The Sewers of Paris

My guest this week is Lucas Hilderbrand, author of the new book The Bars Are Ours, which provides a deep look at the history of gay bars. Before he launched into this intriguing field of study, Lucas bounced around queer culture for several years, looking for the place where he fit in — a journey that included a particularly traumatic experience in musical theater. And it’s probably not a surprise that his attention focused on the ways that queer people connect with each other, and the things that we lose when we lose institutions like gay bars. 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 where I share fun stories about the making of iconic movies and TV shows, as well as the fascinating people behind them. You can sign up at MattBaume.com. Also, I’ve got a video coming your way on December 10 about the creation of 50s heartthrob Rock Hudson — and the group of secretly-gay men who designed an icon of American masculinity. That’s at YouTube.com/mattbaume. And I hope you’ll join me for weekly livestreams over on Twitch every Sunday afternoon. This weekend we’ll be watching my favorite rom-com of all time, His Girl Friday, which started out as a play about two men before being gender-swapped to include the future Auntie Mame. That’s at twitch.tv/mattbaume, Sunday at noon pacific, 3pm eastern. Also! If you haven’t yet, take a look at my new book about the history of queer characters on American sitcoms, Hi Honey, I’m Homo! — available now wherever books are sold, and a very pleasant holiday gift. Go to gaysitcoms.com for details and to get a signed copy. Big thanks to everyone who makes all my work possible on Patreon — visit patreon.com/mattbaume to support Sewers of Paris and get patron-exclusive benefits.

A new biopic just debuted on Netflix entitled Rustin, about the incredible life of Bayard Rustin — a civil rights leader who worked with Martin Luther King Jr. And this week, we’re diving into the Sewers of Paris archives to hear my 2017 interview with Bayard’s surviving partner, Walter Naegle, as well as with filmmaker Matt Wolf, who made a documentary about Walter entitled Bayard and Me. In addition to playing a key role in advising Martin Luther King Jr, Bayard also worked on behalf of refugees, and became an queer spokesperson in the 80s. Because there was no relationship recognition at the time, adopted his partner, Walter, in 1982 -- and that's just one of the subjects explored in Matt Wolf's documentary and in the new biopic.

My guest this week is historian Eric Gonzaba, whose fascinating work includes the Wearing Gay History archive — a collection of vintage queer t-shirts — and Mapping the Gay Guides, an accounting of queer travel guides from the 60s and 70s. Eric’s interest in history was piqued at an early age, when he developed an obsession for the Kennedy Center Honors, which pay annual tribute to lifetime innovators in the cultural fields. And it’s through his field of study that he continues to explore our sometimes-murky queer past, and inspire others to do the same. We’ll have that conversation in a minute. First, a couple quick reminders, starting with a heads-up that my new video about the rise and fall and rise again of 50s heartthrob Tab Hunter is now up on YouTube! And I’ll have a video about the creation of Rock Hudson coming your way very soon. Also I hope you’ll join me for weekly livestreams over on Twitch every Sunday afternoon. This weekend we’ll be watching the queer Thanksgiving classic Addams Family Values. That’s at twitch.tv/mattbaume, Sunday at noon pacific, 3pm eastern. And if you haven’t yet, take a look at my new 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 all my work possible on Patreon — visit patreon.com/mattbaume to support Sewers of Paris and get patron-exclusive benefits.

My guest this week is an old friend. I first met Tim Sheridan about a decade ago, when we were both writers trying to figure out how to make a living doing what we loved. Well, it took some time, but we both figured it out. Today, Tim’s the celebrated writer of major movies and comics, from Justice League to He-Man and Transformers and Batman and Superman. His latest series is Alan Scott: The Green Lantern, which explores the story of a superhero hiding his homosexuality in the 1940s. We’ll have that conversation in a minute.  First, a couple quick reminders, starting with a heads-up that my new video about the rise and fall and resurrection of 1950s heartthrob Tab Hunter is now up on YouTube!  And I hope you’ll join me for weekly livestreams over on Twitch every Sunday afternoon. With Thanksgiving fast approaching, this weekend we’ll be watching a bunch of classic Thanksgiving-themed sitcom episodes. That’s at twitch.tv/mattbaume, Sunday at noon pacific, 3pm eastern. And if you haven’t yet, take a look at my new 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 all my work possible on Patreon — visit patreon.com/mattbaume to support Sewers of Paris and get patron-exclusive benefits.

