Gayest Episode Ever

“Blood Crieth Unto Heaven” (January 27, 2013) Yes, we’re giving you two American Dads this season, with this one representing how this show uses high-concept premises better than most other sitcoms. In this one, the show presents itself as a stage play, complete with all the restrictions and encumbrances that come with denying itself the ability to do quick cuts, and what results is as funny as it is bizarre. Here to discuss why this episode is a stand-out is Johnny LaZebnik, who sings the praises of Wendy Schaal’s comedic delivery. Should this technically be a Weirdest Episode Ever? Sure, but here’s the thing: When we label episodes in the main feed as this, you all tend to click on them less. Will dropping this on the main feed with a non-Weird title get us more listens? Only time will tell. Subscribe to Johnny’s Substack! Listen to Johnny’s previous GEE episode, where he discusses writing a Simpsons with his papá. If you want to hear about another good, weird American Dad episode, listen to Talking Simpson

“Bad Girl” (November 12, 1996) If you were not the target audience (and target age) for this live-action Nickelodeon series, you may be shocked to find out that The Secret World of Alex Mack is a sci-fi show. It’s basically Spider-Man with a baby gay lead protagonist, played with remarkable aplomb by Larisa Oleynik. We’re joined by Katie Mathewson, screenwriter on Hawkeye and the breakout hit Jury Duty, to discuss how very queer this show is — and in particular this episode, which plays out like a mid-90s lesbian teen romcom. Check out Lizzie Borden (no, not that one), who directed this episode and may have played a role in giving it its queer vibe. Listen to Drew and Glen talk about Conan O’Brien’s failed pilot Lookwell on Talking Simpsons! Watch the new season of Ninjago: Dragons Rising June 1 on Netflix! And if you don’t know what a Ninjago is, watch Ninjago Decoded, starting here. Listen to the newest episode of Deep Cuts & Superficial Wounds here. You can now watch Glen’s movie, Being Frank, on Free

This week, we’re joined by Matt Baume, author of the new book Hi Honey, I’m Homo, about the history of LGBTQ representation on American TV. Instead of a single episode, we’re talking about several, including some we’ve covered previously on GEE and some we have not! All in the Family, “Judging Books by Covers” (February 9, 1971) Soap, “Episode 1.8” (November 8, 1977) The Golden Girls, “Isn’t It Romantic?” (November 8, 1986) and “Sister of the Bride” (January 12, 1991) Ellen, “The Puppy Episode” (April 30, 1997) Will & Grace, “Homo for the Holidays” (November 25, 1999) Schitt’s Creek, “Honeymoon” (April 15, 2015) Go buy Matt’s book, Hi Honey, I’m Homo! Watch the Carol Burnette clip with Jim Nabors and Rock Hudson that Drew mentions. Watch the Ellen DeGeners appearance on Rosie O’Donnell that Matt mentions. And here is that Australian marriage equality ad. Listen to that deep dive about Cool World that Drew mentions. There are a lot of references to episodes we’ve covered previously, and chec

“I Love You! My Dear, Dear Ukyo” (May 18, 1990) This week, we’re pivoting away from traditional sitcoms to discuss Ranma ½, a long-running anime that combines martial arts, romance, mysticism and… zany misunderstandings that are actually very sitcom-like, when you get down to it. This series focuses on the title character, a teenage boy who due to a curse turns into a girl when splashed with cold water, so there are a bajillion ways to analyze the gender dynamics. Here to discuss this with us is Diamond Feit, an American-born writer for whom Ranma ½ was a gateway drug to not only Japanese culture but also getting xem to live in Japan. Drew refers to a Twitter thread by Michaela Joffe about the Urusei Yatsura character Ryūnosuke Fujinami. Read that here. Diamond refers to the list of differences between the first series of Ranma ½ and the later ones. Read that here. And see the clip of Kodachi laughing maniacally here. Watch the new season of Ninjago: Dragons Rising June 1 on Netflix! And if you don’t know wha

