"The One With the Lesbian Wedding"(January 18, 1996)

Carol and Susan forever! In our previous look at Friends, we concluded that the ten-season sitcom put homosexuality in a bad light. Around the same time, everyone else concluded that as well, but what if season two's "The One With the Lesbian Wedding" actually doesn't suck so hard? Emelie Burnette Battaglia Balenciaga returns to talk about the episode the second Friends episode that ties LGBT issues with a recently deceased old lady.

"So Was Friends Homophobic?" by Kelsey Miller

"Homophobic Friends," a 50-minute supercut of Friends' lamest LGBT moments

Support us on Patreon!

Buy or rent Glen's movie, Being Frank, on iTunes

Check out A Love Bizarre, Los Angeles' No. 1 best queer art space:

Follow: GEE on Twitter • Drew on Twitter • Glen on Twitter

Listen: iTunes • Spotify • Stitcher • Google Play • Google Podcasts • Himalaya • TuneIn

And yes, we do have an official website! And we even have episode transcripts courtesy of Sarah Neal. Our logo was designed by Rob Wilson.

This is a TableCakes podcast.

This episode's outro track is "Nobody's Bride" by Peggy & The Pills.

“What’s With Robert?” (January 10, 2000) Drew had never seen an episode of Everybody Loves Raymond before Glen pulled a gun on him and forced him to watch this one. To Drew’s surprise, this ostensibly family-friendly CBS sitcom handles gay panic a lot more thoughtfully than other shows of the era, even if it hinged around the ridiculous proposition that a man as tall as Brad Garrett might be homosexual.

Check out our Patreon page: https://patreon.com/gayestepisodeever

Buy or rent Glen’s movie, Being Frank, on iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/movie/being-frank/id1476505836

Listen to Underbelly L.A., the new TableCakes true crime podcast that Drew helped produce: https://www.underbellyla.com/

Check out A Love Bizarre, Los Angeles’ No. 1 best queer art space: https://www.alovebizarre.store

Listen to Fruitbowl, Dave Quantic’s oral history podcast about gay sex: https://www.fruitbowlpodcast.com/podcast

Glen on Twitter: https://twitter.com/iwritewrongs

Drew on Twitter: https://twitter.com/drewgmackie

GEE on Twitter: https://twitter.com/gayestepisode

On iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/gayest-episode-ever/id1357463744

On Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7z85L3qZh0DXAXRZQWoCPB

On Google Play: https://play.google.com/music/listen#/ps/Iwj7vhtsbn4ahyn5hn3rv7daslu

Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/gayestepisodeever

The official website: https://www.gayestepisodeever.com

TableCakes Productions: https://tablecakes.com

Newsletter: https://tablecakesproductions.substack.com

This episode’s outro track is ”Hawai” by Hawai (Listen here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zmxlg_aaPBY)

“What’s With Robert?” (January 10, 2000) Drew had never seen an episode of Everybody Loves Raymond before Glen pulled a gun on him and forced him to watch this one. To Drew’s surprise, this ostensibly family-friendly CBS sitcom handles gay panic a lot more thoughtfully than other shows of the era, even if it hinged around the ridiculous proposition that a man as tall as Brad Garrett might be homosexual.

Check out our Patreon page: https://patreon.com/gayestepisodeever

Buy or rent Glen’s movie, Being Frank, on iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/movie/being-frank/id1476505836

Listen to Underbelly L.A., the new TableCakes true crime podcast that Drew helped produce: https://www.underbellyla.com/

Check out A Love Bizarre, Los Angeles’ No. 1 best queer art space: https://www.alovebizarre.store

Listen to Fruitbowl, Dave Quantic’s oral history podcast about gay sex: https://www.fruitbowlpodcast.com/podcast

Glen on Twitter: https://twitter.com/iwritewrongs

Drew on Twitter: https://twitter.com/drewgmackie

GEE on Twitter: https://twitter.com/gayestepisode

On iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/gayest-episode-ever/id1357463744

On Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7z85L3qZh0DXAXRZQWoCPB

On Google Play: https://play.google.com/music/listen#/ps/Iwj7vhtsbn4ahyn5hn3rv7daslu

Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/gayestepisodeever

The official website: https://www.gayestepisodeever.com

TableCakes Productions: https://tablecakes.com

Newsletter: https://tablecakesproductions.substack.com

This episode’s outro track is Hawai by Hawai (Listen here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zmxlg_aaPBY)

"What's With Robert?" (January 10, 2000)

Drew had never seen an episode of Everybody Loves Raymond before Glen pulled a gun on him and forced him to watch this one. To Drew's surprise, this ostensibly family-friendly CBS sitcom handles gay panic a lot more thoughtfully than other shows of the era, even if it hinged around the ridiculous proposition that a man as tall as Brad Garrett might be homosexual.

Support us on Patreon!

Buy or rent Glen's movie, Being Frank, on iTunes

Listen to Underbelly L.A., the new TableCakes true crime podcast that Drew helped produce

Check out A Love Bizarre, Los Angeles' No. 1 best queer art space:

Listen to Fruitbowl, Dave Quantic's oral history podcast about gay sex

Follow: GEE on Twitter • Drew on Twitter • Glen on Twitter

Listen: iTunes • Spotify • Stitcher • Google Play • Google Podcasts • Himalaya • TuneIn

And yes, we do have an official website! And we even have episode transcripts courtesy of Sarah Neal. Our logo was designed by Rob Wilson.

This is a TableCakes podcast.

This episode's outro track is "Hawai" by Hawai

No, this is not a deep dive into Paul Lynde's most salacious innuendos. Instead, GEE is bidding farewell for a few weeks because Drew is heading to Japan, and we thought it would be cool to do an episode based around classic sitcom trivia, and Drew is hosting while Glen is pitted against special guest contestants Tony Rodriguez (who has guested before!) and Katherine Spiers (who hasn't!). It's fun, we swear, if not *actually* all that gay.

Katherine's podcast, Smart Mouth

Tony's podcast, Spanish Aquí Presents

Support us on Patreon!

Buy or rent Glen's movie, Being Frank, on iTunes

Check out A Love Bizarre, Los Angeles' No. 1 best queer art space:

Follow: GEE on Twitter • Drew on Twitter • Glen on Twitter

Listen: iTunes • Spotify • Stitcher • Google Play • Google Podcasts • Himalaya • TuneIn

And yes, we do have an official website! And we even have episode transcripts courtesy of Sarah Neal. Our logo was designed by Rob Wilson.

This is a TableCakes podcast.

This episode's outro track is "My Little Japanese Boy" by Baby's Gang.

"The Chief's Gay Evening" (November 13, 1982)

Though beloved to a certain age range of 1980s babies, Gimme a Break doesn't get its due praise for its "serious issue" episodes. This one, in which the Chief finds out that one of his officers is gay, handles the subject matter better than many more-acclaimed sitcoms would in the years that followed. In fact, our only complaint is that this series sole gay-themed episode doesn't feature enough Nell Carter, whom we will remind you was a star. We miss you, Nell.

Support us on Patreon!

Buy or rent Glen's movie, Being Frank, on iTunes

Check out A Love Bizarre, Los Angeles' No. 1 best queer art space:

Follow: GEE on Twitter • Drew on Twitter • Glen on Twitter

Listen: iTunes • Spotify • Stitcher • Google Play • Google Podcasts • Himalaya • TuneIn

And yes, we do have an official website! And we even have episode transcripts courtesy of Sarah Neal. Our logo was designed by Rob Wilson.

This is a TableCakes podcast.

This episode's outro track is "Happy Together / Runaway" by Tony Orlando and Dawn.

"Mirror, Mirror, on the Wall" (November 7, 1968)

When it came time to pick a Halloween special for Gayest Episode Ever, the only real choice was Bewitched, a seasonally appropriate sitcom that also happens to be one of the gayest things ever broadcast on network television. In this fifth-season outing, Endora curses Darren to become hopelessly vain, and Dick York makes the decision to play his newly narcissistic character as pretty damn gay. Comedian, actor and classic TV superfan Chase McCown joins Glen and Drew to talk through an episode that is very gay — if regrettably Uncle Arthur-free. (There's always next Halloween!)

