Gayest Episode Ever
Back in the day, a major sitcom doing a gay episode was a big deal. A proper gay episode would get headlines, but it would get the attention of two young guys who were still figuring things out — sexuality-wise and culture-wise. Gayest Episode Ever has screenwriter Glen Lakin and stay-at-home journalist Drew Mackie going through the great and not-so-great gay episodes of sitcoms past.
info_outline
A Queer History of SNL, Part Three: The “Not Ready for Prime Time” Era
12/06/2023
A Queer History of SNL, Part Three: The “Not Ready for Prime Time” Era
Welcome to the first of our in-depth looks at LGBTQ humor in specific eras of Saturday Night Live. Of course, we’re starting at the beginning, in the classic era, and yeah, some of them are better than you’d guess and some of them are so much worse. It’s a real grab bag, but there are lessons to be learned about how SNL came to be what it is today and how American humor has evolved since 1975. Buy new book, . Watch all the sketches featured in this episode . Here are the sketches, in order: Jamitol (S1E1: George Carlin, Oct. 11 1975) Long Distance (S1E4: Candice Bergen, Nov. 8 1975) Latent Elf (S1E8: Candice Bergen, Dec. 20 1975) Household Hints (S1E16: Anthony Perkins, March 13, 1976) The Snake-Handling O’Sheas (S2E2: Norman Lear, Sep. 25, 1976) Monologue (S4E11: Cicely Tyson, Feb. 10, 1979) The Ex-Police (S4E11: Cicely Tyson, Feb. 10, 1979) Miles Cowperthwaite (S4E18: Michael Palin, May 12, 1979) Not for Transexuals Only (S4E20: Buck Henry, May 26, 1979) The Continuing Correspondences of Eleanor Roosevelt (S5E3: Bill Russell, Oct. 20 1979) Go shop at Follow: • • • • • Listen: • • • • And yes, we do have ! We even have courtesy of . Our logo was designed by . This episode’s art was designed by .
/episode/index/show/gayestepisodeever/id/28950278
info_outline
Gimme a Break Meets Yet Another 80s Orphan
11/29/2023
Gimme a Break Meets Yet Another 80s Orphan
“Nell and the Kid” (April 28, 1983) As if network TV didn’t have enough sitcoms about non-biological parents stepping in to care for parentless children, Gimme a Break — itself a show about a woman acting as a substitute mother for three girls — has a second season episode in which Nell Carter’s character meets a spunky orphan (LaShana Dendy) and then entrusts her to the care of the neighborhood deli owner (Don Rickles). It didn’t end up becoming its own series, but Drew and Glen are pretty sure that this serves as a sort of soft launch for another show that has the same premise and which launched on NBC’s schedule the following fall. You can watch this episode of Gimme a Break . Listen to us discuss . Go shop at Follow: • • • • • Listen: • • • • And yes, we do have ! We even have courtesy of . Our logo was designed by . This episode’s art was designed by .
/episode/index/show/gayestepisodeever/id/28838048
info_outline
We Can Be Sad About Matthew Perry Dying and Still Think Friends Is Homophobic
11/21/2023
We Can Be Sad About Matthew Perry Dying and Still Think Friends Is Homophobic
“The One With the Memorial Service” (March 13, 2003) Since Matthew Perry died, the tone of conversations about Friends has shifted from looking at all the reasons it wasn’t so great to trying to focus on the reasons we like it. That’s fair. Grief does that. But in seeking comfort in Friends, let’s not rush to thinking that Chandler Bing was something more than one long-running gay panic joke. Matthew Perry was a great comedic actor and we enjoy him delivering a one-liner with perfect timing, but we can acknowledge that without giving Friends a pass for its homophobia. Here’s that inspired this episode, and here’s where it originally appeared, with its original headline. Friends, previously on GEE: Listen to , a great podcast about one woman’s journey to understand how her uncle’s autobiographical movie script became a B-action movie starring Rob Lowe.
/episode/index/show/gayestepisodeever/id/28744613
info_outline
The Complete History of George Costanza’s Homosexuality
11/15/2023
The Complete History of George Costanza’s Homosexuality
“The Note” (September 18, 1991) Seinfeld kicked off its third season with a rather risky premiere about George’s dick twitching during a massage from a man. What follows is a more earnest exploration of gay panic than you might expect from a Must See TV sitcom, and it happens to be the most in-depth look at George’s complex sexuality, though we will also be discussing every other time that Seinfeld implied that he’s something other than straight. An unblemished record of staunch heterosexuality? Yeah, sure, George. There is a video companion to this episode! You can see all of the clips from the entire run of Seinfeld ! And you can view it even if you’re not a patron, because I’m nice and I want you to enjoy this episode. Seinfeld on GEE previously: Go shop at Follow: • • • • • Listen: • • • • And yes, we do have ! We even have courtesy of . Our logo was designed by . This episode’s art was designed by .
