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Bobby Finger
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Sam Taggart
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George Severis
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Bobby Finger
Visit your nearby Lowes.
Sam Taggart
The Old Gays are back with Silver Linings, their lovable podcast from iHeart's Ruby Studio in partnership with Veeve Healthcare. Robert, Mick, Bill and Jesse strut back down memory lane for season two, sharing lessons on life, love and loss. These are the kinds of insights that only come from experience, so tune in to Silver Linings with the Old gays on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.
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Sam Taggart
Podcast starts now. Welcome, all. We are here in New York City. It's a beautiful spring day, and George is both deeply hungover and more energetic than I've ever seen him in my entire life.
George Severis
Well, I'm trying to make up for. And you know what else I did? I realized this was subconscious. Do you see what I'm wearing?
Sam Taggart
Martinis.
George Severis
I'm wearing my martini shirt, almost being like, don't look at me. I'm normal. When it comes to alcohol, I'm not hungover.
Sam Taggart
You're, like, leaning in. You're being like, actually, who wants a drink?
George Severis
I'm like, I'm an alcoholic.
Sam Taggart
That didn't even affect me at all.
George Severis
I feel if I stop. It's the kind of thing that if I stop talking, I might collapse. I feel. It's the. Do you remember when you were, like, 23 and it was like a normal part of your life was being deathly hungover?
Sam Taggart
You started at 34, folks. No, I'm like, I'm feeling this weird thing where you're like, I'm so hungover,
George Severis
and yet I keep killing it.
Sam Taggart
It's inspiring me a feeling of loserdom in me.
George Severis
Because you didn't drink enough last night.
Sam Taggart
I was completely responsible and normal.
George Severis
But you went out.
Sam Taggart
Sure. I had three drinks over the course of four hours.
George Severis
Right. And then you were drinking water throughout, kind of checking in on yourself.
Sam Taggart
One of the drinks was over dinner.
George Severis
Right.
Sam Taggart
It was like.
George Severis
Like a little ph strip for each of your drinks to make sure they
Sam Taggart
were by the way. Yeah. I was testing for fentanyl to hold for fentanyl, but I am visiting, by the way, so I should be the
George Severis
one that should be.
Sam Taggart
I should be fucking crazy, so. And instead, I was completely responsible, and I'm like, let me. I'm just gonna go home.
George Severis
Interestingly, the people that are responsible for my current state are the Obama family.
Sam Taggart
Are you allowed to say that, or is this classified?
George Severis
I think I'm. I'm gonna go ahead and talk about it openly.
Sam Taggart
Okay.
George Severis
The event that I went to last night, which was our dear friends Hunter and Peyton, their podcast was actually relaunched on the Higher Ground network because if there's one thing I always think of when I think about Hunter Harris and Peyton Dix, is when others go low, they actually go high.
Sam Taggart
Higher ground, which I hadn't.
George Severis
They're the only people I know that always go high. When others go low, everyone else in
Sam Taggart
our community goes low.
George Severis
But it's interesting that they wake up and choose to go. You know how People choose violence. They're sort of the opposite of that. They choose to go high every single day. And so I think that was probably the synergy that the Obamas saw. Saw. And they said, we need to get this on our network. Point being, the open bar that is the cause of my current state was directly funded by the Obama family.
Sam Taggart
Wow. Do you think it was an attack on our podcast to try to injure you for today?
George Severis
Well, I do wonder that, because a lot of podcasters that were not on the Higher Ground network were invited. And then knowing that they would have to record the next day, probably. There's a bunch of podcasts right now of people like me, other gay guys, being like, I'm really not feeling well.
Sam Taggart
So what book are you promoting? I think something happens with you that is the overcorrection. You do it when you're late too.
George Severis
Oh, God.
Sam Taggart
And I have to say, here we go. Today you were on time.
George Severis
Comedy Central roast of the Day.
Sam Taggart
You were on time in a way that you had told me you were hungover, like 10 in the morning or something, but I forgot. And then I was running late and you texted me something so sinister.
George Severis
I did.
Sam Taggart
It's true that I could not believe
George Severis
I actually text you something. Really?
Sam Taggart
I'm going to take it at all.
George Severis
Do you think it harkens back to sort of my behavior a few years ago when we knew each other where I was much more aggressive?
Sam Taggart
It's very Joker esque. You said, is it killing you that you'll be late both times we recorded with Bobby, even though I'm usually the late one. And that's literally exactly what I was thinking about. To just take glee in my suffering.
George Severis
Well, let's go ahead and bring him in. He's actually looking amazing in a sort of quiet luxury meets workwear moment.
Bobby Finger
Thank you. Tones of beige.
George Severis
Tones of beige.
Bobby Finger
He reminds me of.
George Severis
Excuse me. Don't talk yet.
Bobby Finger
I've been sitting pretty patiently and respectfully.
George Severis
Please welcome Bobby Finger, who, by the way, has announced three projects since we asked him to be on the podcast. It's really amazing.
Sam Taggart
A book, a judging program, and.
George Severis
And another book.
Public Investing Sponsor/Sean Duffy
Two books.
George Severis
You have two books that are coming out in the next calendar year.
Sam Taggart
I can't even read two books at the same time.
George Severis
Okay, I know that I feel like you're the type of person that would be embarrassed by the question I'm about to ask, but I will ask it anyway, which is, so how do you do it? I know that this is probably a joke among your friends.
Bobby Finger
It's a bit of a joke, Right.
George Severis
Because it's a sort of insane level of productivity.
Bobby Finger
Would you like to know how I do it?
George Severis
Yes. So you wake up at 5am I
Bobby Finger
think I finally have an answer for this.
George Severis
Okay. Oh, great. Just for anyone listening, maybe they're not familiar with her work. Written. You host a podcast. That is a full time job. You have written three novels in six years.
Bobby Finger
Three novels in five years.
George Severis
In five years. Okay, relax. And you have co written one nonfiction book that is with your copy. Lindsay. It's 200 pages.
Bobby Finger
It's 200 pages. I'm not saying it's not that long.
George Severis
So you're sort of Ben learnering. I've been learning, yeah.
Bobby Finger
I have not read that book.
Sam Taggart
Weirdly, I did.
George Severis
You did?
Sam Taggart
Yeah, I read it on the airplane.
George Severis
Oh, I haven't read it yet.
Bobby Finger
Was it good?
Sam Taggart
Yeah, it was good.
Bobby Finger
I should read it. That's what I say about Ben Letter books. I should read it.
George Severis
Yeah. This happened with that book. Perfection too. I recommended it to you and then
Sam Taggart
you read an idea you assigned me.
George Severis
I'm like, I heard this was good. Go. Let me know what you think.
Sam Taggart
Because basically you're my only wreck for books. So any book you say, I'm like, okay, I'm going to read that one.
George Severis
So was it good?
Sam Taggart
Yeah, I liked it.
George Severis
Oh my God, we need to have him on for book club. But go on. How do you do it?
Bobby Finger
Okay, my answer is, when's the last time you saw me?
Sam Taggart
When?
George Severis
Well, we recorded your podcast.
Sam Taggart
We recorded your podcast.
Bobby Finger
Yeah. When's the last time you saw me socially?
Sam Taggart
You don't socialize?
Bobby Finger
No, I socialize. I don't socialize that much. I don't socialize as much as, let's say I did before the pandemic.
George Severis
So.
Sam Taggart
Okay, so Thursday night you're not going out?
Bobby Finger
I have kind of a routine on Thursday nights. I like going to the Alamo Drafthouse and seeing a movie.
George Severis
Okay.
Bobby Finger
And then going home.
George Severis
Even though you're a regal member?
Bobby Finger
I'm a member of both.
George Severis
Oh, interesting.
Sam Taggart
Whoa. Two books, two movie theater.
Bobby Finger
I like, I go to. I go to movies a lot. It actually does pay for itself.
Sam Taggart
No, I get it.
Bobby Finger
As long as you see two a month, you've earned your money back.
Sam Taggart
I was a member of Three Gyms in New York, so I get it.
George Severis
Why would you.
Bobby Finger
Which ones? Concurrently.
George Severis
Like Equinox.
Bobby Finger
No.
Sam Taggart
So I was.
Bobby Finger
How do you do it?
Sam Taggart
I was a member of Blink because It was only $15 a month and then I was a Member.
George Severis
You go to the bathroom, it pays for itself.
Sam Taggart
And then I was a member of Absolute Power because it opened up in Bushwick at the time. Absolute Power, Yes. It's not white supremacist. It's just absolute.
Bobby Finger
I was gonna say it sounds like a Clint Eastwood movie, but.
Sam Taggart
And so that one was only $45 a month, and it was less crowded than Blink, so you could lift weights there, and I could use the treadmills at Blink. Then I joined the Y on 14th and 6th because they have a pool, and so I would swim laps there. So they all serve different purposes.
Bobby Finger
You made it seem like it was an accident. This is all very intentional, of course. Strategy.
Sam Taggart
How much was the. Why? It was around 90 to 100.
Bobby Finger
Three gyms cheaper than one Equinox.
George Severis
Literally. Cheaper than what I pay monthly for one gym. Access to one gym that currently doesn't have a locker room because they are renovating it, so I have to go home and shower.
Sam Taggart
Wow.
Bobby Finger
Do you get any sort of, like, credit?
George Severis
I do. They did give me for the period that. This is so interesting, by the way. Thank you, everyone, for watching. They did give me for the period that the locker room is closed. Access to all gyms nationwide. I thought you were saying. I recently went to the Vancouver one.
Sam Taggart
Really?
George Severis
Yeah. I flew just to go to the.
Sam Taggart
That's amazing. Okay, wait. Sorry. We cut you off at your routine.
George Severis
Thursday movie, Thursday movie, and that's it.
Bobby Finger
I don't like doing things on Thursday.
George Severis
Okay.
Bobby Finger
I like seeing a movie on Thursday, Friday, and having a weekend. I have. I had plans. And then on the train here, my husband texted me, and he was like, what if we don't go to this birthday party tonight? What if we just stay home? And I was like, oh, you told
Sam Taggart
him no, of course.
Bobby Finger
I said, thank you so much. I don't want to go. It's his friend. It's not mine.
George Severis
Oh, yeah.
Sam Taggart
Okay.
George Severis
Oh, my God. Blessing in disguise.
Bobby Finger
And we won't know anyone else there?
George Severis
No. The realization that I had in my early 30s that you can say no to an invite is one that I will never. You're like, oh, quite. That's a double F sword, though.
Sam Taggart
I'll learn it in my 40s maybe.
George Severis
Okay.
Bobby Finger
It's nice. I just got there. It's nice to be home. But it's also then when you do it too often, then you miss people.
George Severis
Yeah.
Bobby Finger
Because it's not like when I go socialize, I have a bad time. I always have a great time. But then you have a great time and you kind of regret not saying yes.
George Severis
The other thing is, in the same way that I often feel like I have to watch or read something, even if I know it's bad to be part of the discourse. I feel that way about new people that are added to the group, where if I don't go out for a few months, then suddenly there's a new guy named Jake and everyone else is friends.
Bobby Finger
Everyone knows Jake.
