Roseanne's Big Gay TV Kiss

[@artemiswolf4508]

If anyone tries to tell you this generation is overly sensitive jus remember that a show lost millions of dollars for having two men lay down in a bed together without even touching

[@kenhollis6197]

It is overly sensitive, but people get overly sensitive about damn near everything. I wonder if there'll be another war over Starbucks cups this year.

[@juliantapia1407]

@@kenhollis6197 Right, I forgot about that. Bunch of religious nuts for all up in arms about some colorful cups. Pathetic

[@Cobralalalala]

The irony is that people have been making that complaint for decades and almost universally the ones saying it are also the ones who get bent out of shape over these gay people kissing, or basically anything breaking their insular bubble.

[@mastermarkus5307]

@J Randall I mean, Liberals, yeah, but leftists aren't.

[@grumpyotter]

@@mastermarkus5307 I was about to say the same. I get quite annoyed when people label me a "liberal," so I pull out my copy of Das Kapital and bonk them on the head with it.

[@airshow406]

The gay version of “leave room for Jesus” is “leave room for Blanche”.

[@rebeccagibbs4128]

omg i need to make merch LOL

[@Iamjustherek]

😂😂😂

[@zz55jf]

God i wish "gay full house" would have been a thing.

[@Moonbeam143]

Gay "Full House" would be amazing.

[@anarchomando7707]

@@Moonbeam143 polyamorous Three-way gay relationship Living in the same house because they can't afford the rent alone? Two of them have a daughter from a previous marriage

[@RichV20]

Full House was kinda gay. 3 Confirmed Bachelors in San Francisco.

[@lookbovine]

Gay Cheers sounds better.

[@deathbeforedecaf7755]

Her downward spiral is disappointing bc her show was progressive for the time and was a top shows for almost a decade

[@MattBaume]

Yeah, so disappointing ... but the quality of the show is also a reflection of how many great folks worked on it.

[@Ran-33]

She did a lot for the LGBTQ who stabbed her in the back later on. Proving that they're disloyal bunch. Look at this man denying her role and making it about the gay showrunners making it happen.

[@TeamChaosPrez]

@@Ran-33 roseanne barr is a racist piece of shit, dude. since the early 2010's she has done awful insensitive thing after awful insensitive thing. being kind of nice to gay people in the 1990's does not excuse anything she's done since.

[@khater5589]

@@Ran-33 you're pathetic, also no one owes anyone loyalty for being nice to them.. She's been doing some sketchy things and a lot of people don't want to support her cuz of them but for you to come here and act as an idiot saying "proving that you're a bunch of disloyal people" as if it's just part of the DNA, acting as lgbt people have different brains that aren't independent even tho we're people that are no different than anybody else, really shows how fucking moronic you are... We don't owe anyone anything for treating us like normal human beings... If J. K Rowling turns out to be a transphobic terf even tho she BLESSED US with the Dumbledore is gay memes then we don't have to support her... No one asked for you to come up here and show us your ignorance, goodbye Mr loyal imbecile

[@khater5589]

@@Ran-33 Terf is a what?! Do you even know what the word Terf means?! Lmao.. I can't believe idiots like you actually exist... But again.. We're on the internet and we're likely to meet people from all positions of the intelligence bell curve... You just happen to be on the far left side of the bell curve.. Google it you POS then tell me how is that the case..

[@EricaGamet]

I laughed so hard at the bar's name "Lips." And then doubled-down on the laughing when you thought it was a weird name. It WAS a lesbian bar, correct? Double entendre, anyone? 🌮👄🤣

[@brainlock72]

and/or a nod to RHPS, which Tim Curry also did a guest spot on the show.

[@MrTomSpencer]

It makes me want to start my own gay bar called Dick's.

[@quirkyblackenby]

Lol right? I assumed it was a lesbian bar and thought the name was hilarious

[@JC20XX]

@@brainlock72 Red Hot Pilli Seppers

[@quillclock]

that wooshed right over his little gay head. XD

[@Nerdcoresteve1]

Holy shit gay dads sitcom sounds awesome! What a cast!

[@MattBaume]

It kills me that this didn't get made

[@kencoleman5007]

I saw a pilot for a sitcom where Goodman played a gay dad. Unfortunately, it didn't last long. I thought that Reginald Vel Johnson and George Wendt were a great couple on the TBS series "Clipped".

[@kumachan9311]

@@kencoleman5007 Normal Ohio [Check youtube]

[@kencoleman5007]

@@kumachan9311 Thank you. It was on KZbin that I eventually saw it. At the time of the show's airing, if it wasn't on Friday nights, or during the weekends, or on cable, I'd maybe have 1% chance of seeing it.

