The Sewers of Paris

You might’ve seen the news this week that after three decades, NBC cancelled the entertainment show E! News. For this week’s episode, we’re revisiting my 2015 conversation with one of the hosts of E! News, Steve Kmetko. Steve was the face of the E! cable network from 1994 to 2002, and in addition to hosting the news show he also anchored countless Oscar and Emmy broadcasts, reported from film festivals, and interviewed everyone who was anyone in Hollywood. It was his dream job, but privately, he was being weighed down by a lifetime of baggage: a career that demanded he stay closeted, and a religious upbringing that burdened him with guilt. First, a reminder that The Sewers of Paris is on Twitter and Facebook, where I post clips of the stuff that we talk about on each episode. This week I’ll be posting clips from Peter Pan with Mary Martin, Whoopi Goldberg in Ghost, and of course, Steve himself reporting on entertainment. And I hope you’ll join me for our next fun friendly livestream on August 15 at 11am Pacific. It’s a nice relaxing time to just hang out and chat. There’s a link at the top of the Sewers of Paris twitter feed. And don’t forget to check out my other shows! Culture Cruise on YouTube is a deep dive into queer entertainment milestones. And check out Queens of Adventure and Queens of Adventure: Legends, two narrative comedy shows with drag heroes going on adventures in a world of fantasy. Now, here’s my 2015 interview with Steve.

My guest this week is Tom Zohar, whose love for stories about powerful women led him to movies like Death Becomes Her and The Joy Luck Club, and whose hippie parents brought him to musicals like Hair. A common thread through a lot of Tom’s favorite media is characters who are completely and totally un-repressed, but self-repression was an issue he had to deal with as a teenager when he re-closeted himself and became increasingly shy about his accent. Theater is what helped him reclaim his voice, but not after the family fled the country to prevent his being conscripted in  the Israeli Army. We’ll have that conversation in a minute. First, a reminder that The Sewers of Paris is on Twitter and Facebook, where I post clips of the stuff that we talk about on each episode. This week you can look forward to some fun clips from Death Becomes Her. And speaking of videos, check out my YouTube series Culture Cruise, where I do a deep dive into LGBTQ milestones in entertainment that changed the world. I just posted a new video that combines footage from fifty years of documentaries to reconstruct the history of New York’s ballroom, voguing, and drag ball scene. You can find it by searching YouTube for Culture Cruise. And I hope you’ll join me for our next fun friendly livestream on August 1st at 11am Pacific. It’s a nice relaxing time to just hang out and chat. There’s a link at the top of the Sewers of Paris twitter feed. Also if you’re looking for more queer podcasts, check out my narrative comedy shows Queens of Adventure and Queens of Adventure Legends for an escape into a world of fantasy, with drag queens playing Dungeons & Dragons. You can subscribe to both shows at QueensOfAdventure.com, or search your favorite podcast app.

My guest this week is Hamish Steele, whose graphic novel Deadendia is being adapted into an animated series at Netflix. The show will feature a gay trans man as the lead character, and it’s inspired both by Hamish’s friends and his love of shows like Dr Who and movies like The Addams Family Values, which feature queer-ish if not explicitly queer ensembles. Hamish is also running a Kickstarter right now for a comic book called Croc and Roll, that promises to be TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA meets JEM AND THE HOLOGRAMS meets SCOTT PILGRIM meets... big gay alligator tears. I am super excited to chat with him about his inspirations and his controversial opinions about the difference between films with queer people in them versus films that queer people actually like. We’ll have that conversation in a minute. First, a reminder that The Sewers of Paris is on Twitter and Facebook, where I post clips of the stuff that we talk about on each episode. This week you can look forward to clips from The Addams Family, Dr. Who, and from Hamish’s own animation projects. And speaking of videos, check out my YouTube series Culture Cruise, where I do a deep dive into LGBTQ milestones in entertainment that changed the world. Last month’s video was all about the documentary Paris is Burning, and you can find that by searching YouTube for Culture Cruise. And I hope you’ll join me for our next fun friendly livestream on August 1st at 11am Pacific. It’s a nice relaxing time to just hang out and chat. There’s a link at the top of the Sewers of Paris twitter feed. Also if you’re looking for more queer podcasts, check out my narrative comedy shows Queens of Adventure and Queens of Adventure Legends for an escape into a world of fantasy, with drag queens playing Dungeons & Dragons. You can subscribe to both shows at QueensOfAdventure.com, or search your favorite podcast app.

