Gayest Episode Ever

"Single White Male" (January 7, 1995) Even if you were the kind of person who watched all of NBC's Saturday night sitcoms back in the day, the following things may surprise you: 1) Empty Nest is a solid sitcom. 2) Empty Nest was a strong ratings performer that often beat the show it spun off from, The Golden Girls. 3) Empty Nest was still on in 1995. 4) When it uses the "f"-slur, it actually uses it appropriately — to mark someone as being heinously gauche. Watch the interview where Rita Moreno talks about hating the filming of the backdoor pilot to Empty Nest. Read the Slate article about how Drew's tweet inspired an SNL sketch. Also read the Slate article about the history of the effeminate wrist. Buy the first issue of Drew and Glen's new comic anthology, Beyond Sunset. 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: iTunes • Spotify • Stitcher • Google Play • Google Podcasts • Himalaya • TuneIn And yes, we do have an official website! We even have episode transcripts courtesy of Sarah Neal. Our logo was designed by Rob Wilson. This episode's art was designed by Ian O'Phelan. This episode was edited by Meika Grimm. This is a TableCakes podcast.

"Turkey in a Can" (November 24, 2013) Why did the fourth-season Thanksgiving episode of Bob's Burgers make some people think Bob Belcher is bisexual? In short, it's a single line — "I'm mostly straight" — but the real answer is a more complicated one that has to do with the show's queer sensibility, its overall gentle nature and the fact that Bob is a TV patriarch who operates differently than Homer Simpson and Peter Griffin. Who's the real sloppy bear? Read the Mary Sue's piece on Bob Belcher being a bi icon, which is probably the best-written argument in favor of this. 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: iTunes • Spotify • Stitcher • Google Play • Google Podcasts • Himalaya • TuneIn And yes, we do have an official website! We even have episode transcripts courtesy of Sarah Neal. Our logo was designed by Rob Wilson. This episode's art was designed by Ian O'Phelan. This episode was edited by Meika Grimm. This is a TableCakes podcast.

"The Play's the Thing" (November 17, 1992) The big joke with Full House never did a gay episode despite being a show about three men cohabitating and coparenting in San Francisco. However, the fifth season introduced Derek (Blake McIver Ewing), a new friend for Michelle who's well-mannered, soft-spoken and really good at showtunes. We'd argue that Derek, while young, still comes off as a queer-coded character, and the fact the actor himself would later come out makes the performance all the more interesting. Submit your pitch for issue two of Beyond Sunset here. Also buy the first issue of Beyond Sunset. Watch the unaired Full House pilot with John Posey playing the Bob Saget role Watch a pre-Full House Bob Saget on the CBS Morning Show Watch Lori Loughlin play Black Canary on the WB Birds of Prey before her Full House co-star Jurnee Smollett played her in the Birds of Prey movie The history of "Yankee Doodle," via Atlas Obscura 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: iTunes • Spotify • Stitcher • Google Play • Google Podcasts • Himalaya • TuneIn And yes, we do have an official website! We even have episode transcripts courtesy of Sarah Neal. Our logo was designed by Rob Wilson. This episode's art was designed by Ian O'Phelan. This episode was edited by Meika Grimm. This is a TableCakes podcast.

"Portrait of a Lackey on Fire" (November 21, 2021) Either we traveled to the future or the showrunner of The Simpsons reached out and asked us if we want to preview a new Smithers-centric episode airing this Sunday. Maybe both? This new episode happens to be written by Rob LaZebnik (a straight) and Johnny LaZebnik (his son, a gay), and we spoke with both of them about how they write together, what it's like growing up gay in the shadow of Smithers and what it means that Helen Lovejoy is down with the gays. Follow Rob and Johnny on Twitter! Watch "Smithers & Beyond: Every LGBT Joke on The Simpsons" if you haven't already and you have 2.5 hours to kill. And if we're talking about stuff we did, listen to the "Glen Writes a Golden Girls" episode. Also listen to the story about how Gayest Episode Ever helped get Tony Rodriguez cast as the new Julio on The Simpsons. We are extra special stoked on the art for this episode, which if you're not seeing on your podcast app of choice you should check out on the main website. It's by Ian O'Phelan, who has done all the episode art this season and whom you should hire to draw more cool stuff. Check out his art here. Buy the first issue of Drew and Glen's new comic anthology, Beyond Sunset. 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: iTunes • Spotify • Stitcher • Google Play • Google Podcasts • Himalaya • TuneIn And yes, we do have an official website! We even have episode transcripts courtesy of Sarah Neal. Our logo was designed by Rob Wilson. This episode's art was designed by Ian O'Phelan. This episode was edited by Meika Grimm. This is a TableCakes podcast.

