Gayest Episode Ever

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Batgirl Is a Little Gay Boy's Fantasy May 12, 2021

Show notes

"Enter Batgirl, Exit Penguin" (September 14, 1967)

The final season of the 1966 live-action Batman series saw the debut of Batgirl, a twirling, high-kicking female hero created to get more girls invested in the series — and more dads to keep paying attention. But Batgirl's creators didn't count on the fact that they were creating the exact kind of character that little gay boys would become obsessed with. Thanks in part to Yvonne Craig's spot-on performance, Barbara Gordon (a.k.a. Batgirl) became one of the most queer-friendly aspects to an already queer series, and joining us discuss her big debut is Glen Weldon, co-host of NPR's Pop Culture Happy Hour and author of The Caped Crusade: Batman and the Rise of Nerd Culture.

Buy Glen's book on Batman, nerds and pop culture.

Listen and subscribe to your new favorite classic RPG podcast, Square Roots: Apple Podcasts • Google Podcasts • Spotify • Twitter • Facebook

Listen to Smart Mouth's episode on the history of garlic bread.

Watch Yvonne Craig, Adam West and Burt Ward re-team for a 1974 PSA about equal pay for female employees.

Watch Lesley Gore rock a taupe turtleneck while performing "Sunshine, Lollipops and Rainbows" in the Yvonne Craig film Ski Party.

Enjoy Burgess Meredith's performance as Golobulus in G.I. Joe: The Movie.

Support us on Patreon!

Follow: GEE on Facebook • GEE's Facebook Group • GEE on Twitter • GEE on Instagram • Drew on Twitter • Glen on Twitter

Listen: iTunes • Spotify • Stitcher • Google Play • Google Podcasts • Himalaya • TuneIn

This episode's outro track is "Give Me the Night" by Facts and Fiction: Apple Music • Spotify • Amazon

Brothers May Just Be the First Gay Sitcom May 05, 2021

Show notes

"You Brought a New Kind of Love to Me" (August 16, 1984)

Heads up: In this episode we use the "F" word — no, not that one, but the gay one — but only because the subject matter itself uses it.

This week, we look into Brothers, which ran for five seasons and 115 episodes on Showtime, 1984 to 1989. The show revolved around one of the three titular brothers coming out, and therefore it has a legit claim to being the first gay sitcom, and its second-ever episode featured Uncle Phil himself, James Avery, as a closeted football star.

End of episode question: What is something that you experienced because of quarantine downtime but you didn't like? For Mother's Day, buy your mom a classic "ALF Says Gay Rights" mug from our TeePublic store.

Listen to our interview with Stan Zimmerman, where we discuss his Brothers script.

Listen to the What a Cartoon episode on Get a Life.

Watch an episode of the early Fox sitcom Open House, starring Philip Charles Mackenzie and Alison LaPlaca.

Watch the Batman: The Animated Series episode with Baby Doll, voiced by Alison LaPlaca.

Watch Drew's video compilation of every LGBT joke ever on the history of The Simpsons.

Buy Glen's movie, Being Frank.

Support us on Patreon!

Follow: GEE on Facebook • GEE's Facebook Group • GEE on Twitter • GEE on Instagram • Drew on Twitter • Glen on Twitter

Listen: iTunes • Spotify • Stitcher • Google Play • Google Podcasts • Himalaya • TuneIn

This episode's outro track is "Brother Louie" by Modern Talking: Apple Music • Spotify • Amazon Music

Interview: Great North Writer Charlie Kelly May 03, 2021

Show notes

In April, we gave an endorsement to The Great North episode "Pride and Prejudance Adventure" for giving the show's gay character, Ham Tobin, a love interest just six episode into the show's first season. Today, we're interviewing Charlie Kelly, the writer of this episode, to find out how he has approached writing for Ham, how he came to voice Drama John and what it's like to work on a show that might be the nicest on TV right now but is no less funny for being that way.

Follow Charlie on Instagram.

Watch The Great North 8:30 p.m. EST/PST on Fox, because we normally don't get to talk about shows that haven't been off the air for at least two decades??? And this one is pretty good!

Support us on Patreon!

Follow: GEE on Facebook • GEE's Facebook Group • GEE on Twitter • GEE on Instagram • Drew on Twitter • Glen on Twitter

Listen: iTunes • Spotify • Stitcher • Google Play • Google Podcasts • Himalaya • TuneIn

Bob Newhart Treats a Gay Apr 28, 2021

Show notes

"Some of My Best Friends Are…" (October 9, 1976) The fifth season of The Bob Newhart Show has a gay episode functions differently than most other show's gay episode. For one thing, its central gay character is one who'd been on the show before; it's just that no one — neither on the show or watching the show — knew he was gay. For another thing, it's not the last time we see this character; unlike most LGBT guest characters on sitcoms, his existence does not end with the one episode that revolves around his queerness. End of episode question: If you were making a podcast called Gayest Video Game Ever, what game would your talk about first? For Mother's Day, buy your mom a classic "ALF Says Gay Rights" mug from our TeePublic store.

