mattbaume posts
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Sewers of Paris: A Strange Kind of Family (Ep 484 - Grey Gardens & Second Life/Tony & Brad)
Tony Maiettaand Brad Shreveare the co-hosts on the podcast Going Hollywood, where they talk about their favorite films. And on this week’s Sewers of Paris, we’ve got a double feature — first an interview with Tony and then an interview with Brad. Tony’s an actor-turned-writer whose books include The Marble Faun of Grey Gardens, which he wrote after a chance encounter with The Marble Faun himself. And Brad’s a writer of queer mystery novels, though he went through a pretty rough time before his writing career took shape — spiraling t...
Bonus Video! Paris is Burning & My So-Called Life
Hello there!For this week's bonus video, we're taking a look at the origins of Rickie Vasquez on My So-Called Life -- and how the show took inspiration from the documentary Paris is Burning,as well as from Prince and Jimi Hendrix, to create him. Plus: Some really fine acting by Claire Danes, and a strange Grungus-related mystery.You can get a copy of Freak, Geeks, and Dawson's Creek, which I reference in this video,here: https://amzn.to/3yZCXjk
Sewers of Paris: I Got Excommunicated (Ep 483 - House of Heat/Koaty & Sumner Blayne)
This week on The Sewers of Paris, I’m chatting with two guests, Koaty and Sumner Blayne. They’re adult performers, they’re a real-life couple, and they’re two of the stars of the new reality series House of Heat, which centers on a house full of porn performers. So how did a structural engineer and a nice Mormon boy wind up in that particular line of work?
Bonus Video! Unexpected Allies at the Top of the Disney Corporation
Hello there!For this week's bonus video, we're taking a look at how the Disney corporation went from being surprisingly debauched in the 1920s ... to pretty intolerant of gays ... to a place that (compared to other companies) was relatively welcoming by the 1990s. So, why did Disney executives start welcoming queer employees -- was it out of sheer human decency? Hahaha, no, it was money all along.Come join me on Twitch for a stream today at noon pacific/3pm eastern -- we'll be watching & discussing a documentary about the making of ...
Sewers of Paris: An Angry Phone Call from Faye Dunaway (Ep 482 - Mommie Dearest/A. Ashley Hoff)
My guest this week is A. Ashley Hoff, author of the new book With Love, Mommie Dearest: The Making of an Unintentional Camp Classic. In it, Hoff chronicles the making and cultural impact of a particularly iconic film, and seeks to understand how such a weird piece of culture got made … and why it’s become so important to so many people.We’ll have that conversation in a moment. First, if you’re enjoying The Sewers of Paris, I hope you’ll consider supporting the show on Patreon.Patrons get access to an exclusive Discord server, stickers...
Bonus videos! The clever tricks hidden in the Little Shop end-of-the-world finale
Hello there!For this week's bonus video, we're taking a closer look at the gorgeous (and seldom-seen) original ending of Little Shop of Horrors -- including some especially crafty techniques that turned a slow-moving four-foot robot into a 120-foot-tall monster. We've got overcranked cameras, 3D printing, a puppet in disguise, and my favorite little magic trick of all: magnets!Also, graveyard turkeys.
Sewers of Paris: The Grateful Dead at a Christian College (Ep 481: Grateful Dead/Jason Durant)
My guest this week on the Sewers of Parispodcast is Dr. Jason Durant, a New York based therapist who kicked himself out of the closet with some help from jam bands and a crush on a straight boy. It was discovering The Grateful Dead while at a Christian college that helped him come to terms with himself. And a job on a pot farm that led him to complete a degree in psychology.Jason has a new book out about his experiences, entitled Boy From the North Country: A Queer Therapist Looks Back at Overcoming Trauma With Mindfulness. You can find it here...
