I am not a sitcom devotee but I am obsessed with how culture is shaped by media (and vice versa) so I picked this up on a whim. Needless to say, I absolutely loved it.

Baume gives such a humorous and accessible history of queer representation in sitcoms that I finished the audiobook in twenty four hours.

Now, for a literary inducing binge of Modern Family.

The book focuses on the increasing presence of LGBTQ+ characters in American sitcoms.
It is a recommended read for those interested in LGBTQ+ representation and its cultural significance.

Thanks NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of this book to read early in exchange for an honest review.

Happy to highlight this engaging new release in “Loud & Proud,” a round-up of new and notable reads for Pride Month, in the Books section of Zoomer magazine. (see column and mini-review at link)

What a cool way to examine queer American history! I do wish it had dealt a bit more with other aspects of queerness beyond sexuality, but overall super accessible and informative

Bravo! I can only recommend this book. It is highly insightful and utterly fascinating. The research that went into it, is palpable.

Matt Baume's book takes you back in (TV) history and makes you realise how high the stakes were for sitcoms back in the day, airing (back then controversial, nowadays harmless kisses, scenes, characters, etc., trying to sway their audience with laughter to accept reality.

It is heartbreaking to read about the uphill battles the actors/executives/activists/etc had to fight, but also inspiring to read those beautiful stories of how controversial scenes came to be/who put their foot down/who filmed something anyway/who stood up for them, etc. /who wanted a better depiction, etc. and how sometimes the audience surprised the networks.

This was a very interesting look at the presentation of queer characters in sit coms throughout the decades. I enjoyed the author's writing style - it was conversational and interesting, and the footnotes/endnotes added both interesting facts and fun snarky bits that I thoroughly enjoyed. There was some repetition across the chapters - it seemed as though they were written to be read individually, if one was only interested in or familiar with certain of the shows, and while I appreciate that when I'm a casual reader, reading it straight through did mean there was some replay from chapter to chapter at times. I found it overall both informative and entertaining regardless, and I'm definitely going back to look up some of the individual episodes referenced after reading!

Matt Baume is a writer, podcaster, and video-maker whose work focuses on pop culture and queer history. In this book, Baume traces the increasing presence of LGBTQ+ characters in American sitcoms.

There was a time when queer characters on television were almost always depicted in a negative light. Baume writes, in the 1970s, "Television programs of the time frequently resorted to disparaging tropes: pansy perverts, insane transvestites, criminal dykes." Baume goes on to say, "Whether Americans tuned in to watch sitcoms, dramas, or the nightly news, TV reflected the prevailing belief that queer people were, at best, mincing freaks and, at worst, a public menace."

To change this, community organizers - emboldened by the 1970s queer liberation movement - began to pressure the major networks to stop airing misleading stereotypes. The push began to work, but it was slow going. Baume observes, "Queer visibility faced formidable opposition from powerful conservative forces that were equally determined to stake a claim on the airwaves", and there was an "ongoing tug-of-war for control of the dial."

Sitcoms were among the first programs to regularly show gay characters in a more favorable manner, which - over time - helped shift American attitudes to LBGTQ+ people. Baume shows how this happened, and I'll give a a few examples, to provide a feel for the book.

📺 Bewitched (1964 -1972)

The premise of 'Bewitched' is as follows: a witch named Samantha marries a mortal named Darrin, and Samantha agrees not to use her witchcraft so they can blend in as a suburban couple. Of course something happens each episode that causes Samantha to exercise her powers.....and it's all very funny.

Baume notes that "Samantha's marriage to Darrin could be read as a metaphor for mixed-faith marriages, for people with disabilities, for sexual minorities, or for any number of groups that experience tension between being outcasts and joining the mainstream." At the time, queer people HAD to blend in, because homosexuals had been ostracized - imprisoned, beaten, cast out, killed - since America's colonization.

Baume suggests that the witches in 'Bewitched' are metaphors for LBGTQ+ individuals, and cites the following conversation as an example:

"Samantha: I guess they just don't realize we're like anybody else.....almost."

"Mary: I don't know why we don't simply tell everyone we're witches. And then they'll see what wonderful, nice people we really are."