You might have seen that Disney is about to release a new documentary called Howard, all about the legacy of the great Howard Ashman whose music gave live to stories like The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, and many more. For this week’s episode, we’re diving into the Sewers of Paris archive to revisit my 2015 conversation about another of Howard Ashman’s projects: the musical Little Shop of Horrors, a film that transformed the life of my guest Brad Cerenzia. From an early age, Brad knew he wasn't destined to be farm boy the rest of his life. His inspiration came from theater, musicals, drama. He needed a ticket off of the farm where he grew up, but it was hard for him to picture how that adventure would start. As it turned out, what he needed was a key change.  We’ll have that conversation in a minute. First, a reminder that The Sewers of Paris is on Twitter and Facebook, where I post clips of the stuff that we talk about on each episode. This week you can look forward to some of my favorite clips from musicals I discussed with Brad, from Little Shop to The Drowsy Chaperone, and also a clip or two from the movie Mannequin. And speaking of videos, check out my YouTube series Culture Cruise, where I do a deep dive into LGBTQ milestones in entertainment that changed the world. Last month’s video was all about the documentary Paris is Burning, and you can find that by searching YouTube for Culture Cruise. And I hope you’ll join me for our next fun friendly livestream on July 18th at 11am Pacific. It’s a nice relaxing time to just hang out and chat. There’s a link at the top of the Sewers of Paris twitter feed. Also if you’re looking for more queer podcasts, check out my narrative comedy shows Queens of Adventure and Queens of Adventure Legends for an escape into a world of fantasy, with drag queens playing Dungeons & Dragons. You can subscribe to both shows at QueensOfAdventure.com, or search your favorite podcast app.

Hello and welcome to the Sewers of Paris. This week’s guest, Terry LaBolt, was suggested to me by a Sewers of Paris listener, and I’m so glad that they did. Terry has an absolutely amazing collection of stories from across his career, starting as a young kid transfixed by musical theater, then later as Carol Channing’s music director, and now as a teacher sharing his wisdom with the next generation of showbiz stars. From touring with Carol, to finding himself, to enduring the dark days of the HIV epidemic, Terry’s got a fascinating perspective on life and I’m so honored to bring it to you this week. We’ll have that conversation in a minute. First, a reminder that The Sewers of Paris is on Twitter and Facebook, where I post clips of the stuff that we talk about on each episode, including in the coming week some very fun clips of Carol Channing. And hey speaking of videos, if you haven’t yet check out my YouTube series Culture Cruise, where I do a deep dive into LGBTQ milestones in entertainment that changed the world. Last month’s video was all about the documentary Paris is Burning — its hidden history, what happened to the people in the film, and how Madonna lifted more than just voguing from the gays. You can find that by searching YouTube for Culture Cruise. And I hope you’ll join me for our next fun friendly livestream on July 18th at 11am Pacific. It’s a nice relaxing time to just hang out and chat. There’s a link at the top of the Sewers of Paris twitter feed. Also if you’re looking for more queer podcasts, check out my narrative comedy shows Queens of Adventure and Queens of Adventure Legends for an escape into a world of fantasy, with drag queens playing Dungeons & Dragons. You can subscribe to both shows at QueensOfAdventure.com, or search your favorite podcast app.