My guest this week is actor Ray Stewart, who first came to my attention in the role of Darryl Driscoll on the 70s sitcom Barney Miller. Ray played half of a same-sex couple at a time when such characters were vanishingly rare. But you’ve also seen him on everything from The Bob Newhart Show to Benson to Days of Our Lives and more — and that’s not even touching on his career in film and Broadway. Ray’s work has taken him around the world and across countless stages, and at 91 years old he’s still working in the career he loves — and now, using his success to help other artists like him. We’ll have that conversation in a minute.  First, a couple quick reminders, starting with a heads-up that my new video about Psycho and the creation of Norman Bates just went live — check that out on my YouTube channel. And keep your eyes peeled for my next video, all about the life and loves of 50s heartthrob Tab Hunter. Also, I hope you’ll join me for weekly livestreams over on Twitch every Sunday afternoon at twitch.tv/mattbaume. We just did a watch-along of the anarchically gay Paul Lynde Halloween Special, and we’ll be enjoying even more queer Halloween treats this weekend. Also if you haven’t yet, take a look at my new 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. You can even get a signed, personalized copy … which would make a great holiday gift. Big thanks to everyone who makes all my work possible on Patreon — visit patreon.com/mattbaume to support Sewers of Paris and get patron-exclusive benefits.

My guest this week is Karel Bouley. Back in the 90s, Karel and his partner Andrew Howard were the first openly queer couple to host a major market drive time radio show in the US. And after Andrew unexpectedly passed away in the early 2000s, Karel helped change California laws around suing for wrongful death. For leaving a mark in those and many other ways, the city of Long Beach will recognize the couple with a ceremony next week, adding them to the local wall of fame in Harvey Milk Plaza. I talked to Karel about his inspirations, getting into radio, and how Barbra Streisand gave him something to aspire to. We’ll have that conversation in a minute.  First, a couple quick reminders, starting with a heads-up that my new video about Psycho and the creation of Norman Bates  is now live — check that out on my YouTube channel. Also, I hope you’ll join me for weekly livestreams over on Twitch every Sunday afternoon at twitch.tv/mattbaume. We just did a watch-along of some excellent episodes of Alfred Hitchcock Presents, and we’ll be enjoying some very gay Halloween specials this weekend. And if you haven’t yet, take a look at my new book about the history of queer characters on sitcoms, Hi Honey, I’m Homo! — available now wherever books are sold. Go to gaysitcoms.com for details. You can even get a signed, personalized copy … which might make a nice holiday gift, if you’re the kind of person who likes getting your shopping done early. Big thanks to everyone who makes all my work possible on Patreon — visit patreon.com/mattbaume to support Sewers of Paris and get patron-exclusive benefits.

I’m speaking this week with Wilson Paulino, who co-hosts the Wilferland podcast with his partner Fernando. Wilson grew up in a pretty idyllic tourist town in the Dominican Republic, where life was good … as long as he didn’t talk about who he really was. Quietly closeted, he watched gay couples on American TV shows, living lives that seemed impossibly far away. But meeting his partner helped open a new chapter for them both — one that bears surprising resemblance to some of their favorite fictional queer heroes. We’ll have that conversation in a minute. First, a couple quick reminders, starting with a heads-up that I’ve got a video coming your way this weekend about the making of the movie Psycho and the long strange journey of Norman Bates. Also, I hope you’ll join me for weekly livestreams over on Twitch every Sunday afternoon at twitch.tv/mattbaume. Last time we watched some classic episodes of Alfred Hitchcock Presents, and we’ll be continuing that this weekend. And if you haven’t yet, take a look at my new book about the history of queer characters on sitcoms, Hi Honey, I’m Homo! — available now wherever books are sold. Go to gaysitcoms.com for details. You can even get a signed, personalized copy … which might make a nice holiday gift, if you’re the kind of person who likes getting your shopping done early. Big thanks to everyone who makes all my work possible on Patreon — visit patreon.com/mattbaume to support Sewers of Paris and get patron-exclusive benefits.

In honor of the start of October, the spookiest month, this week we’re diving into the Sewers of Paris archives to hear my 2015 interview with Jamie Mauer, who you may also know as Rantasmo, the creator of the Needs More Gay YouTube series. Jamie grew up loving unsettling stories — like a lot of queer people. For those of us who feel pressure to hide their true selves, horror and fantasy — and particularly Halloween — provide a chance to trade one mask for another, be someone new, and scare everyone else for a change.  We’ll have that conversation in a minute.  First, a couple quick reminders, starting with a heads-up that I’ve got a video coming your way soon on YouTube about the making of the movie Psycho and the long strange journey of Norman Bates. Also, I hope you’ll join me for weekly livestreams over on Twitch every Sunday afternoon at twitch.tv/mattbaume. This weekend we’ll be watching and dissecting some classic episodes of Alfred Hitchcock Presents. And if you haven’t yet, take a look at my new book about the history of queer characters on sitcoms, Hi Honey, I’m Homo! — available now wherever books are sold. Go to gaysitcoms.com for details. Big thanks to everyone who makes all my work possible on Patreon — visit patreon.com/mattbaume to support Sewers of Paris and get patron-exclusive benefits.

