Podcast Summary: Dressed: The History of Fashion

Episode: "Medieval Peasant Pageantry with Greedy Peasant's Tyler"

Date: January 2, 2026
Hosts: April Callahan and Cassidy Zachary
Guest: Tyler Gunther (creator of Greedy Peasant)

Overview

In this engaging and insightful episode, hosts April Callahan and Cassidy Zachary dive into the colorful and imaginative universe of the "Greedy Peasant," a viral social media character created by Tyler Gunther. Greedy Peasant blends queer joy, medieval costume history, and humor into a one-of-a-kind figure who’s captured hearts across platforms like TikTok and Instagram. The conversation explores how Tyler’s background in costume design, Catholic pageantry, and illustration informed the creation of Greedy Peasant’s world—a playful, queer “medieval fever dream”—and examines how fashion, history, and identity intersect in this unique digital phenomenon.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Origins of Greedy Peasant and Tyler’s Background

• Childhood Fascination With Catholic Pageantry
  • Tyler’s earliest costume memory comes from growing up Catholic and loving a saints picture book full of dramatic, historical dress.
    • “Catholic imagery is, like, very bold and dynamic and dramatic and flamboyant.” — Tyler [06:55]
  • Annual All Saints Day costume events at school were a “big deal,” igniting a love for dressing up and historical costumes.
• Path to Costume Design
  • Tyler’s journey involved volunteering at local Shakespeare festivals and pursuing costume design during college and grad school.
  • Realized the challenges of theater work ("a one person show who's supposed to design an entire [show]...often with little budget or support." [09:34]) and eventually found a balance by assisting artist Robin Frohardt, which allowed space to pursue personal projects.

2. From Illustration to Viral Social Media

• Instagram as Creative Playground
  • Tyler’s illustrative work developed over years, blending humor, history, and fashion—laying the groundwork for Greedy Peasant.
  • Series such as “First Lady Facts” and comics about historical figures showcased Tyler’s blend of wit and love of costume illustration.
    • “Instagram turned into this platform that supported that impulse, where I can illustrate things that aren't tied to a production.” [14:25]
• Birth and Evolution of Greedy Peasant
  • Originated from a medieval puppet show and performance, with the iconic costume pre-dating social media fame.
  • Greedy Peasant transitioned to TikTok during pandemic quarantine—Tyler credits Robin Frohardt for pushing him to join the platform and embrace weirdness.
    • “Locking me in a hotel room for two weeks and not letting me out is how you make a greedy peasant.” [24:41]
  • TikTok's anonymity empowered Tyler to get creative and connect directly with an audience, rapidly gaining popularity.

3. Constructing the Queer Medieval Universe

• A World of Joy, Not Judgment
  • Greedy Peasant’s character is intentionally placed in a loving, supportive medieval context—not persecuted, not hiding, but happily queer.
    • “I just wanted to see this queer figure be happy, which I didn't grow up with that kind of representation… it was kind of like a reset button for myself.” — Tyler [19:38]
  • The world is loosely inspired by medieval history but centers joyful, exaggerated, and queer perspectives for narrative healing.
• Community and Characters
  • The “costume shop” is staffed by the Sisters of Our Lady of the Sacred Blood of the Most Holy Martyr, a nod to Tyler’s love of working in real-life costume shops [25:00].
  • Anthropomorphic reliquary busts, inspired by a Met Museum exhibit, offer comic commentary on Catholic relic culture.
    • “Their job is to hold body chunks of dead people. And I think that's the funniest thing.” — Tyler [25:56]
  • Running jokes include Greedy Peasant’s “children” (giant tassels named Gwen and Dwyn) and the village’s pageant dramas.

