I Majored in The Golden Girls (Eliot Glazer/Golden Girls)

I Majored in The Golden Girls (Eliot Glazer/Golden Girls)
Matt Baume & Eliot Glazer
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My guest this week is Eliot Glazer, whose work you know from shows like Broad City, The New Girl, and Difficult People; and the new series So You Think You Can Sports? Eliot’s career took a couple of unlikely swerves — first, escaping from Long Island on an opera scholarship that he turned into Golden Girls scholarship. He also struggled though some especially bad advice when he was coming out in the early 2000s, which is partially what inspired his new book of essays, entitled The Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Gay. 

We’ll have that conversation in a minute. First a quick heads-up that, just in time for Halloween, I published a new video on YouTube this weekend about the show Interview with the Vampire, and why this story of blood-sucking creatures from the shadows resonates so strongly with me. That video’s available now at Youtube.com/MattBaume.

Also: This weekend we'll be watching The Paul Lynde Halloween Special on Twitch! Hope you can join us -- it's at noon pacific on Sunday Nov 1. (Timely!)

There's Power in Doing Things You're Afraid Of (Wizard of Oz/Josh)

Sewers of Paris: There's Power in Doing Things You're Afraid Of (Wizard of Oz/Josh)
Matt Baume & Cosplayer Josh Duart
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My guest this week is often unrecognizable. Josh Duart creates cosplay looks that are so elaborate that as soon as he puts them on, he simply vanishes into whatever character he’s re-creating. I personally met him several times over the course of a recent weekend at a convention, and every time I thought I was encountering someone I’d never met before. And as much fun as it is to embody another person, for Josh, a lot of the pleasure comes from how differently people react to him when they perceive him as someone else.

And by the way, big thanks to everyone who supports the Sewers of Paris on Patreon — members can get sneak peeks at my upcoming YouTube videos, bonus videos, stickers and books in the mail, and more. Head over to Patreon.com/mattbaume to join.

Freak of Nature (Bride of Frankenstein/Sam Irvin)

Freak of Nature (Bride of Frankenstein/Sam Irvin)
Matt Baume & Sam Irvin
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As we head into spooky season this October, I want to take a peek back into the Sewers archives for a chat with Sam Irvin. As a kid, Sam Irvin loved Bride of Frankenstein, and he brought that influence with him as an adult when he co-produced the film Gods and Monsters, and 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 McKellen, Sam is an endless source of amazing haunted Hollywood tales.

We’ll have that conversation in just a moment. First a quick reminder that I host weekly livestreams every Sunday on Twitch. This weekend we’ll be continuing our watch-along of The Rocky Horror Picture Show. And you can get a heads-up on other fun projects by subscribing to my email newsletter at MattBaume.com.

I Was Always Interested in UFOs (Scott Heim/Mysterious Skin)

I Was Always Interested in UFOs (Scott Heim/Mysterious Skin)
Matt Baume & Mysterious Skin author Scott Heim
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Sorry this week's Sewers of Paris is coming a few days late -- it took a little extra time to arrange but I think it's worth it! This week I’m chatting with Scott Heim, the author of the 1995 novel Mysterious Skin, which was adapted into a film by Gregg Araki in 2004.

Scott's book is the story of two teenage boys, both dealing with the same childhood trauma in very different ways, and this conversation’s a little different from the usual Sewers of Paris interviews: Scott recently passed through Seattle, and I sat down with him at Northwest Film Forum to interview him for our local alt-weekly, The Stranger. You’ll hear the audio of our conversation in this episode. And if you’d like to watch the video version, you can find that on The Stranger’s YouTube channel, here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ry1RUyWAuNM

Lisa Loeb is Following Me (Reality Bites/Damian)

Lisa Loeb is Following Me (Reality Bites/Damian)
Matt Baume & Damian Pelliccione
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My guest this week is Damian Pelliccione, who started his career as an actor — if you watch closely, you can catch him on a 2005 episode of Gillmore Girls. Twenty years later, he’s in a very different role, as the co-founder and CEO of the streaming video service Revry. That service hosts an eclectic mix of queer-themed movies, shows, and original web series (including King of Drag, which just launched its second season).  But despite having dedicated the last decade of his life to building this business, these days Damian feels particularly nostalgic for a time in his life when none of it would have been possible.

We’ll have that interview in a moment. First a quick heads up that I’ll be a guest at the pop culture convention Ancient City Con in Florida this weekend, September 25, 26, and 27. I hope to see you there!

And! I have a new video up on YouTube about the many ways in which Tim Curry shaped our lives. Check that out at youtube.com/mattbaume .

Watching Two Porcupines Mate (The Thomas Crown Affair/Mike)

Watching Two Porcupines Mate (The Thomas Crown Affair/Mike)
Matt Baume & Mike Aylesworth
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My guest this week has a track record of going viral — whether he wanted to or not. Mike Aylesworth’s first brush with fame was as a teenager in the late 90s when he challenged the Boy Scouts’ ban on gay members… then in adulthood when he dreamed up an invention in the bathtub that changed his life, first for the better and then for the worse. He’s written about his work with the Scouts (and how that turned into work against the Scouts for awhile) in an upcoming book entitled Boy Pageant. As you’ll hear, Mike’s always been drawn to stories about strangers who are surprised to discover that they fit together, from the Golden Girls to art thieves to the crowned heads of Europe; those stories set the stage for the work he does now, helping young people figure out how they fit into the world.

We’ll have that interview in a moment. First a quick heads up that I have a new video on YouTube about Dolly Parton’s surprising connection to the gay community… and I have a video coming soon about the many ways in which Tim Curry shaped our lives.

I Came Out with the Latinos (Ep 580 - The Birdcage/Tony Rodriguez)

I Came Out with the Latinos (Ep 580 - The Birdcage/Tony Rodriguez)
Matt Baume & actor Tony Rodriguez
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You might recognize the voice of this week’s Sewers of Paris guest — Tony Rodriguez plays Julio on The Simpsons, a role originated by Hank Azaria. This part didn’t come to Tony in the way you might expect. It was a combination of talent, training, taking some very bold initiative, and an intercession from the podcast Gayest Episode Ever. As you can imagine, being cast on The Simpsons was the opportunity of a lifetime … and it was fitting, since Tony’s initial inspiration to become an actor came from another, much earlier Hank Azaria role.

We’ll have that interview in a moment. First a quick heads up that I have a new YouTube video on YouTube about Dolly Parton’s connection to the gay community — including in ways you might not have heard about before. Also I hope you’ll join me for weekly livestreams every Sunday on Twitch — lately we’ve been watching and talking about the film 9 to 5. 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.