/episode/index/show/gayestepisodeever/id/28648268
info_outline
The Sarah Silverman Program Has Gigantic, Orange Gays
11/08/2023
The Sarah Silverman Program Has Gigantic, Orange Gays
“Muffin’ Man” (March 1, 2007) You know what’s super complicated? The Sarah Silverman Program. It’s funny, but just talking about why it’s funny in 2023 necessitates a lot of discussion of controversial topics including but not limited to ironic racism, straight dudes playing gay characters, January 6 and several people who are now canceled. Nonetheless, Drew (and not Glen, because Glen is not in this episode) is joined by to discuss why this show’s queer representation was novel and still should be important all these years later. And yes, if you’re like “I could swear that Drew said this week would be Seinfeld,” you are correct; that episode will now be coming next week. Stay tuned! Did you know that Henry also has a podcast? It’s called , and it’s a lot like GEE just specifically about The Simpsons. Watch Glen's episode of Ninjago: Dragons Rising, now streaming on Netflix! And if you're not sure what a Ninjago is, watch , Glen's video series that explains the history of the Ninjago TV show. Go shop at Follow: • • • • • Listen: • • • • And yes, we do have ! We even have courtesy of . Our logo was designed by . This episode’s art was designed by .
/episode/index/show/gayestepisodeever/id/28552691
info_outline
Benson Literally Plays a Game With Death
10/31/2023
Benson Literally Plays a Game With Death
Happy Halloween! You're getting this week’s episode one day early because it is, in fact, a Halloween episode. “The Stranger” (October 25, 1985) Benson may have been a more conventional sitcom than Soap, the show it spun off, but that doesn’t mean it didn’t have its exceedingly weird moments — including this final season Halloween special in which Benson must play a trivia game with death personified in order to save the lives of 41 hapless schoolchildren. It’s basically the last moment in time an otherwise grounded sitcom could get away with this, and we’re lucky to have on hand to discuss it. Also he suggested it! Please don’t spoil Poker Face for him. Also give a listen to — and check out the episodes Drew guested on, about and . The supercut of Kraus yelling “I can hear you” (or some variation thereof) was excerpted from , posted by . The full version is much longer. Watch Glen's episode of Ninjago: Dragons Rising, now streaming on Netflix! And if you're not sure what a Ninjago is, watch , Glen's video series that explains the history of the Ninjago TV show. Go shop at Follow: • • • • • Listen: • • • • And yes, we do have ! We even have courtesy of . Our logo was designed by . This episode’s art was designed by .
/episode/index/show/gayestepisodeever/id/28471865
info_outline
Two Guys, a Girl and a Post-Scream Slasher Halloween
10/28/2023
Two Guys, a Girl and a Post-Scream Slasher Halloween
Want to watch this episode, which is not streaming and is hard to find online? You can do that right now ! “Two Guys, a Girl and a Psycho Halloween” (October 28, 1998) It didn’t want to be Friends. It really tried to give the cast real jobs, at the very least. But in the end, Two Guys, a Girl and a Pizza Place lost the workplace setting and added three more characters, essentially becoming another Friends wannabe. Along the way, however, it had some genuinely funny episodes and even did a non-canonical Halloween special that killed off the entire cast in the style of Scream-inspired 90s slasher flicks. If nothing else, give them credit for not couching their weird episode in the context of a dream. The logo for Weirdest Episode Ever was designed by . The theme music was composed by . Go shop at Follow: • • • • • Listen: • • • • And yes, we do have ! We even have courtesy of . Our logo was designed by . This episode’s art was designed by .
