

Keep It!
Keep It!
Wherever pop culture and politics collide, Emmy-nominated TV writer Louis Virtel examines the gorgeous wreckage from his uniquely queer perspective with a rotating cast of special guest co-hosts. Each week, our “Prince of Pop Culture” is joined by the likes of Michelle Yeoh, Cate Blanchett, Andrew Garfield, Connie Britton, and Sheryl Lee Ralph to unpack the latest controversies, laude character actress appreciation, and all the shade that’s fit to throw.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Oct 5, 2022 • 1h 30min
"Bros Don't Prefer Blonde" w. Isabella Rossellini
Ira and Louis discuss Bros' performance at the box office, Blonde's polarizing depiction of Marilyn Monroe, whether Hocus Pocus 2 is better than the first, Lena Dunham's Pride casket tweet, Kanye's White Lives Matter shirts, and Christian Walker's feud with his father Herschel. Plus, Hollywood royalty Isabella Rossellini joins to discuss her new one woman show Darwin's Smile, the enduring gay legacy of Death Becomes Her, and what she learned from her iconic parents Ingrid Bergman and Roberto Rossellini.

Sep 28, 2022 • 1h 25min
"Or How I Learned to Stop Worrying Darling" w. Nick Kroll
Ira and Louis discuss whether Don't Worry Darling was worth all the drama, Rihanna headlining the Super Bowl, the winner of Big Brother 24, pickleball, and Rolling Stone's 100 Best TV Shows list. Plus, Nick Kroll joins to discuss his new stand-up special Little Big Boy and also that movie he starred in that everyone's talking about.

Sep 21, 2022 • 1h 30min
“The Man Queens” w. Andrea Riseborough
Ira, Louis, and guest host Sam Sanders dive into The Woman King and Viola Davis’ career, Nicki Minaj’s Twitter-stemmed lawsuits, Adam Levine’s cheating scandal, Mark Wahlberg’s career choices, Cardi B’s bisexuality, and group text etiquette. Plus, Louis chats with Andrea Riseborough about her new film To Leslie and her extensive film career.

Sep 14, 2022 • 1h 20min
“Elizabethcountry” w. Edward Enninful
Ira and Louis discuss the death of Queen Elizabeth II and the reactions to it, the Emmys, Ben Savage’s political bid, the Obamas new portraits, and more. Plus, Edward Enninful joins to discuss his role as British Vogue’s editor-in-chief and his new memoir A Visible Man.Check out Sheryl Lee Ralph's recent Keep It Appearance here: https://crooked.com/podcast/we-dont-talk-about-favreau-w-sheryl-lee-ralph/.

Sep 7, 2022 • 1h 35min
"Darling, Don't Worry My Vibe" w. Betty Gilpin
Ira and Louis discuss the continuing Don't Worry Darling gossip that has unfolded at the Venice Film Festival, whether they care about The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, Lea Michele's alleged illiteracy, and Louis' addiction to Pluto TV. Plus, Betty Gilpin returns to discuss her new book All the Women in My Brain, shared theatre traumas, and more.Check out Betty Gilpin's previous appearance on Keep It

Aug 31, 2022 • 1h 54min
“The Wilde Bunch” w. Jenifer Lewis
Ira and Louis discuss the drama surrounding Olivia Wilde’s upcoming film Don’t Worry Darling, the relevance of the VMAs, Sydney Sweeney’s online drama, Britney and Elton John’s new version of “Tiny Dancer,” the Kyle controversy on Big Brother, and more. Plus, legend and icon Jenifer Lewis joins to discuss her new book Walking In My Joy: In These Streets, the women who’ve supported her career since the beginning, and why activism is more important to her now than acting. Check out Olivia Wilde's appearance on Keep It here: https://crooked.com/podcast/the-royal-tea-with-olivia-wilde/

Aug 24, 2022 • 1h 23min
“Bringing Up Nepotism Baby” w. John Boyega
Ira and Louis discuss NYT critic Lena Wilson’s feud with Bodies Bodies Bodies star Amandla Stenberg, Idris Elba not casting his daughter in Beast, their favorite Hollywood nepotism babies, House of the Dragon’s premiere, Harry Styles as the new king of pop, and Ben Affleck’s plantation wedding. Plus, John Boyega joins to discuss his new film Breaking, memories of pilot season in LA, and more.

Aug 17, 2022 • 1h 47min
“I Know What You Rehearsed Last Summer” w. Connie Britton
Ira and Louis discuss Anne Heche’s legacy, Nathan Fielder’s new series The Rehearsal, Megan thee Stallion’s sophomore album Traumazine, Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin, Madonna as a businesswoman, and Marlo Hampton’s disappointing season on Real Housewives of Atlanta. Plus, Connie Britton joins to discuss The White Lotus, revisiting Spin City, and her Broadway aspirations.

Aug 10, 2022 • 1h 23min
"That Thing You Xanadu!" w. Nathalie Emmanuel
Ira and Louis discuss Olivia Newton-John's legacy, their favorite dance songs, HBO Max's disastrous rebrand, Ezra Miller's reign of terror, Kat McPhee's bad voting record, and more. Plus, Nathalie Emmanuel joins to discuss her latest film The Invitation and working on series with huge fanbases like Hollyoaks and Game of Thrones.

Aug 3, 2022 • 1h 45min
“Don’t Stop ‘Til You Renaissance” w. Neil Patrick Harris
Ira and Louis are joined by music critic Britt Julious to discuss Beyoncé’s massive new album Renaissance. Neil Patrick Harris joins to discuss his new series Uncoupled, his life as a gay man before publicly coming out, and more. Plus, a post-mortem on RuPaul’s Drag Race All-Stars 7.