"The New Girl, Part One" and "The New Girl, Part Two" (November 19 and 26, 1980) True, the first episode of The Facts of Life is the one that comes closest to addressing LGBT issues, but so much of Jo and Blair's relationship treads close that we are returning to discuss Nancy McKeon's two-part introduction to the show. Librarian and Facts of Life scholar Erin Fletcher joins us to discuss the many layers to Jo and many lines that, upon second thought, seem like they might be double entendres. Listen to our first Facts of Life episode, "Blair Warner Is a Homophobe" Read The L Chat, a message board charting a longstanding history of queer women shipping Jo and Blair Watch Facts of Life co-creators Dick Clair and Jenna McMahon playing hetero husband and wife on The Ed Sullivan Show Watch Sara Gilbert tell Lisa Whelchel on The Talk that yep, Jo was gay "Literally the gayest ship that has ever existed" but also this Jo/Blair montage set to "Good for Me" by Amy Grant "the story inside my head of how jo and blair get together (aka the /real/ facts of life)" Willona vs. Chip Fields on Good Times Buy the first issue of Drew and Glen's new comic anthology, Beyond Sunset. 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: iTunes • Spotify • Stitcher • Google Play • Google Podcasts • Himalaya • TuneIn And yes, we do have an official website! We even have episode transcripts courtesy of Sarah Neal. Our logo was designed by Rob Wilson. This episode's art was designed by Ian O'Phelan. This episode was edited by Meika Grimm. This is a TableCakes podcast.

"Michelangelo Meets Mondo Gecko" (September 14, 1991) It's finally here: The Cartoons That Made Us Gay, our new Patreon-exclusive bonus podcast, focused on queer readings of the cartoons of our youth. While this series will comprise ten episodes only available on our Patreon feed, we're putting the first part of the first episode on the main feed to show off what we're doing. To listen to the full version of this episode, all you need to do is pledge $1 a month on Patreon and subscribe to the Patreon-only feed for fancy people in your podcast app of choice. It's easy! You should do it! But we're biased! This episode focuses on the 1987 run of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles — specifically "Michelangelo Meets Mondo Gecko," which is all about Mike being drawn to the man (or man-gecko) of his dreams, and we couldn't think of a weirder way to kick off this new podcast project. In doing this episode, we hoped to make this cartoon series accessible even for people who have never watched the show, but let us know how we did. Coming up next: Jem and The Holograms! The logo for The Cartoons That Made Us Gay was designed by Jeff Hinchee. Show notes that will make more sense if you listen to the full episode on Patreon: In case you're not familiar with the "Asian cliche" musical motif Harry Nilsson's "The Point" Listen to Matt Baume's interview with Cam Clarke Was April O'Neil whitewashed? Queer readings of kids shows, previously: He-Man with special guest Henry Gilbert Fraggle Rock with special guest Matt Baume Dungeons & Dragons Dinosaurs 80s Cartoons with special guest Ted Biaselli Harley & Ivy Follow: GEE on Facebook • GEE's Facebook Group • GEE on Twitter • GEE on Instagram • Drew on Twitter • Glen on Twitter Listen: iTunes • Spotify • Stitcher • Google Play • Google Podcasts • Himalaya • TuneIn And yes, we do have an official website! We even have episode transcripts courtesy of Sarah Neal. This episode was edited by Meika Grimm. This is a TableCakes podcast.

