StraightioLab: "Sympathy" w/ Leva Pierce

Podcast by Big Money Players Network & iHeartPodcasts – November 25, 2025
Host(s): George Civeris & Sam Taggart
Guest: Leva Pierce

Overview

In this episode, George and Sam welcome comedian-writer Leva Pierce to examine the concept of “Sympathy” and its place within straight culture. Using their signature hyper-intellectual, irreverent banter, they discuss how sympathy manifests in daily life, contrast it with “gay” empathy, and digress into topics including fashion on public transit, the struggles of sleep, Lady Gaga museums, lesbian tailoring, celebrity culture, and the psychology of attraction. The result is a densely packed, hilarious exploration of how sympathy (and its alternatives) shapes social communication and emotional life.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Mood, Mornings & Observations on Sleep

(03:00 – 08:00)

• George reports being in a “good mood,” speculating this could be from “drinking out of [his] Cuntygo girl mug” despite it tasting slightly metallic.
• Sam discusses insomnia, jet lag travel woes, and the oddity of early-morning athletic types:
  “People were playing soccer. I’m like, so you’re on an email thread with like 40 other guys and you’re all getting up and no one’s late?” (06:08 — Sam)
• The hosts reflect on the 90s nostalgia evoked by old water bottles and the psychology of “hobby envy,” i.e., why organized straight activities like sports teams seem alien but oddly desirable:
  “Why can’t your hobby just be binge drinking and hanging out with gay guys? Like that’s what a serious adult would do.” (06:45 — George)

2. Fashion Sociology: Observing Straight Workwear

(09:20 – 13:00)

Leva admires the contrast between midday “freelancer” and morning commuter fashion on the train:

“Usually I take [the train] in the middle of the day with the rest of the losers. Everyone’s in their sweatpants. When I go in the morning, I’m admiring everyone’s looks.” (09:43 — Leva)

• Corduroy trends, the business-casual rebellion, and wardrobe routines in the life of straight men.
• The group jokes about how wives often buy the clothes for straight men, and men’s shopping habits are based on early job routines and sales.

3. The Museum as a Metaphor for Taste and Relatability

(15:00 – 18:40)

They discuss their ambivalence toward museums dedicated to pop culture (e.g., Lady Gaga museum in Vegas):

“We thought it was a temporary thing... This museum has been there since at least 2019. Because according to Wikipedia, that’s when the cured meat dress made it there.” (18:26 — George)

• Film/fashion museums as “starter museums” for people afraid of fine art.
• The critique of superficial celebrity exhibitions versus genuine emotional connections formed over shared pop culture objects.

4. The NPC (Non-Player Character) Concept and Intellectual Self-Perception

(20:04 – 21:47)

• Delving into “NPC” as an insult and marker of “unreal” people. “It’s such a perfect insult... There are NPCs in the world.” (20:38 — George)
• Brief academic backgrounds: Leva describes choosing University of Chicago (after heartbreak over Northwestern rejection), and how her Maine background shaped feelings of community and difference in LGBTQ spaces.

5. Leva’s Personal Path: Queerness, Maine, and Improv

(23:45 – 26:48)

• Leva describes her “Bossypants” obsession, the coded lesbian culture in Maine, and the unique experience of queer rural isolation:

  “No one says the word [lesbian]. Pam is living in the woods... She’s single, like, she’s clearly lesbian, but no one says the word.” (24:57 — Leva)

• They riff on the invisible lesbian network and the fantasy of “summoning” all the lesbians from the surrounding woods.

6. Segments: “Straight Shooters” — Rapid-Fire Culture Test

(30:17 – 32:12)

• Leva plays “Straight Shooters,” choosing between options like “Income inequality or findom sexuality” and “Wife respect me please.” Her chill, “relaxed” demeanor is highlighted.
• Conversation segues to Lady Gaga’s performative “straightness” and era-appropriate activism:

  “She’s fully a straight woman who went to NYU.” (32:39 — Leva)

7. Queer Discourse: Born This Way, Pronouns, and the Evolution of Identity Terms

(33:05 – 39:00)

• Debating the cultural moment of “Born This Way,” how its narrative style was already outmoded in activist circles.
• Nostalgic examination of discarded pronouns (ze/zir) and the “trendiness” of they/them.
• Lorde, St. Vincent, and the fine line between constructed “weirdness” and authenticity in alt-pop:

  “St. Vincent is one of the most fascinating figures... My thoughts on her map directly to my evolution as a person.” (39:27 — George)

8. Theories on Gender, Sexuality, and Attraction

(43:31 – 46:48)

• Leva offers:

  “When you’re a baby you look at people and you’re like, that person’s cool. From the day you’re a baby, you want to be like them.” (43:31 — Leva)

• Sam and George reflect on their own upbringings (matriarchy, sisters) and how those may have shaped their queerness.
• The group aligns GQ magazine envy with mermaid obsession as gendered queer childhood motifs.

9. Fame, Aging, and Comedic Pathology

(47:00 – 50:43)

• Hosted discussion on the idea that you’re frozen at the age you become famous.
• The isolation of pursuing comedy contrasted to other careers, and the meta-humiliation in wanting fame, as opposed to “normal” jobs.