[@Idran]

@@kencoleman5007 It was even mentioned in this video, haha; you must've missed it

[@juliantapia1407]

The Roseanne of yesteryear would be embarrassed by and make fun of the woman she is today

[@redwillow79schippers94]

Yes. It makes me really sad. I don't know what happened to Roseanne. I wish she'd get some help and come back to her senses

[@kenirainseeker539]

@@redwillow79schippers94 It's so weird. One of the original episodes was one about why hitting kids is bad. In the new show, there's an episode about why hitting kids is good. What made her change?

[@redwillow79schippers94]

@@kenirainseeker539 I think she's always had some mental issues. I know she was on medication at some point. Not sure if she still is. I think it's probably just being around the wrong people. She's probably pretty east to manipulate.

[@joeyeulo1489]

"It's going to be great, you know." " Yeah, I know." And that sweet smile they exchange 😍 It's small moments like those that really leave an impression when I watch something. It's just beautiful and simple and human and shows that the love people feel transcends labels❤️

[@JamesChessman]

Yes I agree but it’s also disgusting and obscene that it was so emotional and heartwarming like that!!

[@oddtail_tiger]

"Does that mean that you dance with other men?" "...yes I do." I think this exchange is easy to miss, what with it being overshadowed by the Big Gay Kiss moment, but I think it's handled extremely well. This was the era of "not that there's anything wrong with that" - at best. The obvious reaction by John Goodman's character would be to get flustered and try to backpedal or otherwise show that he's uncomfortable with the implication of him dancing with other men. I think the reaction is perfect. Goodman's character is uncomfortable with the question, but takes a moment to think, realises that saying "no I don't" would not only be hypocritical, but teach the kid the completely wrong lesson, so he bites the bullet, ignores his own visible discomfort, and gives the only acceptable answer at this point. And Goodman being a great actor, he sells it all very well. The hesitation, the slight discomfort, and the character's decision to be a damn adult about it. It's honestly very sweet. I can imagine a different show letting the scene unfold completely differently - heck, I don't have imagine, most shows *did* handle moments like this differently.

[@brainlock72]

John's done plenty of theatre. That's all I'm saying. ;) Even Meat Loaf admits to having his mind blown when he entered the NYC theatre scene in late 60s, more than a few years ahead of John in 70s.

[@MysterySteve]

Although I agree with your general point here, I do think there was another response he could've given without having to lie. Although I do admit it definitely wouldn't have been as funny. He could've just said "Personally, I don't. But there's plenty of men out there who love to do so, and they absolutely should if it makes them happy." But this is really only an appropriate response for a real life dad, not funny enough for a sitcom, like has been said.

[@matthewmcneany]

"...the ALW musical where she portrayed a horny train" You know you're in the gay part of KZbin.

[@ArcaneEther]

I wish I could find a brightly lit gay bar. Every one I've been to is so dark, you have to find your way to the restroom via cell phone light.

[@Carelesshilton]

Come to mad myrnas (:

[@CPTDoom]

Fun fact about the "thirtysomething" controversy. A later episode, set on New Year's Eve, brings the two men back and they share a clearly visible, but I'd guess non-scripted, kiss at midnight.

[@ChibiFighter]

For all of the 80s and 90s nostalgia being a thing right now I'm surprised there isn't some type of a thirtysomething Renaissance

[@BlinkFM]

@@ChibiFighter ABC picked up the show thirtysomething(else) to air last fall. Writers room assembled at ABC and casting was complete. Same producers Ed and Marshal. The show would have regulars Michael, Hope, Nancy, Elliot, Elyn and Mellissa but the show would focus on The Steadmans 2 kids Jainy and Leo as adults. Also The Westons kids Ethan and Brittnay. They all met for table read in NY . After they returned they were told that the show was not going forward blaming covid and other things which made little sense.

[@tablemold]

I like gay Roseanne, not republican Roseanne.

[@sylph8005]

Yeah, she's really fallen off in recent years. It's genuinely heartbreaking

[@kencoleman5007]

One can be gay and republican. I saw something on social media saying that Pence was too conservative to be gay, and I was like "You know that one's sexual identity isn't reliant on the political positions, right?". I always thought that Roseanne is an independent. Like how Ice Cube supports for whoever would be a better proponent of his personal interests.

[@sylph8005]

@@kencoleman5007 I'm not sure about Roseanne's political beliefs. If you watch the original show, you can see (her character at least, which I believe is based on her) she's very leftist. However, in the reboot, she does support Trump. This is probably because he said he would bring in jobs, and because Hillary was a mess. However, after she was betrayed by the media, she likely became a full on Trump supporter because they offered her support. (Also, someone *can* be Republican and gay, but if you ask me, that isn't wise)

[@kencoleman5007]

