SBG 129: Steel Magnolias with Ali Clayton

Welcome back to Lez Hang Out, the podcast that has a Southern accent now, y'all. 

This week, Leigh (@lshfoster) and Ellie (@elliebrigida) hang out with dyslexic southern pageant girl turned Brooklyn lesbian comedian, Ali Clayton (@aliclaytoncomedy) to talk about why the 1989 dramedy Steel Magnolias Should’ve Been Gay. Ali is the co-host of the Y’all Gay Podcast (@yallgaypod) and recently released her debut comedy album, Country Queer. We couldn’t think of anyone more perfect to chat with about this classic Southern throwback.

Steel Magnolias stars Dolly Parton, Sally Field, Shirley MacLaine, and Julia Roberts. It follows the story of a group of southern women in a small Louisiana town and the friendships they forge. Dolly’s character runs a beauty salon and between the beauticians and the clients, there is always tea to be spilled. Although Ellie and Leigh had not previously seen this film, they knew one major thing- that the movie is extremely sad. We’d be remiss not to give the disclaimer that you will absolutely need an entire box of tissues when watching this film. 

Pretty much every woman in this movie is a huge dyke. The overarching theme is that being married to a man is somewhat better than dying young, but only by a really, really small margin. No one has anything nice to say about their husbands. The basic plot can be boiled down to “f*ck men” and “hurray for female friendships”. This makes it the perfect candidate for us when thinking about ships, there are so many to choose from! We talk with Ali about her personal experience with watching Steel Magnolias in the 90s, performing in Reba Drag at 8 years old, and growing up in the pageant world. 

We know one thing for sure, Steel Magnolias Should’ve Been Gay. 

Follow us on Twitter: (@lezhangoutpod) and answer our Q & Gay questions at the end of every episode. You can also join us on Facebook.com/lezhangoutpod and Instagram (@lezhangoutpod). Find us individually on Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok at Leigh (@lshfoster) and Ellie (@elliebrigida).

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