Gay Male Student #1 (Ep 464 - Carol Burnett/Justin Root)

Next week, comedy legend Carol Burnett turns 91 years old, and in honor of her amazing career and life, for this week’s episode of the Sewers of Paris podcast we’re diving into the archives to revisit my 2018 chat with Carol superfan Justin Root. Justin’s entry to showbiz was kind of a cliché: a pretty young face who arrives in LA with no plan other than getting famous in movies. And yet, within a few days of moving from Ohio to Hollywood, Justin found himself in front of movie cameras. It didn't take long for the entertainment industry to discover Justin, but it took another decade -- and some terrified cruising in the local video store -- for Justin to find himself.

We’ll have that conversation in a minute. First, a reminder if that if you like The Sewers of Paris, you’ll probably also enjoy my new podcast about the 90s TV series My So-Called Life. This week’s episode features the wonderful Guy Branum, talking about his experience writing for television and why he’s a superfan of actress Bess Armstrong. The podcast is called Matt’s So-Cast Pod, and it’s available now wherever you listen to podcasts.

And you may also like my YouTube videos for a queer look at movie and television history, my weekly livestreams on Twitch, my book Hi Honey, I’m Homo!, and my email newsletter. You can get all that and more at MattBaume.com.

I Love F***-Ups (Ep 463 - Another World/Rasheed Newson)

My guest this week is author Rasheed Newson, a TV writer who got his start on the show Lie to Me and has gone on to write for The 100, Narcos, Bel Air, and more. Last year his debut novel, My Government Means to Kill Me, made a big splash — it’s the story of a young gay black man who moves to New York during the HIV epidemic. And although Rasheed didn’t experience that world first-hand, he discovered during his writing process that in a strange way, he’d been preparing himself to tell that story for years without ever realizing it.

We’ll have that conversation in a minute. First, a reminder if that if you like The Sewers of Paris, you’ll probably also enjoy my new podcast about the 90s TV series My So-Called Life. This week’s episode features the delightful Anthony Oliveira, who appeared on The Sewers of Paris just a few weeks ago. We talked all about My So-Called Life episode 3, in which we learn a lot more about the gay teen named Rickie — and we also talked about Anthony’s own experience as a semi-closeted teen in Catholic school, and how his secret boyfriend wasn’t quite as secret as he thought. The podcast is called Matt’s So-Cast Pod, and it’s available now wherever you listen to podcasts.

And you may also like my YouTube videos for a queer look at movie and television history, my weekly livestreams on Twitch, my book Hi Honey, I’m Homo!, and my email newsletter. You can get all that and more at MattBaume.com.

Loners & Misfits (Ep 462 - Silence of the Lambs/Monty Wolfe)

My guest this week is director Monty Wolfe, whose queer romcom Exploding Boy is now available on streaming. Monty’s path to filmmaking took a lot of swerves over the decades — starting with a teacher who saw the potential in a young teenager, and maybe something a little queer. That was followed by some less helpful guidance from other adults in his life, a job at a news station that he landed by accident, a decision to completely upend his life and move across the country in part to get as far as possible from a homophobic coworker, and a boyfriend who believed in Monty’s dreams and pushed him to go after them.

We’ll have that conversation in a minute. First, a reminder if that If you like this podcast, you might enjoy my new show about the 90s TV series My So-Called Life. The podcast is called Matt’s So-Cast Pod, it features a bunch of fabulous guests, and it’s available now wherever you listen to podcasts.

And you may also like my YouTube videos about movies and TV shows, my weekly livestreams on Twitch, my book Hi Honey, I’m Homo!, and my email newsletter. You can get all that and more at MattBaume.com.

Sci-Fi, Soaps, and Sports (Ep 461 - Jesse/All My Children)

When they say All my Children they mean ALL

My guest this week is Jesse Murray, who got hooked on soap operas as a kid when he watched them with his mom … and then as an adult, found himself working in writer’s rooms at ABC, helping to make soap operas for a new generation. As a young viewer, Jesse’s enthusiasm for the soaps was bolstered when he saw gay teenage characters on daytime TV. It’s a measure of inclusivity that’s steadily improved in the years since — thanks to folks behind the scenes who appreciated its importance.

