Podcast Summary: StraightioLab – "Going Home" with Jo Sunday (Oct 14, 2025)

Main Theme:
This episode of StraightioLab sees hosts George Civeris and Sam Taggart joined by comedian Jo Sunday for a far-reaching (and very candid) deconstruction of "going home" as an essential pillar of straight culture. Their conversation, both playful and thoughtful, ranges from the mechanics of ending a group hangout, to clothing anxieties, the taboo of sincerity, hierarchy in social situations, and the existential dread—and glee—of saying goodbye.

Opening Vibes & Fashion Anxiety

Timestamps: 06:12–12:00

• George and Sam open post-lunch, discussing their food cart choices, which leads quickly to a chat about how they're "good at separating while together"—enjoying different food, but in each other's company.

  • "It was so us to sort of not even question, should we eat at the same food truck?... We have an amazing way of separating while together." (Jo Sunday, 06:33)

• The trio slides into a comedic argument about J.Crew chinos and wardrobe longevity, confessing clothing longevity anxieties, and the iterative process of trying and failing to find your ‘look.’

  • “I wonder if I’ll ever know how to dress myself or if I'm going to be 95 on my deathbed and be like, do these fit?” (George, 07:59)
  • “Branding is false, but going from short shorts to long shorts… this is sort of the, the like, I’m not presenting a cohesive self. I’m actually presenting someone who like, is lost.” (Jo, 09:14)

Key insight:

Fashion choices—especially for men—are social signals and emotional minefields. The "tightness" of pants or "length" of shorts matters far more to one’s soul/self-image than trends suggest.

Clothing as Identity; Doula for Denim

Timestamps: 10:10–12:12

• The group muses on how changing the silhouette of your pants can be existentially fraught, joking that there should be “a clothing doula” to guide you through gradual change.
  • “There should be a kind of doula… where you say, I’d like to be at a place where my pants are this width. And they say, okay, we can work on a plan.” (George, 11:05)
  • “We will be dilating your pants over the next six months.” (Jo, 11:21)

Welcome Jo Sunday: Fear of Disrespect, Social Hierarchy

Timestamps: 12:23–34:00

• Jo says she’s a lifelong listener and playfully amplifies her fear of accidentally disrespecting the hosts, revealing anxiety about social faux pas and hierarchy.

  • “The underside of the fear of disrespect is the shame that I’m carrying through each and every interaction.” (Jo, 26:30)

• The trio get into the social calculus of disrespect:

  • For Jo, being disrespectful is a genuine fear rooted in upbringing (British-Ghanaian/colonial lens), assessing hierarchy in every room she enters.
  • George’s main social fear is awkwardness, not disrespect, while Sam is entertained by the flirtatious tension of playful disrespect.
    • “There’s an element of disrespect that is tense to me in a way that’s a bit horny and a bit exciting.” (Sam, 28:18)

• Discussion expands about "hierarchy brain," especially in comedy/creative circles, and the often mutable, anxiety-inducing pecking order.

  • “There was a hierarchy. And now with the new gay guy, I’m like, okay, so am I bumped down?” (Jo, 50:01)
  • "I do find, like, yes, we separate business and friendship, but, like, everything I'm saying to Sam, I'm saying with love, and everything I'm feeling towards him, I'm feeling in that way. And I think it strengthens both relationships.” (George, 98:12)

Sincerity, Taboo, Suicide Humor

Timestamps: 18:35–25:00

• They examine if sincerity is now more transgressive than irony or nihilism, and whether sincere profession of mainstream tastes is more suspect than dark or edgy humor.

• The conversation moves to gallows humor and the current status of "suicide jokes":

  • "I think [suicide humor is] back. We're all so nihilistic.” (Jo, 20:15)
  • “Is sincerity taboo?... then the radical thing would be to be sincere?” (Jo/George, 22:37)

Generational Gaps: The Spice Girls Exchange

Timestamps: 36:10–47:00

• Jo confesses to not knowing the Spice Girls, leading to a comedic “cultural litmus test” exploring generational and pop cultural divides.

  • “Let’s litigate the racism of The Spice Girls names in 2025.” (George, 45:26)

• Jo reveals an upbringing that was "Kimmy Schmidt kind of situation," with strict limits on pop culture, nurturing a kind of cultural outsiderdom.

  • “My cultural references during my upbringing were [just] one VHS tape of Oliver Twist, the musical.” (Jo, 43:03)

Segment: Straight Shooters

Timestamps: 58:49–61:14
A rapid-fire round of this-or-that questions, played for laughs and absurd answers, e.g.:

• “Diet Mountain Dew or the Taming of the Shrew?” — “Taming of the Shrew.”
  Jo scores 998 out of 1000 doves for her efforts.