George Severis
Everyone knows Jake. And they're like. And then everyone also keeps being like, I don't know where we met. I mean, he's been around. You're like, no, he hasn't.
Sam Taggart
We need to someone bring a gun into the studio and shoot me for what I'm about to say. But of course, this brings up New York vs LA, because sometimes, look, I would be happy if a gunman walked in this room currently, but he's not here. Or she. And so what I'm doing is valid still. So sometimes when I say, now that I'm in la, I say yes to everything because things happen, like once every two weeks.
George Severis
Once every two weeks.
Sam Taggart
Whereas sometimes I'll, like, have PTSD from New York, having things to do all the time, and I'll say no to a party. And then I'll be like, what am I doing? Just go to the thing. You haven't been to something in roughly a month.
George Severis
Thoughts?
Bobby Finger
I've never lived in la. It sounds tough. It sounds really, really challenging. It sounds tough.
George Severis
Everyone that moves back to New York from la, it's like they're coming from war and they have like war flashbacks to people staying at 8pm or like, famously. One time I went out to dinner with a group of friends, dear friends in Los Angeles. And then afterwards, the plan was to go over to one of their apartments. This was a Friday night. And then everyone changed into sweatpants. And then he apologized to me for not having enough soft pants for me. And I said, I'm gonna keep my denim jeans on, actually, because it is 9:30pm on a Friday.
Bobby Finger
Did this person have, like, guest pants to give out?
George Severis
Yes.
Bobby Finger
Really?
George Severis
Yes.
Bobby Finger
This was maybe 2009. 2009, the year I moved to New York. I lived in a beautiful. It was very girls pre girls Greenpoint apartment above a bar. Too many people living in the same unit was sharing, like, a fake room with a wall that I literally made out of butcher paper just to separate the space. And our upstairs neighbor had the same apartment, but he lived in it alone. So it was the same size. Huge, because it was a work play situation. And I Lived with three other women, and he had a crush on basically all of them and was flirting with them all the time. And he invited them up to play rock band 2009. And I went up, and I was wearing socks with shoes. And he said he was a bit ocd. I can say that because he said it. And he said, would you mind taking off your shoes before you come in here? Fine. Normal. And I walked in and I thought, it's summer. I know. My feet stank. This is gonna be rough. And I took off my shoes, and instantly I was like, I have stinky feet. This sucks. And we walked in, he turned on Rock Band, started flirting with my friends, and he said, his name is Scott. Artist, Graphic designer.
George Severis
Creative director.
Bobby Finger
Type. I'm a creative director.
Sam Taggart
Sure, sure.
Bobby Finger
Lives in a beautiful apartment.
George Severis
Oh, yeah, they're gonna go ahead and not want shoes.
Bobby Finger
And he said, bobby, would you come with me for a second? And I said, sure, Scott. This is a scary guy. Oh, I know.
George Severis
I know where this is.
Bobby Finger
And I went into his bedroom, and he said, why don't you come here? And he opened up his dresser drawer to a, like, meticulously organized sock drawer where they were all folded and arranged perfectly. Black and white, socks only. And he said, why don't you take one of these and put them on? And I said, okay. And then he goes, you can just put them on. I'm gonna go back in to the game, and they're yours. And I said, thanks. It was. Maybe I'm, like, sweating. It was one of the most mortifying experiences of my life. What do you have to say about that?
George Severis
That's really tough.
Bobby Finger
Sweatpants. Does he have a sock drawer to give out to stinky feet guests?
Sam Taggart
Why didn't you. I can't believe you stayed.
George Severis
Yeah, no, I would have.
Bobby Finger
They're my best friends.
Sam Taggart
I know.
Bobby Finger
And I don't even like Rock Band. I'm not good at it.
Sam Taggart
Cause, of course, I mean, that makes one of us.
George Severis
Your talent at video games is something that really scares me.
Sam Taggart
It's basically how I learned how to play the drums.
George Severis
But it's also, like, it's not just that Sam had to choose to stop playing Super Smash Brothers with a group of friends because he kept beating everyone.
Sam Taggart
We can't get into it, Okay?
Bobby Finger
I kind of want to get into it.
Sam Taggart
Even though we've talked about it, we
George Severis
can't get into it. But the thing with an experience like that is I unfor. Maybe I'm better now that I'm older, but I just. My defense Mechanism is to make a joke about. Like, if that happened to me, I would immediately try to make a joke that would make everything worse, because that is the type of person that is not gonna respond to, like, just tell me my feet are stinky. Like, he's just not gonna enjoy that.
Bobby Finger
He just sucked into my body. Yeah. Like, I shriveled. Of course, I told all them when I left, and they were like, he's a freak. But I was like, do you understand how mortifying that was?
George Severis
There's also. There's something so condescending. It's very, like, straight guy calling you buddy.
Sam Taggart
Yeah.
George Severis
To be like, hey, come here. Let me walk you through this.
Bobby Finger
Because he was trying to be, like, the nice. He was trying to kind of to them too, because I think he knew I would relay that story to them, and he wanted to seem like a good guy. Look how generous I gave stinky Bobby black socks. They were really nice socks, too. I have to say. They were really nice socks. Did you see them? They weren't just uniqlo.
Sam Taggart
Oh, yeah.
Bobby Finger
I had them for a long time. I could tell which ones were his in my sock drawer because they were like. They were a nice sock.
Sam Taggart
Was it a bit erotic to have his socks?
Bobby Finger
No, I didn't. I didn't. I wasn't attracted to him. No.
Sam Taggart
Yeah, probably.
George Severis
But sometimes someone can be disgusting, and that is the reason why you're attracted.
Sam Taggart
That's true. Maybe he was.
Bobby Finger
Maybe he was attracted to me. I never thought about that.
George Severis
Maybe he was in defeat, and maybe he wanted you to take off your socks and he wanted your stinky feet to touch his socks.
Bobby Finger
I would love to say I agree with you. I think he really just couldn't stand the socks.
George Severis
Totally. And I think that potentially that's why he told you to keep the socks.
Bobby Finger
Yeah. Oh, he was grossed out.
George Severis
Yeah.
Sam Taggart
I want to return to something. Yeah, I want to return to your schedule.
Bobby Finger
Mm. Because it's not that. It's truly not that interesting.
George Severis
No.
Sam Taggart
But I. I. We didn't finish it, and I keep thinking about it. Okay, so Friday, you're saying no to a birthday party.
Bobby Finger
So then, like, Friday, I would do stuff.
Sam Taggart
You would do stuff.
Bobby Finger
Yeah. And I. And I. I typically find myself, like, if I do. If I socialize on a Friday, maybe I won't on a Saturday.
Sam Taggart
So it's one day a weekend.
Bobby Finger
I mean, that's what I would like it to be. Sometimes it's more, sometimes it's less. Because, again, like, I do find myself, like, when you are in a Space.
George Severis
I'm laughing because it's like, some people have children.
Sam Taggart
Yeah. But you don't, right?
Bobby Finger
No, no, no, I don'.
George Severis
Like, no one has ever, like, not gone out every night of the week.
Sam Taggart
If he had a child, of course, I would say, stay in diva. Raise that baby.
George Severis
Average person. You're not, like, a hermit. Like, you have, like, an active social life. It's just like, the people we know are, like, gay guys.
Sam Taggart
That depends on your sample. Based on my sample, you are a hermit.
Bobby Finger
And, like, my closest friend and podcast co host is, as you know, Lindsay, incredibly social. Makes a new friend every week of her life and is that person who's like, you know, Jake.
George Severis
She has producer energy.
Bobby Finger
You definitely met Jake. And I'm like, I haven't met Jake because I wasn't at those past nine things.
George Severis
Yeah.
Bobby Finger
And it's both intimidating, but at the same time, it's kind of comforting to know that, like, if I want to feel social on any given day, something's going on. Like, I think that that's really nice
George Severis
because you are plugged into the networks.
Bobby Finger
Yeah.
George Severis
And you can at any point activate the node to be like, at.
Bobby Finger
Well, last time I saw you socially at your. What was it? It was for your show.
George Severis
Yes.
Bobby Finger
It was your, like, party for the show.
Sam Taggart
Yes.
Bobby Finger
It was done. And I saw a lot of people that I knew. I met a few people I didn't. And it was good to see them. And I felt like I had reset the clock in a way. And it's sort of like. But also, that's very. It's almost like, lecherous because I'm, like, putting. I'm putting the obligation on other friends to, like, have events for me. I'm not doing it myself. I just turned 40. I didn't have a party. I didn't want one.
George Severis
Wow.
Bobby Finger
And why? Because Lindsay had a party two weeks before, and I saw the people I wanted to see most of them. Most of them.
Sam Taggart
When Lindsay is like, oh, have you met new Jake? Everyone knows Jake now. You should just go like, oh, that's funny. Have you met my new book?
Bobby Finger
Well, nothing.
George Severis
Is she. You should say that, Bobby.
Sam Taggart
That's.
Bobby Finger
She read it already. She reads it first. So I don't know. But I'm fine. I'm like, would you say your characters
George Severis
are kind of your community?
Bobby Finger
I would never say that. If the shooter who came into the city of New York put a gun to my head and said, would you say that? I would say, kill me. Just fire. It's fine, you know? Wow.
George Severis
What is the new book about?
Bobby Finger
It's about.
George Severis
It's called We Are Gathered Here Today.
Bobby Finger
We are Gathered Here Today. It was originally titled the Hour of Disrespect. They said, that's not descriptive enough. So I said, call it Gay Marriage. There's no novel called Just Gay Marriage.
George Severis
That's fun.
Bobby Finger
And they said, that's a good title. That's terrible for SEO.
George Severis
Right?
Bobby Finger
And then. Which is, you know, hard to argue with that. And then they said, it needs a new title. I could have. I couldn't think of one. I was being like a little stubborn bitch about it. I was like, well, there's no other title. It's those. And they came up with that. And I was like, fine.
George Severis
Is the book kind of like about how love wins?
Bobby Finger
It's. Is it about how love wins? Yeah.
George Severis
Yes or no? Yes.
Bobby Finger
Yeah. Yes. It's about. It's about a wedding, a destination wedding weekend in Texas, where I'm from, in central Texas, in the middle of nowhere at a Wild west themed venue. So it's very themed. And it's three nights and the protagonist is gay guy from New York, but also from Texas. So he's coming home. It's his cousin's wedding, he's officiating, and it's like extended family. But the table that he's seated at for the wedding is the castoffs, like the other queers. So he, like, makes friends with them. One of them he knows, and then
George Severis
they start and he's engaged, dying one by one.
Bobby Finger
They hate each other, they like each other. He sort of like falls for one of them even though he's engaged and blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.
George Severis
Ooh.
Bobby Finger
That's what it's about. It's about. It's about. It's about marriage. It's about friendship and the.
George Severis
Is the destination wedding gay or he's just straight? It's straight. And he. Okay, so it's like.
Bobby Finger
It's not about gay people at the straight.
George Severis
At the straight wedding.
Bobby Finger
There's a lot of, like, complaining about weddings, complaining about marriage, straight people.
George Severis
I'm really happy because initially I thought it was about a gay wedding. I was less interested. And now I actually like this.