The Paul Lynde Halloween Special (October 29, 1976) It's the first TableCakes crossover! But is Gayest Episode Ever making an appearance on Monday Afternoon Monday or vice versa? Who cares! The point is that Sam Pancake — actor, comedian and host of MAM — is discussing The Paul Lynde Halloween Special with Drew and Glen in all its vintage bonkers badness. If there is one significant difference in this episode, it's probably that it's light on clips because 1) the jokes aren't great and 2) Sam does a good enough impression of Paul Lynde that he can spare you from having to listen to the original audio. Watch this special right now on YouTube, if you want to for some weird reason. Subscribe to Monday Afternoon Monday and, in particular, listen to Drew's episode about the Valerie Harper made-for-TV shocker Don't Go to Sleep. Also the episode with Drew "Other Drew" Droege is great. Listen to Deep Cuts & Superficial Wounds' three-hour all-music, no-talk Halloween special Listen to the Singing Mountain Halloween finale Listen to Smart Mouth episodes: Circus Peanuts / Persimmons / Chocolate Chip Cookies / Ice Cream Floats Listen to the previous GEE episodes about Jennifer Slept Here and Bewitched. Also here is the clip from The Critic that Drew mentions. Buy the first issue of Drew and Glen's new comic anthology, Beyond Sunset. 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: iTunes • Spotify • Stitcher • Google Play • Google Podcasts • Himalaya • TuneIn And yes, we do have an official website! We even have episode transcripts courtesy of Sarah Neal. Our logo was designed by Rob Wilson. This episode's art was designed by Ian O'Phelan. This episode was edited by Meika Grimm. This is a TableCakes podcast.

"Nightmare on Oak Street" (November 23, 1987) We had to break format to do it, but at long last, we are talking about The Hogan Family… a.k.a. Valerie, a.k.a. Valerie's Family. And yes the history of how this one sitcom had three different names is explained, but more to the point we ask why a show that killed off its title character would choose to confront its young viewers just a few weeks later with zombie horror — and worst of all, the Zombie Sandy Duncan. The Associates, the lawyer sitcom starring Martin Short and created by Hogan Family creator Charlie Hauck is, after all, available on YouTube. Jaime Weinman's 2008 Maclean's piece on why Valerie Harper left the show provided many details in my recapping on the incident. Buy the first issue of Drew and Glen's new comic anthology, Beyond Sunset. 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: iTunes • Spotify • Stitcher • Google Play • Google Podcasts • Himalaya • TuneIn And yes, we do have an official website! We even have episode transcripts courtesy of Sarah Neal. Our logo was designed by Rob Wilson. This episode's art was designed by Ian O'Phelan. This is a TableCakes podcast.

"PIlot" (1993) This unsold pilot, featuring JoBeth Williams as an aging actress in 1930s Hollywood, represents writer Joe Keenan's attempt at selling NBC a TV series with a gay sensibility back in 1993. And while Gloria Vane never made it to air, its legacy lives on in Frasier, as Keenan joined the Frasier writers' room and ended up penning some of the series queerest and most farcical episodes. Even without that Frasier connection, however, Gloria Vane would still merit its own very special episode, because it's very funny and very queer. Watch the Gloria Vane pilot on YouTube. Watch Dear Diary, the unsold Bebe Neuwirth pilot that won an Oscar. Buy the first issue of Drew and Glen's new comic anthology, Beyond Sunset. 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: iTunes • Spotify • Stitcher • Google Play • Google Podcasts • Himalaya • TuneIn And yes, we do have an official website! We even have episode transcripts courtesy of Sarah Neal. Our logo was designed by Rob Wilson. This episode's art was designed by Ian O'Phelan. This is a TableCakes podcast.

"The Love Lesson" (Jan. 22, 1980) Heads up: The gender politics in this one are all fucked up, and a lie results in a character getting misgendered in a way that won't be funny to every listener. However, it's not the whole of the episode. When Mr. Furley catches Jack necking with a woman, Jack lies and says this woman is actually a man. Naturally, Mr. Furley offers to teach Jack how to be heterosexual. Listen to the What a Cartoon episode on Laverne and Shirley in the Army and get a nice primer on the extended Happy Days universe. Listen to our previous Three's Company episode. Listen to an NPR piece on Jim Sullivan's UFO. Smart Mouth is back! Listen to it! Monday Afternoon Movie is also back! Listen to it! Also Singing Mountain is ending! Listen to it! Support us on Patreon! 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: iTunes • Spotify • Stitcher • Google Play • Google Podcasts • Himalaya • TuneIn And yes, we do have an official website! We even have episode transcripts courtesy of Sarah Neal. Our logo was designed by Rob Wilson. This episode's art was designed by Ian O'Phelan. This is a TableCakes podcast.