“The Driver’s Seat” (November 30, 1993) We’re giving another shot to Roseanne, because perhaps it’s been long enough that you all want to listen to stories about this iconic series. Perhaps not! Regardless, this show offered us Martin Mull’s Leon, who goes unsung in the annals of gay supporting characters. He’s a villain, though much of his evildoing has nothing to do with his sexuality, and in this particular episode, his gayness doesn’t even come up — which is unusual, because usually gay supporting characters on sitcoms only show up to be gay and do nothing else. Watch the new season of Ninjago: Dragons Rising June 1 on Netflix! And if you don’t know what a Ninjago is, watch Ninjago Decoded, starting here. Listen to the newest episode of Deep Cuts & Superficial Wounds here. You can now watch Glen’s movie, Being Frank, on Freevee via Amazon Prime. WATCH IT NOW! Go shop at our TeePublic store! Follow: GEE on Facebook • GEE’s Facebook Group • GEE on Twitter • GEE on Instagram • Drew on Twitter • Gle

“Gay” (November 20, 2008) The reviews would have you believe that NBC’s attempt at an American redo of Kath & Kim was without merit and appealing to no one. We’re not so sure, and the fact that its one season on air came around the same time franchises like Real Housewives and RuPaul’s Drag Race were revving up means that there actually an audience for two women who dress trashy but who think they’re hot stuff and whose banter vacillates between friendly and bitchy. It’s not as successful as the Australian source material was, but given a chance to come into its own, could Kath & Kim U.S. grown like the American version of The Office did? Since it’s not streaming anywhere and next to impossible to find online, watch this episode and the pilot here. Need to get pricked? Visit Los Angeles' own Poke Acupuncture! And read the list of episodes we're doing for Backdoor Pilots, our new Patreon series, here. You can now watch Glen’s movie, Being Frank, on Freevee via Amazon Prime. WATCH IT NOW! Go shop at ou

“Gay” (May 23, 2002) A smash hit in its native Australia, Kath & Kim focuses on two suburban women joined by their lack of both good taste and any sort of a clue. The second episode is just titled “Gay,” and to discuss it, we were joined by Glenn Charlie Dunks, a real-life Australian homosexual who’s spent a great deal of time thinking about art, culture and the differences between Australian and American media. He also taught us several vocabulary lessons, because as we learned, we speak English but not necessarily Australian.   And read the list of episodes we're doing for Backdoor Pilots, our new Patreron series, here. Videos referenced in this episode: This episode’s gay panic montage Weddings, the 1994 Australian special that inspired Kath & Kim Fast Forward’s parody of Wilson Phillips Fast Forward’s straight Mardi Gras sketch The Big Girl’s Blouse sketch Gay Olympics Lord of the Rings x Kath & Kim You can now watch Glen’s movie, Being Frank, on Freevee via Amazon Prime. WATCH IT NOW!  

“An Old Flame With a New Wick” (March 1, 2004) Despite the preconceptions you might have about Two and a Half Men, the fact remains that its first season features an episode centered on a trans man... when few other sitcoms ever bothered to tell a story about someone who’s trans and male. In fact, the previous sitcom of note to do a trans man storyline was the previous episode we had guest Henry Giardina on for: the Golden Girls episode with Gil Kessler. In this installment, we discuss why sitcoms are allergic to trans men and why Two and a Half Man, improbably, doesn’t completely fuck this up, even if it’s very early 2000s in its understanding of trans people. Listen to Henry & co. on the Totally Trans podcats. And listen to the the trans man-centric (kinda) episode of The Golden Girls with Henry here. Watch the “best fellatio known to mankind” scene that won Holland Taylor the Emmy for The Practice. You can now watch Glen’s movie, Being Frank, on Freevee via Amazon Prime. WATCH IT NOW! Go shop at 

