueling job in the insurance industry, longing to tell the stories in his head. But nobody was more surprised than he was when, one day, he walked into work and declared the he was quitting so he could write the great gay American novel.
We’ll have that conversation in a minute. First, I want to let you know that I’ve got a book coming out next year, and I can finally reveal the title! It’s called Hi Honey, I’m Homo, and it’s about how subversive queer comedy transformed the American sitcom over the last half century. Pre-orders are open now via all major booksellers and local shops — head over to gaysitcoms.com to get all the details, to pre-order your copy, and to sign up for my newsletter to get excerpts and updates.
Also, big thanks to everyone who supports The Sewers of Paris on Patreon! Patrons get hours of exclusive bonus videos about pop culture history, stickers and stuff in the mail, and shoutouts in YouTube videos.
Fifty one years ago this month, a strange and beautiful art film called Pink Narcissus had its San Francisco debut, and went on to forever change the life of my guest Ian MacKinnon. I spoke to Ian back in 2015, and this week we’re revisiting that interview to mark the half-century birthday of one of his favorite films. Growing up in the midwest, Ian couldn't even picture what life as a gay man even looked like. And he certainly couldn't have pictured what his life would become: parading up on stages as a performance artist, covered in brightly-colored phallic objects, to shout triumphantly in one-man shows about the pride he takes in being a sexual gay being.
We’ll have that conversation in a minute. First, a reminder that I’ve got a book coming out in 2023! It’s about how subversive queer comedy transformed the American sitcom over the last half century, and I’ll be revealing the title and cover next week in my weekly newsletter — head over to gaysitcoms.com to subscribe and be the first to get all the details, and to pre-order your copy.
Also, big thanks to everyone who supports The Sewers of Paris on Patreon! Patrons get hours of exclusive bonus videos about pop culture history, stickers and stuff in the mail, and shoutouts in YouTube videos.
Fifty one years ago this month, a strange and beautiful art film called Pink Narcissus had its San Francisco debut, and went on to forever change the life of my guest Ian MacKinnon. I spoke to Ian back in 2015, and this week we’re revisiting that interview to mark the half-century birthday of one of his favorite films. Growing up in the midwest, Ian couldn't even picture what life as a gay man even looked like. And he certainly couldn't have pictured what his life would become: parading up on stages as a performance artist, covered in brightly-colored phallic objects, to shout triumphantly in one-man shows about the pride he takes in being a sexual gay being.
We’ll have that conversation in a minute. First, a reminder that I’ve got a book coming out in 2023! It’s about how subversive queer comedy transformed the American sitcom over the last half century, and I’ll be revealing the title and cover next week in my weekly newsletter — head over to gaysitcoms.com to subscribe and be the first to get all the details, and to pre-order your copy.
Also, big thanks to everyone who supports The Sewers of Paris on Patreon! Patrons get hours of exclusive bonus videos about pop culture history, stickers and stuff in the mail, and shoutouts in YouTube videos.
Kyle Turner was one of those weird little kids whose tastes were more like those of a middle-aged gay man than those of his peers. He was raised on a steady movie diet of golden-age black-and-white comedies, and the resulting perspective that he gained set him apart from the other kids at his deeply conservative private school. He always believed he was destined to writing about classic film, and though a mix of hard work and good connections, as an adult those dreams have come true.
We’ll have that conversation in a minute. First, a reminder that I’ve got a book coming out next year about how subversive queer comedy transformed the American sitcom over the last half century, and I’ll be revealing the title and cover later this month in my weekly newsletter — head over to gaysitcoms.com to subscribe and be the first to get all the details.
Also, big thanks to everyone who supports The Sewers of Paris on Patreon! Patrons get hours of exclusive bonus videos about pop culture history, stickers and stuff in the mail, and shoutouts in YouTube videos.
Kyle Turner was one of those weird little kids whose tastes were more like those of a middle-aged gay man than those of his peers. He was raised on a steady movie diet of golden-age black-and-white comedies, and the resulting perspective that he gained set him apart from the other kids at his deeply conservative private school. He always believed he was destined to writing about classic film, and though a mix of hard work and good connections, as an adult those dreams have come true.
We’ll have that conversation in a minute. First, a reminder that I’ve got a book coming out next year about how subversive queer comedy transformed the American sitcom over the last half century, and I’ll be revealing the title and cover later this month in my weekly newsletter — head over to gaysitcoms.com to subscribe and be the first to get all the details.
Also, big thanks to everyone who supports The Sewers of Paris on Patreon! Patrons get hours of exclusive bonus videos about pop culture history, stickers and stuff in the mail, and shoutouts in YouTube videos.
My guest this week was present for some of the earliest days of what we now recognize as reality TV — he helped produce Gay Riviera, a 2001 Bravo series about queer dating. Kevin Haddad never expected to find himself behind the scenes of a series that helped developed the rules of reality television — a few months earlier, he was a waiter at a family restaurant in Connecticut, and before he knew it he was staying out all night at New York’s hottest nightclubs and possibly getting picked up by a mobster.
We’ll have that conversation in a minute. First — hey, are you interested in the history of gay characters on sitcoms, from Bewitched to The Golden Girls to Modern Family? And how, hidden in those characters, is the real-life story of queer liberation? Well I’ve got a book coming out on exactly that topic next year! I’ll be revealing the title and cover later this month in my newsletter — head over to gaysitcoms.com to subscribe to the newsletter and be the first to get all the details.
Also, big thanks to everyone who supports The Sewers of Paris on Patreon! Patrons get hours of exclusive bonus videos about pop culture history, stickers and stuff in the mail, and shoutouts in YouTube videos.
My guest this week was present for some of the earliest days of what we now recognize as reality TV — he helped produce Gay Riviera, a 2001 Bravo series about queer dating. Kevin Haddad never expected to find himself behind the scenes of a series that helped developed the rules of reality television — a few months earlier, he was a waiter at a family restaurant in Connecticut, and before he knew it he was staying out all night at New York’s hottest nightclubs and possibly getting picked up by a mobster.
We’ll have that conversation in a minute. First — hey, are you interested in the history of gay characters on sitcoms, from Bewitched to The Golden Girls to Modern Family? And how, hidden in those characters, is the real-life story of queer liberation? Well I’ve got a book coming out on exactly that topic next year! I’ll be revealing the title and cover later this month in my newsletter — head over to gaysitcoms.com to subscribe to the newsletter and be the first to get all the details.
Also, big thanks to everyone who supports The Sewers of Paris on Patreon! Patrons get hours of exclusive bonus videos about pop culture history, stickers and stuff in the mail, and shoutouts in YouTube videos.
My guest this week is Chris Steadman, an author and professor and podcaster whose childhood obsession was very grown-up books about disasters. Even as a kid, he took a very serious view of the world, placing on himself the burden of understanding and — hopefully — finding a solution to humanity’s greatest troubles. That led him down some unexpected paths, and now he helps guide other folks who are on similar explorations.
We’ll have that conversation in a minute. First, a quick reminder that I’ve got a weekly-ish newsletter that you can subscribe to at mattbaume.com. I’ll be sharing details there about my upcoming book about the history of gay characters on sitcoms. And I’ve got a YouTube channel where I post videos about film and TV history — I just posted one about Seinfeld’s “not that there’s anything wrong with that” episode — that’s at youtube.com/mattbaume.
Also, big thanks to everyone who supports The Sewers of Paris on Patreon! Patrons get hours of exclusive videos about super queer pop culture history, stickers and stuff in the mail, and shoutouts in the credits of YouTube videos.
My guest this week is Chris Steadman, an author and professor and podcaster whose childhood obsession was very grown-up books about disasters. Even as a kid, he took a very serious view of the world, placing on himself the burden of understanding and — hopefully — finding a solution to humanity’s greatest troubles. That led him down some unexpected paths, and now he helps guide other folks who are on similar explorations.
We’ll have that conversation in a minute. First, a quick reminder that I’ve got a weekly-ish newsletter that you can subscribe to at mattbaume.com. I’ll be sharing details there about my upcoming book about the history of gay characters on sitcoms. And I’ve got a YouTube channel where I post videos about film and TV history — I just posted one about Seinfeld’s “not that there’s anything wrong with that” episode — that’s at youtube.com/mattbaume.
Also, big thanks to everyone who supports The Sewers of Paris on Patreon! Patrons get hours of exclusive videos about super queer pop culture history, stickers and stuff in the mail, and shoutouts in the credits of YouTube videos.
My guest this week — and apologies for the slightly late post, it’s been a busy week! — is Trung le Nguyen, author and illustrator of the award-winning book The Magic Fish, among many other graphic works. Trung’s family made their way to the US from a refugee camp, and he grew up obsessed with cozy picture books. A sensitive boy, Trung could have been the target of a lot of bullying — but he wasn’t, thanks in part to a moment at a birthday party that involved his father, his friends, and a kick to the jaw.
We’ll have that conversation in a minute. First, a quick reminder that I’ve got a weekly-ish newsletter that you can subscribe to at mattbaume.com. I’ll be sharing details there about my upcoming book about the history of gay characters on sitcoms. And I’ve got a YouTube channel where I post videos about film and TV history — I just posted one about Seinfeld’s “not that there’s anything wrong with that” episode — that’s at youtube.com/mattbaume.
Also, big thanks to everyone who supports The Sewers of Paris on Patreon! Patrons get hours of exclusive videos about super queer pop culture history, stickers and stuff in the mail, and shoutouts in the credits of YouTube videos.
Last week I spoke with Bret Shuford, one half of the couple known as the Broadway Husbands. This week I’m talking to his husband, Stephen Hanna, about leaving home to pursue a ballet career and discovering just how physically grueling that world could be — not to mention surprisingly hostile to sensitive young guys like him. The work took a heavy toll, and for a time Stephen found himself going down a dark path … until he found a way to change course and find the life he’d been looking for.
First, a quick reminder that I’ve got a weekly-ish newsletter that you can subscribe to at mattbaume.com. I’ll be sharing details there about my upcoming book about the history of gay characters on sitcoms. And I’ve got a YouTube channel where I post videos about film and TV history — I’ve got one this coming Sunday about Seinfeld’s “not that there’s anything wrong with that” episode — that’s at youtube.com/mattbaume.
Also, big thanks to everyone who supports The Sewers of Paris on Patreon! Patrons get hours of exclusive videos about super queer pop culture history, stickers and stuff in the mail, and shoutouts in the credits of YouTube videos.
My guest this week is Bret Shuford, one half of the couple that calls themselves the Broadway Husbands. Bret met his husband Steven while they were both working on Broadway, and they started a blog about their lives together before embarking on their latest adventure — raising a kid. I’ll be talking to Bret this week about his childhood in Texas, his viral video career, and a problem that he steadfastly ignored until it threatened to destroy everything — and next week I’ll have his husband Steven on to share his story.
First, a quick reminder that I’ve got a weekly-ish newsletter that you can subscribe to at mattbaume.com. I’ll be sharing details there about my upcoming book about the history of gay characters on sitcoms. And I’ve got a YouTube channel where I post videos about film and TV history — I’ve got one coming up about Seinfeld’s “not that there’s anything wrong with that” episode — that’s at youtube.com/mattbaume.
Also, big thanks to everyone who supports The Sewers of Paris on Patreon! Patrons get hours of exclusive videos about super queer pop culture history, stickers and stuff in the mail, and shoutouts in the credits of YouTube videos.
Before we start this week, I want to thank you for your patience — as you might’ve seen, I’ve been recovering from a balance issue that left me in a state of constant dizziness. As a result I had to cut back on editing for a few weeks, since that involves staring at a screen full of objects constantly scrolling left and right. But the good news is that I’m getting better and will be back to my usual Sewers schedule soon. Thanks again for bearing with me while I get back on my feet and back to making podcasts.
You may recognize actor Wyatt Fenner from Gotham, Veronica Mars, Bones, or the movie Make the Yuletide Gay. He has a new film screening this week in Outfest called Chrissy Judy, which is all about what happens when you have to break up with a friend. It plays this Friday, July 15 at 7pm at the DGA in Los Angeles — tickets are available at Outfest.org.
This week we’re revisiting my 2018 interview with Wyatt, who as an actor is an expert at inhabiting personas and hiding behind someone else. But an accidental outing and a violent attack that could have killed him helped Wyatt realize who it really was that he was hiding.
We’ll have that conversation in a minute. First, a reminder that I’ve got a weekly-ish newsletter that you can subscribe to at mattbaume.com. And a YouTube channel where I post videos about film and TV history — I’ve got one coming up about Seinfeld’s “not that there’s anything wrong with that” episode.
Also, big thanks to everyone who supports The Sewers of Paris on Patreon! Patrons get hours of exclusive videos about super queer pop culture history, stickers and stuff in the mail, and shoutouts in the credits of YouTube videos.
Maybe you’ve seen the new animated series on Netflix entitled Dead End: Paranormal Park, featuring a cast of queer characters working at an amusement park that might be a portal to hell. I spoke to the show’s creator, Hamish Steele, several years ago when his comic book Deadendia was in the early stages of being adapted into a show, and now that Dead End has been completed and released, we’re revisiting that conversation this week to hear about the real-life friends who inspired the story… and also Hamish’s controversial opinions about the difference between films that merely have queer people in them versus films that queer people actually like.
We’ll have that conversation in a minute. First, a reminder that I’ve got a weekly newsletter where I write stories about queer pop culture and also link to cute animal videos — subscribe to that at mattbaume.com. Also take a look at my YouTube channel for videos about film and TV history — I’ve got one coming up about Seinfeld’s “not that there’s anything wrong with that” episode.
Also, big thanks to everyone who supports The Sewers of Paris on Patreon! Patrons get hours of exclusive videos about super queer pop culture history, stickers and stuff in the mail, and shoutouts in the credits of YouTube videos.
My guest this week set himself a goal many years ago — to bring RuPaul’s Drag Race to Sweden, with an all-Swedish production, Swedish queens, and a Swedish host. Now it’s finally happening, thanks to my guest’s decade of work amidst international travel, seeking a country that felt like home, and meeting and falling in love with his husband.
We’ll have that conversation in a minute. First, a reminder that I’ve got a weekly newsletter where I write stories about queer pop culture and also link to cute animal videos — subscribe to that at mattbaume.com. Also take a look at my YouTube channel for videos about film and TV history — I’ve got one coming up this weekend about the show Modern Family.
Also, big thanks to everyone who supports The Sewers of Paris on Patreon! Patrons get hours of exclusive videos about super queer pop culture history, stickers and stuff in the mail, and shoutouts in the credits of YouTube videos.
Welcome to June, listeners. Every year for Pride month, I like to revisit my conversation with a man whose tales of old queer New York are absolutely captivating. He earned the nickname Tree thanks to his six-foot-five stature, and he’s been a part of New York’s gay community going back to the fifties, when he didn’t even know a community existed. Tree’s been a member of Brooklyn street gangs, worked with the mob, and counted among his friends Buddy Holly, Bea Arthur, and Rock Hudson. We talked back in 2020, as we were all heading into a lot of uncertainty around COVID, quarantines, and the future. The start of Pride month is a particularly apt time to reflect on Tree’s stories of endurance and liberation.
We’ll have that conversation in a minute. First, a reminder that I’ve got a weekly newsletter where I write stories about queer pop culture and also link to cute animal videos — subscribe to that at mattbaume.com. Also take a look at my YouTube channel for videos about film and TV history — I just posted a video about Will & Grace and I’ve got one coming up about the behind-the-scenes fight over the gay couple on Modern Family.
Also, big thanks to everyone who supports The Sewers of Paris on Patreon! Patrons get hours of exclusive videos about super queer pop culture history, stickers and stuff in the mail, and shoutouts in the credits of YouTube videos.
My guest this week is the fascinating Terrence Smith, also known as Joan Jett Blakk, a drag performer who ran for mayor of Chicago in the 90s, and after that, President. Terrence has some incredible stories about growing up in Detroit, seeing David Bowie and The Supremes perform live, sneaking onto the floor of the Democratic National Convention, and orchestrating, as he calls it, “quite a lovely revolution.”
We’ll have that conversation in a minute. First, a reminder that I’ve got a weekly newsletter where I write stories about queer pop culture and also link to cute animal videos — subscribe to that at mattbaume.com. Also take a look at my YouTube channel for videos about film and TV history — I just posted a video about how Will & Grace premiered at what might’ve been the worst possible time, and I’ve got one coming in June about how the gay couple on Modern Family were prevented from getting married by none other than Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Also, big thanks to everyone who supports The Sewers of Paris on Patreon! Patrons get hours of exclusive videos about super queer pop culture history, stickers and stuff in the mail, and shoutouts in the credits of YouTube videos.
There’s a new book out this month about the history of The Women’s House of Detention, a women’s prison that was located just across the street from The Stonewall Inn, that played a role in the 1969 uprising, and that for better or worse shaped queer culture in New York’s iconic gayborhood. The author, Hugh Ryan, was my guest on the Sewers of Paris several years ago, and for this week’s episode we’re revisiting by 2020 interview with him about his previous book, When Brooklyn was Queer. Settle in for a chat about Hugh’s own favorite books — pulpy sci-fi novels, which filled his middle school days with magic horses. Growing up, Hugh became a mild mannered academic by day, rowdy party monster by night. And after a series of adventures, including one in which he moved into another person’s life, Hugh found a calling in creating pop-up museums of queer history.
We’ll have that conversation in a minute. First, a reminder that I’ve got a weekly newsletter where I write stories about queer pop culture and also link to cute animal videos — subscribe to that at mattbaume.com. Also take a look at my YouTube channel for videos about film and TV history — I just posted a video about how Will & Grace premiered at what might’ve been the worst possible time, and how the creators overcame the Ellen curse.
Also, big thanks to everyone who supports The Sewers of Paris on Patreon! Patrons get hours of exclusive videos about super queer pop culture history, stickers and stuff in the mail, and shoutouts in the credits of YouTube videos.
We’re in the midst of Eurovision right now, the extravagant celebration of over-the-top music and outrageous costumes and, every now and then, taste. Eurovision is a great big ball of fun, and it was the subject of the very first episode of The Sewers of Paris. This week, we’re revisiting my 2015 interview with Jānis, who on this very show was the first person to introduce me to the joy of Eurovision, along with the German version of American Idol, gay-adjacent Hitchcock movies, and hard-core camp.
We’ll have that conversation in a minute. First, a reminder that I’ve got a weekly newsletter where I write stories about queer pop culture and also link to cute animal videos — subscribe to that at mattbaume.com. Also take a look at my YouTube channel for videos about film and TV history — I’ve got a video coming this weekend about how Will & Grace premiered at what might’ve been the worst possible time, and how the creators overcame the Ellen curse.
Also, big thanks to everyone who supports The Sewers of Paris on Patreon! Patrons get hours of exclusive videos about super queer pop culture history, stickers and stuff in the mail, and shoutouts in the credits of YouTube videos.
My guest this week is Alejandro Varela, who was a mostly-closeted college student when he left the US for a semester in Spain. There he was able to start fresh, come out, and explore queer culture — with a little inspiration from filmmaker Pedro Almodovar — and to come back to the US a completely changed person.
We’ll have that conversation in a minute. First, a reminder to head over to mattbaume.com to subscribe to my newsletter. And take a look at my YouTube channel for videos about film and TV history — I just posted a video about the show Dynasty. And head over to my Patreon to support The Sewers of Paris and watch hours of bonus videos about super queer pop culture — lately I’ve been posting behind-the-scenes looks at the making of Will & Grace.
My guest this week is Oliver Darkshire. As a young adult, he found himself drifting away from his friends, due in part to what turned out to be an undiagnosed illness that made it hard for him to participate in day-to-day activities. It was a fantasy novel that turned things around for him — a book that took an approach to sex that had never occurred to Oliver to seek out.
We’ll have that conversation in a minute. First, a reminder to head over to mattbaume.com to subscribe to my newsletter. And take a look at my YouTube channel for videos about film and TV history — I just posted a video about the show Dynasty. And head over to my Patreon to support The Sewers of Paris and watch hours of bonus videos about super queer pop culture — lately I’ve been posting behind-the-scenes looks at the making of Will & Grace.
My guest this week is Harold Slazer, an actor-writer-director whose life was changed in an instant after a car crash and ensuing memory problems that left him unable to remember people, places, and his own work. He rebuilt his life and created a popular live show in New York called The Honeysuckles — a comedic hybrid of live soap opera and comedy cabaret — which nearly made its may into millions of American homes when it was adapted into a TV show at Fox. But there were a lot of obstacles to getting such a daring project on the air, which is why one of Harold’s memories from those days was hiding in a closet in full drag so Rupert Murdoch wouldn’t find him.
Watch The Honeysuckles pilot here: https://youtu.be/zTGq-4tn1BI
We’ll have that conversation in a minute. First, a reminder to head over to mattbaume.com to subscribe to my newsletter. And take a look at my YouTube channel for videos about film and TV history — I just posted a video about the show Dynasty. And head over to my Patreon to support The Sewers of Paris and watch hours of bonus videos about super queer pop culture.
This week sees the release of Love and War, a new comic book set in the competitive world of varsity tug-of-war and featuring a lovely upbeat queer romance. The author, Andrew Wheeler, was my guest on The Sewers of Paris back in 2018, and for this week’s interview we’re diving into the Sewers archives to revisit our conversation about awakening untapped courage with defiantly gay comic characters. Though his stories are swashbuckling, Andrew tends to live a more quiet and domestic life than his globetrotting heroes. But it was through his books that he was able to explore beyond the town where he grew up -- in literature and eventually in real life.
We’ll have that conversation in a minute. First, a reminder to head over to mattbaume.com to subscribe to my newsletter. And take a look at my YouTube channel for videos about film and TV history — I just posted a video about the show Dynasty. And head over to my Patreon to support The Sewers of Paris and watch hours of bonus videos about super queer pop culture.
My guest this week is the performer, author, and academic known as Lil Miss Hot Mess, who was fortunate enough to grow up with a proto-queer friend group that paved the way for a professional drag career. Over the years, what began as a hobby for Lil Miss Hot Mess gradually morphed into a method for grabbing attention at protests, a full-time job that included an SNL performance with Katy Perry, and then a PhD and academic study into the very nature of drag itself — and now most recently a picture book for kids.
We’ll have that conversation in a minute. First, a reminder to head over to mattbaume.com to subscribe to my newsletter. And take a look at my YouTube channel for videos about film and TV history — I’ve got a video coming this weekend about the show Dynasty. And head over to my Patreon to support The Sewers of Paris and watch hours of bonus videos.
This month marks the 30 year anniversary of the American debut of Sailor Moon, and to celebrate we’re diving back into the Sewers of Paris archives to hear my 2018 chat with author Ryan La Salla. When we last spoke, Ryan was about to publish his first novel — Reverie, a queer adult fantasy. Since then, he’s written a second book, Be Dazzled; and his third, The Honeys, comes out this summer. Ryan’s been an imaginative creator his entire life, but as you’ll hear, he didn’t always use his powers for good.
We’ll have that conversation in a minute. First, a reminder to head over to mattbaume.com to subscribe to my newsletter. And take a look at my YouTube channel for videos about film and TV history. And head over to my Patreon to support The Sewers of Paris and watch hours of bonus videos.
My guest this week is producer Xavier D’Leau, who always knew that he needed, somehow, to make television shows that tell the stories of black queer lives. That wasn’t going to be easy, considering he went to school for social work, but he was determined — by day he helped people in crisis, and at night he and his friends worked on their own creative projects. That all came to a head one day when he found out he was about to be evicted, and made a tough choice about which career path he wanted to follow.
We’ll have that conversation in a minute. First, a reminder to head over to mattbaume.com to subscribe to my newsletter — this week I have a story about the movie Twilight and its connection to squids.
Also take a look at my YouTube channel for videos about film and TV history. And head over to my Patreon to support The Sewers of Paris and watch hours of bonus videos — I just posted one about the late-70s fiasco Supertrain, a show that nearly caused NBC to go bankrupt.
My guest this week left his old life behind to chase dreams of freedom with the love of his life. Buck Jones was working a corporate job with a homophobic boss when he and his then-boyfriend, now-husband sold their home and moved overseas to open a little cafe in Paris. It was the culmination of a lot of childhood dreams, informed by Buck’s love of classic mid-century sitcoms — but it was also the start of a lot of work, and a gigantic culture shock.
We’ll have that conversation in a minute. First, a reminder to head over to mattbaume.com to subscribe to my newsletter — this week I have a story about the movie Twilight and its connection to squids.
Also take a look at my YouTube channel for videos about film and TV history. I just posted a video about the conflict over the sitcom Soap that engulfed America in the summer of 1977. And head over to my Patreon to support The Sewers of Paris and watch hours of bonus videos, including an interview with Marsha Posner Williams, producer of The Golden Girls and Soap and many other shows.
My guest this week is New York Times bestselling author Christopher Rice, whose new book Sapphire Sunset is a passionate, steamy gay romance. Christopher didn’t think he’d grow up to be a writer, despite coming from a literary family — both his parents are authors, his mother most famously for Interview with the Vampire among many other works, but Christopher was an adult when he discovered that writing fiction gave him the opportunity to tell the stories that he wanted to read — stories informed by his childhood love of chaos and camp.
We’ll have that conversation in a minute. Also don’t forget to head over to mattbaume.com to subscribe to my newsletter.
Also take a look at my YouTube channel for videos about film and TV history. I just posted a video about the conflict over the sitcom Soap that engulfed America in the summer of 1977. And head over to my Patreon to support The Sewers of Paris and watch hours of bonus videos. I just posted an extended interview with Marsha Posner Williams, producer of The Golden Girls and Soap and many other shows.
My guest this week is Michael Bach, whose life was changed in a movie theater — or more precisely, just outside of one, when a conversation about the film he’d just seen led to a terrible discovery about the person he was currently dating. Now, three decades later, Michael’s entire career has come to encompass a very particular set of values to which his eyes were opened on that night in 1990.
We’ll have that conversation in a minute. Also don’t forget to head over to mattbaume.com to subscribe to my newsletter.
Also take a look at my YouTube channel for videos about film and TV history. I just posted a video about the conflict over the sitcom Soap that engulfed America in the summer of 1977. And head over to my Patreon to support The Sewers of Paris and watch hours of bonus videos about queer pop culture, including an upcoming interview with Golden Girls producer Marsha Posner Williams.
This week sees the re-release of one of the greatest videogames ever made, Majora’s Mask, which is about a young boy trying to stop the end of the world. In commemoration, we’re diving into the Sewers of Paris archives yet again for a chat about the game with a man who’s given a lot of thought to impending apocalypses, both as an adult and as a child. That may be a dark obsession for a little kid, but playing through the end of the world in videogames got Enrique through some tough times as a kid -- and even tougher times as an adult.
Also, listeners — I know, we’ve been dipping into the Sewers of Paris archives more than usual lately. That’s because I’ve been working on two new top-secret projects that made it a little difficult to record interviews over the last few weeks. But here’s the good news — after this week, you can look forward to a bunch of brand new Sewers of Paris conversations. AND I’ll be announcing those two exciting new projects very soon. One’s directly connected to Sewers, and the other is a sort of companion to both Sewers and my YouTube channel. Thanks for your patience, and I cannot WAIT for you to see what I’ve been working on these last few weeks. Now, on with the episode and my 2016 conversation with Enrique!
It's a little unfair that so many gay men adore The Golden Girls, but fewer have heard of the show Soap, without which Blanche, Rose, Sophia and Dorothy wouldn't exist. It is also one of the most controversial sitcom in television history, and I have a new YouTube video coming this weekend all about Soap’s rocky road, and why for one summer in 1977 gay groups and conservatives agreed that the show could not be allowed to air. For this week’s episode of The Sewers of Paris, we’re jumping back to a 2015 interview about Soap, which was something of an obsession for my guest Andrew. That’s thanks in large part to the motherly power of the character of Jessica. Though her family was fractured and weird, her love never wavered. That family loyalty made such an impression on him that he still thinks about -- and aspires to it -- to this day.
We’ll have that conversation in a minute. Also don’t forget to head over to mattbaume.com to subscribe to my newsletter.
Also take a look at my YouTube channel for videos about film and TV history. My new video about the making of Soap debuts this Sunday, February 20, kicking off with a livestream at 11am pacific. And head over to my Patreon to support The Sewers of Paris and watch hours of bonus videos about queer pop culture.
Next week would have been the 96th birthday of Kenneth Williams, an incredible British performer who hid queer culture in plain sight on the BBC back in the 1960s. For this week’s episode we’re diving all the way back into the Sewers of Paris archives to one of my very first episodes, a conversation with game designer Tork Shaw. Tork would listen to tapes of Kenneth Williams in the car with this family growing up, and he'd hear something of himself in the bookish, aristocratic, quick-witted gays like Kenneth Williams. Tork didn't quite fit in at school -- everyone around him was sporty and posh -- so he cultivated a caustic wit, modeled on the characters he heard, and despite being a small, unathletic kid, his classmates grew scared of him and he was voted "worst bully" in his class. But by the time he was teenager, he was feeling ready to set that aside. "I didn't want to be mean anymore," he said. "What happens if I let go of everything I've done in the past?"
We’ll have that conversation in a minute. And hey don’t forget to head over to mattbaume.com to subscribe to my cute little newsletter.
Also take a look at my YouTube channel where I post stories about film and TV history. I just posted a new video about The Golden Girls. And head over to my Patreon to support The Sewers of Paris and watch hours of bonus videos about queer pop culture.
My guest this week is Jim Colucci, author of numerous books about the behind-the-scenes stories of the making of classic TV shows. In his work he’s had opportunities to interview greats like Norman Lear, Betty White, and Bea Arthur — but the REALLY good stories are about what happened after the interviews were over.
We’ll have that conversation in a minute. And hey don’t forget to head over to mattbaume.com to subscribe to my cute little newsletter.
Also take a look at my YouTube channel where I post stories about film and TV history. I just posted a new video about The Golden Girls. And head over to my Patreon to support The Sewers of Paris and watch hours of bonus videos about queer pop culture.
My guest this week is author Jonathan Alexander, whose new book Dear Queer Self comes out in March 2022 and is a sort of conversation with his younger self, and an attempt to recapture some of younger-him’s wisdom. Though Jonathan of today has been through a lot of eye-opening experiences, from a brief marriage to a woman to a life-changing experience with Hurricane Katrina, he still pauses to listen to that nerdy kid drawing fantasy maps inspired by CS Lewis novels.
We’ll have that conversation in a minute. And hey don’t forget to head over to mattbaume.com to subscribe to my cute little newsletter.
Also take a look at my YouTube channel where I post stories about film and TV history. I just posted a new video about The Golden Girls. And head over to my Patreon to support The Sewers of Paris and watch hours of bonus videos about queer pop culture.
My guest this week grew up alongside eight sisters, in a home so crowded his room was a tiny storage closet. Splitting his time between homeschooling and the family flea market, Caudle had a particularly insulated upbringing — until an adventure to a convention for fellow nerds opened his eyes to a big wide world, and he left home with the help of some new friends.
We’ll have that conversation in a minute. And hey don’t forget to head over to mattbaume.com to subscribe to my cute little newsletter.
Also take a look at my YouTube channel where I post stories about film and TV history. I just posted a new video about The Golden Girls. And head over to my Patreon to support The Sewers of Paris and watch hours of bonus videos about queer pop culture.
Fifty-eight years ago this weekend, the musical Hello Dolly opened on Broadway — and this week we’re diving into the Sewers archive for a chat with Guy Branum about why, for him, the show encapsulates all the greatest joyful aspects of being gay.
We’ll have that conversation in a minute. And hey don’t forget to head over to mattbaume.com to subscribe to my cute little newsletter.
Also take a look at my YouTube channel where I post stories about film and TV history. I’ve got a Golden Girls video in the works. And head over to my Patreon to support The Sewers of Paris and watch hours of bonus videos about queer pop culture.
My guest this week is one of the busiest people I’ve ever interviewed. Roo George Warren is an educator, an ecologist, a singer, an activist, a performance artist, and that’s not even half of the jobs you might find him doing on any particular day. Roo was raised with a healthy respect for skepticism and rebellion, and after venturing away from the town where he grew up, he found his calling close to home — now focusing on issues like food sovereignty and language revitalization for the Catawba Nation.
We’ll have that conversation in a minute. And hey don’t forget to head over to mattbaume.com to subscribe to my cute little newsletter — this week I shared a bunch of my favorite Betty White performances.
Also take a look at my YouTube channel where I post stories about film and TV history. I’ve got a Golden Girls video in the works. And head over to my Patreon to support The Sewers of Paris and watch hours of bonus videos about queer pop culture. I just posted a roundup on Patreon of the most downloaded episodes of Sewers in 2021, along with my most watched YouTube videos.
My guest this week has been a lot of different people — he grew up a meek kid in Maryland, came out of the closet when he went to school in New York to study illustration, and then had to watch his step when his first job out of college required him to move to Tennessee to work on the religious show Veggie Tales. For a while, he found solace in the fandom of queer anime. And when he was finally able to escape Tennessee, it was to a city and a job where queerness could be celebrated.
We’ll have that conversation in a minute. First a reminder to check out my YouTube channel where I post stories about pop culture history. And head over to my Patreon to watch hours of bonus videos. I just posted a roundup on Patreon of the most downloaded episodes of Sewers in 2021, along with my most watched YouTube videos.
Also check out my cute little newsletter where I share sneak peeks at what I’m working on at mattbaume.com.
Big thanks to everyone who supports the Sewers of Paris at Patreon.com/mattbaume. And to everyone who’s left a review on Apple podcasts or wherever you listen.
I hope you’re having a delightful holiday time, full of seasonal entertainment and sweaters and good cheer. For this week’s episode, we’re heading into the archives to hear my 2016 interview with Jonathan, who grew up in a deeply religious family and always found himself swept up in the pageantry of the season. These days, he's distanced himself from the faith, but unexpectedly Christmas has become spiritual for him in a far more personal way.
We’ll have that conversation in a minute. First a reminder to check out my YouTube channel where I post videos about queer pop culture. And head over to my Patreon to watch hours of bonus videos featuring stories of TV and film history.
Check out my cute little newsletter where I share sneak peeks at what I’m working on at mattbaume.com.
Big thanks to everyone who supports the Sewers of Paris at Patreon.com/mattbaume. And to everyone who’s left a review on Apple podcasts or wherever you listen.
My guest this week is playwright Tyler Dwiggins, who grew up in an isolated, rural Indiana farm town where there wasn’t much in the way of arts — especially if someone else needed to use the school’s combination auditorium/cafeteria. That’s why today he produces the kind of stuff he was looking for back then, starting with a series of queer-inclusive plays for high schools.
We’ll have that conversation in a minute. First a reminder to check out my YouTube channel where I post videos about queer pop culture. And head over to my Patreon to watch hours of bonus videos featuring stories of TV and film history.
Check out my cute little newsletter where I share sneak peeks at what I’m working on at mattbaume.com.
Big thanks to everyone who supports the Sewers of Paris at Patreon.com/mattbaume. And to everyone who’s left a review on Apple podcasts or wherever you listen.
Twenty-one years ago this week, the show Queer as Folk made its American debut, and this week we’re diving into the Sewers archive to revisit one of the very first episodes of the podcast — my 2015 interview with Toronto performer Raymond Miller. If you were a teenager in Toronto in 2002, you saw him every afternoon hosting a local after-school TV show. He's also appeared on stage in Mamma Mia, blink on Queer as Folk, and with the Canadian Opera Company. Back when he was a TV show host, management told him he needed to get rid of his lisp. And if he couldn't on his own, they told him, they had a solution to straighten him out: hockey.
We’ll have that conversation in a minute. First a reminder to check out my YouTube channel where I post videos about queer pop culture. And head over to my Patreon to watch hours of bonus videos featuring stories of TV and film history.
Check out my cute little newsletter where I share sneak peeks at what I’m working on at mattbaume.com.
Big thanks to everyone who supports the Sewers of Paris at Patreon.com/mattbaume. And to everyone who’s left a review on Apple podcasts or wherever you listen.
My guest this week is Robert Steele, author of a new book about a figure in the early modern gay liberation movement that you probably never heard of. Robert’s subject is Jim Foshee, a teen runaway who landed in Los Angeles in the middle of a time of incredible upheaval. He was also Robert’s good friend, and between the two of them are some incredible stories about gay life of the 1950s onward.
We’ll have that conversation in a minute. First a reminder to check out my YouTube channel where I post videos about queer pop culture. I just published a new one about Jim Nabors, the Andy Griffith Show, and a scandalous fake marriage that nearly ended two closeted actors’ careers. And head over to my Patreon to watch hours of bonus videos featuring stories of TV and film history.
Check out my cute little newsletter where I share sneak peeks at what I’m working on at mattbaume.com.
Big thanks to everyone who supports the Sewers of Paris at Patreon.com/mattbaume. And to everyone who’s left a review on Apple podcasts or wherever you listen.