Bobby Finger
I agree. I wanted to. I specifically wanted to write a wedding book about gay marriage at a straight wedding.
George Severis
Okay.
Bobby Finger
And then I actually went from there.
George Severis
Bobby, that actually makes me want to read it.
Bobby Finger
Sam, there's a book you should read. It's called we are gathered here Today. I think you would like it.
George Severis
Yeah, you should read it.
Sam Taggart
George won't. Guess who's back in the house? The old gays return for season two of Silver Linings, their hit podcast from iHeart's Ruby Studio in partnership with Veeve Healthcare. Just wait until you hear what hosts Robert, Mick, Bill and Jesse have in store. This time around, they strut back down memory lane, navigating life, love, loss and and everything that shaped them along the way. And as usual, someone just might break into a song. From leather bars to bathhouses, dance floors to drag brunch, nothing stays off limits. These are the kind of insights that can only come from experience. So listen to your elders, honey, and discover the silver linings you can take with you all Sass, zero filter and decades of perspective from four friends proving that queer joy only gets better with age on the podcast that never gets old. Listen to Silver Linings, available on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.
Public Investing Sponsor/Sean Duffy
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George Severis
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Sam Taggart
Should we do our first.
George Severis
Yeah, let's do it. Because I want to get on the topic.
Sam Taggart
Yeah. So.
George Severis
Yes.
Sam Taggart
Well, our first segment basically is I
George Severis
was literally going to now promote Bobby's other book that's coming out. But you know what? We have a whole episode.
Sam Taggart
We have a whole damn app. So our first segment is called Straight Shooters. And in this segment we're going to ask you a series of rapid fire questions. It's basically this thing or this other thing. And the only rule is you can't ask any follow up questions or we will scream at you.
Bobby Finger
Okay.
Sam Taggart
Can I. I forgot what the word for segment was for a second.
George Severis
Oh, that happens to me a lot.
Sam Taggart
Frequently.
George Severis
I actually have forgotten most words that I once knew.
Sam Taggart
That's where it gets complicated because we're too busy going out. Bobby. Seeing Audrey Hobert or skating on street or vert.
Bobby Finger
Seeing Audrey Hobert.
George Severis
Full metal jacket or half off blazer?
Bobby Finger
Half off blazer.
Sam Taggart
Lena Dunham's fame Sick or Lyme's disease From ticks Famesick.
George Severis
Fanduel or Deadpool?
Bobby Finger
Ooh, fanduel.
Sam Taggart
E bike Ebook. Ebaum's World
Bobby Finger
Ebook.
George Severis
Watching the Madison on Paramount plus or booking a stay at the Radisson because you have wanderlust.
Bobby Finger
This is hard. Okay. Watching the Madison on Paramount plus.
George Severis
Wow.
Sam Taggart
Okay. Taking ayahuasca or saying I don't wanna,
Bobby Finger
I don't wanna.
George Severis
Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn. Or blankly I stare at that piece of ham.
Sam Taggart
Oh,
Bobby Finger
blankly I stare at that piece of ham.
George Severis
Can I say something? First of all, you did incredibly well.
Bobby Finger
I feel like I'm red. I'm nervous. I'm very nervous.
Sam Taggart
It's the lights too.
George Severis
What would you say in honor of Gaga's new song featuring Dochi Runway Runway. Yes. How many doves would you give Bobby?
Sam Taggart
I'm sorry? The connection.
George Severis
Well, we haven't done doves in a while, but now in honor of Gaga's new song, let's do doves again.
Sam Taggart
Oh, we've still been doing doves.
George Severis
Not according to some of our commenters. They say bring back doves.
Sam Taggart
We've been doing doves.
Bobby Finger
Give me a thousand.
Sam Taggart
I think you got nine. Hundred eighty seven doves.
George Severis
Oh, that's a really good score.
Bobby Finger
So close.
Sam Taggart
Well, because it was really, really studied. You could feel that.
Bobby Finger
I'm thrilled. I feel like I'm in grad school.
George Severis
It's really. And you are.
Sam Taggart
And amazing as you are, I'd never.
George Severis
This is. We're affiliated with Bard.
Bobby Finger
I almost went to grads. I almost applied or took the gre and then I was like, what are you thinking?
George Severis
Well, as someone who. I went to grad school, and then three years after I graduated, my program stopped existing, so it sort of doesn't even mean anything on my resume.
Sam Taggart
I always liked the potential of grad school.
George Severis
Well, it's always there for you. It's always there for you. I mean, I'm still like, I could go back.
Sam Taggart
It's like the military.
George Severis
Yes. Well, you can be too old for the military, actually.
Bobby Finger
What's the limit?
Sam Taggart
What if you have one of the computer jobs?
George Severis
I don't know. But I had the experience of, you know how there was some news story that was like, we're gonna bring back the draft. I literally clicked on it. Control F searched like, age. It was like 18 to 25. And I was like, don't need to read the rest of this. No. Don't care about. Don't care about what it means for the country or, like, for war. I was like, I marked Mark myself safe.
Bobby Finger
I definitely have some kind of condition that would prevent me from.
George Severis
Me too.
Bobby Finger
Yeah.
Sam Taggart
Yeah.
Bobby Finger
Something would be wrong. They'd catch something. They'd like prnoul.
George Severis
They would be like, he walks like that. Surely that can't work on the.
Sam Taggart
His biceps are trash. No, he's not getting in no free college for you. Bobby, what is your straight topic today? Oh, my gosh, what an amazing transition. Actually.
Bobby Finger
That was so good. My straight topic today is how should I. Actually, I said what it was. What's a good name for it? Jason Bourning. I think I'm going to make his name a verb.
George Severis
Oh. It's not the character Jason Bourne or the Bourne franchise.
Bobby Finger
It is the idea of waking up and not knowing. Okay.
Sam Taggart
It's the plotting who you are, what
Bobby Finger
your past is, and being so devastated that you're like, I have to figure out who I was before. Because I think it's very straight to say I have to remake my same life over instead of saying, this is an opportunity to be someone new, to be someone different, to be my true self. Right. Like, go with my instincts and actual
George Severis
urges to kind of show up as your full ass. Authentic Self.
Bobby Finger
Yeah.
Sam Taggart
Yeah.
George Severis
So if you woke up and suddenly you didn't remember anything, you turn around, there's a stranger next to you in your bed, what would you do?
Bobby Finger
I would freak out, probably. But then I think I would see it as some kind of gift.
George Severis
Right.
Bobby Finger
And it's not anything to do because I was like, how do I do this without being disrespectful to people in my life and, like, the adult I actually am? And it's like, it's not about disrespecting that. It's about seeing opportunity that maybe you didn't have before. Like, seeing, like, it feels very, like, gay. It feels very queer to say. Like, there's a period of my life, like, these early years, where I didn't have the ability or the confidence to do xyz, whatever it is I wanted to do. It wasn't easy. Where it's like, I feel like that urge is primal.
George Severis
Maybe in a gay person, this is kind of genius. Cause it's like a metaphor for coming out almost. It's like you live through life through thinking, this is what my future will look like. And then at some point, when you're, you know, 12, 13, 17, whatever, the pre.
Bobby Finger
Coming out years.
George Severis
Yeah. Like, you're like, oh, this one thing is different about me. And that will radically change the possible future I can have. And your choices are either to, like, push that down and try to maintain consistency and be like, nope, this is who I am, or to, like, embrace it and be like, I'm buying Born this Way by Lady Gaga.
Bobby Finger
Yeah, exactly. That would be my instinct. And I'd be like, I think I got to get out of here.
Sam Taggart
Yeah.
Bobby Finger
I got to spend too much money on the mayhem ball or something.
Sam Taggart
Yeah.
George Severis
Seeing the uncertainty as an opportunity rather than a hindrance.
Bobby Finger
Yeah. It's almost like there's another movie now that I'm saying it out loud. Because the way I came to this, I was like, what is the straightest thing that I really like? That's kind of embarrassing. And there's plenty of them, but one of them is, like, the Jason Bourne movies. I fucking love them. And I watch them all the time when I'm not going to parties. And so it was like, this is. What is it about this that is especially straight? And how would a gay person react in the Jason Bourne situation? And I was like, that could be something. Also family man. Like, if a gay guy woke up in TE Leone's bed, well, I guess he would be kind of excited.
George Severis
Yeah.
Bobby Finger
But, like, he would also Say, I'm getting. I'm leaving. These aren't my kids.
George Severis
You know what the gay version of Jason bourning is? The Amy Schumer movie. I feel pretty. That's like a gay person's idea of Jason bourning is waking up being like, I'm snatched. That one.
Sam Taggart
Or it's like, there's almost like. Sorry to bring it up, but the Harry Potter plot line of like, oh, there's another world where I'm fucking famous. Yeah.
Bobby Finger
I'm actually famous.
Sam Taggart
Famous and rich. Yeah. That's so the gay fantasy.
George Severis
What's Freaky Friday? Cause that's interesting because you are.
Bobby Finger
There's weird age stuff.
George Severis
Yeah.
Bobby Finger
But maybe if you're gay, teen, suddenly adult. Is that fun? Freaky Friday's a little too freaky.
Sam Taggart
It's too much.
Bobby Finger
It might actually be too freaky.
Sam Taggart
I think if I were to wake up Jason Bourne and truly was like, I don't know anything. I don't know who I am. I don't know what my name is, I would definitely try to lie. I think my first instinct would be like, I'm going to pretend I know who I am and what's going on until someone stops me. I think I'd be like, and I am Jeff.
George Severis
No. And like, yes. And ethos would really come out. I don't think you'd be like, at an office job, like, coding and, like, accidentally making a bomb. And you'd be like, oh, my God.
Sam Taggart
Yeah. I wonder if. If my whole memory was erased and my name, would my improv training be erased as well? That's where.
George Severis
Oh, that's a really good point.
Bobby Finger
I don't think it would be God.
George Severis
Well, here's a question about Jason Bourne. Okay, I have watched the movies, but not in a while. His innate personality is the same. He just doesn't remember who he is.
Bobby Finger
It's like memories.
Sam Taggart
And his combat skills are still the same.
Bobby Finger
Oh, they're all there.
Sam Taggart
Oh, they're in.
Bobby Finger
Yeah, they're all there. But, like, you would wake up and be like, how could I be a little trickster? You know? Like, I don't think Matt Damon would do that. You know, he's like, who am I? Like, it's fun to not know who you.
George Severis
Do you remember that Disney Channel series, the Jersey?
Bobby Finger
No.
Sam Taggart
Remind me.
George Severis
Okay, so this was. There was a magic jersey, and whoever put it on suddenly was in the body of a professional athlete. And if I remember correctly, the series literally had real athletes guest star as themselves for each episode. So it was kind of Like a funny. It was like, a way to have some famous hockey player on. And obviously that's, like, a fun premise for a kid's show. It petrified me because I was literally. I'm not even good enough as a middle schooler playing soccer. Imagine suddenly waking up and you have to be me, a ham. Can you think of anything worse? I was watching the Olympics this year, and I was like, what if I put on the jersey and suddenly I'm Alyssa Liu and it's up to me to bring home the gold, and then everyone's booing you, and you can't even skate in a straight line.