In later years, the show's star Elizabeth Montgomery (who played Samantha) acknowledged that 'Bewitched' was "about people not being allowed to be what they really are....about repression in general and all the frustration and trouble it can cause." The series slowly chipped away at prejudice, and later episodes "showed liberation gaining a firm upper hand."

Baume includes much more in the chapter, writing about: historical and ongoing persecution of gay people in America; early protests and demonstrations for queer equality; homosexual people in the 'Bewitched' cast (and elsewhere in Hollywood); 'Bewitched' as a harbinger of shifting American culture; and more

📺 All in the Family (1971 - 1979)

'All in the Family', about a blue collar family, took topics from newspaper headlines and tackled the country's cultural upheaval head-on. The core characters in the show are: father Archie, mother Edith, daughter Gloria, and Gloria's husband Mike.

Baume observes that 'All in the Family' was the earliest American television program to feature queer characters with any measure of respect, and in a 1971 episode, "put forth the radical idea that queer people might not be a monolithic bunch of perverts."

The 1971 episode "begins with Archie meeting a friend of Gloria and Mike's, a fussy young man named Roger whose mannerisms are affectedly precise and whose ascot is assertively purple." Out of earshot of Roger, Archie calls the young man a "strange little birdie" and "queer."

Mike challenges Archie in the following conversation:

"Mike: You know something Archie, just because a guy is sensitive and he's an intellectual and he wears glasses, you make him out a queer."

"Archie: I never said a guy who wears glasses is a queer. A guy who wears glasses is a four-eyes. A guy who is a fag is a queer."

Afterwards, Mike learns that Archie's friend Steve - a muscular, deep-voice, football player - is homosexual. Mike inadvertently reveals this to Archie, who doesn't believe it. When Archie next sees Steve, the following talk ensues:

"Archie: I don't know where [Mike] gets these brainstorms, but he thinks that you're a.....jeez, I can't even say it to you Steve."

"Steve: He's right, Arch."

"Archie: Hah?"

Archie then goes through a series of emotions: confusion, horror, amused dismissal of what he thinks is a practical joke, dismay that it might be true, and finally resolving that it's impossible. Regardless of Archie's reaction, Baume writes, "That this struggling show was willing to tackle homosexuality so early in its run - the fifth episode - is nothing short of amazing."

In another story arc on 'All in the Family', Archie performs mouth-to-mouth resuscitation on a 'big, tall, beautiful-looking, classy dame' who's actually a drag queen named Beverly LaSalle. Later, when Beverly rewards Archie with a fifty-dollar bill, this conversation occurs:

"Archie:....I'll just say 'Thank you, Miss. Unless youse girls like to be called Ms?"

"Beverly: Why don't you call me......mister." (And he yanks off his wig.)

Archie is stupefied!.....but later in the series Archie and Beverly become something like friends.

In this chapter Baume also writes about: the challenges facing show creators who wanted to include homosexual characters; 'zaps' - bold, disruptive confrontations organized by the newly formed Gay Activists Alliance in New York; the drag scene in America, including movies and television; a 1977 ballot issue in California that would have barred homosexuals from working as teachers, counselors, and school administrators; the murder of San Francisco city commissioner Harvey Milk (who was gay)....and the riots that followed; and more.

In the rest of the book, Baume writes about gay representation in the following sitcoms:

Alice (1976 - 1985)
Barney Miller (1975 - 1982)
Soap (1977 -1981)
Cheers (1982 - 1993)
The Golden Girls (1985 -1992)
Dinosaurs (1991 - 1994)
Friends (1994 - 2004)
Ellen (1994 - 1998)
Will & Grace (1998 - 2006)
Modern Family (2009 - 2020)

In each section, Baume also includes anecdotes about gay issues of the time, such as the 'Family Viewing Hour', which was an attempt to clean up television and protect impressionable youth. The backlash against 'questionable content' on television resulted in a 1975 initiative called 'The Family Viewing Hour', where TV stations pledged that all broadcasts from 8 to 9 PM would be free of controversial content: no sex, no violence, no homosexuality. As it turned out, this was a disaster that drove viewers away by the millions....and it only lasted for one year.

