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Description
Into the Mud Podcast delves into the messy and uncertain junctures of life, exploring the transitional spaces where growth and self-discovery occur. Inspired by the wisdom of “no mud, no lotus,” this show fearlessly tackles the mayhem of growth. While others only celebrate the "wins", we want to celebrate your mud!
Join us (Drew King and Alex Kumin!) every week as we dive deep into topics like major life transitions, navigating grief, parenting, taking the scary step into the unknown, and much more. Come get muddy with us!
Follow along at @IntoTheMudPodcast on all platforms!
For the visual version, follow along on YouTube!
Your Hosts: Alex Kumin (@Alex.Kumin) and Drew King (@DrewKingNYC)
www.IntoTheMudPodcast.com
80 Episodes
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What if intimacy isn’t one-size-fits-all, and never was? What if it doesn’t have to come from love or even from a relationship? And what is the price, literally and figuratively? Award-winning writer, performer, and Intimacy Idiot author Isaac Oliver joins Into the Mud to get honest about “transactional intimacy”… the kind we’re taught to judge, but rarely investigate. From his work on GLOW, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel to his own deeply personal experiences, Isaac explores how paying for connec...
What if gratitude isn’t a feeling… but a discipline you have to practice every single day? Broadway performer turned licensed therapist Jenifer Foote joins Drew and Alex to unpack what gratitude actually looks like in real life. Not the Instagram version, but the messy, intentional practice of staying present when the mind is spiraling and life feels out of control. Together, they explore interrupting negative self-talk, building self-worth beyond career validation, and using gratitude as a t...
Comedian and viral subway performer Marcus Monroe joins Drew and Alex to unpack the messy question facing many creators today: if you have a platform, do you have a responsibility to use it politically? From navigating backlash online to dressing as controversial characters on the NYC subway, Marcus shares how comedians balance humor, ethics, and audience expectations in a world where everything feels political. Together they explore cancel culture, protest culture, and why comedy might be on...
What if food never had to be about shame, restriction, or diet culture at all? On this week's episode, 2x NYTimes bestselling cookbook author and celebrated food blogger Dan Pelosi (@grossypelosi) joins Drew and Alex for a joyful, unfiltered conversation about telling diet culture to f*ck off, setting boundaries with internet haters, and reclaiming cooking and hosting as powerful tools for joy, community, and chosen family. From the comfort food that helped people through the pandemic to the ...
What if intimacy isn’t about getting off, but about getting honest? Sexologist Natassia Miller joins Drew and Alex to unpack the “desire gap,” long-term intimacy, and why erotic energy goes far beyond sex itself. Through candid conversation and practical insight, they explore how intentional connection, curiosity, and emotional presence can transform relationships from the inside out. From communication blocks and shame to playful tools for reconnecting with pleasure, Natassia shares how coup...
Drew and Alex sit down with viral crafting duo the Crafty Lumberjacks to unpack the “death of the hobby” and what happens when passion turns into content. From Broadway tours to national TV appearances, Dennis and Andrew share the joy, burnout, comparison culture, and identity struggles that come with turning creativity into a career. Together, they explore how to reclaim play, reconnect with artistry, and stop monetizing every moment. If you're craving a reconnection to hobbies and actual do...
Accomplished Broadway actor Max Chernin gets muddy about what happens after you achieve "the dream". From starring in the critically acclaimed national tour of Broadway's Parade to landing back in New York on the unemployment line, Max unpacks the ache of outgrowing old versions of yourself, redefining what home can look like, and granting yourself the grace to change direction without naming it "giving up". This episode is for anyone standing in that uncomfortable liminal space, where the ne...
What if joy is the most radical form of resistance we have? In this deeply moving episode of Into the Mud, Drew and Alex welcome Mila Jam, recording artist, activist, author, and self-described “pretty pop artivist,” for a conversation about choosing joy in a world that often tries to erase it. Mila opens up about growing up Southern Baptist, finding refuge in theatre, and becoming a proud trans woman who leads with joy as both a personal practice and a political act. Together, they explore t...
Marc Shaiman, the legendary composer and lyricist behind Hairspray, Mary Poppins Returns, When Harry Met Sally…, Sister Act, and countless other cultural touchstones, gets deeply muddy about the whiplash of success, the grief that shaped his artistry, and why even a dream career does not protect you from disappointment. From Marie’s Crisis to the AIDS crisis, from Bette Midler to Broadway, this conversation is raw, hilarious, and profoundly moving. The episode features unforgettable snippets ...