Sam Taggart
Yeah. Well, them assuming you'll have, like, the powers of knowing how to do everything.
George Severis
It's a.
Sam Taggart
It's a fantasy in the sense of, like, I don't have that. I've never had that fantasy. Yeah. I'm always tiptoeing into things. I've always wanted to be one of those people that's like, fuck it, I'm gonna do that thing. But I'm always like, I can do something for 10 years and be like, I don't know.
George Severis
Wait, what do you mean?
Sam Taggart
I mean, like, it is like a straight child. The jersey is a straight child's dream.
George Severis
Oh.
Sam Taggart
Because they're like, if you put me in that position, I would do a great job. Whereas I'm like, even if I've literally been training at sports for my whole life, I'd be like, don't put me in.
George Severis
Well, it's like running for office. Like, the idea. Because that's something you cannot have training in until you do literally get elected. What if I'm amazing at campaigning but terrible at governing?
Bobby Finger
You'll never.
George Severis
And there's no way to know until you try. I'm not risking that. It's not, like, letting down my whole community.
Bobby Finger
He was great on the debate team.
Sam Taggart
Yeah.
George Severis
It doesn't really work. No, it doesn't work at all. You have to. Coalition build. Okay, so Jason bourning. I'm interested in this genre. And Freaky Friday. Jason Borning. I feel pretty. The jersey of, like, waking up and something is different, and you have to figure it out.
Sam Taggart
Yeah.
Bobby Finger
And is that an opportunity, or is it, like, terrifying?
George Severis
Yes, exactly.
Bobby Finger
And I think that that's the dividing line.
George Severis
Yeah.
Sam Taggart
I think they all stem from the same thing of feeling underappreciated and normal. It's like, you are a normal guy. You want to be great, and you're like, I just wish there was a secret thing where I was actually really amazing. Yeah, that's what it all is.
George Severis
Okay. Yes. So it's almost like the two types of subjectivity you can have are either being like, I'm such a flop. I wish I were great, or thinking, I know I'm great, and I have not been given the opportunity for that to shine. I'm like, which one am I? You know, I guess if you're a healthy person like me, it goes back and forth. Like, some days I feel like I'm really innately great. And sometimes I feel like, no, it
Sam Taggart
does go back and forth.
Bobby Finger
But also, Jason Bourne, he remembers how to get his safety deposit box with passports and money. You have no memory, but you have a passport to every country and a bunch of money and a gun. That's exciting.
George Severis
Yeah. Like, we're going on vacation.
Bobby Finger
We're gonna be okay.
George Severis
We're gonna be okay.
Bobby Finger
Yeah. And Run the Loren is here. Like, that's great.
George Severis
So this is. Cause initially when you said Jason Bourne, I thought your topic was gonna be, like, the film series Jason Bourne.
Bobby Finger
And I'm more prepared than that. Come on.
George Severis
And I was like, my sort of rebuttal would have been like, but to cast the romantic lead as Run Lolo, Run is so gay.
Bobby Finger
And Joan Allen is there.
George Severis
Exactly.
Bobby Finger
Kind of being cunty. Yeah.
George Severis
It's like. It's weirdly actually, like, I mean, literally, to cast Run the Alone is crazy. That should have been Jessica Alba. If it was cast by a straight person. Can you imagine? Everything else is the same, but as
Bobby Finger
Jessica Alba, I never would have gotten a second one. Although she does die at the end of. At the beginning of the film.
George Severis
And also, Julia Stiles doing Julia Stiles voice.
Bobby Finger
She's the worst part of those movies. And her highlights are crazy also. And then they kind of retcon. It's like, no, Matt Damon and Julia Stiles had a thing. It's like, no, they didn't. That's insane.
George Severis
Oh, I forgot about that.
Bobby Finger
Yeah, they kind of worked that in. In the third one.
George Severis
Do you remember when she was in Hustlers?
Bobby Finger
Isn't she the journalist?
George Severis
She's a journalist and they have her in journalist drag. Everyone else is literally, obviously looking amazing because they're all strippers. And then Julia Stiles, beautiful woman. But they had to make her bring her down to earth because she's a journalist. And they put her in these ugly kitten heels and a cardigan, and they were like, go report.
Bobby Finger
I think she also had a character poster as well.
George Severis
Yes.
Bobby Finger
Constance Wu J. Loud.
George Severis
Everyone else is literally doing pinup pose with the poll. And then Julia Stiles has her reporter notebook.
Bobby Finger
And I was like, do you remember this? Like, or bits of celebrity trivia. Do you remember this thing that Julia Stiles did in, like the early 2000s, she was promoting something on. I want to say it was David Letterman. So it was maybe Save the last dance, maybe 10 things I hate about yout Famous Enough to Be on a late night Show. And she was going to Columbia at the time and made fun of the employees of the cafeteria.
George Severis
I've actually heard this on your podcast.
Bobby Finger
And everyone at Columbia, like, revolted. And they were like, fuck Julia Stiles. And then she had to write an op ed in the Columbia paper about, like, how being an actor requires you to say certain things when you are doing press for a film. And you should not be taking me so seriously. And blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. I feel like that tanked her career. Really? That's why. Not really. But, you know, that was a real
George Severis
golden era of actresses going to college because that's. Natalie Portman was in Harvard.
Bobby Finger
Who else?
George Severis
And even like a little bit later. But like, Emma Watson going to Brown.
Sam Taggart
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Bobby Finger
Oh, yeah, yeah.
George Severis
They don't do that anymore.
Bobby Finger
I saw Reese Witherspoon.
George Severis
She dropped out of Stanford.
Bobby Finger
Exactly. And she went to take her kid to school. She was in Stanford for some reason. And it was like, Reese Witherspoon visits her Stanford dorm. And I was like, the one she was there for three months in, like,
George Severis
what are you talking about?
Bobby Finger
Like, that's not exciting to me. You left.
George Severis
You know, there's Chelsea Clinton, went to Stanford. And you can see where her former dorm is because it's the only one with bulletproof glass on the windows. And it gets a different tint than the rest of them.
Bobby Finger
Doesn't reflect the same way.
George Severis
Yeah. I mean, has someone told me that?
Sam Taggart
I believe you.
George Severis
I believe you. We were in Sanford.
Bobby Finger
What else did they do to the room to make it, like, safe? Just the glass.
George Severis
I know you imagine maybe it was like. Yes. Especially they put her in a special box.
Bobby Finger
Yeah, it's like a skiff. Like, what did they do for her? Extra anti slip pads on the bathroom tub. You know, like, this is a really good stuff.
George Severis
Well, it's also like, at that point, just put her off canvas. Like, there's fully Secret Service people there taking her to her dorm where her roommate, whose name's like, Jessica, is like, hey.
Sam Taggart
Oh, my God.
Bobby Finger
Jennifer, my. All right.
George Severis
Yeah.
Bobby Finger
A few years before me.
Sam Taggart
Wait, imagine this. Okay, here's a plot. Chelsea Clinton, she's at college. She slips in the bathtub. She wakes up, she's Jason Bourne. She doesn't remember who she is. She doesn't know why she has bulletproof glass. She decides to live a normal life.
Bobby Finger
There's Secret Service outside.
George Severis
She's like, thinking men are following her. And she keeps being like, why are you following me? But they're trained. They're trained to not, like, engage. So they're just being stoic. And they're like, don't engage. Don't engage.
Bobby Finger
Don't engage.
George Severis
And she's like, fuck, what is happening?
Bobby Finger
This is gonna be so tough for her.
Sam Taggart
Yeah, okay. This is a good movie.
George Severis
And then also, like, all the other friends at Stanford are like, I think she's going through something.
Sam Taggart
And also, all the other friends at Stanford were kind of annoyed with her. They were like, only, like, we are friends with her because she's Chelsea. Chelsea Clinton.
Bobby Finger
We have to be.
Sam Taggart
But that, like, we're literally paid. We're on payroll. And then she bonked her head. She doesn't know she's Chelsea Clinton anymore. She's so fucking fun. Like, she's, like, the life of the party. There's a scene where she's dancing on a table at the frat party, and everyone's like, I actually like Chelsea. She's like, chelsea. That is my name, isn't it?
George Severis
Okay, what if Meghan McCain bonks her head?
Bobby Finger
Oh, right. I forgot about her.
Sam Taggart
Okay, Megan. Like, she ends up at the View anyway.
Bobby Finger
She shows up to the View studio.
Sam Taggart
All roads lead to the View.
Bobby Finger
Something brought me here. I don't know why. That's where she is. Yeah. Just wanders there.
Sam Taggart
That actually she's.
George Severis
But she's not, you know, doesn't have hair and makeup. Her wig is on, like, completely incorrectly. The bangs are on the side. And she's like. I don't know. I think it's not. So. It's not right, what Zauron said.
Bobby Finger
I have a feeling I don't like the mayor of this place where I woke up. Something isn't rubbing me the right way. No.
George Severis
Huh.
Bobby Finger
Who were the other? Sasha and Malia.
George Severis
I think they bonk their heads. They're the exact same.
Sam Taggart
I think they're living.
George Severis
Yeah, they're.
Sam Taggart
They're living their bonk.
George Severis
The timeline. Yeah. They somehow, like, did it.
Bobby Finger
They're like, we need to get George drunk. Yeah.
George Severis
Like, they didn't get the memo that they were not supposed to be, like, completely slaying and being iconic. No one told them that they had to meet media Train.
Sam Taggart
They are literally just, oh, we're just like normal girls who grew up kind of rich.
George Severis
Well, not just normal girls, but cool girls.
Sam Taggart
Well, yeah, that's the rich part. You know what I mean?
George Severis
Totally.
Bobby Finger
Yeah.
Sam Taggart
Yeah.
George Severis
They're sort of like at Coachella.
Sam Taggart
I see one of them around LA all the time.
Bobby Finger
Really?
Sam Taggart
Yeah, she's at the spots.
Bobby Finger
Cool.
George Severis
Oh, they're at the spots.
Bobby Finger
They're at the spots. And so are you. You're always at the spots, as we know. You're always at the spots.
Sam Taggart
I have to be. That's why I have zero books.
George Severis
I feel like Meghan McCain probably is at. So was at Soho House or something. Like, the spots for her when she was, like, 23. She was like, going around and gabbing with people. Remember when she wrote a book with that guy from what? How America?
Sam Taggart
Michael Ann Black.
George Severis
Michael Ann Black. It was called America you, you sexy bitch.
Bobby Finger
Oh, I do remember this.
Sam Taggart
That, like, bums me out in a really insane way.
Bobby Finger
Totally.
Sam Taggart
Because I'm like, there used to be a time where we were so naive to be like, it's all just politics, y'.
George Severis
All. America.
Bobby Finger
The book, the other book.
Sam Taggart
Have some fun.
George Severis
I mean, Crossfire.
Sam Taggart
I mean, let's wake that up.
George Severis
The idea of, like, James Carville being married to a Republican, and it's like, it's a sitcom. Like, she's a Republican, he is a Democrat. What are we gonna do?
Bobby Finger
What if James Carville knocks his head on the bathroom?