/episode/index/show/gayestepisodeever/id/28447346
info_outline
Family Matters Does Dracula
10/25/2023
Family Matters Does Dracula
“Dark and Stormy Night” (October 28, 1994) We’ve talked before how Family Matters has a more liberal take on typical hijinx than most sitcoms, but the show’s sixth season Halloween episode went full on Dracula — by which we mean Francis Ford Coppola. It’s really ambitious! And Hariette has never looked sexier! And we’re very stoked to have on hand to discuss it because not everyone would be able to spot this darkling little gem hidden in the 1994 TGIF lineup. Listen to Michael’s podcast — and in particular listen to the episode . It’s a hoot. Watch Glen's episode of Ninjago: Dragons Rising, now streaming on Netflix! And if you're not sure what a Ninjago is, watch , Glen's video series that explains the history of the Ninjago TV show. Go shop at Follow: • • • • • Listen: • • • • And yes, we do have ! We even have courtesy of . Our logo was designed by . This episode’s art was designed by .
/episode/index/show/gayestepisodeever/id/28417505
info_outline
Ghosts Has a Gay Revolutionary War Ghost
10/18/2023
Ghosts Has a Gay Revolutionary War Ghost
“D&D” (November 18, 2021) Beware the gay ghost! What are the odds that when your friend writes a book about Baron von Steuben, allegedly gay Revolutionary War hero, there would also be a current sitcom that features a gay Revolutionary War character? Pretty slim, we’d say! But this happy coincidence allowed us to not only promote new book, , but also to dive into Ghosts, the CBS sitcom that is one of the more popular sitcoms on TV today. We’re happy to report that being a CBS sitcom means something quite different today than it did just a few years ago. You should probably want a copy of Josh’s book. Buy a copy ! Watch , Glen's series that explains the history of the Ninjago series and will help you understand his episode of Ninjago: Dragons Rising. Go shop at Follow: • • • • • Listen: • • • • • And yes, we do have ! We even have courtesy of . Our logo was designed by . This episode’s art was designed by .
/episode/index/show/gayestepisodeever/id/28353077
info_outline
Fine, We Will Cover Ellen’s Big Coming Out Episode
10/11/2023
Fine, We Will Cover Ellen’s Big Coming Out Episode
“The Puppy Episode” (April 30, 1997) After a great deal of self-reflection, we decided that maybe it was worth discussing the most famous episode of Ellen Degeneres’ 90s sitcom, even if it is the most analyzed piece of LGBTQ-centric television ever. Whether we were correct in thinking this remains up to you, but we nonetheless have offerings of talking points about this hourlong coming out extravaganza, including but not limited to how much of this show’s latter existence was dedicated to meta commentary. If nothing else, Ellen — the person *and* the show — understood how people were interpreting all this. Watch: the supercut of , compiled by so I didn’t have to. Read: about the drama going on backstage during Ellen’s first season. Watch , Glen's series that explains the history of the Ninjago series and will help you understand his episode of Ninjago: Dragons Rising. Go shop at Follow: • • • • • Listen: • • • • • And yes, we do have ! We even have courtesy of . Our logo was designed by . This episode’s art was designed by .
/episode/index/show/gayestepisodeever/id/28284446
info_outline
A Queer History of SNL, Part Two
10/04/2023
A Queer History of SNL, Part Two
And here is the second half of our two-part opener for this new season. In this episode, we look at LGBTQ-themed recurring Saturday Night Live sketches airing in the year 2000 and beyond. Basically, this one gets us from The Girl With No Gaydar to Bowen Yang, and that’s actually a pretty good synopsis for the evolution of queer-inclusive humor of on this show. Our next installment will be the first deep dive into a specific era of SNL, starting with the “Not Ready for Prime Time” era, and that will be coming in November. So look forward to that — and meanwhile prepare for a little bit of cultural whiplash. Listen to part one . Here are the sketches, in order: Girl With No Gaydar (S27E17: The Rock, 4/13/2000) Donatella Versace (S30E18: Johnny Knoxville 5/7/2005) Two Gay Guys (S32E4: Hugh Laurie 10/28/2006) Deep House Dish (S32E7: Matthew Fox 12/1/2006) Vincent Price Holiday Special (S34E16: Alec Baldwin 2/14/2009) Stefon (S36E15: Russell Brand 2/12/2011) Right Side of the Bed (S40E19: Scarlett Johansson 5/2/2015) Dyke & Fats (S39E16: Louis C.K. 3/29/2014) Whiskers R We (S41E13: Melissa McCarthy 2/13/2016) Bowen Yang Surprisingly Gay (S46E17: Carey Mulligan 4/10/2021) If you want to watch these, they're all posted on Patreon . You can see Drew’s master list of LGBTQ-focused SNL sketches . Go shop at Follow: • • • • • Listen: • • • • •