Tony Award winner Julie Halston joins Into the Mud for a deeply moving and hilarious conversation about grief, caregiving, and turning loss into lasting advocacy. From surviving the AIDS crisis and losing her husband to pulmonary fibrosis to founding Broadway Belts and raising millions for research, Julie reflects on how comedy, community, and purpose carried her through life’s darkest chapters. This episode is a powerful reminder that even in grief, connection can save your life. Bio: Julie ...
Rev. Micah Bucey, senior minister of Judson Memorial Church, joins Into the Mud for a deeply expansive conversation as Drew and Alex, who do not identify as religious, bring genuine curiosity to the roots of Christianity and spirituality and how they’ve been distorted by MAGA Christianity and white Christian nationalism. Together, they explore how faith has been weaponized in America, how it can also be reclaimed as a force for justice and repair, and why humility and wonder matter more than ...
Dating is hard enough, but for drag queens, finding love comes with an entirely different set of challenges. In this episode of Into the Mud, Pixie Aventura (aka Cesar Villavicencio) gets honest about what it’s actually like to date as a drag queen. He walks through the six biggest obstacles he’s encountered in relationships, including fetishization, intimidation, internalized homophobia, and the challenge of being seen as a persona instead of a person. This conversation is funny, vulnerable,...
In this raw and unfiltered episode of Into the Mud, Alex opens up about her fresh two-day-old breakup and the emotional whiplash of grieving a future she thought she had. Drew and Alex break down heartbreak in real time — confusion, somatics, rejection spirals, coping strategies, and the messy, human work of choosing yourself when everything hurts. Bio: Alex is a New York based comedian by way of Chicago and Boston whose bold and whip smart standup delights crowds across the US. Credits...
In this deeply honest conversation, singer-songwriter Ben Abraham opens up about the highs and lows of his career — from major-label deals, Grammy-stage moments, and writing with artists like Kesha, to getting dropped, starting over at 40, and redefining what artistic success means. Together, Ben, Drew, and Alex get muddy about the tender work of finding joy again when the industry breaks your heart — and how returning to the purity of making art can reshape everything. Bio: Ben Abraham is an...
Hugh Nini and Neal Treadwell, authors of acclaimed photography books Loving and Loving II, get muddy about what it means to build visibility when your history was never written. They have spent more than 25 years excavating and reconstructing a queer past the world tried to erase. Through 4000+ intimate photographs of men in love from 1850–1950, they’ve pieced together a lineage that proves queer love has always existed — even when it wasn’t documented. This episode is a conversation about er...
Tony Award–winning writer Robert Horn (Tootsie, Shucked, Hercules) gets muddy about aging, later-in-life success, and staying funny through rejection. In this candid and hilarious conversation, Robert opens up about his wild journey from an orphanage to Broadway, turning trauma into comedy, navigating fame in the social-media era, and learning to embrace getting older with humor and grace. Equal parts heart and hysteria, this one’s a masterclass in creative resilience. Bio: Robert Horn ...
When the government pulls Jimmy Kimmel off the air, what does that mean for comedy — and for free speech? In this raw and fiery episode, comedian Jay Jurden (The Problem with Jon Stewart, The Tonight Show) joins Drew and Alex to get muddy about censorship, courage, and comedy’s role in calling out power. From Lenny Bruce to late-night, this conversation proves that laughter is still one of the loudest forms of resistance. Bio: Jay Jurden is a New York–based comedian, writer, and actor origina...
Comedian and Emmy-winning writer Josh Gondelman (Last Week Tonight, Desus & Mero, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel) joins Into the Mud to get candid about the messy gap between impressive résumés and follower counts. We dig into how social media has reshaped comedy, the pressure of clout-chasing, and whether quality or quantity really wins in today’s entertainment industry. Plus, Josh shares hilarious “muddy moments” from high school drama competitions to life on the comedy stage. Bio: Josh Gond...
Porn star and former Broadway music director Jonah Wheeler (aka @ShowoffJonah) joins Into the Mud for an unfiltered deep dive into sex work, kink, and intimacy. From his career pivot out of theater to the realities of OnlyFans, public sex, radical queer spaces, and even the lessons learned from butthole surgery, Jonah gets real about the liberating power of body acceptance, confidence, shame, and the joy of sexual exploration. Bio: Jonah Wheeler is an adult performer, musician, and general go...
Opera singer and voice teacher Matthew Anchel joins Into the Mud to get real about body positivity, plus-size shaming, and queer representation in entertainment. From his time at the Met Opera to competing on Worst Cooks in America, Matthew opens up about navigating diet culture, Ozempic, fatphobia, and dating—all with humor, honesty, and heart. Bio: Bass Matthew Anchel, hailed as “a voice to watch” by The Wall Street Journal, has appeared with many of the world’s leading opera companies and ...
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