George Severis
Oh, my God.
Bobby Finger
He wakes the same.
George Severis
He's literally, like, gay and into, like, hardcore bondage. I think that's what would happen.
Sam Taggart
So it.
Bobby Finger
Sometimes. Sometimes the head bonk can just change your sexuality.
George Severis
I think James Carville will want, literally things you have never even heard of to happen to his balls, cock and hol.
Sam Taggart
Guess who's back in the house? The old gays return for season two of Silver Linings, their hit podcast from iHeart's Ruby Studio in partnership with Veeve Healthcare. Just wait until you hear what hosts Robert, Mick, Bill, and Jesse have in store. This time around, they strut back down memory lane, navigating life, love, loss, and everything that shaped them along the way. And as usual, someone just might break into a song. From leather bars to bathhouses, dance floors to drag brunch, nothing stays off limits. These are the kind of insights that can only come from experience. So listen to your elders, honey, and discover the silver linings you can take with you all. Sass, zero filter, and decades of perspective from four friends proving that queer joy only gets better with age on the podcast that never gets old. Listen to Silver Linings, available on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.
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George Severis
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Sam Taggart
I do feel that a head bonk story is like a popular story in sort of Daily Mail uk. Something that I like.
Bobby Finger
They're always like they can speak Italian.
Sam Taggart
Yeah, yeah.
George Severis
Yes.
Sam Taggart
Look at the former military man who bonked his head and is now a trans hairdresser. Didn't that happen?
George Severis
And you're sort of like Mary Steenbergen, like she bonked her head and now like Is it a perfect pitch or something?
Bobby Finger
Yeah. Now she.
Sam Taggart
Wait, really?
Bobby Finger
Yes. She can write like Oscar nominated songs,
George Severis
but she does it like in her sleep during the day. She's doing Curb.
Bobby Finger
Yeah.
Sam Taggart
It's time to get bonked.
George Severis
No, it's time to Get Bonked in 2026. Hashtag Get Bonked.
Bobby Finger
And I think I'm very scared of head injuries.
George Severis
Totally.
Sam Taggart
Really?
Bobby Finger
And so it's kind of.
George Severis
No, I am too.
Bobby Finger
Maybe part of that. Have you seen the movie Apex with Charlize Theron and Taron Edgerton?
George Severis
Sorry, go ahead.
Bobby Finger
There's just a lot of head bonking in it. And I think that head bonking is on its face really scary. I don't like thinking about it. One of the reasons I moved to New York is that I didn't have. So I don't drive anymore. Like, I got into a bad car accident where I bonked my head. I got a concussion. Very scared of cars and bonking my head. But maybe to me there's some kind of fantasy in like the fun side of bonking.
Sam Taggart
What were you like before you bonked your head? What was your.
Bobby Finger
Same. Only with the car. Yeah, yeah, I was the same. Only with the car the same, but
Sam Taggart
without trauma and fear.
Bobby Finger
Yeah, it gave me a concussion. And it was tough months after Natasha Richardson or maybe a year bonked her head and died. And I was very scared. It was happening to me.
Sam Taggart
Ski bonks hit different.
Bobby Finger
They do two sunny Bono diversity.
George Severis
To me that anyone skis, skiing is the stupidest sport. It is a classic example of like, it's literally like how the Kennedy curses just because all of them think they can fly a plane. Yeah, it's like just like a soft revert. Every rich person thinks they will be the one not to get killed skiing.
Sam Taggart
But to be fair, I'm like, why? What are you guys. How are you running into trees? There's no trees on that path.
George Severis
You get out of control.
Bobby Finger
They're on the side, they're on the margins.
George Severis
You can't stop yourself. They're going full speed ahead.
Sam Taggart
The path is so wide.
George Severis
There's so many people there.
Bobby Finger
You got to get out of the way.
Sam Taggart
And then I'm victim blaming these people.
Bobby Finger
And Natasha Richardson wasn't even on like a major slope.
George Severis
No, it's.
Bobby Finger
It's very scary. It's really scary head bonking.
Sam Taggart
I bunked the.
George Severis
But it can also be fun
Bobby Finger
if you are Liz Cheney. It's there. Or James Garvill.
George Severis
Has there been. I'm just thinking, like, is the head bonking Genre. A straight genre overall. I know that some of them. We said some of them are more gay. Like, I feel Pretty is more gay than Jason Bording. But is the whole thing. Is the whole genre straight overall? Cause I'm trying to think, has there been a. Oh, wait, is shallow hell a head bonk? Yes, that's.
Bobby Finger
Oh, that's head bonk, too.
George Severis
That's definitely head bonk.
Bobby Finger
Well, it's about getting back to the status quo.
George Severis
Right.
Bobby Finger
It's about returning to normalcy. So I think it has to be straight.
George Severis
Yeah. You know, but it's also, like, what you learn from the head bonk is the lesson. And you take it with you when you undo the headbon.
Bobby Finger
And what you always learn is what you had was really good. Yes. What you had was really, really.
George Severis
This is what it is. What's straight about it is that they actually. They learn the lesson but always return to safety. The gay head bonk movie would be, Guess what, It's Freaky Friday. They stay switched. Well, and they, like, fully learn to live. Like, she learns to live as a mother and mother, and they have fun, and it's like, there's a lot more empathy. Yeah. It's like there's no. Cause the straight version of the coming out narrative, if we're going in that direction, is like, you find out you're gay. This is the straight head bonk version of coming out. You find out you're gay, you come out, and then, like, six months later, it's like, just kidding. You were straight, but you learned that toxic masculinity is bad.
Bobby Finger
The gay bonk is everything. Post bonk is better.
George Severis
Yes, exactly.
Bobby Finger
It's like, you got what you really needed.
Sam Taggart
Now you can sing.
Bobby Finger
Yeah, now you can sing.
George Severis
Yeah. Because if you're Amy Schumer and I feel pretty, to me, it sounds perfect to just, like, think you're slaying the whole time. Why do you have to go back to accepting your quote unquote imperfect body? Just think you're perfect. And you know what? That sounds amazing to me.
Bobby Finger
It's not head Bonk, but I recently rewatched About Time. Very straight movie that I happen to enjoy. But the lesson. Have you seen About Time? I don't think so. It's when Donal Gleeson learns that he can go back in time whenever he wants to.
Sam Taggart
Oh, okay.
George Severis
And Rachel McAdams is in it.
Bobby Finger
And the big sort of, like, very. Which is actually.
Sam Taggart
And Rachel's there.
Bobby Finger
She's there. And Bill Nye is there, too, and so is Vanessa Kirby. Oh, like V1. Vanessa Kirby. So it's great. And the lesson that he learns at the end of About Time is that, like, you don't need to go back in time. You can just enjoy the present. I think the gay version of About Time is they're constantly just doing it over again.
Sam Taggart
Yeah.
Bobby Finger
Let's go back as many times as possible.
Sam Taggart
Well, I think the. But because the real. It's like propaganda for, like, don't leave your family. Yeah. They're all basically like, hey, by the way, I know you want to leave your family. Totally. It's important you stick around.
Bobby Finger
You have to be. Te. Leone needs you with the kids. You live in New Jersey, you have a mortgage.
George Severis
Not just leave your family. I know you hate your life.
Sam Taggart
Yeah.
George Severis
Like, it's literally, like, I know that literally there is an emptiness in you that will never be filled. But what if you got a taste? But like, it could be worse. That's the message. That's the inspiring message. Hey, could be worse.
Bobby Finger
Yeah.
Sam Taggart
Well, how do you guys feel about, like, It's a Wonderful Life? Of course. Where does this fit in? Where it's like you. Because one of my fave films of
Bobby Finger
all time, of course, kind of a head bunk. But it's temperature shock. Right. He falls into the water.
George Severis
Wait, what happens?
Bobby Finger
Kind of a head bonk.
Sam Taggart
So he sees the world with him dead, basically. And everyone's unhappy and miserable. And then he comes back and he's like, actually, I don't want to kill myself. I'm so happy that I'm in my shitty house. So happy. I have all these kids.
George Severis
Well, that's also a Christmas Carol.
Sam Taggart
Yeah.
George Severis
Right. Like, he sees like, Ghost of Christmas Present. Ghost of Christmas Present.
Bobby Finger
Yeah. Yeah.
George Severis
And then he comes. It's a twist.
Bobby Finger
It's the. It's a bonk.
Sam Taggart
It's a bonk.
Bobby Finger
It's a bonk.
Sam Taggart
But I feel like I remember watching It's Wonderful Life, and of course I can. I'm like, it's beautiful. It's so stunning. I always cry. But, like, I do remember being like, damn, it sucks he never went to Europe. Like, I remember being like. So that he's never. He's really never going to get to go.
Bobby Finger
He really wanted to work for National
Sam Taggart
Geographic and his brother gets to go to Europe and because of the war, well.
Bobby Finger
But then doesn't get to go.
Sam Taggart
He gets drafted.
George Severis
He gets to kill Nazi the Ringer film podcast.
Bobby Finger
His. His brother gets to go to Europe,
Sam Taggart
but then he gets to go have a big fancy life and he has to stay in a shitty house all because he didn't get to go to Europe.
Bobby Finger
Yeah, it's true.
George Severis
I have a question. Has there ever been. This is a plot that would be the plot of like a 90s low budget indie game movie like Trick. Have you ever seen Trick?
Sam Taggart
Oh, no, you've told me about it. Sorry, but I swear I've seen some movies.
George Severis
Okay.
Bobby Finger
But It's a Wonderful Life.
Sam Taggart
Yes.
George Severis
I want a gay head bonk movie where the. This is so obvious. The bonk is gay guy has a perfectly normal life, works in advertising, wakes up, he's straight. How funny would that be?
Bobby Finger
Oh, my God. But something's not right.
George Severis
But something's not right.
Sam Taggart
Yeah, yeah.
George Severis
There's so much there.
Sam Taggart
Tell me more.
George Severis
Cause here's the two options.
Bobby Finger
So does he have a bad relationship?
George Severis
Yeah, it's like, does he wake up in the body of a straight man, but he's still gay inside and doesn't know how to tell his wife? Or does he wake up and suddenly his entire personality is the same, but he literally is attracted to not men and women. So it's tough because his. He's part of a gay friend group. They're always going out.
Bobby Finger
So he body swapped.
George Severis
I don't know. That's the thing.
Bobby Finger
I think it would have to be body swap.
George Severis
You think body swap.
Bobby Finger
A gay personality goes into a straight body.
George Severis
Yeah.
Bobby Finger
Andy Cohen goes into James Carpool. I guess. Not actually James Carville. Actually I would have to be, you know, Brian Williams. Yes, Love that.
George Severis
Okay. Andy Cohen and Brian Williams.
Sam Taggart
Body swap comedy that needs to be made. Okay, what if it was like a 13 going on 30 where you have like a teen. Now that's a good headbunt movie who's
George Severis
like, that's gay headbunk.
Sam Taggart
But where you have like a teen boy who's gay and he's like, I don't want to be gay. I don't want to be gay. Cut to. He's an adult and he's straight. And then he's like, oh, then there's a moral. Yeah, yeah. And he learns he has an It's a wonderful life being a closeted gay teen.
