The Sewers of Paris - podcast cover

The Sewers of Paris

Matt Baumewww.mattbaume.com
Revealing stories about the books, movies, tv, music and more that have changed the lives of gay men. Each week, a guest plucks a piece of entertainment from their past, and answers the question: how did it change your life?
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Episodes

A Little More F'd Up (Ep 347 - Six Feet Under/Scott)

My guest on The Sewers of Paris podcast this week is Scott, host of the podcast The Movies that Made us Gay. His first glimpse at gay life was the same-sex couple on the show Six Feet Under, which inspired him to formulate an escape plan from his small Montana home, his sights set on Hollywood. The plan was to find his way into the entertainment industry, but that all changed shortly after he arrived and met the man who would one day become his husband. We’ll have that conversation in a minute. ...

Aug 05, 202145 minEp. 347

The Devil's Name is on All my Paychecks (Ep 346 - Fran Tirado/Greek myths)

My guest this week is Fran Tirado, who you might recognize as the host of the Food 4 Thot podcast. Fran grew up in a sheltered religious community, and it was a chance encounter with gay Greek myths that helped him break out. Now he’s dedicated himself to a different kind of scripture — one of powerful femmes, radical queer liberation, and sex without shame. We’ll have that conversation in a minute. First — Muppet fans, I just released a new video about the gay history of the Muppets. Check out ...

Jul 29, 202149 minEp. 346

My Cat Makes Me Laugh (Ep. 345 - Bette Midler/H. Alan Scott)

My guest is writer and comedian H. Alan Scott, whom you may know as co-host of the Out on the Lanai podcast. I first met him back when I lived in LA, and worked as a nightlife photographer — H. Alan was one of the people I looked forward to seeing most, because he never posed. He just let me photograph him candidly, honestly, sometimes with a smile and sometimes not. I didn't know it, but at the time he was emerging from a long and difficult ordeal that had changed his life. And when I pointed m...

Jul 22, 202157 minEp. 345

Good Luck, Kid (Ep 344 - Beatrix Potter/Carl Bishop)

My guest this week might sound a bit familiar, because you’ve almost definitely heard his voice before — even if you didn’t realize it. Carl Bishop is the voice you hear on countless commercials. He’s been the voice of hardware stores, he’s warned you about medication side effects, he’s sold shampoo and razors and laundry detergent and cars and pizza. When Carl got his start as a radio personality, many years ago, he avoided coming out for fear of the impact on his career. But as he found commer...

Jul 15, 20211 hr 8 minEp. 344

Always Dreaming (Ep 343 - The Brady Bunch Movie/Stan Zimmerman)

My guest this week is TV writer Stan Zimmerman, whose credits include episodes of The Golden Girls, Gilmore Girls, The Brady Bunch Movie, and the gay kiss episode of Roseanne, among many many more. As a kid, Stan created a fantasy television network in his bedroom, giving a weekly variety show to his idol Lily Tomlin; something that he was able to tell her years later when they became colleagues. We’ll have that conversation in a minute. First, I want to let you know that I’ve got a new video go...

Jul 08, 202150 minEp. 343

Really Stupid and Delicious (Ep 342 - Desperate Housewives/Benji Carr)

Hello, I’m Matt Baume, and welcome to the Sewers of Paris. We’re on a podcast search for the entertainment that changed the lives of queer people. My guest this week is author Benji Carr, whose novel Impacted comes out next week, and is the product of a lifelong obsession with soap operas. It’s not entirely surprising, as his own life was often more dramatic than he knew how to handle. It was shows like Melrose Place, Knots Landing, and Desperate Housewives that helped him make sense of the chao...

Jul 01, 202147 minEp. 342

The Lone Wolf Doing Theater (Ep 341 - Ravi Roth/Broadway)

My guest this week is Ravi Roth. You may know him from his travel series Ravi Round the World , or his new show Gaycation , where he visits queer hotspots across the globe. Ravi knew from an early age that he loved performing, and for a time he was laser-focused on making it to Broadway. But once he was there, he found that he had a talent for travel, and found himself journeying far from the city he once thought was where he’d always call home. Now, rather than performing in character, he fills...