Sewers of Paris: What Makes You Stand Out (Ep 480 - The Little Mermaid/Terry Blas)
As you may have heard, I have a new YouTube video coming this weekend about Howard Ashman, the lyricist behind The Little Mermaidamong many other works. So for this week’s episode, we’re diving into the Sewers archives to revisit my 2016 interview with artist Terry Blas. Terry was inspired to become an artist after seeing The Little Mermaid — and it helped him figure out how he could navigate the world wearing a variety of hats: Nerdy, Hispanic, Mormon, gay, comic illustrator.In the near-decade since I first interviewed Terry, he’s prod...
Bonus Video! All of the amazing actresses who almost played Ursula
You would not BELIEVE some of the actresses they considered for Ursula in The Little Mermaid, and for this week's bonus video we're taking a look at some of the most surprising. Mrs. Garrett from The Facts of Life?!?!?!Also -- take a gander at Pat Carroll (who eventually landed the role) in this amazing appearance on The Merv Griffin Show, with a bonus appearance by some young up-and-comer named Patti LuPone: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qFEdZjhFtiwAnd Charlotte Rae in The Worst Witch-- I hope this is what Agatha All Alongis like: ht...
Sewers of Paris: A Lonely Dramatic Experience (Ep 479: Who Framed Roger Rabbit/Greg Lockard)
My guest this on this week's Sewers of Paris podcastis Greg Lockard, author of the graphic novels Liebestrasseand Trick Pony. Greg’s career in comics started on the business side, handling paperwork and contracts, but he always felt he had stories inside him trying to burst out. So when an opportunity to climb the corporate ladder came, he was faced with a tricky choice — stay in the office, or break away from that job security to strike out on his own with a gay love story he’d been waiting to tell.
Matt's So-Cast Pod: Resolutions (with Aaron Berman)
Happy 1995! On this week's podcast, it's a new year and time to make some resolutions ... which will almost immediately be broken. Angela wants to stop being so introspective (although on second thought, maybe not), Patty wants to stop being so suspicious, Danielle wants to wear makeup ... and Rickie wants a place to live, which puts everyone else's resolutions into perspective. Mr. Katimsky, recently having sworn off coffee, wants to help, but can't -- for reasons that will become SHOCKINGLY (for the 90s) clear.Breaking it down...
Bonus Video! How One Disney Executive Nearly Ruined The Little Mermaid
Hello there! For this week's bonus video, Ollie and I have a story for you about the time Jeffrey Katzenberg nearly ruined The Little Mermaid, and how Howard Ashman fought tooth and nail to stop Disney execs from making one of the worst calls in movie history. Plus! A montage of New Yorkers absolutely HATING New York, as a treat.
Sewers of Paris: Royalties and a Husband (Ep 478 - Let my People Come/Eric Marcus of Making Gay History)
You may have seen that this week’s bonus videois about a bizarre Broadway-ish show called Let My People Come. It’s a musical so strange I couldn’t believe it was real the first time I heard of it — which happened right here on this podcast several years ago. For this week’s episode of the Sewers of Parispodcast, we’re revisiting my 2017 conversation with Eric Marcus. He’s a writer, journalist, and creator of the Making Gay Historypodcast, and when we last spoke he opened my eyes to a truly incredible piece of showbiz history.
Matt's So-Cast Pod: So-Called Angels (with H. Alan Scott, Kerri Doherty, Cindy Howes, and Alonso Duralde)
It's Christmas this week on the So-Cast Pod, but the yuletide is not particularly gay for Rickie, who has been cast out of the house and has nowhere to go. Fortunately, a mysterious folk singer appears to watch over him (kind of? A little unclear how she's actually helping) and Patty's two Christmas wishes are that the family go to church and that Brian shut the hell up for once. Meanwhile, Danielle points out that all this talk about religion is putting a real damper on the Christmas season.We've got a cavalcade of podcast gues...
Bonus Video! The Weird Broadway Saga of "Let My People Come"
Picture it: New York, 1974, and you're going out on the town for a night of classy theatrical delights ... at a new off-Broadway show called Let My People Come. This was an absolutely real, actual show that became an unlikely hit, and also touched off a years-long controversy (but not for the reasons you might expect).Join me for livestreams on Twitch, every Sunday at noon pacific, here: http://twitch.tv/mattbaumeIf you'd like to listen to some of the tunes from this show (they're not great, but they are extremely dirty), here are s...