My guest this week is illustrator and film obsessive Dashiell Silva, who you might know from his excellent Oscar guides and also as an artist on the just announced Netflix series Deadendia, which looks, by the way, amazing. Dashiell grew up in the West of Ireland where nobody understood his taste in film that was, in hindsight, extremely queer. His devotion to Sunset Blvd and Mommie Dearest made him feel like some kind of weird anomaly in his little town, until he started creating art and discovering what his talents were capable of. We’ll have that conversation in a minute. First, a reminder that The Sewers of Paris is on Twitter and Facebook — I post clips of the stuff that we talk about on each episode. And I hope you’ll join me for our next fun friendly livestream on July 4th at 11am Pacific. It’s a nice relaxing time to just hang out and chat. There’s a link at the top of the Sewers of Paris twitter feed. Also check out my YouTube channel for my latest Culture Cruise video, where I do a deep dive on LGBTQ milestones from TV and film. This month’s video is all about the documentary Paris is Burning — its hidden history going back to the 1800s, and how Madonna lifted more than just voguing from queer culture. And if you’re looking for more queer podcasts, check out my narrative comedy shows Queens of Adventure and Queens of Adventure Legends for an escape into a world of fantasy, with drag queens playing Dungeons & Dragons. You can subscribe to both shows at QueensOfAdventure.com, or search your favorite podcast app.

As we reach the conclusion of a particularly busy Pride month, I wanted to dive back into the Sewers of Paris archives for a conversation with someone who knew Greenwich Village in the years before Stonewall. The Village is the gay enclave that was the model for many of the enclaves we know today, a place where people went to reject the mainstream after the mainstream had rejected them. Playwright Robert Patrick 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. Also, a reminder that The Sewers of Paris is on Twitter and Facebook — I post clips of the stuff that we talk about on each episode. And I hope you’ll join me for our next fun friendly livestream on July 4th at 11am Pacific. It’s a nice relaxing time to just hang out and chat. There’s a link at the top of the Sewers of Paris twitter feed. And if you’re looking for more queer podcasts, check out my narrative comedy shows Queens of Adventure and Queens of Adventure Legends for an escape into a world of fantasy, with drag queens playing Dungeons & Dragons. You can subscribe to both shows at QueensOfAdventure.com, or search your favorite podcast app.

This week’s guest is Michael Hobbes, writer for the Huffington Post and co-host of the fantastic podcast You’re Wrong About. Michael’s influences are like the jump cut in the movie 2001: one of the pieces of media that shaped him as a person takes place in prehistoric Eurasia; and another is set in early 2000s gay bars of Pittsburgh. The thing that unites them is that they’re both about clans and chosen family — a topic of particular importance to Michael in his search for gay community. We’ll have that conversation in a minute. First, a reminder that The Sewers of Paris is on Twitter and Facebook — I post clips of the stuff that we talk about on each episode. And I am super excited to announce an upcoming livestream fundraiser that I’m hosting to benefit the NAACP. Join me on Wednesday, June 24 at 4pm pacific, along with Rock M Sakura from Season 12 of RuPaul’s Drag Race, Erika Klash from season 2 of Dragula, and Pastel Gore’s KaiKai Bee Michaels. We’ll be playing a Dungeons & Dragons adventure, in partnership with EA, raising money to benefit the NAACP. Head over to bit.ly/pridequeens for all the details, to watch, and to donate to a great cause.

How do you deal with the past when it hurts too much to spend time there? My guest this week is writer and journalist Daniel Villareal, who found himself questioning his purpose in life when the authorities he’d always trusted, like he church and his father, revealed themselves not to have his best interests at heart. He managed to cut himself free from harmful relationships, but he was still left with the question of how to move on — a process he’s still in the process of mastering. And just a heads up — in our conversation, we’ll be talking about abuse, both in Daniel’s life and in the life of people he’s written about.  Also, a reminder that The Sewers of Paris is on Twitter and Facebook — I post clips of the stuff that we talk about on each episode. And I hope you’ll join me for our next fun friendly livestream on June 20th at 11am Pacific. It’s a nice relaxing time to just hang out and chat. There’s a link at the top of the Sewers of Paris twitter feed. And if you’re looking for more queer podcasts, check out my narrative comedy shows Queens of Adventure and Queens of Adventure Legends for an escape into a world of fantasy, with drag queens playing Dungeons & Dragons. You can subscribe to both shows at QueensOfAdventure.com, or search your favorite podcast app.