@@sylph8005 I think that in many ways, Roseanne Conner was supposed to be Roseanne Barr, but there are other background traits in which they differ (and by the original "Roseanne" finale, the Roseanne Conner character who died was fictional version of Roseanne Conner (the writer in the voiceover epilogue) who was a version of Roseanne Barr. Barr herself was ethically Jewish, but raised as a Mormon ("LDS") in Utah. Unlike the sitcom version growing up in the middle of Illinois. The Conners are and always have been depicted as disenfranchised white people. During the Reagan, G.H.W. Bush, and Clinton administrations, that demographic could feel that they were still being championed in the capital by anyone who identified as "democrat". In an age of social media, G.W. Bush, Obama, and Trump, the BLM movement, and such, that demographic's been all but forgotten (at leas at the podium) by elected democrats. With a lack of advocacy, there's a sense of betrayal, and being disenchanted by all of electoral politics. Look at the presidential election results. Even the more progressive candidates were far more focused in winning over the support of more densely populated states and municipalities. No wonder people in Wyoming or the Dakotas feel so ignored and going with the right wing (or no one at all), Politicians are more concerned in the votes from Texas, California, Pennsylvania, or (lower) Michigan. On a state level, politicians care more about the voter allegiance within a heavily populated city than a bunch of small towns. With no advocate getting positive media exposure, people tend to feel ignored. More often than not, I think that right wing LGBTQ individuals are more moderate than pulled to either extreme of the spectrum. Sophie B. Hawkins has shown disbelief in global warming, but she did side with Clinton for the sake of feminism (like morally conservative Blacks who would vote for LGBTQ-supportive candidate just because of his race). I follow channels for two lesbian couples (one in Texas and one in Utah) who identify more as moderates. Having volunteered in a call center to protect trans and nonbinary people from discrimination (it was a state ballot question where people were trying to repeal an anti-discrimination law), there were a lot of people who were much more conservative than their self-described "democrat" label would allude to. Many of them substantial TERF's. As someone likely not cisgender (continuing to explore even more deeply), there are moments in "Will & Grace" that I find particularly ironic given that the characters were supposed to be so progressive (there was even an election episode where the titular characters were competing on whose candidate represented the most minorities in terms of identity politics"). In "An Affair to Forget", Jack had a massive existential crisis because he got arroused by an MTF stripper, and was only relieved when assured that Carla hadn't undergone GRS yet (that right there contradicts the HRC refrigerator magnet in Will's kitchen set. Even in the reboot there was a joke about how "Bruce Jenner" "decided to become a lesbian" when Jenner (as in the case of any trans person) is who they are, and just hadn't come out or transitioned yet. A large part of me thinks that they made the joke largely because of Caitlyn's political views. Would "progressive" TV characters say that "Roderick Cox decided to become a straight woman."? All throughout both runs of W&G, the characters refused to believe that gender was anything but binary, there was no pansexuality, and that the only people authentically bisexual were women. That eventually did get addressed (halfway through the final season) when Billie Lourd played Grace's niece, introducing a fiancee who Will and Grace absolutely couldn't accept as pansexual and not gay. Re: Hawkins (and as I started exploring my gender identity more, my teen crush on her seems all the more explained), I was hoping that she'd run for governor of New York in 2018 for the sake of being a first out lesbian governor of that state. Nothing against Nixon's legislative abilities, but she was using identity politics as a means of getting an incumbent off the primary ballot, when instead, it could've been win/win (either you get an experienced Democrat winning or the state's first out lesbian governor that November). In retrospect, I'm not sure if Nixon or Hawkins would've had the experience to lead the state through the COVID-19 pandemic like Nixon's adversary in the primary is doing.

[@sylph8005]

@@kencoleman5007 On your Will & Grace point, not all gays and lesbians are supportive of transgender or bi/pansexual people.

[@jaspirita]

I remember watching Roseanne as a kid and loving how progressive she was. I'm glad that the show existed even though she's no longer that way anymore. That voice was needed back then!

[@Ran-33]

She's still the same. The left changed.

[@brockbaby]

@@Ran-33 This gay man confirms your comment 100% The left has changed and left us.

[@briannamay5459]

Shes transphobic

[@kenirainseeker539]

@@Ran-33 Wrong. Something happened to her. Remember the episode where she hit/spanked DJ in a fit of anger, and then the whole episode was about how wrong it was and she promised to never do it again, because she was beaten as a child? All of that was suddenly thrown away in the new show where she's suddenly cool with hitting kids.

[@topfacemod]

@@Ran-33 That's rich. The left has literally NOT changed and the right has just in the last 20 years changed course on immigration - Dubya and McCain's policy was by far more favorable toward amnesty and path to citizenship for prior illegal immigrants....while today the right refuses to even acknowledge refugee status cases and indeed is using families escaping violent horror as political pawns (Ron DeSantis I'm looking at you). Roe v Wade was long settled precedent with even conservative members of the Supreme Court testifying as such as late as Amy Coney-Barrett....TO THE SENATE. Fiscally, the right has no plan aside from cutting Social Security and Medicare programs....again pushing further to the right against what even Nixon believed. From a former conservative activist (ME) to anyone reading this. The GOP is a hallow shell. Stands on no great structure and has no real plan or policy....just a fascist hateful asshole running on the fears of the people and party politicians.