We’ll have that conversation in a minute. And by the way, speaking of gay teens on television: If you like this podcast, you might enjoy my new podcast about the 90s TV series My So-Called Life, which featured a groundbreaking gay teenager named Rickie, played by Wilson Cruz. The podcast is called Matt’s So-Cast Pod, and it features a bunch of fabulous guests. It’s available for free right now wherever you listen to podcasts, and at SoCastPod.com.

And you may also like my YouTube videos about movies and TV shows. I just premiered a new video about the 1961 movie Victim, which helped overturn England’s 400-year-old ban on homosexuality. Also check out my weekly livestreams on Twitch, my book Hi Honey, I’m Homo!, my email newsletter. You can get all that and more at MattBaume.com.

And by the way, here are some fun soap clips that Jesse sent along:

I Don't Know When I Lost My Sense of Shame (Ep 460 - Dayspring/Anthony Oliveira)

My guest this week is Anthony Oliveira, whose new book Dayspring comes out this Easter, April 2, 2024. That’s a particularly suitable pub date, since the book is an exploration of how Christian ideas can infuse and are infused by queer love. Anthony’s a returning guest to The Sewers of Paris — I last spoke to him back in 2017, when our conversation focused on monsters and villains and standing in opposition to so-called decent society. Now, nearly a decade later, Anthony’s found himself engaged in a different sort of project: Building queer community through his writing, speaking, podcasting, and film series.

We’ll have that conversation in a minute. First, a quick reminder that if you like this podcast, you’ll probably enjoy my other projects — starting with my brand new podcast that launches next week! The new show is all about the beloved TV series My So-Called Life, and why it’s such a perfect encapsulation of the 90s and also the timelessness of teen angst. The podcast is called Matt’s So-Cast Pod, it features a bunch of fabulous guests, and it launches March 25, 2024. You can subscribe now at socastpod.com.

You may like my YouTube videos about movies and TV shows, and by the way I have a new one launching this weekend about the 1961 movie Victim. Also check out my weekly livestreams on Twitch, my book Hi Honey, I’m Homo!, my email newsletter. You can get all that and more at MattBaume.com.

Legendary Slumber Parties (Ep 459 - Robert Patrick/Greenwich Village)

Photo by Cat Gwynn

This week, March 17, marks 54 years since the premiere of the groundbreaking film The Boys in the Band. Set in a New York apartment in the 1960s and based on the play by Mort Crowley, it was one of the first major movies to feature majority-queer characters. And to mark that 54th birthday, for this week’s Sewers of Paris I wanted to revisit my conversation with someone who knew the world of 60s Greenwich Village very well, playwright Robert Patrick.

Robert wandered into the Village as an unsuspecting young gay man in the 1960s. He was only supposed to be there for a day, but he wound up staying for years, witnessing -- and participating in -- one of the most important periods in American theater history. He passed away last year, having written hundreds of plays — as Samuel French called him, “New York’s most-produced playwright.”

We’ll have that conversation in a minute. First, a quick reminder that if you like this podcast, you’ll probably enjoy my other projects — like my YouTube videos about movies and TV shows, my weekly livestreams on Twitch, my book Hi Honey, I’m Homo!, and my email newsletter. You can get all that and more at MattBaume.com.

The Silver Age of Queer Cinema (Ep 458 - Tyler/It's a Sin)

My guest this week is my friend and colleague Tyler Albertario, a writer and researcher with a magnetic enthusiasm for queer history and culture. Tyler always had an interest in our vast queer past, but it was a chance viewing of a show about gay life in the 80s that turned it into a more serious field of study — and that’s led to some of his fascinating insights into the silver age that we’re living in right now.

We’ll have that conversation in a minute. First, a quick reminder that if you like this podcast, you’ll probably enjoy my other projects — like my YouTube videos about movies and TV shows, my weekly livestreams on Twitch, my book Hi Honey, I’m Homo!, and my email newsletter. You can get all that and more at MattBaume.com.