Hello and welcome to the Sewers of Paris. Fifty-one years ago, a riot against police brutality helped kick off the modern Pride movement, and on this episode we’ll hear from one of the people who were there. 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 Arthur, and Rock Hudson. But for all the history he’s lived through, he says he’s never seen a time like the one we’re living in right now. Also, a reminder that The Sewers of Paris is on Twitter and Facebook — I post clips of the stuff that we talk about on each episode. Plus: I hope you’ll join me for our next fun friendly livestream on June 6 at 11am Pacific. It's a super relaxing time to relax, chat about what we've been up to, and take our minds off of … everything. There’s a link at the top of the Sewers of Paris twitter feed. And by the way, if you like nerdy queer podcasts you may enjoy my narrative comedy shows Queens of Adventure and Queens of Adventure Legends for an escape into a world of fantasy, with drag queens playing Dungeons & Dragons. Queens of Adventure features an ongoing fantasy story with a regular cast, and Queens of Adventure Legends features recordings of live shows and stand-alone stories. You can subscribe to both shows at QueensOfAdventure.com, or search your favorite podcast app.

My guest this week is Steven Capsuto, whose book Alternate Channels documents the history of queer images on television across the twentieth century. An updated edition was released last year and it’s absolutely vital reading for anyone interested in LGBTQ culture — which I suspect is you. Steven’s work as a historian began as a personal project, videotaping gay episodes of TV in the 80s because it helped him feel less alone — but before long that personal project turned into a vital record. Also, a reminder that The Sewers of Paris is on Twitter and Facebook — I post clips of the stuff that we talk about on each episode. Plus: I hope you’ll join me for our next fun friendly livestream on June 6 at 11am Pacific. It's a super relaxing time to relax, chat about what we've been up to, and take our minds off of … everything. There’s a link at the top of the Sewers of Paris twitter feed. And by the way, if you like nerdy queer podcasts you may enjoy my narrative comedy shows Queens of Adventure and Queens of Adventure Legends for an escape into a world of fantasy, with drag queens playing Dungeons & Dragons. Queens of Adventure features an ongoing fantasy story with a regular cast, and Queens of Adventure Legends features recordings of live shows and stand-alone stories. You can subscribe to both shows at QueensOfAdventure.com, or search your favorite podcast app.

My guest this week is comic book author Marc Andreyko, who’s written for Wonder Woman, Batwoman, Dr. Strange, and more. You might know him for his work on Love is Love, an anthology to benefit the victims of the Pulse shooting. Mark got his big break in comics at a young age, almost entirely by accident, and since then he’s been peppering queer stories into comics wherever he can. Also, a reminder that The Sewers of Paris is on Twitter and Facebook — I post clips of the stuff that we talk about on each episode. And big thanks to everyone who makes the Sewers of Paris possible with a pledge of support on Patreon! Click “support the show on Patreon” to check out the rewards for backers. Plus: I hope you’ll join me for our next fun friendly livestream on May 23 at 11am Pacific. For the livestreams I play some super relaxing Animal Crossing while we all chat about what we've been up to, relax, and take our minds off of … everything. There’s a link at the top of the Sewers of Paris twitter feed. And by the way, if you like nerdy queer podcasts you may enjoy my narrative comedy shows Queens of Adventure and Queens of Adventure Legends for an escape into a world of fantasy, with drag queens playing Dungeons & Dragons. Queens of Adventure features an ongoing fantasy story with a regular cast, and Queens of Adventure Legends features recordings of live shows and stand-alone stories. Queens of Adventure just started a new story arc with Irene Dubois and Bosco, so it’s a great time to jump in. You can subscribe to both shows at QueensOfAdventure.com, or search your favorite podcast app.