/episode/index/show/gayestepisodeever/id/28219913
info_outline
A Queer History of SNL, Part One
09/27/2023
A Queer History of SNL, Part One
Welcome to a new season of Gayest Episode Ever. It will be a Saturday Night Live-centric season. Among the regular, sitcom-focused episodes, we will be doing periodic deep dives into the LGBTQ-focused sketches that ran on the show during its various eras. To kick it off (and to kick off the new season), we are starting with a two-part look at the various queer-adjacent recurring sketches from SNL. This first episode covers the launch of the show until the mid-90s, and next week’s episode will get us through the current era. Enjoy? Maybe? It’s a lot to take in, honestly, but we swear it’s worth discussion. Here are this episode’s sketches: Anita Bryant (s5e16 — Burt Reynolds, April 12, 1980) Dion (s9e8 — Flip Wilson, December 10, 1983) Nancy Reagan (s11e2 — John Lithgow, November 16, 1985) Coffee Talk (s16e13 — Roseanne Barr & Tom Arnold, February 2, 1989) It’s Pat (s17e3 — Kirstie Alley, October 12, 1991) Lyle the Effeminate Heterosexual (s17e16 — Mary Stuart Masterson, March 21, 1992) Mickey the Dyke (s22e8 — Martin Short, December 7, 1996) Ambiguously Gay Duo (s23e20 — David Duchovny, May 9, 1998) Jeffrey’s (s26e12 — Sean Hayes, February 2, 2001) Mango (s27e9 — Ellen DeGeneres, December 15, 2001) You can watch the sketches . You can see Drew’s master list of LGBTQ-focused SNL sketches . Go shop at Follow: • • • • • Listen: • • • • • And yes, we do have ! We even have courtesy of . Our logo was designed by . This episode’s art was designed by .
/episode/index/show/gayestepisodeever/id/28155203
info_outline
Barry’s NoHo Hank Is a Great Gay Villain
08/22/2023
Barry’s NoHo Hank Is a Great Gay Villain
“it takes a psycho” (April 30, 2023) Barry is not a sitcom, though it was frequently one of the funnier shows on TV. We’re doing a bonus summer episode about it anyway because its gay character, NoHo Hank, is a rarity on TV because he’s both a villain and a person who doesn’t let his sexuality define him. That’s not necessarily a good thing, but we’re all about complex, messy queer characters, and this is one people should be talking about. Special thanks to for sharing her recollections of working on the show. SPOILER WARNING: We will talk about major plot points from Barry through season three, episode four. Read the New York Times piece on . Listen to Drew and Glen on Talking Simpsons. Go shop at Follow: • • • • • Listen: • • • • • And yes, we do have ! We even have courtesy of . Our logo was designed by . This episode’s art was designed by .
/episode/index/show/gayestepisodeever/id/27824820
info_outline
Punky Brewster and Cave of Horrors
08/08/2023
Punky Brewster and Cave of Horrors
“The Perils of Punky” (October 20, 1985) This might be the most famous weird episode of any TV show ever, and with good reason: it is utterly inexplicable how this parade of horrors came to be. It would be weird for any sitcom to deliberately scare its viewers, much less a show that catered specifically to kids. Wait, is the shared trauma of this Punky Brewster the reason why millennials can’t stop talking about old TV? No, really — is this why??? This is an episode of our Patreon bonus podcast Weirdest Episode Ever. Listen to the rest of those episodes or now also ! Check out Drew's video of all the times Brandon the dog was clearly not acting and of what was happening during this episode. Most of the quotes used in this piece come from on this episode. Watch Drew’s supercut of the Soleil Moon Frye’s pre-Punky made-for-TV horror movie, — and listen to ! The logo for Weirdest Episode Ever was designed by . The theme music was composed by . Go shop at Follow: • • • • • Listen: • • • • • And yes, we do have ! We even have courtesy of . Our logo was designed by . This episode’s art was designed by .
