Hi Honey, I'm Homo!: Sitcoms, Specials, and the Queering of American Culture | 
pickFrom Bewitched in the 1960s through the recent Modern Family, the book takes you through decades of TV, highlighting the growing presence of LGBT representation. I am of an age to have seen most all of it and could appreciate the impact of queer visibility in changing cultural attitudes. Baume recounts key moments of TV history and the changing society it represented. Thoroughly entertaining and informative. Also, one of the best book titles ever!
A wonderful book about LGBTQIA+ representation in television. It was written before the 2024 election. I cried reading the last chapter, which talked about the potential backlash that could undo the progress that‘s been made in TV.
I love this pic of Cam, Mitch, and Lily from Modern Family. Image from Modern Family Wiki.
I was never a fan of All in the Family (I thought Archie was just mean); this footnote made me laugh out loud. (I‘m sorry 😞)
My first introduction to the concept of homosexuality was when my father forbade me from watching Three‘s Company. I was 12. I didn‘t understand! 😳😱 I expect this book to be a fascinating revisit and re-education of some pieces of my childhood.
For #AsheCoNCReadingChallenge2024 category Lambda Award winner 🏳️🌈
pickJust finished this excellent work of nonfiction. Baume writes about the history of queer rep in American sitcoms, using them as a framework on which to hang discussions of important milestones in queer history. Baume‘s voice, as heard in his excellent video essays, shines through. I would recommend this even if you have never seen any of the TV shows Baume writes about. One caveat- most of the queer rep discussed is gay or lesbian. See comments ⬇️
I‘m really enjoying this so far- it‘s the July pick for my LGBTQIA+ book club. The chapters seem to be adapted from Baume‘s excellent video essays, but the book format gives them a different feel. It makes me realize how good Baume is at condensing historic moments, using them as a context for what was happening on TV while also using the TV moments to show how media representation can have a quantifiable effect on real life. #catsoflitsy
pickAn extremely fascinating read! I learned quite a bit and just how far back the representation stretches. I for one would have never thought of All In The Family as being groundbreaking for any minority group- but I‘ll be damned.
Be aware there are era appropriate slurs, so if you‘re sensitive to that don‘t get caught off guard. It‘s a very respectful and nuanced look at the past both distant and near.
pickThis was fun and informative! Baume takes a look at queer representation in sitcoms from Bewitched to Modern Family. I did appreciate that he went back to the 60s and 70s because similar pop culture books have started with Ellen and Will & Grace (those are covered here, too). He writes about Samatha on Bewitched as a metaphor for closeted queer culture, a recurring drag queen character on All in the Family, and queer characters on Barney Miller.
