StraightioLab

This week we decide to be randomly controversial, and who better to do it with than author and critic Lauren Oyler! First we courageously wade into the Taylor Swift waters without educating ourselves one bit, and then we turn our attention to the concept of "online backlash." Sure, it's okay when it happens to other people... but what about when it happens to US?! And finally, what is the deal with all these polycules we keep reading about in our nation's leading newspapers? Is polyamory a liberating lifestyle, a tech startup, or an MLM? Are Berlin-based gay guys the only people who have it all figured out? Buy Lauren's book of essays NO JUDGMENT from your local bookstore, and read her Harper's cover story about the Goop cruise here: https://harpers.org/archive/2023/05/goop-cruise-gwyneth-paltrow-goop-at-sea/ Subscribe to our Patreon at patreon.com/straightiolab for bonus episodes twice a month and don't forget to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hope you're hungry because today's episode with public intellectual, Nymphowars host, and now writer/director/star of the new film Stress Positions, Theda Hammel, will give you plenty to chew on. We discuss the recently selected Chosen Twink of 2024, the trickiness of dignity in undignified spaces, and of course the relationship between shame and embarrassment. It's a big conversation because it's a small conversation, and if that doesn't make sense to you now, well, it will soon. Watch Stress Positions and actually support all Neon films because a risinig tide lifts all ships! Subscribe to our Patreon at patreon.com/straightiolab for bonus episodes twice a month and don't forget to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Do NOT call HR because Sam's real-life boss Taylor Tomlinson, superstar host of After Midnight, is off the clock and ON the pod this week! Recorded mere blocks from the Oscars the morning of the big night, we chat about the lasting appeal of the Republican straight rom com, whether Jeff Probst feels isolated due to his immense talent, and the triumph of Kristen Stewart in the worlds of cinema and also culture. Plus: Does Zoey Deutch have what it takes? I guess we'll see. Subscribe to our Patreon at patreon.com/straightiolab for bonus episodes twice a month and don't forget to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ring the Kathy Griffin alarm because the legend herself is on the podcast this week! We cover everything from catheters (both the medical device and Kathy's fan community), venture capital-funded gay vacation spots, and who is coming to Kathy's notorious dinner parties. Plus, we explore what happens when one person in a couple makes more money than the other. Let's just say that gender roles WILL jump out whether you want them to or not! Catch Kathy on her new tour "My Life On The PTSD List" (kathygriffin.net/tour) and don't forget to vote! Subscribe to our Patreon at patreon.com/straightiolab for bonus episodes twice a month and don't forget to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The specter of sports and sport-like activities has haunted StraightioLab HQ for years. This week, we finally attempt a unified theory of which sports are gay and which sports are straight with the help of our dear friend and Tiny Desk superfan Jaboukie Young-White. Plus: How much are you allowed to lie in a trauma-based memoir? What would Jesus' job be if he were alive today? And finally, is it ethical to be 29 years old? Subscribe to our Patreon at patreon.com/straightiolab for bonus episodes twice a month and don't forget to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today's guest is writer and host of the Good One podcast Jesse David Fox. What are his qualifications? Well, he literally wrote the book on comedy (called Comedy Book) so, yeah, I think he's going to know what the hell he's talking about! We ask both real and fake questions like "are we at the end of the comedy boom" and "rank every comedian ever." We get into rankings, the Adam Sandler universe, and George's recent state of being targeted by...something. Listen and learn a thing or two for once! Also, check out Comedy Book and Good One on Peacock on March 26th. NYC: Come see our first Brooklyn StraightioLab Live of 2024 at the Bell House, featuring Alex English and Edy Modica! Tickets here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/straightiolab-tickets-818719501067 Subscribe to our Patreon at patreon.com/straightiolab for bonus episodes twice a month and don't forget to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ice skating around in a little outfit? You might be thinking "sounds pretty queer"... but you'd be dead wrong. The one and only Sam Jay joins us to chat about her recent passion for the violent Canadian pasttime known as hockey. Plus: We finally address the differences between lesbians and gay guys!NYC: Come see our first Brooklyn StraightioLab Live of 2024 at the Bell House, featuring Alex English and Edy Modica! Tickets here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/straightiolab-tickets-818719501067 Subscribe to our Patreon at patreon.com/straightiolab for bonus episodes twice a month and don't forget