StraightioLab (Season 19 Premiere) – “New Season Starts Now”

Podcast: StraightioLab
Hosts: George Civeris & Sam Taggart
Network: Big Money Players Network & iHeartPodcasts
Date: September 9, 2025
Episode: New Season Starts Now

Overview

This season premiere of StraightioLab marks the official (or perhaps "soft") launch of Season 19. Comedians George Civeris and Sam Taggart deliver their signature brand of witty, self-aware cultural commentary, covering topics from the evolving state of pop music icons to meta-discussions on launching (and soft-launching) personal projects, the “soft vs hard” binary in life and culture, critiques of gay party culture, trends in menswear, issues with internet discourse, and what makes genuine cultural criticism. The episode is peppered with characteristic self-deprecation, tangential riffs, and sharp, hilarious insights.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. What Does a "New Season" Mean?

• Podcast as Soft Launch: The hosts jokingly question what it means to start a new podcast season when most listeners just press play on the latest episode.
  • “When you said we should address the fact that it's a new season, my immediate thought was, I don't care.” (George – 14:23)
• Seasons Are Arbitrary: They note the artificiality of “seasons” in the digital content age and connect it to broader themes of self-promotion, weddings, and “launch culture.”
  • "Everything is sort of made up. Like, you are nothing is bestowed upon you by a higher power. You actually just decide, like, I want attention now for this." (Sam – 15:48)
• Back to School as a Cultural Tether: September’s traditional seasonality (school starting) is noted as one of the last real time anchors in adulthood.
  • “Back to School season...is kind of like the only thing we have left that tethers us to time. Because school does start in September.” (George – 14:56)

2. Soft vs. Hard Launches—And Everything Else

• Soft Launch Addiction: The duo obsess over this underexplored binary, noting its relevance to everything from dating to media consumption to personal branding.
  • “I think soft vs. hard is one of the most underexplored binaries we have.” (George – 21:40)
• Hard Leisure vs. Soft Leisure: Sam describes practicing “hard leisure” – purposefully engaging in leisure activities rather than accidentally scrolling on a phone.
  • “If I'm being leisurely, I'm bringing my book outside and sitting under a tree, like I'm hard leisuring.” (Sam – 22:35)
• The Binary Applied to Gay Culture: They note (often humorously) that soft vs. hard is also, obviously, a penis thing.
  • “There is a space for a soft and there is a space for a hard. And I actually, of course, my big critique is that people want their penises only hard. And I'm saying I want to see hard and I want to see software. I want both.” (Sam – 24:02)

3. Pop Music & The Culture of Height

• The Small Pop Girl Phenomenon: The hosts riff on the trend towards ever-smaller pop divas (Sabrina Carpenter, Dua Lipa) and contrast it with the need for “tall woman energy” in the pop charts.
  • “They're gonna be pocket sized. It's gonna be Polly Pocket headlining Coachella” (George – 06:45)
  • “We need you back [Dua Lipa]. We need to clean up all these little girls. It's time for a tall woman to take the stage once again.” (Sam – 07:01)
• Gaga’s Shortness, Dua’s Strategic Pause: They examine Lady Gaga’s physical height as a cultural factor and speculate on Dua Lipa’s perceived retreat from the spotlight.
  • “Sometimes when I see how short [Gaga] is. I'm like, can you get serious?” (George – 09:28)
  • “What's happening in this era of [Dua Lipa] not releasing music is she is allowing her existing songs to become canonized.” (George – 10:48)
• Music Consumption & Digesting the Canon: George relates Dua’s media strategy to “letting the bread breathe.”

4. Gay Party Culture, the Steven Phillips-Horst Article, & Trend Piece Journalism

• Reaction to NY Mag’s “Peak of Gay Sluttiness”: Civeris and Taggart discuss Steven Phillips-Horst’s controversial article on NYC gay party/drug culture.
  • “It wasn't condemning at all. I think it was self-deprecating just the right amount.” (George – 39:48)
• In-Group/Out-Group Jokes & Critiques: The hosts acknowledge the sensitivity around publicly airing intra-community issues, especially when subcultures are targeted by media or the police.
  • “I understand, like, if that article gets in the hands of one single Republican, we are fucked.” (Sam – 41:23)
• Drug Trends & New Norms: Discussion of GHB replacing alcohol at gay parties, and the ways new drugs reshape social rituals and in-group dynamics.
  • “I went to two parties in a row where there was no alcohol available...because you can't drink when you're on G.” (George – 45:32)
• On Cultural (and Self-) Critique: George issues a meta-critique of online discourse and shallow trend pieces, especially those written for the clicks.
  • “Cultural critique – it's, it's just literally lazy. People are looking at their phone saying, I saw four people do this video. I will write about it for the New York Times. And it's like, what? Stop it.” (Sam – 79:49)

5. Internet Friendships & The Fragility of Human Connection

• Online Relationships are Awkward: Both discuss the disconnect between meeting internet friends IRL and the awkwardness of breaking the fiction of online closeness.
  • “I've never had a satisfying first physical interaction with an online friend.” (George – 30:41)
  • “It's so sad to build up a relationship and realize it's one sided.” (Sam – 31:07)
• Misinterpretations and Fragility: Sam expresses dread at how easy it is to offend someone unintentionally online and the “fragility of all relationships.”
  • “There's something about how I get so freaked out when I realize the fragility of all relationships.” (Sam – 33:08)

6. Film, Representation & the Limits of Stereotypes

• Discussing "Weapons": The hosts review the new film, analyzing how gay characters are portrayed, specifically their function as comedic or stereotypical.
  • “So if they're going to be campy and over the top and stereotypical...are you also going to do that with other stereotypes?” (George – 57:12)
• Casting, Realness, and Allegory: They note how actors' appearances can undermine characterization, and interpret the film’s themes as possible allegories for addiction or grief.
  • “Aunt Gladys symbolizes addiction...just because the demon was defeated...the trauma remains.” (George – 62:26)