Unfortunately, the lesson learned seems to have faded from memory. In the book's conclusion, Baume writes, "Looking back over the last twenty years of television, it might seem as though the tug-of-war might've finally ended, that conservative activists were sufficiently exhausted by their failures....and that television was finally, safely, gay for good."

Sadly not.

Baume goes on to observe, "As I write these words at the end of 2022, there are signs of a long-delayed backlash coming that could dwarf those of the previous century. In schools across the country, we're seeing queer-inclusive books banned. Teachers and librarians fired. Curricula scrubbed of affirming role models. A moral panic that began by scapegoating trans students is now expanding to brand all queer people as a threat to kids......the current moral backlash to inclusive material in schools could easily expand into campaigns to wipe queer characters from media intended for all audiences." So, if you favor inclusive media, Baume suggests tactics to counteract this right-wing movement.

This is an important book for current times. Highly recommended.

Thanks to Netgalley, Matt Baume, and BenBella Books for a copy of the manuscript.

I know that judging a book by its cover is typically frowned upon, but I have to admit the cover and title are what initially caught my attention when scrolling for a book to read. Since I like seeing LGBTQ+ rep in the movies and TV shows I watch, I felt this was a perfect book to read for Pride Month.

Hi Honey, I'm Homo reflects on a variety of tv shows from Bewitched in the 60s through to Modern Family in the 2000s and how they affected media representation of LGBTQ+ storylines. The first TV shows I recall seeing with queer rep were Dawson's Creek and later Degrassi: The Next Generation, so I was excited to learn about the history of inclusion in sitcoms. I watched a few of the shows Baume references but did not pick up on a lot of the Queer content.

This is the perfect time for a book like this to come out. Across the country, LGBTQ+ books are being banned, and Baume makes the argument that exposure to lgbtq+ characters, even fictional characters, helps with empathy and understanding, which is very much needed right now when the community is under attack.

Calling all TV aficionados! Prepare to embark on a dazzling journey through the captivating world of sitcoms and their queer influences with "Hi Honey, I'm Homo! Sitcoms, Specials, and the Queering of American Culture." This delightful book, perfectly tailored for fans of both television and LGBTQ+ history, is a treasure trove of mesmerizing information that will keep you hooked from cover to cover.

From the very first page, you'll find yourself transported back to those cozy evenings in front of the TV, as Baume, who clearly shares our love for television, takes us on a joyous ride through the evolution of sitcoms and their profound impact on American culture. Each chapter is a delightful romp through beloved shows, revealing fascinating tidbits and uncovering the hidden subtexts that have shaped our favorite sitcoms over the years.

What makes "Hi Honey, I'm Homo!" truly shine is Baume's passion for the subject matter. His enthusiasm leaps off the page and infects every sentence, making it impossible not to share in his excitement. Whether it's discussing groundbreaking shows like "Will & Grace" or highlighting lesser-known gems that pushed boundaries, Baume's lively prose and witty observations will keep you thoroughly entertained.

The book gives meticulous attention to detail. Every episode, every plot twist, and every memorable character is dissected and analyzed with a keen eye for queer subtext and representation. The book effortlessly weaves together historical context, interviews, and personal anecdotes, providing a comprehensive understanding of the impact sitcoms have had on shaping LGBTQ+ narratives in American culture.

The book embraces the spirit of the sitcoms it celebrates, infusing the pages with humor, wit, and a touch of irreverence. Baume's playful writing style keeps the reading experience light and enjoyable, making it feel as if you're having a spirited conversation with a fellow sitcom enthusiast.

For those of us who can't get enough of TV trivia, this book is a goldmine. Each page holds a treasure trove of behind-the-scenes stories, character analyses, and juicy tidbits that will have you gleefully exclaiming, "I didn't know that!" It's a delightful reminder that our favorite shows often hold more depth and meaning than meets the eye.

"Hi Honey, I'm Homo! Sitcoms, Specials, and the Queering of American Culture" is a brilliantly entertaining and informative exploration of the queer influences in sitcoms. If you find yourself delighting in TV show nostalgia, relishing in the complexities of LGBTQ+ representation, and craving a book that combines both with a generous sprinkling of humor, this is the perfect read for you. Prepare to be whisked away on a whimsical journey that celebrates the magic of television and the profound impact it has had on our culture.