“What’s in a Name?” (February 16, 1966) On a show all about the zany inhabitants of Hooterville, Ralph Monroe (Mary Grace Canfield) stands out because the most unusual thing about her is her name. She works as a carpenter and dresses for her work, but that name alone is enough that most Hootervillians don’t know what pronoun to use for her. As we discuss with special guest Josh Trujillo, Ralph is not a trans character, but this episode about her seeking a new name so she can get married, offers enough to qualify her as interesting enough to merit her own episode of this podcast… darling. Pre-order Josh's book, WASHINGTON'S GAY GENERAL. You can now watch Glen’s movie, Being Frank, on Freevee via Amazon Prime. WATCH IT NOW! Go shop at our TeePublic store! Follow: GEE on Facebook • GEE’s Facebook Group • GEE on Twitter • GEE on Instagram • Drew on Twitter • Glen on Twitter Listen: Apple Podcasts • Spotify • Stitcher • Google Podcasts • Himalaya • TuneIn And yes, we do have an official website! We even have episo

This is a preview for the Weirdest Episode Ever about the time Darkwing Duck did a parody of Twin Peaks. The full episode is an exclusive for patrons pledging $5 or more a month, but this preview is going on the free feed both as an enticement and also because I share some quotes from Tad Stones, creator of Darkwing Duck, about how this strange piece of TV came to be. If you want to hear the full episode, head over to our Patreon and pledge at the $5-a-month level; you’ll not only get all WEEs so far but also every episode of the new miniseries, Backdoor Pilots, launching next month. Let’s get dangerous! For a history of the Scrooge McDuck comics and how they ended up onscreen as Ducktales, listen to the What a Cartoon episode about it.   Why yes, Drew did in fact compile a list of all the instances of doubling on the original Twin Peaks.   Watch Sesame Street’s own Twin Peaks parody, which is also called Twin Beaks.

“Sonny Boy” (February 12, 1981) Is it surprising that TV’s most famous drag sitcom never dared to do anything actually gay? It shouldn’t be! And for all that could end up going wrong with this premise, this episode, concerning Peter Scolari’s character having to explain to his mother why he’s wearing a dress, weirdly (and probably accidentally) gets a lot right about coming out. It’s a story about someone saying it doesn’t matter whether anyone understands your decision. As Billy Joel once said, “I don't care what you say anymore / This is my life / Go ahead with your own life / Leave me alone.” Since Bosom Buddies isn’t streaming anywhere, you can watch this episode on our Vimeo. You can now watch Glen’s movie, Being Frank, on Freevee via Amazon Prime. WATCH IT NOW! Listen to Drew talk about R.L. Stine with Kelly Nugent on the Teen Creeps podcast and talk about Jack Hill with James Eldred on the Cinema Oblivia podcast. Go shop at our TeePublic store! Follow: GEE on Facebook • GEE’s Facebook Group • GEE on Tw

“Pawnee Zoo” (September 17, 2009) Okay, fine, we did the Parks & Rec episode you asked for, but here’s the thing: The one were Leslie Knope marries gay penguins is not the pro-gay piece of TV history you think it is. Nowhere in this episode does Leslie ever say she gives a dirty squirt about gays or same-sex marriage. The episode never takes a position, and the fact that it won a GLAAD Media Award makes it all the more galling that “Pawnee Zoo” plays out as Leslie liking positive attention but never saying a single nice thing about gay people. Rate and review us on Apple Podcasts and we’ll read reviews on next week’s ad. YOU CAN MAKE US SAY WHATEVER YOU WANT!!! You can now watch Glen’s movie, Being Frank, on Freevee via Amazon Prime. WATCH IT NOW! Go shop at our TeePublic store! Follow: GEE on Facebook • GEE’s Facebook Group • GEE on Twitter • GEE on Instagram • Drew on Twitter • Glen on Twitter Listen: Apple Podcasts • Spotify • Stitcher • Google Podcasts • Himalaya • TuneIn And yes, we do have an

