Gayest Episode Ever

No episode this week but....

Hey, all. As a part of a scheduling snafu, we will be dark this week. Apologies! Since we are not giving you lovely patrons an episode, we decided we’d offer up what’s in the hopper and see which episodes you're most interested in hearing us talk about. And if you're wanting an episode that's not on our list, let us know in the comments. 

M*A*S*H Saves a Gay

“George” (February 16, 1974)

And finally we arrive at the show that back when we were kids was what informed us that the kids’ block of syndicated TV had been turned over to the grown-ups. Now grown-ups ourselves (sorta, kida), we still can’t get into M*A*S*H, but regardless of our personal feelings we weigh in on why this show was important, even if this second-season gay-themed episode gets a B/B minus. Apologies to the M*A*S*H diehards out there.

Curious about the origi...

Monroe!

Glen is catching up on his original artwork from the past few months, and he is getting June's done first. It's Monroe from Too Close for Comfort, along with Cosmic Cow, which if you don't know the show will sound like a weird combo. It's legit to the show, we swear.

Normally, only the $10 and up patrons get to see Glen's art, but I liked this one a lot and thought I'd share... and maybe give you a taste of what you're missing.

Roc Has a Gay Uncle

“Can’t Help Loving That Man” (October 20, 1991)

Looking at the various 90s-era Fox shows that focused on black characters, Roc was the one with the reputation for tackling social issues with a certain level of gravitas. The reputation was well-deserved. Early in the show’s run, Richard Roundtree — Shaft himself! — guested as the title character’s uncle, who comes bearing the news that 1) he’s gay; 2) he’s getting married; and 3) his beloved is a white man. To discuss t...

Too Close for Comfort Does an Episode About Male Rape

Content warning: In this episode we talk about sexual assault. 

This week, we’re not talking about an explicitly LGBT-focused episode of TV. No, we’re talking about the episode of Too Close for Comfort in which a male character, Monroe, is sexually assaulted by two women. No, really. Jim J. Bullock, the actor playing that character, is gay in real life, and because Monroe is coded as queer as well, this episode serves as a bizarre example of not just how a sitcom can handle a s...

I Love Lucy Makes the First Gay Joke in Sitcom History

Sorry for getting this one up so late. It's been quite a week here, but this is this week's Patreon episode. You'll be getting another episode next week — and well before Friday afternoon, I promise!!

“Lucy Thinks Ricky Is Trying to Murder Her” (November 5, 1951)

Can we do a whole 52-minute episode that is essentially about one single joke? Hell yes we can. The fourth episode of I Love Lucy sure seems like it might feature the first gay joke in the history of sitcoms. And al...

GEE TV

Apologies, Patreon people, but the next GEE episode is going to be up a little later than usual. Meanwhile, please enjoy this little not-strictly-audio bonus.

GEE TV is a weird little art project that Drew felt compelled to do. It’s six 80s-era NBC sitcoms in a three-hour block, complete with of-the-era commercials. In order: Silver Spoons, The Facts of Life, Gimme a Break, 227, Empty Nest and Night Court. Hit the audio to hear Drew explain it all to Glen, who’s being a good sport a...

WKRP LGBTQ+

“Les on a Ledge” (October 2, 1978)

For reasons we can’t imagine, WKRP in Cincinnati decided its third episode should feature a trans-themed B plot alongside an A plot about one of the characters contemplating suicide because people think he’s gay. It’s a lot. And while that plot synopsis might seem like a recipe for disaster, this one is funnier and more progressive than you might expect. Don’t get us wrong: It does things that today’s audiences will probably roll their ey...

American Dad Steals a Gay Couple’s Baby

“Surro-Gate” (December 7, 2007)

Okay, hear us out. Some of you may be surprised that we’re doing American Dad or that Glen and Drew are both fans of it. We put forward the case that it’s a different sort of show than Family Guy is. This episode follows a previous gay-themed installment, and it demonstrates how bringing a homophobe around to respecting queer people as equals isn’t a one-and-done thing; it’s a continual process, and lots of people who think they’re tolerant ...

Patreon donations for June going to NAACP

In case you missed it, we forwarded this month's Patreon moneys to the NAACP. Thanks for helping us donate to a worthy cause.

