Episodes
-
âBill, Bulk and the Body Buddiesâ (May 20, 2007)
Can one illustration of a buff Bill Dauterive change your entire life in an instant? Well, for some people, yeah. This King of the Hill outing manages to stuff in a whole lot of imagery that will be familiar to a certain gay subculture. Itâs inadvertent â and specifically this episode also features explicitly gay characters as a counterpoint to the rude, crude muscle bros, but thereâs plenty to talk about nonetheless in Billâs adventures through body transformation.
Listen to our previous King of the Hill episodes here.
Follow Drew, Glen and Tony on Bluesky!
-
"A Muggy Day in Central Park" (November 14, 1968)
A contemporary of Bewitched, That Girl aimed for a more sophisticated audience than most sitcoms of its era. Not only does it look more cinematic, in a way that sitcoms generally wouldn't until the 2000s, but it's also more clearly a feminist show, where Marlo Thomas plays a woman braving big city life on her own. This episode does that tired thing where gay men, cross-dressers, trans woman and drag queens are conflated down to a single thing, but itâs nonetheless interesting to see how a progressive show handles queer things fairly explicitly in the 1960s.
Listen to the Monday Afternoon Movie episode about the Ted Bessell thriller Scream, Pretty Peggy.
-
Episodes manquant?
-
âAnd Then There Was Shawnâ (February 27, 1998)
Somehow, Boy Meets World got ABC to say yes to a parody of Scream within the confines of the TGIF lineup. Thatâs wild enough, but itâs even more surprising what this âit was all a dreamâ episode lifts directly from the 1996 slasher. Joining us to discuss this unlikely intersection of franchises are the hosts of the Guide to the Unknown podcast, Kristen Anderson and her little brother, Will Rogers (not the gay beach). Happy Halloween!
Listen to Guide to the Unknown groundbreaking analysis of the Scary Movie franchise, SCARMUTO.
Listen to Williamâs narrative horror podcast Blackwood.
And if you want to read more about the Scream 3/Harvey Weinstein connection, read this Slate article.
Watch the new season of Glen's show, Ninjago: Dragons Unleashed!
Listen to Drew discussing 16-bit horror video games on Retronauts.
Episodes what we mentioned:
Guide to the Unknown, âMommy Watched Screamâ
Guide to the Unknown, âScream, Queen! / Freddyâs Revengeâ
Gayest Episode Ever, âBoy Meets World Accidentally Does a Trans Episodeâ
Gayest Episode Ever, âThe Terror of Zombie Sandy Duncanâ
Gayest Episode Ever, âTwo Guys, a Girl and a Post-Scream Slasher Halloweenâ
Gayest Episode Ever, âThe Facts of Life Goes to the Twilight Zoneâ
Weirdest Episode Ever, âFamily Matters Fights and Evil Murderous Puppetâ
Monday Afternoon Movie, âSummer of Fear with John Arthur Hillâ
-
âThe Joker Is a Cardâ (October 14, 1965)
Nearly two hundred episodes later, weâre finally returning to Bewitched to give Uncle Arthur a proper introduction. And while heâs a big part of Bewitchedâs gay fandom, Paul Lynde brings a lot of baggage to the role that taught Americans to laugh at eccentric gay weirdos everywhere.
Watch the new season of Glen's show, Ninjago: Dragons Unleashed!
Listen to Drew discussing 16-bit horror video games on Retronauts.
This episode featured a lot of references to previous episodes, so here are all of those, for your listening pleasure:
The previous GEE about Bewitched (but honestly this new episode is better)
Our episode about I Dream of Jeannie
Our episode about The Addams Family, which deals with similar themes of ethnicity/culture erasure
The GEE/Monday Afternoon Movie crossover episode about the Paul Lynde Halloween Special
The Monday Afternoon Movie episode about The Legend of Lizzie Borden, which starred Elizabeth Montgomery and Katherine Helmond
And finally the Monday Afternoon Movie episode about the Star Wars Holiday Special, with special guest Bruce Villance
Finally, the Hollywood Squares zingers all come from this YouTube compilation.