Jun 24, 202149 minEp. 340

We Were Too Busy Being Gay (Ep. 340 - Stonewall/Tree)

This week, to celebrate Pride month, we’re heading into the Sewers archives for a chat with a man who was present for the Stonewall Riots. 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. We talked one year ago, as we were...

Jun 17, 202152 minEp. 340

A Pride Omnibus (Ep 339 - X-Men/Joe Glass)

My guest this week is comic artist Joe Glass, author of the just-released Pride Omnibus which collects several years of his queer superhero stories. Joe’s work is heavily influenced by his youthful love of heroes from X-Men to Buffy, and like those heroes, there were times when people tried to stop him from pursuing the work that he knew was right. We’ll have that conversation in a minute. First, a reminder that I just posted a new video over on YouTube that’s all about John Waters, Divine, and ...

Jun 10, 202154 minEp. 339

Glamour Rampage (Ep 338 - Justin Vivian Bond)

My guest this week is a legend — the amazing Justin Vivian Bond, or just Vivian — an actor, singer, performer, icon. You may recognize their name from the act Kiki and Herb, or from performances ranging from La MaMa to Carnegie Hall, or from collaborations with Jake Shears, John Cameron Mitchell, and Rufus Wainwright. Vivian knew they wanted to be a performer from an early age, and their journey to the stage was an adventure that brought them from a small town to experimental theater in San Fran...

Jun 03, 202141 minEp. 338

Misfits and Aliens (Ep 337 - Lypsinka/Gypsy)

This week’s guest is John Epperson — also known by his stage name, Lypsinka, who you might’ve seen in the documentary Wigstock, in the movie Black Swan, and gracing New York stages from the legendary Pyramid Club to Lincoln Center. John moved from small town Mississippi to New York to chase a dream of a life in the theater, and found fame with his drag alter-ego in the wild 1970s and 80s, all while awash in radical revolutionary queer culture of the East Village. We’ll have that conversation in ...

May 27, 202150 minEp. 337

If You Can Survive it, do it (Ep 336 - Gay New York in the 70s & 80s/Mark Finley)

Listeners, I’ve got a handful of interviews coming your way that you are going to love, with some Broadway drag icons. They’re not quite ready yet, but this week I want to prepare you for what’s coming with a conversation about someone who chased his dreams all the way to New York, and then followed his heart back home. This week, we’re diving into the archives to hear my 2016 interview with Mark Finley — a conversation that zooms from Japan to Cal Arts to a stint at Brigham Young where he earne...

May 20, 20211 hr 37 minEp. 336

Camp is like Pornography (Ep 335 - Eurovision/Jānis)

We’re just a few days away from the start of Eurovision, the giant extravagant celebration of over-the-top music and outrageous costumes and, every now and then, taste. Eurovision is a big ball of fun, and it was the subject of the very first episode of The Sewers of Paris. So this week, we’re revisiting my 2015 interview with Jānis, who first introduced me to the joy of Eurovision, along with the German version of American Idol, gay-adjacent Hitchcock, and hard-core camp. We’ll have that conver...

May 13, 202152 minEp. 335

Beauty in Trash (Ep 334 - Bruce Vilanch/Bette Midler)

On last week’s episode I talked with James Sie about the importance of one well-placed Bette Midler album, and this week I want to dive into the Sewers archives with another guest whose life was changed by Bette — in his case, when she called him to offer him a job. Today we’re revisiting my 2017 interview with Bruce Vilanch, a writer an comedian who’s been slipping sly queer jokes into mainstream entertainment since before some of us were even born. Starting out as a writer for great divas of t...

May 06, 20211 hr 5 minEp. 334

It Was All There in One Album (Ep 333 - Bette Midler/James Sie)

My guest this week is James Sie, whose voice you may recognize from Kung Fu Panda, Curious George, King of the Hill, and as an unlucky cabbage merchant on Avatar. He’s also the author of Still Life Las Vegas, and a new queer young adult novel called All Kinds of Other, which will have a launch celebration next Friday, May 7, to benefit the Los Angeles LGBT Center. As a young gay man entering college, James wasn’t where to look for community — but he started to pick up some clues thanks to a Bett...