My guest this week is Frank Abate, who’s about to open the first shelter and community center for queer youth in the Dominican Republic. He’s been working on this project for a long time, with the help of many fellow activists, and it hasn’t been easy. But Frank’s drawn inspiration from many sources, from moving queer stories in movies like Torch Song Trilogy … and from his travels around the, which were partially inspired, many years ago, by sitcoms. Which is how queer youth in the Dominican Republic will soon have new opportunities to thrive thanks. in some small part, to Ron Howard. We’ll have that conversation in a minute.  First, a couple quick reminders, starting with a heads-up that I’ve got a video coming your way soon on YouTube about the making of the movie Psycho and the long strange journey of Norman Bates. Also, I hope you’ll join me for weekly livestreams over on Twitch every Sunday afternoon at twitch.tv/mattbaume. And if you haven’t yet, take a look at my new book about the history of queer characters on sitcoms, Hi Honey, I’m Homo! — available now wherever books are sold. Go to gaysitcoms.com for details. Big thanks to everyone who makes all my work possible on Patreon — visit patreon.com/mattbaume to support Sewers of Paris and get patron-exclusive benefits.

My guest this week is Scott Mainprize, a two-spirit author, lawyer, and instructor based in Ottawa. Scott’s been walking in multiple simultaneous worlds his whole life, and he’s always found himself drawn to stories of characters doing the same — starting with a childhood interest in the movie The Little Mermaid and a lesser known TV show called The Little Vampire. Both are about people figuring themselves out while living in places they were told they weren’t allowed to be — a topic of particular interest in Scott's adult work with justice systems, and in his new novel The First Few Feet in a World of Wolves. We’ll have that conversation in a minute.  First, a couple quick reminders, starting with a heads-up that I’ve got a video coming your way soon on YouTube about the making of the movie Psycho and the long strange journey of Norman Bates. Also, I hope you’ll join me for weekly livestreams over on Twitch every Sunday afternoon at twitch.tv/mattbaume. And if you haven’t yet, take a look at my new book about the history of queer characters on sitcoms, Hi Honey, I’m Homo! — available now wherever books are sold. Go to gaysitcoms.com for details. Big thanks to everyone who makes all my work possible on Patreon — visit patreon.com/mattbaume to support Sewers of Paris and get patron-exclusive benefits.

My guest this week is Tate Barkley, whose new memoir comes out next week and is entitled Sunday Dinners, Moonshine, and Men. It’s the story of a closeted kid growing up in an environment surrounded by toxic masculine figures, protective women, and moonshine operations that planted the seeds of a dangerous relationship with alcohol. Pulling himself up out of that world was a years-long process — and these days, Tate’s found a life that brings him joy he couldn’t possibly have envisioned back then. We’ll have that conversation in a minute.  First, a couple quick reminders, starting with a heads-up that my new video about Some Like it Hot is now live — check that out on my YouTube channel. Also, I hope you’ll join me for weekly livestreams over on Twitch every Sunday afternoon at twitch.tv/mattbaume. We just started a watch-along of the movie Psycho, and we’ll be resuming that this Sunday the 17th. And if you haven’t yet, take a look at my new book about the history of queer characters on sitcoms, Hi Honey, I’m Homo! — available now wherever books are sold. Go to gaysitcoms.com for details. Big thanks to everyone who makes all my work possible on Patreon — visit patreon.com/mattbaume to support Sewers of Paris and get patron-exclusive benefits.

My guest this week is Frankie Miranda, the first openly gay president and CEO of the Hispanic Federation — a nonprofit serving the Latino community. Frankie’s background isn’t what you might expect for the head of a political organization. When he moved from Puerto Rico to New York, the plan was to study theater. But his dramatic training turned out to serve him well in work where he could serve his community — especially after stepping into a leadership role that threw him multiple immediate curveballs. Fortunately, he was prepared — thanks in part to confidence-building pop divas and an education that included daytime TV. We’ll have that conversation in a minute. First, a couple quick reminders, starting with a heads-up that my new video about Some Like it Hot is now live — check that out on my YouTube channel. Also, I hope you’ll join me for weekly livestreams over on Twitch every Sunday afternoon at twitch.tv/mattbaume. And if you haven’t yet, take a look at my new book about the history of queer characters on sitcoms, Hi Honey, I’m Homo! — available now wherever books are sold. Go to gaysitcoms.com for details. Big thanks to everyone who makes all my work possible on Patreon — visit patreon.com/mattbaume to support Sewers of Paris and get patron-exclusive benefits.

