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Sewers of Paris: The Taste of an Old Queen (Ep 398 - Kyle Turner/Bringing up Baby)

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...

Bonus video: An NBC Murder Mystery, Solved!

Hello there! I'm still traveling, but here's another bonus video for you. This week we've got a strange mystery about an NBC executive who was supposedly killed

by a male hustler --a mystery that actually has a SOLUTION, unlike the generally wild speculation about Fran Drescher's connection to Seinfeld. Also: The unlikely connection between closeted gay actors of the 70s and Burt Reynolds, and Billy Mumy's uncanny impression of Dr. Smith.

Oh! And! I'm going to be revealing the tit...

Sewers of Paris: Like I Was the Star (Ep 397 - Kevin/Reality TV)

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...

Bonus video! Liberace, Dr. Smith from Lost in Space, and Charles Nelson Reilly Meets Madame

Hello there! I've got a whole bunch of fun stuff for you this week -- starting with a fabulous discovery about a Liberace biopic from the 1980s. You'll never GUESS who played his mother!!! Also I found some extremely fun interviews with Jonathan Harris, who played Dr. Smith on Lost in Space, and less notably Basil Bitterbottom on Uncle Croc's Block. Croc, of course, was played by America's gay uncle Charles Nelson Reilly, who's been everywhere and done everything -- thanks t...

Sewers of Paris: Morbid Curiosities (Ep 396 - Disaster books/Chris Steadman)

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 explora...

Bonus video! What's The Nanny Doing on Seinfeld?

Hello there! This week I've got a bit of a Seinfeld mystery, or a The Nanny mystery, or a little of each. At one point, Fran Drescher was hired to fill in for Estelle Harris, who played George's mother -- and although I'm very glad that she was the actress they went to, I can't for the life of me figure out how she wound up being the person they chose. Also this week, I've got some fun details about America's gay uncle, Charles Nelson Reilly. And also a very sweet real-life ...

Sewers of Paris: My Heel Connected with his Jaw (Ep 395 - Tomie dePaola/Trung Le Nguyen)

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 frien...

Sewers of Paris: Climbing a Mountain Every Day (Ep 395 - Stephen/Ballet)

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 … ...

Bonus video! Hitchcock's Gay Schemers

Hello there! In this week's bonus video I've got some ~gossip~ about closeted public figures, and also EVEN MORE examples of gay Bruces -- including an interview where Stan Lee responds to the changing of Bruce Banner's name for the Hulk TV series in the 70s. Also! Thanks to folks who sent me examples of queerness in Hitchcock films, I've got a bit more of that to share including an unlikely link to Madeline Kahn. Plus, I get totally sidetracked and forget what I'm talking about when the subj...

Sewers of Paris: Musical Theater on the Subway (Ep 394 - Brett/Broadway)

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 child...

Bonus video! The Day Lesbians Took Over NBC

Hello there! In this week's bonus video, I've got a few new clues about how "Bruce" became the name for all homosexual men. And also the story of the time that a group of lesbians got fed up with NBC airing a bunch of offensive stereotypes, and hatched a plan to infiltrate the network's headquarters and seize control of an office. It's like a spy story!

Backup link for the video: https://youtu.be/eiSSrFn_kcw 

Sewers of Paris: Becoming Real (Ep 393 - Wyatt/Velveteen Rabbit)

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...

Bonus! The Lost Seinfeld Episode, and More (?!?!) Charles Nelson Reilly

Hello there! I had NO IDEA so many of you would be excited to talk about Charles Nelson Reilly after last week's video, but I'm so glad that you are. I've got a few more details about him for you this week -- I suppose I should put him on my list of possible future topics??? And I've also got some intriguing details about the episode of Seinfeld that they decided (in the middle of rehearsal) that they simply COULD NOT DO, and cancelled it before it was ever filmed. Also: A surprising...

Bonus! The weird gay history of the "yesssss" guy

Hello there! In this week's bonus video I have a real weird web of gay connections, from Ellen to The X-Files to The Simpsons and Seinfeld and Jack Benny shows of the 1940s. Also, another Seinfeld mystery to stack on top of last week's! And a super bizarre comedy-beauty show from the 1970s that I cannot for the life of me make any sense of.

• Backup link if the embed's not working:
  2022-07-03 17:01:01 +0000 UTC View Post

Sewers of Paris: Demons & Ghosts (Ep 392 - Hamish Steele/Dead End: Paranormal Park)

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 on this week's Sewers of Paris to hear ...

Seinfeld, Slides, and Second Pride: Here's What's Coming up in July!

Hello there!

Well, we're wrapping up Pride month, or at least, the first Pride month of the year. Now it's time to get ready for Second Pride, which is July; and then Third Pride Month in August, Fourth Pride Month in September, etc etc etc. 

I've got a bunch of fun stuff cooking for you in the next month -- it'll be a busy busy time, particularly because the first draft of my book is due on the 15th (no, I'm not panicking at all about that deadline, thank you). Also...