7. Menswear Crisis: What (Gay) Men Should Wear?

• Fashion Identity Crisis: Sam laments a lack of role models in menswear, realizing that what looks great in a dinner-party setting doesn't necessarily translate to being photographed.
  • “I'm in a place where I don't know what to wear. I don't know what dressing up is. I don't know what fashion is.” (Sam – 67:22)
• Suits: Timeless and Problematic: They agree that while nothing looks as good as a proper suit, most alternatives look “clownish.”
  • “Nothing as a man, nothing is actually going to make you look as refined and as good as a suit.” (George – 70:45)
• Straight Fashion Role Models: Both fantasize that straight men (Adam Pally, Seth Rogen) dress better than gay men these days.
  • “Straight men, fashionable straight men are dressing better than fashionable gay men.” (George – 71:55)

8. Internet Content, Critique Culture, and Call for Truth

• Critique Without Solutions: Sam rails against hater content that offers no constructive alternatives.
  • “I'm literally tired of critiques without solutions.” (Sam – 81:02)
• The Mush of Online Trends: George details how lazy digital culture mixes signifiers and calls it “critique.”
  • “That kind of content, which is sort of like meme-based critique, is at an all time low in terms of quality.” (George – 76:38)
• The Urgency of Truth and Beauty: The hosts, in a fit of self-aware, slightly manic energy, declare the importance of committing to “truth and beauty” amid the noise.
  • “You have to have a commitment to truth.” (George – 84:43)
  • “If you're not committing to beauty, then you honestly, like, need to overdose on context pills.” (George – 85:01)

9. Books, Media Consumption, & Small Joys

• Books They’re Reading:
  • Sam: The Shards by Bret Easton Ellis (88:31)
  • George: Recently read Matthew Co’s They All Came to Barney’s, and highly recommends The First Bad Man by Miranda July. Both discuss comfort in returning to old favorites (Adaptation, Austin Powers).
• Food & Film Shout-outs: Sam shouts out Panda Inn (“mall Chinese food, but pretending to be fancy”); George shouts out the original Bridget Jones’s Diary for its cleverness and emotionally intelligent characterization.

10. Meta-Promotion and PR Grievances

• Tour Promo & Brand Woes: The hosts remind listeners of their upcoming tour dates, lament being left out of brand partnerships and joke about invoicing companies for accidental influencer work.
  • “I would like a brand to pay for me to go to the US Open. And I actually don't think it should be that hard. I'm a very famous and beautiful podcaster” (George – 97:09)
• Challenge to PR People: George urges PR professionals to have better taste and ethics when choosing clients to pitch.

Notable Quotes & Moments

• On Being Seen on Zoom:
  “There's no way to make eye contact over Zoom, of course. So...I'm looking sometimes at you, mostly at myself.” (George – 04:18)

• On Small Pop Stars:
  “They're gonna be pocket sized. It’s gonna be Polly Pocket headlining Coachella." (George – 06:45)

• On Lady Gaga’s Height:
  “Sometimes when I see how short she is. I’m like, can you get serious?” (George – 09:28)
  “It would be called Short. Like, because short is valued right now.” (Sam – 09:28)

• On Soft vs Hard Launch:
  “This is a soft launch. We're not. This is not a hard launch. This is a soft launch.” (Sam – 19:58)
  _"I think soft versus hard is one of the most underexplored binaries we have." (George – 21:40)

• On Critique Culture:
  “I’m literally tired of critiques without solutions.” (Sam – 81:02)
  “Cultural critique…it’s just literally lazy…People are looking at their phone saying, I saw four people do this video, I will write about it for the New York Times. And it’s like, what? Stop it.” (Sam – 79:49)

• On the Current State of Rom-Coms vs. Classic Ones:
  “In today’s world, that character [Mark Darcy] would be offended by what was in the diary.” (George – 102:28)

• On the Importance of Truth & Beauty:
  “You have to have a commitment to truth. Well, because truth is beauty. Of course.” (Sam – 84:43)

Timestamps for Notable Segments

• Soft Launches and New Season Discussion: 13:00 – 22:00
• Pop Music (Short Girls, Dua Lipa, Gaga) & Height Talk: 05:45 – 10:44
• On Steven Phillips-Horst’s Article / Gay Party Culture: 38:44 – 54:00
• Fashion & Menswear Crisis: 67:00 – 77:00
• Performative Internet Trends & Cultural Critique: 76:00 – 80:00
• Books & Media Consumption: 88:31 – 93:46
• Meta-Discussion on PR, Sponsorship, and US Open: 93:55 – 99:45
• Cultural Shout-outs (Panda Inn, Bridget Jones): 100:08 – 102:28

Tone & Style

• Smart, Irreverent, Self-Aware: The duo’s trademark blend of angst, cultural sharpness, sincere curiosity, and unserious camp.
• Meta, Referencing Themselves: Regularly joke about the podcast medium and their own role in cultural production.
• Critical but Joyful: Blistering critique paired with genuine affection for pop culture, fashion, food, friendship, and books.

For New Listeners

This spirited, chaotic episode of StraightioLab is a highly representative crash course in George and Sam’s approach. If you want a densely packed, hilarious, but surprisingly thoughtful two hours on the state of (mostly queer, mostly coastal) culture from two smart, self-critical comedians, this is the episode for you. Prepare for digressions, for the line between high and low to be shredded, and for both culture and self to be put under the microscope—and then soft-launched back into the world, improved only by honest laughter.

To hear more from George & Sam, subscribe to their Patreon for bonus episodes, and check out the links to their upcoming live tour.