QUEERNECKS

Trauma Bonding, Bury Your Gays, and WVU’s Burning Couch Lore

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Hosts Beck and Dash discuss difficulties accessing the film The Foxy Merkins for rental and plan to review it next episode, then talk through queer film history and favorites, including the “bury your gays” trope’s Hays Code origins and later shifts in ’80s/’90s queer cinema. They compare movie lists to watch together (e.g., Alien, Night of the Living Dead, Shaun of the Dead and the Cornetto Trilogy) and chat about Monty Python, Mel Brooks, and adaptations like The World According to Garp. Beck shares experiences with wage disparity, job stress, high school reunions, grief and unwanted public memorialization of a brother killed in action, and an unsettling workplace stalking incident. The episode includes a faux sponsor segment on “trauma bonding” and a “Noun of Appalachian Interest” about WVU’s burning couches, plus lighter updates on food, books, and upcoming MRIs and boxing.

00:00 Intro & Movie Talk

26:18 High School & Breakups

28:32 Military Service & Heroes

36:05 Stalkers & Exes

42:45 Domestic Violence in Queer Relationships

46:43 Trauma Bonding & Memory

52:26 Appalachian Culture & Couch Fires

01:00:37 Literature & Film Analysis

Hosts Beck and Dash open the Queernecks episode discussing a frightening car incident in Toledo where their dog Ru appeared to have an asthma attack and has a vet appointment Monday. They then talk about modern roast culture after seeing clips from the Kevin Hart roast, including Chelsea Handler’s jab at a MAGA comedian, mention Tony Hinchcliffe’s George Floyd joke, and discuss boundaries, context, and craft in comedy, referencing Penn & Teller’s Bullshit, the Aristocrats joke, Gilbert Gottfried after 9/11, and Seinfeld’s “political correctness” complaints, plus “retro sexism” in advertising and SNL’s post‑9/11 Giuliani moment. They touch on British competition shows, Dash’s faculty job interview and higher-ed pay/culture, a satirical “buy here, pay here” sponsor bit, car histories and maintenance, and Beck’s “noun of Appalachian interest” on Matewan, WV and the 1920 Mine Wars. They close with movie ideas, audiobooks, biking/cleaning plans, and queer music recommendations.

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00:00 Podcast Welcome

00:26 Ru’s Scary Asthma Attack

01:33 Living With Asthma

02:57 Kevin Hart Roast Fallout

04:31 When Roasts Turn Cruel

08:10 The Aristocrats and 9/11

10:45 Can You Joke About Anything

15:15 Retro Sexism in Ads

19:15 SNL After 9/11

22:26 British Reality Competitions

23:17 Great Pottery Throw Down Love

27:27 Faculty Interview Nerves

32:15 Campus Ego and Low Pay

33:51 Writing Routine and Online Teaching

34:41 New Job Logistics and Summer Break

35:13 Sponsor Buy Here Pay Here

37:34 Car Histories and Salvage Rides

40:35 Oil Changes and Four Wheel Fun

43:39 Noun Matewan Mine Wars

47:03 Appalshop and Film Talk

49:53 Queer Cinema Pairings

53:39 Audiobooks Count as Reading

55:23 Scary Movie Plans and Theater Anxiety

59:52 Foxy Merkins Pick and Discord

01:02:58 Wrap Up Music and Goodbyes

In this 50th episode of Queernecks, queer rural Appalachian LGBTQ hosts Beck and Dash chat about pets, junk food, and digestive issues, then reflect on smoking—how early they started, how it was normalized, and how quitting saved Christmas. They discuss teaching, student pass/fail options, rate-my-professor culture, and gaps in student literacy, tech skills, and civic knowledge, plus the poverty-simulator game, Spent. They share fears about cruises and the ocean, mention Netflix’s Trainwreck and the “poop cruise,” and touch on end-of-life planning, wills, and transfer-on-death paperwork. A sponsor segment celebrates nostalgic Wishbook catalogs and their digitized archives. The Appalachian noun of interest is “Fiesta Ware,” and its cultural labor history, before closing with travel and food plans and a one-year anniversary tease.