So grab your favorite sitcom snack, settle into your coziest armchair, and let "Hi Honey, I'm Homo!" transport you to a world where laughter, diversity, and queerness reign supreme.

This was such a fun read -- starting with the catchy title and the subtitle - "Sitcoms, Specials, and the Queering of American Culture" - Baume does a great job giving an overview of TV sitcoms that either had gay undertones (Like Bewitched) or had gay themes as a part of the plot (Soap, Will and Grace). Baume does an effective job describing the context of what was happening in society and politically regarding LGBTQ+ rights and perceptions by straight Americans. Because of the societal context, some creators, showrunners and writers were able to demand that the episodes aired as intended but many compromises had to be made along the way particularly when networks added a "censor" bureau. Because I grew up with many of these shows, I very much appreciated looking at them through a new lens. I teared up at some of the dialogue he quotes from Edith in "All in the Family" to the Golden Girls. This is a real gem of a book and was a quick and entertaining read. I highly recommend this book!

Thank you to Netgalley and BenBella Books, for an ARC and I am leaving this honest review voluntarily.

I may not care too deeply for non-fiction books but I do care about Queer representation in media!

Hi, honey, I'm homo! Was incredibly funny all the while still remaining informative; it was well-referenced which I appreciated. It takes us through sit-coms through the ages. (meaning the 1960’s-2019)
It begins with introducing us to the first sitcom we’ll be looking at: Bewitched, a show about a closet witch who needs to hide her true self so that she can be safe, all the way to our last sitcom: Modern Family.

It’s interesting how we get to see queer representation in media evolve from a straight couple hiding a secret to a drag queen being featured in a recurring role to an explosion of queer characters popping up all over the place with varying levels of success. I am delighted by the current amount of representation we’re seeing in today's shows however the book doesn’t neglect to mention the current issues we’re facing today such as the erasure of any representation a large majority doesn’t see fit– we, unfortunately, can trace resurging behaviours back not even 60 years ago.

This book addresses the aids crisis, family viewing hour, a nation's bigotry and improving opinions; it details why representation matters and I think it’s a very worthy read; important even

Hi Honey, I'm Homo! is perfect for viewers of Matt Baume's YouTube channel. However, if you are interested in queer TV history then you do not have to have seen Baume's channel to be captivated and intrigued by this wonderful novel. Matt Baume was able to take readers on a journey through the years and discuss both historical events that were being seen from living rooms as well as ones right outside their door regarding gay rights. By reading this book you really get a feel for what was going on during the airings of not only different episodes featuring gay characters or even developments of TV shows starring gay characters, but it also delves into the historical events in history that lined up with episodes airing. This book is as informative as it is insightful and is a must-read.

Excellent nonfiction read covering the history of queer issues and visibility in the American sitcom. I've been a viewer of Baume's YouTube videos before, so much of the information presented here isn't exactly new to me, but Hi Honey, I'm Homo! was still well worth reading. One of the strengths of this book is how these television series/episodes are situated into their historical/cultural context. It's often easy to look on representation in television and criticize it for being "not enough" but the much needed context here shows just how important these series were in their context (and still even now).

I had never heard of this author/YouTuber before and of the shows covered I have only seen more than 1 episode of 2 different shows.

Brief but entertaining and informative look at how American television sitcoms have portrayed queer characters since the 1960s. Starting with "Bewitched" and ending with "Modern Family," Baume illustrates how the gradual upward trend in queer characters' number and visibility mirrored history, and helped normalize and personalize the average American's experience of queerness.

I'm an Old, so I remember watching "Bewitched" as a young child. It never occurred to me that Samantha's need to hide her witch status from the neighbors could be queer coded. I also had no clue that Paul Lynde's outlandish behavior as Uncle Arthur meant anything beyond the fact that it made him a witty "Hollywood Squares celebrity" (look it up, kids).