On last week's Sewers of Paris podcast I spoke with Ben Miller of the Bad Gays book and podcast. This week I’m talking to his co-host and co-author, Huw Lemmey, a writer whose work investigates the disgusting. It’s an unlikely fascination, one borne out of attitudes he heard expressed about queer people when he was growing up. In looking at the realities of human life, from its best to its worst, Huw’s writing has evolved from asking whether people can be loveable despite being gross … to whether they are lovable because they are gross. Also, a couple quick reminders, starting with a heads-up that I’ve got a new video coming your way this weekend on YouTube! This one’s about the behind the scenes making of the film Some Like it Hot. Join me Sunday at 11am pacific at youtube.com/mattbaume for a livestream and then the premiere of the video. And I hope you’ll join me for weekly livestreams over on Twitch! Every Sunday afternoon we watch and talk about classic episodes of television, great movies, and occasionally old commercials that have a way of sticking with you. That’s at twitch.tv/mattbaume every Sunday. And if you haven’t yet, take a look at my new book about the history of queer characters on sitcoms, Hi Honey, I’m Homo! — available now wherever books are sold. It’s the book that Dan Savage called “a triumph” and said “everyone should read this book.” So you should! Go to gaysitcoms.com to get a copy and request a personalized signature.

My guest this week is Ben Miller, co-author and co-creator of the Bad Gays book and podcast. Ben was headed for a career in international relations until he realized just how out of place he was in that role. It was a lucky encounter with a historical communist leader who helped him course-correct, and now he helps lead the largest queer archive in the world while enjoying his passions for opera and some of the most infamous queer villains in history. We’ll have that conversation in a minute. First, a couple quick reminders, starting with a heads-up that I hope you’ll join me for weekly livestreams over on Twitch! Every Sunday afternoon we watch and talk about classic episodes of television, great movies, and occasionally old commercials that have a way of sticking with you. Lately we’ve been doing a watch-along of one of the greatest comedies ever made, Some Like it Hot. The livestreams are every Sunday at noon pacific over at twitch.tv/mattbaume. And I also have a Some Like it Hot video coming your way soon on my YouTube channel. It’s the behind the scenes story of the making of the film that helped change movies as we know them, including the incredible backstage drama that threatened to destroy some of the lead actors’ lives. That’s coming your way soon at YouTube.com/mattbaume. And if you haven’t yet, take a look at my new book about the history of queer characters on sitcoms, Hi Honey, I’m Homo! — available now wherever books are sold. It’s the book that Dan Savage called “a triumph” and said “everyone should read this book.” So you should! Go to gaysitcoms.com to get a copy and request a personalized signature. Big thanks to everyone who makes all my work possible on Patreon — visit patreon.com/mattbaume to support Sewers of Paris and get patron-exclusive benefits.

My guest this week is John Griffiths, the founder and executive director of GALECA — that’s The Society of LGBTQ Entertainment Critics. From an early age, John loved spending time with TV families, and as an adult he turned that passion into a career, spending time hob-nobbing and covering icons of entertainment. But like those found-families that captured his attention as a kid, he’s also assembled a family of his won — one consisting of hundreds of like-minded queer journalists and cultural critics.  We’ll have that conversation in a minute.  First, a couple quick reminders, starting with a heads-up that I hope you’ll joining me for weekly livestreams over on Twitch! Every Sunday afternoon we watch and talk about classic episodes of television, great movies, and occasionally old commercials that have a way of sticking with you. That’s every Sunday at noon over at twitch.tv/mattbaume. And over on my YouTube channel, I’ve got a video coming your way about the behind the scenes story of the movie Some Like it Hot — including the incredible backstage drama that threatened to tear many of the lead actors apart. That’s coming your way soon at YouTube.com/mattbaume. And if you haven’t yet, take a look at my new book about the history of queer characters on sitcoms, Hi Honey, I’m Homo! — available now wherever books are sold. It’s the book that Dan Savage called “a triumph” and said “everyone should read this book.” So you should! Go to gaysitcoms.com to get a copy and request a personalized signature. Big thanks to everyone who makes all my work possible on Patreon — visit patreon.com/mattbaume to support Sewers of Paris and get patron-exclusive benefits.