TV Guidance Counselor Episode 130: Dan Savage

March 15-21, 1980

Today Ken welcomes writer, broadcaster, all around personality Dan Savage to the show.

Ken and Dan discuss lack of choices, Zoom Pride, Bonnie Hunt Chicago vs. Cabrini Green Chicago, being a middle child, special events pre-empting TV, Alienated suburban teams, Baretta, the Reagan era, the 70s grit vs. the 80s aspirational media, how the American Dream is the American Scam, the lack of post-Roseanne Blue Collar sitcoms, family love through ballbusting, hot wives with fat guys, hitting the age as an actress when you have to be a non-sexual D.A., growing into Love Boat, Archie's Place, Maude, Mary Tyler Moore Spin-Offs, Phyllis, Rhoda, Lou Grant, why Marty Tyler Moore is a gay man, Family, Leif Garrett, the importance of re-runs, Lucy, saving a marriage with infidelity, Billy Crystal on SOAP, fixing gay men, Love Sydney, shock that Tony Randall isn't gay, not knowing Liberace is gay, asking for tickets to A Chorus Line, Paul Lynde and his filthy gay jokes, CHpS, crushing on Erik Estrada, undercover punks, becoming conservative as you get older, celebrating 70s hair, Shaun Cassidy, Baseball Pin Ups, Billy Ripken's Fuck Face Bat, Ricardo Montalban introducing S&M to Fantasy Island, Burt Convey, Jiggle TV, The Battle of the Network Stars no Bras Rule, dishonest sleaze, contempt for your audience, Horny Don Knotts, 70s TV homophobia, Three's Company, Bosom Buddies, sneaking comedy albums, the golden age of SNL, pillaging the underground, Diff'rent Strokes, Laugh in loving Richard Nixon, being a secret magical princess from another dimension, orphans, Gimme a Break, Race Relations, Kate & Allie Lesbians, sexless marriages, Ron Reagan Jr., The Brady Bunch, Fake Jan vs. Fake Cindy, Gilligan's Island, The Bradys, The Muppet Show, how Kermit is just "into pigs", the subversive wonder of Jim Henson, how you need to love something to properly parody/satire it, vaudeville, the golden age of TV variety shows, Hogan's Heroes, M.A.S.H., live TV musicals, tracing cultural history through character actors and the conundrum of John Waters.