/episode/index/show/gayestepisodeever/id/27697170
info_outline
Golden Girls Tries to Spin Off the Neighbors Next Door
07/25/2023
Golden Girls Tries to Spin Off the Neighbors Next Door
“Empty Nests” (May 16, 1987) Happy summer! This is an episode of , our summer Patreon series looking into the times famous sitcoms attempted to use a backdoor pilot to launch a spinoff. This particular example is one of the most interesting, since what aired on Golden Girls ended up being very different from the spinoff that made it to air, Empty Nest. Here is the full list of Backdoor Pilots episodes, with links to the ones that are currently live on Patreon. More to come! Golden Girls, “Empty Nests” Gimme a Break, “Nell and the Kid” Married With Children, “Radio Free Trumaine” 227, “The Audit” The Cosby Show, “Mr. Quiet” The Nanny, “Chatterbox” Who’s the Boss?, “Living Dolls” Support us at the $5-a-month level or higher to get every new episode of Backdoor Pilots in your feed as they go live. Is there maybe some bad blood between Golden Girls creator Susan Harris and Rita Moreno, who almost starred in the spinoff? We talk about it in the episode, but I also detailing this weird bit of TV history in case you’d like to explore it with visual aids. The theme song to this series was composed and performed by . The art for the series was designed by .
/episode/index/show/gayestepisodeever/id/27566574
info_outline
Moe Szyslak Is Gay for Pay
07/11/2023
Moe Szyslak Is Gay for Pay
“Flaming Moe” (January 16, 2011) Today, LGBTQ characters on The Simpsons get to be more than walking gay jokes, and, really, this is one of the first episodes that shows Smithers as a (mostly) out member of the larger community in Springfield. It’s not perfect, however; there’s an homage to the 2008 film Milk that lands strangely, there’s a hetero love subplot for Skinner that takes acts two and three, and there’s a trans joke that underscores how advances in representation for LGBs didn’t include the Ts. But this episode, penned by future showrunner Matt Selman, shows the series is learning and evolving. Watch (season 1 through 31) to get that view count over 4 million. Watch the new season of Ninjago: Dragons Rising June 1 ! And if you don’t know what a Ninjago is, watch Ninjago Decoded, starting . You can now watch Glen’s movie, Being Frank, — and now also . WATCH IT NOW!
/episode/index/show/gayestepisodeever/id/27439254
info_outline
The Honeymooners Meet a Sexually Ambiguous Latino
07/05/2023
The Honeymooners Meet a Sexually Ambiguous Latino
“Mama Loves Mambo” (May 3, 1956) While Ralph Kramden never met an out gay character on screen, he did once tussle with a new neighbor, Carlos Sanchez (Charles Korvin), who embodies all the traits of the “latin lover” stock character type. This includes being perceived as a threat to women while also being sensitive, empathetic and emotional — or in the midcentury binary, effeminate. We’re joined by Nu Julio himself, , to discuss why this classic sitcom strikes a different chord than I Love Lucy, what to make of Ralph Kramden’s domestic violence threats and why you maybe didn’t see The Honeymooners in syndication back in the day. Watch Tony's new movie Maximum Truth on , or . Watch the new season of Ninjago: Dragons Rising June 1 ! And if you don’t know what a Ninjago is, watch Ninjago Decoded, starting . You can now watch Glen’s movie, Being Frank, . WATCH IT NOW! Go shop at Follow: • • • • • Listen: • • • • •
/episode/index/show/gayestepisodeever/id/27369279
info_outline
American Dad Puts on a Play
06/28/2023
American Dad Puts on a Play
“Blood Crieth Unto Heaven” (January 27, 2013) Yes, we’re giving you two American Dads this season, with this one representing how this show uses high-concept premises better than most other sitcoms. In this one, the show presents itself as a stage play, complete with all the restrictions and encumbrances that come with denying itself the ability to do quick cuts, and what results is as funny as it is bizarre. Here to discuss why this episode is a stand-out is , who sings the praises of Wendy Schaal’s comedic delivery. Do you love old TV? Then check out , where you can get the series run of various classic sitcoms in a way that’s more permanent than you can get on streaming services. We are fans! And we use this site to make this show! Should this technically be a Weirdest Episode Ever? Sure, but here’s the thing: When we label episodes in the main feed as this, you all tend to click on them less. Will dropping this on the main feed with a non-Weird title get us more listens? Only time will tell. Subscribe to ! Listen to , where he discusses writing a Simpsons with his papá. If you want to hear about another good, weird American Dad episode, listen to Talking Simpsons’ episode about Also listen to Drew and Glen on their episode about . Watch the new season of Ninjago: Dragons Rising June 1 ! And if you don’t know what a Ninjago is, watch Ninjago Decoded, starting . You can now watch Glen’s movie, Being Frank, . WATCH IT NOW! Go shop at Follow: • • • • • Listen: • • • • •