10. The Main Topic: “Sympathy” in Straight vs. Gay Culture

(50:47 – 63:02)

Leva’s Thesis:

“The first reaction from straight people if you bring them negativity is just, like, sympathy. ...Meanwhile, if I bring an issue to my gay friends, they’re criticizing me, they're able to immediately dive in.” (50:52 — Leva)

• Critique of stock sympathetic phrases:

  “I’m here if you need anything.” (52:51 – George)
  “Thinking of you. Thoughts and prayers. Praying for you.” (52:56 – Sam/George)

• Comparison: Straight sympathy is distant and formulaic; “gay empathy” is critical, performative, and immersive.

Sam’s Theory:

• “Straight people are bad at dealing with bad news in a real way; gay people are bad at dealing with good news.” (54:44 — Sam)
• Discussion of fundamental outlooks: straight default is optimism/shock when things go bad; gay outlook is skepticism, assuming the worst.

Empathy vs Sympathy

(56:51 – 59:38)

• Attempting to distinguish between the two:

  “Sympathy is a Broadway show. Empathy is Sleep No More.” (59:22 — Sam)

  • Sympathy: passive, hierarchical, “a bow on your wound”
  • Empathy: participatory, sometimes self-involved, more closely aligned with shared trauma processing

11. Close: Fashion as Lesbian Culture, Final Thoughts

(71:43 – 73:59)

• The importance of tailoring and layering in lesbian culture:

  “70% of lesbian culture is tailoring... For lesbians, it’s tailoring. For gay guys, it’s ‘how do I look good in a muscle tank?’” (72:01-72:46 — George + Leva)

• Erotic charge in finding the “perfect square fit” or drape in clothing.

Notable Quotes

• Leva Pierce (on sympathy):
  “The first reaction from straight people if you bring them negativity is just, like, sympathy... Meanwhile, if I bring an issue to my gay friends, they’re criticizing me, they're able to immediately dive in.” (50:52)

• George Civeris (on empathy):
  “Empathy is like, you have multiple personality disorder and you’re actually completely disassociating because someone told you that they are sad.” (58:12)

• Sam Taggart (on empathy/sympathy):
  “Sympathy is a Broadway show. Empathy is Sleep No More. One you’re watching, the other you’re in.” (59:22)

• Leva Pierce (on fashion):
  “So much of lesbian culture is tailoring... it is erotic.” (72:13 / 73:54)

Timestamps for Major Segments

• Opening banter / Sleep struggles / Hobby culture: 03:00 – 08:00
• Fashion on the train / Straight workwear: 09:20 – 13:00
• Museum talk / Lady Gaga house: 15:00 – 18:40
• NPCs & academic background: 20:04 – 21:47
• Queer in Maine, Bossypants, “the woods”: 23:45 – 26:48
• Straight Shooters (rapid quiz): 30:17 – 32:12
• Born This Way, pronouns, St. Vincent/Lorde: 33:05 – 39:00
• Queer identity, childhood influences: 43:31 – 46:48
• Fame & age / stand-up psychology: 47:00 – 50:43
• Main Topic—Sympathy (discussion): 50:47 – 63:02
• Empathy/Sympathy metaphors: 56:51 – 59:38
• Tailoring, lesbian fashion: 71:43 – 73:59
• Shoutouts: 74:09 – 78:14

Memorable Moments

• The Lady Gaga “Meat Dress” realization, and the assertion:

  “They cured the meat dress, folks. It’s the real meat dress, and it’s cured.” (18:00 — George)

• The running joke about “sympathy as a knife,” referencing pop-star feuds and Taylor Swift.
• The analogy of empathy as immersive/participatory art (“Sleep No More”) versus sympathy as a conventional stage play (“Hamilton”).
• Group reflection on the oddities of fame, the impact of early environments, and the liberating notion that attraction can’t be chosen:

  “Attraction is literally real... you can’t trust that the things people say are going to be good, are going to be good.” (65:44 — Leva)

Tone & Language

The tone is highly comedic, conversational, and analytic, with pronounced self-awareness and a penchant for calling out both highbrow and lowbrow culture. The speakers employ millennial/Gen-Z queer vernacular, engage in affectionate ribbing, and aren’t afraid of meta or self-deprecating humor.

Final Takeaways

• Sympathy as “straight”: It’s passive, formulaic, and maintains distance from suffering.
• Gay empathy: Instead of offering pat sympathies, gay friends “dive in,” perform, and sometimes make the moment about themselves — something that’s both cathartic and potentially self-absorbed.
• Emotional pessimism vs optimism: The group draws a recurring parallel — straight culture is structured around optimism, gay culture around skepticism and critical engagement.
• Best metaphor: Sympathy is “watching a Broadway show,” empathy is “Sleep No More”—participatory, immersive, and unpredictable.
• Both sympathy and empathy have their “knives” — and community sometimes means learning to wield both.

Closing Shoutouts

(74:09 – 78:14)

• Sam: Finding new music via movie soundtracks
• George: The design allure of Zara Home
• Leva: Ethan Hawke’s gleefully “short” and enjoyably queer performance in Richard Linklater’s Blue Moon

Where to Find Leva

“Instagram: choppedleva. And doing shows with my duo Dukes (with Jane Wickline) in the winter.” (74:44, 79:00)

For listeners seeking a mix of pop culture critique, queer humor, and high-level comedic riffing on the emotional economies of straight and gay friendship, this is a definitive StraightioLab episode.