Bobby Finger
He's like, I should come out.
Sam Taggart
Yeah.
Bobby Finger
And then at the end when he switches out, he comes out and that's the end of the movie.
George Severis
Wait, is his future that he's closeted or that he's literally straight? He's literally straight and he hates his life.
Sam Taggart
Yeah.
Bobby Finger
That is so good.
George Severis
That's really good. Write that down.
Bobby Finger
You gotta write it Down.
Sam Taggart
Dibs, dibs, dibs, dibs, dibs.
Bobby Finger
It's so good. It's the family man, but also 13 going on 30. And it's about being gay. It's about being gay and closeted. Oh, I love that.
Sam Taggart
Oh, that's gonna go amazing when Obama is president again.
George Severis
Well, talk about a head bunk. It would be.
Bobby Finger
Because it would be really funny and it would have a very moving conclusion.
Sam Taggart
Yeah, I think we hacked it.
Bobby Finger
It's good. I'm gonna start looking at how it's called, though. What's it called?
Sam Taggart
Oh, God.
George Severis
It is called Fuck Far. You know, it has to be a pun. Like the word out. Yeah, like far out. Because it's like, so in the future.
Bobby Finger
Far out. Okay, well, you did it. That's done. That's good. That's all you need. That's the idea in the title.
George Severis
That's really good, Sam.
Bobby Finger
Hey, I can, like. I can, like, hear the gears turning from over there.
Sam Taggart
They're creaky.
George Severis
I'm feeling like this is not Taron Edgerton. Who's the other guy who's currently in Becky Shaw.
Bobby Finger
Alden Erenreich.
George Severis
Alden Erenreich. I don't know why that's who came to me. He's not even. I love Alden Ehrenich. I do too. And I actually think him playing gay would be amazing for the whole community.
Sam Taggart
Oh, yeah.
Bobby Finger
Taron Edgerton, too. Why not?
George Severis
But also, if he's playing the future version, it's like a straight. That's a straight man. So it actually wouldn't even be actually taking a role from a LGBTQ actor.
Bobby Finger
Would you want it to be a straight or gay actor playing straight?
George Severis
Well, I want the.
Bobby Finger
Is there comedy in a gay actor pretending to be straight?
George Severis
Frankie Grande. Frankie Grande living with a woman named Marcia in Cleveland.
Bobby Finger
Okay, Frankie Grande. But who's playing the adult Frankie Grande?
George Severis
He is an adult.
Bobby Finger
Frankie Grande turns into Luke Evans. And then we have a movie I
Sam Taggart
wrote in my notes app recently, and I don't remember the context for why I thought this was. I was like. I was like, there just needs to be a movie about Frankie Grande. There's something about him that is so interesting.
George Severis
I mean, I do think that always the less famous sibling. That's like, such a funny thing.
Sam Taggart
Well, that. And he's just pretty comfortable being like, yeah, make fun of me. Like, I'm really the best thing about him.
Bobby Finger
Let her rip.
Sam Taggart
I'm weird.
George Severis
I've always thought there need to be more, like, curb style things about. Remember fat actress With Kirstie Alley. Like there needs to be.
Sam Taggart
I can't hear that without you doing your Lorde parody.
George Severis
I'm a fat actress. God, that's good. But anyway, I think that Frankie Grande in like a semi scripted curb style show, that's like literally my life on the D list. But I'm Frankie Grande. It would be so fun.
Sam Taggart
Yeah. Well, I was recently like, of course working on the Queer Tease and they were like, well, we can put a Frankie Grande joke in there. He's actually pretty chill about that stuff.
George Severis
And I was like, oh, imagine if he wasn't chilling.
Sam Taggart
It's all fair game. And he kind of likes it.
Bobby Finger
It's all good for him. It's all good for him. He's in Titanique again.
Sam Taggart
Go on.
George Severis
He's on Broadway.
Bobby Finger
Yeah. It's amazing.
George Severis
You know who's never done Broadway? Ariana.
Sam Taggart
Well, not because she can.
George Severis
My take is any more successful. Never seen Ariana on Broadway. Interesting.
Sam Taggart
Kind of weird. Pretty lazy.
Bobby Finger
You know who didn't get an Oscar nomination? Ariana.
George Severis
Ah,
Bobby Finger
it's true.
Sam Taggart
This is off top. But there's another. Another like gay fantasy is just being spotted and being like, oh, you're a model. Like, oh, you should be a model. Oh, yeah, I always, as a child, that was my dream.
George Severis
Well, I do think you discovered just
Sam Taggart
to be walking down the street and someone be like, wait a minute, you are a model.
Bobby Finger
That is like an incredible dream. Yeah. Because then you're just like whisked into it.
Sam Taggart
Yes. So fast, no effort. And you don't have any stress about it because you didn't work that hard. You're just like, yeah, I'm a model. It's fine.
George Severis
Okay. There should be a head bonk movie about someone being cast as a model. Not, not head. Literally like someone cast a model. But it's like someone that's a legitimately weird looking freak. But then a kind of New York City casting agent who's looking for non traditional models is roaming the streets of some random city and is like, I love your look. Want to move to Manhattan? Yeah. And then he's like walking the Vaquero show. And then it's like him becoming part of this community of queer creators.
Bobby Finger
These are all very good ideas. Well, here's we're saving cinema.
Sam Taggart
Here's an evil pitch for this. So instead it's like a jury duty type thing.
Bobby Finger
Oh, no.
George Severis
Oh my God. And it's literally an ugly person and you convince them that they've been streetcast.
Bobby Finger
Okay.
Sam Taggart
And you get literally like Anno and tour to be like, holy shit, you're so hot. Like, I've never seen someone like you. And they're not ugly. They're just, like, the most normal. Like, the most normal person you've ever seen.
Bobby Finger
Who do you think Anna Wintour has said, holy shit, I'm so hot too about? Because I don't think I know what's a celeb that she says.
George Severis
Do you know who she's obsessed with? Sienna Miller.
Sam Taggart
Really?
Bobby Finger
Yeah. I watched the September issue last night.
George Severis
Can you imagine? I love Sienna Miller. But, like, the idea that there is a definitive documentary about Vogue and the person on that cover is Sienna Miller. Crazy is crazy.
Bobby Finger
It's crazy. And half of the movie is them being like, she looks terrible in this photo. She looks terrible in this photo. She needs a wig. She needs a wig.
George Severis
No, but she. Ana, has, like, a soft spot for, like, obviously very beautiful, but not. Not, like, number one successful blonde British women. You know what I mean?
Sam Taggart
Yeah. And she's so hot, I need to get bonked. Where I can picture a person when you say their name like, Sienna.
George Severis
Well, Sienna Miller. I think that's one of her issues, is that it's tough to picture her.
Sam Taggart
Basically, every person you've said so far, I've been like, except for Rachel McAdams.
Bobby Finger
How would you describe Sienna Miller?
George Severis
That's the thing.
Bobby Finger
Mousy.
Sam Taggart
Ouch.
George Severis
I would not describe her as mousy. Have you ever seen. I saw her in real life when she was, like, one of the most beautiful people I've ever seen.
Bobby Finger
I understand that she's like Anna Wintour, and I do like her. And speaking of Curb, she was great, funny as herself on Curb. And I was like, where have you been, girl? But I don't know how I would describe her, because she's just so, like,
George Severis
blonde and British blonde.
Bobby Finger
But there's something small. There's something kind of dainty about her.
George Severis
Yeah.
Bobby Finger
But also a little like, you know, that she could have a good time.
George Severis
Well, she sort of.
Bobby Finger
She does have a good.
George Severis
She sort of has a good time. Don't you think, George? If I was a sexist male writer and I was casting for Homewrecker, I would cast Sienna Miller. It's like, this is a wily minx. He was just going to work, and she was the secretary that took one of her tits out. And it was all. It was over for her.
Bobby Finger
It was all her fault.
George Severis
It was all her fault.
Bobby Finger
And then he went back to his family and realized how much he appreciated.
George Severis
Exactly. You know, and she's like, come here, love.
Sam Taggart
Sorry, now I'm stuck in plots.
George Severis
Yeah, well, you have a writer's heart, you know, and I have more of a casting director's heart.
Bobby Finger
And that's.
Sam Taggart
That's why we work.
George Severis
That's why we work.
Sam Taggart
I do think it's funny when someone. A sleeper cell, specifically when it comes to combat skills. Like, that is fun. Like, if you're in the club and, like, you hear a certain pitch that, like, awakens you and you're like, fuck, it's time to kill that.
Bobby Finger
I like the rare woman bonk movie.
George Severis
Which one?
Bobby Finger
The Long Kiss Goodnight. What's that? Geena Davis gets bonked on the head. This literally, she gets bonked on the head and she is a housewife. And then over time, she's like, wait, why am I good at assassinating? And, like, fighting? And then she realizes she's an assassin who got bonked on the head and then fell into this domestic life.
Sam Taggart
Oh, the bonk made her a housewife.
Bobby Finger
The bonk made her a housewife. But then she bonked again and then became cool again.
Sam Taggart
God. Yeah. Wow.
Bobby Finger
This movie exists.
Sam Taggart
Okay. Housewives can be cool too, but yeah,
Bobby Finger
it's fun when it's like, wait, why am I good at all of these moves?
Sam Taggart
Yeah. I love the idea of, like, secretly being good at fighting.
George Severis
I'm imagining a movie. It's not gonna come to me, but it's like the idea is like,
Bobby Finger
you
George Severis
know, someone throws a ball or something and then the person who's.
Bobby Finger
Exactly.
George Severis
The person who's been bonked. You know what it is? It's like X Men. It's like realizing you're a mutant. Yeah.
Bobby Finger
Because it's all innate.
Sam Taggart
Exactly.
Bobby Finger
X Men don't require, like, practice.
George Severis
Totally.
Bobby Finger
And that's the real fantasy.
Sam Taggart
That's.
Bobby Finger
You don't have to put in the work.
George Severis
Please. You're born.
Bobby Finger
Yeah, yeah. You're born.
George Severis
You're born this way.
Sam Taggart
You're born. You're born this way.
George Severis
You are born this way.
Sam Taggart
Oh, my God. If this was 2007 and we made a parody, that would be so fucking hip.
Bobby Finger
You're like, I love him and capital H I. And it's amazing.
George Severis
It would be amazing. You know, my foundation, the born this way spelled Jason Bornstyl foundation helps young youth that struggle from amnesia.
Sam Taggart
God, I've always wanted to.
Bobby Finger
Youth who've been bonked. Bonked Youth.
Sam Taggart
How did youth bonked youth.
Bobby Finger
Someone needs to speak up for the bonked youth. You know, they're out there.
Sam Taggart
I was a bonked youth. You were. I got a concussion playing dodgeball as a child in sixth grade.
George Severis
And then you suddenly had a joie de vivre.
Sam Taggart
And then I had jode de vivre.
George Severis
Before that.
Sam Taggart
I was doing my taxes. Did you, like.
Bobby Finger
Did you get. Did you get knocked out?
Sam Taggart
Yeah, for a little bit. I ran into a brick wall because I was running to get it and.