Reading about the evolution of Marty M0rrison on "Barney Miller" in the 1970s made me glad that the police sitcom was one of my favorite shows at the time (and yes, it looks different in the face of the "Abolish the Police" movement). The writers took a cliched mincing homosexual, a petty thief at that, and over the years turned him into a well-developed character with a business suit-wearing partner. As Baume notes, even though Marty was a minor recurring character, television viewers had a chance to see for themselves that gay people were not deviant predators. As public perception changed, television adjusted, which then fed into more pubic acceptance.

The book highlights the sitcom directors, producers and writers who pushed back against network suits who feared retaliation by conservative groups. And at the same time they faced criticism from the queer community for not moving far enough or fast enough (e.g., "Modern Family's" gay couple were not allowed to kiss each other in earlier seasons).

Baume's breezy writing style belies the seriousness of the topic. Writing this review in mid-2023, I worry that the latest backlash against LGBTQIA+ and trans persons will reverse the progress and send queer characters back into the shadows. They may only be sitcoms, but if we're headed back to shows with only white cis-het characters like "Leave It to Beaver," we will lose an important avenue for queer visibility.

ARC received from Net Galley in exchange for objective review.

Very informative and honestly, I didn't know the half of it even though I thought I did, so it was eye opening for me to read about what went on behind the scenes.

I’ve been a subscriber to Matt Baume’s YouTube channel for the past four or five years. I enjoy gossipy “did you know” trivia about TV and movies and Baume’s work covered an area I was particularly invested in: the sitcoms that Gen X grew up on. I have a strong opinion that what was on TV shaped my generation. One of the most popular television shows during my formative years is set in a military hospital during a war—and it’s sitcom! I feel like maybe that does something to a person.

Matt Baume’s investigations are more focused. His specialty is the representation of LGBTQ+ issues in sitcoms. He looks at how LGBTQ+ characters and plots have reflected American attitudes and policies and when those sitcoms have led the way by showing queer people as, you know, people; often vulnerable people who are comedically making the best of the situations they’re in. All this is told against the background of TV history with behind-the-scenes stories about the shows’ creators, many of them also LBGTQ+. Hi Honey, I’m Homo! begins with Bewitched and secretive life its main character, witch Samantha Stephens, and the secretive lives of several of its cast members. From there, the book moves through the 70s, 80s, 90s and 00s, through “wins” and “losses” for gay equality, to the 2010s’ Modern Family. Having clearer memories of later sitcoms, I was surprised by how many story lines in shows like All in the Family and Barney Miller included queer characters.

I was familiar with some of these stories from YouTube, but Hi Honey, I’m Homo! stitches themes and history together, providing more context. It was a quick read and, due to Baume’s comedic style, enjoyable even when topics get heavy. The conclusion of the book looks at the present, in which many gay and trans rights are being threatened and even abolished. If there is a lesson, it’s that there is a cycle of progress and backlash, but progress isn’t made without working toward representation, without fighting to tell stories.

I did not know about Matt Baum before this book but I’ll definitely be looking him up now. I have always been interested in entertainment history and I have recently become interested in queer history so this book was a no-brained for me. I learned a lot from this book not just about the shows I haven’t seen, but the ones I’ve watched every episode of.

It is a fast & easy read, I devoured this book in a little over a day, & I definitely recommend it for anyone!

This book is fascinating. It’s a well-written thematic history book. It’s accessible and easy to read. The writing style is very conversant and approachable but it is still informative. It looks at the development of queer representation in sitcoms and the relationship between television and current events. This book does a great job of contextualizing the shows discussed both in terms of what was going on nationally as well as what was going on with the studios. This book is really interesting and I highly recommend it.

Extremely well-written and accessible nonfiction! The author anchors the development of queer representation in sitcoms to historical events in a very comprehensible fashion, showing you how one influenced the other and vice versa.

I have to admit that I'm not interested in US television at all (I chose the book to broaden my knowledge of queer history as my primary field of study is Britain) and it still kept me engaged the whole time and sometimes even made me quite emotional. There is enough background provided of the shows that I could keep up even though I haven't seen any of them except for some episodes of Friends.

I definitely recommend this book to those interested in queer and/or media history.

I received the book on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.