My guest this week is Alex Salyer, whose work you may have seen on HBO’s Animals, on Tuca and Bertie, on BoJack Horseman, and also possibly in some of your weirder dreams. Alex is an animation director whose work defies the rules of reality, and any other rules he might happen to run into. Working in adult animation, at this point Alex may have animated more dicks than anyone else in his field — quite an accomplishment for someone who grew up in a conservative religious family.
We’ll have that conversation in a minute. First a reminder to check out my YouTube channel where I post videos about queer pop culture. I’ve got one coming this weekend about Jim Nabors, the Andy Griffith Show, and a scandalous fake marriage that nearly ended two closeted actors’ careers.
And you can also head over to my Patreon to watch hours of bonus videos featuring stories of TV and film history.
And check out my cute little newsletter where I share sneak peeks at what I’m working on at mattbaume.com.
And a big thanks to everyone who supports the Sewers of Paris at Patreon.com/mattbaume. And to everyone who’s left a review on Apple podcasts or wherever you listen.
We’re careening towards Thanksgiving, and you know what that means — an onslaught of holiday specials on the horizon. One that I’m particularly looking forward to is Santa Inc, a stop-motion special featuring the voice of comedian Joel Kim Booster. I spoke with Joel back in 2017, and this week we’re diving into the Sewers of Paris archive to revisit that conversation in preparation for the holidays.
Joel grew up in a household where his parents tried to control every aspect of his life — until he came out, at which point he found himself homeless, and then taken in by a family he barely even knew.
We’ll have that conversation in a minute. First a reminder to check out my YouTube channel where I post videos about queer pop culture. I’ve got one coming up about Jim Nabors, the Andy Griffith Show, and a scandalous fake marriage that nearly ended two closeted actors’ careers.
And you can also head over to my Patreon to watch hours of bonus videos featuring stories of TV and film history.
And check out my cute little newsletter where I share sneak peeks at what I’m working on at mattbaume.com.
And a big thanks to everyone who supports the Sewers of Paris at Patreon.com/mattbaume. And to everyone who’s left a review on Apple podcasts or wherever you listen.
My guest this week is Lane V. Rogers, who splits his time between posting videos on YouTube, streaming on Twitch, posting nudes on OnlyFans, and getting a degree in business — all of which would be a tremendous surprise to him just a few years ago. When he graduated from high school a few years ago, Lane realized that he had spent so much time rebelling that he hadn’t developed any interests or plans or goals for his life. He found himself adrift and aimless and working a dead-end job, and might still be there today if not for a lucky discovery of a VHS tape at a thrift shop.
We’ll have that conversation in a minute. First a reminder to check out my YouTube channel where I post videos about queer pop culture. And you can also head over to my Patreon to watch hours of bonus videos featuring stories of TV and film history.
And check out my cute little newsletter where I share sneak peeks at what I’m working on at mattbaume.com.
And a big thanks to everyone who supports the Sewers of Paris at Patreon.com/mattbaume. And to everyone who’s left a review on Apple podcasts or wherever you listen.
At first glance, Elvira — the late-night movie hostess — looks like a character custom-engineered to appeal to straight men. So why do so many gays love her? I’ve got a new video up on YouTube exploring that very question, with help from someone who knows a thing or two about the character — her longtime collaborator and writer, Ted Biaselli, who also happens to be Director of Original Series at Netflix. Several years ago I interviewed Ted for The Sewers of Paris, and this week we’re returning to that conversation about his work with Elvira, aka Cassandra Peterson, as well as his journey from a flamboyant child in Pennsylvania to an art-school gay to developing shows that will hopefully speak to weird little kids like the one he used to be.
We’ll have that conversation in a minute. First a reminder to check out my YouTube channel where I post videos about queer pop culture. And you can also head over to my Patreon to watch hours of bonus videos featuring stories of TV and film history.
And check out my cute little newsletter where I share sneak peeks at what I’m working on at mattbaume.com.
And a big thanks to everyone who supports the Sewers of Paris at Patreon.com/mattbaume. And to everyone who’s left a review on Apple podcasts or wherever you listen.
My guest this week is David Pevsner, writer, actor, and erotic blogger. His book Damn Shame, a memoir of desire, defiance, and show tunes comes out in January (it’s available for pre-order now) and catalogs his adventures on Broadway and on TV, as an escort, and as a naked Tumblr star. It all starts with a kid dancing in secret to Barbra Streisand records.
We’ll have that conversation in a minute. First a reminder to check out my YouTube channel where I post videos about queer pop culture history — I’ve got a new one coming this weekend about how Elvira became a gay icon and the Queen of Halloween. And you can also head over to my Patreon to watch hours of bonus videos featuring stories of queer TV and film history.
And check out my cute little newsletter where I share sneak peeks at what I’m working on at mattbaume.com.
And a big thanks to everyone who supports the Sewers of Paris at Patreon.com/mattbaume. And to everyone who’s left a review on Apple podcasts or wherever you listen.
My guest this week has some catching up to do. David is a writer who grew up in a religious family, and until his early 30s was closeted and struggled through ex-gay treatments until he finally came out. Helping him to make the adjustment: Star Trek, where he came to realize he’d picked up more of his sense of right and wrong than from the church. After cutting ties with his old life, he sold almost everything he owned for a one-way bus ticket to LA, where a couple of lucky breaks kept him from living on the street and got him into the industry he’d always dreamed of joining.
We’ll have that conversation in a minute. First a big thanks to everyone who supports the Sewers of Paris at Patreon.com/mattbaume. And to everyone who’s left a review on Apple podcasts or wherever you listen.
Also don’t forget to check out my YouTube where I post videos about queer pop culture history — I’ve got a new one all about The Paul Lynde Halloween Special. And you can also head over to my Patreon to watch hours of bonus videos featuring stories of queer TV and film history.
And check out my cute little newsletter where I share sneak peeks at what I’m working on at mattbaume.com.
Next week is the anniversary of the premiere of the show Gargoyles, an animated 90s series with queer subtext simmering just under the surface — and that’s according to the show’s creator. In honor of that anniversary, we’re diving back into the Sewers archives for a chat with Fazaad Feroze, who became obsessed with the show when he was young. The child of immigrants from Guyana before moving to the United States, he only has to look back one generation on his family tree to see a life that is unrecognizable to him. And as you can imagine, the family’s introduction to American culture wasn’t always easy and came with frequent surprises — including, when Fazaad was a teenager, the discovery of his real name.
We’ll have that conversation in a minute. First a big thanks to everyone who supports the Sewers of Paris at Patreon.com/mattbaume. And to everyone who’s left a review on Apple podcasts or wherever you listen.
Also don’t forget to check out my YouTube where I post videos about queer pop culture history — and you can also head over to my Patreon to watch hours of bonus videos featuring stories of queer TV, film, and Broadway history.
And check out my cute little newsletter where I share sneak peeks at what I’m working on at mattbaume.com.
My guest on the Sewers of Paris podcast this week is the author of The Other Man, a forthcoming novel set in Mumbai about two men from very different cultures falling in love. Farhad Dadyburjor knows a thing or two about bridging cultures — growing up in India, he developed a deep obsession with western pop stars like Madonna and even came out to a friend via a carefully phrased comparison to George Michael. These days he’s gained a much richer understanding of himself and his community — thanks to a combination of queer literature and dance parties.
We’ll have that conversation in a minute. First a big thanks to everyone who supports the Sewers of Paris at Patreon.com/mattbaume. And to everyone who’s left a review on Apple podcasts or wherever you listen.
Also don’t forget to check out my YouTube where I post videos about queer pop culture history — and you can also head over to my Patreon to watch hours of bonus videos featuring stories of queer TV, film, and Broadway history.
And check out my cute little newsletter where I share sneak peeks at what I’m working on at mattbaume.com.
My guest on the Sewers of Paris podcast this week would like you to see him at his worst. Ian Lockwood is a New York based pop music comedian who makes goofy music videos in which he plays his messiest self. It’s a style inspired in part by his relationship with the Twilight novels — which he started reading as a joke, and was then startled to discover that he unironically loved.
We’ll have that conversation in a minute. And don’t forget to check out my YouTube where I post videos about queer pop culture history — I’ve got one coming this weekend about how queer activists teamed up with the producer of Bewitched and Barney Miller to overcome network censors and put the first recurring gay couple on television. You can also head over to my Patreon to watch hours of bonus videos featuring stories of queer TV, film, and Broadway history.
And check out my cute little newsletter where I share sneak peeks at what I’m working on at mattbaume.com.
Big thanks to everyone who supports the Sewers of Paris at Patreon.com/mattbaume. And to everyone who’s left a review on Apple podcasts or wherever you listen.
My guest this week is Craig Johnson — director of the movies Skeleton Twins and Alex Strangelove, among many other projects. His creative interests straddle two very different worlds: Troubled suburban families, and weird creepy monsters … which maybe aren’t so different after all. Fortunately, he gets to explore those topics on screen — thanks to a phone call many years ago that changed his life forever.
We’ll have that conversation in a minute. First — a reminder that I’ve been posting lots of fun videos about queer pop culture history over on my YouTube — I just released a new one about the gayest week in television history. And you can also head over to Patreon to see even more bonus videos.
Also check out my cute little newsletter where I share sneak peeks at what I’m working on at mattbaume.com.
Also a big thanks to everyone who supports the Sewers of Paris on Patreon. And to everyone who’s reviewed it on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen.
Eleven years ago this week, Dan Savage founded the It Gets Better Project, and this week we’re diving into the Sewers archives to revisit my conversation with him in 2017. You've probably heard Dan speak at length about sex and love and news and politics -- but this conversation is going to be a little different as we dive into 8-track tapes, secret bike rides, family arguments, and a rule-breaking theater troupe where Dan honed his sense of shock and showmanship long before he was known for dispensing Savage Love.
We’ll have that conversation in a minute. First — a reminder that I’ve been posting lots of fun videos about queer pop culture history over on my YouTube — I’ve got one coming this weekend about how one weird week in 1976 became the gayest couple of days in television history. And you can also head over to Patreon to see even more bonus videos.
Also check out my cute little newsletter where I share sneak peeks at what I’m working on at mattbaume.com.
Also a big thanks to everyone who supports the Sewers of Paris on Patreon. And to everyone who’s reviewed it on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen.
My guest this week is a writer who’s found a way to blend an unlikely combination of genres — comedy and food writing. You may know Adam Roberts for his blog and his cookbook, The Amateur Gourmet, or from his work as a writer on the show The Real O’Neals. None of this was supposed to happen — Adam’s career kicked off with a short stint in law school before he realized it wasn’t for him, and food writing was something he just did for fun until he discovered, to his surprise, that it had become his whole life.
We’ll have that conversation in a minute. First — a reminder that I’ve been posting lots of fun videos about queer pop culture history over on my YouTube — I just posted one about the beloved 80s movie Mannequin and the unlikely queer heroism of the character Hollywood Montrose. And you can also head over to Patreon to see even more bonus videos.
Also check out my cute little newsletter where I share sneak peeks at what I’m working on at mattbaume.com.
Also a big thanks to everyone who supports the Sewers of Paris on Patreon. And to everyone who’s reviewed it on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen.
My guest this week is the YouTuber who goes by the name Illusory Wall. He’s dedicated himself to unraveling the mysteries of the often-bewildering games in the Dark Souls franchise — dark gothic mysteries full of strange horrors and hidden treasures. What was once a niche interest has become an obsession, and, as of very recently, his full time job.
We’ll have that conversation in a minute. First — a reminder that I’ve been posting lots of fun videos about queer pop culture history over on my YouTube — I’ve got one coming this weekend about the movie Mannequin and the unlikely queer heroism of Hollywood Montrose. And you can also head over to Patreon to see even more bonus videos.
Also check out my cute little newsletter where I share sneak peeks at what I’m working on at mattbaume.com.
Also a big thanks to everyone who supports the Sewers of Paris on Patreon. And to everyone who’s reviewed it on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen.
My guest this week is Jeffrey Masters, host of the podcast LGBTQ&A. He moved to LA with a plan to make it big as an actor, which doesn’t always work out for the best — and for a time, it looked like things were going south as he found that his Shakespearean training left him unprepared for what Hollywood was looking for. But then he stumbled upon a passion that got him more attention than he’d even had before, and more importantly, a feeling of fulfillment in his work.
We’ll have that conversation in a minute. First — a reminder that I’ve been posting lots of fun videos about queer pop culture history over on my YouTube — and you can also head over to Patreon to see even more bonus videos.
And check out my cute little newsletter where I share sneak peeks at what I’m working on at mattbaume.com.
Also a big thanks to everyone who supports the Sewers of Paris on Patreon. And to everyone who’s reviewed it on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen.
This week we’re diving into the Sewers archive to revisit a chat with my friend Phuong, who is always tirelessly MAKING stuff. When we chatted three years ago, he was busy baking bread, crafting soap, knitting hats, and more — but this summer he’s embarked on his biggest project yet, a new YouTube channel called Rabbit Hole where he posts videos full of fascinating, weird, surprising features of the planet Earth. Recent topics include animals elected to office, tiny countries you’ve never heard of, and actual gates to hell. These videos are a continuation of Phuong’s lifelong habit of making things for others and giving away gifts — because every time he does, there’s something equally important that he gets back.
We’ll have that conversation in a minute. First — a reminder that I’ve been posting lots of fun videos about queer pop culture history over on my YouTube — and you can also head over to Patreon to see even more bonus videos.
And check out my cute little newsletter where I share sneak peeks at what I’m working on at mattbaume.com.
Also a big thanks to everyone who supports the Sewers of Paris on Patreon. And to everyone who’s reviewed it on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen.
This week I’m chatting with José, host of the delightful YouTube series Ketchup with Max and José, and the partner of past Sewers of Paris Guest Max Miller (host of Tasting History). As a kid, José was a shy gay nerd before growing up to be … also a shy gay nerd, but one who helped launch Disney Plus and also cohosts a food history show with his partner and is about get married.
We’ll have that conversation in a minute. First — a reminder that I’ve been posting lots of fun videos about queer pop culture history over on my YouTube — and you can also head over to Patreon to see even more bonus videos.
And check out my cute little newsletter where I share sneak peeks at what I’m working on at mattbaume.com.
Also a big thanks to everyone who supports the Sewers of Paris on Patreon. And to everyone who’s reviewed it on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen.
My guest on The Sewers of Paris podcast this week is Scott, host of the podcast The Movies that Made us Gay. His first glimpse at gay life was the same-sex couple on the show Six Feet Under, which inspired him to formulate an escape plan from his small Montana home, his sights set on Hollywood. The plan was to find his way into the entertainment industry, but that all changed shortly after he arrived and met the man who would one day become his husband.
We’ll have that conversation in a minute. First — I’ve got a new video coming this weekend over on YouTube, all about TV gay bars, and the unexpected reason that the macho crime finding studs of Starsky and Hutch transformed into the grandmotherly Jessica Fletcher on Murder she Wrote. Check out my YouTube for that, and head over to Patreon to see some bonus videos.
And just a quick reminder that I’ve got a little newsletter where I share sneak peeks at what I’m working on. Sign up for that at mattbaume.com.
Also a big thanks to everyone who supports the Sewers of Paris on Patreon. And to everyone who’s reviewed it on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen.
My guest this week is Fran Tirado, who you might recognize as the host of the Food 4 Thot podcast. Fran grew up in a sheltered religious community, and it was a chance encounter with gay Greek myths that helped him break out. Now he’s dedicated himself to a different kind of scripture — one of powerful femmes, radical queer liberation, and sex without shame.
We’ll have that conversation in a minute. First — Muppet fans, I just released a new video about the gay history of the Muppets. Check out my YouTube for that, and head over to Patreon to see some bonus videos.
And just a quick reminder that I’ve got a little newsletter where I share sneak peeks at what I’m working on. Sign up for that at mattbaume.com.
Also a big thanks to everyone who supports the Sewers of Paris on Patreon. And to everyone who’s reviewed it on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen.
My guest is writer and comedian H. Alan Scott, whom you may know as co-host of the Out on the Lanai podcast. I first met him back when I lived in LA, and worked as a nightlife photographer — H. Alan was one of the people I looked forward to seeing most, because he never posed. He just let me photograph him candidly, honestly, sometimes with a smile and sometimes not. I didn't know it, but at the time he was emerging from a long and difficult ordeal that had changed his life. And when I pointed my camera at him, I was pointing it at a man who had no use for putting on a happy face.
We’ll have that conversation in a minute. First — Muppet fans, you’ll be pleased to hear that I’ve got a new video coming out about the gay history of the Muppets, from sly queer jokes slipping onto the Muppet show to Ernie & Bert’s relationship to the story of how one puppeteer became the most famous gay man in the world … who nobody recognized. Join me for a livestream and then the new video this Sunday, July 25 at 11am pacific. And head over to Patreon to see some bonus videos with extra stories that didn’t make it into the final video.
And just a quick reminder that I’ve got a little newsletter where I share sneak peeks at what I’m working on. Sign up for that at mattbaume.com.
Also a big thanks to everyone who supports the Sewers of Paris on Patreon. And to everyone who’s reviewed it on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen.
My guest this week might sound a bit familiar, because you’ve almost definitely heard his voice before — even if you didn’t realize it. Carl Bishop is the voice you hear on countless commercials. He’s been the voice of hardware stores, he’s warned you about medication side effects, he’s sold shampoo and razors and laundry detergent and cars and pizza. When Carl got his start as a radio personality, many years ago, he avoided coming out for fear of the impact on his career. But as he found commercial success, and particularly as a video game voice actor, he decided it was time to overcome that fear.
We’ll have that conversation in a minute. First, I want to let you know that I just posted a new video over on YouTube. It’s about the most iconic gay couple of the 24th century, Garak and Bashir from Star Trek Deep Space 9 — and how fans were ultimately responsible for bringing these star-crossed lovers together. Check that out at YouTube.com/mattbaume — and head over to Patreon to see some bonus videos with extra stories that didn’t make it into the final video.
And just a quick reminder that I’ve got a little newsletter where I share sneak peeks at what I’m working on. Sign up for that at mattbaume.com.
Also a big thanks to everyone who supports the Sewers of Paris on Patreon. And to everyone who’s reviewed it on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen.
My guest this week is TV writer Stan Zimmerman, whose credits include episodes of The Golden Girls, Gilmore Girls, The Brady Bunch Movie, and the gay kiss episode of Roseanne, among many many more. As a kid, Stan created a fantasy television network in his bedroom, giving a weekly variety show to his idol Lily Tomlin; something that he was able to tell her years later when they became colleagues.
We’ll have that conversation in a minute. First, I want to let you know that I’ve got a new video going live on YouTube this weekend. It’s about the most iconic gay couple of the 24th century, Star Trek’s Deep Space 9’s Garak and Bashir — and how fans were ultimately responsible for bringing these star-crossed lovers together? Join me for a livestream leading into my new video this Sunday, July 11, at 11am pacific at YouTube.com/mattbaume.
And just a quick reminder that I’ve got a little newsletter where I share sneak peeks at what I’m working on. Sign up for that at mattbaume.com.
Also a big thanks to everyone who supports the Sewers of Paris on Patreon. And to everyone who’s reviewed it on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen.
Hello, I’m Matt Baume, and welcome to the Sewers of Paris. We’re on a podcast search for the entertainment that changed the lives of queer people.
My guest this week is author Benji Carr, whose novel Impacted comes out next week, and is the product of a lifelong obsession with soap operas. It’s not entirely surprising, as his own life was often more dramatic than he knew how to handle. It was shows like Melrose Place, Knots Landing, and Desperate Housewives that helped him make sense of the chaos in his own life, and eventually, deal with it more productively than the fictional characters he’d grown up watching.
And just a quick heads up: This week’s episode includes mention of childhood sexual abuse.
My guest this week is Ravi Roth. You may know him from his travel series Ravi Round the World, or his new show Gaycation, where he visits queer hotspots across the globe. Ravi knew from an early age that he loved performing, and for a time he was laser-focused on making it to Broadway. But once he was there, he found that he had a talent for travel, and found himself journeying far from the city he once thought was where he’d always call home. Now, rather than performing in character, he fills his time by exploring queer bars, enclaves, and at least one unexpected nudist camp.
We’ll have that conversation in a minute. First, I want to let you know that I’ve just posted a new video over on my YouTube channel, where I talk about queer milestones in the pop culture that changed the world. The latest video is all about Disney villains — specifically, what makes them all so extremely gay? Check that out at YouTube.com/mattbaume.
And just a quick reminder that I’ve got a little newsletter where I share sneak peeks at what I’m working on. Sign up for that at mattbaume.com.
Also a big thanks to everyone who supports the Sewers of Paris on Patreon. And to everyone who’s reviewed it on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen.
This week, to celebrate Pride month, we’re heading into the Sewers archives for a chat with a man who was present for the Stonewall Riots. He earned the nickname Tree thanks to his six-foot-five stature, and he’s been a part of New York’s gay community going back to the fifties, when he didn’t even know a community existed. Tree’s been a member of Brooklyn street gangs, worked with the mob, and counted among his friends Buddy Holly, Bea Arthur, and Rock Hudson. We talked one year ago, as we were heading into a lot of uncertainty around COVID, quarantines, and the future. And now that many of us are finally in the process of re-emerging out into the world, it seemed like a perfect time to reflect on his stories of endurance and liberation.
My guest this week is comic artist Joe Glass, author of the just-released Pride Omnibus which collects several years of his queer superhero stories. Joe’s work is heavily influenced by his youthful love of heroes from X-Men to Buffy, and like those heroes, there were times when people tried to stop him from pursuing the work that he knew was right.
We’ll have that conversation in a minute. First, a reminder that I just posted a new video over on YouTube that’s all about John Waters, Divine, and three films that I like to call the Trinity of Trash — check that out at YouTube.com/mattbaume.
And just a quick reminder that I’ve got a little newsletter where I share sneak peeks at what I’m working on. Sign up for that at mattbaume.com.
Also a big thanks to everyone who supports the Sewers of Paris on Patreon. And to everyone who’s reviewed it on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen.
My guest this week is a legend — the amazing Justin Vivian Bond, or just Vivian — an actor, singer, performer, icon. You may recognize their name from the act Kiki and Herb, or from performances ranging from La MaMa to Carnegie Hall, or from collaborations with Jake Shears, John Cameron Mitchell, and Rufus Wainwright. Vivian knew they wanted to be a performer from an early age, and their journey to the stage was an adventure that brought them from a small town to experimental theater in San Francisco and New York to international acclaim — and now, a new project about to debut.
We’ll have that conversation in a minute. First, I want to let you know that I’ve got a new video coming this weekend — join me Sunday June 6 for a livestream and brand new video about the John Waters and his Trinity of Trash, three early films that changed the face of film. That’s at YouTube.com/mattbaume.
And just a quick reminder that I’ve got a little newsletter where I share sneak peeks at what I’m working on. Sign up for that at mattbaume.com.
Also a big thanks to everyone who supports the Sewers of Paris on Patreon. And to everyone who’s reviewed it on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen.
This week’s guest is John Epperson — also known by his stage name, Lypsinka, who you might’ve seen in the documentary Wigstock, in the movie Black Swan, and gracing New York stages from the legendary Pyramid Club to Lincoln Center. John moved from small town Mississippi to New York to chase a dream of a life in the theater, and found fame with his drag alter-ego in the wild 1970s and 80s, all while awash in radical revolutionary queer culture of the East Village.
We’ll have that conversation in a minute. First, a reminder that I’ve got a little newsletter where I share sneak peeks at what I’m working on — the most recent featured a recommendation for a FASCINATING documentary on the history of Nickelodeon. Sign up for that newsletter at mattbaume.com.
And speaking of the history of Nickelodeon, check out my YouTube channel for deep dives into pop culture history — my latest video is all about Rocko’s Modern Life and the secret gay history of 90s animation. That’s at YouTube.com/mattbaume.
Also a big thanks to everyone who supports the Sewers of Paris on Patreon. And to everyone who’s reviewed it on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen.
Listeners, I’ve got a handful of interviews coming your way that you are going to love, with some Broadway drag icons. They’re not quite ready yet, but this week I want to prepare you for what’s coming with a conversation about someone who chased his dreams all the way to New York, and then followed his heart back home. This week, we’re diving into the archives to hear my 2016 interview with Mark Finley — a conversation that zooms from Japan to Cal Arts to a stint at Brigham Young where he earned the nickname “The Golden Throat,” and not for his singing. Mark’s stories are so unbelievably fascinating that we spoke for two hours, and I originally released our conversation as a two-parter. But on this episode, you’re going to get both parts of our conversation, including the story of Mark’s brush with death and his miraculous survival.
Also — mark your calendars for this Sunday, May 23rd at 11am pacific. I’m releasing a new video over on my YouTube channel about Rocko’s Modern Life and the secret gay history of 90s animation. Head over to YouTube.com/mattbaume for that — it’s this Sunday, May 23rd at 11am pacific.
Also a big thanks to everyone who supports the Sewers of Paris on Patreon. And to everyone who’s reviewed it on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen.
We’re just a few days away from the start of Eurovision, the giant extravagant celebration of over-the-top music and outrageous costumes and, every now and then, taste. Eurovision is a big ball of fun, and it was the subject of the very first episode of The Sewers of Paris. So this week, we’re revisiting my 2015 interview with Jānis, who first introduced me to the joy of Eurovision, along with the German version of American Idol, gay-adjacent Hitchcock, and hard-core camp.
We’ll have that conversation in a minute. First, a quick thanks to everyone who supports the Sewers of Paris on Patreon. And to everyone who’s reviewed it on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen.
And check out my YouTube videos for deep dives into queer pop culture history. I recently posted a new one about The Nanny. That’s at youtube.com/mattbaume. And I’m currently working on a video about the queer undertones of 90s animation, from Nicktoons to Disney villains. Patreon backers get a little sneak peek at what I’ve found so far.
Also, a reminder that I’ve got a newsletter where you can see more stuff I’m working on and fun surprises I’ve discovered. You can sign up at mattbaume.com.
On last week’s episode I talked with James Sie about the importance of one well-placed Bette Midler album, and this week I want to dive into the Sewers archives with another guest whose life was changed by Bette — in his case, when she called him to offer him a job. Today we’re revisiting my 2017 interview with Bruce Vilanch, a writer an comedian who’s been slipping sly queer jokes into mainstream entertainment since before some of us were even born. Starting out as a writer for great divas of the 1970s and then moving on to variety shows, the Oscars, and a notorious Star Wars holiday special, Bruce provided a subtle queer infusion into American showbiz for decades. And this week we'll talk about how he managed to get away with it.
We’ll have that conversation in a minute. First, a quick thanks to everyone who supports the Sewers of Paris on Patreon. And to everyone who’s reviewed it on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen.
And check out my YouTube videos for deep dives into queer pop culture history. I’ve got a new video about The Nanny, and how Fran Drescher managed to set the show apart with its treatment of queer characters at a time when TV was not quite so inclusive. That’s at youtube.com/mattbaume.
Also, a reminder that I’ve got a newsletter where you can see the stuff I’m working on and fun surprises I’ve discovered. You can sign up at mattbaume.com.
My guest this week is James Sie, whose voice you may recognize from Kung Fu Panda, Curious George, King of the Hill, and as an unlucky cabbage merchant on Avatar. He’s also the author of Still Life Las Vegas, and a new queer young adult novel called All Kinds of Other, which will have a launch celebration next Friday, May 7, to benefit the Los Angeles LGBT Center. As a young gay man entering college, James wasn’t where to look for community — but he started to pick up some clues thanks to a Bette Midler album.
We’ll have that conversation in a minute. First, a quick thanks to everyone who supports the Sewers of Paris on Patreon. And to everyone who’s reviewed it on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen.
And just a reminder that I’ve got a newsletter where you can see the stuff I’m working on and fun surprises I’ve discovered. You can sign up at mattbaume.com.
Also check out my YouTube videos for deep dives into queer pop culture history. I’ve got a new video coming this weekend about The Nanny, and how Fran Drescher managed to set the show apart with its treatment of queer characters at a time when TV was not quite so inclusive. That’s premiering this weekend, Sunday May 2nd, with a livestream starting at 11am before the video premieres. I hope you’ll join me for that over at youtube.com/mattbaume, and there’s a link on my twitter @mattbaume.
And I hope you’ll join me for regular videogame livestreams over at Twitch.tv/mattbaume every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday afternoon!
You may recognize my guest Brian Falduto for his music, his coaching, or his role in the 2003 movie School of Rock as Billy, the stylist kid. When he shot his scenes, Brian had no idea what gay even meant, but as soon as the movie came out, it seemed like the whole world was telling him who he was. That pushed him deep into the closet, until another musical experience helped him find his authentic self again in an unlikely genre — country.
We’ll have that conversation in a minute. First, a quick thanks to everyone who supports the Sewers of Paris on Patreon. And to everyone who’s reviewed it on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen.
And just a reminder that I’ve got a newsletter where you can see the stuff I’m working on and fun surprises I’ve discovered. Last week’s newsletter was about how I came to realize how wrong I’ve been about Fran Drescher and Steve Urkle. You can sign up at mattbaume.com.
Also check out my YouTube videos for deep dives into queer pop culture history. That’s at youtube.com/mattbaume. I’ve got a new video in the works about the show The Nanny!
If you like weird old pop culture nostalgia, I livestream a lot of my research for my YouTube videos. Join me as we dive through old archives, discovering obscure clips and news articles — the next of those streams is coming up on Sunday, April 25 — not Saturday, as they’ve been in the past — at 11am pacific. There’s a link on my twitter @mattbaume.
And I hope you’ll join me for regular videogame livestreams over atTwitch.tv/mattbaume every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday afternoon!
A few years ago, this week’s guest Steven Wakabayashi lived to party. His gay agenda centered on nightlife and a relentless fitness routine, but that all came to an end when the physical toll became too much for his body to bear and he found himself hospitalized for months. To recover, he had to completely change his life and set himself on an entirely new path — one that’s led him to film and literature he would never have otherwise known.
We’ll have that conversation in a minute. First, a quick thanks to everyone who supports the Sewers of Paris on Patreon. And to everyone who’s reviewed it on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen.
And just a reminder that I’ve got a newsletter where you can see the stuff I’m working on and fun surprises I’ve discovered. You can sign up at mattbaume.com.
Also check out my YouTube videos for deep dives into queer pop culture history. That’s at youtube.com/mattbaume. I have a new video up this week about the gay secrets of the show Friends.
And I hope you’ll join me for regular videogame livestreams over at Twitch.tv/mattbaume every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday afternoon!
This week I’ve got a very special guest — the wonderful Kristin Russo, whom I’m sure you know from the podcast Buffering the Vampire Slayer, the YouTube channel Everyone is Gay, the book This is a Book for Parents of Gay Kids, all-ages Pride in New York, and oh my God so many great projects. And it all started with a young queer woman watching My So-Called Life, wondering if she was more like the free-spirted Rayanne or the teen-angsty Angela. When you watch My So-Called Life, your favorite character never winds up being the one you think it’ll be.
We’ll have that conversation in a minute. First, a quick thanks to everyone who supports the Sewers of Paris on Patreon. And to everyone who’s reviewed it on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen.
And just a reminder that I’ve got a newsletter where you can see the stuff I’m working on and fun surprises I’ve discovered. Last week’s newsletter shared a discovery about Hollywood’s Agnes Moorehead vortex, and next week I’m going to show you the cutest, ugliest mascot in the world. You can sign up at mattbaume.com.
Also check out my YouTube videos for deep dives into queer pop culture history. That’s at youtube.com/mattbaume.
And I hope you’ll join me for regular videogame livestreams over at Twitch.tv/mattbaume every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday afternoon!
Now, here’s Kristin.
This week’s guest spent time on the front lines of a revolution in the 60s and 70s. Steve Bull is an activist who fought for gay liberation in Los Angeles, and then brought those tactics to his small town in Maine when it was time for him to retire and move back home. Now he teaches the radical queer tactics that he learned to young organizers who want to follow in his footsteps.
We’ll have that conversation in a minute. First, a quick thanks to everyone who supports the Sewers of Paris on Patreon. And to everyone who’s reviewed it on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen.
And just a reminder that I’ve got a newsletter where you can see the stuff I’m working on and fun surprises I’ve discovered. You can sign up at mattbaume.com..
Also check out my YouTube videos for deep dives into queer pop culture history. That’s at youtube.com/mattbaume.
And I hope you’ll join me for regular videogame livestreams over at Twitch.tv/mattbaume every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday afternoon!
Back in 2015, one of the very first guests on The Sewers of Paris was my friend Amp, who was then just getting started on his career as a kink educator and adult performer. In the years since, he’s built a huge following for his podcast and YouTube series, Watts the Safeword, and on Friday of this week he’ll appear on the Epix TV show Sex Life, a documentary series about sex-positive households.
For this week’s episode, we’re revisiting our 2015 conversation about Amp’s quiet Catholic upbringing, and the childhood he spent hiding from constant teasing by playing videogames in his basement. Early in his life, Amp learned the value of re-inventing himself when it was time to move to a new school, turning himself from a shy nerd to a true star.
We’ll have that conversation in a minute. First, a quick thanks to everyone who supports the Sewers of Paris on Patreon. And to everyone who’s reviewed it on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen.
And just a reminder that I’ve got a newsletter where you can see the stuff I’m working on and fun surprises I’ve discovered. You can sign up at mattbaume.com..
Also check out my YouTube videos for deep dives into queer pop culture history. That’s at youtube.com/mattbaume.
And I hope you’ll join me for regular videogame livestreams over at Twitch.tv/mattbaume every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday afternoon at 5pm pacific!
A few years ago, the Royal National Theater in London recorded an amazing production of the play Angels in America, starring Andrew Garfield, Nathan Lane, Russell Tovey, and more. And they just made that recording available to stream at NTatHome.com. For this week’s episode, we’re revisiting my 2015 interview with actor and singer Jonathan Blalock, whose life was completely changed by Angels in America, in part because of his religious upbringing. Jonathan grew up surrounded by spiritual music that at first filled him with joy, and then pain as he realized that his homophobic surroundings were turning on him. But as an adult, he finally gave himself permission to explore new forms of performing and song, and discovered that the intense emotions music always gave him didn’t have to come from a church. They could also come from him.
We’ll have that conversation in a minute. First, a quick thanks to everyone who supports the Sewers of Paris on Patreon. And to everyone who’s reviewed it on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen.
And just a reminder that I’ve got newsletter where you can see the stuff I’m working on and fun surprises I’ve discovered. You can sign up at mattbaume.com..
Also check out my YouTube videos for deep dives into queer pop culture history. That’s at youtube.com/mattbaume.
And I hope you’ll join me for regular videogame livestreams over at Twitch.tv/mattbaume every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday afternoon at 5pm pacific — a new later time!
My guest this week is Rob Urbanati, a New York playwright and director. He had a unique upbringing — he grew up openly gay in a small suburb in the 1960s, and people were generally accepting. That gave him an unusual freedom to explore the gay scene, the hippie scene, the club scene, and the drug scene. But the great mystery that he wonders about to this day is how he wound up interested in the movies and art that he did.
We’ll have that conversation in a minute. First, a quick thanks to everyone who supports the Sewers of Paris on Patreon. And to everyone who’s reviewed it on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen.
And just a reminder that I’ve started a new weekly newsletter for all the stuff I’m working on. You can sign up at mattbaume.com — each week I give you a little sneak peek into stuff in the works, little bits of weird fun cultural artifacts I’ve uncovered in various archives, and of course links to cute animal videos.
Also check out my YouTube videos for deep dives into queer pop culture history. That’s at youtube.com/mattbaume.
And I hope you’ll join me for regular videogame livestreams over atTwitch.tv/mattbaume every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday afternoon at 5pm pacific — a new later time!
You might’ve seen that I just released a new video over on YouTube about the queer secrets of the show Bewitched, and how this bizarre sitcom from the 60s managed to be about homosexuality without ever saying so. For this week’s episode, we’re jumping into the Sewers archives for another conversation about witchcraft — it’s my 2015 interview with a Minnesota entertainer named Joe, a Sister of Perpetual Indulgence who was inspired by imaginary worlds and TV witches to conjure up magic wherever he went, whether it was on military bases or in his ice cream truck.
But first, a, a quick thanks to everyone who supports the Sewers of Paris on Patreon. Visit Patreon.com/mattbaume to join the folks who make the show possible and get some backer rewards.
And just a reminder that I’ve got a weekly newsletter for all the stuff I’m working on. You can sign up at mattbaume.com — each week I give you a little sneak peek into upcoming projects, little bits of weird fun cultural artifacts I’ve uncovered in various archives, and of course links to cute animal videos.
Also check out my YouTube videos for deep dives into queer pop culture history. That’s at youtube.com/mattbaume. The latest one is all about the secret queerness of the show Bewitched.
And I hope you’ll join me for regular livestreams — I hang out every Saturday on YouTube starting at 11am pacific, and on Twitch at Twitch.tv/mattbaume every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday afternoon at 5pm pacific.