My guest this week is Dee Michel, author of the book “Friends of Dorothy: Why Gay Boys and Gay Men Love the Wizard of Oz.” Dee grew up in the 1950s with the threat of the red scare looming over his family — his parents met at a Communist Party meeting, and there was the constant threat that the family would be exposed. Added to the general chaos of the time was the discovery that his father was gay, and Dee’s own struggle to find his place in the world. Also, a reminder that The Sewers of Paris is on Twitter and Facebook — I post clips of the stuff that we talk about on each episode. And big thanks to everyone who makes the Sewers of Paris possible with a pledge of support on Patreon! Click “support the show on Patreon” to check out the rewards for backers. Plus: I hope you’ll join me for our next fun friendly livestream on May 23 at 11am Pacific. For the livestreams I play some super relaxing Animal Crossing while we all chat about what we've been up to, relax, and take our minds off of … everything. There’s a link at the top of the Sewers of Paris twitter feed. And by the way, if you like nerdy queer podcasts you may enjoy my narrative comedy shows Queens of Adventure and Queens of Adventure Legends for an escape into a world of fantasy, with drag queens playing Dungeons & Dragons. Queens of Adventure features an ongoing fantasy story with a regular cast, and Queens of Adventure Legends features recordings of live shows and stand-alone stories. Queens of Adventure just started a new story arc with Irene Dubois and Bosco, so it’s a great time to jump in. You can subscribe to both shows at QueensOfAdventure.com, or search your favorite podcast app.

My guest this week is Amos Mac, one of the founders of the magazine Original Plumbing a decade ago, and more recently one of the writers on the reboot of the show Gossip Girl. Amos was working in queer nightlife when he started the magazine as a fun sexy side project, but it was a runaway hit and took on a life of its own, giving him a foot in the door to launch his career in television. Also, a reminder that The Sewers of Paris is on Twitter and Facebook — I post clips of the stuff that we talk about on each episode. And big thanks to everyone who makes the Sewers of Paris possible with a pledge of support on Patreon! Click “support the show on Patreon” to check out the rewards for backers. Plus: I hope you’ll join me for our next fun friendly livestream on May 9 at 11am Pacific. For the livestreams I play some super relaxing Animal Crossing while we all chat about what we've been up to, relax, and take our minds off of … everything. There’s a link at the top of the Sewers of Paris twitter feed. And by the way, if you like nerdy queer podcasts you may enjoy my narrative comedy shows Queens of Adventure and Queens of Adventure Legends for an escape into a world of fantasy, with drag queens playing Dungeons & Dragons. Queens of Adventure features an ongoing fantasy story with a regular cast, and Queens of Adventure Legends features recordings of live shows and stand-alone stories. Queens of Adventure: Legends is perfect for new listeners, with adventures sized for one or two sittings and introductions at the start of each episode. You can subscribe to both shows at QueensOfAdventure.com, or search your favorite podcast app.

My guest this week is Broadway’s Seth Rudetsky, writer singer actor and radio host among his many many jobs. You may know him from his Sirius XM shows On Broadway and Seth Speaks, or from the show Disaster which he co-wrote with Jack Plotnick, or from his brand new podcast Seth Rudetsky’s Back to School. Seth is a bundle of energy and enthusiasm for entertainment, and it’s impossible to listen to him talk without getting swept up in his absolute glee for showbiz. We’ll have that conversation in a minute. First, a reminder that The Sewers of Paris is on Twitter and Facebook — I post clips of the stuff that we talk about on each episode. And big thanks to everyone who makes the Sewers of Paris possible with a pledge of support on Patreon! Click “support the show on Patreon” to check out the rewards for backers. And I hope you’ll join me for our next fun friendly livestream on April 18 at 11am Pacific.I've been trying something new with the livestreams: rather than just sitting there and talking, I play some nice relaxing videogames while we all chat about what we've been up to. It's been a really soothing way to kick back and hang out and get away from the daily stress of, you know, everything. There’s a link at the top of the Sewers of Paris twitter feed. And by the way, if you like nerdy queer podcasts you may enjoy my narrative comedy shows Queens of Adventure and Queens of Adventure Legends! Join us for an escape into a world of fantasy, with drag queens playing Dungeons & Dragons. Queens of Adventure features an ongoing fantasy story with a regular cast, and Queens of Adventure Legends features recordings of live shows and stand-alone stories. Queens of Adventure: Legends is perfect for new listeners, with adventures sized for one or two sittings and introductions at the start of each episode. You can subscribe to both shows at QueensOfAdventure.com, or search your favorite podcast app.