-
âSimpson and Delilahâ (October 18, 1990)
Not only the earliest gay-themed Simpsons episode weâve ever done, this one is also the first gay-themed episode The Simpsons ever did. And while the enigmatic Karl doesnât get to be explicitly gay, we argue whether having a gay-coded character might have been the showâs way to â in its second season and at the height of Simpsons mania â signal to grown-ups that no, despite the t-shirts, this was not a show for kids and it could operate at a higher level. But how many adults watching TV in 1990 knew who Harvey Fierstein was?
Remember when I did a supercut of all the LGBTQ jokes on The Simpsons? It still lives, even if you have to go to YouTube to watch it now for stupid homophobic reasons. It has 3.7 million views so far! I just think that's neat!
Also listen to the most recent Talking Simpsons take on this episode here.
-
âWild Childâ (February 4, 1988)
Officially, A Different World never did a gay episode and there were no queer students at Hillman. Nestled in the middle of the Bonet/Tomei season, however, is an interesting episode about a girl named Cougar, who happens to be easily read as a lesbian and interact in interesting ways with both Denise and Whitley. Entertainment journalist Stacey Yvonne joins us to discuss this episode and why A Different World still matters in 2024.
You can watch this episode of A Different World on our Vimeo.
Listen to Stacey's appearances on Sam Pancake Presents the Monday Afternoon Movie discussing the made-for-TV horror films The Possessed and The Strange and Deadly Occurrence.
-
âPranks for the Memoriesâ (September 18, 1991) and âBeetlebonesâ (September 27, 1991)
Sure, weâve all thought more about Beetlejuice in the last few weeks than we have in the last few decades, but we come to you today not to discuss the sequel film but the animated spinoff. Henry Giardina returns to explain why this more kid-friendly version of the Tim Burton ghoul lends itself to trans and queer readings.
Listen to Henryâs movie podcast, Iâll Watch Anything, and also subscribe to Totally Trans, which is currently on hiatus.
Mentioned in this episode:
The Lost Gals and specifically their episode about Drop Dead Fred
The Best Movies Never Made and their episodes about all the Beetlejuice sequels that never were
Guide to the Unknown and their episode about A Nightmare on Elm Street 3
What Went Wrong and their episode about the making of Beetlejuice
Crackedâs oral history of the Beetlejuice cartoon
-
âMac Finds His Prideâ (November 7, 2018)
Twelve seasons in, Itâs Always Sunny in Philadelphia stopped giving Mac the Smithers treatment and let him be gay, but itâs the season thirteen finale weâre talking about because it highlights Macâs sexuality without making jokes, at least for the third act. The episode received wide praise, but did it also jeopardize the showâs comedic tone in order to make a statement?
Thanks to Dr. Alfred Smith, David Russell and Ally J. Shivka for offering their interpretations of the narrative in the dance sequence!
Watch the dance sequence in question here.
Read Vultureâs analysis of âMac Finds His Pride.â
-
This is the second-to-last of our summer reruns; new episodes back Sept. 18 on the Patreon feed and Sept. 25 on the main feed! For this one, we're taking a break from looking at the ways that sitcoms advanced American discourse about LGBTQ people and instead gawking at campy 80s fluff â because that is also a thing that is important to gay people.
âJennifer: The Movieâ (October 29, 1983)
Weâre celebrating both Halloween and week two of our celebration of Ann Jillian with an episode about how the 1983 NBC series Jennifer Slept Here is both so very weird and also a little gay boyâs fantasy â because it pairs an awkward boy with glamorous ghost, and thatâs secretly what every little gay boy wishes he had to guide him through his awkward years. This is peak 80s, but also it has one of the best sitcom themes ever, regardless of decade.
Watch Drewâs video of the 1982 Night of a Thousand Stars fashion show, which features Ann Jillian looking like her most Debbie Harry ever.