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00:00 Podcast Welcome

00:20 Pets And Treats

00:40 Taffy And Tummy Talk

02:06 Quitting Smoking Benefits

03:47 Smoking Habits And Movies

05:13 Starting Young Stories

08:15 Poverty Simulator Spent

11:06 Privilege And Coping

12:30 Ashtrays And Nostalgia

13:46 Small Town Oddities

15:19 No More Political News

15:57 Pass Fail And Ratings

18:06 Teaching New Course Prep

20:05 Travel Plans And Cruises

22:24 Ocean Fears And Rivers

26:26 Lakes And Submechanophobia

29:28 Claustrophobia And Burial

30:31 End Of Life Paperwork

31:28 Dad’s Final Wishes

32:35 Probate Planning Nightmares

34:04 Wishbook Sponsor Break

36:39 Digitized Catalog Rabbit Hole

40:31 Devil Wears Prada 2

43:21 Literacy and Life Skills

47:33 Teaching Boundaries and Absences

50:50 Yesterwear Fiestaware History

54:16 AI Scraping and Analytics

56:04 Road Trips and Treats

58:35 Episode 50 Wrap Up

AI Hallucinated This Transcript.

Hosts Beck and Dash chat on Queernecks about returning to a boxing gym, favorite salty-sweet snacks, novelty candies, and hometown-made products (BG Campbell’s/Heinz, Portsmouth shoelaces, Cincinnati schnapps). They swap train stories, including meeting recently released prisoners on an Amtrak ride to Chicago and observing re-entry moments and public-transportation dynamics. The conversation shifts to martial arts, nostalgia TV (Cobra Kai), and a critique of right-wing grift and “reverse racism,” then broadens into religion, atheism, church-based community, safe spaces, anti-trans politics, gerrymandering, and voting rights. A comedic sponsor bit covers raggedy flip-flops, followed by personal relationship and work-life balance talk. The “noun of Appalachian interest” spotlights the Appalachian Mountains’ age, culture, directions, and lasting identity, with side notes on Kentucky’s Chain Rock, Serpent Mound, Tecumseh drama, and Krispy Kreme donuts.

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00:00 Welcome to Queernecks

00:16 Saturday Catch Up

00:41 Back to Boxing

01:47 Salty Sweet Snacks

02:41 Chocolate Chip Debate

04:19 Pringles Facts Rabbit Hole

06:05 Local Famous Products

07:37 Prison Town Stories

09:12 Train Ride Reentry Moments

14:48 Nineties Nostalgia

16:11 Martial Arts and Cobra Kai

20:51 Erica Kirk and Grift Talk

24:27 Faith Doubt and Community

28:51 Safe Spaces and Politics

30:57 Voting Fairness and Power

31:51 Apartment Hunting Fails

32:52 Bulk Buying and Coupons

33:38 Raggedy Flip Flop Sponsor

36:28 Feet and Toenail Confessions

38:30 Work Stress and Impact

41:03 Appalachian Mountains Spotlight

43:49 Local Legends and Landmarks

47:50 Donut Debates and Sweet Treats

49:39 Hometown Factories and Farewell

Hosts Beck and Dash chat through tech frustrations and changing internet/IT, early home computing memories (AOL dial-up costs, Commodore 64, Carmen Sandiego, Number Munch, Oregon Trail, typing skills), and odd public moments (a classmate farting in a lab, an ROTC student’s loud burp, quirky neighbor small talk, a neighbor’s unsolicited diet comment). They share affirming messages from former students, including one crediting a queer professor for helping him come out and a trans student entering a funded PhD program. The conversation turns to political conspiracy chatter and media/ideology theory, then to housing costs and mobility barriers, job applications, and fatigue. They note Cincinnati creating Ohio’s first LGBTQ+ commission and mention an Appalachian-origin anti-discrimination code. A comedic “Stone Soup” sponsor bit leads into cooking memories, and the episode’s “noun of Appalachian interest” spotlights West Virginia dancer Jesco White (“The Dancing Outlaw”) and reflections on hillbilly media, names, and family history.