Read Brett White's piece of how this episode's Mr. Plager was the first pre-existing character on a sitcom to come out.

Watch the pilot to Carlton, Your Doorman, the animated spinoff to Rhoda that almost was.

Yes, you can watch all four hours of Carol Burnett's Fresno online right now!

Xuxa has a heart AS BIG AS THE WORLD!

Bears in Games explains why Final Fight is one of the gayest video games ever.

Watch Drew's video compilation of every LGBT joke ever on the history of The Simpsons.

Buy Glen's movie, Being Frank.

Support us on Patreon!

Follow: GEE on Facebook • GEE's Facebook Group • GEE on Twitter • GEE on Instagram • Drew on Twitter • Glen on Twitter

Listen: iTunes • Spotify • Stitcher • Google Play • Google Podcasts • Himalaya • TuneIn

This episode's outro track is "Delirio Mind" by Scotch: Apple Music • Spotify • Amazon Music

The Great North's Ham Tobin Is a Well-Rounded Gay Teen Apr 21, 2021

Show notes

"Pride & Prejudance Adventure" (March 14, 2021)

The Great North is not Bob's Burgers with snow. Okay, it is a little bit, but the show has its own vibe and, more importantly for our purposes, an out gay teen as well. In the show's sixth episode, Ham not only meets a love interest but actually gets to kiss him full on the lips — and that is neither remotely controversial nor is it the only queer plot thread in this episode. Yeah, we're fans of this new show and we think you should be too.

End-of-episode question: If you could pick one one-shot sitcom character and build a show around that character, who would you pick and why?

For Mother's Day, buy your mom a classic "ALF Says Gay Rights" mug from our TeePublic store.

Listen to Jenny Slate's amazing bonkers brain in her episode of the podcast Good One.

You can actually watch all four hours of Carol Burnett's Dallas parody series, Fresno, online right now.

Watch Julio Torres' SNL sketches "The Actress," "Wells for Boys" and "My Little Step Children"

Watch Drew's video compilation of every LGBT joke ever on the history of The Simpsons.

Buy Glen's movie, Being Frank.

Support us on Patreon!

Follow: GEE on Facebook • GEE's Facebook Group • GEE on Twitter • GEE on Instagram • Drew on Twitter • Glen on Twitter

Listen: iTunes • Spotify • Stitcher • Google Play • Google Podcasts • Himalaya • TuneIn

This episode's outro track is "Lady of Ice" by Fancy: Apple Music • Spotify • Amazon Music

Is It Transphobic? Talks King of the Hill Apr 19, 2021

Show notes

Hey, remember when Drew and Glen discussed that one episode of King of the Hill where Peggy meets a drag queen and halfway through we realized there was a trans reading to this character that probably should be explored in greater depth than two cisgender guys were capable of?

Well, we had always regretted falling short in that respect and had even talked about revisiting the episode with a trans guest. However, this weekend Is It Transphobic? — the podcast hosted by previous GEE guest Ashley Lauren Rogers — covered "The Peggy Horror Picture Show" and did such a good job exploring all the ways to interpret Carolyn and her friendship with Peggy that we just asked Ashley if we could post an intro to the episode on our feed in hopes that you all would want to listen to the full version on the Is It Transphobic? Feed.

This is that! This preview of IITP's episode ends 24 minutes and 32 seconds into their original episode, and you can listen to the full version of the episode here.

Subscribe to IITP: Apple Podcasts • Google Podcasts • Spotify • Stitcher

Also please do support Ashley's show on Patreon. And if you haven't yet listened to Ashley's episode of GEE, you can listen to that here.

Jason Bateman Played a Gay for Five Whole Episodes Apr 14, 2021

Show notes

"Pilot" (February 28, 2001)

In the wake of Will & Grace's success, the other broadcast networks each made efforts at their own homo-centric TV shows, and the CBS twist on this formula was Some of My Best Friends, which lasted only five episodes. The show was an adaptation of the indie comedy Kiss Me Guido, and it starred Jason Bateman and Alec Mapa as its resident gays. Guy Branum — stand-up comedian, funny book-writing person and all-around good opinion-haver — joins us to talk about this pop culture also-ran, twenty years after the fact.

Buy Guy's book, My Life as a Goddess.

Listen to the latest episode of Katherine's podcast Smart Mouth, where she tells Molly Lambert all about the history of enchiladas.

Listen to Alec Mapa's episode of Sam Pancake Presents the Monday Afternoon Movie.

Also listen to the latest episode of Drew's 80s music podcast, Deep Cuts & Superficial Wounds.

Recommended viewing:

Watch Drew's video compilation of every LGBT joke ever on the history of The Simpsons.

Buy Glen's movie, Being Frank.

Support us on Patreon!