Apr 29, 20211 hr 5 minEp. 333

My Life Was a Game of Survivor (Ep 332 - School of Rock/Brian Falduto)

You may recognize my guest Brian Falduto for his music, his coaching, or his role in the 2003 movie School of Rock as Billy, the stylist kid. When he shot his scenes, Brian had no idea what gay even meant, but as soon as the movie came out, it seemed like the whole world was telling him who he was. That pushed him deep into the closet, until another musical experience helped him find his authentic self again in an unlikely genre — country. We’ll have that conversation in a minute. First, a quick...

Apr 22, 202142 minEp. 322

Queer People Everywhere (Ep 331 - Queer as Folk & Minari/Steven Wakabayashi)

A few years ago, this week’s guest Steven Wakabayashi lived to party. His gay agenda centered on nightlife and a relentless fitness routine, but that all came to an end when the physical toll became too much for his body to bear and he found himself hospitalized for months. To recover, he had to completely change his life and set himself on an entirely new path — one that’s led him to film and literature he would never have otherwise known. We’ll have that conversation in a minute. First, a quic...

Apr 15, 202141 minEp. 331

Everyone is Gay (Ep 330 - Buffy & My So-Called Life/Kristin Russo)

This week I’ve got a very special guest — the wonderful Kristin Russo, whom I’m sure you know from the podcast Buffering the Vampire Slayer, the YouTube channel Everyone is Gay, the book This is a Book for Parents of Gay Kids, all-ages Pride in New York, and oh my God so many great projects. And it all started with a young queer woman watching My So-Called Life, wondering if she was more like the free-spirted Rayanne or the teen-angsty Angela. When you watch My So-Called Life, your favorite char...

Apr 08, 202150 minEp. 330

The Queer Radical (Ep 329 - James Baldwin/Steven Bull)

This week’s guest spent time on the front lines of a revolution in the 60s and 70s. Steve Bull is an activist who fought for gay liberation in Los Angeles, and then brought those tactics to his small town in Maine when it was time for him to retire and move back home. Now he teaches the radical queer tactics that he learned to young organizers who want to follow in his footsteps. We’ll have that conversation in a minute. First, a quick thanks to everyone who supports the Sewers of Paris on Patre...

Apr 01, 202143 minEp. 329

I am Nerdy and Kinky (Ep. 328 - Pup Amp/Cosplay & Bondage)

Back in 2015, one of the very first guests on The Sewers of Paris was my friend Amp, who was then just getting started on his career as a kink educator and adult performer. In the years since, he’s built a huge following for his podcast and YouTube series, Watts the Safeword, and on Friday of this week he’ll appear on the Epix TV show Sex Life , a documentary series about sex-positive households. For this week’s episode, we’re revisiting our 2015 conversation about Amp’s quiet Catholic upbringin...

Mar 25, 202156 minEp. 328

When You Don’t Have Words to Say, You Sing (Ep 327 - Angels in America/Jonathan Blalock)

A few years ago, the Royal National Theater in London recorded an amazing production of the play Angels in America, starring Andrew Garfield, Nathan Lane, Russell Tovey, and more. And they just made that recording available to stream at NTatHome.com . For this week’s episode, we’re revisiting my 2015 interview with actor and singer Jonathan Blalock, whose life was completely changed by Angels in America, in part because of his religious upbringing. Jonathan grew up surrounded by spiritual music ...

Mar 18, 202153 minEp. 327

Attracted to Jesus (Ep 326 - Michelangelo & Judy Garland/Rob Urbinati)

My guest this week is Rob Urbanati, a New York playwright and director. He had a unique upbringing — he grew up openly gay in a small suburb in the 1960s, and people were generally accepting. That gave him an unusual freedom to explore the gay scene, the hippie scene, the club scene, and the drug scene. But the great mystery that he wonders about to this day is how he wound up interested in the movies and art that he did. We’ll have that conversation in a minute. First, a quick thanks to everyon...

Mar 11, 20211 hrEp. 326

I Prefer the Term "Enchanted" (Ep 325 - Joe/Bewitched)

You might’ve seen that I just released a new video over on YouTube about the queer secrets of the show Bewitched, and how this bizarre sitcom from the 60s managed to be about homosexuality without ever saying so. For this week’s episode, we’re jumping into the Sewers archives for another conversation about witchcraft — it’s my 2015 interview with a Minnesota entertainer named Joe, a Sister of Perpetual Indulgence who was inspired by imaginary worlds and TV witches to conjure up magic wherever he...