Hello, I’m Matt Baume, and welcome to the Sewers of Paris. Last week we heard from a Twitch streamer from Germany who goes by the name Jygglypuffdaddy, and this week I want to bring you a conversation with another streamer — Brian Gray, also known online as Urban Bohemian. A shy kid, Brian used to find it difficult to make friends… until he realized that his love of nerdy culture like Clue and British sci-fi were actually signposts that could help him find the friend group that he’d been looking for all his life.
And by the way — Brian’s recently joined the cast of the show Rivals of Waterdeep, a D&D livestream and podcast. Check out RivalsOfWaterdeep.com to follow along with his adventures there.
Also, a quick thanks to everyone who supports the Sewers of Paris on Patreon.
And just a reminder that I’ve started a new weekly newsletter for all the stuff I’m working on. You can sign up at mattbaume.com — each week I give you a little sneak peek into upcoming projects, little bits of weird fun cultural artifacts I’ve uncovered in various archives, and of course links to cute animal videos.
Also check out my YouTube videos for deep dives into queer pop culture history. That’s at youtube.com/mattbaume.
And I hope you’ll join me for regular videogame livestreams over atTwitch.tv/mattbaume every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday afternoon at 2pm pacific.
Hello, I’m Matt Baume, and welcome to the Sewers of Paris. My guest this week has been on a wild adventure since high school. Andre, also known online as Jygglypuffdaddy, grew up in a small German village and found queer friends online, eventually leaving home to move in with his internet-boyfriend in Berlin the day after he graduated from high school, eventually getting married. It was a risky move that paid off — and he’s hoping that his latest venture, dropping out of grad school to become a Twitch streamer — will pay off too.
We’ll have that conversation in a minute. First a quick thanks to everyone who supports the Sewers of Paris on Patreon.
And just a reminder that I’ve got a weekly newsletter for all the stuff I’m working on. You can sign up at mattbaume.com — each week I give you a little sneak peek into upcoming projects, little bits of weird fun cultural artifacts I’ve uncovered in various archives, and of course links to cute animal videos.
And I hope you’ll join me for regular videogame livestreams throughout the week — at a new time! I stream games and laid back chill chit-chat at Twitch.tv/mattbaume every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday evenings, now at 5pm pacific.
And over on YouTube, I do Saturday livestreams where we comb through old news archives, searching for weird fun artifacts. Last week we found evidence that the “in this economy” joke was invented by a lesbian in New York in 1970s. Come join me at youtube.com/mattbaume for those news archive hunts.
With Valentine’s Day coming up soon, I wanted to bring you a special episode from 2016 — a conversation with several wonderful queer folks about the romantic entertainment that changed their lives.
Join me now on a candle-lit paddle through the Sewers, where we’ll bump into Louis Virtel, host of the Keep It Podcast; Edd Kimber, the first winner of Great British Bakeoff, Comedian Kevin Yee, Artist Terry Blas, and more — all talking about the book and movies and music and shows that define love.
My guest this week is Timothy Siragusa, who was very popular with about 30 lesbians in Omaha. He was part of an experimental theater scene in a small city that was at first a little, let’s say, challenging for mainstream audiences to appreciate … until one night he had a brainstorm that transformed their struggling avante garde troupe into a huge local hit.
We’ll have that conversation in a minute. First a quick thanks to everyone who supports the Sewers of Paris on Patreon.
And just a reminder that I’ve got a cute weekly newsletter for all the stuff I’m working on. You can sign up at mattbaume.com for sneak peeks into upcoming projects, little bits of weird fun cultural artifacts I’ve uncovered, my comic book reviews, and of course links to cute animal videos.
And I hope you’ll join me for regular videogame livestreams over at Twitch.tv/mattbaume every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday afternoon at 2pm pacific. I FINALLY have emotes on my channel, it only took me two months. And of course I also host livestreams on YouTube every other Saturday — we dig through old news archives looking for queer gems. That’s at youtube.com/mattbaume.
We’re trying something different this week. Perhaps you've been watching Marvel’s new TV series WandaVision, a strange, otherworldly series that debuted earlier this month with each episode so far re-creating the genre of classic old sitcoms. Episode 1 was a throwback to The Dick Van Dyke Show, Episode 2 referenced Bewitched, and last week’s Episode 3 has traces of The Brady Bunch.
As someone who spends a lot of time ensconced in entertainment history, I am of course obsessed with WandaVision and its mysteries, and so last weekend I hosted a livestream conversation with another queer media lover and comic expert, the wonderful Brett White, TV critic at The Decider. He was my guest on Sewers of Paris episode 309, so you can jump back to that one if you’d like to hear more about his obsession with Charles Nelson Reilly and speedos.
It was a great fun nerdy talk, and that’s what you’re about to hear on this episode. We livestreamed this conversation on my YouTube channel so we were joined by lots of great folks in the chat who shared their own observations about WandaVision and classic queer TV. Thanks to everyone who dropped by and shared their thoughts during the livestream.
A quick warning that there are WandaVision spoilers in this conversation, so if you’re not caught up with Episode 3, you might want to skip this one.
And I’d love to know what you think about this episode, tweet at me @mattbaume to let me know if you like hearing conversations like this one on the show. And hey, if you’d like to join me for future streams, I’m live every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday on Twitch at Twitch.tv/mattbaume, and on Saturdays on YouTube at YouTube.com/mattbaume.
My guest this week wears a lot of hats, and occasionally frocks. Lewis Bartlett is a bee scientist, baker, and drag queen who found his way from Yorkshire, England to Athens, Georgia. A shy, nerdy kid, he found refuge in Lord of the Rings novels and Live Action Role-Playing (or LARPing) groups, but he reached a turning point where he decided to give all that up, along with years-long friendships, so that he could pursue the studies that eventually led him to become, as he says, a professional bee botherer. But as an adult the old nerdy pastimes of his youth have come back to him in unexpected ways, such as his observation that bees are the ultimate World of Warcraft players.
We’ll have that conversation in a minute. First a quick thanks to everyone who supports the Sewers of Paris on Patreon. And! If you’re a fan of science and drag, check out an upcoming online cabaret show featuring Lewis and many other queer scientists. Tickets are now available for Science is a Drag, a livestream to be held on Tuesday March 9, 2021. Just go to Eventbrite.com and search for Science is a Drag Volume 3.
And just a reminder that I’ve started a new weekly newsletter for all the stuff I’m working on. You can sign up at mattbaume.com — each week I give you a little sneak peek into upcoming projects, little bits of weird fun cultural artifacts I’ve uncovered in various archives, and of course links to cute animal videos.
Also check out my YouTube videos for deep dives into queer pop culture history. And I hope you’ll join me for a very special livestream this Saturday, January 23, with my guest Brett White — TV critic for The Decider and recent Sewers guest. We’ll be chatting about the new show WandaVision, its connection to classic old sitcoms, and the magic of queer-coded characters on shows like Bewitched. That’s on Saturday January 23 at 1pm pacific, at Youtube.com/mattbaume.
And I hope you’ll join me for regular videogame livestreams over at Twitch.tv/mattbaume every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday afternoon at 2pm pacific.
My guest this week is one of the most wholesome people on the Internet — a Twitch streamer who goes by Blizzb3ar. His goal is to create refuge from drama and competitiveness and cynicism, and for viewers to be able to relax in the comfort of good clean kind fun. It’s the sort of environment that he realized he was missing for himself, and now he’s got big goals for transforming his life in 2021.
We’ll have that conversation in a minute. First a quick thanks to everyone who supports the Sewers of Paris on Patreon.
And just a reminder that I’ve started a new weekly newsletter for all the stuff I’m working on. You can sign up at mattbaume.com — each week I give you a little sneak peek into upcoming projects, little bits of weird fun cultural artifacts I’ve uncovered in various archives, and of course links to cute animal videos.
Also check out my YouTube videos for deep dives into queer pop culture history. I just posted a video about why San Francisco in the 1970s was one of the most exciting times in history to come out of the closet, by way of Harvey Milk and Cloris Leachman. That’s at youtube.com/mattbaume.
And I hope you’ll join me for regular videogame livestreams over atTwitch.tv/mattbaume every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday afternoon at 2pm pacific. Lately I’ve been playing my way through Undertale and having a lot of feelings.
What’s the story you plan to leave behind, and what happens if that story doesn’t go according to plan? My guest this week is Sheldon Goodman, a historian who specializes in cemeteries, discovering the untold stories of people who are long gone, and excavating the memory of bygone eras — metaphorically speaking. In his work Sheldon’s discovered countless stories that were previously lost — particularly of LGBTQ people — and he’s considered nearly every aspect of how he himself wants to be remembered … every aspect, that is, but one.
We’ll have that conversation in a minute. First a quick thanks to everyone who supports the Sewers of Paris on Patreon — including recent new members Michael, Jake, Jeff, Marcus, Stacey, Amy, and Stefne.
And just a reminder that I’ve started a new weekly newsletter for all the stuff I’m working on. You can sign up at mattbaume.com — each week I give you a little sneak peek into upcoming projects, little bits of weird fun cultural artifacts I’ve uncovered in various archives, and of course links to cute animal videos.
Also check out my YouTube videos for deep dives into queer pop culture history. I just posted a video about why San Francisco in the 1970s was one of the most exciting times in history to come out of the closet, by way of Harvey Milk and Cloris Leachman. That’s at youtube.com/mattbaume.
And I hope you’ll join me for regular videogame livestreams over at Twitch.tv/mattbaume every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday afternoon at 2pm pacific. Lately I’ve been playing my way through Undertale and having a lot of feelings.
Next week marks the anniversary of the original theatrical release of the film Girls Will be Girls, an otherworldly drag comedy by writer and director Richard Day. For today’s episode, we’re revisiting my 2016 interview with Richard, in which we talked about his time working on shows like Ellen, It’s Gary Shandling’s Show, and Arrested Development — and how he found inspiration from John Waters and comedians who mined comedy from the secret abnormalities of the suburbs.
We’ll have that conversation in a minute. First a quick thanks to everyone who supports the Sewers of Paris on Patreon — including recent new members George, Steve, Michael, Reesa, Bravo-Cube and Rory. If you’re enjoying The Sewers of Paris, head over to patreon.com/mattbaume to join the folks who make the show possible.
And hey I want to let you know that I’ve started a new weekly newsletter for all the stuff I’m working on. You can sign up at mattbaume.com — each week I give you a little sneak peek into upcoming projects, little bits of weird fun cultural artifacts I’ve uncovered, and of course links to cute animal videos.
Also check out my YouTube videos for deep dives into queer pop culture history. I just posted a video about why San Francisco in the 1970s was one of the most exciting times in history to come out of the closet, by way of Harvey Milk and Cloris Leachman. That’s at youtube.com/mattbaume.
And I hope you’ll join me for regular videogame livestreams over at Twitch.tv/mattbaume every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday afternoon at 2pm pacific.
Hello and welcome to the Sewers of Paris Holiday Special Special! In the spirit of the season, we’re diving back into the Sewers archives for my 2017 conversations with numerous past guests about their very favorite seasonal entertainment. We'll have an appreciation of Batman Returns from writer Anthony Oliveira, author of Lord of Empyre: Emperor Hulkling among many other works. There's a tribute to Snow Miser from Glen Weldon of NPR's Pop Culture Happy Hour. Performance artist Johnnie Jungleguts will explain why Eyes Wide Shut is his favorite Christmas movie. Videomaker & Dungeon Master Carlos Maza will bring us tidings of Ariana Grande and gay men's choruses. And there's lots more guests and lots more special -- we've got everything to fills your hearts with festive cheer at this, the darkest time of year.
And a big thanks to everyone supporting the Sewers of Paris on Patreon. I could not make the show without all of you.
There are incredible secret stories hidden all around us if you just know where to look, and today’s guest knows where to look. Sacha Coward is a historian, escape room designer, and mermaid hunter in London who’s always had a passion for stories of myths and monsters. And as a museum professional, he now gets to explore those stories, discover new ones, and share them with the world.
We’ll have that conversation in a minute. First a quick thanks to everyone who supports the Sewers of Paris on Patreon — including recent new members Halcyon, AJ, Drew, and Katriona. I couldn’t make the show without you.
And hey I want to let you know that I’ve started a new weekly newsletter for all the stuff I’m working on. You can sign up at mattbaume.com — each week I give you a little sneak peek into upcoming projects, little bits of weird fun cultural artifacts I’ve uncovered, and of course links to cute animal videos.
And I hope you’ll join me for regular videogame livestreams over at Twitch.tv/mattbaume every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday afternoon for games and fun friendly chit chat. I do creative games on Mondays, weird games on Wednesdays, and furry games on Fridays.
Also check out my YouTube videos for dozens of deep dives into queer moments on TV and film that changed the world.
You may think you love reruns, but this week’s guest lives them. Taylor grew in literally the most geographically isolated town in the lower 48 states, where his only connection to the outside world was syndicated TV. Fortunately, he had a ticket out, and found a way to create an entire career around investigating, studying, and teaching others about the magic of old TV shows.
We’ll have that conversation in a minute. First a quick thanks to everyone who supports the Sewers of Paris on Patreon — including recent new members Tony, JaL, Patrick, and FunkyDiva. I couldn’t make the show without you.
And hey I want to let you know that I’ve started a new weekly mailing list. You can sign up at mattbaume.com — each week I give you a little sneak peek on what I’m working on, what’s coming up, little bits of weird fun cultural ephemera I’ve uncovered, and of course links to cute animal videos.
Also I hope you’ll join me for regular livestreams over at Twitch.tv/mattbaume every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday afternoon for games and fun friendly chit chat. And check out my YouTube videos for dozens of deep dives into queer moments on TV and film that changed the world.
Happy December holidaytime, listeners, I hope you’re able to celebrate and relax and revel and enjoy what has always been a weird time of year, now that we’re in the weirdest year of our lives. For this week’s episode, I wanted to bring you one of my favorite Christmas-themed episodes from the Sewers of Paris archives — a conversation with Jose Gonzales, who found an unexpected connection with his distant father through, of all things, the Arnold Schwarzenegger Christmas movie Jingle All the Way.
We’ll have that conversation in a minute. First a quick thanks to everyone in my Patreon community — including recent new members, Funky Dive, Patrick, Dillon, Michael, Kaeleigh, Barry, Ari, and Marcus. I couldn’t make the show without you.
And hey I want to let you know that I’ve started a new weekly mailing list. You can sign up at mattbaume.com — each week I give you a little sneak peek on what I’m working on, what’s coming up, little bits of weird fun cultural ephemera I’ve uncovered, and of course links to cute animal videos.
Also check out my YouTube videos for dozens of deep dives into queer moments on TV and film that changed the world.
And I hope you’ll join me for regular livestreams over at Twitch.tv/mattbaume every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday afternoon for games and fun friendly chit chat.
I’m so excited to bring you this week’s guest — the wonderful Frank DeCaro, writer, performer, pop culture encyclopedia. Frank was a role model for me back in the 90s when I would watch him on The Daily Show, and it was an absolute joy to geek out about pop culture with him and hear his disbelief that a weird little kid from Jersey got to grow up to have as many bonkers adventures as he has.
We’ll have that conversation in a minute. First a quick thanks to everyone who supports The Sewers of Paris on Patreon — including recent new members, Sinn Sage, Duffee, Bryan, and Fairy Onion Rings.
And if you’re like hearing about queer entertainment, check out my YouTube videos for dozens of deep dives into queer moments on TV and film that changed the world. I just posted a new video about hilarious old holiday commercials that prey on heterosexual insecurities, and how commercials for queer folks are surprisingly different.
Also, if you’d like to hang out, join me for regular livestreams over at Twitch.tv/mattbaume every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday afternoon for games and fun friendly chit chat
Last week we heard from Great British Bakeoff’s Edd Kimber, and this week I’m so excited to bring you another guest whose life was touched by the show. Max Miller is the creator and host of the fantastic YouTube series Tasting History, where each week he shares a historical recipe as well as an intriguing story about the surprising origin of some food we still eat today — and occasionally have never even heard of. The series was inspired in part by historical segments that appeared on early seasons of Bakeoff, and Max never intended for it to be anything other than a fun hobby to entertain family and friends — which is why nobody was more surprised than he when it took off and shot him to YouTube fame, drawing unexpectedly on his background in musical theater and his time swinging from the rafters of a ship while playing Peter Pan.
We’ll have that conversation in a minute. First a quick thanks to everyone who supports The Sewers of Paris on Patreon — including this week’s newest members, Illana, Jason, and William! Visit Patreon.com/mattbaume to check out the rewards for backers.
And if you’re like hearing about queer entertainment, check out my YouTube videos for dozens of deep dives into queer moments on TV and film that changed the world. I just posted a new video about the first married gay couple on TV way back in the 1970s — and as always, Patreon backers get early ad-free access to watch.
Also, I wanted to let you know that I’m going to start regular livestreams over at Twitch.tv/mattbaume — join me every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday afternoon for games and fun friendly chit chat. I’m also hosting a special Thanksgiving stream next Thursday, November 26th at 2pm pacific, and I hope you’ll pop by for that.
We’re getting close to Thanksgiving, and what better way to celebrate that than with good food, feeling of thanks, and a guest who does not actually observe the holiday at all. This week we’re diving into the Sewers of Paris archives for my 2016 conversation with Great British Bakeoff Winner Edd Kimber, who found his life forever changed when he won the first season of the cooking competition. Edd was a shy, unhappy banker when his cakes, cookies, and pies catapulted him to national fame, a life-changing time in his life for which he remains eternally thankful.
We’ll have that in a minute. First a quick thanks to everyone who supports The Sewers of Paris on Patreon — including this week’s newest members, Sam, Bruce, and Rowan. If you’re enjoying the podcast, head over to SewersOfParis.com and click “support the show on patreon” to join the folks who make the show possible, and check out rewards for backers like gifts in the mail, patron-exclusive podcast episodes, and more.
And I hope you’ll join me for our next fun friendly livestream. There’s a link at the top of the Sewers of Paris twitter feed.
And if you like hearing about queer entertainment, check out my YouTube videos for dozens of deep dives into the LGBTQ moments on TV and film that changed the world. I just posted a brand new video about the first married gay couple on TV way back in the 1970s and why nobody remembers them. There’s a link in the description.
What does it take for you to feel comfortable truly letting loose and being yourself? For my guest this week, it took some flamboyant game show guests, improv class, and more speedos than he knew what to do with. Brett White is a pop culture critic at Decider and biographer of unjustly forgotten queer TV stars. He was inspired by giddy flamboyant 70s figures like Charles Nelson Reilly to become a professional TV-gay… but he wasn’t expecting that inspiration to extend to swimwear in his personal life.
We’ll have that in a minute. First a quick thanks to everyone who supports The Sewers of Paris on Patreon — including this week’s newest members, Trevor and Frank. If you’re enjoying the podcast, head over to SewersOfParis.com and click “support the show on Patreon” to join the folks who make the show possible, and check out rewards for backers like gifts in the mail, patron-exclusive podcast episodes, and more.
And I hope you’ll join me for our next fun friendly livestream on November 7 at 11am Pacific. It’s a nice relaxing time to just hang out and chat. There’s a link at the top of the Sewers of Paris twitter feed.
And if you like hearing about queer entertainment, check out my YouTube series Culture Cruise for dozens of deep dives into the LGBTQ moments on TV and film that changed the world.
What unexpected superhero powers might you possess? My guest this week was inspired by Wonder Woman to become one of the world’s foremost experts on wastewater — and yes, I promise, it’ll all make sense once you hear it. Raul Pacheco-Vega has been obsessed with women superheros his whole life, an obsession his parents indulged by enrolling him in martial arts classes, perhaps knowing that their young gay kid might need to defend himself at some point. But heroism came in an unlikely form, lending his keen engineer’s mind to solve problems once thought unsolvable.
We’ll have that in a minute. First a quick thanks to everyone who supports The Sewers of Paris on Patreon — including this week’s newest members, Alfred, Karolin, and Happyninja42. Head over to SewersOfParis.com and click “support the show on Patreon” to join the folks who make the show possible, and check out rewards like exclusive video messages from me, a care package in the mail with Sewers of Paris buttons, and more.
And I hope you’ll join me for our next fun friendly livestream on November 7 at 11am Pacific. It’s a nice relaxing time to just hang out and chat. There’s a link at the top of the Sewers of Paris twitter feed.
And if you like hearing about queer entertainment, check out my youtube series Culture Cruise for dozens of deep dives into the LGBTQ moments on TV and film that changed the world.
As we stumble along through spooky season, I want to dive into the Sewers archives to revisit my 2015 episode about The Rocky Horror Picture Show. My guest back then was Matthew Hintzen, a programmer who found Rocky Horror in its early days, the late 70s, when he was a closeted kid on the verge of running away from home to live on the streets. He found that the rebellious community developing around this weird new horror-musical was exactly what he needed back then — but he also found that there’s a dangerous downside to becoming emotion’s slave.
Also -- a quick thanks to everyone who supports The Sewers of Paris on Patreon — including this month’s newest members, Sabrina, Chris and Seth. Head over to SewersOfParis.com and click “support the show on patreon” to join the folks who make the show possible.
And I hope you’ll join me for our next fun friendly livestream on October 24 at 11am Pacific. It’s a nice relaxing time to just hang out and chat. There’s a link at the top of the Sewers of Paris twitter feed.
And if you like hearing about queer entertainment, check out my YouTube series Culture Cruise on YouTube for dozens of deep dives into the LGBTQ moments on TV and film that changed the world.
The Sewers of Paris is independent, ad-free, and listener supported. Head over to Patreon.com/mattbaume to join the folks who make the show possible, and to check out the rewards for backers.
My guest this week is the legendary performer Peppermint, star of stage and screen, from Drag Race to Pose to Broadway. Her new album “A Girl Like Me” comes out this week, featuring autobiographical songs about a turbulent relationship, along with a steamy music video called Good Sex. And she’s got some livestreams and fundraisers and election events in the works as well — a very busy lady.
We’ll have that in a minute. First, a reminder that The Sewers of Paris is on Twitter and Facebook, where I post clips of the stuff that we talk about on each episode.
And I hope you’ll join me for our next fun friendly livestream on October 24 at 11am Pacific. It’s a nice relaxing time to just hang out and chat. There’s a link at the top of the Sewers of Paris twitter feed.
And don’t forget to check out my other shows! Culture Cruise on YouTube is a deep dive into queer entertainment milestones — I just posted a video about the 90s show Dinosaurs, and its unlikely link to a real-life gay Transylvanian dinosaur hunter from the 1800s.
My guest this week is the drag artist known as Deere. You may know her from her livestreams on Twitch, where she plays primarily horror games. She’s also the founder of Stream Queens, a collective of drag artists, makeup monsters, and creatures who adopt amazing costumes and personas to livestream games. Off-camera, Deere’s a quiet introverted artist who never expected her drag alter ego to take on a life and career of her own.
We’ll have that in a minute. First, a reminder that The Sewers of Paris is on Twitter and Facebook, where I post clips of the stuff that we talk about on each episode.
And I hope you’ll join me for our next fun friendly livestream on October 10 at 11am Pacific. It’s a nice relaxing time to just hang out and chat. There’s a link at the top of the Sewers of Paris twitter feed.
And don’t forget to check out my other shows! Culture Cruise on YouTube is a deep dive into queer entertainment milestones — I just posted a video about the 90s show Dinosaurs, and its unlikely link to a real-life gay Transylvanian dinosaur hunter from the 1800s. And check out Queens of Adventure and Queens of Adventure: Legends, two narrative comedy shows with drag heroes going on adventures in a world of fantasy.
More links to check out: Arson Nicki is a meticulous gamer who loves to chat while streaming makeup transformations, life simulators, and the occasional RPG or party game. You can find her at twitch.tv/arsonnicki. Fraya Love is an artist who streams makeup and exploration games like Breath of the Wild, at twitch.tv/fraya_love. And Londyn Bradshaw is a chaotic queen whose streams are never not surprising. She’s at twitch.tv/londynbradshaw.
And here's the moderator video that Deere talked about: https://twitch.tv/videos/507819705
My guest this week is Chris Pepin-Neff, the world’s foremost expert on human-shark interaction. His life was shaped, you will be shocked to hear, by the movie Jaws — but also by his time in a socialist commune, as well as working alongside Frank Kameny, one of the leading gay rights activists of the 20th century, not to mention his friendship with Gore Vidal. Chris has so many fascinating stories to share and I am so excited to bring them to you.
But first, a reminder that The Sewers of Paris is on Twitter and Facebook, where I post clips of the stuff that we talk about on each episode.
And I hope you’ll join me for our next fun friendly livestream on October 10 at 11am Pacific. It’s a nice relaxing time to just hang out and chat. There’s a link at the top of the Sewers of Paris twitter feed.
And don’t forget to check out my other shows! Culture Cruise on YouTube is a deep dive into queer entertainment milestones — I just posted a video about the 90s show Dinosaurs, and its unlikely link to a real-life gay Transylvanian dinosaur hunter from the 1800s. And check out Queens of Adventure and Queens of Adventure: Legends, two narrative comedy shows with drag heroes going on adventures in a world of fantasy.
You may have seen the very exciting news this week that BenDeLaCreme and Jinkx Monsoon will release a holiday special this year — an adaptation of their wonderful live holiday show. I helped out with the shooting of the special and without giving away too much, I can tell you that it is going to be AMAZING. For this week’s Sewers of Paris, we’re jumping into the archives to revisit my 2016 interview with BenDeLaCreme, a performer who specializes in breaking boundaries, upending order, and causing mischief. You probably know her best from Season 6 of Drag Race, or the even more shocking All-Stars twist. If you enjoyed her on reality TV and at her live shows, just wait until you get to know Ben, the alter ego behind the character.
But first, a reminder that The Sewers of Paris is on Twitter and Facebook, where I post clips of the stuff that we talk about on each episode.
And I hope you’ll join me for our next fun friendly livestream on September 25 at 11am Pacific. It’s a nice relaxing time to just hang out and chat. There’s a link at the top of the Sewers of Paris twitter feed.
And don’t forget to check out my other shows! Culture Cruise on YouTube is a deep dive into queer entertainment milestones. And check out Queens of Adventure and Queens of Adventure: Legends, two narrative comedy shows with drag heroes going on adventures in a world of fantasy.
Love is in the air this week with my guest Philip William Stover, writer of numerous romance novels both gay and straight. Growing up, he hid his love of romance, tearing the covers off of books so nobody would notice what he was reading. But as he grew up, he started to realize the extent to which queer people are often denied an opportunity to see loving relationships depicted in media. And so he made it his mission to fix that.
Also, a reminder that The Sewers of Paris is on Twitter and Facebook, where I post clips of the stuff that we talk about on each episode.
And I hope you’ll join me for our next fun friendly livestream on September 19 at 11am Pacific. It’s a nice relaxing time to just hang out and chat. There’s a link at the top of the Sewers of Paris twitter feed.
And don’t forget to check out my other shows! Culture Cruise on YouTube is a deep dive into queer entertainment milestones. And check out Queens of Adventure and Queens of Adventure: Legends, two narrative comedy shows with drag heroes going on adventures in a world of fantasy.
And a quick note — the audio on my side of the recording is a bit muffled at the start of our conversation. But fortunately I don’t talk much and then it improves pretty quickly.
The Sewers of Paris is independent, ad-free, and listener supported. Head over to Patreon.com/mattbaume to join the folks who make the show possible, and to check out the rewards for backers.
My guest this week likes a good scare. As a kid, Sam Irvin loved Bride of Frankenstein, and he brought that influence with him as an adult when he directed the show Dante’s Cove and the movie Elvira’s Haunted Hills — among many other projects. Whether working with Christopher Lee, Brian DePalma, or Ian McKellan, Sam is an endless source of amazing stories, and I’m so glad to bring them to you on this episode.
First, a reminder that The Sewers of Paris is on Twitter and Facebook, where I post clips of the stuff that we talk about on each episode. This week I’ll be posting my favorite clip of all time from Bride of Frankenstein, Dante’s Cove, and Elvira, Mistress of the Dark.
And I hope you’ll join me for our next fun friendly livestream on September 19 at 11am Pacific. It’s a nice relaxing time to just hang out and chat. There’s a link at the top of the Sewers of Paris twitter feed.
And don’t forget to check out my other shows! Culture Cruise on YouTube is a deep dive into queer entertainment milestones. And check out Queens of Adventure and Queens of Adventure: Legends, two narrative comedy shows with drag heroes going on adventures in a world of fantasy.
This is the three hundredth episode of the show, and I just want to take a moment to say how incredibly grateful I am to the hundreds of amazing guests who’ve made time to talk to me, listeners like you who download the show and recommend it to friends, and of course everyone on Patreon whose support allows me to create the show week after week.
In the nearly five and a half years that I’ve been doing The Sewers of Paris, I’ve spoken to hundreds of fascinating people, and for this three hundredth episode I wanted to gather clips from some of my favorite conversations over the years. You’re about to hear excerpts from my interviews with sex advice columnist Dan Savage, comedy writer Bruce Vilanch, NPR reporter Sonari Glinton, drag icon Coco Peru, Lebanese pop singer Hamed Sinno, pop culture host Louis Virtel, actor Patrick Bristow, and finally Drag Race star Alaska Thunderfuck.
Each of these people is creating art and culture and entertainment, and I’ve selected clips from each episode that provides insight into their unique styles and inspiration. And of course, if you’d like to hear the full interview with any of them, you can find them all at SewersOfParis.com.
Also, a reminder that The Sewers of Paris is on Twitter and Facebook — I’ll be posting links to each of these guests’ original episodes throughout the next week.
And don’t miss my next livestream — a nice time to just hang out and talk about the book and movies and music and shows we love, trade recommendations, and just chill out with queer friends. The next one is September 19 at 11am pacific. There’s a link at the top of the Sewers of Paris twitter feed.
And don’t forget to check out my other podcasts! Culture Cruise on YouTube is a deep dive into queer entertainment milestones. And check out Queens of Adventure and Queens of Adventure: Legends, two narrative comedy shows with drag heroes going on adventures in a world of fantasy.
So let’s begin with a clip from episode 100, my conversation with Dan Savage. Though you probably know Dan for his Savage Love sex advice column, we wound up talking mostly about theater. Dan’s background is as an actor, and when he first moved to Seattle, he made a name for himself locally with a particularly daring troupe known as Greek Active.
On this episode we’re remembering Chi Chi DeVayne, performer and Drag Race star who passed away last week at the age of 34. I spoke to Chi Chi back in 2018, when she was appearing on All Stars, about her roots, her religion, and how she drew on military training as she discovered her love of drag.
This week I’ll also be posting some clips on the Sewers of Paris Twitter and Facebook of stuff that Chi Chi and I talked about — Big Freedia, To Wong Foo, and Bulletproof.
Also I hope you’ll join me for our next fun friendly livestream on August 29 at 11am Pacific. It’s a nice relaxing time to just hang out and chat. There’s a link at the top of the Sewers of Paris twitter feed.
And if you’re looking for more queer entertainment, check out Culture Cruise on YouTube for a deep dive into queer entertainment milestones. And take a listen to Queens of Adventure and Queens of Adventure: Legends, , two narrative comedy shows with drag heroes going on adventures in a world of fantasy.
The topic this week: Tori Amos, Steel Magnolias, and Alice in Wonderland.
What piece of media gets you through your rough patches? For my guest this week, it’s Steel Magnolias, a movie that helped him understand his place as a little gay kid among powerful southern women. It’s also the film that got him through election night 2016.
First, a reminder that The Sewers of Paris is on Twitter and Facebook, where I post clips of the stuff that we talk about on each episode. This week you can look forward to of course some Steel Magnolia clips, along with the best Tori music videos and a little Disney.
And I hope you’ll join me for our next fun friendly livestream on August 29 at 11am Pacific. It’s a nice relaxing time to just hang out and chat. There’s a link at the top of the Sewers of Paris twitter feed.
And don’t forget to check out my other shows! Culture Cruise on YouTube is a deep dive into queer entertainment milestones. And check out Queens of Adventure and Queens of Adventure: Legends, two narrative comedy shows with drag heroes going on adventures in a world of fantasy.
Imagine if there was someone out there who could, in a matter of minutes, help you make sense of the unanswered questions you’ve asked about yourself for as long as your can remember. My guest this week is JP Karliak, a voice actor and writer who you might recognize as the voice of the characters Boss Baby, Wile E Coyote on those occasions when he speaks, as Spider-Man and Willy Wonka and tons of voices from The Last of Us to Castlevania to Evangelion. JP was always making of characters and voices and stories, going all the way back to his childhood love of Skeletor or Auntie Mame — and some of those tendencies started to make a lot more sense as an adult, when for the first time he met his birth mother.
Also, a reminder that The Sewers of Paris is on Twitter and Facebook, where I post clips of the stuff that we talk about on each episode. This week I’ll be posting my favorite clip of all time from He-Man, as well as some extremely gay moments from Auntie Mame and also a little quiet time with Rita Repulsa.
And I hope you’ll join me for our next fun friendly livestream on August 15 at 11am Pacific. It’s a nice relaxing time to just hang out and chat. There’s a link at the top of the Sewers of Paris twitter feed.
And don’t forget to check out my other shows! Culture Cruise on YouTube is a deep dive into queer entertainment milestones. And check out Queens of Adventure and Queens of Adventure: Legends, two narrative comedy shows with drag heroes going on adventures in a world of fantasy.
You might’ve seen the news this week that after three decades, NBC cancelled the entertainment show E! News. For this week’s episode, we’re revisiting my 2015 conversation with one of the hosts of E! News, Steve Kmetko. Steve was the face of the E! cable network from 1994 to 2002, and in addition to hosting the news show he also anchored countless Oscar and Emmy broadcasts, reported from film festivals, and interviewed everyone who was anyone in Hollywood. It was his dream job, but privately, he was being weighed down by a lifetime of baggage: a career that demanded he stay closeted, and a religious upbringing that burdened him with guilt.
First, a reminder that The Sewers of Paris is on Twitter and Facebook, where I post clips of the stuff that we talk about on each episode. This week I’ll be posting clips from Peter Pan with Mary Martin, Whoopi Goldberg in Ghost, and of course, Steve himself reporting on entertainment.
And I hope you’ll join me for our next fun friendly livestream on August 15 at 11am Pacific. It’s a nice relaxing time to just hang out and chat. There’s a link at the top of the Sewers of Paris twitter feed.
And don’t forget to check out my other shows! Culture Cruise on YouTube is a deep dive into queer entertainment milestones. And check out Queens of Adventure and Queens of Adventure: Legends, two narrative comedy shows with drag heroes going on adventures in a world of fantasy.
Now, here’s my 2015 interview with Steve.
My guest this week is Tom Zohar, whose love for stories about powerful women led him to movies like Death Becomes Her and The Joy Luck Club, and whose hippie parents brought him to musicals like Hair. A common thread through a lot of Tom’s favorite media is characters who are completely and totally un-repressed, but self-repression was an issue he had to deal with as a teenager when he re-closeted himself and became increasingly shy about his accent. Theater is what helped him reclaim his voice, but not after the family fled the country to prevent his being conscripted in the Israeli Army.
We’ll have that conversation in a minute. First, a reminder that The Sewers of Paris is on Twitter and Facebook, where I post clips of the stuff that we talk about on each episode. This week you can look forward to some fun clips from Death Becomes Her.
And speaking of videos, check out my YouTube series Culture Cruise, where I do a deep dive into LGBTQ milestones in entertainment that changed the world. I just posted a new video that combines footage from fifty years of documentaries to reconstruct the history of New York’s ballroom, voguing, and drag ball scene. You can find it by searching YouTube for Culture Cruise.
And I hope you’ll join me for our next fun friendly livestream on August 1st at 11am Pacific. It’s a nice relaxing time to just hang out and chat. There’s a link at the top of the Sewers of Paris twitter feed.
Also if you’re looking for more queer podcasts, check out my narrative comedy shows Queens of Adventure and Queens of Adventure Legends for an escape into a world of fantasy, with drag queens playing Dungeons & Dragons. You can subscribe to both shows at QueensOfAdventure.com, or search your favorite podcast app.
My guest this week is Hamish Steele, whose graphic novel Deadendia is being adapted into an animated series at Netflix. The show will feature a gay trans man as the lead character, and it’s inspired both by Hamish’s friends and his love of shows like Dr Who and movies like The Addams Family Values, which feature queer-ish if not explicitly queer ensembles. Hamish is also running a Kickstarter right now for a comic book called Croc and Roll, that promises to be TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA meets JEM AND THE HOLOGRAMS meets SCOTT PILGRIM meets... big gay alligator tears. I am super excited to chat with him about his inspirations and his controversial opinions about the difference between films with queer people in them versus films that queer people actually like.
We’ll have that conversation in a minute. First, a reminder that The Sewers of Paris is on Twitter and Facebook, where I post clips of the stuff that we talk about on each episode. This week you can look forward to clips from The Addams Family, Dr. Who, and from Hamish’s own animation projects.