[@MichaelHenrycomedy]

Loved this video!!!

[@veronicabrown2328]

It's always nice when you see creators you watch pop into each other's comments sections. It's like a sneaky cameo or crossover episode.

[@ow4744]

Its a great series, you should watch them all!

[@km2282]

When your faves watch each other👀

[@me0on0utube]

I wonder what the hell happened to THIS Roseanne. She was so forward thinking and progressive in a time when being brave was a lot tougher than today and now she's just a Karen. *sigh*

[@joeburinskas8672]

Worse than a Karen. A Nazi

[@xemnas9098]

She has probably always been that way, but only portrayed a progressive on tv. I thought the same way back then too. Now I know not to assume actors are like the characters they play.

[@PlatypusInPlaid]

I wasn't expecting a video about Roseanne to end up at Starlight Express by way of the live-action Flintstones film but I'm delighted that it did

[@MacAdvisor]

Matt, this has been a terrible month in a terrible year and I am facing a long night without kids in costumes to brighten the darkness. A full year after my open heart surgery that lost me my job, I finally found another job at the beginning of the month. I was beyond thrilled and was truly starring into the abyss financially when it happened. Exactly two weeks to the day after I started, the company filed bankruptcy and laid me off. Yay, $37/week in UI! I have so, so missed these Culture Cruises and here was a new one fresh off the presses. It was warm, wonderful, personal, and information. It was everything I love about them. Thank you so much. Finally, a something nice out of all the mess of the month and the year. Please, please, please, something this Tuesday to help us through Election Night! PLEASE! Alcohol won't be enough, we need a new Culture Cruise. Even a tiny one would help.

[@MattBaume]

Whew, so sorry to hear what a tough time it's been, but glad CC could come through for you! Not sure I can get another one out in time for Tuesday (they usually take around 30-50 hours from start to finish) but I'll be tweeting through the night.

[@Rajnoir]

12:38 your line “But wait! There’s more homosexuality” is like billy Mays advertising something gay 😂😂

[@PDComicBookNetwork]

95% of backdoor pilots that don't go to series were crap to begin with, but damn. That Martin Mull show would have been fantastic.

[@airshow406]

It’s a shame Roseanne the person is such a mess cuz Roseanne the show is pretty great (most of the time).

[@Ran-33]

Your community are like Nazis they want people to conform. Why do you want a Jewish woman to vote for the Farrakhan BDS party? Do you want her to vote for her own demise? Bunch of ignorant fools. Roseanne is still the same, a great woman. You're the ones who changed.

[@kayleyisdisturbing8990]

@@Ran-33 wtf

[@bandit7459]

And you know she ran the show right? She was the one who said yes and no. Roseanne has done more for the LGBT community and for people of color than 99% of the people who canceled her.

[@prixe12]

@@bandit7459 So what? That was then and this is now, being a creative consultant on a 30 year old sitcom doesn't give you an excuse to be a racist piece of shit.

[@johndean4727]

@@prixe12 Roseanne is a trailblazer.

[@DCMarvelMultiverse]

You saw the episode of Thirtysomething that showed two dudes in bed? That created a stir. I walked in and saw my mother glued to it. I just thought why do those guys get to stay up past their bedtime and I don't?

[@NightridewithNikki]

I love Leon's simple "ok Im gay, lets do this"

[@J42Michael]

Tara and Dawn?!!! Her name is Willow and she is the almost best lesbian ever (after Tara)

[@Vociph]

And Dawn was like 15 and their surrogate daughter for a while. Kind of a gross mix-up.

[@StarFighters76]

@@Vociph And even with Dawn's age aside, I just couldn't see it with her and Tara. They just wouldn't belong together.

[@profilenamehello]

Kinda want an episode about the issues surrounding getting Tara and Willows first onscreen kiss in The Body. Probably too well known. But less well known these days.

[@drwatsonca6945]

They treated tara poorly when they killed her off.

[@falconeshield]

@@drwatsonca6945 That's fake feminist Joss Whedon for you

[@fad23]

Okay, I know you know that wasn't Tara and Dawn. That would be a little more icky.

[@MattBaume]

Oh my GOD I can't believe that slipped past me

[@fad23]

It happens, but I'm glad you know at least.

[@MrMarcusWhite]

Didn’t even notice that

[@sanityisrelative]

Glad someone else mentioned it.

[@fad23]

@@MrMarcusWhite it was the second mention, toward the end.

[@ricosuave5392]

Is it awful that my reaction to 'a backdoor pilot' was "backdoor pilot indeed!" Great vid, thanks Matt

[@jacobskinner3522]

This is a wonderful dissection of a great show I grew up with and still love, despite a certain star's insanity. One point I would make, though, is that while the same-sex of it all is definitely part of the audience's gasp upon Marla's introduction, I wonder how much of that was simply recognition of Morgan Fairchild. It's one thing for Nancy to have a girlfriend, they might have thought, but something else entirely for that girlfriend to be Morgan Fairchild.