Bobby Finger
Oh, so the ball didn't give you.
Sam Taggart
No, the brick wall.
George Severis
Oh, no. You were trying to get a stationary brick wall. You were trying to go to platform 9 and 3/4 or whatever it is on Harry Potter.
Sam Taggart
Oh, you know what it is?
George Severis
What is it?
Bobby Finger
It.
Sam Taggart
You got it.
George Severis
The idea that. I know that that's bonked. That's crazy. I haven't thought about that. That book since I was reading it at. You know.
Bobby Finger
And then you got bonked in front of me. I read it, but the nine and three quarters stayed. Yeah.
George Severis
Wow. You know, they should make an. It follows. But the thing that follows is having joie de vivre send a more positive message.
Sam Taggart
That's like, the premise of, like, a lot of music videos, I think.
George Severis
Totally.
Sam Taggart
You know, I'm remembering someone needs to bonk me because we talked about getting bonked.
George Severis
Someone needs to bonk my.
Bobby Finger
Bonk me.
Sam Taggart
Bonk me, please. I feel like we've talked about being bonked.
George Severis
Bonk me. If I've talked about this before.
Bobby Finger
Well, the great thing about being bonked is that the bonk is a. Is a button.
George Severis
Totally.
Bobby Finger
In every bonk story, you can be unbonked with another bonk. And I think that's really interesting, too.
George Severis
Well, that's also straight fantasy of, like, we can undo all of it.
Bobby Finger
Yeah, it's a switch.
Sam Taggart
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
George Severis
I do like in Freaky Friday when they try to unbonk by running into each other.
Sam Taggart
That's classic.
George Severis
That's classic.
Bobby Finger
It's classic.
George Severis
One of the amazing parts of bonk movies is it gives adult actors a chance to really act. To act in almost an offensive way. Childlike. You know what I mean? If you don't quite hit the right notes, it actually is offensive. Jennifer Garner in 13 going on 30. That's an offensive performance.
Bobby Finger
I hate that movie.
George Severis
Yeah, it's awful.
Bobby Finger
I hate that movie.
Sam Taggart
Where are we at? Like, I'm not trying to. I'm just like, I literally need to look at a clock. Like, it's not that I want it to end. I just want.
George Severis
No, no, no, no. I think we're. We could do a final segment. Any final thoughts on Jason Barn? First of All. I really want to thank you for bringing this topic because this was very generative. I have so much to think about.
Bobby Finger
I'm thrilled. I was, like, a little nervous.
George Severis
I was like, it has to be. No, it's really.
Sam Taggart
I mean, we're leaving with hands.
Bobby Finger
I didn't even need to get bonked to come up with this.
Sam Taggart
No.
George Severis
I'm going straight to a general with HBO Max after this.
Sam Taggart
I know I don't have any other
George Severis
thoughts on bonking, but I'm like, I now want to program a bonking sort of movie week at BAM or something.
Sam Taggart
Yeah.
Bobby Finger
Bonked at bam.
Sam Taggart
Bonked at Bam. I got bonked at bam. This pride.
George Severis
I got bonked at Bam. And all I got was this lousy T shirt.
Sam Taggart
I will say sleeper cell. I do feel like that's sort of what nostalgia is like sometimes. I'll listen to that.
George Severis
Happened to me with Devil Wears Prada. Yes.
Sam Taggart
I sometimes will try to list something old so that I can be like, let's put me back there. Let me remember what it was like. So I can feel like I'm in college.
George Severis
For one second, I literally, in the middle of watching devil wears Prada 2, I had, like, a overwhelming emotional experience of being like, these women are everything to me.
Sam Taggart
I love when that happened.
George Severis
I was like. I, like, could cry. I was like, thank God.
Bobby Finger
Without spoilers. There's a scene between Anne Hathaway and Emily Blunt near the end of the movie that I was like, yeah. I'm so happy for them. This is so wonderful.
Sam Taggart
I can't wait to see it.
Bobby Finger
But it's funny thinking about nostalgia as like, you want to will yourself to be bonked. I wish I could be bonked in some way. Nostalgia is the button that could bonk me into something.
Sam Taggart
Yeah. Maybe I'll be bonked into that emotion.
Bobby Finger
That's true.
Sam Taggart
Former self. Yeah.
Bobby Finger
I like that.
George Severis
Wow. Nostalgia is really the dream of being bonked.
Sam Taggart
The dream of being.
Bobby Finger
I think everyone kind of fear of
George Severis
being sort of straight about it. If you think about it, Whoa.
Bobby Finger
Going to the past. Things were better then. Things were better then instead of thinking they could be. The possibility.
George Severis
Yeah. Possibility of straight. You know what it is? It's. Oh, my God. Get ready for this.
Sam Taggart
Uh. Oh, okay.
George Severis
Nostalgia is the desire for the third act of the bonking movie to happen where you return to your initial state.
Bobby Finger
Yes.
George Severis
You know what I mean? It's like you're Jennifer Garner as an adult. You're craving being 13 again, and I'm
Bobby Finger
taking my wisdom with me.
George Severis
Yes.
Bobby Finger
Yeah. And I'm doing it over literally, because I had the Gift of Bonk The
George Severis
Gift of Bonk via Watching Devil Is it too late to change your book title?
Sam Taggart
I'll write another one.
Bobby Finger
The Gift of Bonk.
George Severis
The Gift of Bonk. That's big.
Sam Taggart
Guess who's back in the house? The old gays return for season two of Silver Lining, their hit podcast from iHeart's Ruby Studio in partnership with Veeve Healthcare. Just wait until you hear what hosts Robert, Mick, Bill and Jesse have in store this time around. They strut back down memory lane, navigating life, love, loss and everything that shaped them along the way. And as usual, someone just might break into a song. From leather bars to bathhouses, dance floors to drag brunch, nothing stays off limits. These are the kind of insights that can only come from experience. So listen to your elders, honey, and discover the silver linings you can take with you. All Sass, zero filter and decades of perspective from four friends proving that queer joy only gets better with age on the podcast that never gets old. Listen to Silver Linings, available on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.
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George Severis
the wait is almost over. Get ready for the NFL season with a highly anticipated 2026 NFL schedule release. Every rivalry, every rematch and every rookie debut with matchups locked and kickoffs confirmed. Be there for every can't miss moment. The full NFL schedule release coming in May. Get all the details details@NFL.com schedulerelease. Wow.
Sam Taggart
Well, let's do our final segment.
George Severis
Let's do it.
Sam Taggart
So our final segment is called Shout Outs and in the homage of the Grand Strait tradition of the radio Shout out. We shout out anything in the homage. Sorry, I told you I'm forgetting words today. Thank you for calling me in in the what do we say? It's I'm not even hungover. I slept a lot last night. I want to jump off a cliff.
George Severis
Gunman, please say homage to the Grand Strait. What did I say in the homage? We pay homage to the Grand Strait tradition of the radio shout out. You're shouting out to your friends back home on Z100 and you're shouting out something that you are enjoying.
Sam Taggart
People, places.
Bobby Finger
Things.
George Severis
Ideas. Well, mine was going to be devil worst prior too. Should I not?
Sam Taggart
It still can be. Okay, but no spoilers.
George Severis
No spoilers. Okay, no spoilers.
Sam Taggart
We make them up on the spot.
George Severis
Okay. Yes, we make them up on the spot. Do you want to go first?
Sam Taggart
Sure. What's up freaks, losers and perverts around the globe. I want to give a huge shout out to McNally Jackson. I was in Los Angeles, where I currently live, and I went to two bookstore, neither of which had Lena Dunham's Fame Stick. I said, what is happening in this damn city and why is this the most sold out book on planet Earth? I thought people weren't reading anymore and now I can't find this book at two bookstores. And if you know the city of Los Angeles, you know you can't just walk around a bunch of bookstores. You're getting in your car and you're driving to another one. So I said, well, this fucking sucks. I'm gonna wait till I'm in New York and I'm in a real fucking city and I can buy Leon Donald's Fame Stick. I walk into one bookstore, it's the McNally Jackson in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, and you better believe they Got stacks on stacks on stacks of fame sticks. And I said, great, thank you. That'll be $38 and I will read
George Severis
it in one day.
Sam Taggart
And I'm so excited. So shout out to McNally Jackson and I love you, Lena Dunham. Xoxo Sam. And I just want to say, I also want to give a. People starting to be mad at me in LA because I shit talk it all the time.
George Severis
It is constant.
Sam Taggart
But I want to. It's like a bit like, I like it now. I'm still living there. I joined my amazing gym. I have a happy life and I have friends and so. So I'm sort of enjoying la. So when I sort of shit talk it, it's because it's fun.
George Severis
Yeah, but they don't really have a sense of irony over there.
Sam Taggart
I know.
George Severis
And you can tell, you know what it is. It's like you're shit talking again. You're doing the thing that, like, I used to, you know, you think you can joke about, let's say, a pop star or whatever, but in this climate, you literally can't because they're like, armed and ready to come to your home and shoot you.
Bobby Finger
Yeah.
George Severis
Like, I should be able to loving. I like Lady Gaga. I should be able to lovingly make fun of the new song with Doji, of course. But I can't.
Sam Taggart
Yeah.
George Severis
Because then people will be like, she was fighting for your rights.
Sam Taggart
You know, I've literally had people be like, we heard what you said.
George Severis
Yeah.
Sam Taggart
Like, it's time to stop hating on la. Seriously.
George Severis
I do think it's being talked about. People have talked to me about it.
Sam Taggart
Really? But people here.
George Severis
Nope.
Sam Taggart
Oh, George, you're supposed to be my eyes and ears. If someone's shit talking me, you're having to come.
Bobby Finger
No.
George Severis
No one shit talking to you. People are like. People are like, I hope. I hope Sam. People will be like, I know Sam doesn't like la, but he seemed to be having a good time the other night.
Sam Taggart
Oh, that's tea.
Bobby Finger
Do you think LA hatred persists after bonking?
George Severis
Whoa.
Bobby Finger
Or is it something learned? Is it innate or is it learned
Sam Taggart
I'm gonna have an it's wonderful life about la.
George Severis
You kind of bonked your head when you joined your LA gym. That made you love la.
Sam Taggart
That's true. That's true. When I joined my gym, that was a bonk for sure.
George Severis
The gym that makes you love la. Anytime you have, like a revelation or something changes, that's a bonk. Bonk. If you're thinking in bonk terms, yeah.
Sam Taggart
The biggest bonk is when I joined the gym and it made me love Los Angeles. Yeah.
George Severis
Like you can read a book and it's a bonk. Like you can do the artist's way and it's like, that's a bonk that unbonked something in me.
Sam Taggart
And bonk and unbonking do the same thing.
Bobby Finger
Yeah. It's the same mechanism. It's the same thing.
Sam Taggart
Yeah.