And speaking of videos, check out my YouTube series Culture Cruise, where I do a deep dive into LGBTQ milestones in entertainment that changed the world. Last month’s video was all about the documentary Paris is Burning, and you can find that by searching YouTube for Culture Cruise.
And I hope you’ll join me for our next fun friendly livestream on August 1st at 11am Pacific. It’s a nice relaxing time to just hang out and chat. There’s a link at the top of the Sewers of Paris twitter feed.
Also if you’re looking for more queer podcasts, check out my narrative comedy shows Queens of Adventure and Queens of Adventure Legends for an escape into a world of fantasy, with drag queens playing Dungeons & Dragons. You can subscribe to both shows at QueensOfAdventure.com, or search your favorite podcast app.
You might have seen that Disney is about to release a new documentary called Howard, all about the legacy of the great Howard Ashman whose music gave live to stories like The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, and many more. For this week’s episode, we’re diving into the Sewers of Paris archive to revisit my 2015 conversation about another of Howard Ashman’s projects: the musical Little Shop of Horrors, a film that transformed the life of my guest Brad Cerenzia.
From an early age, Brad knew he wasn't destined to be farm boy the rest of his life. His inspiration came from theater, musicals, drama. He needed a ticket off of the farm where he grew up, but it was hard for him to picture how that adventure would start. As it turned out, what he needed was a key change.
We’ll have that conversation in a minute. First, a reminder that The Sewers of Paris is on Twitter and Facebook, where I post clips of the stuff that we talk about on each episode. This week you can look forward to some of my favorite clips from musicals I discussed with Brad, from Little Shop to The Drowsy Chaperone, and also a clip or two from the movie Mannequin.
And speaking of videos, check out my YouTube series Culture Cruise, where I do a deep dive into LGBTQ milestones in entertainment that changed the world. Last month’s video was all about the documentary Paris is Burning, and you can find that by searching YouTube for Culture Cruise.
And I hope you’ll join me for our next fun friendly livestream on July 18th at 11am Pacific. It’s a nice relaxing time to just hang out and chat. There’s a link at the top of the Sewers of Paris twitter feed.
Also if you’re looking for more queer podcasts, check out my narrative comedy shows Queens of Adventure and Queens of Adventure Legends for an escape into a world of fantasy, with drag queens playing Dungeons & Dragons. You can subscribe to both shows at QueensOfAdventure.com, or search your favorite podcast app.
Hello and welcome to the Sewers of Paris. This week’s guest, Terry LaBolt, was suggested to me by a Sewers of Paris listener, and I’m so glad that they did. Terry has an absolutely amazing collection of stories from across his career, starting as a young kid transfixed by musical theater, then later as Carol Channing’s music director, and now as a teacher sharing his wisdom with the next generation of showbiz stars. From touring with Carol, to finding himself, to enduring the dark days of the HIV epidemic, Terry’s got a fascinating perspective on life and I’m so honored to bring it to you this week.
We’ll have that conversation in a minute. First, a reminder that The Sewers of Paris is on Twitter and Facebook, where I post clips of the stuff that we talk about on each episode, including in the coming week some very fun clips of Carol Channing.
And hey speaking of videos, if you haven’t yet check out my YouTube series Culture Cruise, where I do a deep dive into LGBTQ milestones in entertainment that changed the world. Last month’s video was all about the documentary Paris is Burning — its hidden history, what happened to the people in the film, and how Madonna lifted more than just voguing from the gays. You can find that by searching YouTube for Culture Cruise.
And I hope you’ll join me for our next fun friendly livestream on July 18th at 11am Pacific. It’s a nice relaxing time to just hang out and chat. There’s a link at the top of the Sewers of Paris twitter feed.
Also if you’re looking for more queer podcasts, check out my narrative comedy shows Queens of Adventure and Queens of Adventure Legends for an escape into a world of fantasy, with drag queens playing Dungeons & Dragons. You can subscribe to both shows at QueensOfAdventure.com, or search your favorite podcast app.
My guest this week is illustrator and film obsessive Dashiell Silva, who you might know from his excellent Oscar guides and also as an artist on the just announced Netflix series Deadendia, which looks, by the way, amazing. Dashiell grew up in the West of Ireland where nobody understood his taste in film that was, in hindsight, extremely queer. His devotion to Sunset Blvd and Mommie Dearest made him feel like some kind of weird anomaly in his little town, until he started creating art and discovering what his talents were capable of.
We’ll have that conversation in a minute. First, a reminder that The Sewers of Paris is on Twitter and Facebook — I post clips of the stuff that we talk about on each episode.
And I hope you’ll join me for our next fun friendly livestream on July 4th at 11am Pacific. It’s a nice relaxing time to just hang out and chat. There’s a link at the top of the Sewers of Paris twitter feed.
Also check out my YouTube channel for my latest Culture Cruise video, where I do a deep dive on LGBTQ milestones from TV and film. This month’s video is all about the documentary Paris is Burning — its hidden history going back to the 1800s, and how Madonna lifted more than just voguing from queer culture.
And if you’re looking for more queer podcasts, check out my narrative comedy shows Queens of Adventure and Queens of Adventure Legends for an escape into a world of fantasy, with drag queens playing Dungeons & Dragons. You can subscribe to both shows at QueensOfAdventure.com, or search your favorite podcast app.
As we reach the conclusion of a particularly busy Pride month, I wanted to dive back into the Sewers of Paris archives for a conversation with someone who knew Greenwich Village in the years before Stonewall.
The Village is the gay enclave that was the model for many of the enclaves we know today, a place where people went to reject the mainstream after the mainstream had rejected them. Playwright Robert Patrick wandered into the Village as an unsuspecting young gay man in the 1960s. He was only supposed to be there for a day, but he wound up staying for years, witnessing -- and participating in -- one of the most important periods in American theater history.
Also, a reminder that The Sewers of Paris is on Twitter and Facebook — I post clips of the stuff that we talk about on each episode.
And I hope you’ll join me for our next fun friendly livestream on July 4th at 11am Pacific. It’s a nice relaxing time to just hang out and chat. There’s a link at the top of the Sewers of Paris twitter feed.
And if you’re looking for more queer podcasts, check out my narrative comedy shows Queens of Adventure and Queens of Adventure Legends for an escape into a world of fantasy, with drag queens playing Dungeons & Dragons. You can subscribe to both shows at QueensOfAdventure.com, or search your favorite podcast app.
This week’s guest is Michael Hobbes, writer for the Huffington Post and co-host of the fantastic podcast You’re Wrong About. Michael’s influences are like the jump cut in the movie 2001: one of the pieces of media that shaped him as a person takes place in prehistoric Eurasia; and another is set in early 2000s gay bars of Pittsburgh. The thing that unites them is that they’re both about clans and chosen family — a topic of particular importance to Michael in his search for gay community.
Also, a reminder that The Sewers of Paris is on Twitter and Facebook — I post clips of the stuff that we talk about on each episode.
And I am super excited to announce an upcoming livestream fundraiser that I’m hosting to benefit the NAACP. Join me on Wednesday, June 24 at 4pm pacific, along with Rock M Sakura from Season 12 of RuPaul’s Drag Race, Erika Klash from season 2 of Dragula, and Pastel Gore’s KaiKai Bee Michaels. We’ll be playing a Dungeons & Dragons adventure, in partnership with EA, raising money to benefit the NAACP. Head over to bit.ly/pridequeens for all the details, to watch, and to donate to a great cause.
How do you deal with the past when it hurts too much to spend time there? My guest this week is writer and journalist Daniel Villareal, who found himself questioning his purpose in life when the authorities he’d always trusted, like he church and his father, revealed themselves not to have his best interests at heart. He managed to cut himself free from harmful relationships, but he was still left with the question of how to move on — a process he’s still in the process of mastering.
And just a heads up — in our conversation, we’ll be talking about abuse, both in Daniel’s life and in the life of people he’s written about.
Also, a reminder that The Sewers of Paris is on Twitter and Facebook — I post clips of the stuff that we talk about on each episode.
And I hope you’ll join me for our next fun friendly livestream on June 20th at 11am Pacific. It’s a nice relaxing time to just hang out and chat. There’s a link at the top of the Sewers of Paris twitter feed.
And if you’re looking for more queer podcasts, check out my narrative comedy shows Queens of Adventure and Queens of Adventure Legends for an escape into a world of fantasy, with drag queens playing Dungeons & Dragons. You can subscribe to both shows at QueensOfAdventure.com, or search your favorite podcast app.
Hello and welcome to the Sewers of Paris. Fifty-one years ago, a riot against police brutality helped kick off the modern Pride movement, and on this episode we’ll hear from one of the people who were there. He earned the nickname Tree thanks to his six-foot-five stature, and he’s been a part of New York’s gay community going back to the fifties, when he didn’t even know a community existed. Tree’s been a member of Brooklyn street gangs, worked with the mob, and counted among his friends Buddy Holly, Bea Arthur, and Rock Hudson. But for all the history he’s lived through, he says he’s never seen a time like the one we’re living in right now.
Also, a reminder that The Sewers of Paris is on Twitter and Facebook — I post clips of the stuff that we talk about on each episode.
Plus: I hope you’ll join me for our next fun friendly livestream on June 6 at 11am Pacific. It's a super relaxing time to relax, chat about what we've been up to, and take our minds off of … everything. There’s a link at the top of the Sewers of Paris twitter feed.
And by the way, if you like nerdy queer podcasts you may enjoy my narrative comedy shows Queens of Adventure and Queens of Adventure Legends for an escape into a world of fantasy, with drag queens playing Dungeons & Dragons. Queens of Adventure features an ongoing fantasy story with a regular cast, and Queens of Adventure Legends features recordings of live shows and stand-alone stories. You can subscribe to both shows at QueensOfAdventure.com, or search your favorite podcast app.
My guest this week is Steven Capsuto, whose book Alternate Channels documents the history of queer images on television across the twentieth century. An updated edition was released last year and it’s absolutely vital reading for anyone interested in LGBTQ culture — which I suspect is you. Steven’s work as a historian began as a personal project, videotaping gay episodes of TV in the 80s because it helped him feel less alone — but before long that personal project turned into a vital record.
Also, a reminder that The Sewers of Paris is on Twitter and Facebook — I post clips of the stuff that we talk about on each episode.
Plus: I hope you’ll join me for our next fun friendly livestream on June 6 at 11am Pacific. It's a super relaxing time to relax, chat about what we've been up to, and take our minds off of … everything. There’s a link at the top of the Sewers of Paris twitter feed.
And by the way, if you like nerdy queer podcasts you may enjoy my narrative comedy shows Queens of Adventure and Queens of Adventure Legends for an escape into a world of fantasy, with drag queens playing Dungeons & Dragons. Queens of Adventure features an ongoing fantasy story with a regular cast, and Queens of Adventure Legends features recordings of live shows and stand-alone stories. You can subscribe to both shows at QueensOfAdventure.com, or search your favorite podcast app.
My guest this week is comic book author Marc Andreyko, who’s written for Wonder Woman, Batwoman, Dr. Strange, and more. You might know him for his work on Love is Love, an anthology to benefit the victims of the Pulse shooting. Mark got his big break in comics at a young age, almost entirely by accident, and since then he’s been peppering queer stories into comics wherever he can.
Also, a reminder that The Sewers of Paris is on Twitter and Facebook — I post clips of the stuff that we talk about on each episode.
And big thanks to everyone who makes the Sewers of Paris possible with a pledge of support on Patreon! Click “support the show on Patreon” to check out the rewards for backers.
Plus: I hope you’ll join me for our next fun friendly livestream on May 23 at 11am Pacific. For the livestreams I play some super relaxing Animal Crossing while we all chat about what we've been up to, relax, and take our minds off of … everything. There’s a link at the top of the Sewers of Paris twitter feed.
And by the way, if you like nerdy queer podcasts you may enjoy my narrative comedy shows Queens of Adventure and Queens of Adventure Legends for an escape into a world of fantasy, with drag queens playing Dungeons & Dragons. Queens of Adventure features an ongoing fantasy story with a regular cast, and Queens of Adventure Legends features recordings of live shows and stand-alone stories. Queens of Adventure just started a new story arc with Irene Dubois and Bosco, so it’s a great time to jump in. You can subscribe to both shows at QueensOfAdventure.com, or search your favorite podcast app.
My guest this week is Dee Michel, author of the book “Friends of Dorothy: Why Gay Boys and Gay Men Love the Wizard of Oz.” Dee grew up in the 1950s with the threat of the red scare looming over his family — his parents met at a Communist Party meeting, and there was the constant threat that the family would be exposed. Added to the general chaos of the time was the discovery that his father was gay, and Dee’s own struggle to find his place in the world.
Also, a reminder that The Sewers of Paris is on Twitter and Facebook — I post clips of the stuff that we talk about on each episode.
And big thanks to everyone who makes the Sewers of Paris possible with a pledge of support on Patreon! Click “support the show on Patreon” to check out the rewards for backers.
Plus: I hope you’ll join me for our next fun friendly livestream on May 23 at 11am Pacific. For the livestreams I play some super relaxing Animal Crossing while we all chat about what we've been up to, relax, and take our minds off of … everything. There’s a link at the top of the Sewers of Paris twitter feed.
And by the way, if you like nerdy queer podcasts you may enjoy my narrative comedy shows Queens of Adventure and Queens of Adventure Legends for an escape into a world of fantasy, with drag queens playing Dungeons & Dragons. Queens of Adventure features an ongoing fantasy story with a regular cast, and Queens of Adventure Legends features recordings of live shows and stand-alone stories. Queens of Adventure just started a new story arc with Irene Dubois and Bosco, so it’s a great time to jump in. You can subscribe to both shows at QueensOfAdventure.com, or search your favorite podcast app.
My guest this week is Amos Mac, one of the founders of the magazine Original Plumbing a decade ago, and more recently one of the writers on the reboot of the show Gossip Girl. Amos was working in queer nightlife when he started the magazine as a fun sexy side project, but it was a runaway hit and took on a life of its own, giving him a foot in the door to launch his career in television.
Also, a reminder that The Sewers of Paris is on Twitter and Facebook — I post clips of the stuff that we talk about on each episode.
And big thanks to everyone who makes the Sewers of Paris possible with a pledge of support on Patreon! Click “support the show on Patreon” to check out the rewards for backers.
Plus: I hope you’ll join me for our next fun friendly livestream on May 9 at 11am Pacific. For the livestreams I play some super relaxing Animal Crossing while we all chat about what we've been up to, relax, and take our minds off of … everything. There’s a link at the top of the Sewers of Paris twitter feed.
And by the way, if you like nerdy queer podcasts you may enjoy my narrative comedy shows Queens of Adventure and Queens of Adventure Legends for an escape into a world of fantasy, with drag queens playing Dungeons & Dragons. Queens of Adventure features an ongoing fantasy story with a regular cast, and Queens of Adventure Legends features recordings of live shows and stand-alone stories. Queens of Adventure: Legends is perfect for new listeners, with adventures sized for one or two sittings and introductions at the start of each episode. You can subscribe to both shows at QueensOfAdventure.com, or search your favorite podcast app.
My guest this week is Broadway’s Seth Rudetsky, writer singer actor and radio host among his many many jobs. You may know him from his Sirius XM shows On Broadway and Seth Speaks, or from the show Disaster which he co-wrote with Jack Plotnick, or from his brand new podcast Seth Rudetsky’s Back to School. Seth is a bundle of energy and enthusiasm for entertainment, and it’s impossible to listen to him talk without getting swept up in his absolute glee for showbiz.
We’ll have that conversation in a minute. First, a reminder that The Sewers of Paris is on Twitter and Facebook — I post clips of the stuff that we talk about on each episode.
And big thanks to everyone who makes the Sewers of Paris possible with a pledge of support on Patreon! Click “support the show on Patreon” to check out the rewards for backers.
And I hope you’ll join me for our next fun friendly livestream on April 18 at 11am Pacific.I've been trying something new with the livestreams: rather than just sitting there and talking, I play some nice relaxing videogames while we all chat about what we've been up to. It's been a really soothing way to kick back and hang out and get away from the daily stress of, you know, everything. There’s a link at the top of the Sewers of Paris twitter feed.
And by the way, if you like nerdy queer podcasts you may enjoy my narrative comedy shows Queens of Adventure and Queens of Adventure Legends! Join us for an escape into a world of fantasy, with drag queens playing Dungeons & Dragons. Queens of Adventure features an ongoing fantasy story with a regular cast, and Queens of Adventure Legends features recordings of live shows and stand-alone stories. Queens of Adventure: Legends is perfect for new listeners, with adventures sized for one or two sittings and introductions at the start of each episode. You can subscribe to both shows at QueensOfAdventure.com, or search your favorite podcast app.
I’m very excited to bring you this week’s guest — the fabulous actor and playwright Charles Busch, who first rose to prominence in the 1980s with the show Vampire Lesbians of Sodom and followed up with such hits as Die Mommy Die, Psycho Beach Party, and The Allergist’s Wife, for which he earned a Tony nomination. For the first decade of his career, Charles was a struggling writer who traveled the country with exhausting one-man shows, but his big break came when he wrote a just-for-fun skit with some friends that happened to get the attention of a New York Times theater critic.
In our conversation, Charles talks about some of the figures who inspired him, in particular the legendary gay theater pioneer Charles Ludlam, who helped create a new artistic movement in the 60s called Theater of the Ridiculous. Ludlam’s career is a fascinating journey, and includes a strange and beautiful collaboration with Madeline Kahn. I’m currently working on a YouTube video that explores that collaboration, to be released next week. Keep an eye on my YouTube channel, at YouTube.com/mattbaume, and hit the bell on the subscribe button to get notified when that video comes out.
And big thanks to everyone who makes the Sewers of Paris possible with a pledge of support on Patreon! Click “support the show on Patreon” to check out the rewards for backers.
And I hope you’ll join me for our next fun friendly livestream on April 25 at 11am Pacific. I've been trying something new with the livestreams: rather than just sitting there and talking, I play some super relaxing videogames while we all chat about what we've been up to. It's been a really soothing way to kick back and hang out and get away from the daily stress of, you know, everything. There’s a link at the top of the Sewers of Paris twitter feed.
And by the way, if you like nerdy queer podcasts you may enjoy my narrative comedy shows Queens of Adventure and Queens of Adventure Legends for an escape into a world of fantasy, with drag queens playing Dungeons & Dragons. Queens of Adventure features an ongoing fantasy story with a regular cast, and Queens of Adventure Legends features recordings of live shows and stand-alone stories. Queens of Adventure: Legends is perfect for new listeners, with adventures sized for one or two sittings and introductions at the start of each episode. You can subscribe to both shows at QueensOfAdventure.com, or search your favorite podcast app.
Some of the most groundbreaking queer moments on television happened on a show that if you’re American, you’ve probably never heard of. Number 96 is one of the most popular TV shows in Australia’s history, but it never managed to successfully make the jump to the US — maybe because its content, in the mid 1970s, was way too risqué for American audiences. My guest this week is a scholar of Australian TV. Ever since he was a kid, Andrew Mercado was devoted to Aussie soap operas, and as an adult he seized a once-in-a-lifetime chance to work on them… and to inject a little more queerness into what was already surprisingly queer medium.
We’ll have that conversation in a minute. First, a reminder that The Sewers of Paris is on Twitter and Facebook — I post clips of the stuff that we talk about on each episode.
And big thanks to everyone who makes the Sewers of Paris possible with a pledge of support on Patreon! Click “support the show on Patreon” to check out the rewards for backers.
And I hope you’ll join me for our next fun friendly livestream on April 18 at 11am Pacific.I've been trying something new with the livestreams: rather than just sitting there and talking, I play some nice relaxing videogames while we all chat about what we've been up to. It's been a really soothing way to kick back and hang out and get away from the daily stress of, you know, everything. There’s a link at the top of the Sewers of Paris twitter feed.
And by the way, if you like nerdy queer podcasts you may enjoy my narrative comedy shows Queens of Adventure and Queens of Adventure Legends! Join us for an escape into a world of fantasy, with drag queens playing Dungeons & Dragons. Queens of Adventure features an ongoing fantasy story with a regular cast, and Queens of Adventure Legends features recordings of live shows and stand-alone stories. Queens of Adventure: Legends is perfect for new listeners, with adventures sized for one or two sittings and introductions at the start of each episode. You can subscribe to both shows at QueensOfAdventure.com, or search your favorite podcast app.
My guest this week is Trystan Reese, who starred as Yitzhak in the original LA production of Hedwig and the Angry Inch. From an early age, Trystan was laser focused on going to Broadway and becoming a famous actor. But the experience of being an actor, it turns out, helped him learn about passions he never knew he had, and shaped him into the advocate and dad that he is today.
We’ll have that conversation in a minute. First, a reminder that The Sewers of Paris is on Twitter and Facebook — I post clips of the stuff that we talk about on each episode.
And big thanks to everyone who makes the Sewers of Paris possible with a pledge of support on Patreon! Click “support the show on Patreon” to check out the rewards for backers.
And I hope you’ll join me for our next fun friendly livestream on April 11 at 11am Pacific.I've been trying something new with the livestreams: rather than just sitting there and talking, I play some nice relaxing videogames while we all chat about what we've been up to. It's been a really soothing way to kick back and hang out and get away from the daily stress of, you know, everything. There’s a link at the top of the Sewers of Paris twitter feed.
And by the way, if you like nerdy queer podcasts you may enjoy my narrative comedy shows Queens of Adventure and Queens of Adventure Legends! Join us for an escape into a world of fantasy, with drag queens playing Dungeons & Dragons. Queens of Adventure features an ongoing fantasy story with a regular cast, and Queens of Adventure Legends features recordings of live shows and stand-alone stories. Queens of Adventure: Legends is perfect for new listeners, with adventures sized for one or two sittings and introductions at the start of each episode. You can subscribe to both shows at QueensOfAdventure.com, or search your favorite podcast app.
Last week I chatted with comic book author Dale Lazarov, and this week we’ll hear from a comic artist — Joe Phillips. Jos images were some of the first glimpses of gay life I ever saw, back in the 90s as a teenager. His art was simultaneously sexy and wholesome, depicting smiling scantily clad young muscle men in tenet romantic scenes. It wasn’t until a few years later that I learned about his more erotic endeavors. Joe’s work touches on a wide variety of settings and themes, not unlike his childhood which had him moving between rural farms and big cities, with influences that included classic TV, broadway musicals, his church, and his grandmother — a practicing witch.
We’ll have that conversation in a minute. First, a reminder that The Sewers of Paris is on Twitter and Facebook — I post clips of the stuff that we talk about on each episode.
And big thanks to everyone who makes the Sewers of Paris possible with a pledge of support on Patreon! Click “support the show on Patreon” to check out the rewards for backers.
And I hope you’ll join me for our next fun friendly livestream on April 4 at 11am Pacific.I've been trying something new with the livestreaams: rather than just sitting there and talking, I play some nice relaxing Animal Crossing while we all chat about what we've been up to. It's been a really soothing way to kick back and hang out and get away from the daily stress of, you know, everything. There’s a link at the top of the Sewers of Paris twitter feed.
And by the way, if you like nerdy queer podcasts you may enjoy my narrative comedy shows Queens of Adventure and Queens of Adventure Legends! Join us for an escape into a world of fantasy, with drag queens playing Dungeons & Dragons. Queens of Adventure features an ongoing fantasy story with a regular cast, and Queens of Adventure Legends features recordings of live shows, one-shot adventures, and stand alone stories with special guests like BenDeLaCreme, Rock M Sakura, Erika Klash, and many more. Queens of Adventure: Legends is perfect for new listeners, with stories that can be consumed in one or two sittings and introductions at the start of each episode. You can subscribe to both shows at QueensOfAdventure.com, or search your favorite podcast app.
Hello and welcome to the Sewers of Paris. My guest this week is Dale Lazarov, a comic book writer who specializes in sexy character-based stories. Dale grew up in Puerto Rico, amidst a conservative culture of machismo, and as a young adult he was scandalized by anything sexual. His writing helped him overcome the social baggage that kept him in the closet, and now his novels serve as a sort of wish fulfillment — he writes about his dreams, and then miraculously, they seem to come true.
We’ll have that conversation in a minute. First, a reminder that The Sewers of Paris is on Twitter and Facebook — I post clips of the stuff that we talk about on each episode.
And big thanks to everyone who makes the Sewers of Paris possible with a pledge of support on Patreon! Click “support the show on Patreon” to check out the rewards for backers.
I hope you’ll join me for our next fun friendly livestream on April 4! It’s a laid back brunch-time chat about the books and movies and music and shows that are bringing you joy right now. There’s a link at the top of the Sewers of Paris twitter feed.
And by the way, if you like nerdy queer podcasts you may enjoy my narrative comedy shows Queens of Adventure and Queens of Adventure Legends! Join us for an escape into a world of fantasy, with drag queens playing Dungeons & Dragons. Queens of Adventure features an ongoing fantasy story with a regular cast, and Queens of Adventure Legends features recordings of live shows, one-shot adventures, and stand alone stories with special guests like BenDeLaCreme, Rock M Sakura, Erika Klash, and many more. We made Queens of Adventure: Legends with new listeners in mind, with individual self-contained stories, you can start listening to whichever episode you want. Subscribe to both shows at QueensOfAdventure.com, or search your favorite podcast app.
My guest this week has a had a lot of jobs and a lot of adventures, from working on Broadway shows to producing the news alongside Dan Rather, singing to Angela Lansbury, earning a nickname from Fidel Castro, and writing the biography of Madeline Kahn. William Madison knew he had a passion for creative artists from an early age, but there’s no way he could have predicted how closely he’d work alongside them.
We’ll have that conversation in a minute. First, a reminder that The Sewers of Paris is on Twitter and Facebook — I post clips of the stuff that we talk about on each episode.
Big thanks to everyone who makes the Sewers of Paris possible with a pledge of support on Patreon! Click “support the show on Patreon” to check out the rewards for backers.
And I hope you’ll join me for our next fun friendly livestream on March 21! It’s a laid back brunch-time chat about the books and movies and music and shows that are bringing you joy right now. There’s a link at the top of the Sewers of Paris twitter feed.
And by the way, if you like nerdy queer podcasts you may enjoy my narrative comedy shows Queens of Adventure and Queens of Adventure Legends! Join us for an escape into a world of fantasy, with drag queens playing Dungeons & Dragons. Queens of Adventure features an ongoing fantasy story with a regular cast, and Queens of Adventure Legends features recordings of live shows, one-shot adventures, and stand alone stories with special guests like BenDeLaCreme, Rock M Sakura, Erika Klash, and many more. Subscribe to both shows at QueensOfAdventure.com, or search your favorite podcast app.
Hello and welcome to the Sewers of Paris. Have you ever been lucky enough to enjoy the sensation of villainy? For this week’s episode, we’re revisiting my interview from three years ago with Anthony Olivera, who you might also know for his incisive tweeting as Meakoopa. We spoke in 2017 about his love for villains, failed mystics, and queer awakenings; and just this month, Harper Collins announced that they’ll be publishing a comic by Anthony featuring all of those things entitled Apocrypha. It’s Buffy the Vampire Slayer meets Paradise Lost amidst a cosmic war, and judging from the conversation you’re about to hear, it’s going to be super gay.
We’ll have that conversation in a minute. First a reminder that I’ve got some live shows coming up! Join us for an escape into a world of Dungeons and Dragons & drag queens with our show Queens of Adventure, where drag performers play Dungeons & Dragons for a live audience. We’re playing at Re-Bar in Seattle on March 12, then heading to San Francisco’s Oasis on March 25 and 29. Queens of Adventure live shows are so much fun — basically big queer improvised comedy stories where queer heroes save the world. Tickets and details are now on sale at QueensOfAdventure.com — I hope to see you there!
And if you like queer podcasting, check out a brand new show I just launched: Queens of Adventure: Legends! This new podcast features recordings of live shows, one-shots, and stand-alone adventures from the world of Queens of Adventure. You can dive in to any episode and hear recordings with special guests like BenDeLaCreme, Rock M Sakura, Erika Klash, and more — Queens of Adventure: Legends is available to subscribe to now wherever you get your podcasts.
How have you discovered your hidden talents? My guest this week is a former shy kid who, after trying to hide from the spotlight for years, was shocked to discover that he’s actually really good at acting, journalism, and go-go dancing. Growing up in a rougher environment, Mike learned the hard ay that he’d sometimes be challenged to stand up for himself — such as the time he came out as gay, got punched in the face, and then surprised everyone by wheeling around and breaking his assailant’s nose. As he grew more comfortable asserting himself, he found some less violent outlets — acting, dancing, and being a jubilant party boy in underground queer New York clubs. But eventually, it was time for him to buckle down and get serious, which is how he found himself going from dancing nearly-naked on boxes to delivering the news.
We’ll have that conversation in a minute. First — I want to let you know about a whole bunch of live shows I’m hosting in Seattle and San Francisco this March, including a livestream that you can watch anywhere in the world. Join us for an escape into a world of Dungeons and Dragons & drag queens with our show Queens of Adventure, where drag performers play Dungeons & Dragons for a live audience. It kicks off with a livestream on YouTube on March 8th. Then we’re performing live in Seattle on March 12 and 13, and then San Francisco on March 25 and 29. Queens of Adventure live shows are so much fun — basically big queer improvised comedy stories where queer heroes save the world. Tickets and details are now on sale at QueensOfAdventure.com — I hope to see you at those shows and on the livestream on March 8!
My guest this week has a lot of stories to share, both in his role as a filmmaker and as person who’s lived a lot of lives. Dan Steadman’s upbringing in a sheltered religious community found him placed in a lot of unusual circumstances, surreptitiously consuming forbidden entertainment and rebooting his entire identity when his family swapped lives with a family in Brazil. His career in showbiz took him to Los Angeles, where he worked alongside big-time celebrities and also faced a crisis — the more comfortable he became living as an openly gay man, the more he realized that he’d have to cut ties with some of the homophobic celebrities he worked with.
We’ll have that conversation in a minute. First — I want to let you know about a whole bunch of live shows I’m hosting in Seattle, Portland, and San Francisco this March, including a livestream that you can watch anywhere in the world. Join us for an escape into a world of Dungeons and Dragons & drag queens with our show Queens of Adventure, where drag performers play Dungeons & Dragons for a live audience. It kicks off with a livestream on YouTube on March 8th. Then we’re performing live in Seattle on March 12 and 13, Portland on March 18th and 19th, and then San Francisco on March 25 and 29. Queens of Adventure live shows are so much fun — basically big queer improvised comedy stories where queer heroes save the world. Tickets and details are now on sale at QueensOfAdventure.com — I hope to see you at those shows and on the livestream on March 8!
For this week’s episode, we’re diving into the Sewers of Paris archive to revisit a chat with the wonderful Carlos Maza. You may know Carlos from the brilliant videos he’s produced, analyzing news and media. Or you might know him from the big queer fuss he caused last year when he shone a spotlight on the rampant harassment and discrimination problem faced by YouTube. Carlos and I spoke back in 2017 about his nerdiest interests — role playing and video games, a medium in which he’s given a lot of thought to whether he identifies as a fighter or a healer? In his videos, Carlos puts up a strong verbal fight. But offscreen, the role in which he's most at home is that of caretaker, looking after others and supporting the well being of those around him. But as he's found, that doesn't always leave time for taking care of himself.
We’ll have that conversation in a minute. First I want to let you know about a whole bunch of live shows that I’m hosting in Seattle, Portland, and San Francisco. You’ve probably heard me mention my live comedy show and podcast Queens of Adventure, which features drag queens playing Dungeons & Dragons. We’ll be taking the stage at Re-Bar in Seattle on March 12, and then at Emerald City Comic Con on March 13; then we’re doing two in Portland at the Siren Theater on March 18 and 19; and then even more at Oasis in San Francisco on March 25 and 29. Our Queens of Adventure live shows are a ton of fun, basically a big queer improvised comedy story powered by unpredictable dice rolls and a rowdy audience. Tickets are now on sale at QueensOfAdventure.com — I hope to see you at those shows!
My guest this week is Lee Gambin, who always knew he had a place in the world of cinema. An obsessive collector of VHS tapes as a kid, he grew up to host raucous film screenings and to write extensively about his great love — classic film and particularly horror. Despite his favorite films being full of frights, he’s never found them scary. Instead, he’s embraced the comforting power of monsters and gore.
We’ll have that conversation in a minute. First I want to let you know about a whole bunch of live shows that I’m hosting in March. You’ve probably heard me mention my live comedy show and podcast Queens of Adventure, which features drag queens playing Dungeons & Dragons. We just announced an upcoming live show at Re-Bar in Seattle on March 12, another at Emerald City Comic Con on March 13; then two in Portland at the Siren Theater on March 18 and 19; and then more shows at Oasis in San Francisco on March 25 and 29. Our Queens of Adventure live shows are a ton of fun, basically a big queer improvised comedy story powered by unpredictable dice rolls and a rowdy audience. Tickets are now on sale at QueensOfAdventure.com — I hope to see you at those shows!
Hugh Ryan is a writer, researcher, speaker, and also the subject of a recent episode of The Sewers of Paris. You might remember a few weeks ago when my guest Michael mentioned Hugh’s book, When Brooklyn was Queer, and Hugh was kind enough to sit down for a chat about his own favorite books — pulpy sci-fi novels, which filled his middle school days with magic horses. Growing up, be became a sort of explorer — mild mannered academic by day, rowdy party monster by night, after a series of adventures, including one in which he moved into another person’s life, Hugh found a calling in creating informal pop-up museums of queer history.
Big thanks to everyone who makes the Sewers of Paris possible with a pledge of support on Patreon! Click “support the show on Patreon” to check out the rewards for backers.
And just a reminder that The Sewers of Paris is on Twitter and Facebook — I post clips of the stuff that we talk about on each episode.
Also I hope you’ll join me for our next fun friendly livestream on February 8. It’s a laid back brunch-time chat about the books and movies and music and shows that are bringing you joy right now. There’s a link at the top of the Sewers of Paris twitter feed.
And by the way, if you like LGBTQ podcasts you may enjoy my other show, Queens of Adventure, a comedy-adventure podcast that stars drag queens playing Dungeons & Dragons. That’s at QueensOfAdventure.com.
My guest this week moved to New York straight out of college with stars in his eyes and big dreams of making it on stage and screen. David Merten landed in the big city with just a handful of luggage and some change, sleeping on couches, working odd jobs, and feeling totally alone in a city of 8 million. But bit by bit he’s been climbing the acting ladder and now the kid who grew up in a tiny town surrounded by corn and meth is booking gigs — and forming a family of folks like him.
Big thanks to everyone who makes the Sewers of Paris possible with a pledge of support on Patreon! Click “support the show on Patreon” to check out the rewards for backers.
And just a reminder that The Sewers of Paris is on Twitter and Facebook — I post clips of the stuff that we talk about on each episode.
Also I hope you’ll join me for our next fun friendly livestream on February 8. It’s a laid back brunch-time chat about the books and movies and music and shows that are bringing you joy right now. There’s a link at the top of the Sewers of Paris twitter feed.
And by the way, if you like LGBTQ podcasts you may enjoy my other show, Queens of Adventure, a comedy-adventure podcast that stars drag queens playing Dungeons & Dragons. That’s at QueensOfAdventure.com.
My guest this week is Scott Shoemaker — you heard his partner Freddie on the show last month. Like Freddie, Scott’s great passion is live weird theater, such as his ongoing series where he plays a boozy pill-popping version of Ms Pac Man, or his annual Christmas show where he finds new ways every year to ruin and then hastily repair the holidays. Growing up, Scott dreamed of being a rock star — and as it turns out, dressing his friends in goofy costumes and taking them on the road to sing and dance and tell jokes is oddly close to a super queer version of rock stardom.
Big thanks to everyone who makes the Sewers of Paris possible with a pledge of support on Patreon! Click “support the show on Patreon” to check out the rewards for backers.
And just a reminder that The Sewers of Paris is on Twitter and Facebook — I post clips of the stuff that we talk about on each episode.
Also I hope you’ll join me for our next fun friendly livestream on January 25. It’s a laid back brunch-time chat about the books and movies and music and shows that are bringing you joy right now. There’s a link at the top of the Sewers of Paris twitter feed.
And by the way, if you like LGBTQ podcasts you may enjoy my other show, Queens of Adventure, a comedy-adventure podcast that stars drag queens playing Dungeons & Dragons. That’s at QueensOfAdventure.com.
You might’ve seen that the show Jeopardy just invited three of its greatest winners of all time to participate in a championship showdown this week. And I thought it would be a good time to dig back into the Sewers of Paris archives for a chat with the contestant I consider the greatest Jeopardy player of all time, Louis Virtel, revisiting our 2016 chat about game shows, Clue, and great actresses of the 1970s.
When he was on Jeopardy, Louis captured the nation’s attention with an earth-shattering snap after he triumphed in a Daily Double. But you might also know him from his YouTube show Verbal Voguing, his podcast Keep It, or for being the very reason we have Twitter. In addition to being hysterically witty, Louis has a fascination with game shows that exists for him on deep personal level as a form where he’s free to channel everything that he cherishes about himself.