[@kc-lp6wg]

I was just about to comment about this! Totally agree! Morgan Fairchild was a major score in this era.

[@jefflrich]

Yep, the gasp was that the girlfriend was Morgan Fairchild. As a gay, I even gasped!!!

[@Golias72]

Thankfully the backlash from these episodes seem bizarre and dated in 2020. Its hard for my kids (17 and 24) to believe this was ever an issue.

[@MattBaume]

It really does seem like another planet! So bizarre that it was so controversial so recently.

[@hiccuphufflepuff176]

"Tara and Dawn on Buffy" Apparently Willow's girlfriend cheated on her with Buffy's teen sister? I must have missed that episode. lol

[@anarchomando7707]

Nice catch

[@ttthecat]

Right! Yikes Dawn was Tara and Willow's "daughter" on Buffy! Yeesh!

[@falconeshield]

Oooooof, he needs to fix that mistake

[@evaserration6223]

She did indeed Google her then....

[@orvilpym]

You keep rocking it! I love your Culture Cruise Episodes!!! :) Please keep them coming!

[@MattBaume]

Yay thank you!

[@johndean4727]

@@MattBaume yes keep em coming.Mary Hartman was the best.

[@tyrant-den884]

Okay, Disney, you'd better give Matt a solid reason to talk about Owlhouse.

[@troyjardine5850]

They already did with the gay prom. Come to think of it, the whole concept of the "gay prom" would be a great topic for Matt to cover.

[@tyrant-den884]

@@troyjardine5850 true. Between that and "Oh, wow. Sports." there is plenty there. But let's see where things go first. Better to know what kind of history we are dealing with.

[@29AndreG]

@@troyjardine5850 Well, there’s still the Everybody's Talking About Jamie adaption coming up under 20th Century Fox (now 20 Century Studios) they just got.

[@guaco__taco]

As a gay millennial with a husbear, I highly appreciate that Baloo joke!

[@ryanlemay6296]

My boyfriend and I are constantly quoting the kiss episode's joke about Herb Sharron. "Herb Sharon kissed you?!"

[@LoveRatherThenHate]

Some of my first introductions to gay characters as a kid came from this show. Rosanne the person has disappointed us in so many ways, but I'm grateful for Rosanne the show. It gave me a lot of much needed representation. I'm glad you did an episode on this.

[@Ran-33]

Oh how did she disappoint you backstabbers? Did you want her as a Jewish woman to vote for her own demise? For the Farrakhan BDS party? You're the ones who betrayed her like the ungrateful POS you are.

[@kenirainseeker539]

@@Ran-33 "betrayed"? Gimme a break, she's an actress, not our mom. We don't owe her undying loyalty.

[@RadioWaco]

Now I'm sad again Fred Willard passed away... RIP Fred...Thanks for all the laughs.

[@christianbrown7959]

Matt, I don't have a lot of gay people in my life, to be honest, I lost the only gay friend I had 😢. You are now the only provider of sassy, clever, gay humor in my life. Thank you.

[@kobaltkween]

Side note: Mariel Hemmingway was probably chosen as a call back to her role in Personal Best, where she has a same sex relationship with a fellow athlete.

[@tarpham]

Talking about the things people did, even though they are pretty off the rails now. It's like the fact that Fred Phelps was a big civil rights lawyer in the 50s. I hate what he's doing now, but I can't pretend the things he did before were good. Maybe this is too much for a youtube comment, but people are complex, and can be responsible for both good and evil.

[@JC-yy8iv]

All Fred Phelps is doing now is decomposing lol

[@lifeatpaddyspub]

I'm so obsessed with your videos. They're all so detailed, comprehensive, and well-researched. Thank you so much for this content.

[@tgflux]

"Tara and *Dawn* " on Buffy the Vampire Slayer? [Well, at least whoever does your closed captions got it right!]

[@gcecg]

Fantastic episode, Matt! I remember this episode of Roseanne very well, as well as all the controversy. And you're right. We went from the huge positive gay character taboo to gay characters everywhere in a very quick time. As screwed up as Roseanne might be now (but there's always hope), she genuinely used her influence to promote awareness in the 80s.

[@Jojosworld000]

Tbh when she called Jarret and cross between a terrorist group and planet of the apes character, the Cornelius one. That was not racist. Only a real racist or bigot would assume that black=ape if that's what you think I find that to be disturbing.

[@naturistfred]

With her gay inclusion on the show and her stomping on the American flag, she was the devil to conservatives back then. I miss the old Roseanne.

