96: Moesha Meets a Gay Guy

“Labels” (October 1, 1996)

It’s the tale of two sitcom episodes. Depending on who you are, this is either an episode about Moesha meeting a gay teen who’s scared to come out, or it’s an episode about the dangers of gossip. Maybe it’s both. We are joined once again by Dr. Alfred L. Martin Jr. to discuss the importance of Moesha, why this episode of TV is utterly unique and who the cutest boy at Crenshaw High School is. (Spoiler: It’s Omar.)

Listen to our previous outing with Alfred, about Roc’s gay wedding episode.

Read more about Alfred’s work on his faculty page. Also read his essay about Omar for Flow.

Watch the trailer for or rent Tongues Untied, the 1989 art film by Marlon T. Riggs about black queer life during the AIDS epidemic.

Listen to Smart Mouth’s episode on coconut shrimp with Julia Loken — and check out the show’s new swag: a to-go cutlery set.

This episode’s outro track is “Evolution” by Sheryl Lee Ralph: Apple Music • Amazon Music • Spotify