We’ll have that conversation in a minute. First a big thanks to everyone who makes the Sewers of Paris possible with a pledge of support on Patreon! And just a reminder that The Sewers of Paris is on Twitter and Facebook — I post clips of the stuff that we talk about on each episode.
Also I hope you’ll join me for our next fun friendly livestream on January 25. It’s a laid back brunch-time chat about the books and movies and music and shows that are bringing you joy right now. There’s a link at the top of the Sewers of Paris twitter feed.
And by the way, if you like LGBTQ podcasts you may enjoy my other show, Queens of Adventure, a comedy-adventure podcast that stars drag queens playing Dungeons & Dragons. That’s at QueensOfAdventure.com.
What kind of gay are you, and how many different kinds have you been? My guest this week is Michael, a San Francisco library-gay who’s also been a ballet gay, a nightclub gay, a rowing gay, and various other flavors with probably many more to come. Michael grew up around queer people, with progressive parents and a childhood passion for dancing in the Pennsylvania ballet, where he had some moments of personal awakenings involving dancers in sailor costumes. But he still wasn’t sure who he was, and so after coming out in college, he fled to the west coast to reinvent himself in Harvey Milk’s neighborhood.
We’ll have that conversation in a minute. First a big thanks to everyone who makes the Sewers of Paris possible with a pledge of support on Patreon! Click “support the show on Patreon” to check out the rewards for backers.
And just a reminder that The Sewers of Paris is on Twitter and Facebook — I post clips of the stuff that we talk about on each episode.
Also I hope you’ll join me for our next fun friendly livestream on January 4. It’s a laid back brunch-time chat about the books and movies and music and shows that are bringing you joy right now. There’s a link at the top of the Sewers of Paris twitter feed.
And by the way, if you like LGBTQ podcasts you may enjoy my other show, Queens of Adventure, a comedy-adventure podcast that stars drag queens playing Dungeons & Dragons. That’s at QueensOfAdventure.com.
My guest this week has had a lot of families — some good, some bad. Shawntae Arnette dreamed of being a performer all their life, after seeing a documentary about the famous dancer Josephine Baker. But there were roadblocks to that dream, from unsupportive biological family, to a period of homelessness, to a chosen family that turned toxic. Drifting and aimless, Shawntae joined a job program and was surprised to discover not only a career, but a group of queers that felt like a true family — a family who got Shawntae on a track to becoming a parent and the performer they always dreamed of being.
We’ll have that conversation in a minute. First a big thanks to everyone who makes the Sewers of Paris possible with a pledge of support on Patreon! Head over to SewersOfParis.com and click “support the show on Patreon” to check out the rewards for backers.
And just a reminder that The Sewers of Paris is on Twitter and Facebook — I post clips of the stuff that we talk about on each episode.
Also I hope you’ll join me for our next fun friendly livestream on January 4. It’s a laid back brunch-time chat about the books and movies and music and shows that are bringing you joy right now. There’s a link at the top of the Sewers of Paris twitter feed.
And by the way, if you like LGBTQ podcasts you may enjoy my other show, Queens of Adventure, a comedy-adventure podcast that stars drag queens playing Dungeons & Dragons. That’s at QueensOfAdventure.com.
Do clothes cover you up, or reveal who you really are? My guest this week is Jordan Christianson, a Seattle artist and designer who creates incredible one-off costumes for many of your favorite Drag Race stars. He’s also a big nerd, whose work is influenced by the futuristic fashions of Star Trek and Dune, as well as giant anime robots and eye-catching classic cars. Jordan’s always used clothing to express himself, even when he was a strange shy kid who dressed like an Edward Gorey character, but it’s only in recent years that his clothes can bring out a side of himself that for a long time he’d lost touch with — a side that likes who he sees when he looks in the mirror.
We’ll have that conversation in a minute. First a big thanks to everyone who makes the Sewers of Paris possible with a pledge of support on Patreon! Head over to SewersOfParis.com and click “support the show on Patreon” to check out the rewards for backers.
And just a reminder that The Sewers of Paris is on Twitter and Facebook — I post clips of the stuff that we talk about on each episode.
Also I hope you’ll join me for our next fun friendly livestream on December 28. It’s a laid back brunch-time chat about the books and movies and music and shows that are bringing you joy right now. There’s a link at the top of the Sewers of Paris twitter feed.
And by the way, if you like LGBTQ podcasting you may enjoy my other show, Queens of Adventure, a comedy-adventure podcast that stars drag queens playing Dungeons & Dragons. That’s at QueensOfAdventure.com.
My guest this week had to figure out a lot on his own. After dropping out of high school and moving across the country at the age of 15, Gus Lanza had no idea how to finish school, how to find a career, or what he was meant to do in life. Figuring that stuff out involved a lot of listening to himself — and also finding others who could help him along the way. As time passed, a unique chosen family grew around him, from childhood friends to neighbors to his partner, a performer many of us would come to know as drag star BenDeLaCreme. And it wasn’t until a few years ago that Gus finally realized that his path ahead had been staring him right in the face.
We’ll have that conversation in a minute. First a big thanks to everyone who makes the Sewers of Paris possible with a pledge of support on Patreon! Head over to SewersOfParis.com and click “support the show on Patreon” to check out the rewards for backers.
And just a reminder that The Sewers of Paris is on Twitter and Facebook — I post clips of the stuff that we talk about on each episode.
Also I hope you’ll join me for our next fun friendly livestream on December 28. It’s a laid back brunch-time chat about the books and movies and music and shows that are bringing you joy right now. There’s a link at the top of the Sewers of Paris twitter feed.
And by the way, if you like LGBTQ podcasting you may enjoy my other show, Queens of Adventure, a comedy-adventure show that stars drag queens playing Dungeons & Dragons. That’s at QueensOfAdventure.com.
My guest this week has a single-minded determination when it comes to entertaining, parties, and filling everyone’s lives with joy. Freddy Molitch is a Seattle playwright and DJ who also goes by the name DJ King of Pants, and he’s on a mission to bring happiness to audiences through theater and music and very weird nightlife. He came of age in 90s Seattle, when grunge and disaffection were at their peak. Back then he explored the city’s strange counterculture, its blossoming music scene, and adventurous queer underground — and today, he’s become in integral part of all three.
We’ll have that conversation in a minute. First a big thanks to everyone who makes the Sewers of Paris possible with a pledge of support on Patreon! Head over to SewersOfParis.com and click “support the show on Patreon” to check out the rewards for backers.
And just a reminder that The Sewers of Paris is on Twitter and Facebook — I post clips of the stuff that we talk about on each episode, so you can follow the show on social media to get a look at the stuff that guests recommend.
And I hope you’ll join me for our next fun friendly livestream on December 14 at 10am pacific. It’s a laid back brunch-time chat about the books and movies and music and shows that are bringing you joy right now. There’s a link at the top of the Sewers of Paris twitter feed.
And by the way, if you like LGBTQ podcasting you may enjoy my other show, Queens of Adventure, a comedy adventure show in which a band of drag performers on a narrative adventure. That’s at QueensOfAdventure.com.
My guest this week is Gregory Maguire, author of the novel Wicked among many other works. Though I’m sure you’re familiar with his book and the Broadway musical adaptation, you may not known the extent to which Gregory’s childhood was infused with elements of fairytale — from the fantasy novels he devoured, to the family tragedy that led to his time in an orphanage.
We’ll have that conversation in a minute. First a big thanks to everyone who makes the Sewers of Paris possible with a pledge of support on Patreon! Head over to SewersOfParis.com and click “support the show on Patreon” to check out the rewards for backers.
And just a reminder that The Sewers of Paris is on Twitter and Facebook — I post clips of the stuff that we talk about on each episode, so you can follow the show on social media to get a look at the stuff that guests recommend.
And I hope you’ll join me for our next fun friendly livestream on December 14 at 10am pacific. It’s a laid back brunch-time chat about the books and movies and music and shows that are bringing you joy right now. There’s a link at the top of the Sewers of Paris twitter feed.
And by the way, if you like LGBTQ podcasting you may enjoy my other show, Queens of Adventure, a comedy adventure show in which a band of drag performers on a narrative adventure. That’s at QueensOfAdventure.com.
My guest this week is artist, animator, and globe-traveling adventurer Jackie Wu. He grew up in Hong Kong, playing video games with family and idolizing figures like Lara Croft in Tomb Raider. As he grew older, he knew he needed to venture out into the world and explore, seeking treasure of a different kind. And that’s how a quiet, unassuming artist found himself traveling to the UK to reinvent himself, come out, and creating gender-bent Lara Croft cosplay while learning to scale cliff walls.
We’ll have that conversation in a minute. First a big thanks to everyone who makes the Sewers of Paris possible with a pledge of support on Patreon! Head over to SewersOfParis.com and click “support the show on Patreon” to check out the rewards for backers.
And just a reminder that The Sewers of Paris is on Twitter and Facebook — I post clips of the stuff that we talk about on each episode, so you can follow the show on social media to get a look at the stuff that guests recommend.
And I hope you’ll join me for our next fun friendly livestream on November 30. It’s a laid back brunch-time chat about the books and movies and music and shows that are bringing you joy right now. There’s a link at the top of the Sewers of Paris twitter feed.
My guest this week is Conor Olmstead, a photographer and video producer, and also my co-adventurer in a Dungeons & Dragons campaign. In addition to being an accomplished nerd, Conor is also deeply imaginative, and has a gift not just for noticing beauty in the world around him, but also capturing it through a camera’s lens.
We’ll have that conversation in a minute. First a big thanks to everyone who makes the Sewers of Paris possible with a pledge of support on Patreon! Head over to SewersOfParis.com and click “support the show on Patreon” to check out the rewards for backers.
And just a reminder that The Sewers of Paris is on Twitter and Facebook — I post clips of the stuff that we talk about on each episode, so you can follow the show on social media to get a look at the stuff that guests recommend.
And I hope you’ll join me for our next fun friendly livestream on November 30. It’s a laid back brunch-time chat about the books and movies and music and shows that are bringing you joy right now. There’s a link at the top of the Sewers of Paris twitter feed.
My guest this week is my friend Cody Shipman, a graphic designer and artist here in Seattle whose work illustrates better than any I’ve ever seen why the Pacific Northwest feels like cozy home. Cody’s most famous piece depicts a bear and a lumberjack sitting down for tea together, and his other art features men cuddling in onesies, relaxing in steam rooms, and flirting in singlets. Cody’s also created artwork for my other podcast, Queens of Adventure, which features drag queens playing Dungeons & Dragons. For a long time he felt hesitant about blending his gay interests and his nerdy interests together. But it was when he finally brought them both together he found inspiration for some of his most rewarding work to date.
We’ll have that conversation in a minute. First a big thanks to everyone who makes the Sewers of Paris possible with a pledge of support on Patreon! Head over to SewersOfParis.com and click “support the show on Patreon” to check out the rewards for backers.
And just a reminder that The Sewers of Paris is on Twitter and Facebook — I post clips of the stuff that we talk about on each episode, so you can follow the show on social media to get a look at the stuff that guests recommend.
And I hope you’ll join me for our next fun friendly livestream on November 16. It’s a laid back brunch-time chat about the books and movies and music and shows that are bringing you joy right now. There’s a link at the top of the Sewers of Paris twitter feed.
My guest this week dreams of great big musical adventure. Liam Esler is the co-founder of Summerfall Studios, a game company that’s currently in development on a game called Chorus, which promises to be an adventure story that’s also an interactive musical. Currently crowdfunding for the game, Liam leaned heavily on prior experiences to develop the concept — he went to school for theater, but in his free time taught himself to modify video games to include queer content. Now he’s finally bringing those two sides of his past together.
A big thanks to everyone who makes the Sewers of Paris possible with a pledge of support on Patreon! Head over to SewersOfParis.com and click “support the show on Patreon” to check out the rewards for backers. Thanks also to everyone who’s reviewed The Sewers of Paris on your podcast platform of choice.
And just a reminder that The Sewers of Paris is on Twitter and Facebook — I post clips of the stuff that we talk about on each episode, so you can follow the show on social media to get a look at the stuff that guests recommend.
And I hope you’ll join me for our next fun friendly livestream on November 16. It’s a laid back brunch-time chat about the books and movies and music and shows that are bringing you joy right now. There’s a link at the top of the Sewers of Paris twitter feed.
My guest this week has spent his life traveling the country to bear his soul, and now he’s settled down in the last place he ever expected — the town where he grew up. David Schmader is a writer and performer who wrote for The Stranger in Seattle by day, and who turned his articles into dramatic theatrical performances by night. He’s also the country’s foremost expert on Showgirls, and appears on the commentary track on the official DVD. These days he’s doing more writing than ever, and rediscovering the gay scene in a town that he left before he could fully appreciate it.
We’ll have that conversation in a minute. First a big thanks to everyone who makes the Sewers of Paris possible with a pledge of support on Patreon! Head over to SewersOfParis.com and click “support the show on Patreon” to check out the rewards for backers.
And just a reminder that The Sewers of Paris is on Twitter and Facebook — I post clips of the stuff that we talk about on each episode, so you can follow the show on social media to get a look at the stuff that guests recommend.
Also I hope you’ll joins us for a great big adventure this Saturday. I’ll be livestreaming a game of Dungeons & Dragons with comedian Deven Green, writer Carlos Maza, culture critic Anthony Oliveira, and scholar Bryan Wuest to benefit Seattle Children’s Hospital. It’s happening Saturday, November 2 at noon pacific. Details are at bit.ly/extralifeseattle.
My guest this week is Devlyn Camp, creator of the wonderful podcast Mattachine, which tells the story of the work that preceded the modern queer liberation movement. Devlyn is surprisingly young for someone with so close a connection to the past. But with their historical storytelling, they’re able to pull off an impressive feat — creating new queer community by diving into old queer community.
We’ll have that conversation in a minute. First a big thanks to everyone who makes the Sewers of Paris possible with a pledge of support on Patreon! Head over to SewersOfParis.com and click “support the show on Patreon” to check out the rewards for backers.
And just a reminder that The Sewers of Paris is on Twitter and Facebook — I post clips of the stuff that we talk about on each episode, so you can follow the show on social media to get a look at the stuff that guests recommend.
And I want to let you know about two livestreams coming up — the first is one of our regular fun friendly chit-chats, this Saturday, the 26th, at 9am pacific.
But the second is a big to-do: I’ll be joined by comedian Deven Green, writer Carlos Maza, culture critic Anthony Oliveira, and scholar Bryan Wuest for a livestreamed game of Dungeons & Dragons. It’s our annual livestream to benefit Seattle Children’s Hospital. I hope you’ll join us on Saturday, November 2 at noon pacific time. Details are at bit.ly/extralifeseattle2019
Hello, and welcome to The Sewers of Paris! Apologies for this episode posting a few days late — I’m on the road all this month, but I finally made it to a spot with wifi, and as we draw to the close of October, I wanted to bring you an episode from the Sewers of Paris vaults that asks the question — why is Halloween so gay? The topic is Hocus Pocus, Eerie Indiana, and Black Mirror.
Back in 2015, I spoke with Jamie Mauer, who you may know as the Needs More Gay culture critic Rantasmo. He grew up loving unsettling stories, like a lot of gay men. For those of us who feel pressure to hide their true selves, horror and fantasy — and particularly Halloween — provide a chance to trade one mask for another, be someone new, and scare everyone else for a change.
We’ll have that conversation in a minute. First a big thanks to everyone who makes the Sewers of Paris possible with a pledge of support on Patreon! Head over to SewersOfParis.com and click “support the show on Patreon” to join the folks who make the podcast possible, and to check out the rewards for backers.
And just a reminder that The Sewers of Paris is on Twitter and Facebook — I post clips of the stuff that we talk about on each episode, so you can follow the show on social media to get a look at the stuff that guests recommend.
And if you’re in Minneapolis, I hope you’ll come to Queens of Adventure LIVE at Lush on October 23rd — it’s a fun comedy adventure show featuring drag queens playing Dungeons and Dragons, starring Utica Queen, Kamaree Williams, and The Other Jeannie Retelle. Tickets are on sale at QueensofAdventure.com.
My guest this week grew up surrounded by mysteries and clues, but of course he carried a few secrets of his own. Not just that he was gay, but also that his tastes didn’t quite match those of his friends. It took a long time for Jorge to accept that it’s OK to love the things you love, and in fact doing so means that you can finally find others who share your passions. It was a physical response to seeing Meryl Streep sing that finally convinced him that it was time to make some changes in his life.
We’ll have that conversation in a minute. First a big thanks to everyone who makes the Sewers of Paris possible with a pledge of support on Patreon! Head over to SewersOfParis.com and click “support the show on Patreon” to join the folks who make the podcast possible, and to check out the rewards for backers.
And just a reminder that The Sewers of Paris is on Twitter and Facebook — I post clips of the stuff that we talk about on each episode, so you can follow the show on social media to get a look at the stuff that guests recommend.
Also BTW I’m in Chicago right now with my comedy storytelling show Queens of Adventure, featuring drag queens playing Dungeons & Dragons. We just did our first live show at Hamburger Mary’s Attic and it was a huge blast — thanks to everyone who came out! The the second is coming up on October 16th starring Seattle legends Arson Nicki, Butylene O’Kipple, and Fraya Love.
And then I’ll be in Minneapolis for two big events — I’ll be a guest of honor at Gaylaxicon, a queer sci-fi and fantasy convention. We’re doing a Queens of Adventure show there on October 19 with Utica Queen, Nocturna Lee Mission, and The Other Jeannie Retelle. And then on October 23 we’re doing another Queens of Adventure show in Minneapolis, this time at Lush with Utica, Jeanne, and Kamaree Williams.
My guest this week is Cam Clarke, who grew up in a showbiz family that’s been entertaining audiences since the early 30s. If you’re not familiar with his work as one of the the youngest members of the King Family Singers, you might know him as the voice of Leonardo on Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, or as Kaneda from Akira, or as Liquid Snake in Metal Gear. He’s been the voice of He-Man, Simba, Jen from the Dark Crystal, and hundreds of other roles. Cam’s always had a gift for voices and song — and not just with the SOUND of his voice, but with the words he’s found to express who he truly is.
Cam was kind enough to invite me to his home for this interview, where we talked about growing up in a Mormon showbiz family, struggling to come out and find his place in the world, and why he he has a gorgeous collection of Barbie dolls.
And a big thanks to everyone who makes the Sewers of Paris possible with a pledge of support on Patreon! Head over to SewersOfParis.com and click “support the show on Patreon” to join the folks who make the podcast possible, and to check out the backer rewards.
Also! I’m heading to Chicago in October with my comedy storytelling show Queens of Adventure, featuring drag queens playing Dungeons & Dragons. We’re doing two live shows at Hamburger Mary’s Attic — the first on October 9th with local Chicago queens Lucy Stoole, Fox E. Kim, and Joe Lewis; and the second on October 16th with Seattle legends Arson Nicki, Butylene O’Kipple, and Fraya Love. Tickets are now on sale at QueensOfAdventure.com.
My guest this week has traveled the world to create images of the varied lives human lead — including the sexy secrets hiding in their erotic imaginations. Justin Hall is the creator of numerous comics and graphic novels, and I was lucky enough to catch him while he was reachable at home rather than voyaging from country to country with just some paper and ink. He shared stories of finding freedom and himself in an itinerant life, living on the road in tents and squats before they were demolished, being turned into a quivering mess by a comic book that changed his life, and why if he ever gets malaria — again — he hopes it’ll be in Tanzania.
And a big thanks to everyone who makes the Sewers of Paris possible with a pledge of support on Patreon! Head over to SewersOfParis.com and click “support the show on Patreon” to join the folks who make the podcast possible, and to check out the backer rewards.
Also! I’m heading to Chicago in October with my comedy storytelling show Queens of Adventure, featuring drag queens playing Dungeons & Dragons. We’re doing two live shows at Hamburger Mary’s Attic — the first on October 9th with local Chicago queens Lucy Stoole, Fox E. Kim, and Joe Lewis; and the second on October 16th with Seattle legends Arson Nicki, Butylene O’Kipple, and Fraya Love. Tickets are now on sale at QueensOfAdventure.com.
Where do you find the nerve to stand up for yourself? My guest this week is Brian Moreno, who discovered a big wide world of gay culture in his conservative town. By day he was a shy nerd, by night a nightlife photographer documenting wild queer parties — at one point helping to throw a gathering that, to his shock, drew twelve hundred guests. These days he’s set that life aside, but he still uses the confidence he found at those parties to remind himself that he’s capable of so much more than he thought.
And I hope you’ll join me for a laid back livestream chit-chat on Saturday September 21 at 10am pacific! I’ll be hanging out on YouTube to talk with you about the book and movies and music and shows that you’re loving right now. Come share your recommendations, get tips from others, and spend some time basking in a friendly livestream.
And a big thanks to everyone who makes the Sewers of Paris possible with a pledge of support on Patreon! Head over to SewersOfParis.com and click “support the show on Patreon” to join the folks who make the podcast possible, and to check out the backer rewards.
Also! I’m heading to Chicago in October with my comedy storytelling show Queens of Adventure, featuring drag queens playing Dungeons & Dragons. We’re doing two live shows at Hamburger Mary’s Attic — the first on October 9th with local Chicago queens Lucy Stoole, Fox E. Kim, and Joe Lewis; and the second on October 16th with Seattle legends Arson Nicki, Butylene O’Kipple, and Fraya Love. Tickets are now on sale at QueensOfAdventure.com.
Where do you pick up the skills to design the life of your dreams? My guest this week is artist and theatrical designer Pete Rush, who fell in love with drama at an early age and thought he’d be a New York actor until he realized he had an aptitude for stage design. So he crossed over from creating characters on-stage to crafting the world around them. And in the process, he learned how to craft a daring world of art and adventure around himself… often with as little clothing as possible.
Thanks to everyone supporting The Sewers of Paris on Patreon. Click "support the show on patreon” to check out the rewards for backers. Thanks also to everyone who’s reviewed The Sewers of Paris on your podcast platform of choice. Please reach out and let me know what you think of the show on Twitter and Facebook, or at sewerspodcast@gmail.com.
I hope you’ll join me for a laid back livestream chit-chat on Saturday September 21 at 10am pacific! I’ll be hanging out on YouTube to talk with you about the book and movies and music and shows that you’re loving right now. Come share your recommendations, get tips from others, and spend some time basking in a friendly livestream.
Also we are coming up on the end of our Kickstarter campaign for the podcast Queens of Adventure, a comedy storytelling show where Drag Queens play Dungeons & Dragons. We’re raising money to record a dozen hours of new adventures with local drag artists and D&D shows in the midwest, and you can get some gorgeous gay rewards if you back the kickstarter. The campaign ends on Saturday September 14.
We’re nearing the anniversary of the release of one of my favorite films ever made, Showgirls, which came out on September 22, 1995. So this week we’re heading into the Sewers of Paris vault for a listen back to my 2015 conversation with one of the actors in that movie, Patrick Bristow. He played the terrifying choreographer who hollers THRUST IT at Elizabeth Berkeley. He also played the wigmaster on Seinfeld, Larry David’s dance teacher on Curb Your Enthusiasm, and the bubbly Peter on Ellen. He shared some fascinating behind the scenes stories about the making of all those movies and shows, as well as his own revelations about learning to set aside the need to fit in.
And hey, if you’re going to be in Seattle on September 27, I hope you’ll join me for a screening of a new documentary about Showgirls entitled You Don’t Nomi. I appear in the doc as an expert on Showgirls — which I can hardly believe myself — and I’ll be present at the screening to introduce it and answer questions. It’s happening at Northwest Film Forum on September 27.
Also, a quick heads-up that I’ll be doing a very special livestream this Saturday, September 7. A team of drag artists is going to put me into drag, live on camera. Join me along with Arson Nicki, Fraya Love, and Londyn Bradshaw to catch a glimpse of a side of me that nobody, including me, has ever seen. Head over to https://youtu.be/wh2Z1pccCxc to watch, and to set a reminder for when we go live.
And just a reminder that right now we’re running a Kickstarter campaign for Queens of Adventure, a comedy storytelling podcast where Drag Queens play Dungeons & Dragons. We’re raising money to record a dozen hours of new adventures with local drag artists and D&D shows in the midwest, and you can get some gorgeous gay rewards if you back the show. We just added new reward tiers and lowered the price on others, and the campaign ends on September 14.
When it’s time to start a new life, how do you decide what to shed and what to keep? My guest this week is Matt Olshefski, also known as The Shirtless Violinist. He came to terms with being gay at a silent retreat, but after his family learned the truth he had to endure a hostile home life until he finally climbed out a window with only the things he could carry. These days, he’s gained fame online for music videos featuring gay love stories, but it took a lot of time to rebuild a new life that brought him the joy of creating art with the man he loves.
We'll have that conversation in a moment -- first, I want to let you know about new project I’ve just announced. You’ve probably me talk about my show Queens of Adventure, a comedy storytelling podcast where Drag Queens play Dungeons & Dragons. Well, for the first time ever we’re taking our cast on the road, bringing them to Chicago to record a dozen hours of new adventures with local drag artists and D&D shows in the midwest. There’s a Kickstarter underway to make the trip possible, and if you support the project now you can get some gorgeous nerdy-gay enamel pins, bonus episodes, and even guest on an episode of the show. The campaign ends on September 14.
Human interaction is challenging even under the best of circumstances, and for years this week’s guest was resigned to just always having difficulty understanding other people. Comedian Christopher Smith Bryant picked up techniques for socializing from interactive entertainment like video games, and later from improv classes. His adult life has been a series of unexpected discoveries, from the realization that he actually shouldn’t be a minister to a recent diagnosis that’s helped him understand how to navigate a world that he’d always found difficult to make sense of.
I also want to let you know about new project I’ve just announced. You’ve probably me talk about my show Queens of Adventure, a comedy storytelling podcast where Drag Queens play Dungeons & Dragons. Well, for the first time ever we’re taking our cast on the road, bringing them to Chicago to record a dozen hours of new adventures with local drag artists and D&D shows in the midwest. There’s a Kickstarter underway to make the trip possible, and if you pledge now you can get some gorgeous nerdy-gay enamel pins, bonus episodes, and even guest on an episode of the show. Head over to QueensOfAdventure.com and click the banner at the top for all the details on our ongoing Kickstarter. The campaign ends on September 14.
Hello, and welcome to the Sewers of Paris! This week is the 80th anniversary of the premiere of The Wizard of Oz, and to commemorate that, we're diving into the Sewers of Paris archives. The very first interview I recorded for the show was with Josh Trujillo, a writer then based in LA and now living in New York. The Wizard of Oz played a major role in his life -- as a kid, he was obsessed with film, and later discovered that Oz conventions (yes, there really is such a thing) served as a sort of meeting-place for older closeted gay men.
With the movie hitting 80s years old this week, it's a fine time to look back at the impact that it's had on culture -- particularly the culture of we people known in certain circles as friends of Dorothy.
We'll have that conversation in a moment. First a heads-up about some upcoming live events I'll be hosting! This coming Sunday, August 18th, we're doing a livestream of Queens of Adventure -- a comedy storytelling show where drag queens play Dungeons & Dragons. I hope you'll join us at 4pm Pacific at youtube.com/queensofadventure to see me and our party of drag artists journey into the unknown! That's this Sunday, August 18, at 4pm pacific.
And if you're going to be in Seattle, we're doing two live shows later this month. The first is on Wednesday, August 28 at Kremwerk -- tickets to that are now on sale at QueensOfAdventure.com. And the second show is going to a panel as part of PAX West -- so if you have PAX badge, join us on Sunday September 1st at 8pm in the Sasquatch theater.
Details on all those shows is at QueensOfAdventure.com.
Picture the creepiest, most sinister decaying swamp hag you can imagine, and that’s my guest this week — the Seattle drag queen who goes by the name of Old Witch. She’s the product of a delightful shy nerd who grew up in a tiny Montana town and who struggled to find housing before finding her footing as a rock star, a champion of literacy, an adoptive parent, and a pillar of the community in the Pacific Northwest.
Also, a reminder that I host twice-monthly livestreams where I chat with listeners like you about the book and movies and music and shows that are bringing you joy right now. The next one is on August 3, and there's a link at the top of the Sewers of Paris twitter feed.
You never know how your dreams might manifest. My guest this week is Jasun Mark, who dreamed of being a filmmaker as a kid. After some time in a tiny farming town and performing in a successful Canadian pop band, he got an opportunity to pursue that childhood dream in a particularly exciting niche — as a director of dozens of porn films, a line of work that he both enjoys and also allows him to pursue his own personal passion projects.
Also, a reminder that I host twice-monthly livestreams where I chat with listeners like you about the book and movies and music and shows that are bringing you joy right now. The next one is on August 3, and there's a link at the top of the Sewers of Paris twitter feed.
My guest this week is musician-turned-novelist Orlando Ortega Medina. Growing up in the music scene in and around Los Angeles, he was never really in the closet — or at least, he didn’t think of himself as closeted, until he realized that his own parents didn’t fully understand that he was married to a man. Explaining to his mother that she had a son in law wasn’t exactly comfortable, but it changed everything for his relationship with his parents. And he processed the experience in the way he knew best — by turning it into a novel.
Also, a reminder that I host twice-monthly livestreams where I chat with listeners like you about the book and movies and music and shows that are bringing you joy right now. The next one is on August 3, and there's a link at the top of the Sewers of Paris twitter feed.
Big thanks to everyone who makes The Sewers of Paris possible with a pledge of support on Patreon -- head over to SewersOfParis.com and click "Support the show on Patreon" to check out the rewards for backers.
And for more queer podcasting, check out the show Queens of Adventure, featuring drag queens on an epic Dungeons and Dragons quest! That's at QueensOfAdventure.com. Visit queensofadventure.com or follow @dungeondrag on twitter.
For years, David Quantic’s only connection with queer community was cruising the bathrooms at the local mall, slipping away from his parents while the family shopped to meet up with men in stalls. But gradually, he found windows to a more expansive view of what the gay world could be, watching afternoon talk shows and eventually running away to Texas and then New York to capture queer life through a camera lens. It’s probably no surprise that these days his lens is turned towards sex, telling the story of queer community through our physical connections.
Also, a reminder that I host twice-monthly livestreams where I chat with listeners like you about the book and movies and music and shows that are bringing you joy right now. The next one is on July 20 at 9am pacific, and there's a link at the top of the Sewers of Paris twitter feed.
Big thanks to everyone who makes The Sewers of Paris possible with a pledge of support on Patreon -- head over to SewersOfParis.com and click "Support the show on Patreon" to check out the rewards for backers.
And for more queer podcasting, check out the show Queens of Adventure, featuring drag queens on an epic Dungeons and Dragons quest! That's at QueensOfAdventure.com. Visit queensofadventure.com or follow @dungeondrag on twitter.
My guest this week is caught between two extremes — the smart reference comedy of The Simpsons and the brutality of dramatic films about lives crumbling to pieces. Matt Fisher is the co-host of the podcast Ex-Rated movies, where he and his co-host and ex-boyfriend Ryan chat about films. Ryan was my guest on episode 235 back in May, and we talked a lot about how he finds joy in exuberant dance. In contrast, Matt’s drawn to darker stories, exploring pain through cathartic release.
Also, a reminder that I host twice-monthly livestreams where I chat with listeners like you about the book and movies and music and shows that are bringing you joy right now. The next one is on July 20 at 9am pacific, and there's a link at the top of the Sewers of Paris twitter feed.
Big thanks to everyone who makes The Sewers of Paris possible with a pledge of support on Patreon -- head over to SewersOfParis.com and click "Support the show on Patreon" to check out the rewards for backers.
And for more queer podcasting, check out the show Queens of Adventure, featuring drag queens on an epic Dungeons and Dragons quest! That's at QueensOfAdventure.com. Visit queensofadventure.com or follow @dungeondrag on twitter.
This episode is posting on the Fourth of July, and I’m going to celebrate America with a look back at one of my favorite early episodes of The Sewers of Paris — an interview from 2015 with director Wes Hurley, whose story of immigrating to this country is unlike anything you’ve ever heard. Wes was raised in Vladivostok Russia, where images of American culture floated to him through illegal midnight broadcasts and his life was so dangerous he had to carry a knife to school. His mother was able to bring them to America — she was a mail-order bride — but upon landing stateside as a young queer teen, Wes soon found the country wasn’t quite what he’d been led to expect.
Also, a reminder that I host twice-monthly livestreams where I chat with listeners like you about the book and movies and music and shows that are bringing you joy right now. The next one is on July 6 at 9am pacific, and there's a link at the top of the Sewers of Paris twitter feed.
Big thanks to everyone who makes The Sewers of Paris possible with a pledge of support on Patreon -- head over to SewersOfParis.com and click "Support the show on Patreon" to check out the rewards for backers.
And for more queer podcasting, check out the show Queens of Adventure, featuring drag queens on an epic Dungeons and Dragons quest! That's at QueensOfAdventure.com. Visit queensofadventure.com or follow @dungeondrag on twitter.
My guest this week has spent the last 25 years tapping into inner heroes — first on screen, and then in real life. David Yost played Billy, the Blue Ranger on Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers, portraying a teenager with attitude who saved the world every week. But in his private life, he struggled to accept himself and to resist the homophobia of his colleagues. With on-set harassment exacting a heavy toll, he walked away from Power Rangers as an act of defiance and self-care, beginning a journey of self-acceptance that required as much bravery as his on-screen counterpart.
Also, a reminder that I host twice-monthly livestreams where I chat with listeners like you about the book and movies and music and shows that are bringing you joy right now. The next one is on July 6 at 9am pacific, and there's a link at the top of the Sewers of Paris twitter feed.
Big thanks to everyone who makes The Sewers of Paris possible with a pledge of support on Patreon -- head over to SewersOfParis.com and click "Support the show on Patreon" to check out the rewards for backers.
And for more queer podcasting, check out the show Queens of Adventure, featuring drag queens on an epic Dungeons and Dragons quest! That's at QueensOfAdventure.com. We’re doing a special preview weekend at the end of June, making over 20 hours of backer-exclusive bonus episodes available for anyone to listen to. Visit queensofadventure.com or follow @dungeondrag on twitter, where we’ll post more information in the coming weeks.
My guest this week is a man of intense confidence -- which seems like a prerequisite for the work that he does. Michael Fabiano is an opera singer, and also former baseball umpire, debater, and business student. Opera was a side-passion for him until a teacher told him that his talent was so great that he had a moral obligation to dedicate himself to cultivating his art to the exclusion of all else. And so that's just what he did -- though he still makes time for casual hobbies now and then, like flying airplanes.
And by the way, Michael just released a new album of songs -- check out Michael Fabiano: Verdi & Donizetti to hear him present a spectacular set of songs.
I've had quite a few guests discuss their love of opera, and if you'd like to hear more you can check out Episode 4 (Salome), Episode 38 (Angels in America), Episode 89 (Mama Tits), and Episode 127 (Sailor Moon) -- all go into even more depth on the genre and the craft.
Also, a reminder that I host twice-monthly livestreams where I chat with listeners like you about the book and movies and music and shows that are bringing you joy right now. The next one is on June 22 at 9am pacific, and there's a link at the top of the Sewers of Paris twitter feed.
Big thanks to everyone who makes The Sewers of Paris possible with a pledge of support on Patreon -- head over to SewersOfParis.com and click "Support the show on Patreon" to check out the rewards for backers.
And for more queer podcasting, check out the show Queens of Adventure, featuring drag queens on an epic Dungeons and Dragons quest! That's at QueensOfAdventure.com. We’re doing a special preview weekend at the end of June, making over 20 hours of backer-exclusive bonus episodes available for anyone to listen to. Visit queensofadventure.com or follow @dungeondrag on twitter, where we’ll post more information in the coming weeks.
My guest this week has noticed something funny about the way we each live our lives: we all fumble through life like we're the first one to have ever figured out how to live. And Walt Odets has had a lot of life; he's worked as a photographer, as a airplane pilot transporting priceless cargo, and as a psychologist working through the worst days of the HIV epidemic. We'll be talking about trauma and loss in this episode, including some pretty heavy topics around mortality -- but also emerging from trauma and finding the optimism and strength to carry on. Walt's new book is called Out of the Shadows: Reimagining Gay Men's Lives, and provides a pathway for dealing with feelings of loss, pain, and aimlessness -- guiding people to self-acceptance, self-confidence, and self-realization.
We'll have that conversation in a minute. First a reminder that I host twice-monthly livestreams where I chat with listeners like you about the book and movies and music and shows that are bringing you joy right now. The next one is on June 22 at 9am pacific, and there's a link at the top of the Sewers of Paris twitter feed.
Big thanks to everyone who makes The Sewers of Paris possible with a pledge of support on Patreon -- head over to SewersOfParis.com and click "Support the show on Patreon" to check out the rewards for backers.