[@MrDruism]

Here’s a fun fact for you: The first interracial kiss on tv was on Star Trek involving Captain Kirk and Uhura. Sometime during the shows run Uhura (Nichelle Nichols) wanted to leave the show but was convinced to stay on by a fan........ Dr.Martin Luther King jr!!! He explained to her that her character was breaking racial boundaries being a member of the main bridge crew instead of a maid, influencing the black community and being an acting pioneer (and a badass). Great video man! You always put out good stuff!

[@anarchomando7707]

Da fa?

[@MnMsandOreos]

Just realized that Fred Willard is also Phil’s dad in Modern Family! He was one of my favourite characters on that show

[@dylangolden6648]

Could you do an episode over Soap. Billy Crystal played a very early homosexual prime time character. I’m fact the show was canceled after 4 seasons because of the gay content in the show

[@Cyborcat]

This might be the video that finally convinced me to go back to watching Roseanne. I used to be a big fan of her and her show until her weird outburst a few years ago. Her show was so good, but I haven't been able to get myself to watch it since then.

[@MattBaume]

The original run was great -- at least the first few seasons. Just kind of hard not to think about what happened to the star in the years that followed.

[@katherinemorelle7115]

Jose did a really excellent deep dive on both the original Roseanne and the sequel that you might enjoy. I was surprised at how progressive, and frankly radical the original show was. Class consciousness abounded! More than we can say for most modern shows.

[@destroyedforcomfort]

In the video, you list the episode as airing in January 12, 1991 instead of March 1, 1994. Which would be surreal as neither Bill Clinton's presidency or the "Don't Ask Don't Tell" policy was a thing then.

[@ToxicGnat]

This premier was so friggin fun, I had a blast. Thanks again for the wonderful video, Matt!

[@RyokoAsakuraLastFan]

Can you cover Roseanne and Dan's non binary grandchild in the reboot?

[@TheCrayaksDrode]

The KZbinr JosetheJay has a very long breakdown of the whole series if you're interested! kzbin.info/www/bejne/h4PaeqKpns93aaM

[@marias4814]

@@sage4365 Mark's character has not come out yet. They are still a child and discovering themself. Luckily, they have a fairly supportive family.

[@SprightlyValentino]

@@marias4814 Mark pointedly said that he identifies as a boy--unless that changed in a later episode I haven't watched. Gender nonconforming gay male, I think is the best description for him atm. But you're right, at the age the character is, I think it's fair to say he's still discovering himself.

[@marias4814]

@@sage4365 Possibly! Whatever they are is fine, and if that changes as they grow, that's ok too. I don't think the show is progressive enough to make Mark non-binary. But I think they also just want him to be a kid. And kids don't always know who they are or will become, but it's important that they are allowed to express themselves as they are in the moment so they find out.

[@Lucailey]

No Mark isnt nonbinary. He lets people call him "he" right in front of him. However, if you know the character he is the cutest sweetest little guy but - he sets people straight all the time - lol no pun intended ( ok slight pun) but he always gently tells people the real deal. Mark would totally gently explain that "he" isnt a he, he is a "they" that has not happened. At least not of season 3 ep 3. He wears a lot of typically femanin clothing but, thats just what he likes.

[@NIGHTGUYRYAN]

Roseanne did some great things for the gay community, she might have said some dumb things recently, but i'll always be a fan of the show and the work she did

[@ecstaticryan4369]

I will say, I always loved how Roseanne was so willing to confront serious issues

[@rj-xf3qf]

My mom watched roseanne when she was younger and had my little sister and i watch the show on weekends when we were growing up. idk if nancys relationship normalized seeing same sex couples for us but my moms always been really adamant in making different types of relationships seem "normalized". Great video!!

[@Cobralalalala]

In addition to your statement about all the great people who worked on the show, 90s Roseanne and 2010s Roseanne are almost like two different people. It really is sad and frustrating to see, but to me it still hasn't taken away from the fact that Roseanne was one of the best sitcoms ever created (and unlike some other falls from grace, hasn't made me stop watching it). I also think The Connors is fantastic. I'm also now mad that the Leon and Scott show never happened. That sounds great! Lastly, Mary Hartman Mary Hartman has been somewhat on my radar for a long time, but the "Soap meets Twin Peaks" description means I now desperately need to see it! Looks like I'm going to have to find $100 to get the dvd set.

[@Sam_on_YouTube]

This is one of the few you've done that I remember watching when it first aired. I didn't understand the controversy. I already had friends who were openly gay by that point and I had had a gay teacher in Hebrew school in 3rd grade in the 1980s. By the time this came out, in 1994, I had already left Judaism in part because my Torah portion said that my gay Hebrew School teacher should be put to death.

[@lorigarry371]

Try Gay representation on Soap Operas, definitely ahead of nighttime tv.

[@bdaddy8271]

Its crazy how even today shows have to fight to have same sex characters, like in Hulus Runaways. The actors who play Nico and Karolina had to push to have there characters be a couple like in the comic books.