/episode/index/show/gayestepisodeever/id/27308460
info_outline
Alex Mack Is a Lesbian Icon
06/21/2023
Alex Mack Is a Lesbian Icon
“Bad Girl” (November 12, 1996) If you were not the target audience (and target age) for this live-action Nickelodeon series, you may be shocked to find out that The Secret World of Alex Mack is a sci-fi show. It’s basically Spider-Man with a baby gay lead protagonist, played with remarkable aplomb by Larisa Oleynik. We’re joined by , screenwriter on Hawkeye and the breakout hit Jury Duty, to discuss how very queer this show is — and in particular this episode, which plays out like a mid-90s lesbian teen romcom. Check out (no, not that one), who directed this episode and may have played a role in giving it its queer vibe. Listen to Drew and Glen talk about Conan O’Brien’s failed pilot Lookwell ! Watch the new season of Ninjago: Dragons Rising June 1 ! And if you don’t know what a Ninjago is, watch Ninjago Decoded, starting . Listen to the newest episode of Deep Cuts & Superficial Wounds . You can now watch Glen’s movie, Being Frank, . WATCH IT NOW! Go shop at Follow: • • • • • Listen: • • • • •
/episode/index/show/gayestepisodeever/id/27222417
info_outline
The Evolution of Coming Out Episodes
06/14/2023
The Evolution of Coming Out Episodes
This week, we’re joined by , author of the new book , about the history of LGBTQ representation on American TV. Instead of a single episode, we’re talking about several, including some we’ve covered previously on GEE and some we have not! All in the Family, “Judging Books by Covers” (February 9, 1971) Soap, “Episode 1.8” (November 8, 1977) The Golden Girls, “Isn’t It Romantic?” (November 8, 1986) and “Sister of the Bride” (January 12, 1991) Ellen, “The Puppy Episode” (April 30, 1997) Will & Grace, “Homo for the Holidays” (November 25, 1999) Schitt’s Creek, “Honeymoon” (April 15, 2015) Go buy Matt’s book, ! Watch the Carol Burnette clip that Drew mentions. Watch the that Matt mentions. And here is . Listen to that Drew mentions. There are a lot of references to episodes we’ve covered previously, and check them all out here: Give us a rate and review — and too, if you can.
/episode/index/show/gayestepisodeever/id/27145164
info_outline
Ranma Is a Girl Sometimes
06/07/2023
Ranma Is a Girl Sometimes
“I Love You! My Dear, Dear Ukyo” (May 18, 1990) This week, we’re pivoting away from traditional sitcoms to discuss Ranma ½, a long-running anime that combines martial arts, romance, mysticism and… zany misunderstandings that are actually very sitcom-like, when you get down to it. This series focuses on the title character, a teenage boy who due to a curse turns into a girl when splashed with cold water, so there are a bajillion ways to analyze the gender dynamics. Here to discuss this with us is , an American-born writer for whom Ranma ½ was a gateway drug to not only Japanese culture but also getting xem to live in Japan. Drew refers to a Twitter thread by Michaela Joffe about the Urusei Yatsura character Ryūnosuke Fujinami. Read that . Diamond refers to the list of differences between the first series of Ranma ½ and the later ones. Read that . And see the clip of Kodachi laughing maniacally . Watch the new season of Ninjago: Dragons Rising June 1 ! And if you don’t know what a Ninjago is, watch Ninjago Decoded, starting . Listen to the newest episode of Deep Cuts & Superficial Wounds . You can now watch Glen’s movie, Being Frank, . WATCH IT NOW! Go shop at Follow: • • • • • Listen: • • • • • And yes, we do have ! We even have courtesy of . Our logo was designed by . This episode’s art was designed by . This is a podcast.
/episode/index/show/gayestepisodeever/id/27068649
info_outline
Leon Carp Is Roseanne’s Gay Nemesis
05/31/2023
Leon Carp Is Roseanne’s Gay Nemesis
“The Driver’s Seat” (November 30, 1993) We’re giving another shot to Roseanne, because perhaps it’s been long enough that you all want to listen to stories about this iconic series. Perhaps not! Regardless, this show offered us Martin Mull’s Leon, who goes unsung in the annals of gay supporting characters. He’s a villain, though much of his evildoing has nothing to do with his sexuality, and in this particular episode, his gayness doesn’t even come up — which is unusual, because usually gay supporting characters on sitcoms only show up to be gay and do nothing else. Watch the new season of Ninjago: Dragons Rising June 1 ! And if you don’t know what a Ninjago is, watch Ninjago Decoded, starting . Listen to the newest episode of Deep Cuts & Superficial Wounds . You can now watch Glen’s movie, Being Frank, . WATCH IT NOW! Go shop at ! Follow: • • • • • Listen: • • • • • And yes, we do have ! We even have courtesy of . Our logo was designed by . This episode’s art was designed by . This is a podcast.