Sewers of Paris: What Feels Euphoric to Me (Ep 477: JP Karliak/X-Men '97)
Returning to TheSewers of Paristhis week is voice actor JP Karliak— you heard him as the voice of Morph on X-Men '97, but he’s also been keeping busy with lots of other projects, from advocating for up-and-coming queer voice actorsto performing alongside Rhianna in an upcoming Smurfs movie. We last spoke in 2020, and a lot has happened since then — both in JP’s career, and in voice acting in general.
Matt's So-Cast Pod: On The Wagon (with Aaron Berman)
This week on the podcast: We've reached episode 14, in which Rayanne is one month sober -- but alas, she's starting to get a little fidgety. Can Angela and Rickie keep her from slipping back into old habits? Especially now that Angela has her hands full trying to figure out what her relationship with Jordan has become. Meanwhile, Patty learns a thing or two about Kurt Vonnegut.Joining me to break it down is Aaron Berman, author of an upcoming book about My So-Called Life called So Beautiful it Hurts. (Check out Aaron's MSCL communit...
Bonus Video! Howard Ashman's lost & forgotten projects
Hello there!For this week's bonus video, we're taking a look at some of Howard Ashman's more obscure projects -- a fun ode to a cow; some songs rescued from Little Shops' cutting room floor; and an impossibly weird number written for Garfield, Alf, the Chipmunks, Tigger, and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.Here are full versions of the projects I mention in this video:Aria for a Cow: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dLftRtEwPi4Songs cut from Little Shop: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xboPDGheVAICartoon All-Stars: https://www.y...
Sewers of Paris: The Performance of Sex (Ep 476: Gay Porn/Christopher Rice)
This week I’m chatting with Christopher Rice, a returning guest who’s just published a fourth book in his steamy “Sapphire Cove” series. This latest novel, entitled Sapphire Dawn, features a plucky porn performer butting heads with an unlucky-in-love wedding planner. Christopher, writing under the name C. Travis Rice, did a lot of research to make sure he captured the realities of the adult industry — both good and bad.
Bonus video! Some of my archive discoveries in LA
Hello there!I'm in Los Angeles this week, combing through various film and TV archives, and I've found some fun tidbits for upcoming videos. A few highlights: A bizarre misunderstanding of queer fashion from the 1960s; an invitation to a gay ashram; and what appears to be a true crime magazine that's really secretly a magazine for BDSM enthusiasts of the 1940s. Plus an illuminating collection of documents that show how the entertainment industry responded the Howard Ashman's passing right before the release of Beauty and the Bea...
Hollywood Pride (Ep 475: Queer Hollywood History/Alonso Duralde)
My guest on this week's Sewers of Parisis Alonso Duralde, author of the new book Hollywood Pride, a fascinating historical tour through queer Hollywood history. If Alonso’s name sounds familiar, you might recall him from several past Sewers of Paris conversations, or from the movie and TV podcasts he hosts with his husband Dave White — two men of excellent taste and encyclopedic knowledge of entertainment history.
Matt's So-Cast Pod: Pressure (with the 80s TV Ladies)
On the podcast this week: No longer content with the boiler room assignations, this week Jordan's nagging Angela to explore more a more carnal pastime, but she's not sure she's ready -- so she borrows an erotic VHS tape from Sharon, and before long everyone's staring, transfixed, and lithe bodies kneading dough. Meanwhile, Graham brings Hallie Lowenthal and her fiancé into his kitchen and prepares a dinner that appears to be some kind of apple-fish?????Diving into this adult adventure are Sharon Johnson and Susan Lambert Hatem ...