Gawk in awe at:
The opening to Mr. Smith The opening to Double Trouble The opening to Mr. Merlin The opening to Down to Earth The opening to Ann Jillian Ann as the Red Queen in the live action Alice in Wonderland + the very scary Jabberwocky scenes -
Yep, we are still in summer reruns â but to return with new episodes in September! This one is out second look at the Showtime sitcom Brothers, which I feel too few listeners know about. Let this episode be your primer, however! And your jumping off point to watching the entire series on YouTube!
âIt Only Hurts When Iâm Gayâ (October 25, 1985)
On paper, the idea of a sitcom taking on the subject of gay bashing seems like the worst idea, but somehow Brothers â TVâs first gay sitcom â manages to tell a real story about violence against gay people while avoiding the hokey âvery special episodeâ tropes. Weâre as shocked as anyone how good this turned out, and whatâs more, itâs genuinely funny without underselling the gravity of the attack.
You can now watch Glenâs movie, Being Frank, on Freevee via Amazon Prime. WATCH IT NOW!
Please, watch this episode (and other Brothers episodes!) on YouTube. The posting we used to do this episode only had 36 views as of the time this GEE first went live!
-
This is a summer rerun of an episode that originally went live in May 2023. We know that no one likes to reflect on how Roseanne used to be awesome, but we get through that emotional baggage as quickly as we can to discuss why Martin Mull's character is openly gay but also tweaks certain gay stereotypes.
âThe Driverâs Seatâ (November 30, 1993)
Weâre giving another shot to Roseanne, because perhaps itâs been long enough that you all want to listen to stories about this iconic series. Perhaps not! Regardless, this show offered us Martin Mullâs Leon, who goes unsung in the annals of gay supporting characters. Heâs a villain, though much of his evildoing has nothing to do with his sexuality, and in this particular episode, his gayness doesnât even come up â which is unusual, because usually gay supporting characters on sitcoms only show up to be gay and do nothing else.
-
This is a summer rerun of an episode that originally went live in May 2023. It's good even if you think you don't care about Green Acres, we swear!
âWhatâs in a Name?â (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 donât know what pronoun to use for her. As we discuss with special guest Josh Trujillo, 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.
Since this episode originally went life, Josh's book, WASHINGTON'S GAY GENERAL, went on sale. GO BUY IT!
-
âThe New Girlâ (September 19, 1992)
Tori Scott is more than just the mysterious seventh Bayside High student who exists in a fractured Saved by the Bell timeline in which Jessie and Kelly donât exist. Sheâs also really gay in the tradition of Jo from The Facts of Life, and not only because Leanna Creel, the actress who played Tori, came out in real life. Erin Fletcher returns to explain why sheâs actually a better match for Zack than Kelly or AC Slater⌠because Zack Morris is the Blair Warner of Saved by the Bell.
Listen to Erinâs previous appearance, in which we also discussed a lesbian-tinged ep titled âThe New Girl.â (And yes, there is a Tori Scott fanvid.)
Follow: GEE on Facebook ⢠GEEâs Facebook Group ⢠GEE on Twitter ⢠GEE on Instagram ⢠Drew on Twitter ⢠Glen on Twitter
Listen: Apple Podcasts ⢠Spotify ⢠Google Podcasts ⢠Himalaya ⢠TuneIn
And yes, we do have an official website! We even have episode transcripts courtesy of Sarah Neal. Our logo was designed by Rob Wilson. This episodeâs art was designed by Ian OâPhelan.
This is a TableCakes podcast.
-
Leading up to our return in September, we are doing summer reruns, which is our way of repurposing episodes that with a little configuring (and retitling) might get more listens than they got back in the day. First up: Mama's Family! And next week, you'll be getting a full-fledged new episode about Saved by the Bell! Enjoy!
