Sissy Diva Worship (Ep 444 - Lucas/Cyndi Lauper)

November 30, 2023 Matthew Baume

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.

Underground Culture (Ep 443 - Walter & Matt/The Smiths & To Kill a Mockingbird)

November 23, 2023 Matthew Baume

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.

We’ll have that conversation in a minute.

First, a couple quick announcements. I’ve got a video coming your way in early December about the creation of 50s heartthrob Rock Hudson — and the group of secretly-gay men who designed an icon of American masculinity.

Also I hope you’ll join me for weekly livestreams over on Twitch every Sunday afternoon. This weekend we’ll be watching highlights from Rock’s many rom-coms with Doris Day. 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.

And you can keep up with all of my work through my email newsletter. Every week you’ll get stories about the making of iconic movies and TV shows — sign up for that at MattBaume.com.

Why Do People Live Like This? (Ep 442 - Eric/Kennedy Center Honors)

November 16, 2023 Matthew Baume

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.

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.

Playing With Toys All Over Again (Ep 441 - Tim/Transformers)

November 9, 2023 Matthew Baume

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.

Loud, Brash, Profane, and Punk (Ep 440 - Pansy Division/Jon)

November 2, 2023 Matthew Baume

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My guest this week is Jon Ginoli, who started the band Pansy Division in the early 90s. Jon was responding to a lack of queer music in the punk scene and a lack of punk music in the queer scene, and with the help of his bandmates he was among the first to successfully marry those two separate worlds — first in little dive venues in San Francisco, and before long, opening for Green Day at Madison Square Garden. Pansy Division is still touring to this day — check out their website for upcoming tour dates, including what will be the band’s one thousandth concert.

We’ll have that conversation in a minute.

First, a couple quick reminders, starting with a heads-up that I’ve got a new video coming your way this Sunday on YouTube. This one’s about the rise and fall and resurrection of 1950s heart throb Tab Hunter, who had one of the most unlikely comebacks in Hollywood history.

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

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.

About The Sewers of Paris

The Sewers of Paris is a podcast about how queer lives are shaped by our favorite books, movies, music, and shows. Each week, guests open up about their secret struggles, hidden passions, and surprising triumphs by plucking a piece of entertainment from their past and answering the question: What’s the entertainment that changed your life?

About Defining Marriage

Each week on Defining Marriage, hosts Matt Baume and James Morris chat about what's happening with marriage equality, featuring frequent digressions into pop culture, silly banter, and the jokes and quibbles that have kept them together as a couple for over a decade.

The first eighteen episodes of the podcast contain the complete audiobook version of the book Defining Marriage, which traces the decades-long evolution of marriage through the personal stories of those who lived through it, featuring personal insights from the lives of Evan Wolfson, Dan Savage, Ken Mehlman, Dustin Lance Black, and many more.

About Matt's So-Cast Pod

Revisit the iconic '90s drama My So-Called Life, one episode at a time. Every week, host Matt Baume & his guests delve into the teen angst, the grown-up turmoil, and the endless flannel of the 90s -- and examine the show's impact on television and our lives.