And for more queer podcasting, check out the show Queens of Adventure, featuring drag queens on an epic Dungeons and Dragons quest! That's at QueensOfAdventure.com. We’re doing a special preview weekend at the end of June, making over 20 hours of backer-exclusive bonus episodes available for anyone to listen to. Visit queensofadventure.com or follow @dungeondrag on twitter, where we’ll post more information in the coming weeks.
My guest this week occupies some unlikely intersections. Michael Twitty is the author of the James Beard awarding-winning book The Cooking Gene, in which he explores the history of African American cuisine through his own family history and his Jewish faith. He's been on a lifelong exploration of those very different identities and others, seeking answers to his past in journeys to Africa, to synagogues, and in the kitchen.
We'll have that conversation in a minute. First a reminder that I host twice-monthly livestreams where I chat with listeners like you about the book and movies and music and shows that are bringing you joy right now. The next one is on June 8, at 9am pacific, and there's a link at the top of the Sewers of Paris twitter feed.
Big thanks to everyone who makes The Sewers of Paris possible with a pledge of support on Patreon -- head over to SewersOfParis.com and click "Support the show on Patreon" to check out the rewards for backers.
And for more queer podcasting, check out the show Queens of Adventure, featuring drag queens on an epic Dungeons and Dragons quest! That's at QueensOfAdventure.com. The episode we just posted is a recap of the entire adventure so if you've been looking for a good place to jump in, now's your chance!
What can you gain by giving yourself a fresh start? My guest this week is Noah Michelson, an editor at the Huffington Post. He's been lucky enough to give himself a couple of reboots in life, jumping from situations that were unsafe or unfulfilling to find something better once he wiped the slate clean.
We'll have that conversation in a minute. First a reminder that I host twice-monthly livestreams where I chat with listeners like you about the book and movies and music and shows that are bringing you joy right now. The next one is on June 8, at 9am pacific, and there's a link at the top of the Sewers of Paris twitter feed.
Big thanks to everyone who makes The Sewers of Paris possible with a pledge of support on Patreon -- head over to SewersOfParis.com and click "Support the show on Patreon" to check out the rewards for backers.
And for more queer podcasting, check out the show Queens of Adventure, featuring drag queens on an epic Dungeons and Dragons quest! That's at QueensOfAdventure.com.
How do you balance time spent in your head with time spent around other people? My guest this week is Ryan Weadon, host of the podcast Ex-Rated Movies where he chats about films with his ex boyfriend. After searching for years to find the work that he loved, Ryan found his true joy on a sweaty dance floor, and now his passion project is mixing exuberant dance with thoughtful conversation between friends and solitary contemplation.
We'll have that conversation in a minute. First a reminder that I host twice-monthly livestreams where I chat with listeners like you about the book and movies and music and shows that are bringing you joy right now. The next one is on June 8, at 9am pacific, and there's a link at the top of the Sewers of Paris twitter feed.
Big thanks to everyone who makes The Sewers of Paris possible with a pledge of support on Patreon -- head over to SewersOfParis.com and click "Support the show on Patreon" to check out the rewards for backers.
And for more queer podcasting, check out the show Queens of Adventure, featuring drag queens on an epic Dungeons and Dragons quest! That's at QueensOfAdventure.com.
This weekend, I'll be attending The Descent, a Dungeons and Dragons live event in Los Angeles. And so for this week's episode, we're diving into the Sewers archive with a conversation from 2016 featuring game writer David Gaider.
You may recognize his name as one of the co-creators of some of the most popular sci-fi and fantasy stories in the world -- his work appears in Baldur's Gate 2, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, Dragon Age, Neverwinter Nights, and many more.
Though he's been telling stories his whole life, David never planned to become a professional game designer. He didn't think creative work could ever be practical, and even went so far as to turn down the job that would eventually change his life. For years, he operated under the assumption that nobody would be interested in the kinds of stories he really wanted to tell. Until one day he included a piece of himself in his work and found that it didn't just open a door for him, but unlocked new possibilities for everyone around him.
And if you like hearing about queer game creators, you might also like Sewers of Paris episode 177, where I chat with Jeremy Crawford, lead rules designer for Dungeons and Dragons.
Big thanks to everyone who makes The Sewers of Paris possible with a pledge of support on Patreon -- head over to Sewers and click "Support the show on Patreon" to check out the rewards for backers.
How much searching does it take to find your passion in life? My guest this week is Bucky Flores -- before he was performing with Lady Gaga in the Superbowl, Bucky drifted through his early 20s, trying to figure out what he wanted out of life beyond menial jobs and going out drinking. Stuck in a small town with only a few options, it was a chance audition for a color guard group that snapped him out of his malaise and showed him what happiness could look like -- but not without a lot of work first.
And a heads-up that I'm traveling to LA later this month to cover DragCon and also a big Dungeons & Dragons Live event. I'll also be hanging out at Musical Mondays at Rage in WeHo on May 20th. So if you're in LA, I hope to see you at one or two or all of those events!
As always, huge thanks to everyone who makes The Sewers of Paris possible with a pledge of support on Patreon! Head over to Patreon.com/mattbaume to check out the rewards available to backers.
And BTW, I hope you'll join us for a brand new weekly queer Dungeons & Dragons stream, every Saturday at 11am Pacific. Join me and Connor Olmstead, Brian Moreno, Justin Saint, Jen Vaughn, and my partner James as DM. We just started and now's a perfect time to join us at twitch.tv/prettyprettypixel.
And of course, I'm also doing twice-monthly hangouts on YouTube, where I chat with you about the books and movies and music and shows that you're obsessed with right now. There’s a link to the next one on the Sewers of Paris Twitter feed.
My guest this week is writer and psychologist Victoria Lee. She’s got a soft spot for villains — not just for the deeds they do, but for the emotions they feel and the creativity with which they solve problems. Understanding the difference in everyone’s perspective on good and evil informs the work she does today, conducting experiments to figure out how people respond to challenges in real life — and also in her fiction, which draws on her love of fantasy, science, and the human brain.
And BTW, I hope you'll join us for a brand new weekly queer Dungeons & Dragons stream, every Saturday at 11am Pacific. Join me and Connor Olmstead, Brian Moreno, Justin Saint, Jen Vaughn, and my partner James as DM. We just started and now's a perfect time to join us at twitch.tv/prettyprettypixel.
And of course, I'm also doing twice-monthly hangouts on YouTube, where I chat with you about the books and movies and music and shows that you're obsessed with right now. There’s a link to the next one on the Sewers of Paris Twitter feed.
As always, huge thanks to everyone who makes The Sewers of Paris possible with a pledge of support on Patreon! Head over to Patreon.com/mattbaume to check out the rewards available to backers.
We never get back the time we spend in the closet, so once queer people come out we often have to find time to make up for lost time. But if you could go back, and enjoy the things you wanted to, what would you give yourself permission to love? My guest this week is Marc Snetiker, senior editor at Entertainment Weekly. It's a role where he has the freedom to chase the pop culture that he craved as kid and feared being found out for loving.
And BTW, I hope you'll join us for a brand new weekly queer Dungeons & Dragons stream, every Saturday at 11am Pacific. Join me and Connor Olmstead, Brian Moreno, Justin Saint, Jen Vaughn, and my partner James as DM. We just started and now's a perfect time to join us at twitch.tv/prettyprettypixel.
And of course, I'm also doing twice-monthly hangouts on YouTube, where I chat with you about the books and movies and music and shows that you're obsessed with right now. The next one is on Saturday May 4 at 9am pacific, noon eastern with special guest Jaymes Mansfield from RuPaul’s Drag Race.
As always, huge thanks to everyone who makes The Sewers of Paris possible with a pledge of support on Patreon! Head over to Patreon.com/mattbaume to check out the rewards available to backers.
My guest this week has been through a lot -- growing up with caretakers who were processing a lot of pain, losing people he thought he could count on, confronting alarming mental illness, and learning far later than most people how to function in the world. Despite all that, Nico Lang's still here, still discovering what it means to be a functioning human being, and still working on understanding everything that happened to him and why.
And BTW, I hope you'll join us for a brand new weekly queer Dungeons & Dragons stream, every Saturday at 11am Pacific. Join me and Connor Olmstead, Brian Moreno, Justin Saint, Jen Vaughn, and my partner James as DM. We just started and now's a perfect time to join us at twitch.tv/prettyprettypixel.
And of course, I'm also doing twice-monthly hangouts on YouTube, where I chat with you about the books and movies and music and shows that you're obsessed with right now. The next one is on Saturday April 27 at 9am pacific, noon eastern.
As always, huge thanks to everyone who makes The Sewers of Paris possible with a pledge of support on Patreon! Head over to Patreon.com/mattbaume to check out the rewards available to backers.
How do you reconcile two communities that have been at odds for as long as any of us have been alive? My guest this week is Ross Murray, Senior Director of the GLAAD Media Institute and the Naming Project, as well as a Lutheran Deacon. He felt from an early age that he was called to a life of service to the church, and was lucky enough to live in a bubble where his sexuality and his faith weren't in conflict. And now he's doing what he can to make that a reality for others.
And BTW, I hope you'll join us for a brand new weekly queer Dungeons & Dragons stream, every Saturday at 11am Pacific. Join me and Connor Olmstead, Brian Moreno, Justin Saint, Jen Vaughn, and my partner James as DM. We just started and now's a perfect time to join us at twitch.tv/prettyprettypixel.
And of course, I'm also doing twice-monthly hangouts on YouTube, where I chat with you about the books and movies and music and shows that you're obsessed with right now. The next one is on Saturday April 27 at 9am pacific, noon eastern.
As always, huge thanks to everyone who makes The Sewers of Paris possible with a pledge of support on Patreon! Head over to Patreon.com/mattbaume to check out the rewards available to backers.
My guest this week is busy fomenting revolution, but not without his spreadsheets. John Leavitt is an artist and community organizer pushing for the end of debt, plutocracy, and capitalism itself -- sometimes on the front lines of protests, but it turns out social upheaval also requires a lot of office work, and it doesn't hurt to have a wealthy patron or two. If that sounds like a bit of a throwback to a hundred years ago, it's because that's really where John feels the most at home, sometimes calling himself the last person to learn how to cruise in bushes before apps took over.
And BTW, I hope you'll join us for a brand new weekly queer Dungeons & Dragons stream, every Saturday at 11am Pacific. Join me and Connor Olmstead, Brian Moreno, Justin Saint, Jen Vaughn, and my partner James as DM. We just started and now's a perfect time to join us at twitch.tv/prettyprettypixel.
And of course, I'm also doing twice-monthly hangouts on YouTube, where I chat with you about the books and movies and music and shows that you're obsessed with right now. The next one is on Saturday April 27 at 9am pacific, noon eastern.
As always, huge thanks to everyone who makes The Sewers of Paris possible with a pledge of support on Patreon! Head over to Patreon.com/mattbaume to check out the rewards available to backers.
My guest this week has honed a variety of superpowers -- among them a skill that so many queer people discover they have, assembling a logical family to achieve greatness that once seemed impossibly distant. Ray Goldberg is a content producer with the podcast Tabletop Potluck, and a screenwriter based in Chicago who had a series of life-defining revelations -- from finding happiness to finding themselves.
And BTW, I hope you'll join us for a brand new weekly queer Dungeons & Dragons stream, every Saturday at 11am Pacific. Join me and Connor Olmstead, Brian Moreno, Justin Saint, Jen Vaughn, and my partner James as DM. We just started and now's a perfect time to join us at twitch.tv/prettyprettypixel.
And of course, I'm also doing twice-monthly hangouts on YouTube, where I chat with you about the books and movies and music and shows that you're obsessed with right now. The next one is on Saturday April 20 at 9am pacific, noon eastern.
As always, huge thanks to everyone who makes The Sewers of Paris possible with a pledge of support on Patreon! Head over to Patreon.com/mattbaume to check out the rewards available to backers.
A few weeks ago, I welcomed Kathy Tu to the Sewers of Paris -- she's the co-creator of the podcast Nancy from WNYC. And this week, we're chatting with Nancy's other parent, Tobin Low. He's a recovering cellist-turned-podcaster who realized he hated his career and needed to make a change for his own good. As a young queer person, Tobin got swept up in the fairytale love stories of rom-coms and wedding announcements, but life got messy when it turned out relationships aren't all storybook romances.
And BTW, I hope you'll join us for a brand new weekly queer Dungeons & Dragons stream, every Saturday at 11am Pacific. Join me and Connor Olmstead, Brian Moreno, Justin Saint, Jen Vaugn, and my partner James as DM. We just started and now's a perfect time to join us at twitch.tv/prettyprettypixel.
And of course, I'm also doing twice-monthly hangouts on YouTube, where I chat with you about the books and movies and music and shows that you're obsessed with right now. The next one is on Saturday April 6.
As always, huge thanks to everyone who makes The Sewers of Paris possible with a pledge of support on Patreon! Head over to Patreon.com/mattbaume to check out the rewards available to backers.
As wonderful as it feels to live at a time when podcasts rule the earth, this isn't the first golden age for audio storytelling. My guest this week is Briggon Snow, who plays Caleb on the podcast The Bright Sessions. He grew up listening to old radio shows like Abbott and Costello, and Burns and Allen. He developed a keen ear for rich characters expressed through wordplay and vocal inflection, and as an adult, it became his job to inhabit different roles in his professional life. That's how he came to realize that he was inhabiting too many roles in his personal life as well.
Also, just a reminder that I host twice-monthly hangouts on YouTube, where I chat with you about the books and movies and music and shows that you're obsessed with right now. The next one is on Saturday April 6. There's a link at the top of the SOP twitter feed.
And BTW, I hope you'll join us for a new weekly queer Dungeons & Dragons livestream, every Saturday at 11am Pacific. Join me and Connor Olmstead, Brian Moreno, Justin Saint, Jen Vaughn, and my partner James as DM. On our recent adventure we snuck into a cultist lair inside a giant statue to rescue a man with beautiful cheekbones. You can join us over a twitch.tv/prettyprettypixel.
As always, huge thanks to everyone who makes The Sewers of Paris possible with a pledge of support on Patreon! Head over to Patreon.com/mattbaume to check out the rewards available to backers.
My guest this week discovered himself somewhere in the lost dark lounges of Miami beach. He grew up in the 1970s, enduring raids on drag shows, wild drug culture, and occasionally running from the police or paddling away in an escape rowboat. Anthony's adventures took him from doing painkillers with the granddaughter of deposed presidents, interviewing Grace Jones, and to a comparatively placid life today of selling tea with his cat-loving husband.
And BTW, I hope you'll join us for a brand new weekly queer Dungeons & Dragons stream, every Saturday at 11am Pacific. Join me and Connor Olmstead, Brian Moreno, Justin Saint, Jen Vaugn, and my partner James as DM. We just started and now's a perfect time to join us at twitch.tv/prettyprettypixel.
And of course, I'm also doing twice-monthly hangouts on YouTube, where I chat with you about the books and movies and music and shows that you're obsessed with right now. The next one is on Saturday March 23 at 9am Pacific.
As always, huge thanks to everyone who makes The Sewers of Paris possible with a pledge of support on Patreon! Head over to Patreon.com/mattbaume to check out the rewards available to backers.
My guest this week is on Mars. Troy Lee Hudson is an Instrument System Engineer for NASA's Insight mission, which just successfully landed a probe on a planet hundreds of millions of miles away from Earth. But he doesn't only explore space -- here on Earth, Troy's ventured into BDSM, finding kink and leather through a chance encounter with a Tom of Finland magazine.
And BTW, I hope you'll join us for a brand new weekly queer Dungeons & Dragons stream, every Saturday at 11am Pacific. Join me and Connor Olmstead, Brian Moreno, Justin Saint, Jen Vaugn, and my partner James as DM.
And of course, I'm also doing twice-monthly hangouts on YouTube, where I chat with you about the books and movies and music and shows that you're obsessed with right now. The next one is on Saturday March 23 at 9am PST. There's a link at the top of the SOP twitter feed.
What is it about queer people and villains? This isn't the first time I'd had a guest on the show who loves sympathetic monsters. Michael Lee Richardson is a writer and filmmaker in the UK who takes the world around him and makes it weird ... and queered.
And BTW, I hope you'll join us for a brand new weekly queer Dungeons & Dragons stream, every Saturday at 11am Pacific. Join me and Connor Olmstead, Brian Moreno, Justin Saint, Jen Vaugn, and my partner James as DM. We just started last week, and now's a perfect time to join us at twitch.tv/prettyprettypixel.
And of course, I'm also doing twice-monthly hangouts on YouTube, where I chat with you about the books and movies and music and shows that you're obsessed with right now. The next one is on Sunday March 10 at 2pm Pacific with JP Brammer of Hola Papi.
As always, huge thanks to everyone who makes The Sewers of Paris possible with a pledge of support on Patreon! Head over to Patreon.com/mattbaume to check out the rewards available to backers.
You might’ve heard this episode’s guest on the podcast Nancy. Kathy Tu chronicles queer stories on the show -- sort of a This LGBTQ American Life. I’m so excited to chat with her about making the show and jumping from law school grad to queer podcaster.
This week's guest in Noam Ash, a theater actor and youtube-gay who co-created the web series My Gay Roommate, which features a gay man and a straight man living together as platonic friends. That might not sound like the sort of thing that would be inspired by Harry Potter, but ever since he was a kid, Noam found solace in stories of outsiders discovering someplace new where they belonged -- and occasionally someplace foreign where they didn't.
Support the show & get rewards: http://patreon.com/mattbaume
This week's guest is actor and creator Ken Arpino, who you may know from The Queens Project. He’s appeared in the touring company of shows like Mamma Mia, and now that he's got some major shows under his belt, he’s dedicated himself to bringing live theater to folks who don't have access to the arts or to queer community.
My guest this week has undergone an incredible change, from living in a deeply religious rural community to performing underground cabaret in New York City. John Coons is a singer, performer, songwriter, sometimes go-go dancer, and overall delight, and I’m so excited to chat with him about how he found a church he could truly believe in.
This bonus episode has two guests: Mitch and Greg are the creators of the super popular YouTube series ASAP Science. They met years ago through a Facebook hack, and grew close as they searched for a way to blend their love of science and art. Now they've built a quirky queer science empire together, as creative partner and life partners.
My guest this week was almost a world famous dancer, but instead he's a world famous knitter. Steven West's fiber art is known all far and wide for bright color, surprising stitches, and beguiling design -- you might think of it as hipster knitwear. Behind the celebrity knitter is a former Bible camp kid who loved to dance. Looking at him then, you might have had a feeling he'd become famous, and he did. Though it was for a reason no one could have predicted.
And don’t forget to join us for the next livestream! It’s on Saturday, February 9, at 2pm pacific.
There’s a good chance that the Internet as we know it wouldn't be a thing without this week's guest. Alan Emtage grew up in Barbados, where his connection to the outside world came through amateur radio projects that allowed him to talk with people around the world. He went on to pioneer the way we find information on the Internet at a time when there was no way to search, inventing the technology that eventually became familiar tools like Google. Alan made it possible for queer culture to flourish online, and for people who grew up isolated to find their community.
And don’t forget to join us for the next livestream! It’s on Saturday, February 9, at 2pm pacific.
This week's guest is John Russo, a celebrity photographer who’s on a first name basis with subjects like Catherine Zeta Jones and Leonardo DiCaprio. John always projects a persona of complete and total confidence, a vibe that he also calls forth from his subjects. It’s a technique that's worked well for him, ever since he started out in his field, faking it until he made it.
You might’ve seen this week’s guest onstage at some point — Indigo Blue is an accomplished burlesque performer and teacher. She also got a degree in anthropology by writing about sex work while working as a stripper, so she has a unique set of skills to pass along to students.
My guest this week is Mark O’Connell, an ‘80s culture superfan who’s obsessed with Star Wars and James Bond. He’s the author of the books Watching Skies and Catching Bullets, and is also family friends with the producers of the Bond films. He’s also grown close with some of the actors from the franchise — no surprise, since those movies came to him as a kid when he needed them most.
Join us for the next livestream — it’s on Saturday January 26 at 2pm pacific with special guest Terrence Moss!
And thanks to everyone who makes The Sewers of Paris possible with a pledge of a dollar or more a month on Patreon. Head over to patreon.com/mattbaume to check out the new backer rewards, including a Sewers of Paris care package in the mail!
My guest this week is Tyler, who you may know as Bolt — co-host of the YouTube series Watt’s the Safeword. Online, he’s known for providing fun cute silly sex ed, but did you know that when he’s not on camera, he’s super into watchmaking? Oh and also adventurous kinky sex of course. But that watchmaking!
Also, a quick note about the next livestream: I've had to reschedule it from Saturday the 12th to Sunday the 13th at 10am Pacific. See you there!
My guest this week is Timmy Roghaar, a Seattle actor, drag queen, go-go dancer, and ex-Mormon. Timmy left Salt Lake City behind to take off his pants and dance, and we chatted all about what got him out of a rut and in touch with his inner exhibitionist. (BTW in case you missed it, check out my livechat with Timmy a few weeks ago!)
Hello there! I hope you had a nice holiday time and New Year season. We’re doing something a bit different this week — a kick-back chat with me and my partner James about why I started The Sewers of Paris, how it became what it is today, and the entertainment that changed my life (Star Wars, and also a roast). We’ll be back to the regular format next week, but let me know what you think of this slight departure from the normal Sewers style!
The guests on this bonus episode are Erica Rose and Chelsea Moore, who talk about Sylvia Plath, The L Word, and the Well of Loneliness. Erica and Chelsea are a New York filmmaking team who push the boundaries of queer sex and sexuality on screen.
This holiday season, I hope you're surrounded with good cheer, fabulous family and friends, and comforts aplenty to keep you warm in the dark winter nights.
And when it comes to feeling cozy, I can think of no greater experts than Dave White and Alonso Duralde of the Linoleum Knife family of podcasts. Whether it's cooking glorious feasts, binging on cheesy specials, or unearthing obscure wintery films, this husband-and-husband team are the pinnacle of holiday warmth. Dave and Alonso were my guests on the very first Sewers of Paris holiday special back in 2015, sharing their advice for enjoying a jolly holiday, so we're going to start this episode by listening back to that conversation.
Then we'll hear a more recent chat from earlier this month, when Dave and Alonso popped by one of my regular livestreams to talk about how they're celebrating in 2018.
Next, I'll bring you a quick dive into my favorite holiday special -- Christmas at Pee-wee's Playhouse. Every month, I produce a video for my Culture Cruise series where I talk about LGBTQ themes on TV, in movies, in book, games, and more. And for December I took a look at Pee-wee's 1988 special, and it's connection to Judy Garland Christmas specials of the past, Glee episodes of the future, and believe it or not 18th century French theater.
Then we'll wrap things up with a traditional Christmas carol sung by some past Sewers of Paris guests.
I don't know if you heard, but somebody tried to make a movie about Bohemian Rhapsody recently. And it's nice that the film might introduce the band to a new generation, but there are some queers among us who got to live through Queen the first time. My guest this week is Jim Provenzano, author of the novel Now I'm Here, which tells the story of two small town boys who fall in love to the soundtrack of the late 70s. Jim's a product of that time as well, and grew up in a time of innocent homoeroticism, and at times, dangerous disobedience.
We'll have that conversation in a minute. And I hope you'll join us for the next Sewers of Paris live chat, with the delightful Dave and Alonso of the Linoleum Knife family of podcasts. It's next weekend, and it's a little earlier than usual: Saturday December 8 at 8pm pacific, 11am eastern.
Head over to SewersOfParis.com to see clips of the stuff we talk about on each episode of the show.
The Sewers of Paris is listener supported -- click "support the show on Patreon" to join the folks who make the show possible.
And for more queer podcasting, check out Queens Of Adventure to hear drag queens on an epic Dungeons & Dragons quest. And we'll be doing our next Queens of Adventure livestream on Saturday December 22, so head over to QueensOfAdventure.com for details.
How much do you know about the people who paved the way for you? We all benefit from foundations laid by those who came before, but so often -- and particularly for queer people -- those forebears are lost to history. But my guest this week is dedicated to shining a light on the incredible queer pioneers who led unimaginably fascinating lives and blazed the trail we now walk. You might know Jaymes Mansfield from her appearance on Drag Race Season 9. And these days you can catch her on YouTube, where she's become one of the internet's leading drag historians with her series Drag Herstory, shining a light on the people and stories that you won't believe you've never heard about before.
We'll have that conversation in a minute. First, a quick reminder -- I hope you'll join us for the next Sewers of Paris live chat, with special guest, performer Timmy Roghaar. That's this weekend -- Saturday November 24 at 2pm pacific. There's a link at the top of the Sewers of Paris twitter feed.
The Sewers of Paris is listener supported -- click "support the show on Patreon" join the folks who make the show possible.
And for more queer podcasting, check out Queens Of Adventure to hear drag queens on an epic Dungeons & Dragons quest. That’s at QueensOfAdventure.com.
Thanks to everyone who supports The Sewers of Paris on Patreon -- with your pledges I'm able to release monthly bonus episodes like this one. This week we'll be going beyond The Sewers of Paris with someone for whom I am truly grateful. Kate Kendell is the outgoing director of the National Center for Lesbian rights. Over the last 22 years of history-changing moments for LGBTQ people, she's not only had a front row seat, but she's been one of the key figures pushing those moments forward. I'm so excited to bring you this conversation, ranging from the moment she discovered live theater, to proudly working for the most hated organization in Utah, to becoming an LGBTQ community leader, and what she sees next for queer liberation.
And BTW, I hope you'll join us for the next Sewers of Paris live chat, with special guest, performer Timmy Roghaar. That's this weekend -- Saturday November 24 at 2pm pacific. There's a link at the top of the Sewers of Paris twitter feed.
Head over to SewersOfParis.com to see clips of the stuff we talk about on each episode of the show. And for more queer podcasting, check out Queens Of Adventure to hear drag queens on an epic Dungeons & Dragons quest. That’s at QueensOfAdventure.com.
This week's episode is going to be a bit of a song and dance. My guest is Bryan Lowder, associate editor at Slate and co-host of the Outward podcast. Known now for his cerebral essays and thoughtful analysis of queer culture, as a college student Bryan was drawn to New York's underground dance clubs, where years ago he found inner peace, and also encountered up-and-coming artists like Lady Gaga.
And the next Sewers of Paris live chat is this weekend -- Saturday November 17th at 2pm pacific. I hope you'll join us for a fun friendly chat about whatever entertainment has been changing YOUR life lately. And then mark your calendars for the next livestream, the Saturday after Thanksgiving, November 24th. There's a link at the top of the Sewers of Paris twitter feed.
Huge thanks to everyone who makes The Sewers of Paris possible with a pledge of a dollar or more a month on Patreon. There's rewards for folks who back the show -- just click "Support the Show on Patreon." Or you can support The Sewers of Paris for free by leaving a review on your podcast platform of choice -- that really helps people find the show.
Head over to SewersOfParis.com to see clips of the stuff we talk about on each episode of the show. And for more queer podcasting, check out Queens Of Adventure to hear drag queens on an epic Dungeons & Dragons quest. That’s at QueensOfAdventure.com.
How do you measure your success? For a lot of us it's career or fame or money or family, but the common theme among all of those is happiness. That is, what makes you happy? But often happiness as a goal gets drowned out by the things that we think are supposed to get us there. My guests this week are John and David, a husband-and-husband team who met on the dance floor and formed a bond that's only grown stronger for more than a decade. And one secret to their relationship's longevity has been some honest, and at times difficult, conversations about whether they needed to change everything about how they were living their lives.
BTW, I hope you'll also join us for the next Sewers of Paris live chat on November 17 at 2pm pacific. There's a link at the top of the Sewers of Paris twitter feed.
Huge thanks to everyone who makes The Sewers of Paris possible with a pledge of a dollar or more a month on Patreon. There's rewards for folks who back the show -- just click "Support the Show on Patreon." Or you can support The Sewers of Paris for free by leaving a review on your podcast platform of choice -- that really helps people find the show.
Head over to SewersOfParis.com to see clips of the stuff we talk about on each episode of the show. And for more queer podcasting, check out Queens Of Adventure to hear drag queens on an epic Dungeons & Dragons quest. That’s at QueensOfAdventure.com.
We're going back into the Sewers of Paris archives this week, for an interview with ex-boybander Kevin Yee. Kevin's new comedy special recently premiered Hulu, as part of the Comedy InvAsian series. He's been a performer for almost all his life, with his career taking a wild twist in his teens when he was cast in a 90s boy band. Three years later, things hadn't quite turned out as he'd hoped, and he thought his dreams of performing were over before he had even reached adulthood.
These days things are looking a bit better -- in addition to his Hulu special, you can hear him on the podcast 2 Dope Queens, and at the upcoming Cucalorus Festival and Dead Crow Comedy Comedy room in November. And you can get the story of his journey from boy band to stand up right now in our conversation.
Quick reminder that the very first Queens of Adventure livestream is coming up -- November 4 at 1pm pacific. It's a game of Dungeons and Dragons played live, with queens in full drag; and it's a fundraiser to benefit Seattle Children's Hospital. Get the details and watch us live at bit.ly/extralifeseattle.
Huge thanks to everyone who makes The Sewers of Paris possible with a pledge of a dollar or more a month on Patreon. There's rewards for folks who back the show -- just click "Support the Show on Patreon." Or you can support The Sewers of Paris for free by leaving a review on your podcast platform of choice -- that really helps people find the show.
Head over to SewersOfParis.com to see clips of the stuff we talk about on each episode of the show. And for more queer podcasting, check out Queens Of Adventure to hear drag queens on an epic Dungeons & Dragons quest. That’s at QueensOfAdventure.com.
This week's guest is an imaginary creature -- or at least, that's primarily how the public knows him, though character and places he invents. Every day, Adam Koebel runs role-playing games where players invent new personas, work together to solve problems, and tell stories that exist in their collective imaginations. He's also the co-creator of Dungeon World, a game that's driven by the relationships between characters. As a result, a lot of Adam's time is spent inhabiting roles and expressing fantastic identities -- but in all of them, there's a little germ of who he truly is -- the strange outcast who left a corporate job to spend every day playing games.
We've got a special two for one deal on this episode: Drag Race star Alaska, and her friend and collaborator Jeremy. With a friendship dating back to their weird college days, Alaska and Jeremy recently released an album of songs called Amethyst Journey that is surprisingly sweet and folksy. We talk about all about their early influences, watching Rocky Horror together on a little laptop screen, and also the creation of Alaska, the time they sang Dolly Parton songs so loud the cops were called, and also how Alaska bombed her first audition from drag race -- plus we'll also have a very brief cameo from Alaska's mom.
Because of their busy travel schedule, Alaska and Jeremy were only able to do an interview from the road, so you'll hear a little background noise in our interview. I've cleaned up the sound quality a bit and I hope it doesn't distract too much from their fabulous stories.
Also, speaking of The Rocky Horror Picture Show -- I posted a brand new video in my Culture Cruise series last week. It's a deep dive on how that film went from being a commercial failure to a cultural phenomenon, and why it's such an important midnight movie for outcasts and weirdos. Head over to YouTube and search for Rocky Horror Culture Cruise to watch that.
And we're just a few days away from our weeklong livestream of games, a fundraiser for Seattle Children's Hospital! Starting on October 28, I'll be hosting a big gay game of Dungeons & Dragons featuring Comedian Bryan Safi, Culture Critic Carlos Maza, Writer Anthony Oliveira, and Scholar Bryan Wuest. Then I'll be streaming games every day from October 29 to November 3. And on Sunday, November 4th, join us for another game of D&D featuring the drag queen cast of Queens of Adventure in full drag! We'll be serving looks, interacting with viewers, and encouraging everyone to donate to Seattle Children's Hospital -- 100% of everything you give goes straight to the hospital. Get the details and watch us live at bit.ly/extralifeseattle. See you starting October 28.
BTW, I hope you'll also join us for the next Sewers of Paris live chat, with special guest Seattle drag superstar Arson Nicki. It’s Saturday October 27 at 2pm pacific. There's a link at the top of the Sewers of Paris twitter feed.
Huge thanks to everyone who makes The Sewers of Paris possible with a pledge of a dollar or more a month on Patreon. There's rewards for folks who back the show -- just click "Support the Show on Patreon." Or you can support The Sewers of Paris for free by leaving a review on your podcast platform of choice -- that really helps people find the show.
Head over to SewersOfParis.com to see clips of the stuff we talk about on each episode of the show. And for more queer podcasting, check out Queens Of Adventure to hear drag queens on an epic Dungeons & Dragons quest. That’s at QueensOfAdventure.com.
How do you muster the nerve to keep going when it seems like the odds are stacked against you? My guest this week picked up some life advice from improv comedy -- in particular, the lesson to say yes and then heighten whatever's happened so far. Though you may know Michael Henry from his YouTube comedy videos, his acting background is far more serious, and he expected to become a serious dramatic actor. The fact that he could only seem to make audiences laugh troubled him for years -- until he realized he could say yes to comedy, and the unexpected direction it would take him.
We'll have that conversation in a minute. But first I want to invite you to a weeklong livestream of games starting Sunday, October 28! It's the return of Extra Life, an annual fundraiser for Seattle Children's Hospital. We're kicking the week off with a big gay game of Dungeons & Dragons featuring Comedian Bryan Safi, Culture Critic Carlos Maza, Writer Anthony Oliveira, and Scholar Bryan Wuest. Then I'll be streaming games every day from October 29 to November 3. And on Sunday, November 4th, join us for another game of D&D featuring the drag queen cast of Queens of Adventure in full drag! We'll be serving looks, interacting with viewers, and encouraging everyone to donate to Seattle Children's Hospital -- 100% of everything you give goes straight to the hospital. Get the details and watch us live at bit.ly/extralifeseattle. See you starting October 28.
BTW, I hope you'll also join us for the next Sewers of Paris live chat, with special guest Seattle drag superstar Arson Nicki. It’s Saturday October 27 at 2pm pacific. There's a link at the top of the Sewers of Paris twitter feed.
Huge thanks to everyone who makes The Sewers of Paris possible with a pledge of a dollar or more a month on Patreon. There's rewards for folks who back the show -- just click "Support the Show on Patreon." Or you can support The Sewers of Paris for free by leaving a review on your podcast platform of choice -- that really helps people find the show.
Head over to SewersOfParis.com to see clips of the stuff we talk about on each episode of the show. And for more queer podcasting, check out Queens Of Adventure to hear drag queens on an epic Dungeons & Dragons quest. That’s at QueensOfAdventure.com.
You've seen this week's guest on RuPaul's Drag Race, and you've seen his choreography in Footloose, on the Emmys, and videos and stage shows for Jennifer Lopez, Madonna, and the Spice Girls -- despite having never taken a dance class. Jamal Sims' dream began when he saw The Wiz and knew he needed to be up on stage dancing. And now, after a career spanning nearly three decades, he's shining a spotlight on up-and-comers with the documentary When the Beat Drops.
We'll have that conversation in a minute. But first I want to invite you to a weeklong livestream of games starting Sunday, October 28! It's the return of Extra Life, an annual fundraiser for Seattle Children's Hospital. We're kicking the week off with a big gay game of Dungeons & Dragons featuring Comedian Bryan Safi, Culture Critic Carlos Maza, Writer Anthony Oliveira, and Scholar Bryan Wuest. Then I'll be streaming games every day from October 29 to November 3. And on Sunday, November 4th, join us for another game of D&D featuring the drag queen cast of Queens of Adventure in full drag! We'll be serving looks, interacting with viewers, and encouraging everyone to donate to Seattle Children's Hospital -- 100% of everything you give goes straight to the hospital. Get the details and watch us live at bit.ly/extralifeseattle. See you starting October 28.
BTW, I hope you'll also join us for the next Sewers of Paris live chat, with special guest Trish Bendix -- managing editor of Into, the queer news site that's a part of Grindr. That's on Saturday October 13 at 2pm pacific. There's a link at the top of the Sewers of Paris twitter feed.
Huge thanks to everyone who makes The Sewers of Paris possible with a pledge of a dollar or more a month on Patreon. There's rewards for folks who back the show -- just click "Support the Show on Patreon." Or you can support The Sewers of Paris for free by leaving a review on your podcast platform of choice -- that really helps people find the show.
Head over to SewersOfParis.com to see clips of the stuff we talk about on each episode of the show. And for more queer podcasting, check out Queens Of Adventure to hear drag queens on an epic Dungeons & Dragons quest. That’s at QueensOfAdventure.com.
My guest this week is Nathaniel Atcheson, writer and director of the film Domain, which comes out this week. Like the movies that inspired him as a kid, Domain is a story about isolation and loneliness and coping with the fear of being life-threateningly disconnected from other people. That might sound grim, but behind the scenes of his work, Nathaniel is hardly disconnected -- for him, making films is a way of finding a union with other people, even in the face of seemingly insurmountable obstacles. And human capacity to overcome obstacles can surprise us -- for example, when Nathaniel met the man who he would, against considerable odds, one day marry.