âThere Is Nothing Like the Damesâ (February 17, 1990)
Believe it or not, Mamaâs Family has a deeply queer history. While the final result of â the syndicated revival that returned to TV after NBC canceled the it â bears little of that, this episode goes over all the ways a recurring sketch on The Carol Burnett Show originally told the story of a queer-coded artist who canât relate to his family back home. Itâs all the stranger to consider that Mamaâs Family never did an explicitly queer episode, even with all those Bob Mackie costumes.
Read the article in which Bubba actor Allan Kayser talks about his famously tight jeans.
Vicki Lawrence sings the original, non-instrumental version of the Mamaâs Family theme song. But also listen to her disco banger âDonât Stop the Musicâ and the no. 1 murder mystery pop hit âThe Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia.â
Watch the brilliant 1982 TV movie adaptation of the Harper family saga, Eunice. Also watch The Carol Burnett Showâs famous âWent With the Windâ sketch. But most importantly watch the original sketch version that led to Mamaâs Family, when it was just called âThe Family.â It made Drew way more sad than sketch comedy usually does. -
âQueer Studies and Advanced Waxingâ (March 31, 2015)
In its sixth and final season, Community decided to explore the series-long running joke about Dean Peltonâs mysterious, complex sexuality. Henry Gilbert once again joins us to discuss how the dean is not actually gay â he may be a pansexual imp, after all â but in forcing him to pick a tidy label, this show does a good job showing how many queer people end up pigeonholing themselves in a way that doesnât fully express who they are.
Listen to Henryâs podcast, Talking Simpsons.
Listen to his episode about Pride Nite at Disneyland on Podcast: The Ride.
The Community âthis better not awaken anything in meâ clip.
The trailer for Portuguese Gremlins, which is not only the best thing Community ever did but also a justification for the medium of TV in general.
Follow: GEE on Facebook ⢠GEEâs Facebook Group ⢠GEE on Twitter ⢠GEE on Instagram ⢠Drew on Twitter ⢠Glen on Twitter
Listen: Apple Podcasts ⢠Spotify ⢠Google Podcasts ⢠Himalaya ⢠TuneIn
And yes, we do have an official website! We even have episode transcripts courtesy of Sarah Neal. Our logo was designed by Rob Wilson. This episodeâs art was designed by Ian OâPhelan.
This is a TableCakes podcast.
-
âDrewâs Brotherâ (November 19, 1997)
We finally did it! We not only found the perfect guest for this episode â writer, performer and UCB alum Joan Ford â but we also got the chance to tell the world that The Drew Carey Show deserves to live it. Itâs not only the most successful Friends clone but also the only one that sustained a whole series about working class young people. And in its third season, it introduced Drewâs brother Steve (John Caroll Lynch) who is a cross-dresser who might just be a transwoman. Whatâs more, the show pairs Steve off with Mimi Bobeck (Kathy Kinney), who is dragtastic and deserving of queer icon status in her own right.
Follow: GEE on Facebook ⢠GEEâs Facebook Group ⢠GEE on Twitter ⢠GEE on Instagram ⢠Drew on Twitter ⢠Glen on Twitter
Listen: Apple Podcasts ⢠Spotify ⢠Google Podcasts ⢠Himalaya ⢠TuneIn
And yes, we do have an official website! We even have episode transcripts courtesy of Sarah Neal. Our logo was designed by Rob Wilson. This episodeâs art was designed by Ian OâPhelan.
This is a TableCakes podcast.
-
âThe Censors,â (April 10, 1980)
James L. Brooks followed up the hit Taxi with another workplace ensemble that skewed decidedly fancier: The Associates featured a young and unknown Martin Short among a group of fresh hires at a Wall Street law firm. The show didnât work and is almost forgotten today. But its second-to-last episode did feature a trip to the Hollywood set of a sitcom where a producer battles an overzealous censor. Thereâs a gay sublot, but the overall story is a cautionary tale that applies to people making TV today just as much as it did four decades ago
Follow: GEE on Facebook ⢠GEEâs Facebook Group ⢠GEE on Twitter ⢠GEE on Instagram ⢠Drew on Twitter ⢠Glen on Twitter
Listen: Apple Podcasts ⢠Spotify ⢠Google Podcasts ⢠Himalaya ⢠TuneIn
And yes, we do have an official website! We even have episode transcripts courtesy of Sarah Neal. Our logo was designed by Rob Wilson. This episodeâs art was designed by Ian OâPhelan.