to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Well it's that magical time of the year when we have our dear friend Max Wittert back on the podcast to create enough tension to give chronic pain to anyone who listens. We attack each other emotionally, spiritually, and financially but at what cost? Many shocking theories are explored like, are north and south poles actually different from each other? Is there value in being nice? And is angel hair pasta good? Plus, we examine the concept of love and which types of relationships are actually gay. The answer may surprise you! And if you live in Portland, Seattle, or LA, Max is bringing his solo show "I Can Steal Your Mother" to you and you must go! LA: Come see George do an hour of standup comedy at the Elysian Theater on March 5 and March 6! Tickets at linktree.com/georgeciveris and we're doing a StraightioLab live show at UCB Franklin on March 14th. Tickets here: Linktree.com/straightiolab Subscribe to our Patreon at patreon.com/straightiolab for bonus episodes twice a month and don't forget to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In one of our most intellectual episodes EVER (and that's saying a LOT), we welcome reformed Disney adult Esther Fallick to chat about museums with slides in them—as in slides that you slide down, much like in a playground. We're talking the Museum of Ice Cream, the Museum of Sex, the Museum of Broadway... basically any museum-like establishment that is proudly anti-art! Questions include: Would institutions like this exist if we had universal healthcare? Was Ronald Reagan the original Madame Web? What makes someone a "subject" and what makes someone an "object"? Are we good at identifying "cultural rot"? Well... kind of! LA: Come see George do an hour of standup comedy at the Elysian Theater on March 5 and March 6! Tickets at linktree.com/georgeciverisSubscribe to our Patreon at patreon.com/straightiolab for bonus episodes twice a month and don't forget to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome back to Part 2 of Earnestness Bonanza, our bi-annual call-in show where we check our world famous comedic sensibilities at the door and answer listener questions completely earnestly.LA: Come see George do an hour of standup comedy at the Elysian Theater on March 5 and March 6! Tickets at linktree.com/georgeciverisSubscribe to our Patreon at patreon.com/straightiolab for bonus episodes twice a month and don't forget to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's time to celebrate ROMANCE with another Earnestness Bonanza, our bi-annual call-in show where we check our world famous comedic sensibilities at the door and answer listener questions completely earnestly. Stay tuned for part 2 next week!LA: Come see George do an hour of standup comedy at the Elysian Theater on March 5 and March 6! Tickets at linktree.com/georgeciverisSubscribe to our Patreon at patreon.com/straightiolab for bonus episodes twice a month and don't forget to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For decades, George has been Sam's only co-worker with access to a microphone. That ends today, as we welcome Sam's LA work husband Ismael Loufti to the pod to talk about straight men's obsession with knowing things about events and places. Unfortunately, implying that straight men are the only people who know historical facts puts us in quite a rhetorical bind, and our attempts to get out of that bind lead us to digging an even deeper hole for ourselves. Luckily, that hole is where we thrive! Don't forget to send us questions for our Valentine's Day Earnestness Bonanza, our bi-annual call-in show, to straightiolab@gmail.com!NEW YORK: See George do an hour of standup at the Bell House on Friday Feb. 2! Tickete: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/george-civeris-tickets-790403747887Subscribe to our Patreon at patreon.com/straightiolab for bonus episodes twice a month and don't forget to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Pizza is one of the most powerful cultural signifiers we have, but what exactly is it signifying? This week we're joined by Blair Socci to dive into the pizza place as a mythic space and try to make sense of what it all means. Let's just say it's one spicy meatball. Plus, who is the powerful firm behind Paul Giamatti being a sex symbol now? Is podcasting a practice? And is it annoying to talk about New York vs LA? Or is it so so so necessary. We choose the latter! NEW YORK: See George do an hour of standup at the Bell House on Friday Feb. 2! Tickete: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/george-civeris-tickets-790403747887Subscribe to our Patreon at patreon.com/straightiolab for bonus episodes twice a month and don't forget to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week, illustrious guest Anna Seregina joins Sam in the LA studio while George is isolated in chilly New York City. If only the whole squad could gather around a beautifully constructed kitchen island. But wait... Do kitchen islands really build community or do they merely reinforce traditional family values? Does the impulse to fill up a kitchen with more surfaces stem from a fear of open space (aka