People Who Have Real Magic (Ep 457 - Ryan/Dune)

Photo by David M. Barreda

For this week’s episode, the recent release of Dune Part 2 reminded me of a Sewers of Paris episode from 2018 where my guest Ryan and I talked about the grip that fear can have on a person’s mind. Ryan grew up in a rough environment, where his parents subjected him to devastating homophobia and dangerous "ex-gay" treatments. After Ryan legally emancipated himself from his family, what followed was a period of homelessness and addiction that took years for him to overcome. But overcome them he did — and now in 2024 he’s working as a civil rights attorney in Los Angeles.

We originally recorded this interview back in 2018, during a thunderstorm in Colorado, so you'll hear some noise of rain in the background and a few rolls of thunder that were oddly well-timed for Ryan's story. 

We’ll have that conversation in a minute. First, a couple quick announcements, starting with a reminder that I’ve got a weekly newsletter about LGBTQ+ entertainment history. You can sign up for that at MattBaume.com.

Also, check out my YouTube channel for videos about the making of iconic pop culture. I just released a new video about the movie Rebel Without a Cause — that’s at YouTube.com/mattbaume. And I’ve got one coming your way in March about the movie Victim.

And I hope you’ll join me for weekly livestreams over on Twitch every Sunday afternoon. That’s at twitch.tv/mattbaume. 

Also! If you haven’t yet, take a look at my book about the history of queer characters on American sitcoms, Hi Honey, I’m Homo! Available now wherever books are sold. Go to gaysitcoms.com for details and to get a signed copy.

Big thanks to everyone who makes this show possible on Patreon — visit patreon.com/mattbaume to support Sewers of Paris and get patron-exclusive benefits.

Very Powerful Women (Ep 456 - Paul/The Eyes of Laura Mars)

My guest this week is artist Paul Robinson, who just launched a fantastic new project called Twelve Soldiers. It’s a year-long series of monthly profiles, spotlighting heroes of the queer community — and it’s just one of the ways that Paul hopes to give back to a community that’s been very good to him. Starting from the early days of his career as a photographer, working with friends like Lara Flynn Boyle and Jennifer Tilley, to his more recent projects like elevating the work of emerging filmmakers in Africa and around the world.

We’ll have that conversation in a minute. First, a couple quick announcements, starting with a reminder that if you like this podcast, you’ll probably like my weekly newsletter about LGBTQ+ entertainment history. You can sign up for that at MattBaume.com.

Also, check out my YouTube channel for videos about the making of iconic pop culture. I just released a new video about the movie Rebel Without a Cause — that’s at YouTube.com/mattbaume. 

And I hope you’ll join me for weekly livestreams over on Twitch every Sunday afternoon. That’s at twitch.tv/mattbaume. 

Also! If you haven’t yet, take a look at my book about the history of queer characters on American sitcoms, Hi Honey, I’m Homo! Available now wherever books are sold. Go to gaysitcoms.com for details and to get a signed copy.

Big thanks to everyone who makes this show possible on Patreon — visit patreon.com/mattbaume to support Sewers of Paris and get patron-exclusive benefits.

A Writer's Job (Ep 455 - Wicked/Gregory Maguire)

There’s a new trailer out for the upcoming Wicked movie, so I thought it was a good time to dive into the Sewers archives to revisit my chat with Gregory Maguire, author of the Wicked novel, among many other works. Though I’m sure you’re familiar with his book and the musical adaptation, you may not know the extent to which Gregory’s childhood was infused with elements of fairytale — from the fantasy novels he devoured, to the family tragedy that led to his time in an orphanage. 

We’ll have that conversation in a minute. First, a couple quick announcements, starting with a reminder that if you like this podcast, you’ll probably like my weekly newsletter about LGBTQ+ entertainment history. You can sign up for that at MattBaume.com.

Also, check out my YouTube channel for videos about the making of iconic pop culture. I’ve got a video coming your way this Sunday, February 18, about the movie Rebel Without a Cause at YouTube.com/mattbaume. 

And I hope you’ll join me for weekly livestreams over on Twitch every Sunday afternoon. That’s at twitch.tv/mattbaume. 

Also! If you haven’t yet, take a look at my book about the history of queer characters on American sitcoms, Hi Honey, I’m Homo! Available now wherever books are sold. Go to gaysitcoms.com for details and to get a signed copy.

Big thanks to everyone who makes this show possible on Patreon — visit patreon.com/mattbaume to support Sewers of Paris and get patron-exclusive benefits.