Follow: GEE on Facebook • GEE's Facebook Group • GEE on Twitter • GEE on Instagram • Drew on Twitter • Glen on Twitter

Listen: iTunes • Spotify • Stitcher • Google Play • Google Podcasts • Himalaya • TuneIn

This episode's outro track is "Frogs in Spain" by FAKE: Apple Music

Liberace Hosts The Muppet Show Apr 07, 2021

Show notes

"Liberace" (October 14, 1978)

After a suggestion by Drew's heterosexual acquaintance, we've decided to discuss the gayest episode of The Muppet Show we could find. Tony Rodriguez joins us for a discussion of Muppets but also a fairly obscure FCC ruling that shaped prime time television for every child who grew up in 80s and 90s America, plus a rundown of why Liberace is awful. There is a lot going on in this episode, but that seems appropriate given the bonkers chaos that is the Muppets.

Yes, there is a "lost" TableCakes podcast you may never have heard: You Have to Watch This Movie, which is not technically defunct and which was hosted by Tony and which featured guests such as Nicole Byer, Lennon Parham and Beth Dover.

Listen to the episode of Smart Mouth where Katherine talks with Jeremy Bowditch about the history of breadlines in the United States.

The article Drew mentions is "The Performance of Non-Conformity on The Muppet Show – or, How Kermit Made Me Queer" by Jordan Schildcrout. It doesn't seem like it's posted online for free anywhere but if you access to various academic journals you can probably read it. Alternatively you can also just pay to read it here.

Listen to the Bad Gays podcast's episode about Liberace for more details about his biography.

Watch "My Muppet Valentine," the Muppet Babies episode Glen mentions about Rowlf making everyone think he is depressed. Also watch the dark and violent Jim Henson-produced ads for Wilkins Coffee. But maybe don't watch SNL's Muppet-starring "Land of Gorch" sketches because they are just strange.

Read the Stater & Waldorf gay fanfiction that went viral.

Swedish people do not think the Swedish Chef is funny and also don't think he sounds Swedish.

Watch Drew's video compilation of every LGBT joke ever on the history of The Simpsons.

Buy Glen's movie, Being Frank.

Support us on Patreon!

Follow: GEE on Facebook • GEE's Facebook Group • GEE on Twitter • GEE on Instagram • Drew on Twitter • Glen on Twitter

Listen: iTunes • Spotify • Stitcher • Google Play • Google Podcasts • Himalaya • TuneIn

This episode's outro track is "I Like Chopin" by Gazebo: Apple Music • Spotify • Amazon

Drew and Glen Don't Talk About Any Episode in Particular Mar 31, 2021

Show notes

Whelp, we've made it: one hundred episodes. By which I mean that we actually hit that mark several episodes ago, by various standards, but this is when we are actually observing that this is a thing we have done repeatedly over a set amount of time. For this episode, Drew and Glen talk about what this podcast has ended up doing in contrast to how they thought it would work when it launched. Also discussed: WandaVision (finally!) in some depth that you may regard as spoilerish if "Agatha All Along" has not already spoiled it, which is to say you are probably fine.

And yes, Drew did once compile "Every Instance of Doubling on Twin Peaks." It is a thematic forerunner to every LGBT joke ever on The Simpsons.

Watch Drew's video compilation of every LGBT joke ever on the history of The Simpsons.

Buy Glen's movie, Being Frank.

Support us on Patreon!

Follow: GEE on Facebook • GEE's Facebook Group • GEE on Twitter • GEE on Instagram • Drew on Twitter • Glen on Twitter

Listen: iTunes • Spotify • Stitcher • Google Play • Google Podcasts • Himalaya • TuneIn

This episode's outro track is "Inside Out" by Martin Dupont: Apple Music • Spotify • Amazon

Did Gayest Episode Ever Get Tony a Job on The Simpsons? (Yes, It Totally Did) Mar 30, 2021

Show notes

We are very pleased to congratulate Tony Rodriguez, our friend and the most-frequently occurring guest on Gayest Episode Ever on his new job: voicing Julio on The Simpsons. Tony is a gay Cuban-American and Julio is a gay Cuban-American, so it's just too perfect that the former made his debut on The Simpsons on last Sunday's episode, "Uncut Femmes." Before he goes too Hollywood, we managed to get him to talk with us about how he became the new Julio, which we are calling "Newlio."

Follow Tony Rodriguez on Twitter. And while you're at it, follow Christine Nangle and Matt Selman on Twitter too.

Watch the video Tony made of him showing off his best Julio.

Watch the video that helped made this happen: Drew's compilation of every LGBT joke ever on The Simpsons.

Also buy Glen's movie, Being Frank.

Support us on Patreon!

Follow: GEE on Facebook • GEE's Facebook Group • GEE on Twitter • GEE on Instagram • Drew on Twitter • Glen on Twitter

Listen: iTunes • Spotify • Stitcher • Google Play • Google Podcasts • Himalaya • TuneIn

This episode's outro track is "¿Que sucede ahora?" by Vocoder, which is not streaming anywhere so just listen to it on YouTube.