freedom)? Can other options for home-based communal gathering like breakfast nooks or the famed conversation pit provide any respite from the fascism of suburban interior design? If only it were that simple. NEW YORK: See George do an hour of standup at the Bell House on Friday Feb. 2! Tickete: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/george-civeris-tickets-790403747887Subscribe to our Patreon at patreon.com/straightiolab for bonus episodes twice a month and don't forget to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Brrrrrr...do you feel that chill? Is that the winter setting in? No! It's a DQ Blizzard being given to you by an underpaid, overworked teen. This week, Amber Ruffin is on the podcast to unpack the innate identity building that comes with this sweet treat and flip (wink wink like how they flip the blizzard) the whole system on its head. Plus, Sam finally breaks his silence on his hospital visit, everyone shares their best and worst celeb interactions, and we discuss our favorite movies that we've never seen. Listen to this ep or you'll be sent to the hospital too!! Subscribe to our Patreon at patreon.com/straightiolab for bonus episodes twice a month and don't forget to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hey Glamour Girls! While StraightioLab is on hiatus this week, enjoy this episode of George and Sam being guests on Vanessa and Jonah Bayer's podcast "How Did We Get Weird" on Will Ferrell's Big Money Players Network. Subscribe to our Patreon at patreon.com/straightiolab for bonus episodes twice a month and don't forget to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts!  --- This week the Bayer siblings welcome the hilarious George Civeris and Sam Taggart to the podcast! The group reveal insights about their resting faces and does shaving your facial hair always make you look younger? Vanessa also insists that she is a Sam and Jonah is a George, and basically proves her point when they debate the return of the Olive Garden's Neverending Pasta Bowl (hint: Vanessa and Sam are PRO Pasta Bowl.) Plus, they talk about the phenomenon that was Eminem in the nineties and how they were at times offended by him while at other times attracted to him? Vanessa also talks about meeting him at SNL and they discuss his business ventures today (which actually have something in common with The Olive Garden). Finally, in an exciting game of YES/NO-STALGIA, the group is surprises themselves by being both Pro-Furbie and more shockingly, Pro-McDonald's Oreo Frappe! So be sure to lose yourself in this incredible episode and also check out George and Sam's fantastic podcast, StraightioLab!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this country, all gay guys of age are called upon to be criminally bad trend forecasters once a year, and we are no different. In the final StraightioLab episode of 2023, we take stock of yet another year on this crazy space rock and make some reckless predictions about what's to come. From our chosen family to yours, happy holidays—and stay glamorous! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

"Happy" hour? Says who, the government!? This week, we're joined by public intellectual Lauren Michele Jackson to explore the manufactured consent around one of America's most notorious hours. Is it a worker's rights win or a baby bottle to keep us complacent? Hard to tell, tbh, but we'd love another Aperol Spritz STAT! Plus, is podcasting a race to the bottom? Are the humanities valid? Is tea grad-school coded? Listen to find out! Subscribe to our Patreon at patreon.com/straightiolab for bonus episodes twice a month and don't forget to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Repeat after us: "Pretty girls are never on time." And yeah... "girls" is gender-neutral and "pretty" is empowering. Superstar guest and host of the problematic live show "Why Are You Single?" Marie Faustin joins us to talk about the class and gender politics of TIME, especially when it comes to showing up at events. Plus: Should we get TSA Pre-Check? What is our ideal date? What's the deal with goofy cops? Is bad sex okay or should it be punishable by death? Well... I guess we'll see!Subscribe to our Patreon at patreon.com/straightiolab for bonus episodes twice a month and don't forget to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

You've heard of three wise men, but three gay podcasters? Now THAT'S something completely unheard of...until now. That's right, the king of Christmas and the Las Culturistas Universe, Matt Rogers, joins us this week to talk about the one and only Santa Clause. Is he toxic male genius? A serial gaslighter? A creep? We don't acutally know. Plus, we dive deep on Nicole Scherzinger lore, challenge the idea of film critique, and discuss the trappings of sky-high podcast success. Stream Matt's album "Have You Heard of Christmas?" and go see him on tour now! CHICAGO: Sam's solo show Club Comic has been rescheduled for December 7th at the Color Club with opener Parker Callahan: www.linktree.com/samtaggartSubscribe to our Patreon at patreon.com/straightiolab for bonus episodes twice a month and don't forget to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.