[@pablosonic892]

It's a little known fact that every time without fail when I hear the term, 'Backdoor pilot,' I always let out a little giggle. Adulting is hard. pfft. Hard.

[@stupid8911]

Hi Love. Thank you for this post. Just a quick note, the air date for “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” was March 1, 1994. Keep doing what you’re doing!

[@webwolf404]

Those random tangents. When wish you could have Matt on your pub trivia team 😂😂😂

[@lisafranklin9089]

I can't stop binge watching! You are amazing Matt❣️❣️

[@capnamericardo]

Am I the only one thought Mariel Hemingway’s cameo was a surprise even to Roseanne herself? There was something about the way Roseanne responded “Hi!!!” and her immediate reaction after! There really is so much going on during that scene! lol

[@brainlock72]

yup, the DB cameo by Mariel was kept hidden from Barr until filming.

[@shadow_weaver]

I always assumed Mariel was a very intentional and considered pick due to the fact that she was in a genre-defining lesbian sports movie in 1982 (ftr, a non-tragic movie that portrayed a lesbian relationship with positivity and realism)

[@AB-bt9eb]

Roseanne put that all in her show, not the producers. She had enormous power and influence over her show.

[@coykeaton2284]

I loved this show so much in my childhood. The way they handled so many things over the years was a seriously important part of my development as a decent human being.

[@misterkeithb]

Hey Matt, thank you for doing these pop culture history videos! I struggled with so much internalized homophobia as a kid that I avoided a lot of things that would have been a comfort for little me. Your videos help me learn more about the history that I felt blinded to for so much of my childhood.

[@pompato1]

Hi Matt! At the 5 minute mark, you reference President Clinton's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" (DADT) policy - it was issued in late December 1993, and the Roseanne episode of the same name originally aired just over 2 months later, on March 1, 1994. Bill Clinton was sworn in in January 1993, so he couldn't have issued the DADT policy prior to 1993, as it sounded like he did in your video. I love your work, and I've been a fan of yours for years, thanks for all you do.

[@JamaicaSugar]

"An apartment decorated like the inside of a stomach." LMAO

[@luminousbanjo]

Can't wait for you to do Schitt's Creek.

[@leahsodyssey123]

I miss 90s Rosanne.

[@vylbird8014]

I wonder if you would cover some more recent TV events of note? I remember there was quite some backlash against the gay wedding in Arthur, the children's series, in 2019. I'd like to see a bit about how these events play out in more recent times.

[@InimicalWit]

Just as I come to comment how I’m enjoying this channel (out of sequence, though I’ve viewed it), this video uses a clip from “The IT Crowd”. lol 04:53 Anyway: I’m really enjoying the way each video carefully contextualizas subject matter, relevant to the immediate point. I’ve seen the same moments from different shows in various videos used in support and detriment to LGBT history; pointing out for each issue, why all these moments were good for one reason, not so good (or even bad) for another. I absolutely love the way you’re encapsulating this part of our history (both as an LGBT person, and as a human). Kudos

[@danigolightly799]

I’m legitimately broken hearted that “Gay Full House” could have existed but didn’t. That would have been the best show ever. 😭💔

[@phaedrus4931]

This cruise was filled with so many fun departures from the main voyage. A delightfully gay ol' time.

[@user-ku1np8bs8n]

Like you implied, it would’ve been nice if they actually paired together a lesbian couple who has good chemistry. I didn’t feel a lot of connection from the lesbian couple. And of course the lesbian kiss with Roseanne was super dry. This isn’t to say that the kiss or the lesbian couple wasn’t impactful in moving the needle forward in general

[@Ran-33]

Are you stupid? The plot is not about them being a couple.. she was kissed out of the blue. Educate yourselves community.

[@wobedraggled]

You mentioned Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman and even though I was only 4 when that came out, for some reason for a brief moments I could "smell" the 70's all the shag and velvet wallpaper, weird how that works...

[@catewithac8978]

Love it! One thing, though- the characters on Buffy were Tara and WILLOW. Dawn was Buffy's little sister.

[@jemly]

i've noticed this kiss episode isn't included in streaming the whole series on amazon prime. anyone know why that is ?!

[@MattBaume]

Oh wow I just check and you're right. WEIRD!!!

[@vylbird8014]

I just tried to look it up. All I found is that it isn't just that episode: There's another. Season 6 Episode 8 “Built by Imagination” Season 6 Episode 18 “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” They are on Amazon Prime, though. I can only speculate, but in almost all cases of missing episodes like this it comes down to legal issues - some copyrighted detail, usually a song, which doesn't have the required redistribution rights.

[@Jinka7]

@@vylbird8014 The easier option is to just change the song, though. Are there examples of omitting episodes just over a song?

