I Wanted to be a Rock Star (Ep 447 - David Bowie/Scott Shoemaker)

The Sewers of Paris

As we veer ever closer to Christmas, this week's episode is a dive into the Sewers of Paris archives for a chat with Scott Shoemaker. Along with his partner Freddie, Scott’s great passion is live weird theater, which manifests in such projects as an ongoing series of live shows in which he plays a boozy pill-popping version of Ms Pac Man, or his annual Christmas show where he finds new ways every year to ruin and then hastily repair the holidays. Growing up, Scott dreamed of being a rock star — and as it turns out, dressing his friends in goofy costumes and taking them on the road to sing and dance and tell jokes is oddly close to a super queer version of rock stardom.

We’ll have that conversation in a minute. First, a couple quick announcements, starting with a reminder that if you like this podcast, you’ll probably like my newsletter. Every week I share fun stories about the making of beloved movies and TV shows, as well as the fascinating people behind them. You can sign up at MattBaume.com.

Also, check out my YouTube channel for videos about the making of iconic pop culture — I just released a new video about how America fell in love with closeted gay actor Rock Hudson in the 1950s, and what happened when his truth was revealed. That’s at YouTube.com/mattbaume.

And I hope you’ll join me for weekly livestreams over on Twitch every Sunday afternoon. That’s at twitch.tv/mattbaume.

Also! If you haven’t yet, take a look at my book about the history of queer characters on American sitcoms, Hi Honey, I’m Homo! — available now wherever books are sold, and it makes a very pleasant holiday gift. Go to gaysitcoms.com for details and to get a signed copy.

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