Bonus! A Seinfeld Mystery, and Why All High-Fives are Gay

Hey folks! Hope you're holding up ok, it's been a tough couple of days.

This is Pride weekend in Seattle, and I've been wandering around through the noise & chaos & parties & protests -- all of which started, as I'm sure you know, as a furious riot at injustice, and continues to be an annual reminder that none of us is in any of this alone. With this week's bonus video, I want to bring you some stuff that'll hopefully cheer you up and also provide a little inspiration for th...

Sewers of Paris: Everything but His Underwear (Ep 391 - Swedish Drag/Markus)

My Sewers of Paris 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.

Bonus Video! Losing the Lyrics on Live TV & Other Tales

Hello there!

Well this sure has been a weird week. If you haven't heard, I've been dealing with a bout of vertigo that's forced me to push back some projects, including this week's episode of The Sewers of Paris and a Modern Family video that I'd wanted to have out today. Apologies for having to delay those, and thanks for your patience while I get back on my feet! (I was able to get medical care and I'm feeling better now, but it's going to take awhile longer to fully...

Bonus video! Barbara Walters Asks if Gays are "Swishy"

Inquiring minds want to know: Is that big gay guy on Modern Family "swishy"? Is that okay to say? Better ask a heterosexual. A clip of her asking a very weird question (and also "what's it like to be homosexual?") await you in this week's bonus video! Also, the time Jesse Tyler Ferguson totally baffled an AP reporter by using the phrase "gay for pay," and the story of a tricky little maneuver Jesse used to get the role he wanted on Modern Family.

• Backup link for ...
  2022-06-05 17:00:05 +0000 UTC View Post

Sewers of Paris: Every Gay Bar Was Owned by Mafia (Ep 390 - Stonewall/Tree)

Welcome to June, Sewers of Paris 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...

June Sneak Peek! Modern Family, Drag Race, and WRATH

Hi hello!

Welp, here we are, just one day away from Pride month, and you know what that means: Only 30 shopping days left until Wrath month. (Related: It's also time to start taking stock of which corporations switch their logos to rainbows just days after firing their entire queer social media team.)

But! Also! It's time for parades, rallies, forums, protests, picnics, zaps, and ...

Bonus Video! Popeye ❤️ Bluto, Modern Family vs Schwarzenegger

Hello there! In this week's bonus video I've got a fun Popeye/Bluto romance (thanks to Trevor for sending that to me). Also a sneak peek at my upcoming video on Modern Family, including a very sweet speech from Jesse Tyler Ferguson, during which he gets so choked up that Debra Messing appears to give him a hug, which is one of her powers. Also, what the hell was Arnold Schwarzenegger doing, getting involved in a gay marriage lawsuit???

Backup video link: 2022-05-29 18:10:57 +0000 UTC View Post

Sewers of Paris: Quite a Lovely Revolution We Were Having (Ep 389 - David Bowie/Joan Jett Blakk)

My guest on this week's Sewers of Paris podcast 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.”

Bonus Video! Debbie Reynolds' Very Naughty Joke

Hello there! For this week's bonus video I'm visiting a place I've long heard of, The Outside, with my friend Ollie (a dog). I've got stories for you about a ~forbidden~ commercial that the cast of Will & Grace recorded; an interview with the guy who cancelled Ellen (the first time); and an incredibly dirty joke that Debby Reynolds told when the producers of Will & Grace asked her if she'd be willing to dye her hair red. Let me know what you think of this outdoorsy format or ...

Sewers of Paris: Magic Horses & Middle School (Ep 388 - Hugh Ryan/queer history)

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, 2022-05-19 18:46:41 +0000 UTC View Post

Sewers of Paris: Camp is like Pornography (Ep 387 - Eurovision/Jānis)

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...

Bonus Video! The Time Will from Will & Grace Dated Goofy's Son

Good afternoon or whatever! I'm chugging away on a video about Will & Grace and wanted to share some more fun discoveries with you, including the time the actor who played Will said that he wanted his character to date Brad Pitt, and instead wound up dating Max Goof. Also! I stumbled across a VERY unexpected animated opening for a forgotten sitcom that appears to have been copied, a decade later, for the opening of The Simpsons. And big thanks to Fred for sending me a cl...

Culture Cruise: Did I Just Get Married? (Ep 386 - Pedro Almodóvar/Alejandro Varela)

My guest on The Sewers of Paris podcast 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 Almodóvar — and to come back to the US a completely changed person.

Bonus video! Why all four stars of Will & Grace turned the show down at first

Well hello! In his week's Bonus Video we're looking at the reasons why all four lead actors on Will & Grace initially declined their roles and we nearly had an EXTREMELY different show. Also: How David Hyde Pierce, fresh off an Emmy win for playing Niles on Frasier managed to singlehandedly nominate Sean Hayes for an Emmy the following year. As promised last week, I also share the story of Stephen Sondheim's youthful run-in with a pair of ghosts; and also some footage of...