March 28, 2024 The Newspaper Serving LGBT Los Angeles

“The Sewers of Paris” is Podcast Gold

If, like me, you spend a good part of your day searching through all the podcasts on offer trying to find one that will give the exact right amount of lift, melancholy, and cultural enrichment that you’re looking for, allow me to introduce you to “Sewers of Paris.” That is, if you haven’t already met.

Matt Baume’s podcast about the culture that shaped gay men’s lives (and in many cases saved their lives) offers hour-long explorations of the private, often painful personal histories of each of his guests. Since 2015, Baume has been devoting episodes to men in the gay community doing awesome despite grim odds. From midwestern upbringings to the most cosmopolitan of childhoods, it can feel impossible to feel positive enough even to get out of bed when you’re growing up gay, in pain, and obsessed with pop culture. I don’t like to throw around the term “inspirational”, but “Sewers of Paris” is precisely that: Each week offers a new glimpse into the most personal aspects of a stranger’s life. And more often than not, listening to the story of that stranger’s transformation from a shy (or not so shy) queer kid into a fully-fledged, out-gay adult is sometimes just what you need to remind you just how much we still have in common as a community. If you have a young gay kid in your life, there’s nothing I would suggest more highly than this podcast, which covers topics across the board from kink to Santa Claus, Mary Martin to Eddie Izzard, and “Little Shop of Horrors” to the “Torch Song Trilogy,” sometimes all in one sitting. And if you have a gay adult in your life who’s feeling a little lost, little depressed, and maybe more than a little discouraged about the state of the world, this is the perfect antidote to remind that person about the power of art to bring us together, even in the darkest, scariest times.

Related Posts

Film Review: Down Low

July 30, 2023

July 30, 2023

FILM REVIEWDOWN LOWRated R90 MinutesReleased March 11, 2023 By Dolores Quintana “Down Low” is funny. It’s a lean 90 minutes...

Film Review: The People’s Joker

July 23, 2023

July 23, 2023

FILM REVIEWThe People’s JokerUnrated92 MinutesReleased September 13, 2022 (Toronto Film Festival) By Dolores Quintana “The People’s Joker” is a heartfelt...

The Problem with Pride Outfits and How You Can Change It

February 20, 2023

February 20, 2023

Since pride month’s official declaration in 1999, we’re reminded every June of how far America has come following New York...

Happening Now: West Hollywood’s LGBTQ+ Arts Festival

May 23, 2022

May 23, 2022

By Susan Payne Happening now through the end of June, WeHo Pride LGBTQ Arts Festival celebrates the artistic contributions of...

WeHo Premieres the ‘Moving Image Media Art’ Exhibition Series

February 2, 2022

February 2, 2022

The City of West Hollywood announces the premiere of the Moving Image Media Art (MIMA) program and the worldwide debut...

2022 ‘WeHo Reads’ Series Celebrates the ‘Road to Joy’

February 2, 2022

February 2, 2022

The City of West Hollywood invites community members to celebrate literature and local authors with its 2022 WeHo Reads literary...

MJ Rodriguez, 1st Openly Transgender Actress to Win Golden Globe

January 18, 2022

January 18, 2022

Michaela Jae “MJ” Rodriguez has made history by becoming the first openly transgender person to win a Golden Globe.  The...

LACMA Spotlights Queer Black Artists & Subjects

December 7, 2021

December 7, 2021

“The Obama Portraits Tour” and “Black American Portraits” exhibits at LACMA not only celebrate portraiture, but also queer Black artists...

Pride Poets’ Corner: Featuring Corey Saucier & the Dirge for 24 Hour Fitness

December 7, 2021

December 7, 2021

On November 30, 2020, the 24 Hour Fitness location in West Hollywood, which had been in the community for 25...

World’s First LGBTQ Mariachi Band Performs for the Center to Celebrate National Hispanic Heritage Month

October 26, 2021

October 26, 2021

Mariachi Arcoiris de Los Angeles—the world’s first LGBTQ mariachi—entertained more than 50 Center clients and staff members with an exuberant...

The Los Angeles LGBT Center & Gochis Galleries Announce Collaboration With Art Division

September 29, 2021

September 29, 2021

The Los Angeles LGBT Center’s Advocate & Gochis Galleries announced a collaboration with Art Division.  Art Division is a community...

QFilms Long Beach Returns

September 15, 2021

September 15, 2021

QFilms Long Beach, Long Beach’s oldest film festival, returns September 30 – October 3 to celebrate the diversity of LGBTQ...

Lady Gaga Announces New Album Dropping In October

August 15, 2021

August 15, 2021

Oscar and Grammy winner Lady Gaga has announced that she will be dropping a new album set to be released...

“Pose” Actor Jason Rodriguez Forms New Talent Agency

August 15, 2021

August 15, 2021

Jason Rodriguez, the unequivocal new face of voguing and “Pose” superstar, has formed a new talent agency called Arraygency.  Rodriguez...

AltaMed Health Services to Host “Inclusion Beyond Pride: A Queer Art Show”

August 5, 2021

August 5, 2021

AltaMed Health Services, will host “Inclusion Beyond Pride: A Queer Art Show” on Friday, Aug. 6, 6-10 p.m. in Los...