“Caught on Tape” (November 15, 2000) John Goodman’s follow-up sitcom to Roseanne was Normal, Ohio, which only lasted seven episodes before Fox yanked it from its schedule in late 2000. Unfortunately, the take-away from its failure was that audiences wouldn’t buy a guy like Goodman playing gay, which is perhaps not one of the problems this show needed to fix? This week, special guest / homosexual academic Hollis Griffin joins us to discuss why this show didn’t work and why it’s still worth discussing as a failed imitator to Will & Grace. You can now watch Glen’s movie, Being Frank, on Freevee via Amazon Prime. WATCH IT NOW! Watch the episode we’re discussing on YouTube. Also watch Don’t Ask, the unaired pilot that eventually became this show. Go shop at our TeePublic store! Follow: GEE on Facebook • GEE’s Facebook Group • GEE on Twitter • GEE on Instagram • Drew on Twitter • Glen on Twitter Listen: Apple Podcasts • Spotify • Stitcher • Google Podcasts • Himalaya • TuneIn And yes, we do have an offici

“It Only Hurts When I’m Gay” (October 25, 1985) On paper, the idea of a sitcom taking on the subject of gay bashing seems like the worst idea, but somehow Brothers — TV’s first gay sitcom — manages to tell a real story about violence against gay people while avoiding the hokey “very special episode” tropes. We’re as shocked as anyone how good this turned out, and what’s more, it’s genuinely funny without underselling the gravity of the attack. You can now watch Glen’s movie, Being Frank, on Freevee via Amazon Prime. WATCH IT NOW! Please, watch this episode (and other Brothers episodes!) on YouTube. The posting we used to do this episode only had 36 views as of the time this GEE went live! Go shop at our TeePublic store! Follow: GEE on Facebook • GEE’s Facebook Group • GEE on Twitter • GEE on Instagram • Drew on Twitter • Glen on Twitter Listen: Apple Podcasts • Spotify • Stitcher • Google Podcasts • Himalaya • TuneIn And yes, we do have an official website! We even have episode transcripts courtesy of

“The Child-Stealers” (January 24, 1980) A hundred episodes and one pandemic later, we’re finally returning to the least offensive police precinct in TV history. This sixth-season episode sees the return of Marty and Daryl, the recurring homos at the center of the previous Barney Miller we covered. What results is an interesting look at how police are able and sometimes unable to intervene with homophobia keeps a parent from seeing their child. Listen to our previous Barney Miller episode. Regarding the JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure recommendation at the end of the episode, check out the Retronauts episode that relaunched Drew’s enthusiasm for this series. Also check out the JoJo’s Bizarre Explainer podcast. Listen to Smart Mouth’s popcorn episode and listen to Monday Afternoon Movie’s two-parter with special guest Julie Brown! Go shop at our TeePublic store! Follow: GEE on Facebook • GEE’s Facebook Group • GEE on Twitter • GEE on Instagram • Drew on Twitter • Glen on Twitter Listen: Apple Podcasts • Spotify

“Miss Piggy’s Hollywood” / “First Show” (May 14, 1989) Better known by the segment title, Miss Piggy’s Hollywood, this mostly forgotten bit of TV history aired on NBC in 1989 and more or less works out to be the thing Drew and Glen dreamed into existence: The Comeback but with Miss Piggy. In this half-hour, you see Miss Piggy repeatedly try to assert herself in Hollywood, only to be knocked down every time. Gee, is there a reason gay men are drawn to this character who’s seeking acceptance from a society that refuses to give it to her? Watch Miss Piggy’s Hollywood right now on YouTube. Listen to the Maintenance Phase episode about Elizabeth Taylor’s diet book. Watch: Miss Piggy and Joan Rivers and also Miss Piggy and Herb Alpert. Go shop at our TeePublic store! Follow: GEE on Facebook • GEE’s Facebook Group • GEE on Twitter • GEE on Instagram • Drew on Twitter • Glen on Twitter Listen: Apple Podcasts • Spotify • Stitcher • Google Podcasts • Himalaya • TuneIn And yes, we do have an official website! We