Bonus video! The scrappy little theater that saved Disney
You've probably never heard of the Workshop of the Player's Art, but this grungy little 99-seat theater had a colossal impact on American culture -- and helped save Disney animation in the 90s. In this week's bonus video I want to tell you about how a bunch of scrappy theater kids managed to turn a failing fire-trap into a cultural institution, thanks in part to a creative innovation borrowed from, of all people, 19th-century composer Richard Wagner.Here's the full Babe Ruth song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uYK012Vdc8s
The Best of The Sewers of Paris: Science Fiction
Apologies for this week's episode coming a day late! I'm just catching up between Pride events and a power outage that halted editing for a bit. But here's the latest Sewers of Paris, continuing the monthlong Pride specials with excerpts from some of the best conversations I’ve had over the last nine years.This week, we’re talking about science fiction. We’ll hear from folks for whom sci-fi was an escape … and also an inspiration for future work, from throwing parties to inventing the technology that powers the Internet, to ...
Matt's So-Cast Pod: Self-Esteem (with Sam Pirie)
On the podcast this week, we're back from our little summer vacation and ready to tackle some saucy secrets. Angela's sneaking off to the boiler room with Jordan for make-out sessions, but that sneaking is starting to take a toll. Meanwhile Graham is the star pupil in his cooking class, but something may be cooking between him and a fellow student. And Rickie's aghast at the new English teacher's suggestion that he might want to join Drama Club.Helping us break it all down is the delightful Sam Pirie. And then James and I discu...
Bonus video! The Plant that ate (Off) Broadway
Hello there!For this week's bonus video, we're heading back in time to a scrappy little off-off Broadway theater where a frustrated lyricist named Howard Ashman has decided he's going to make a musical out of the weirdest material imaginable: A schlocky B-movie about a killer plant from space. It seemed like a terrible idea, but it wound up being a success beyond what anyone could have imagined -- and I want to show you some of the fun behind-the-scenes making-of materials I've gathered, particularly as pertains to the building ...
The Best of The Sewers of Paris: Comic Books
This week, I’m continuing the monthlong Pride special, bringing you excerpts from some of the very best Sewers of Parisconversations I’ve had over the last nine years.This week, we’re talking comics books. We’ll start with a conversation with writer Andrew Wheeler, whose tales of adventure and intrigue stand in sharp contrast to his domestic life. Then moving on to artist DJ Kirkland, who pursued his dreams in spite of — or maybe in order to spite — a particularly mean art school teacher. Then we’ll hear from artist Justin Hall, w...
Bonus Video! The Little Mermaid's Humble Origins in a Broadway Flop
Hello there!I just got back from my big trip to New York & Toronto and boy are my arms tired. I got a TON of great research done in some performing arts archives, and I'll share some highlights with you here: The original flyer for Little Shop of Horrors, a picture of Lucille Ball getting eaten by a plant, and also the song that Jodi Benson (the voice of Ariel in The Little Mermaid) sang in a Broadway show called Smilethat was a total disaster, but wound up changing her life when it got the attention of some very powerful people. Here'...
The Best of The Sewers of Paris: Musicals!
On this week's Sewers of Paris, I’m continuing the monthlong Pride special, bringing you excerpts from some of the very best conversations I’ve had over the last nine years. On this episode, we’re talking musicals — a roundup of conversations about songs on stage and on screen. We’ll start with a conversation about Pippinwith voice actor Cam Clarke; then moving on to Rocky Horrorwith a programmer named Matt; then a chat about Sondheim with NPR’s Ari Shapiro; and finally a talk with Gregory Maguire, author of the novel Wicked.And...
Bonus video! Don't be Alarmed, Judi Dench is SUPPOSED to Sound Like That
Hello from New York!I'm back for some more archive research, and also a big fabulous Pride event at the Toronto Public Library (to which you're invited! Details below!) ... but that won't stop me from recording a bonus video on some random overpass with a weird clunky-looking building in the background. On this week's gay agenda, I want to show you what happened when Judi Dench was cast as Sally Bowles in the London version of Cabaret ... much to Judi's initial horror. And also take a look at how she compares to Liza, as wel...
