A colonialist and conqueror, upholder of ideals of English masculinity, and religious fanatic; possessed of a powerful death wish. “Yes, that is flesh, that is what I hate, and what makes me wish to die.” ----more---- Ellis, Heather, and Jessica Meyer, eds. Masculinity and the Historical Other. Cambridge: Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 2009. Faught, C. Brad. Gordon: Victorian Hero. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 2009. Pollock, John. Gordon: The Man Behind The Legend. London: Constable Books, 1993. Our intro music is Arpeggia Colorix by Yann Terrien, downloaded from WFMU's Free Music Archive and distributed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Our outro music is by DJ Michaeloswell Graphicsdesigner.

Enlightenment monarch! Composer of hundreds of flute concertos. Emerged from the “sandbox of the Holy Roman Empire" to conquer vast swaths of Europe! Built a giant pink palace his wife wasn't allowed to visit. Worst dad in Bad Gays history? "Everything that speaks to eyes and touches hearts, Was found in the fond object that enflamed his parts."  ----more---- SOURCES: Blanning, Tim. Frederick the Great: King of Prussia. New York: Random House, 2016. Gaines, James. Evening in the Palace of Reason: Bach Meets Frederick the Great in the Age of Enlightenment. New York: Harper Collins, 2010. Hadley, Kathryn (with Vanessa de Senarclens). "Frederick the Great's Erotic Poem." HistoryToday, 21 September, 2011. https://www.historytoday.com/frederick-greats-erotic-poem The brief excerpt of Frederick the Great's Flute Concerto in C Major, No. 3, is performed by Emmanuel Pahud and the Kammerakademie Potsdam, led by Trevor Pinnock at the Harpsichord; we claim "fair use" for quotation and illustration purposes and encourage listeners who appreciate the extraordinary performance to purchase or legally stream it in full. Our intro music is Arpeggia Colorix by Yann Terrien, downloaded from WFMU's Free Music Archive and distributed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Our outro music is by DJ Michaeloswell Graphicsdesigner.

A vituperative satirist who made kings tremble. Also, he wrote this: My fingers are but stragglers at the rear, Who go a-foraging for what they find; And they are not ashamed to lag behind, Since there’s no foe in front they need to fear. They’ve wandered through a tufted valley near. And you yourself have said they were most kind, And so, I know, my lady will not mind If they see other booty, nor think it queer.  And yet, it may be, you prefer the Lance; Then, let your stragglers reconnoiter, sweet, And guide him like a blind man to safe cover. He is no coward, since he takes a chance. Though he, my dear, has neither eyes nor feet; For a soldier always makes a perfect lover! ----more---- SOURCES: Aretino, Pietro. The school of whoredom. London: Hesperus, 2003.   ———. The secret life of nuns. London: Hesperus, 2004.   Burckhardt, Jacob. The Civilization of the Renaissance in Italy. Penguin Classics. London, England ; New York, N.Y., USA: Penguin Books, 1990.   Marrapodi, Michele, ed. Shakespeare and the Italian Renaissance: Appropriation, Transformation, Opposition. Anglo-Italian Renaissance Studies Series. Farnham, Surrey ; Burlington, VT: Ashgate, 2014.   Talvacchia, Bette. Taking Positions: On the Erotic in Renaissance Culture. Princeton, N.J: Princeton University Press, 1999. Our intro music is Arpeggia Colorix by Yann Terrien, downloaded from WFMU's Free Music Archive and distributed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Our outro music is by DJ Michaeloswell Graphicsdesigner.

"The man who shot Versace." Vague intimations of homosexuality as a form of bloody death. A pure expression of the poisonous narcissism of American celebrity culture. The dark heart of evil twink energy. A black hole of gay narcissism. Black holes are attractors. We risk being sucked in.  ----more---- SOURCES: Goldberg, Michelle. "The Gay Golem." Metroactive, May 13-19, 1999. http://www.metroactive.com/papers/metro/05.13.99/cunanan-9919.html Indiana, Gary. Three Month Fever. (Reprint.) Los Angeles: Semiotext(e), 2017. Orth, Maureen. Vulgar Favors: Andrew Cunanan, Gianni Versace, and the Largest Failed Manhunt in U. S. History. New York: Doubleday, 1999.  Our intro music is Arpeggia Colorix by Yann Terrien, downloaded from WFMU's Free Music Archive and distributed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Our outro music is by DJ Michaeloswell Graphicsdesigner.    

Plutarch, the first evil twink, discusses Alexander the Great's prophecies and conquests in ancient Greece. The podcast explores his rise to power, controversial relationships, and legacy as a gay icon. It delves into petarastic relationships in Greek society and debates the complex interpretation of historical figures' sexuality.

For the first of our very special interview episodes, we welcome the artist and writer Sholem Krishtalka to talk about Andy Warhol. How did a shy, fey outsider become the ultimate art world insider? And what price did his superstars pay for the fame he exposed them to? ----more---- SOURCES: Andy Warhol  (New York: Viking, 2001). A Low Life in High Heels: The Holly Woodlawn Story. (New York: Perennial, 1992). Warhol, Andy. The Andy Warhol Diaries. (New York: Warner Books, 1989).

Thanks to your support, Season 2 is incoming. And stay tuned for special guests in the weeks to come...

The podcast delves into the complex life of Roy Cohn, highlighting his controversial legacy and connections to figures like McCarthy and Trump. It explores the impact of McCarthyism on marginalized groups and discusses masculinity, ideology, and the diverse political stances within the gay community. The episode wraps up with gratitude for listeners and teases a potential second season.

Young, wealthy, in love - Leopold and Loeb's shocking murder, Hitchcock's inspiration, Nietzsche's Ubermensch, the 'perfect crime' unraveling, 'gay panic defense', inmate growth, pathologization of homosexuality, societal reflections

This episode explores the story of Ronnie Kray, a British thug and murderer who became a popular hero. The podcast discusses postwar British attitudes towards homosexuality and the contrast between Ronnie Kray's openly gay identity and the romanticized image of the Kray twins. It also delves into the liberalization of culture and social policy in the UK, and the complexities of Ronnie Kray's history and reception.