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00:00 Podcast Welcome

00:17 Tech Degree Throwback

01:15 Computer Lab Fart Story

02:10 OCD Public Bathroom Fear

03:20 Dial Up Rural Internet

06:24 Early PCs And Games

08:34 Typing Skills And Neuropathy

11:11 Campus Burp And Student Email

13:46 Weird Neighbor Small Talk

16:32 Neighbor Diet Comment

17:43 Trump Shooting Conspiracies

21:39 Jordan Klepper And Ideology

25:54 War On Christmas Bits

28:22 Year Round Holiday Lights

30:46 Housing Costs And Moving Trap

32:26 Taxes And Boots Theory

33:27 Leaving Home After Loss

34:30 Cincinnati LGBTQ Commission Tease

35:03 Cincinnati LGBTQ Commission

35:31 Urban Appalachian Discrimination

37:30 Queer Appalachian Migration

39:28 Burnout and Job Market

41:44 Stone Soup Sponsor Bit

44:56 Ramen Abomination Cooking

50:53 Jesco White Spotlight

55:21 Family Names and Politics

01:02:24 Homecoming and Finals

01:04:28 Internet Privacy and Ads

01:07:38 Wrap Up and Tech Issues

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Hosts Beck and Dash open with weather and small talk before reviewing the film Kinky Boots, noting it’s based on a true story about a struggling rural shoe factory that pivots to making boots for drag performers. They discuss whether it qualifies as a queer film, arguing it’s as much about capitalism, craftsmanship vs late-stage capitalism, and masculinity as it is about lgbtq visibility. They analyze Lola/Simon’s portrayal, queer trauma without punishment, rural–urban contrast, Don’s homophobia and growth, and Charlie’s flaws and eventual public humiliation at the Milan shoe show before Lola’s troupe saves the presentation. They connect themes of identity, chosen family, and being “seen,” and close with an Appalachian “noun of interest” segment on clogging and shoes as cultural expression.

00:00 Podcast Welcome and Weather

00:35 Umbrella Fails on Campus

01:41 Basement Dungeon Tour

02:23 TV and Movie Tangent

04:09 Kinky Boots First Impressions

05:31 Is It a Queer Movie

08:39 True Story and Themes

10:24 Shoes as Metaphor and Money

18:41 Opening Scene and Queer Trauma

26:18 Charlie Meets Lola in London

31:19 Factory Reactions and Style

34:03 Milan Show and Identity Choices

37:00 Lola and Gender Labels

38:12 Don Polices Masculinity

41:05 Arm Wrestling Turning Point

43:36 Strength and Saving Face

47:34 Sponsor Sensitivity Training

50:34 Mortgage and Breakup Fallout

54:53 Milan Runway Humiliation

58:09 Drag Shows and Gay Bars

59:28 Appalachian Clogging Shoes

01:03:33 Queer Films and Hollywood

01:09:06 Wrapping Up and Farewell

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Hosts Beck and Dash riff on colorful high school teachers, language classes, impressions, and how improv “yes, and” parallels teaching and bias, then discuss anti-racism frameworks including the film “White Like Me” with Tim Wise and the idea of white participation in protest. They decide to simplify a recurring segment format and swap in broader advice and stories, including side hustles, rewards programs (Kroger points, Upside, cash-back cards, Facebook tasks, Google Rewards), and flipping household items for quick cash. They share recent “household expansions”: Beck adopts Rue, a rescued 5-year-old Maltese, and Dash buys a Ram 1500 Warlock using strategic car-lot research and a salesperson relationship. Other topics include tobacco nostalgia and quitting, family health/genetics, Appalachia poverty statistics, prom and after-prom party memories, and an Appalachian “noun” spotlight on Steve Harvey’s coal-country West Virginia origins and the diversity of Appalachia. They announce next week’s “Kinky Boots” review and recommend watching via Hoopla or Pluto.

00:00 Welcome to Queernecks

00:15 Wild Teacher Stories

01:53 Language Learning Mishaps

03:51 Comedy and Improv Lessons

07:26 Teaching Bias and Bad Faith

09:38 White Like Me and Privilege

14:37 New Additions Dog and Truck

16:13 Car Buying Strategy

20:56 Rewards Programs and Cashback

23:54 Quitting Smoking Nostalgia

25:41 Genetics and Family Ties

27:58 Poorest Counties Rabbit Hole

30:55 Weather Check and Wrap

31:17 Rainy Day Mishaps

32:58 Creating Change Politics

35:21 Prom Season Sponsor Bit

38:33 After Prom Memories

41:08 Minimum Wage Talk

44:07 Appalachian Noun Steve Harvey

48:10 Orientalism of Appalachia

51:16 Next Week Kinky Boots

54:25 Pride Safety and Courts

56:16 Contracts Jobs and Snacks

58:43 Truck Deal and Taco Cravings

01:00:06 Wrap Up and Watch Along

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Beck and Dash chat on Queernecks about haircuts, scar care (Bio-Oil, silicone tape), and trans products like trans tape and stand-to-pee packers, then mark Transgender Day of Visibility with humor and a plug for KB Brookins’ Substack “Trans News That Doesn’t Suck.” They discuss inclusive language as “being correct,” classroom practices around names/pronouns, and teaching about Indigenous issues and why Native mascots are offensive, alongside reflections on a university’s boarding-school history and restorative justice mission. They touch on rural/appalachian memories, including a comedic “sponsor” segment about Camel Cash rewards and scavenging cigarette butts, plus scams, toll roads, and a story about being jailed due to a traffic-school mix-up. The episode ends with plans to watch “Kinky Boots,” adopt a small dog, and everyday updates.