Mar 04, 202152 minEp. 325

Let me See Where I Can Fit In (Ep 324 - Clue/Urban Bohemian)

Hello, I’m Matt Baume, and welcome to the Sewers of Paris. Last week we heard from a Twitch streamer from Germany who goes by the name Jygglypuffdaddy, and this week I want to bring you a conversation with another streamer — Brian Gray, also known online as Urban Bohemian. A shy kid, Brian used to find it difficult to make friends… until he realized that his love of nerdy culture like Clue and British sci-fi were actually signposts that could help him find the friend group that he’d been looking...

Feb 25, 202159 minEp. 324

It Didn't Feel Real (Ep 323 - Jygglypuffdaddy/Gaming)

Hello, I’m Matt Baume, and welcome to the Sewers of Paris. My guest this week has been on a wild adventure since high school. Andre, also known online as Jygglypuffdaddy, grew up in a small German village and found queer friends online, eventually leaving home to move in with his internet-boyfriend in Berlin the day after he graduated from high school, eventually getting married. It was a risky move that paid off — and he’s hoping that his latest venture, dropping out of grad school to become a ...

Feb 18, 202153 minEp. 323

The Sewers of Paris Valentine's Day Special!

With Valentine’s Day coming up soon, I wanted to bring you a special episode from 2016 — a conversation with several wonderful queer folks about the romantic entertainment that changed their lives. Join me now on a candle-lit paddle through the Sewers, where we’ll bump into Louis Virtel, host of the Keep It Podcast; Edd Kimber, the first winner of Great British Bakeoff, Comedian Kevin Yee, Artist Terry Blas, and more — all talking about the book and movies and music and shows that define love....

Feb 12, 202150 minEp. 323

I Want to Smear Chocolate on my Body (Ep 322 - The Smiths/Timothy Siragusa)

My guest this week is Timothy Siragusa, who was very popular with about 30 lesbians in Omaha. He was part of an experimental theater scene in a small city that was at first a little, let’s say, challenging for mainstream audiences to appreciate … until one night he had a brainstorm that transformed their struggling avante garde troupe into a huge local hit. We’ll have that conversation in a minute. First a quick thanks to everyone who supports the Sewers of Paris on Patreon . And just a reminder...

Feb 04, 20211 hr 6 minEp. 322

A Special WandaVision Chat with Brett White!

We’re trying something different this week. Perhaps you've been watching Marvel’s new TV series WandaVision, a strange, otherworldly series that debuted earlier this month with each episode so far re-creating the genre of classic old sitcoms. Episode 1 was a throwback to The Dick Van Dyke Show, Episode 2 referenced Bewitched, and last week’s Episode 3 has traces of The Brady Bunch. As someone who spends a lot of time ensconced in entertainment history, I am of course obsessed with WandaVision an...

Jan 28, 20211 hr 29 minEp. 320

A Professional Bee Botherer (Ep 320 - Lord of the Rings/Lewis Bartlett)

My guest this week wears a lot of hats, and occasionally frocks. Lewis Bartlett is a bee scientist, baker, and drag queen who found his way from Yorkshire, England to Athens, Georgia. A shy, nerdy kid, he found refuge in Lord of the Rings novels and Live Action Role-Playing (or LARPing) groups, but he reached a turning point where he decided to give all that up, along with years-long friendships, so that he could pursue the studies that eventually led him to become, as he says, a professional be...

Jan 21, 20211 hr 8 minEp. 320

Wholesome Vibes (Ep 319 - Twitch/Blizzb3ar)

My guest this week is one of the most wholesome people on the Internet — a Twitch streamer who goes by Blizzb3ar . His goal is to create refuge from drama and competitiveness and cynicism, and for viewers to be able to relax in the comfort of good clean kind fun. It’s the sort of environment that he realized he was missing for himself, and now he’s got big goals for transforming his life in 2021. We’ll have that conversation in a minute. First a quick thanks to everyone who supports the Sewers o...

Jan 14, 202148 minEp. 319
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