Herman’s Head Meets a Lesbian

“Sperm ‘n’ Herman” (September 20, 1992)

At long last, we’re finally talking about the series that you’ve been dying to hear about… if your name is Drew or Glen. Yeah, we both have memories of liking Herman’s Head. And while its one gay episode does some things right and some things wrong, it’s the first sitcom we’ve discussed that tackles the complicated issue of being queer and also being a parent. It also allows us to talk about all the crazy stuff happening on Fox...

Maude Goes to a Gay Bar

“The Gay Bar” (December 3, 1977)

And then there’s Maude — for a second time! In this final-season installment, Maude battles Arthur (Conrad Bain) over his opposition to a gay bar that’s just opened up in town. It’s basically Arthur having conversation after conversation in which other character break apart his justifications for homophobia. But funny!

If you want the backstory about how Maude came to be, listen to 2020-05-21 06:42:28 +0000 UTC View Post

Hey, Remember Caroline in the City?

Way back in October, we did an entire episode about Caroline in the City. That seems like a lifetime ago, but Glen is just getting around to catching up on his monthly original artwork, and you're just getting this now. Normally, only patrons at the $10 and up level get access to Glen's art, but because Drew thinks this one is especially good, we're letting all patrons at all levels have a look.

Old Christine Is Married to a Woman

“Unidentified Funk” (December 10, 2008) and “Happy Endings (December 17, 2008)

NOTE: Hey, all. Sorry for the delay in this week’s episode. It’s been a busy stretch, and GEE is going to go dark next week. We will be back the following week, Drew swears.

The New Adventures of Old Christine may not rank among the sitcom heavyweights, but hey — if it’s good enough for TV Land, it’s good enough for us. In 2008, this CBS series managed to skewer homophonic-leaning compan...

Drew and Glen Rank Instrumental Sitcom Themes

Do you ever feel like some songs have too many words? Well, good news: instrumental music eliminates that very problem! In this episode, Drew and Glen each list off five sitcom theme songs that they think are good despite that none of them have lyrics. Spoiler: many of them actually do have lyrics, it turns out. But still!

If you like this episode, you may also like Singing Mountain, Drew’s other podcast, which wo...

What’s Gay About Scooby-Doo?

So obviously, Velma is the Scooby-Doo character that we all decided was queer, but there’s a surprising pop culture precedent for why we might think this. From 1959 to 1963, the CBS sitcom The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis offered the world Zelda Gilroy, a smart, determined force of nature who was the smartest girl in the room. Not only was Velma inspired by Zelda, but the actress who played Zelda, Sheila Keuhl, ended up being gay in real life and went on to a career in Los Angeles politics an...

Hank Hill Goes to a Gay Rodeo

My Own Private Rodeo (April 28, 2002)

Hank finds Dale’s long-estranged father at a gay rodeo, and we’ve gotta say: for a conservative guy, Hank takes this news rather well. In our second King of the Hill episode, we’re happy to find that the show once again hits that sweet spot between red and blue, progressive and conservative, goofy and bittersweet.

BTW, the four season 13 episodes that only aired in syndication are “The Honeymooners,” “Bill Gathers Moss,” “When ...

Night Court Has a Night With a Gay

“The Blizzard” (December 6, 1984)

Night Court aired on the same Thursday night block that also included The Cosby Show, Family Ties and Cheers. And while Night Court never received as much prestige as the other three did, it ran for nine seasons, landed joke after joke and demonstrated a better understanding of its characters than most sitcoms before or after. In its second season, it pit its prissy, maybe possibly gay-seeming character, played by John Laroquette, against an actual ...

Barney Miller Meets a Homo

“Discovery” (October 30, 1975)

Somehow, Barney Miller managed to make comedy in gritty, 1970s-era New York City, and it managed to address the rampant crime of the day even though the action never left the precinct office. In this episode, a man has to overcome his fear of homophobic police officers in order to report that he was harrassed, threatened and extorted because he was gay — yet somehow it’s still funny. 

Because it never hurts to point it out, the number fo...

Mr. Humphries Is a Poof

“The Apartment” (November 9, 1979)

And now for something slightly different. Katherine Spiers, TableCakes Productions CEO and our first-ever heterosexual guest, joins Drew and Glen to talk about the British sitcom Are You Being Served? and in particular its resident homo Mr. Humphries. It’s also our first remote guest, because this was recorded during pandemic times, so please forgive the fact that this outing has less-than-optimal sound quality. We will do better next time. If yo...