We'll have that conversation in a minute. But first I want to invite you to a weeklong livestream of games starting Sunday, October 28! It's the return of Extra Life, an annual fundraiser for Seattle Children's Hospital. We're kicking the week off with a big gay game of Dungeons & Dragons featuring Comedian Bryan Safi, Culture Critic Carlos Maza, Writer Anthony Oliveira, and Scholar Bryan Wuest. Then I'll be streaming games every day from October 29 to November 3. And on Sunday, November 4th, join us for another game of D&D featuring the drag queen cast of Queens of Adventure in full drag! We'll be serving looks, interacting with viewers, and encouraging everyone to donate to Seattle Children's Hospital -- 100% of everything you give goes straight to the hospital. Get the details and watch us live at bit.ly/extralifeseattle. See you starting October 28.
BTW, I hope you'll also join us for the next Sewers of Paris live chat, with special guest Trish Bendix -- managing editor of Into, the queer news site that's a part of Grindr. That's on Saturday October 13 at 2pm pacific. There's a link at the top of the Sewers of Paris twitter feed.
Huge thanks to everyone who makes The Sewers of Paris possible with a pledge of a dollar or more a month on Patreon. There's rewards for folks who back the show -- just click "Support the Show on Patreon." Or you can support The Sewers of Paris for free by leaving a review on your podcast platform of choice -- that really helps people find the show.
Head over to SewersOfParis.com to see clips of the stuff we talk about on each episode of the show. And for more queer podcasting, check out Queens Of Adventure to hear drag queens on an epic Dungeons & Dragons quest. That’s at QueensOfAdventure.com.
How do you make friends as an adult? Without school to throw lots of people together in far greater combinations than a workplace, it's easy to feel stuck in the wrong group -- especially when other gays are hard to find. So my guest this week did something about that. Nick Schiarizzi is the co-founder of the brutally bizarre dance party Cheryl, where everyone comes expecting something weird and leaves having something even weirder. But you'd never guess it to look at him -- Nick is calm, deadpan, and for most of his life terrified to dance. But when he found himself feeling lonely and frustrated as a young adult, he decided to find a way to break through his inhibitions to he could finally find others like him.
Huge thanks to everyone who makes The Sewers of Paris possible with a pledge of a dollar or more a month on Patreon. There's rewards for folks who back the show -- just click "Support the Show on Patreon." Or you can support The Sewers of Paris for free by leaving a review on your podcast platform of choice -- that really helps people find the show.
BTW, I hope you'll join us for the next Sewers of Paris live chat. It's on Saturday September 29th at 2pm pacific. There's a link at the top of the Sewers of Paris twitter feed.
Head over to SewersOfParis.com to see clips of the stuff we talk about on each episode of the show. And for more queer podcasting, check out Queens Of Adventure to hear drag queens on an epic Dungeons & Dragons quest. That’s at QueensOfAdventure.com.
Acts of selflessness are great, but what's in it for me? This week I'm chatting with my friend Phuong, who's made a whole lifestyle out of making things for others. Whether it's bread or soap or knitted hats, it seems like every minute of his day is dedicated to creating stuff for the people around him. But even though he gives all this stuff away, there's something important that he's getting back.
Huge thanks to everyone who makes The Sewers of Paris possible with a pledge of a dollar or more a month on Patreon. There's rewards for folks who back the show -- just click "Support the Show on Patreon." Or you can support The Sewers of Paris for free by leaving a review on your podcast platform of choice -- that really helps people find the show.
BTW, I hope you'll join us for the next Sewers of Paris live chat. It's on Saturday September 29th at 2pm pacific. There's a link at the top of the Sewers of Paris twitter feed.
Head over to SewersOfParis.com to see clips of the stuff we talk about on each episode of the show. And for more queer podcasting, check out Queens Of Adventure to hear drag queens on an epic Dungeons & Dragons quest. That’s at QueensOfAdventure.com.
My guest on this bonus episode has a difficult task ahead of her, a different kind of gay marriage -- not of people, but of industries. Trish Bendix is the managing editor of Into, the queer news site connected to Grindr. And in that role, she's in charge of bringing news of the world together with social flirty hookups that made the app famous.
Huge thanks to everyone who makes The Sewers of Paris possible with a pledge of a dollar or more a month on Patreon. There's rewards for folks who back the show -- just click "Support the Show on Patreon." Or you can support The Sewers of Paris for free by leaving a review on your podcast platform of choice -- that really helps people find the show.
BTW, I hope you'll join us for the next Sewers of Paris live chat. It's on Saturday September 29th at 2pm pacific. There's a link at the top of the Sewers of Paris twitter feed.
Head over to SewersOfParis.com to see clips of the stuff we talk about on each episode of the show. And for more queer podcasting, check out Queens Of Adventure to hear drag queens on an epic Dungeons & Dragons quest. That’s at QueensOfAdventure.com.
My guest this week is an artist whose creations include the persona he's established for himself. Since childhood, John Michael Byrd has always felt like more of a cartoon character than a normal human, which wasn't a particularly easy role to play growing up in a small southern town. But after spending years disconnecting from the physical world around him, he's found a place where he's finally free to be as animated as he's always felt.
Huge thanks to everyone who makes The Sewers of Paris possible with a pledge of a dollar or more a month on Patreon. There's rewards for folks who back the show -- just click "Support the Show on Patreon." Or you can support The Sewers of Paris for free by leaving a review on your podcast platform of choice -- that really helps people find the show.
BTW, I hope you'll join us for the next Sewers of Paris live chat. It's on Saturday September 15th at 2pm pacific with guest Bryan Lowder -- editor at Slate and co-host of the new Outward podcast. There's a link at the top of the Sewers of Paris twitter feed.
Head over to SewersOfParis.com to see clips of the stuff we talk about on each episode of the show. And for more queer podcasting, check out Queens Of Adventure to hear drag queens on an epic Dungeons & Dragons quest. That’s at QueensOfAdventure.com.
You can't accuse this week's guest of ever making things easy for himself. Growing up south of Boston, he was the town's only gay metalhead before he decide to join the army, deploying to the middle east in the 1990s. Now he's enjoying his retirement by going back to school to become a physician's assistant, while also occasionally noodling around with other musicians and singing on military bases. It's hard to imagine that anyone else on Earth has lived a life like Dan's, or so many different lives from his small town to metal bands to Saudi Arabia to supporting the health of his community.
Huge thanks to everyone who makes The Sewers of Paris possible with a pledge of a dollar or more a month on Patreon. There's rewards for folks who back the show -- just click "Support the Show on Patreon." Or you can support The Sewers of Paris for free by leaving a review on your podcast platform of choice -- that really helps people find the show.
BTW, I hope you'll join us for the next Sewers of Paris live chat. It's on Saturday September 15th at 2pm pacific. There's a link at the top of the Sewers of Paris twitter feed.
Check out the podcast Queens Of Adventure to hear me lead a troupe of drag queens on an epic Dungeons & Dragons adventure -- that's at QueensOfAdventure.com. We just started a new story arc this week, so if you've been waiting for a time to jump in, look for episode 8: Operation Watersport.
Hello friends! This weekend is the 10-year anniversary of the Pink Party, a queer geek gathering in Seattle. In honor of that milestone, I'm digging into the Sewers of Paris archive this week to bring you an interview with its founder, Charlie Logan, originally posted in 2015. Charlie's story is full of twists and turns, from terrible danger to finding his place at Pride to living in the woods with gold prospectors to befriending his childhood heroes. Charlie's story is nothing short of amazing. So here's that episode, originally published three years ago.
My guest this week has been under a lot of pressure in his life. Raised in an oppressive religious community, he had to deal with ex-gay scammers, a parent who was abusing other kids, and more guilt than any person should ever have to deal with. On top of that, he had a highly active libido that came out in... unusual ways, culminating in the invention of a truly unique form of erotic folk art -- and a career path requiring a lot of vulnerability and very little clothing.
Huge thanks to everyone who makes The Sewers of Paris possible with a pledge of a dollar or more a month on Patreon. There's rewards for folks who back the show -- just click "Support the Show on Patreon." Or you can support The Sewers of Paris for free by leaving a review on your podcast platform of choice -- that really helps people find the show.
BTW, I hope you'll join us for the next Sewers of Paris live chat. It's on Saturday August 25th at 2pm pacific. You can find a link at the top of the Sewers of Paris twitter feed -- that's @sewersofparis. And head over to SewersOfParis.com to see clips of the stuff we talk about on each episode.
What happens when you allow yourself to become a character in the stories that you tell about the world around you? My guest on this episode is the fantastic Gaby Dunn -- actress, journalist, writer, comedian, activist, blogger. Her podcast and forthcoming book are both entitled Bad with Money, and chronicle Gaby's attempts to help others manage their finances as she learns to manage her own. Gaby's background is in journalism, where the first rule is to remain neutral and never inject yourself into the story. But she felt drained by the pressure to hide behind her reporting, and discovered that getting personal and revealing was a gateway to more fulfilling work, and a more fulfilling life.
Huge thanks to everyone who makes bonus episodes like these possible with a pledge of a dollar or more a month on Patreon. There's rewards for folks who back the show -- just click "Support the Show on Patreon." Or you can support The Sewers of Paris for free by leaving a review on your podcast platform of choice -- that really helps people find the show.
BTW, I hope you'll join us for the next Sewers of Paris live chat. It's on Saturday August 25th at 2pm pacific. You can find a link at the top of the Sewers of Paris twitter feed -- that's @sewersofparis. And head over to SewersOfParis.com to see clips of the stuff we talk about on each episode.
Also! If you're looking for more queer podcasts, check out the show I host with some fantastically funny drag queens called Queens of Adventure. We play an ongoing and very queer game of Dungeons & Dragons and we just announced some more live shows. Subscribe, sign up for the mailing list, and get tickets at QueensOfAdventure.com.
Is it possible to be a responsible adult without giving up the imaginary worlds you enjoyed as a child? My guest this week is Anthony Hudson, also known as Portland's premier drag clown Carla Rossi. Growing up, he'd slip into fantasy worlds to escape the reality of the dreary little town where he lived. But his reliance on escapes as a kid meant that he was unprepared for life as a grown up -- until he figured out how to invite real life into his fantasies.
Huge thanks to everyone who makes The Sewers of Paris possible with a pledge of a dollar or more a month on Patreon. There's rewards for folks who back the show -- just click "Support the Show on Patreon." Or you can support The Sewers of Paris for free by leaving a review on your podcast platform of choice -- that really helps people find the show. Thanks to Trey Johnso8 who writes, "Relatable ... Listening helps me remember how much I love the topics discussed and sometimes gives me ideas for new things to try."
BTW, I hope you'll join us for the next Sewers of Paris livestream. It's this Saturday, August 11th, at 2pm pacific, with special guest Isabella Price -- an expert in horror films. We'll be talking about our favorite queer monsters, gay vampires, and everything spooky. There's a link to the livestream at the top of the Sewers of Paris twitter feed.
And we've just announced two more Queens of Adventure live shows, featuring drag queens playing a fantastically funny Dungeons & Dragons adventure for a live audience. The first is on August 30th at Kremwerk in Seattle, where we'll be part of a double-feature alongside the podcast d20 Dames. The second show is on September 1st at PAX West, also in Seattle. Tickets and details are now available at QueensOfAdventure.com -- where you can also subscribe to the Queens of Adventure podcast, join the discord, and follow the show on Twitter.
Where do you see yourself 200 years in the future? My guest this week is artist Nayland Blake, for whom sci-fi and fantasy were an opportunity to create the future that he was sure he'd never have. Growing up in New York in the 1960s and 70s, it seemed like imaginary worlds were his only opportunity to inhabit a world where he could be openly gay. But then he moved to San Francisco, and lo and behold, it appeared that the future had finally arrived.
Huge thanks to everyone who makes The Sewers of Paris possible with a pledge of a dollar or more a month on Patreon. There's rewards for folks who back the show -- click "Support the Show on Patreon" to join the folks who make the show possible and sign up for backer rewards. Or you can support The Sewers of Paris for free by leaving a review on your podcast platform of choice -- that really helps people find the show.
BTW, I hope you'll join us for the next Sewers of Paris live chat. It's on Saturday August 11th at 2pm Pacific. There's a link at the top of the Sewers of Paris twitter feed.
And if you're looking for more queer podcasts, check out the show I host with some fantastically funny drag queens Queens of Adventure. We play an ongoing and very queer Dungeons & Dragons adventure full of action and suspense and shady banter. We've got some announcements about live shows coming up soon -- subscribe to the podcast and get on the mailing list at QueensOfAdventure.com.
Zack Ford never planned to become the LGBTQ Editor at ThinkProgress.org. He was going to be a music teacher, and writing about current events was just a hobby. But after he came out in college and began living a more authentic life, he realized that he was holding himself to some expectations that he simply didn't want to meet. And that his happiness depended on a radical shift in his assumptions about work, pleasure, social justice, and sex.
Huge thanks to everyone who makes The Sewers of Paris possible with a pledge of a dollar or more a month on Patreon. There's rewards for folks who back the show -- click "Support the Show on Patreon" to check them out. Or you can support The Sewers of Paris for free by leaving a review on your podcast platform of choice -- that really helps people find the show.
BTW, I hope you'll join us for the next Sewers of Paris live chat. It's on Saturday August 11th at 2pm pacific.
Also! If you're looking for more queer podcasts, check out the show I host with some fantastically funny drag queens Queens of Adventure. We play an ongoing and very queer Dungeons & Dragons adventure full of action and suspense and shady banter. Subscribe and get on the mailing list at QueensOfAdventure.com.
My guest this week is Nick Kochanov, host of the podcasts Squirrel Friends Cocktail Hour and The No Good, Very Bad Gay. Growing up, he dreamt of having his own version of the salon from Steel Magnolias. He envisioned himself hanging out with his own versions of Dolly Parton and Sally Field and Julia Roberts. But it took years for him to realize that there was a problem with his vision -- that the man he was envisioning hanging out with them wasn't really authentically him.
Huge thanks to everyone who makes The Sewers of Paris possible with a pledge of a dollar or more a month on Patreon. There's rewards for folks who back the show -- click "Support the Show on Patreon" to check those out. Or you can support The Sewers of Paris for free by leaving a review on your podcast platform of choice -- that really helps people find the show.
BTW, I hope you'll join us for the next Sewers of Paris live chat. I want to hear about the books, movies, music, and games that you and your fellow Sewers listeners are obsessed with. The livestream is on Sunday July 29th at 2pm pacific -- there's a link on the Sewers of Paris twitter feed, and you can click a reminder button to get a notification when we go live.
Also! If you're looking for more queer podcasts, check out the show I host with some fantastically funny drag queens Queens of Adventure. We play an ongoing and very queer Dungeons & Dragons adventure full of action and suspense and shady banter. We've got some big announcements coming soon -- head over to QueensOfAdventure.com to subscribe to the podcast, and to get on the mailing list to find out when you can see the queens performing live.
I want to let you know that this week's episode addresses some upsetting topics. It wasn't until his parents died that J. Ronald M. York learned about accusations of childhood sexual abuse in his family. Letters in a box in his father's garage finally revealed the terrible secrets that his family had kept from him his entire adult life. And in turn, that started his process for dealing with the secrets of his own abuse that he'd been carrying for years.
These are hard things to talk about -- but they're important to acknowledge and address. If you need to talk to someone about sexual assault, contact the National Sexual Assault Telephone Hotline at 800-656-HOPE, or connect with the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network at RAINN.org.
How do kids learn to be people when the adults in their lives aren't teaching them? Kai's parents weren't always there to give her the guidance she needed, and so she was forced to fend for herself. That meant learning basic life skills on her own, but also how to function around other people -- and how to take care of herself during a period of homelessness, moving across the country, and starting fresh with a day job in education and a nighttime gig in drag shows.
By the way, Kai is one of the San Francisco performers in our upcoming lives show, Queens of Adventure, where drag performers play a game of Dungeons & Dragons for a live audience! Kai plays a high elf Wizard with a magic owl. You can see her onstage along with Erika Klash, Pollo Del Mar, Kitty Powers, and Rock M. Sakura in two brand new adventures on July 13 and 14 at Oasis in San Francisco. Tickets are available now at QueensOfAdventure.com.
This week's guest has had a hand in shaping a lot of queer culture we enjoy today. Q. Allan Brocka created one of the shows that aired on Logo as the network was getting off the ground; he directed the Eating Out series of films that have been a mainstay at LGBT film festivals for over a decade; and he's currently working on some intriguingly upcoming film and TV projects. Before he was a successful filmmaker, he was a shy kid from Guam, quietly absorbing what seemed then like forbidden culture.
We'll have that conversation in a minute -- but first, San Francisco, we're bringing our show Queens of Adventure back to Oasis! Come see drag queens playing a real Dungeons & Dragons adventure live on stage, July 13 and 14. That's right, two nights -- two completely unique adventures, starring Dragula's Erika Klash, as well as Kitty Powers, Pollo Del Mar, KaiKai Bee Michaels, and Rock M. Sakura. Tickets are now on sale at QueensOfAdventure.com.
And if you can't make it to the live shows, don't worry -- you can check out the podcast Queens of Adventure, featuring four MORE drag queens on an ongoing quest! Season 1 is now underway. Listen and subscribe at QueensOfAdventure.com.
A huge thanks to everyone who makes The Sewers of Paris possible with a pledge of a dollar or more a month on Patreon. There's rewards for folks who back the show -- just click "Support the Show on Patreon." Or you can support The Sewers of Paris for free by leaving a review on your podcast platform of choice.
Imaging growing up to find that the fantasy worlds you envisioned as a kid aren't just real, but have been waiting for you to lead them. My guest this week is Jeremy Crawford, lead rules designer for Dungeons & Dragons. We'll be talking about the witches, wizards, and elves who shaped his work in games, his relationship with his husband, and the queer content he now gets to insert in the world's most iconic tabletop game.
And BTW, I hope you'll join us for the next Sewers of Paris live chat. I want to hear about the books, movies, music, and games that you and your fellow Sewers listeners are obsessed with. The livestream is on Saturday, June 30th at 2pm pacific -- there's a link at the top of the Sewers of Paris twitter feed, where you can set a reminder to get a notification when we go live.
Huge thanks to everyone who makes The Sewers of Paris possible with a pledge of a dollar or more a month on Patreon. There's rewards for folks who back the show -- just click "Support the Show on Patreon." Or you can support The Sewers of Paris for free by leaving a review on your podcast platform of choice -- that really helps people find the show. Thanks to Cappafeo who wrote on iTunes, "I came to the show through Queens of Adventure and I'm so glad I did."
Well, speaking of which! If you're looking for more queer podcasts, check out the show I host with some fantastically funny drag queens Queens of Adventure. We play an ongoing and very queer Dungeons & Dragons adventure full of action and suspense and shady banter. Season 1 just launched -- head over to QueensOfAdventure.com to subscribe.
And the Queens of Adventure live is coming to San Francisco for two shows on July 13 and 14. Come see drag queens playing D&D live on stage! Tickets are now on sale at QueensOfAdventure.com.
My guest this week is Ryan La Sala. He's got a very queer fantasy novel coming out next year, and while he's always been imaginative, he didn't always exactly use his powers for good.
BTW, I hope you'll join us for the next Sewers of Paris live chat. It's on June 30th -- there's a link to the next livestream at the top of the Sewers of Paris twitter feed, and you can set a reminder to get a notification when we go live.
Huge thanks to everyone who makes The Sewers of Paris possible with a pledge of a dollar or more a month on Patreon. There's rewards for folks who back the show -- just click "Support the Show on Patreon." Or you can support The Sewers of Paris for free by leaving a review on your podcast platform of choice -- that really helps people find the show. Thanks to AdamSmith520 who wrote on iTunes, "I’ve learnt so much from this podcast! If you’re interested in gay stories and culture, check it out."
If you're looking for more queer podcasts, check out the show I host with some fantastically funny drag queens Queens of Adventure. We play an ongoing and very queer Dungeons & Dragons adventure full of action and suspense and shady banter. Season 1 just launched -- head over to QueensOfAdventure.com to subscribe.
And the Queens of Adventure live is coming to San Francisco for two shows on July 13 and 14. Come see drag queens playing D&D live on stage! Tickets are now on sale at QueensOfAdventure.com.
Do you always NEED to dream big, or is it sometimes ok to just be happy with what you've got? My guest this week has some experience when it comes to achieving big dreams -- Scott Flanary was the winner of Season 29 of The Amazing Race, which had been a goal for pretty much all of his adult life. So now that he's accomplished goals that once seemed impossibly difficult, he's grappling with a tough question: now what?
Thanks to everyone who joined us for the Sewers of Paris live chat last weekend. Our next one is June 30th -- there's a link to the next livestream at the top of the Sewers of Paris twitter feed, when you can set a reminder to get a notification when we go live.
Huge thanks to everyone who makes The Sewers of Paris possible with a pledge of a dollar or more a month on Patreon. If you're enjoying the show, click "Support the Show on Patreon." Or you can support The Sewers of Paris for free by leaving a review on your podcast platform of choice -- that really helps people find the show. Thanks to Alestrial who wrote on iTunes, "Yes please, A rare podcast that helps you discover something about yourself while learning about others." Aww that's really sweet.
Also, if you're looking for more queer podcasts, check out the show I host with some fantastically funny drag queens Queens of Adventure. We play an ongoing and very queer Dungeons & Dragons adventure full of action and suspense and shady banter. Season 1 just launched -- head over to QueensOfAdventure.com to subscribe.
If you're in Seattle, we've got a live Dungeons & Drag Queens show coming up on June 21! And the Queens of Adventure live is coming to San Francisco for two shows on July 13 and 14. Tickets are now on sale at QueensOfAdventure.com.
Join us on tonight's episode when my guest D'Arcee recalls what may have been the worst thing anyone's ever been told by their boss.
We'll have that conversation in a minute -- but first, if you're looking for more podcasts to listen to, check out the show I just launched along with some fantastically funny drag queens. The show's called Queens of Adventure, and it's based on our live shows where drag queens play a real Dungeons & Dragons adventure. Queens of Adventure brings together larger-than-life drag shows and epic fantasy adventures, with the queens rolling the dice every other week to combat killer wigs, tame burly bears, investigate shady seamen, and misty step their way into your heart. Season One just launched -- head over to QueensOfAdventure.com to subscribe.
And if you're in Seattle, mark your calendars for June 21! We're doing our next live Dungeons & Drag Queens show at Kremwerk just in time for Pride. Tickets are now on sale at QueensOfAdventure.com.
Huge thanks to everyone who makes The Sewers of Paris possible with a pledge of a dollar or more a month on Patreon. If you're enjoying the show, click "Support the Show on Patreon." Or you can support The Sewers of Paris for free by leaving a review on your podcast platform of choice -- that really helps people find the show.
And I hope you'll join us for the next Sewers of Paris live chat -- on Saturday, June 9, at 2pm Pacific. There's a link pinned to the top of the SewersOfParis twitter feed -- see you there!
A well-told joke doesn't just have the effect of making an audience laugh -- it can also provide armor for the person telling it. My guest this week is actor and comedian Byron Lane, whose projects include the webseries Last Will and Testicle, and the stage show Tilda Swinton Answers an Ad on Craigslist. Through his work, he went from the kid who always wanted someone to protect him to a man who could protect himself through laughter.
We'll have that conversation in a minute -- but first, I want to let you know that I've just launched a new podcast along with some fantastically funny drag queens. It's called Queens of Adventure, and it's based on our live shows where drag queens play a real Dungeons & Dragons adventure. Queens of Adventure brings together larger-than-life drag shows and epic fantasy adventures, with the queens rolling the dice every other week to combat killer wigs, tame burly bears, investigate shady seamen, and misty step their way into your heart. Season One just launched -- head over to QueensOfAdventure.com to subscribe.
And if you're in Seattle, mark your calendars for June 21! We're doing our next live Dungeons & Drag Queens show at Kremwerk just in time for Pride. Tickets are now on sale at QueensOfAdventure.com.
Huge thanks to everyone who makes The Sewers of Paris possible with a pledge of a dollar or more a month on Patreon. If you're enjoying the show, click "Support the Show on Patreon." Or you can support The Sewers of Paris for free by leaving a review on your podcast platform of choice -- that really helps people find the show.
How do you know when it's time to move versus when is it time to stay put? My guest this week is Santiago Melli-Huber, who's on a constant hunt for a place that feels right. Whether trying new jobs, new cities, or new social circles, he's made himself into a bit of an investigator, always asking what needs to change and then taking action to try something new.
Huge thanks to everyone who makes The Sewers of Paris possible with a pledge of a dollar or more a month on Patreon. If you're enjoying the show, click "Support the Show on Patreon." Or you can support The Sewers of Paris for free by leaving a review on your podcast platform of choice -- that really helps people find the show.
Hey, if you're in Seattle for Pride next month, mark your calendars for June 21! We're doing our next live Dungeons & Drag Queens show at Kremwerk. Tickets are now on sale at QueensOfAdventure.com.
No matter how thoroughly you've planned, life has a way of taking you by surprise -- and when it does, it's often family that gets you through the tough times. Alexis was born to a woman unprepared for motherhood, and so grandparents stepped in to raise her. As she grew older, Houston's drag scene provided a second family where she was free to express herself more freely. But it was an unexpected health crisis that brought both families together when their daughter needed them most.
BTW, The Sewers of Paris is made possible by everyone who pledges a dollar or more a month on Patreon. If you're enjoying the show, click "Support the Show on Patreon" to help make this podcast possible. Or you can support The Sewers of Paris for free by leaving a review on your podcast platform of choice -- that really helps people find the show.
And if you're in Seattle, mark your calendars for June 21! We're doing our next live show, featuring drag queens playing Dungeons & Dragons, just in time for Pride. Tickets are now on sale at QueensOfAdventure.com.
My guest this week is Phil Stamper, whose book The Gravity of Us tells the story of two young men who fall in love amidst the drama of a mission to Mars. For years, Phil struggled to balance competing impulses to be silly and serious, and to keep his creative spark alive throughout the drudgery of office work. The result is an upcoming debut novel that amplifies his own queer experiences with some help from science fiction.
Just a reminder -- I hope you'll join us for the next Sewers of Paris live chat on Saturday May 19, at 2pm Pacific with special guest Fazaad Feroze. We want to hear about the book and movies and songs and shows you're obsessed with right now.
And if you're in Seattle for Pride next month, mark your calendars for June 21! We're doing our next live Dungeons & Drag Queens show at Kremwerk. Tickets are now on sale at QueensOfAdventure.com.
Huge thanks to everyone who makes The Sewers of Paris possible with a pledge of a dollar or more a month on Patreon. If you're enjoying the show, click "Support the Show on Patreon." Or you can support The Sewers of Paris for free by leaving a review on your podcast platform of choice -- that really helps people find the show.
What if you had the power to make the places you imagine real -- so real that people can walk through them and touch them, and millions of strangers could see the setting that once only existed in your mind? My guest this week is James Connelly, who designed the sets for shows like The Voice, Bill Nye Saves the World, the Teen Choice Awards, and many more. When he's building worlds for television, he draws on his memories and experiences and daydreams, mashing together influences from across his life to invite the world into his imagination.
By the way, if you're heading to DragCon in LA this weekend, I hope you'll join me for two panels! On Sunday, I'm be hosting a game of Dungeons and Dragons played by BenDeLaCreme, Erika Klash, Kitty Powers, and Fraya Love. And on Sunday, I'll be hosting a fun friendly chat about tabletop gaming, featuring a panel of queer and ally gamers sharing recommendations for finding games and people to play with.
And mark your calendars for our next Sewers of Paris live chat -- it's on Saturday, May 19th, at 2pm Pacific.
If you're enjoying The Sewers of Paris, click "Support the Show on Patreon" to join the folks who make the podcast possible for as little as a dollar a month. Or you can support The Sewers of Paris for free by leaving a review on your podcast platform of choice -- that really helps people find the show.
This week's guest grew up idolizing comic book heroes, which presented a problem as he entered adulthood: how could he possibly measure up to the flying, crime-fighting, invisible-jet-flying role models of his youth? Richard's mission in life became seeking out the opportunities for heroics in everyday life. In other words -- not expecting to become a superhero, but finding pride in being a normalhero.
By the way, if you're heading to DragCon in LA next month, I hope you'll join me for two panels! On Saturday, I'll be hosting a breakneck game of Dungeons and Dragonsplayed by BenDeLaCreme, Erika Klash, Kitty Powers, and Fraya Love. And on Sunday, I'll be hosting a fun friendly chat about tabletop gaming, featuring a panel of queer and ally gamers sharing recommendations for finding games and people to play with. It's going to be a blast -- hope to see you there.
And no matter where you are in the world, I hope you'll join us for the next Sewers of Paris live chat -- it's on Saturday, May 5, at 2pm Pacific. We want to hear about the book and movies and songs and shows you're obsessed with right now. There's a link at the top of the SewersOfParis twitter feed -- see you Saturday!
Huge thanks to everyone who makes The Sewers of Paris possible with a pledge of a dollar or more a month on Patreon. If you're enjoying the show, click "Support the Show on Patreon." Or you can support The Sewers of Paris for free by leaving a review on your podcast platform of choice -- that really helps people find the show.
My guest this week is actor Wyatt Fenner, who you've seen on Veronica Mars, Bones, and the movie Take the Yuletide Gay. New Yorkers, you can see him right now in the show Transparent Falsehood at Theater 511 on West 54th Street. As an actor, Wyatt's an expert at inhabiting personas and hiding himself behind someone else. But an accidental outing and an attack that could have killed him helped him realize just who it was he was hiding.
By the way, if you're heading to DragCon in LA next month, I hope you'll join me for two panels! On Saturday, I'll be hosting a fun friendly chat about tabletop gaming, featuring a panel of queer and ally gamers sharing recommendations for finding games and people to play with. And on Sunday, I'll be hosting a breakneck game of Dungeons and Dragons played by BenDeLaCreme, Erika Klash, Kitty Powers, and Fraya Love. It's going to be a blast -- hope to see you there.
And no matter where you are in the world, I hope you'll join us for the next Sewers of Paris live chat -- it's on Saturday, April 28, at 2pm Pacific with special guest Ray Miller. We want to hear about the book and movies and songs and shows you're obsessed with right now.
Huge thanks to everyone who makes The Sewers of Paris possible with a pledge of a dollar or more a month on Patreon. If you're enjoying the show, click "Support the Show on Patreon." Or you can support The Sewers of Paris for free by leaving a review on your podcast platform of choice -- that really helps people find the show.
What's the difference between confidence and arrogance? My guest this week is Evan J. Peterson, author of the memoir The PrEP Diaries. For years, he trained himself to be aggressive, aloof, above it all, as a way to pre-empt criticism. That meant erecting masks and disguises, from gothic costumes to club-kid confusion. But what was missing behind his ostentatious displays for others was confidence in himself -- something Evan's still reaching for as he journeys through recovery, faiths, and sexual exploration.
Thanks to everyone who supports The Sewers of Paris with a pledge of a dollar or more a month on Patreon. If you're enjoying the show, head over to SewersOfParis.com and click "Support the show on Patreon" to join the folks who make bonus episodes like this possible. Or if you can't pledge, you can still help out by leaving a review on your podcast platform of choice.
You can also follow @sewersofparis on Twitter and Facebook -- I post clips of stuff we talk about and chat with listeners about the entertainment that you love. And join us for the next Sewers of Paris livestream on Saturday, April 28 at 2pm Pacific! We've been doing those livestreams twice monthly with special guests, and it's such a fun chance to hear about the movies and shows and books and music that you're obsessed with right now. There's a link to the next livestream pinned to the top of the SewersOfParis twitter stream.
Hello, and welcome to a bonus episode of The Sewers of Paris! Thanks to the support of everyone on Patreon, I'm able to bring you extra episodes with guests beyond just gay men. This month, we're going beyond the Sewers with a very special guest: Aydian Dowling, the first trans man to appear on the cover of Men's Health.
You might know him as the physically fit model who appeared on a special cover of Men's Health a few years ago. Aydian Dowling's made a habit of breaking barriers, refusing to back down, standing up and being seen. But he wasn't always the beaming, confident model on the cover of magazines -- there were dark periods that at times he couldn't see any way to survive. In those times, he found the inspiration to go on in some unlikely places: a soap opera he wasn't supposed to see, movies he wasn't supposed to have, and a pride parade that changed his life.
Thanks to everyone who supports The Sewers of Paris with a pledge of a dollar or more a month on Patreon. If you're enjoying the show, click "Support the show on Patreon" to join the folks who make bonus episodes like this possible. Or if you can't pledge, you can still help out by leaving a review on your podcast platform of choice.
You can also follow @sewersofparis on Twitter and Facebook -- I post clips of stuff we talk about and chat with listeners about the entertainment that you love. And join us for the next Sewers of Paris livestream on Saturday, April 28 at 2pm Pacific! We've been doing those livestreams twice monthly with special guests, and it's such a fun chance to hear about the movies and shows and books and music that you're obsessed with right now.
My guest this week is Drew Mackie. You might know him from the podcasts Gayest Episode Ever, or Singing Mountain, or We Are Not Young Anymore. The point is that he does a lot of podcasts, generally about the art & entertainment that makes the world a more joyful place. It's a long way from where he started his career, as a hard journalist covering a quadruple murder in his college town. For years, he did the serious work that he thought was expected of him, even though it made him miserable, until he finally gave himself permission to walk away from his job and pursue his passion.
By the way, the next Sewers of Paris livestream is coming up this weekend! Join us on Saturday, April 14th for another live chat with me and other Sewers listeners. The theme this time is animation. Can't wait to geek out with you about Steven Universe, Korra, and Bugs Bunny's drag career. Head over to the @SewersOfParis twitter feed -- there's a pinned tweet with a link to the livestream. We go live Saturday, April 14, at 2pm pacific.
Thanks to everyone who makes The Sewers of Paris possible with a pledge of a dollar or more a month on Patreon. There are special rewards for patrons like early ad-free access to content, shoutouts in videos, and a copy of my book mailed to you with some cute Sewers of Paris buttons. If you're enjoying the show, click "Support the Show on Patreon." Or if you can't pledge, you can still help out by leaving a review on your podcast platform of choice.
Why is villainy so much fun? Whether it's cackling Emperor Palpatine or Joan Collins smirking smugly on Dynasty, bad guys invariably seem to be having such a good time ... and it can be hard to resist wanting to join them. My guest this week is Ira Madison, culture writer for The Daily Beast and co-host of the Keep It podcast. As a kid, he was quick to notice that the most fun part of his favorite soap operas were the over-the-top scene-chewing scoundrels. And during his time as a playwright in New York, he strove to give audiences experiences that were just as entertaining. Now, as a culture critic, he's approaching storytelling from the other side: searching for the most entertaining aspects of other creators' work.
By the way, the next Sewers of Paris livestream is coming up! Join us on Saturday, April 14th for another live chat with me and other Sewers listeners. The theme this time is animation. Can't wait to geek out with you about Steven Universe, Korra, and Bugs Bunny's drag career. We go live Saturday, April 14, at 2pm pacific.
Thanks to everyone who makes The Sewers of Paris possible with a pledge of a dollar or more a month on Patreon. There are special rewards for patrons like early ad-free access to content, shoutouts in videos, and a copy of my book mailed to you with some cute Sewers of Paris buttons. If you're enjoying the show, click "Support the Show on Patreon." Or if you can't pledge, you can still help out by leaving a review on your podcast platform of choice.
Is there some secret to turning pain into art? My guest this week is Justin Saint, whose artistic expression takes the form of makeup and cosplay. Justin's chosen medium involves costumes and disguises, but behind those beautiful facades are some struggles that are still pretty tender: periods of homelessness, parents setting his creative works on fire, and a relationship that nearly drove him past a point of no return. Now he's back on his feet and leading a community of like-minded creatives, charting a course by channeling his past experiences into artistic expression with his body a canvass.
Big thanks to everyone who helps keep the show independent and add free. If you're enjoying The Sewers of Paris, you can help keep the show going. Head over to SewersOfParis.com and click "support the show on Patreon" to pledge a dollar or more a month.
And I hope you'll join us this Saturday, March 31, for a Dungeons & Dragons livestream! We're reuniting Bryan Safi (of the podcast Throwing Shade), Carlos Maza from Vox.com, Anthony Oliveira (aka Meakoopa, and also of the brand new podcast The Devil's Party), and LGBT film scholar Bryan Wuest, for an all-new D&D adventure played live. It starts at 1pm this Saturday, the 31st. Head over to SewersOfParis.com to join us -- there's a link at the top of the page where you can set a reminder for when we go live.
And speaking of D&D, we're in the last few days of our crowdfunding for Queens of Adventure, a new podcast featuring drag queens on an epic role-playing adventure. Thanks to folks like you, the first season of the podcast is fully funded and now we're reaching for stretch goals that include livestreams with the queens and a fully illustrated adventure that you can download and play. Head over to QueensOfAdventure.com to join us in bringing the show to life -- crowdfunding ends this Saturday, March 31, so if you've been waiting to join the campaign, it's now or never.