This is a TableCakes podcast.
-
"Single Stamina" (November 27, 2006)
Now that HIMYM has been off the air for a full decade, itâs worth considering how this show holds up better than most from the early 2000s did. Not only did it give us Robin Sparkles, it just might be the only TV show to compare equally well to both Friends and Lost, as improbable as that sounds. This episode has Wayne Brady playing a gay character in a bit of stunt casting that worked a lot better before he came out, but it also just might be the thing that convinced Neil Patrick Harris to finally come out as well.
Listen to the newest episode of Cartoons That Made Us Gay, all about Conan: The Adventurer and the inherent gayness of the âbarbarianâ genre in general.
Follow: GEE on Facebook ⢠GEEâs Facebook Group ⢠GEE on Twitter ⢠GEE on Instagram ⢠Drew on Twitter ⢠Glen on Twitter
Listen: Apple Podcasts ⢠Spotify ⢠Google Podcasts ⢠Himalaya ⢠TuneIn
And yes, we do have an official website! We even have episode transcripts courtesy of Sarah Neal. Our logo was designed by Rob Wilson. This episodeâs art was designed by Ian OâPhelan.
This is a TableCakes podcast.
-
What if we broke format to discuss Americaâs favorite smartypants game show? Well, we did it. And special guest Emily Heller joins us to discuss Amy Schneider, who became Jeopardyâs second-longest-running winner ever â and as a result became a household name and a trans icon.
Listen to Emilyâs Jeopardy podcast, What IsâŚ? A Jeopardy! Podcast on Apple or Spotify!
Listen to Peaches Christ and also Drew on Matt Baumeâs new My So-Called Life podcast!
Follow: GEE on Facebook ⢠GEEâs Facebook Group ⢠GEE on Twitter ⢠GEE on Instagram ⢠Drew on Twitter ⢠Glen on Twitter
Listen: Apple Podcasts ⢠Spotify ⢠Google Podcasts ⢠Himalaya ⢠TuneIn
And yes, we do have an official website! We even have episode transcripts courtesy of Sarah Neal. Our logo was designed by Rob Wilson. This episodeâs art was designed by Ian OâPhelan.
This is a TableCakes podcast.
-
âThe Courtship of Bess Richardsâ (October 4, 1986)
The second episode of Amen concerns Sherman Hemsleyâs Ernie trying to land his choir a new singer in Nell Carterâs Bess, and the result is a comedy of errors in which both he and she perform romantic interest that neither is capable of actually feeling. The result is a WWF-style wrestling match between these two iconic sitcom stars, and weâre joined once again by Dr. Alfred L. Martin to discuss how this is rendered all the stranger because Hemsley and Carter both were closeted and therefore all too accustomed to acting out hetero identities different from how they lived privately.
This episode mentions a TV Guide article about Sherman Hemsleyâs private life that I now cannot find online. However, I bought the issue on eBay and will post as soon as it arrives. You can see Zach Wilsonâs posting of it on Twitter. Thanks, Zach!
Buy Dr. Alfredâs book, The Generic Closet: Black Gayness and the Black-Cast Sitcom.
Listen to Hemsley in the performance of Purlie that Alfred mentions.
Watch a clip of Hemsleyâs gay villain turn in 2000âs Screwed.
Listen to Dr. Alfredâs previous episodes:
Roc Has a Gay Uncle Moesha Meets a Gay Guy Sanford Arms Meets a Gay â And Heâs Black! - Montre plus