4. Medieval Fashion: Sleeves, Tassels, and Gender

• Greedy Peasant as Medieval Fashion Icon
  • The character’s attire: oversized sleeves, leggings, boots, beret—dramatically styled yet rooted in historical inspiration.
    • “For me, it just gave me permission to kind of like, if you're not trying to match that energy, you're not doing medieval.” — Tyler [32:15]
  • Medieval men’s fashion was far more colorful, flamboyant, and ornate than modern perceptions suggest.
    • Notable quote:
      • “The men were the dressers. I loved that. And then you look at the paintings and it's… yes, they were saying so much with what they did.” — Tyler [31:41]
• Sleeves as Artistic Obsession
  • “Sleeve-mas”: Tyler sews and showcases elaborate sleeve designs. Historically, changing sleeves was common and a practical way for Tyler to create multiple looks without needing to sew full garments.
    • “If I could make 10 sets of sleeves, that would be better than me, like, starting a big tunic project that I never finish.” — Tyler [39:20]
• Tassel Mania
  • Tassels began as a costume embellishment but took on a life of their own, becoming a Greedy Peasant icon with fans sending tassels from around the world.
    • “Tassels… They're in every culture on every continent and an art form.” — Tyler [41:20]
  • Tyler now keeps a “tassel gallery” and is constantly awed by the diversity and histories embodied by tassels in material culture.
• Challenging Modern Gender Assumptions
  • Greedy Peasant directly counters modern, binary interpretations of masculinity and medieval culture.
    • “When you actually look at medieval artwork even the armor, it's so flamboyant and colorful...our perception of medieval times has been warped by popular culture.” — Tyler [34:01]
  • “Gender is a spectrum… And then you have people, like, wearing these fabulous textiles within those rooms.” — Tyler [36:02]

5. Impact and Reception

• Community and Healing in Isolation
  • Greedy Peasant offered online audiences joy and respite during the pandemic’s hardship and isolation, much like other pandemic phenomena (e.g., Bridgerton) [46:06].
• Connection with Academia and Fashion Historians
  • Medievalists have reached out not with criticism, but with support and appreciation for the creativity and positive portrayal.
  • The project has fostered a renewed, wider appreciation for medieval fashion among Tyler and his followers.

6. How to Find and Support Greedy Peasant

• Instagram: @greedy.peasant
• TikTok: @greedypeasant
• Patreon: Supports video production, costumes, and deeper research (includes exclusive content such as “making a medieval beekeeper outfit” [48:01]).
• Shop: Stickers, prints, and more on the official website.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• [06:55] Tyler: “Catholic imagery is, like, very bold and dynamic and dramatic and flamboyant.”
• [14:25] Tyler: “Instagram turned into this platform that supported that impulse, where I can illustrate things that aren't tied to a production.”
• [19:38] Tyler: “I just wanted to see this queer figure be happy, which I didn't grow up with that representation… it was kind of like a reset button for myself.”
• [25:56] Tyler: “Their job is to hold body chunks of dead people. And I think that's the funniest thing.”
• [34:01] Tyler: “When you actually look at medieval artwork and even the armor, it's so flamboyant and colorful. So our perception of medieval times has been warped…”
• [39:20] Tyler: “If I could make 10 sets of sleeves, that would be better than me, like, starting a big tunic project that I never finish.”
• [41:20] Tyler: “They're [tassels] in every culture on every continent and an art form.”
• [45:13] Tyler: “People have accused me of acting, which I would never do because, yeah, I want to share it with everyone…”

Important Segment Timestamps

• [05:50] Tyler on earliest fashion memory and Catholic pageantry
• [09:34] Pursuing and reevaluating a career in costume design
• [14:25] Instagram illustration and nerdy historical humor
• [16:01] First medieval puppet show and birth of the costume
• [19:38] Crafting a joyful, happy queer medieval character
• [22:41] TikTok quarantine origin story of Greedy Peasant
• [25:00] Explaining fictional supporting characters: nuns, reliquaries, and “children”
• [31:27] Greedy Peasant’s relationship to medieval dress, sleeves, and evolving menswear
• [33:03] Pop culture’s inaccurate depiction of medieval masculinity
• [39:20] The genesis of “Sleeve-mas” and focus on detachable sleeves
• [41:20] Tassel obsession and the global history of tassels
• [46:06] The emotional importance of Greedy Peasant during the pandemic
• [48:01] How to find Tyler and support Greedy Peasant (Patreon/shop)

Conclusion

This episode offers a warm, witty, and nuanced look at how history, fashion, queerness, and creativity can intertwine to produce cultural magic. Tyler Gunther’s Greedy Peasant is more than a viral character—it’s an invitation to question historical narratives, rediscover lost joys of fashion, and build community through humor and authenticity. Greedy Peasant encourages listeners to embrace pageantry, playfulness, and identity—no matter the century.

Want more?

• Instagram: @greedy.peasant
• TikTok: @greedypeasant
• Patreon & Shop: Links available via Greedy Peasant’s social profiles and official website.
• Further Reading: Follow the hashtag #dressed319 for episode-specific content and visuals.