Welcome back to the Sewers of Paris. Thanks for your patience during the brief pause in the podcast during the month of June — and now I’m delighted to get back behind the mic for more conversations about the entertainment that changed the lives of queer people. On tonight’s episode:
My guest this week is Manuel Betancourt, whose new book of essays about hunks, heartthrobs, and what pop culture taught him about men — and the desire for them. Manuel’s found his way through a series of re-inventions, moving from Colombia to Canada to New York and California, each time deciding to try out a new life as he zeroed in on the one that fits best — one that, it turns out, includes naked garden parties.
We’ll have that conversation in a minute. But first — you may have heard that I too have a new book out! It’s about the behind-the-scenes history of queer characters on sitcoms, and the role that comedy played in queer liberation — and continues to play to this day. It’s called Hi Honey, I’m Homo! and it’s available now wherever books are sold. I can even sign and personalize your copy before shipping it to you — just go to gaysitcoms.com and look for the instructions for ordering a signed copy.
Also if you’re a fan of queer culture, and I’m sure you are, don’t forget to swing by my YouTube channel for my videos about film and TV history. That’s at YouTube.com/mattbaume — and I’ve got a new video premiering this weekend all about Norman Lear that I think you’ll love. You can also subscribe to my email newsletter for weekly dispatches, and join me every Sunday for livestreams over on Twitch at twitch.tv/mattbaume — on the last livestream, we watched clips from a bunch of my favorite failed TV show pilots, and there’s lots more to watch on the next one.
Oh and one more thing — I’ve added two new free features to my Patreon. The first is a free tier that gets monthly Q&A videos where I respond to questions and clips sent in by folks like you. And the second is a free trial, so you can watch hundreds of Patreon-exclusive bonus videos for a week, and then decide if you want to stick around. You can check out the Patreon at patreon.com/mattbaume.
Everything but the Snakes (Ep 450 - Joseph/Worship songs)
It's Worthwhile to Fall in Love (Ep 449: Jin/Tales of the City)
The Sewers of Paris: Best of 2023
I Wanted to be a Rock Star (Ep 447 - David Bowie/Scott Shoemaker)
A Dream I Didn't Know I Had (Ep 446 - Justin Randall/Girls)
Brave Families (Ep 445- David & Melinda/Ordinary People & Wings of Desire)
Sissy Diva Worship (Ep 444 - Lucas/Cyndi Lauper)
Underground Culture (Ep 443 - Walter & Matt/The Smiths & To Kill a Mockingbird)
Why Do People Live Like This? (Ep 442 - Eric/Kennedy Center Honors)
Playing With Toys All Over Again (Ep 441 - Tim/Transformers)
I Stopped Praying and I Became an Actor (Ep 439 - Ray/Barney Miller)
The Girl that Wasn't Supposed to be Famous (Ep 438 - Karel/Barbra Streisand)
Something More Than Just a Secret (Ep 437 - Wilson/Will & Grace)
People Wearing Masks (Ep 436 - Hocus Pocus/Rantasmo)
I Can't Believe We Pulled This Off (Ep 435 - Happy Days/Frank)
A World of Wolves (Ep 434 - The Little Mermaid/Scott)
Is What We Do Homosexual? (Ep 433 - Hemmingway/Tate)
Meatpacking Dance (Ep 432 - Donna Summer/Frankie)
To Be Disgusting Is Good (Ep 431 - Beautiful Thing/Huw Lemmey)
You and Your Peacocks are Ridiculous (Ep 430 - Salome/Ben Miller)
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