Main Topic: "Going Home" is the Straightest Thing

Timestamps: 62:09–88:36

Key Ideas/Quotes:

• “Going home” is analyzed as an instinct deeply associated with straight culture—signaled physically by thigh patting, back pocket checking, and a ritualistic winding-down at social gatherings.

  • "The straightest thing you can do: pat your thighs, pat your back pocket, reach for your bag: Well, I'll be going now." (Jo, 62:20)

• For straight people, the default is home ("I haven't been out past 8 in 16 years"), while for queers, the default is out and social, with home as the exception.

  • "For straight people, the default is house and the exception is out, Boom. For gay people, the default is out, the exception is house." (George, 64:35)

• The fear of wasting time pervades decision-making about when to leave, driven by anxieties that home is the only space that's productive or proper.

  • “I think there’s a fear that time outside the home is time wasted. As the hours pass, you’re like, ‘I’m pushing it, I’m pushing it, I’m doing something wrong.’” (George, 73:15)

• Jo expresses mourning as friends age and transition toward domesticity/straight couplehood:

  • “Being younger is generally a bit more homosexual to me...I liked when it was like college—anywhere to fucking go.” (Jo, 69:08)

• Pooping and crying at a friend’s house are cited as ultimate markers of comfort and radical communal togetherness.

• The ideal ending to a hangout, per Jo: a massive sleepover, brunch, and group reading time until the next event.

  • “In my dream world, sleepover breakfast. We go to sleep at about 6:30am... then it's group reading time.” (Jo, 82:29)

Vulnerability, Age, and the Body

Timestamps: 87:26–88:36

• The flexibility and lack of bodily complaints of youth ("I'm anywhere") is in marked contrast to older friends’ needs for home, privacy, and "a good bed."
• "No one has believed that their body would betray them... until it does." (Joe, 87:58)

Friendship, Business, and Love

Timestamps: 96:27–99:13

• Jo asks about balancing creative partnerships and friendships—a theme mirrored by her own collaborative anxieties.
• George and Sam advocate for clear demarcation between "business meetings" and "friendship hangs," and most crucially, always "parenting with love" (George, 98:12).

Memorable Moments & Quotes

• On hierarchy:
  "Every time something happens that disturbs the hierarchy, I'm like, that's not right.” (George, 49:41)

• On leaving a hang:
  "If someone gets up to pee, by the time you come back from the bathroom, everyone's gone." (Jo, 64:06)

• On communal intimacy:
  “Crying is the same as pooping... Why are those things so—these are two vulnerable things everyone does—and yet, God forbid you do them around your loved ones. Why?” (George, 76:06)

• On aging out of getting-to-go-homes:
  “Once you start getting privacy, you get addicted to privacy, and then you want even more. The more you get the more you want it.” (Joe, 70:23)

Final Segments: Shout Outs

Timestamps: 99:14–105:47

• Sam: Shaving in the shower—“I felt like I was in a damn commercial... As we all know, shaving has many cultural implications for me... a psychosexual game I play with myself.”
• George: The 2009 essay collection Changing My Mind by Zadie Smith—defending enjoying fallen-out-of-fashion writers.
• Jo: Accessories—and her Aunt Benonia: “I started wearing this silver cuff on my arm. I walk in a room, people sit up a bit straighter because they know that I am somebody... And shout out to my Auntie Benonia, who recently showed me a great bout of love and care.”

Conclusion

Timestamps: 105:53–106:02

• The group signs off, with Sam joking: “Alright, well, I gotta go home.”
• Recap: The episode highlighted the emotional and cultural architecture underneath the deceptively simple act of “going home.” Jo Sunday’s warm, analytical, and self-aware presence drove open-hearted discussions about social shame, hierarchy, communal comfort, and aging, all filtered through the unique comedic lens that defines StraightioLab.

Recommended Listen If:

• You ever stress about the moment a hang ends—or hate being the first to leave.
• You find fashion a source of anxiety, or are still searching for your “look.”
• The mechanics of adult friendship, aging, and group dynamics fascinate or trouble you.
• You crave both big laughs and moments of introspective, emotional honesty.

Listen for:

• Playful arguments about chinos and shorts (07:27–10:33)
• Generational confusion over the Spice Girls (36:10–47:00)
• Group hangout ethics: when (and how) to leave (62:09–86:16)
• The joys and hazards of privacy, aging, and letting your guard down (70:23–88:36)
• Deeply felt, uniquely delivered shoutouts (99:14–105:47)