We often talk on this show about escape, and it’s usually with the assumption that having an escape is a good thing. But there can be consequences to leaving the world you've always known behind -- even when that world is actively causing you harm. My guest this week is Ryan Kendall, whose parents subjected him to devastating homophobia, and dangerous "ex-gay" abuse. After Ryan legally emancipated himself from his parents, what followed was a period of homelessness and addiction that took years for him to overcome.
I first met Ryan after he testified in the trial to overturn Proposition 8. As a witness, Ryan was called to provide evidence that sexual orientation isn’t something you can deliberately change. And as you’ll hear, he was able to provide particularly vivid testimony to that effect.
We recorded this week's episode during a thunderstorm in Colorado, so you'll hear some noise of rain in the background and a few rolls of thunder that were oddly perfect additions to Ryan's story.
And I hope you'll join me for two exciting livestreams coming up. One is a Sewers of Paris livestream on March 25, and the other is a Dungeons and Dragons livestream on March 31.
That Sewers Of Paris livestream is happening this Sunday, March 25th, at 2pm pacific. It has been such a delight to chat with Sewers of Paris listeners about your favorite media and what you're watching and reading and listening to right now. I hope you’ll join us this Sunday, the 25th — you can find a link to the livestream in the show notes ( https://youtu.be/Xp5u9rMSvW4 ) and on the @Sewersofparis twitter feed.
The Dungeons & Dragons livestream is the following Saturday, March 31. I'll be joined by comedian Bryan Safi, writer Anthony Oliveira, critic Carlos Maza, and LGBT film scholar Bryan Wuest -- we’ll be playing an all new D&D adventure at 1pm pacific — head over to twitch.tv/prettyprettypixel to join us for that at 1pm on March 31st.
And we’re in the home stretch on the crowdfunding for our brand new upcoming podcast, Queens of Adventure, starring four drag queens playing an ongoing game of Dungeons and Dragons. Thanks to backers we’ve fully funded the first season of the show, and now we’re reaching for stretch goals, including livestream with the queens. Head over the QueensOfAdventure.com to help bring that show to life.
How do you forgive someone who won't, or can't, apologize? My guest this week is JP Brammer, who dispenses advice in the column Hola Papi on Grindr's news site Into. JP's made a name for himself by providing thoughtful insights into living your best gay life, but his understanding of life and love didn't just spring into existence fully formed. It's the product of some pain, some forgiveness, and a college club that he really hoped would present more opportunities for making out.
Thanks to everyone who makes The Sewers of Paris possible with a pledge of a dollar or more a month on Patreon. There are special rewards for patrons like early ad-free access to content, shoutouts in videos, and a copy of my book mailed to you with some cute Sewers of Paris buttons. If you're enjoying the show, click "Support the Show on Patreon." Or if you can't pledge, you can still help out by leaving a review on your podcast platform of choice.
And! If you're in San Francisco, I'll be in town to host a live show featuring drag queens playing Dungeons and Dragons. It's on March 20th at Oasis and features Erika Klash from Dragula; Kitty Powers, of the games Matchmaker and Lovelife; San Francisco stars Pollo Del Mar and KaiKai Bee Michaels; and past Sewers guest Pup Amp, the scantily clad co-host of the YouTube series Watt's the Safeword. Tickets are now on sale -- head over to DungeonDrag.com for the link. And if you're not in San Francisco, please pass the word along to anyone who you think might enjoy the show.
Also: I'm about to launch a brand new podcast featuring drag queens playing D&D! It's called Queens of Adventure, and we're crowdfunding throughout the month of March to pay for performers, music, art, and equipment. Visit QueensOfAdventure.com to join us in bringing this new podcast to life.
Welcome to a special bonus episode of The Sewers of Paris! On most episodes, I talk to a guest about the entertainment that changed their life. But tonight I'm speaking to five guests who create entertainment that they hope will change the lives of others.
I recorded these interviews at Twist, Seattle's LGBT film festival. You'll hear from folks involved in two projects that screened at the festival: the first is Something Like Summer, a romance based on the novel by Jay Bell; and the second is Queer Ghost Hunters, a docu-series about a group of investigators who believe in life and love after death.
We talk about the books, movies, shows, and songs that touched their lives and inspired them to become creators. A huge thanks to the folks at Twist for helping to arrange these conversations. And thanks to everyone who backs The Sewers of Paris on Patreon, making it possible for me to produce bonus episodes of the show. If you're enjoying The Sewers of Paris, you help keep it going by clicking "support the show on Patreon" to pledge as little as a dollar a month. Or more, more is good too.
And! If you enjoyed my bonus episodes where I have guests playing Dungeons and Dragons, check out our live show where drag queens play D&D onstage for a live audience. The show's coming to Oasis in San Francisco on March 20th, featuring Erika Klash from Dragula; Kitty Powers, of the games Matchmaker and Lovelife; and San Francisco stars Pollo Del Mar and KaiKai Bee Michaels. Tickets are now on sale! And if you're not in San Francisco, I hope you'll pass the word along to anyone who you think might enjoy the show.
Also: I'm about to launch a brand new podcast featuring drag queens playing D&D! It's called Queens of Adventure, and we're crowdfunding throughout the month of March to pay for performers, music, art, and equipment. We just hit our first funding goal, and now we're heading towards a stretch goal of doing livestreams with the queens -- Visit QueensOfAdventure.com to join us in bringing this new podcast to life.
For most of us, it's fun to speculate about the drag character we have hidden within. But what do you do if you've got multiple characters kicking around inside you -- and you suspect they might not get along with each other? This week's guest is Pollo Del Mar, who is both a drag queen and a professional wrestler. It took a long time for her to get comfortable making those worlds overlap -- and there were times that she had to call out other wrestlers for their homophobia. But now Pollo's happy to strut out in front of audiences in high drag -- whether it's at a gay bar or in a wrestling ring.
I have a lot to announce this week. You can find links to everything I talk about in the shownotes for this episode, either on your phone or at SewersOfParis.com.
Tickets for Queens of Adventure LIVE: San Francisco Edition: http://DungeonDrag.com
Kickstarter for the Queens of Adventure podcast: http://QueensOfAdventure.com
Sewers of Paris livestream on March 10: https://youtu.be/bh6zgNuVbMA
Support on Patreon: http://patreon.com/mattbaume
Were you a free range kid? If you were lucky enough to survive growing up pre-2000, you were probably allowed to spend a lot of time outdoors on your own with little to no structured time. My guest this week is Andrew Putschoegl, whose childhood mirrored that of 80s movies where groups of weird neighborhood kids are thrown together by simply because they live in the same suburb. In those film, each kid tends to have one strange trait that sets them apart, and marks them as one of the outcasts. And for Andrew, it was that at the age of 9 he suddenly and for unknown reasons woke up to find his hair falling out. It was a medical mystery that made the already-awkward teenage years even more difficult.
My guest this week is Ari Shapiro, host of All Things Considered. These days, he tells other people's stories on NPR, but his own story was considerably is more winding than you might expect -- behind his calm journalistic voice is a former illegal immigrant who carried mace for protection in high school, nearly became an actor, and might never have found his place on the radio if a gay icon hadn't intervened on his behalf.
Thanks to everyone supporting The Sewers of Paris on Patreon, I'm able to bring you bonus episodes every month. We're going to go Beyond the Sewers of Paris, with special guests beyond just gay men, and deep-dives on topics I think you're going to love.
This month, I'm bringing you an unusual conversation with a very special guest: radio DJ Cindy Howes. I first interviewed Cindy about a year ago, for what I thought would be a fun, lighthearted chat about Tori Amos and how music empowered a young queer woman's search for herself.
But then after our interview, things unexpectedly changed for Cindy, both in her work and her personal life. A year went by, and when the dust settled we came back for a second interview about how Cindy had changed in that time, how her outlook on life and love had shifted, and how music helped her confront and overcome depression and anxiety.
I always expected that Cindy would have tons of great music suggestions for Sewers of Paris listeners. She's a fantastic resource when it comes to the singers and songwriters you should know. But I was surprised to also get some brilliant suggestions for coping with adversity, recovering from loss, and learning to love yourself.
How do you awaken your own untapped courage? This week's guest is Andrew Wheeler, writer of adventure and intrigue novels featuring defiantly gay characters. Though his stories are swashbuckling, Andrew tends to live a quiet, more domestic life than his globetrotting heroes. It was through his books that Andrew was able to explore beyond the town where he grew up -- in literature and eventually in real life.
Have you ever found a monster beautiful? It's rare that something can be both gorgeous and grotesque, but when those two qualities overlap it can be hard to look away -- and hard to resist following it wherever it wants to take you, no matter how dangerous. This week's guest is Tyler Coates, Culture Editor at Esqire.com. He felt the allure of the arts emanating from what seemed like a threat: phantoms in an opera house, clawing cat people, and David Bowie in a massive codpiece. From the tiny town where he grew up, he couldn't say no to their pull -- though when he finally ventured out into the world, he had no idea what he was getting himself into.
What would you do if your life's work turned out to be killing you? My guest this week is Alberto Davalos, a horse boy. His whole life he expected to work with horses. And fresh out of college, he was on a farm in Kentucky, wearing gloves up to his shoulders and helping multi-million-dollar animals give birth. But working his dream job came with a price he wasn't ready to pay.
My guest this week is Chi Chi Devayne, who competed on Season 8 of Drag Race and is appearing now on All Stars Season 3. Despite having competed -- twice, now -- on the world's most prestigious drag show, there was a time when Chi Chi hated drag. That was before she realized that everything in life had prepared her to perform in heels -- from church to getting in fights to military training.
It's a Hollywood cliche -- the pretty young face that moves to LA with no plan other than to get into the motion pictures. And yet it happened to this week's guest, Justin Root. He was a shy Ohio kid who feared the spotlight until he discovered how good it made him feel to be in it. A few weeks after graduating high school, he'd moved to LA. A few weeks after that, he was in movies. And not long after that, he had a recurring role on TV. It didn't take long for the entertainment industry to discover Justin, but it took another decade -- and some terrified cruising in the local video store -- for Justin to find himself.
When you need to get away from it all, how far do you go? My guest this week reached his fill of human interaction and so he did what so many of us have done: flew to South America to wander the forest for weeks while befriending a mountain lion.
My guest this week is George Alley, a musician and choreographer who paid his dues on the mean streets of suburban Cleveland, where he was the secretary for a local street gang. The son of a Detroit blues singer and a demolition derby driver, George often felt anger at the world and at people who tormented him. That anger, it turned out, would be a crucial element that shaped his creative work today.
We're coming up on a new year -- what are you going to change in 2018? My guest this week is Jay Michaelson, who several years ago found himself unhappy, unfulfilled, and disconnected from meaningful relationships, both with other people and with a higher power. So he decided to stop waiting for the life he wanted, and to start pursuing it -- through spiritual journeys in the Middle East and pagan dances in the woods.
Hello and welcome to the Sewers of Paris Holiday Special Special! In the spirit of the season, I've invited some guests, past and future, to share with us their favorite seasonal entertainment. We'll have an appreciation of Batman Returns from Anthony Oliveira, aka meakoopa. There's a tribute to Snow Miser from Glen Weldon of NPR's Pop Culture Happy Hour. Performance artist Johnnie Jungleguts will explain why Eyes Wide Shut is his favorite Christmas movie. Carlos Maza from Vox.com will bring us tidings of Arianna Grande and gay men's choruses. There's lots more guests and lots more special -- we've got everything to fills your hearts with festive cheer at this, the darkest time of year.
According to the FBI, my guest this week was involved in one of the largest fraud schemes in history -- the nearly half-billion dollar failure of the National Heritage Life Insurance Company, which had 26,000 elderly policyholders. While Michael Blutrich was involved in the insurance scheme, he was also running a strip club called Scores that had mafia ties, and he secretly recorded conversations that helped the government convict numerous organized crime figures. Before his life took a turn towards crime, he was closeted, choosing to avoid the gay community during the AIDS crisis. Now after more than a decade behind bars, he's out of prison, out of the closet, and wondering if he has a place in society and in gay culture.
Get Michael's book: http://amzn.to/2AE4IyG Les Miserables 25th Anniversary edition: http://amzn.to/2AE4IyG
My guest this week set out to answer a simple question: how do you live a content life? Sina Grace is the comic author and illustrator behind autobiographical books like Self-Obsessed, and Marvel's current Iceman series. A few years ago, he reached a point of disillusionment with the American dream, discovering getting all the money and possessions you wanted isn't as fulfilling as family, health, and love. Isolated and literally wasting away, Sina set in motion some changes that would eventually bring him happiness in ways he never even knew he wanted.
Where do you learn where you belong? My guest this week is Matt Rogers, half of the comedy team behind the Las Culturistas podcast. Matt's upbringing taught him that there was only one acceptable way to be masculine, while deep down inside he longed to belt showtunes. So how did he get from sporty athlete to an arbiter of the queerest of New York homosexual culture? All it took were a few panic attacks, Neil Patrick Harris, and a crab shack.
When it's hard to find the words you know you need to say, can you use someone else's? This week's guest is actor and producer Emerson Collins, whose new film A Very Sordid Wedding is a sequel to the classic Sordid Lives. Growing up around the big hair and church bells of Texas, Emerson struggled to speak openly about who he really was. Until he got up on stage.
How do you balance a need for solitude with a need to collaborate? This week's guest is Jamie Pierce, an actor, comedian, and dancer who's no stranger to career changes. Several years ago, he decided to transform his work and his life after an experience onstage. And just last year, he reached another turning point in part because of this show.
What are the secrets you're carrying around, and what would happen if you dropped them? This week's guest is Tim Kirkman, a storyteller with a knack for exploring the things people don't say. His film Lazy Eye is about confronting secret loves, and his documentary Dear Jesse is about his unexpected connection with America's most notorious homophobe. What Tim's found, in his work and in his life, is that the information people withhold about themselves is often the key to understanding them -- provided you can open up about yourself.
Welcome to a special bonus episode of the Sewers of Paris! Last weekend some familiar friends and I hosted a fundraiser for Seattle Children's Hospital, bringing together a group of gays to play a custom made Dungeons and Dragons adventure for a livestream audience. Joining me were comedian Bryan Safi of Throwing Shade, Carlos Maza from Vox.com, Anthony Oliveira aka Meakoopa, and LGBT film scholar Bryan Wuest, all-role playing a D&D quest together.
If you could step out of your body and look at yourself from the outside, how unfamiliar would you look? It's impossible to evaluate yourself with complete impartiality, but my guest this week has found ways to get as close as possible. Professor Ali Mushtaq's preferred method for clearing his mind and achieving a meditative state: flogging, leather sex, and physical transformation.
How do radical movements for justice become mainstream over time? This week I'm talking to two guests: the first is Walter Naegle, the surviving partner of Bayard Rustin; and the second is Matt Wolf, who made a documentary short about Walter entitled Bayard and Me. Bayard was a key figure in the civil rights fight starting in the 60s -- he was a mentor to Martin Luther King Jr, worked on behalf of refugees, and became an LGBT spokesperson in the 80s. Because there was no relationship recognition at the time, adopted his partner, Walter, in 1982 -- and that's just one of the subjects explored in Matt Wolf's documentary. Watch Bayard & Me: https://www.superdeluxe.com/bayardandme
Is it a problem that there's "sex" in "homosexual"? My guest this week is Eric Marcus, a writer and journalist who often found himself called upon to represent the model gay man on shows like Good Morning America and The O'Reilly Factor. For years, Eric strove to put across an image of respectability and harmlessness. But these days, as the creator and host of the excellent podcast Making Gay History, and he's ready to share the pieces of our past that are enough to make anyone blush.
What are the things you're not telling people -- and what's stopping you? My guest this week is Will Kostakis, author of award winning young adult novels and the upcoming book The Sidekicks. Growing up, Will and his best friend were as close as friends could be, or at least, they told themselves they were. There was something neither one was telling the other.
What's it like to go from a fan to a friend? This week's guest is Tony Moore, who hosts celebrity interviews on his show Loungin' with Tony. For years, he looked up to actors and entertainers as role models. And he found that the more he worked alongside them, the more they opened up to him -- not just as personalities, but as people.
We all know life's short, so how do you make the most of the time you've got? My guest this week is Scott Flashheart, comedian and host of the podcast Probably True. He grew up in a tiny British mining town -- or at least, what WAS a mining town, before the mine was closed, sending the place he lived into a slow downward spiral. He knew he didn't belong there, but he also felt out of place among other gays. It took a lot of work -- and a major loss -- to steer him towards his true calling: telling dick jokes to the world.
What are the excuses you make for not doing what makes you happy? It's so easy to come up with reasons that NOW is the wrong time to launch into that project or hobby or career change you've always wanted. So where do you find permission to make a change in your life? This week's guest, Jason Powell, has only recently learned to give that permission to himself. Jason's one half of the podcast Ladywatch -- I interviewed his co-host, Ryan O'Connor, a few weeks back on episode 122. Each week on their show, Ryan and Jason talk about their shared admiration for powerful women. But off mic, they both have struggled with self-imposed limitations. We'll talk this week about the great southern belles who helped Jason find the bravery to stand up for himself to himself.
How much are you willing to do for love -- and how much can love do for you? This week's guest is Gabriel Fontana, who grew up in violent crime-ridden Brazilian ghettos before escaping to Sweden, where he rose to pop stardom as the winner of a Swedish Idol spinoff. Gabriel's always been something of an escape artist, relying on a mix of hard work, talent, and love to pull himself out of places he didn't want to be. Now, with thousands of fans following his every move, he's feeling more intoxicating adoration than ever before in his life -- and an ever-growing impulse to pursue that attention wherever it calls him.
Welcome to a special bonus episode of The Sewers of Paris!
A few days ago, some amazingly talented drag queens and I got on stage for a live show called Dungeons and Drag Queens. We played a custom-made Dungeons and Dragons adventure in front of a live audience, and I’m really excited to share it with you.
If you don’t know anything about Dungeons & Dragons, that’s OK. Some of the players didn’t either! Basically, we sit around a table, I describe a situation, the queens tell me what they want to do, and sometimes we roll dice to find out what happens.
I had so much fun trying to keep up with the queens on this adventure, and I hope you do too.
As always, The Sewers of Paris is independent and ad-free thanks to the support of listeners on Patreon. Patreon supporters, in case you were wondering, this one is a bonus. You’re not going to be charged. And to all listeners, we will, of course, be back next week with a regularly scheduled episode.
We had so much fun making the show, and I hope you enjoy listening to it. Let me know what you think on Twitter @mattbaume or at sewerspodcast@gmail.com.
Huge thanks to our fabulous performers:
Arson Nicki https://www.instagram.com/arsonnicki https://twitter.com/ArsonNicki https://www.facebook.com/RaptureSeattle
Harlotte O’Scara https://www.facebook.com/harlotte.oscara.9 https://twitter.com/harlotteoscara https://www.instagram.com/harlotteoscara
Butylene O’Kipple https://www.facebook.com/ButyleneOKipple https://www.instagram.com/butyleneokipple
Fraya Love https://twitter.com/fraya_love https://www.instagram.com/fraya_love https://www.facebook.com/fraya.love https://www.facebook.com/louis.wicke
Ian Hill/Irene Dubois https://www.instagram.com/queenirenedubois
DJ Robosexhomosex, aka Veronica Electronica https://www.facebook.com/tehjakers Madonna vs. Everyone: https://www.facebook.com/events/124185641543558??ti=ia
Brendan Mack of Stage Right Theater http://seattlestageright.org
If you were to form a band of adventurers, what role would you want to serve -- fighter or healer? My guest this week is Carlos Maza, who knows how to put up a verbal fight as the host of insightful explainer videos for Vox.com. But off camera, the role in which he's most at home is that of caretaker, looking after others and supporting the well being of those around him. But as he's found, that doesn't always leave time for taking care of himself.
What hidden worlds are waiting to be found right under your nose? My guest this week is Kevin Clarke, who grew up in a divided Berlin, so close to the wall he could hear the police threatening to shoot people who came too close. He was eager to leave as soon as he could -- but he was drawn back to the city years later. By then, he was old enough to discover and explore a bawdy underground gay culture that had always been hiding right in his own back yard.
What are you willing to sacrifice for your freedom? My guest this week is Australian-Icelandic comedian Jonathan Duffy, who's found a way to laugh through good times and bad, whether serving as Creative Director for Iceland's entry into Eurovision... to an unexpected calling tending to people near death in a small town the Australian Outback. There used to be a time when he just sat back and let the world pass him by. But his real adventures began when he started giving up the things he loved to get even more back.
What's the future you want to see? My guest this week is drag queen Gilda Wabbit, who experienced a strange moment of internet fame thanks to a photo of her riding the subway in full drag next to a Muslim woman. What that photo didn't capture was Gilda's background searching for her voice -- literally, as for years she struggled as an opera singer to find roles that felt right. Turns out putting on a wig and a dress helped point her in the right direction.
We're noted from time to time on this show that many gay men hold a special place for horror in their hearts. But that's only a fraction of the story with this week's guest. Jeffrey Schwarz has made a lifelong study of film, starting with an early job editing the documentary The Celluloid Closet, right up to today with a new documentary about flamboyant producer Allan Carr. As a weird young gay man, he found kindred spirits in people who, like him, reveled in intensity and excess. And now as a filmmaker, he's reaching out a hand to invite others to join him.
What's the project of your life? My guest this week is Josef Krebs, who's done a lot of thinking about the impact he can have on the world, whether through the evangelical church in which he grew up, or the world of theater where he eventually found a more satisfying home. Josef's work has always been about chasing the feeling of ecstasy, not just for himself but for the people around him.
What makes you feel ugly, and do you try to hide it or highlight it? My guest this week is Thomas Hårdell, a Danish student-teacher and musician. Growing up, he was told to blend in like a stalk of wheat, and to avoid standing out like an oak tree -- which is ironic, given that he's well over six feet tall. There were times that standing out put him at risk, like when a host family found out he was gay and left him stranded in a foreign country. But over time, he's learned that standing out and being an oak tree allows you to provide shelter for others.
We usually talk on this show about the entertainment that's changed the lives of gay men, but this week we're also talking about how gay men have changed entertainment. My guest is television writer Drew Greenberg, who's written romantic scenes between Willow and Tara on Buffy, helped introduce queer characters on shows like Warehouse 13, and is currently working on season 5 of Agents of SHIELD. Throughout his career, he was told his shows could never have queer leading characters. And throughout his career, he's refused to accept that that's true.
We all have our sources of security -- it could be a career, a home, a relationship, a circle of friends. How would you handle the loss of all of those things? This week's guest is Ryan O'Connor, co-host of the outstanding LadyWatch podcast. A few years back, Ryan was pretty sure all of his goals were coming together like a tidy checklist. And then, one by one, they all fell apart, and he discovered that when you lose everything you have, you find out who you are.
When did you first escape your bubble? We all start life protected by adults, looked after and shielded from the harsh realities of the world. Some of us burst out of it as fast as we can, and others like to pretend they never have to leave. This week's guest is comedian Joel Kim Booster, whose parents tried so hard to control his life that when he finally did come out, it was with so much momentum he found himself homeless -- until a family he hardly even knew took him in.
What's the difference between an end and a beginning, and are they sometimes the same thing? My guest this week is Albert Williams, a longtime queer artist and activist who's seen the queer world transform over the course of his life. Throughout that time, there were periods when change just wasn't coming fast enough, and that's when he and his friends found ways to force one era to end and a new one to begin.
This week's guest is Mandel Ilagen, but it's not the first time his name's come up on the show. He's a ringleader of a group of gays who are obsessed with game shows -- you might remember past guests Louis Virtel and Randy West describing Mandel's house parties that are like TV show tapings mixed with cocktails and queens. Game shows might seem like frivolous entertainment, but for Mandel and many of his friends, they provided a way to prove themselves amongst their peers -- and, for the first time in their lives, have fun doing it.
My guest this week is Justin Sayre, whom you may know from the excellent Sparkle and Circulate podcast, or his delightful live show The Meeting of the International Order of the Sodomites. He always knew there was a big queer community out there, but he never quite felt a connection with it, so he decided to do something about that: by appointing himself its chairman.
Have you ever proved yourself wrong? My guest this week is actor Tom Lenk, who appeared as Andrew on Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Tom was convinced for years that he lacked the skills that seemed to come naturally to other actors -- and so he was terrified when cast in a show that demanded more of him than he thought he could deliver. Facing that challenge changed the course of his career -- thanks in part to confidence he absorbed at an early age from the most beautiful woman in Puppetland.
What did you rebel against when you were a teenager, and are you still rebelling today? This week's guest is Hamed Sinno, whose Lebanese upbringing afforded him only brief glimpses of gay culture and queer voices in pop culture. In college, he formed a band with some friends and discovered to his surprise that his defiant songs resonated with other folks. But with that heightened visibility came new risks -- particularly when he came to America.
How do you make up for lost time after spending years in the closet? My guest this week is journalist Adam Smith, who avoiding coming out for years because he felt that he needed to maintain a sort of sexual neutrality for the sake of his family. Now that he's finally experiencing the world as an out gay man, there's lots to explore -- which has meant shedding his inhibitions, and occasionally, all of his clothes.
Have you ever been lucky enough to enjoy the sensation of villainy? My guest this week is Anthony Olivera, who you might also know for his incisive tweeting as Meakoopa. Anthony's always felt a sympathy for monsters and villains -- or at least, the figures assumed to be monsters and villains -- even before he was old enough to realize that he might be considered one himself.
My guest this week is Dave Holmes, who you might know from the podcast International Waters, or his articles in Esquire, or his book Party of One. I first saw Dave on MTV, in a proto-reality show competition to become a VJ back in the late 90s. On screen, it was clear that Dave was the most qualified, most knowledgable, and most engaging contestant, with an encyclopedia knowledge of music and an infectious passion for talking about it. But what nobody who was watching could know was that for Dave, entering that competition was an urgent bid to change the course of his life before he went absolutely crazy.
Have you ever surprised yourself with what you were able to get away with? This week's guest is writer and comedian Bruce Vilanch, who's been slipping sly queer jokes into our entertainment since before some of us were even born. Starting out as a writer for great divas of the 1970s and then moving on to variety shows, the Oscars, and a notorious holiday special, Bruce provided a subtle queer infusion into American showbiz for decades. And this week we'll talk about how he managed to get away with it.
Last week's guest was Jeffery Self, a relatively young actor and writer who's broken into the entertainment industry often on his own terms. This week, I'm speaking with Randy West, an industry veteran whose experience was vastly different. From sweet-talking his way onto sets to chasing big breaks with a single-minded determination, Randy learned to play the game at a time when the rules were very unforgiving.
Do you have an inner performer lurking just below the surface -- or has your inner performer burst above the surface, resolutely refusing to ever be ignored? My guest this week is the fantastic Jeffery Self, who has for his entire life been every inch an entertainer -- whether forming a rebel theater troupe as a teen in his small southern hometown; testing his capacity for sass in the various TV roles where you've probably seen him; and creating the books and shows and circle of friends that he knew he needed in his life.
If making others happy makes you happy, what do you do when their happiness puts you in danger? My guest this week is Gordon Bellamy, one of the kindest and friendliest people I've ever met. For years, he went to great lengths to get along with people, even when he was sure those people would reject the real him. But of course, true friendship and love only came once he'd working up the nerve to be truly honest ... with the help of a song or two.
How much thought have you given to what your secret identity would be if you were a superhero? My guest this week is Glen Weldon, host of NPR's Pop Culture Happy Hour -- a lively chat about books, music, movies, TV, and more. As host, Glen's renowned for his encyclopedic knowledge of heros and comic books. But for a long time, that comic geek was just one of his secret identities.
Why is "gay" the word that the world seems to have picked to describe us? My guest Guy Branum has some thoughts on the topic, and on many more. You can see Guy as the host of "Talk Show the Game Show," debuting April 5 on TruTV, where celebrities compete to be the best guest on a talk show. There could be no better environment for Guy, a brilliantly funny comedian with a superpower for first breaking rules, and then reassembling them into something far more fascinating.
Longtime listeners may remember way back in episode 4 of The Sewers of Paris, my guest Greg talked about picking up copies of an unofficial queer opera zine called Parterre Box in the men's room of the Metropolitan Opera. The publisher of that zine is this week's guest. James Jorden always wanted to direct, but when he first moved to New York the closest he could get to the stage was in a low-paying job sweeping up bobby pins. That's when he had a a stroke of inspiration: if his career wasn't advancing through official channels, maybe more underground measures would bring him success. There's no way he could have imagined how right he would be.
How do you know when you're home? Is home a place you find, or a place you make? My guest this week grew up in the US, but never quite felt like he belonged. That all changed after a chance film screening, a lucky visit to a chat room, and a surprise visit to Ireland. After a lifetime of trying to figure out where he belonged, Ben took a gamble on international romance -- and won.
My guest this week started his musical career at a neighborhood friend's piano, hanging out and playing showtunes. These days he's doing pretty much the same, but he's accompanying Broadway stars and winning Tonys. Stephen Oremus worked on The Book of Mormon, Avenue Q, Frozen, and 9 to 5, among many others, and was music director for the 87th Academy Awards -- a role that became a little tense when one of the winners had an unexpected message to deliver from the stage.
Imagine this riskiest thing you could do -- and then imagine what would happen if you did it. My guest this week knows something about taking a chance -- Kevin Allison is the host of the Risk podcast, a show where people tell true stories about the times they put everything on the line. It's a concept that came to him after he'd spent too many years playing it safe, from tiptoeing around his sexuality to his mild-mannered persona on the sketch comedy show The State. It was on the advice of his fellow troupe-member Michael Ian Black that Kevin finally decided that some risks are worth taking.
Most gay men have had the experiencing of needing to decide just how open and honest we're going to be about our lives, even when that openness is difficult for some people to hear. This week's guest makes openness about difficult topics his life's work. Andrew Gurza is the host of the podcasts Disability With Drew and Disability After Dark, in addition to being one of the organizers of a recent accessible sex party in Toronto. His mission: to demolish cultural taboos around disability and sex -- taboos that have been a nuisance ever since he first found himself attracted to masculine figures on TV.
How do you cope when everything seems sad? And how do you move on and find happiness? My guest this week is Jason DeRose. His background in divinity school taught him pastoral care, and his career as a journalist taught him how to look difficult news unflinchingly in the eye. It can be tempting to let dark feelings become overwhelming, to let them control us, or simply to run from them. But whether counseling people or reporting the news, Jason's challenge has been confronting those dark emotions, and then still feeling free to experience joy.
If, like me, you are a huge fan of Dan Savage's work, you've probably heard him speak at length about sex and love and news and politics -- but tonight's conversation is going to be a little different as we dive into 8-track tapes, secret bike rides, family arguments, and a rule-breaking theater troupe where Dan honed his sense of shock and showmanship long before he was known for dispensing Savage Love.
To what lengths are you willing to go to prove yourself? My guest this week is Caleb Nelson, who's had a lifelong fascination with game shows as a way to prove mastery and skill. As he got older, he discovered that despite always working hard to prove himself to others, he faced a far greater challenge when it came to believing in himself.
How will you make it on your own? This week's guest is Chris Schleicher, who moved to a big city all by himself with some dreams, some talent, and a determination to stop living for other people. He started his career inspired by sitcoms like the Mary Tyler Moore show, and now he makes sitcoms as a writer on The Mindy Project. Season 5 starts February 14 on Hulu, and you can catch Chris on episode 513, playing "Nurse Chris."
My guest this week is Josh Grannell, but you may know him as Peaches Christ -- the host of San Francisco's wild midnight mass shows and creator of outlandish drag exploitation films. Even as a kid, Josh orchestrated elaborate halloween shows that his whole family got in on. And as an adult, he's crafted an entire media empire dedicated to exposing the uneasy frights that hide just below the surface of suburbia.
How far up your family tree would you have to go before the way your family lives became unrecognizable? My guest this week is Fazaad Feroze, whose parents grew up in huts in Guyana before moving to the United States. As you can imagine, assimilation into American culture wasn't always easy.
When you look back on your life, who are the adults who were wiser than you realized at the time? My guest this week is NPR's Sonari Glinton. He grew up in Chicago, surrounded by amazing artists and curators who managed to steer him in the directions that were exactly what a little queer kid needed.
On this episode, I've invited some of my favorite gay podcasters to recommend their favorite entertainment of the year, from Lemonade to Difficult People and Moonlight and Reba. If you've been feeling down in the dumps about 2016, now's the time to take a deep breath and remember that it's actually been a great year to enjoy some amazing art and culture, and the next few years could be even more fertile.
Have you ever experienced a Christmas miracle? My guest this week has. His whole life, Jose longed to experience a magical snowy wonderland like he saw on American TV specials -- not exactly an easy thing to find in Venezuela, where the one snowball he ever saw was scraped together from a frosty puddle and carefully passed from person to person. But that all changed on a on a trip to New York, where in the span of just a few days he went on his first date with a boy, grew closer to the dad he'd never really known, and found himself retracing the footsteps of Kevin in Home Alone 2.
Growing up as in atheist home, December was the closest I ever came to having a religious experience -- not because of actual religion, but the beauty of the snow and gifting and carols and lights just overwhelmed and transported me, years before I had any inkling that there was any kind of churchy component. My guest this week came to Christmas from the other side of the looking glass. Jonathan grew up in a deeply religious family, and similarly found himself swept up in the pageantry of the season. These days, he's distanced himself from the faith. And now Christmas has become spiritual for him in a far more personal way.
How do you think you'd come across if someone made your life into a reality show? My guest this week is Ross Semple, who grew up in a sort of fishbowl where the presence of family was constant and privacy didn't exist. And so naturally the round-the-clock surveillance of reality shows resonated with him, particularly as the medium evolved and the term "reality" became euphemistic. But as young as the genre may seem, Ross eventually discovered that hysterics, outlandish costumes, and the ludicrously tragic have a long and noble history in queer entertainment.
When it comes to costumes, some of us have a greater than average appreciation for layering. My guest this week is writer Steven Rowley, whose debut novel Lily and the Octopus is touching and familiar and funny. It is also one of the gayest stories he's ever told, after a career spent in what was a sort of disguise, writing rom-coms about heterosexual relationships. But by the time his deeply personal book was complete he knew that he was done de-gaying his stories. So he told his publisher as much, unsure how they'd respond.
This year's Thanksgiving seems like a particularly important time to reflect back on the good things in our lives, the positive advances we've made, and the people we love and trust -- in fact, times given what they are, our very sanity may depend on it. Life's a balance of good and bad, and there's never so much of one that there's none of the other. My guest this week has certainly had his share of ups and down, going from an opera prodigy to Idaho's foremost producer of raves to living in a tiny room just upstairs from the off-Broadway debut of Hedwig and the Angry Inch. Throughout his adventures, Brian -- aka Mama Tits -- has always been a survivor, toughening himself through the bad news so he could be ready for good news.
But what happens once you get to that big city? What can you create once you're free to create the life you've always wanted? My guest this week is Paul Curran, who hitchhiked from Glasgow to London in search of something better at the age of sixteen. There he trained as a ballet dancer until an injury ended his career on stage, and launched a whole new career as a director.
If you're like me, right now you're searching for something -- anything -- to lend you comfort. We've just ended a horrifying election season, and are about to embark on four years that will likely be even worse. How do we even start to recover from this, how do we get out of bed for the next four years, what can we do to move forward? Well the future, good or bad, starts with us. We can shape it. The world in which we live begins in our imaginations, and then through our work we bring it to life. And that's why art and culture and ideas and entertainment and daydreaming are all so important, particularly at moments like these. I spoke to this week's guest, Andrew Slade, before the election about his passion for escape, whether it's into a video game or a drag character. We talked about how imaginary worlds can become real, how a fantasy can become reality, and how one person's late-night idea can blossom into a collaboration and then into a performance that changes lives. Back when we recorded our chat, we weren't thinking about politics. But as you listen this week, I hope you will.
My guest this week is Austin Bull, also known as the performance artist The Bearded Femme. His stage persona is eye-catching and weird, from vibrant green beards to dressing up as sexualized religious figures. Creating creatures onstage is his way of making sense of a darkness that once threatened to overwhelm him -- and standing up to his own fears.
Why is food so important? I mean, other than the whole keeping-you-alive thing. My guest this week found his life forever changed by food when he won the first season of The Great British Bake-Off. Edd Kimber was a shy, unhappy banker when his cakes, cookies, and pies catapulted him to national fame. It was all a bit much for a young man who once dreaded attention -- but it also meant a once-in-a-lifetime chance for him to pursue his dreams of baking for a living.
How do you know when it's time to stop wandering and put down roots? This week's guest is Robert Roth, who spent years looking for the right place to call home. After he ran away from home, his journey took him to some dark, dangerous places. It took a lot of work to pull himself back up to where he could create a home not only for himself, but for those on a similar journey.
This week's guest has seen the end of the world. Enrique's favorite game growing up gave players a choice about who they could save before an impending apocalypse -- and of course, you can't save everyone. It was a dark obsession for a little kid, but playing through the end of the world got him through some tough times as a kid -- and even tougher times as an adult.