/episode/index/show/gayestepisodeever/id/26998371
info_outline
Kath Thinks Kim Is Gay (American Version)
05/24/2023
Kath Thinks Kim Is Gay (American Version)
“Gay” (November 20, 2008) The reviews would have you believe that NBC’s attempt at an American redo of Kath & Kim was without merit and appealing to no one. We’re not so sure, and the fact that its one season on air came around the same time franchises like Real Housewives and RuPaul’s Drag Race were revving up means that there actually an audience for two women who dress trashy but who think they’re hot stuff and whose banter vacillates between friendly and bitchy. It’s not as successful as the Australian source material was, but given a chance to come into its own, could Kath & Kim U.S. grown like the American version of The Office did? Since it’s not streaming anywhere and next to impossible to find online, watch this episode and the pilot . Need to get pricked? Visit Los Angeles' own ! And read the list of episodes we're doing for Backdoor Pilots, our new Patreon series, . You can now watch Glen’s movie, Being Frank, . WATCH IT NOW! Go shop at ! Follow: • • • • • Listen: • • • • • And yes, we do have ! We even have courtesy of . Our logo was designed by . This episode’s art was designed by . This is a podcast.
/episode/index/show/gayestepisodeever/id/26937618
info_outline
Kath Thinks Kim Is Gay (Australian Version)
05/17/2023
Kath Thinks Kim Is Gay (Australian Version)
“Gay” (May 23, 2002) A smash hit in its native Australia, Kath & Kim focuses on two suburban women joined by their lack of both good taste and any sort of a clue. The second episode is just titled “Gay,” and to discuss it, we were joined by , a real-life Australian homosexual who’s spent a great deal of time thinking about art, culture and the differences between Australian and American media. He also taught us several vocabulary lessons, because as we learned, we speak English but not necessarily Australian. And read the list of episodes we're doing for Backdoor Pilots, our new Patreon series, . Videos referenced in this episode: , the 1994 Australian special that inspired Kath & Kim You can now watch Glen’s movie, Being Frank, WATCH IT NOW! Go shop at ! Follow: • • • • • Listen: • • • • • And yes, we do have ! We even have courtesy of . Our logo was designed by . This episode’s art was designed by . This is a podcast.
/episode/index/show/gayestepisodeever/id/26863425
info_outline
Two and a Half Men Meets a Trans Man
05/10/2023
Two and a Half Men Meets a Trans Man
“An Old Flame With a New Wick” (March 1, 2004) Despite the preconceptions you might have about Two and a Half Men, the fact remains that its first season features an episode centered on a trans man... when few other sitcoms ever bothered to tell a story about someone who’s trans and male. In fact, the previous sitcom of note to do a trans man storyline was the previous episode we had guest on for: the Golden Girls episode with Gil Kessler. In this installment, we discuss why sitcoms are allergic to trans men and why Two and a Half Man, improbably, doesn’t completely fuck this up, even if it’s very early 2000s in its understanding of trans people. Listen to Henry & co. on . And listen to the the trans man-centric (kinda) episode of The Golden Girls with Henry . Watch the scene that won Holland Taylor the Emmy for The Practice. You can now watch Glen’s movie, Being Frank, WATCH IT NOW! Go shop at ! Follow: • • • • • Listen: • • • • • And yes, we do have ! We even have courtesy of . Our logo was designed by . This episode’s art was designed by . This is a podcast.
/episode/index/show/gayestepisodeever/id/26797134
info_outline
Green Acres Meets a Woman Named Ralph
05/03/2023
Green Acres Meets a Woman Named Ralph
“What’s in a Name?” (February 16, 1966) On a show all about the zany inhabitants of Hooterville, Ralph Monroe (Mary Grace Canfield) stands out because the most unusual thing about her is her name. She works as a carpenter and dresses for her work, but that name alone is enough that most Hootervillians don’t know what pronoun to use for her. As we discuss with special guest , Ralph is not a trans character, but this episode about her seeking a new name so she can get married, offers enough to qualify her as interesting enough to merit her own episode of this podcast… darling. Pre-order Josh's book, . You can now watch Glen’s movie, Being Frank, WATCH IT NOW! Go shop at ! Follow: • • • • • Listen: • • • • • And yes, we do have ! We even have courtesy of . Our logo was designed by . This episode’s art was designed by . This is a podcast.