[@quizzicalsphinx]

@@Jinka7 The Disneyland episode of Roseanne got omitted for a while for using "When You Wish Upon a Star" (don't mess with the Mouse!), but they swapped it to "The William Tell Overture" to get around it. In another note, I just checked on Peacock and both the episodes Vyl Bird noticed are available. I just watched the "Don't Ask" ep--for science--and all the music is pretty generic, so I don't think that's the problem.

[@DCMarvelMultiverse]

Eeew! Someone's kissing Roseanne! She says Trump stuff with that mouth!

[@Jojosworld000]

It's okay she supports Trump, my boyfriend supports Hillary Clinton. I hate her and thing she should be arrested and possible capital punishment. I love him tho still despite his politics. If you can't get along with someone because of their beliefs that's a you problem.

[@ChibiFighter]

Can we also start appraise comment thread for Mariel Hemingway? She went on to star in one of my favourite 90s horror movies from 1996 Bad Moon

5:36 Oh, Matt. It's called lips because its a lesbian bar 😂😂😂😂

[@mariasolenardelli3745]

Starlight express are two word you never want to hear but whenever something is connected to that musical somehow it delights you to no end. And everything is connected to Starlight Express one way or another

[@Rognik]

As I watched this review, I just had Seinfeld echoing in my head, "Not that there's anything wrong with that."

[@murder101storytime]

This show was my first exposure to the idea of being gay. It went a long way in normalizing the idea to me as a straight guy. If it'd hadn't been 'Roseanne' then it'd have been 'Will and Grace', which as much as I like,I feel like Jack wouldn't have been the best first gay character to see as he plays so heavy into sterotypes.

[@cythatnerd]

The Roseanne series is available for streaming on Prime Video, and this episode is one of the only two episodes not available (the other is about Dan and an old girlfriend). It's not exactly clear why such a landmark episodes is blocked, yet Leon's big gay wedding episode is viewable.

[@katherinemorelle7115]

It wasn’t until I watched Jose’s very deep dive on the original Roseanne (that I grew up with) that I realised how progressive and frankly radical it was. Pity we can’t say the same for the woman it was named for. But, everyone else taking over the sequel after her ridiculousness was pretty great.

[@danielharmon15]

is it just me or at 14:06 the ribbon in the back is subtly phallic.

[@OurElectricEclipse]

since you mentioned starlight express, FUNFACT: it is one of the first-ever mainstream musical depictions of a genderfluid bisexual character. The song they even sing has the title referencing slang for bisexuality, ACDC

[@aaronmerkel5216]

I grew up in the 80's and 90's and it was finding Tales of the City and Eastenders on PBS that gave me something to finally relate to. Sad that PBS cancelled 2nd season of Tales of the City. There was another season, I guess you could say, on Netflix or Hulu not too long ago, which ended things pretty well.

[@Desibeatnik]

I'm a bit older than you and I personally think that the audience's reaction was probably more due to the fact that Nancy's girlfriend ended up being Morgan Fairchild than just that it was a same sex couple. Plus this was way before lipstick lesbians were even widely known about.

[@m.rachele]

Agreed. Morgan Fairchild caused that reaction in ANY scene on ANY show she was on! Also, she and Mariel Hemingway were huge stars back in the day, and the audience would have reacted that way to seeing both of them. This is still a great analysis, but us *ahem* older folks can help young Matt as eyewitnesses with some cultural notes. =)

[@quenepacrossing4675]

That tangent ending in starlight express was just chef’s kiss lmao

[@kathleencunningham6236]

The premise for the show you described with Martin Mull would have been awesome! It's a shame it didn't get the green light.

[@mathieuleader8601]

she underwent quite a C-change our Rosie

[@cocotlan]

I love this series. I learn so much about the history of US culture and politics. Fascinating stuff, super well produced. Thank you for making these videos

[@panama880]

I always loved the show Roseanne, I was just watching the Halloween specials last night. I was shocked when I heard about her controversial options, I always imagined he being opened minded like the character, I was disappointed to find out that wasn’t the case. I still love the show and how they didn’t shy away from many subject matter that no one would tackle back in the 90’s.

[@matowekleshmitz2921]

16:08 this reminds me of a Christmas sweater that was Jesus saying ahh… men.

[@marinakyriacou6525]

I saw John Goodman's show Normal, Ohio (the 1st and only season is on YT) and thought it was hilarious. Such a shame it got cancelled.

[@uraninezak]

This is, like, the 6th video of yours I've watched in a row. You've earned a new subscriber.

[@joshuamoore4537]

It’s quite sad how she went from open minded & progressive, to behind the times.

[@bupdaddy1]

"decorated like the inside of a stomach." This is why we love you.

[@lananieves4595]

Wow - Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman is something you refer to as "obscure?" It was a MASSIVE hit that received an insane amount of media coverage, at the time.

[@funghazi]

Roseanne was a great show, I will die on this hill.

[@geoffchurchill5492]

nice clip from the IT Crowd, love to hear your take on their thester episode