George Severis
What's up, freaks and losers? I want to give a shout out to the actor Emily Blunt and I actually want to encourage her to do more broad comedy because I know you were amazing in Oppenheimer and I love when you refuse to used to shake that one guy's hand and that was iconic. And it was also really cool that year that you were in the boy movie, even though Barbie was also a movie. And you could also, you could kind of be like, congrats on all the pink guys. But I'm like, kind of interested in science. But the point being, she's so good in Devil Worst, Prada, both one and two. She's an amazing. She has amazing comedic timing. I heard that. I love my job. I love my job. I love my job. It was ad libbed, which I didn't know. Yes. Amazing line. And I pretty much think that we need to be giving her opportunities that are being given to, you know, the Melissa McCarthy's of the world. I actually also would like for Melissa McCarthy to keep working. But maybe a buddy comedy. Maybe a buddy comedy. You know what I think? I think Emily Blunt can have a sort of more Rose Byrne career where she effortlessly goes between broad comedy and drama. Or even Elizabeth Banks, although I actually think Elizabeth Banks should stick to comedy.
Sam Taggart
I agree. I agree.
George Severis
So, yeah, shout out to those actresses.
Sam Taggart
And just one note on your shout out, of course. But I want to say that this whole thing of did you know that actor improvised that line? I'm like, what's going on there? There's something sinister happening with like, did you know that actor improvised that line?
George Severis
I think it's also rooted in nostalgia.
Sam Taggart
People like love to say that. And I'm like, I'm gonna start needing some proof. Because every actor didn't improvise every line. And it's starting to feel like they did.
Bobby Finger
People don't. People aren't impressed enough by the idea of acting. They need to do more.
Sam Taggart
Literally.
Bobby Finger
Acting is great.
Sam Taggart
I'm like, I like the line when she said it.
George Severis
Something I didn't like is in Lena Dunham's book where she reveals that she Very generously gives credit to a different writer for coming up with a voice of a generation. And I was like, no, no, you wrote that. I need to believe that you wrote that.
Sam Taggart
That's funny.
George Severis
You know what I mean?
Sam Taggart
Yeah. Yeah.
George Severis
Like, if you didn't write that, what are we doing?
Bobby Finger
Should I do mine?
George Severis
Yes.
Bobby Finger
Yes, please. I don't know. I was like, on the train, I was like, am I gonna do a kind of a. I can't do it. You can't? I can't do it.
George Severis
I barely can't do it.
Bobby Finger
I know. I know it well.
Sam Taggart
Once you're in the room, it's, like, kind of weird.
Bobby Finger
I know. I'm just like, I can't. So my shout out is because y' all so graciously shouted out my book. I'm gonna shout out another book. And both because I really like it. It comes out next month. And two, it got me out of, like, a reading funk. I just, like, read so much, and now I just don't read as much as I would like to. Though I did read Famesick, and I loved it.
George Severis
It's so good.
Bobby Finger
But a recent novel that I read that I really liked is called There's Only One Sin in Hollywood, Your favorite place.
George Severis
There's Only One Sin.
Bobby Finger
There's Only One Sin in Hollywood.
George Severis
That's a good title.
Bobby Finger
That's a. I feel like it'll be a limited series in two seconds. It's by author who lives in Los Angeles named Rashid Noosin. And it is about. It's like, old Hollywood story about this gay guy who has to work for, like, a Paramount movie studio and, like, take care of actors and, like, make sure they're not, like, misbehaving. And it goes through this narrative about this guy's life and how he made it there, how he got in the situation. But it's including, like, actual historical figures in Hollywood. And I thought it was interesting that, in a sense, it's almost Forrest Gumpy. That cheapens it in a way that it's so much better than Forrest Gump.
George Severis
Sure, sure, sure.
Bobby Finger
But including, like, oh, he's having a run in with, like, Sidney Poitier in a way. You know, like, in a way that kind of, like, takes that sort of nostalgic content that we see in movies like Forrest Gump and, like, makes it gay.
George Severis
Well, I'm sorry to bring this up concept into the space, but a little Midnight in Paris.
Bobby Finger
Yes, yes. But, like, what if a gay guy were that person? What if it was about a gay person?
George Severis
What if they remade Midnight in Paris? But Owen, what's his name?
Bobby Finger
Owen Wilson.
George Severis
Owen Wilson was like, really gay.
Sam Taggart
I would. Then it was Frankie Grande.
George Severis
It was Frankie Grande.
Bobby Finger
And it was written and directed by Frankie Grande, though.
George Severis
Okay, so there's only one sin in Hollywood.
Bobby Finger
There's only one sin in Hollywood. Wow. I'm gonna read it. So good. It's so good. You'll really like it. It's about your favorite place.
Sam Taggart
You know, LA Books. I do read that.
George Severis
I'm sorry I said literally only one person said that about you. It's not.
Sam Taggart
You have to say who. Oh, well, that checks out.
George Severis
Yeah. Bobby, can you actually talk about, just briefly, your book that's coming out before the novel?
Bobby Finger
No, the novel comes out first. The novel comes out in June. It's called we are Gathered here Today. And the next book that I wrote with my co host, Lindsey Weber. Lindsey Webber.
George Severis
Past guest.
Bobby Finger
Past guest. It's called I Want to Be Famous. How everyone and no one is a celebrity. Why everyone and no one is a celebrity. The subtitle came second.
George Severis
It was ghostwritten by Frankie Grande.
Bobby Finger
The subtitle came pre bunk. So it is about kind of the history of the past 10 years of celebrity. How celebrity has evolved since we started doing our podcast. Essentially the past, like 10, 15 years of celebrity and how what it means to be a celebrity in this day and age and why being a celebrity in the present day is so different than it was in the past. How it's changed.
Sam Taggart
Essays, you know, Sounds amazing.
Bobby Finger
I think it's pretty good.
George Severis
If someone were to tell you right now, who is your favorite celebrity, who would it be?
Bobby Finger
Oh, my God.
Sam Taggart
That's such a hard question.
Bobby Finger
Like, that's a really hard. That's a really. Because actors. Singer.
Sam Taggart
Okay.
Bobby Finger
No, that's. That's hard. It's Lady Gaga. That's hard. It's Lady Gaga.
George Severis
Because I didn't probably.
Bobby Finger
I didn't want to choose. My impulse was actor. But then it's like, well, no, it's not necessarily. They're not necessarily celebrities. I want someone who does it all and she does it all.
Sam Taggart
She really does it all.
Bobby Finger
It's such a stupid gay ass answer.
Sam Taggart
But whatever.
Bobby Finger
Having just seen Devil wears Prada 2 Again, I made celebrity.
Sam Taggart
Maybe I'm gonna have to go.
George Severis
She's really good in it.
Bobby Finger
She's really good.
Sam Taggart
Okay, well, this has been a real delight.
George Severis
It really has.
Bobby Finger
It's been such a delight.
Sam Taggart
Thanks for doing the pod.
Bobby Finger
I hope I never get bonked because I don't want to forget this.
George Severis
Aw.
Sam Taggart
Okay, bye.
George Severis
Podcast ends now for our visual learners. You can watch full video episodes on our YouTube channel and subscribe to our
Sam Taggart
Patreon for two extra episodes a month
George Severis
at patreon.com Stradolab Stradiolab is a production
Sam Taggart
by Will Ferrell's Big Money Players Network
George Severis
and iHeart Podcasts, created and hosted by me, George Severis and Sam Taggart, executive
Sam Taggart
produced by Jenna Cagle, co produced by
George Severis
Becca Ramos, edited by Lauren Stumpf and mixed and mastered by Doug Behm.
Sam Taggart
Artwork by Michael Fails and Matt Grubb Theme music by Ben Kling.
George Severis
At cvs, it matters that we're not just in your community, but that we're part of it.
Bobby Finger
It matters that we're here for you when you need us, day or night,
George Severis
and to feel welcomed and rewarded.
Bobby Finger
It matters that CVS is here to fill your prescriptions and here to fill your craving for a tasty and, yeah, healthy snack. At cvs, we're proud to serve your community because we believe where you get your medicine matters. So Visit us@cvs.com or just come by our store. We can't wait to meet you.
George Severis
Store hours vary by location.
Bobby Finger
Hey everyone, it's Kel Penn. I'm inviting you to join the best sounding book club you've ever heard with my PODC, the Audible and iHeart Audiobook Club. Every episode, I nerd out with amazing guests and dive into the best new audiobooks available on Audible. It's the book club for your ears. Listen to Earsay the Audible and iHeart Audiobook Club on the iHeartradio app or wherever you get your podcasts.
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Bobby Finger
The sound of a seatbelt.
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Bobby Finger
It means everyone is ready and everyone is safe. The more our kids see us put on our seatbelts, the more natural it is for them to put theirs on too. Make it a priority.
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Bobby Finger
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NHTSA this is an iHeart podcast guaranteed human.
Release Date: May 5, 2026
Hosts: George Civeris & Sam Taggart
Guest: Bobby Finger
In this episode, George and Sam welcome writer and podcaster Bobby Finger for a wide-ranging, sharply funny discussion centering around the straight cultural trope of "Jason Bourne-ing"—that is, the cinematic and narrative device of bonking your head, losing your memory, and rebuilding your life, as seen in the Jason Bourne franchise (and many similar stories). Together, the trio unpacks how this trope embodies certain straight values, dreams, and anxieties—and how a queer/“gay bonk” version would differ. As always, the conversation careens through personal anecdotes, pop culture riffing, and rich, irreverent tangents about nostalgia, socializing as an adult, the mechanics of productivity, the perils of skiing, and the fantasy of being “discovered.”
(02:45–11:00)
(06:20–07:59, 19:29–20:59, 79:09–79:57)
(28:24–36:11)
(24:32–27:14)
(36:13–66:57)
(64:24–67:45)
(70:56–79:57)
“It’s interesting that [the Obamas]...invited all these podcasters knowing they'd have to record the next day—there's a bunch of podcasts right now of people like me, other gay guys, being like 'I'm really not feeling well'.”
—George, (05:11)
“It's very straight to say 'I have to remake my same life over,' instead of saying, 'This is an opportunity to be someone new.'”
—Bobby, (28:44)
“The gay version of Jason bourning is the Amy Schumer movie I Feel Pretty. That’s like a gay person’s idea of Jason bourning: waking up being like, 'I’m snatched!'”
—George, (31:15)
“I think the gay bonk is everything post-bonk is better. It’s like you got what you really needed.”
—Bobby, (49:48)
“Nostalgia is the desire for the third act of the bonking movie—to return to your initial state.”
—George, (67:23)
“I hope I never get bonked because I don’t want to forget this.”
—Bobby, (80:43)
True to the show’s title and mission, the episode juggles genuine intellectual curiosity about cultural narratives (“holding a MIRROR to society”) with irreverent, quick-witted banter and inside-joke asides. The language is casual and referential, with tangents about books, movies, parties, and being gay in adulthood. The trio alternates sharply between theorizing about culture and deploying rapid-fire punchlines, never taking themselves too seriously but always circling back to smart, even poignant insights about queerness, memory, and identity.
This episode is a perfect encapsulation of StraightioLab’s project: using humor and queer sensibility to interrogate, explode, and rewrite straight culture’s most enduring, and often unexamined, narrative devices. If you’re interested in smart, mischievous deconstructions of pop culture tropes—with plenty of sidebars about books, parties, and the endless quest for “the right gym”—this is required listening.