/episode/index/show/gayestepisodeever/id/26730459
info_outline
Weirdest Episode Ever: Darkwing Duck Goes to Twin Peaks
04/28/2023
Weirdest Episode Ever: Darkwing Duck Goes to Twin Peaks
This is a preview for the Weirdest Episode Ever about the time Darkwing Duck did a parody of Twin Peaks. The full episode is an exclusive for patrons pledging $5 or more a month, but this preview is going on the free feed both as an enticement and also because I share some quotes from Tad Stones, creator of Darkwing Duck, about how this strange piece of TV came to be. If you want to hear the full episode, head over to and pledge at the $5-a-month level; you’ll not only get all WEEs so far but also every episode of the new miniseries, Backdoor Pilots, launching next month. Let’s get dangerous! For a history of the Scrooge McDuck comics and how they ended up onscreen as Ducktales, listen to about it. Why yes, Drew did in fact compile a list of on the original Twin Peaks. Watch Sesame Street’s own Twin Peaks parody, which is .
/episode/index/show/gayestepisodeever/id/26680230
info_outline
Bosom Buddies Never Did a Gay Episode
04/26/2023
Bosom Buddies Never Did a Gay Episode
“Sonny Boy” (February 12, 1981) Is it surprising that TV’s most famous drag sitcom never dared to do anything actually gay? It shouldn’t be! And for all that could end up going wrong with this premise, this episode, concerning Peter Scolari’s character having to explain to his mother why he’s wearing a dress, weirdly (and probably accidentally) gets a lot right about coming out. It’s a story about someone saying it doesn’t matter whether anyone understands your decision. As Billy Joel once said, “I don't care what you say anymore / This is my life / Go ahead with your own life / Leave me alone.” Since Bosom Buddies isn’t streaming anywhere, you can watch this episode . You can now watch Glen’s movie, Being Frank, WATCH IT NOW! Listen to Drew talk about R.L. Stine with on and talk about Jack Hill with on . Go shop at ! Follow: • • • • • Listen: • • • • • And yes, we do have ! We even have courtesy of . Our logo was designed by . This episode’s art was designed by . This is a podcast.
/episode/index/show/gayestepisodeever/id/26658399
info_outline
Parks & Recreation Marries Gay Penguins
04/19/2023
Parks & Recreation Marries Gay Penguins
“Pawnee Zoo” (September 17, 2009) Okay, fine, we did the Parks & Rec episode you asked for, but here’s the thing: The one were Leslie Knope marries gay penguins is not the pro-gay piece of TV history you think it is. Nowhere in this episode does Leslie ever say she gives a dirty squirt about gays or same-sex marriage. The episode never takes a position, and the fact that it won a GLAAD Media Award makes it all the more galling that “Pawnee Zoo” plays out as Leslie liking positive attention but never saying a single nice thing about gay people. Rate and review us and we’ll read reviews on next week’s ad. YOU CAN MAKE US SAY WHATEVER YOU WANT!!! You can now watch Glen’s movie, Being Frank, WATCH IT NOW! Go shop at ! Follow: • • • • • Listen: • • • • • And yes, we do have ! We even have courtesy of . Our logo was designed by . This episode’s art was designed by . This is a podcast.
/episode/index/show/gayestepisodeever/id/26586465
info_outline
John Goodman Played Gay on Normal, Ohio
04/12/2023
John Goodman Played Gay on Normal, Ohio
“Caught on Tape” (November 15, 2000) John Goodman’s follow-up sitcom to Roseanne was Normal, Ohio, which only lasted seven episodes before Fox yanked it from its schedule in late 2000. Unfortunately, the take-away from its failure was that audiences wouldn’t buy a guy like Goodman playing gay, which is perhaps not one of the problems this show needed to fix? This week, special guest / homosexual academic joins us to discuss why this show didn’t work and why it’s still worth discussing as a failed imitator to Will & Grace. You can now watch Glen’s movie, Being Frank, WATCH IT NOW! Watch the episode we’re discussing . Also watch , the unaired pilot that eventually became this show. Go shop at ! Follow: • • • • • Listen: • • • • • And yes, we do have ! We even have courtesy of . Our logo was designed by . This episode’s art was designed by . This is a podcast.
/episode/index/show/gayestepisodeever/id/26517567