101: Liberace Hosts The Muppet Show
“Liberace” (October 14, 1978)
After a suggestion by Drew’s heterosexual acquaintance, we’ve decided to discuss the gayest episode of The Muppet Show we could find. Tony Rodriguez joins us for a discussion of Muppets but also a fairly obscure FCC ruling that shaped prime time television for every child who grew up in 80s and 90s America, plus a rundown of why Liberace is awful. There is a lot going on in this episode, but that seems appropriate given the bonkers chaos that is the Muppets.
Yes, there is a “lost” TableCakes podcast you may never have heard: You Have to Watch This Movie, which is not technically defunct and which was hosted by Tony and which featured guests such as Nicole Byer, Lennon Parham and Beth Dover.
The article Drew mentions is “The Performance of Non-Conformity on The Muppet Show – or, How Kermit Made Me Queer” by Jordan Schildcrout. It doesn’t seem like it’s posted online for free anywhere but if you access to various academic journals you can probably read it. Alternatively you can also just pay to read it here.
Listen to the Bad Gays podcast’s episode about Liberace for more details about his biography.
Watch “My Muppet Valentine,” the Muppet Babies episode Glen mentions about Rowlf making everyone think he is depressed. Also watch the dark and violent Jim Henson-produced ads for Wilkins Coffee. But maybe don’t watch SNL’s Muppet-starring “Land of Gorch” sketches because they are just strange.
Read the Stater & Waldorf gay fanfiction that went viral.
Swedish people do not think the Swedish Chef is funny and also don’t think he sounds Swedish.
And yes, Drew did once compile “Every Instance of Doubling on Twin Peaks.” It is a thematic forerunner to every LGBT joke ever on The Simpsons.
This episode’s outro track is “I Like Chopin” by Gazebo: Apple Music • Spotify • Amazon