Support us on Patreon!

Buy or rent Glen's movie, Being Frank, on iTunes

Check out A Love Bizarre, Los Angeles' No. 1 best queer art space:

Follow: GEE on Twitter • Drew on Twitter • Glen on Twitter

Listen: iTunes • Spotify • Stitcher • Google Play • Google Podcasts • Himalaya • TuneIn

And yes, we do have an official website! And we even have episode transcripts courtesy of Sarah Neal. Our logo was designed by Rob Wilson.

This is a TableCakes podcast.

This episode's outro track is "Tonight (Crazy Night!)" by Dorine Hollier.

"Caroline and the Gay Art Show" (October 5, 1995)

Okay, hear us out. I know you're seeing that we did an episode about Caroline in the City and asking yourself why we would consider it a "classic" sitcom," but there's actually a lot going on here. Malcolm Gets played Caroline's assistant, Richard, with a flair befitting a theater vet, but his chemistry with lead Lea Thompson didn't read as romantic to many viewers. So why did they make Caroline and Richard pair off? And why did the third episode of the show revolve around the notion of Richard repeatedly stating, "I'm straight"? It's actually an interesting story.

Buy the DVD of Glen's movie, Being Frank. Buy or rent Being Frank on iTunes.

Check out A Love Bizarre, downtown Los Angeles' new queer art space.

Support us on Patreon!

Follow: GEE on Twitter • Drew on Twitter • Glen on Twitter

Listen: iTunes • Spotify • Stitcher • Google Play • Google Podcasts • Himalaya • TuneIn

And yes, we do have an official website! And we even have episode transcripts courtesy of Sarah Neal. Our logo was designed by Rob Wilson.

This is a TableCakes podcast.

This episode's outro track is "Mona Lisa" by Mr. Black.

"Suzanne Goes Looking for a Friend" (April 9, 1990)

The previous Designing Women made Drew cry, but this one is far tamer and far more in line with what we'd consider sitcom-ish. In this Delta Burke showcase episode, Suzanne Sugarbaker attempts to make a friend outside Sugarbaker & Associates — and ends up finding a former pageant friend who's now an out lesbian. This episode does gay panic from the female perspective and largely holds up today… except for the episode's final line.

Buy the DVD of Glen's movie, Being Frank. Buy or rent Being Frank on iTunes.

Check out A Love Bizarre, downtown Los Angeles' new queer art space.

Support us on Patreon!

Follow: GEE on Twitter • Drew on Twitter • Glen on Twitter

Listen: iTunes • Spotify • Stitcher • Google Play • Google Podcasts • Himalaya • TuneIn

And yes, we do have an official website! And we even have episode transcripts courtesy of Sarah Neal. Our logo was designed by Rob Wilson.

This is a TableCakes podcast.

This episode's outro track is "Don't Cry Tonight" by Savage.

"Hello Muddah, Hello Faddah" (May 7, 1997)

At long last, we're bowing to audience requests and giving you the one where Ellen comes out… to her parents. No, it is not "The Puppy Episode," the one where Ellen came out to Laura Dern and also the world; it's the episode that aired one week after that one, when she came out to her parents. "The Puppy Episode" is a part of TV history, but this one is maybe a more realistic look at the ongoing, constant process of coming out.

The Los Angeles LGBT Center Is a thing er talk about in this episode. And yes, PFLAG still exists.

Buy the DVD of Glen's movie, Being Frank. Buy or rent Being Frank on iTunes.

Check out A Love Bizarre, downtown Los Angeles' new queer art space.

Support us on Patreon!

Follow: GEE on Twitter • Drew on Twitter • Glen on Twitter

Listen: iTunes • Spotify • Stitcher • Google Play • Google Podcasts • Himalaya • TuneIn

And yes, we do have an official website! And we even have episode transcripts courtesy of Sarah Neal. Our logo was designed by Rob Wilson.

This is a TableCakes podcast.

This episode's outro track is "Cheri Cheri Lady" by Modern Talking.