“Lucy Goes to Scotland” (January 6, 1956) It’s our second I Love Lucy episode and also our second “It was all a dream!” installment of Weirdest Episode Ever. So what is to be made of a dream sequence where Lucy Ricardo is ultimately fed to a dragon? Perhaps not much, but if you want to approach it from a perspective of dream analysis, it’s very likely that Lucy’s sacrifice has something to do with Lucille Ball’s impending divorce and her allowing celebrity to triumph over her personal life. And that’s not even saying anything about Vivian Vance and William Frawley playing a two-headed dragon that can’t stand being yoked to its other half. Listen to our previous I Love Lucy outing, about how it just might have made the first gay joke in sitcom history. The logo for Weirdest Episode Ever was designed by Ian O’Phelan. The theme music was composed by Nick Loiacano.

Heads up! We’re talking about The Cosby Show in this episode, and therefore we’re talking about Bill Cosby’s alleged sexual misconduct. We don’t spend too much time on it. That’s mostly addressed in a different Patreon-online episode, which people supporting us at the $5 level or higher can listen to here. This is actually the tenth installment of Weirdest Episode Ever, our newest bonus miniseries. It’s going on the main feed for scheduling reasons I explain in the intro but also this will serve as a nice intro for the next regular GEE we will be recording.  “Cliff’s Nightmare” (January 11, 1990) How do you follow up an mpreg fantasy that also functions as a subconscious exploration of Bill Cosby’s alleged misdeeds? How about an aborted crossover intended to promote Jim Henson’s strangest TV experiment? We couldn’t get to the bottom of exactly how this Cosby Show episode came to be and then came to air, but we can safely say that we understand why Digit and Leon didn’t crossover into the larger Muppet univers

“Bull Gets a Kid” (November 8, 1984) For our second look at Night Court, we opted not for the so-so trans episode “Best of Friends,” which doesn’t really improve on the “my buddy is in town and it turns out is trans” plotline done so well by The Jeffersons. Instead, we are looking at a non-gay, non-trans episode guest starring Bobby Hill herself, Pamela Adlon, as a young girl who pretends to be a boy. There’s actually a lot going on here about gender norms that makes for a more interesting talk than if we have done the explicitly trans episode, we say. Markie Post, we’ll get to you one day. Listen to our previous Night Court epsiode. Also watch the "full cast" opening credits to Night Court, made for the GEE TV episode. Talking Simpsons’ What a Cartoon podcast watched Capitol Critters so you don’t have to. Go shop at our TeePublic store! Follow: GEE on Facebook • GEE’s Facebook Group • GEE on Twitter • GEE on Instagram • Drew on Twitter • Glen on Twitter Listen: Apple Podcasts • Spotify • Stitcher • Goo

“You Can’t Win ’Em All” (February 27, 1985) Sara is a one-season sitcom that first came to our attention via a gag on The Simpsons, the context being that it wasn’t a show worth remembering. The Simpsons was wrong, however, and this Geena Davis vehicle does a lot of what we think ’80s sitcoms don’t do. Namely, it has an out gay character who is allowed to have a sex drive. He’s also more than a set of stereotypical mannerisms but he still reads as gay. And Bronson Pinchot, who one year later would become a sitcom star as Balki on Perfect Strangers, does a great job bringing dimension to this character who should have been on TV for a lot longer. Many thanks to Steven Capsuto for collecting historical context around Sara in his amazing book, Alternate Channels: Queer Images on Twentieth-Century TV, which is a great resource for anyone studying LGBTQ representation in media. Also listen to the episode Steve did with us about Love, Sidney. Thanks to Zach Wilson for giving us access to the video of this ep! You