Will Smith Is Uncomfortable Playing a Gay Character Onscreen

“As the Will Turns” (April 10, 1995)

This is as close to a gay episode as Fresh Prince of Bel-Air ever got. And while it’s not necessarily the funniest piece of TV ever, it makes for a hell of a discussion of Will Smith’s personal life. This episode has some weird parallels with actual events in Will Smith, real-life actor. We’d say it’s unprecedented for a rapper-turned-actor to seemingly confront rumors about their sexuality in a network sitcom, but it plays out remarkably...

Suspending payments

Hi all. Glen and I are suspending Patreon payments for next month. Unsure how long this will be the case but for the near term, spend that money on something better, like giving to a food bank or tipping a delivery person. Stay healthy.

The Nanny Meets a Lesbian

NOTE: Hey, apologies for the clips being out of sync in the back half of this episode. I've re-uploaded the file. If you're getting the bad version, delete it from your pod app and re-download it.

“Oy Vey, You’re Gay” (October 23, 1995)

With her over-the-top outfits and bigger-than-life persona, Fran Drescher has a certain queer appeal. In fact, more than a few little boys probably turned a love of Fran Drescher and Fran Fine into a love of drag. However, the show didn’t n...

Drew and Glen Answer Listener Questions

Following the Golden Girls table read, we decided to take a week off, and it turns out we needed one more before we jump into the cycle of actual “episode” episodes. So in lieu of that, Drew and Glen answer a bunch of questions we've been sent by listeners over the past two years. We swear it’s actually content!

Call us and leave a message on the TableCakes Hotline at (209) 566-CAKE. No, really.

Buy Glen’s movie, 2020-03-11 07:54:59 +0000 UTC View Post

Any questions?

‪So Glen and Drew are doing at Q&A show this week because Drew wants one more week off from regular episodes. What would you want to ask them?‬

Glen Writes a Golden Girls

Vince Meat (February 22, 2020)

Have you seen the one Golden Girls where Blanche accidentally sexes a man to death and the girls have to process this man’s body into meat pastries? Well, your answer should be no, because that episode never actually happened in this reality — except in this table read live recording of a Golden Girls written by Glen Lakin. It’s fucked-up and funny.

Cast:

Dorothy: Meghan Parks (2020-02-27 08:42:25 +0000 UTC View Post

¿Es Joe Un Homo?

“Joe Goes to Heaven” (Date Unknown, 1979) 

The United States’ first bilingual sitcom and PBS’s first attempt at a 30-minute comedy, ¿Que Pasa USA? proved to be a regional hit in Miami, where a local PBS affiliate created and produced the show, and then across the country as a whole. Overall, it plays out like a lost Norman Lear series centered around a Cuban-American family, and this episode revolves around the possibility that strapping young Joe may be gay. GEE regular T...

Frank Lambert Is Worried His Son Is a Hairdresser

Is Step By Step a show even worth talking about? Glen says yes, but Drew says no. Listen to an episode inspired by a different podcast that prompted us to examine a long-running but perhaps non-classic TGIF sitcom that Drew prefers to shorthand as “shitbag Brady Bunch.”

Check out transcripts for episode of the show here: https://www.gayestepisodeever.com/transcripts

Also, if you haven’t yet...

What’s Gay About Perfect Strangers?

America or burst! For most of us ’80s babies, Perfect Strangers is a quintessential sitcom of the era — it looked ’80s, it had a perfect ’80s sitcom, and like so many situation comedies aimed at families, it was maybe not the most ambitious show in terms of jokes and plots. However, there’s also a lot there that reads as a little gay. In fact, Drew and Glen even dream up various ways a reboot could work today and double-down on this queer element.

The logo for this Patreon-onl...

Drew and Glen Rank the Sexiest Sitcom Dads

Two announcements: No. 1, Drew is tired and he is wanting to take a week off with an episode that requires less editing; and and No. 2, this podcast is launching a series of Patreon-only episodes where Drew and Glen discuss subjects unlikely to arise in their typical episodes. In this one, they both list off their picks for the hottest dads in sitcom history. And if you’re seeing this for the first time on the main, non-Patreon feed, then there’s already another one of these ready for you...