S4E4 - Drew, 39. Los Angeles

Growing up in a small California town in the late 90s, Drew didn’t have any exposure to queer people or culture except for the brief mentions on broadcast sitcoms. NBC’s “Must See TV” was a particularly rich source of information. A secret relationship with another guy in his high school confirmed Drew’s budding sexuality but it wasn’t until college at UC Santa Barbara that he had his first legit boyfriend. Years later, a shocking discovery made him question their relationship but it also provided Drew an opportunity to forgive and move on instead of focusing on anger and regret.

Living in LA proved difficult when it came to insecurities about his body image but a one night stand right before the pandemic provided Drew a new way of thinking about body acceptance and, since then, he’s embraced a new version of himself. Drews final advice: 1. Worry less about what other people think and 2. You don’t need a six pack to get laid. 

Drew has turned his obsession of old sitcoms into his profession. He’s the co-host of the podcast “Gayest Episode Ever,” a show that explores the “very special” episodes of classic sitcoms that feature queer characters and storylines. He and his co-host Glen discus each episode with deeply researched historical context and industry-insider knowledge. Learn more about it at www.gayestepisodeever.com.

Thanks to our new sponsor, the new SPACES app, powered by Hornet! Learn more about it here: https://spaces.hornet.com/invite/e824dc9f879c0d556ac4c3cd1ab6d4ff

Because of SPACES generous support, this episode is the first to be edited by Ryan Weadon, one of three new assistant editors for Season 4. Rebecca M. Davis is the season 4 voice of Fruitbowl. Dave Pezzner is the sound mixer for this episode. Dave Quantic is the founder and creative director of Fruitbowl.

Fruitbowl is now accepting short, listener-submitted stories to feature on future episodes. Send a story about a sexy hook up or something you’ve learned about sex via SPACES or email a story to dave@fruitbowlpodcast.com via your phone’s voice memo app.

Fruitbowl is produced independently without corporate media infrastructure or full time staff. Every interview is recorded in-person, on location in each interviewee’s home and production expenses including travel, accommodations, equipment rental are paid for out of pocket by Dave Quantic, FRUITBOWL’s creator. 

The only consistent financial support (currently $237/month) comes from Fruitbowl’s Patreon community. Thanks to our new patrons: Jeff R. and Gabe L. A minimum $5 monthly donation allows patrons early access to episodes, behind the scenes updates and Salad Tosser tier patrons ($10/month) receive access to exclusive video content that is not available to the general public. Learn more about how to become a patron at: https://www.patreon.com/fruitbowlpodcast

Larger donations and underwriting/advertising fees are 100% tax deductible through a partnership with Northwest Film Forum’s fiscal sponsorship program.  FRUITBOWL RECEIVES NO DIRECT FUNDING FROM NWFF, only the use of their non-profit status to receive tax deductible donations. For more information check out: https://www.fruitbowlpodcast.com/donate

Social media platforms often censor mentions or depictions of queer sexuality. Accounts are suspended, or banned outright without notice, or due process. As a result, promoting FRUITBOWL is an uphill battle, so we rely on you to help spread the word. Tell your friends about Fruitbowl, rate us on your podcast platform or write a review on Apple Podcast. Every little bit helps. And, of course you can also follow us, for now, on twitter at Fruitbowlpod and Instagram and Tik Tok at fruitbowlpodcast.

Find out more about Rebecca M. Davis at https://www.instagram.com/stayuplateshow/

Fruitbowl’s fruit artwork was created by Patrick Stephenson of Bearpad!https://bearpad.storenvy.com/