00:00 Podcast Welcome and Catch Up

00:19 Haircut After Loss

00:53 Scar Care Tips and Bio Oil

02:08 Trans Tape and STP Devices

03:49 Trans Visibility and Political Irony

04:42 Drag Gear and Kinky Boots

07:23 Queer Reads and Trans News

09:12 Facebook Clapback Story

11:44 Trans Students and Inclusive Classrooms

13:41 Inclusion as Correct Language

16:52 Mascots and Teaching Native Issues

21:40 Boarding School History and Haunted Campus

24:28 Growing Up Around Colleges

26:34 National Parks Thirst Trap TikTok

28:37 Celebrity Lookalikes and Drag Hosting

31:11 Balding, Testosterone, and Gender Euphoria

34:18 Feeling At Home

34:58 Body Dysmorphia Talk

36:09 Bodies As Medium

37:42 Roasts And Dignity

40:51 Camel Cash Sponsor

43:07 Cigarettes And Coupons

46:02 Tamarack Marketplace

48:41 Tolls And Scams

52:29 Jail By Mistake

01:00:56 Police Anxiety

01:01:51 Adopting Meredith

01:04:07 Food And Wrap Up

Hosts Beck and Dash chat about home and apartment quirks, pets, and grief after Beck’s 15-year-old dog Wenda dies, discussing euthanasia, cremains, and pet rent. They talk about caring for and rehoming animals, moving with cats, litter robots, and Beck wanting an older small dog. Beck discusses an upcoming pap smear and past awkward medical experiences as a trans man, including visibility, bias, and the importance of preventative care for lgbtq people. They share jokes, a local Appalachian wrestling discovery, and reflections on drag and play. A sponsor bit riffs on “Hill Williams: Rent a friend” DIY repairs. They cover stained glass class, bargain stores, odd food stories, and an Appalachian “paper plate holder” icon, then end with rural healthcare access issues in eastern Kentucky—limited PET scanning delaying cancer and heart treatment—and plans for jobs, a discord, and community YouTube nights in a queer rural Appalachian space.

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00:00 Podcast Welcome

00:14 Mic Setup Talk

00:55 Drafty Apartment Woes

02:44 Remembering Wenda

05:11 Cremains And Goodbyes

07:36 Rehoming Pets Stories

09:36 Litter Robot Debate

11:54 Moving With Cats

14:18 Renting Vs Owning

17:26 Pap Smear Anxiety

20:19 Trans Healthcare Mishaps

27:43 Dark Humor And Ads

30:00 Wrestling Sponsor Realization

30:49 Marvelous Marcus Saga

32:33 Wrestling as Adult Play

34:40 Cat Break and Sponsor Bit

38:00 Stained Glass Crafting

41:09 Factory Seconds and Bargain Stores

44:33 Expired Groceries and Dollar Food

45:54 Ketchup Cookies and Umami

50:18 Appalachian Paper Plate Holder

52:15 Rural Healthcare Bottlenecks

56:08 Plans Jobs and Community Hangout

59:26 Thanks and Sign Off

Hosts Beck and Dash open by discussing writing habits, sleep, and accountability tactics like body doubling. They share updates on pain, long drives, mail deliveries, and pets aging and not eating, then pivot to show-and-tell of 1970s lesbian commune zines from Kentucky (“country women”) with homesteading and self-defense content. Conversation touches on dead-celebrity rumors, TV time-travel shows, and a classroom women’s studies exercise about consent and coercion that reveals how some students deny scenarios as assault; they connect this to rape culture, language, and Freud’s retracted findings on hysteria and sexual violence, noting Title IX/mandated reporting. After a comedic sponsor ad, they swap rural food and gas-station stories, then present the “noun of Appalachian interest”: Loretta Lynn’s poor Kentucky upbringing, blunt songs on women’s lives and birth control, and lasting influence.

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00:00 Welcome

00:58 Writing Routines and Space

02:35 Sleep Habits and Accountability

05:31 Walks Weather and Errands

07:40 Mystery Package Game

08:11 Queer Zines Show and Tell

10:27 Celebrity Deaths and Politics

13:55 TV Time Travel and Quantum Leap

15:28 Zine Page Turns Dark

16:17 Teaching Consent and Coercion

21:38 Freud Hysteria and Rape Culture

26:59 Old Magazines and Lost Stash

29:11 Trucker Meth Ad

30:50 Yellow Jackets Memories

31:24 Briar Patch Gas Mart

32:06 Country Food Debates

35:40 Kimchi Quest

37:12 Pizza And Gas Prices

39:11 Car Values Talk

41:26 Pets Aging Reality

43:11 Bowling Green Reflections

44:30 Loretta Lynn Spotlight

48:24 Appalachian History Tangents

52:35 Movie Picks And Wrap