The Play Typer Guy Stephen Robinson

Friend of the podcast Dr. Andrew Erdman joins us to discuss Beautiful: The Story of Julian Eltinge, America's Greatest Female Impersonator. His book is a compelling read about a major figure on stage and screen who was sadly forgotten although his legacy endures today. I enjoyed chatting with Andy about Eltinge’s career and this fascinating period in pop culture history. 
“Beautiful” is out on May 17. You can order it here (https://www.magersandquinn.com/product/BEAUTIFUL/26331176) and of course on Amazon.
In this episode, you will hear:
How Andrew chose Julian Eltinge to write about in this bookA brief history of female impersonation/drag in AmericaThe lead in to Vaudeville and Variety showsSexual/gender coding in male roles and how they have been viewed throughout the yearsHow the waning popularity of Vaudeville drove Eltinge’s careerAnd more!
Guest Info:
Historian and psychotherapist Andrew L. Erdman revels in uncovering misunderstood aspects of cultural history and how they relate to misunderstood parts of ourselves. Thanks to a grandfather who remembered the glory days of Dreamland and Luna Park, Andrew often visited Coney Island, the spiritual home of American cheap amusements.
A doctoral program in theatre studies led him to a deepened interest in the history of popular culture. He stumbled across the remarkable female impersonator Julian Eltinge while researching his prior book about vaudeville’s Eva Tanguay, a hugely popular, irreverent comedienne who prefigured Bette Midler and Madonna despite being virtually unable to sing, dance, or act.
His books including Beautiful: The Story of Julian Eltinge, America’s Greatest Female Impersonator, and Queen of Vaudeville: The Story of Eva Tanguay connect the broad sweep of history to our very real, inner lives. 
A theatre kid who aspired to be a rockstar, Erdman grew up to write for scholarly journals, magazines, television shows, and the stage. He also got trained in social work and psychoanalysis.
​Andrew would like to express his deep gratitude to Sigmund Freud, Theodore Dreiser, Carol Burnett, and the coterie of theatre nerds at his all-boys sports camp who sometimes played girls' and women’s parts, always to the roaring approval of many a fellow in the audience.


Links:
https://www.andrewerdman.com/
Connect with Stephen:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SER1897
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Email: ser1840@gmail.com

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Artist and activist Tina Duryea joins us today to discuss Democratic politics and how "preachy females" will continue to play a key role in the party whether fossils like James Carville like it or not. 
You Will Hear:
Too many men (and women) want women to “stay in their place”The problem with James Carville and the rest of the fossilsFeminism and “wokeness”West Wing SyndromeThe problem of electability of women and POC and how their voices (votes) are dismissedVoting Democrat is the right thing to do when you want the best outcome for allAnd so much more!
Guest Info: 
TL Duryea is an American Artist, Activist and the Founder of Sheroes, celebrating the achievements of notable women.
 Starting with a series of quick oil portraits of women in the public eye, Duryea created a line of products to embolden women to take up more space by wearing their support of these inspiring women.  The project has received the support of notable American Women like Hillary Clinton, Kamala Harris, Amy Klobuchar, Rosa DeLauro, Ayanna Pressley, Jahana Hayes and more. It has appeared on CNN, Showtime, and the Washington Post and was featured in the book ‘The Revolution is Female’. 



Links:  
Subscribe to The Play Typer Guy newsletter (www.playtyperguy.com/subscribe)
Connect with Tina: https://www.tlduryea.com
Tina’s TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tduryea
Connect with Stephen:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SER1897
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@ThePlayTyperGuy
Email: ser1840@gmail.com

Join the Player Typer Guy Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/stephenrobinson

In this episode, I am joined by Emily Taylor, professor at Presbyterian College and the author of Hot Feminism: Letters from South Carolina. We had a great conversation about reproductive freedom, local politics, and a state we both love. 
You’ll hear: 
The beginnings of Hot FeminismHow Trump’s presidency brought out the hidden racism in our country and realizing that it wasn’t allocated to just one area/regionConcerning things about Christian Nationalism being heavily endorsed and participated in by political candidatesLife in the South, especially after the fall of Roe Vs. WadeHow the abortion laws in the South affect Black women and students who may have poor sex education or are under control of their parents (no birth control),  and OB doctors who can be criminally prosecutedWhy “just move away from that state” isn’t feasible and is offensiveAnd more!!
Guest Info: 
Emily Taylor is an Associate Professor of English & Director of Women's & Gender Studies Program at Presbyterian College in Clinton, South Carolina. She's the author of the newsletter, Hot Feminism: Letters from South Carolina, and she’s covered the fall-out from South Carolina’s post-Roe abortion ban.

Links:  
Hot Feminism: Letters from South Carolina: https://emilytaylor.substack.com/



Connect with Stephen:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SER1897
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@ThePlayTyperGuy
Email: ser1840@gmail.com

Join the Player Typer Guy Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/stephenrobinson

Voting advocate Jamie Lynn Crofts joins me to discuss some promising developments in Wisconsin  — goodbye forever gerrymandered maps! We also explore the outsized role Wisconsin plays in the presidential election and why we’re cautiously optimistic that the purple state will reject Donald Trump again. It’s a good time, so pull up a comfy chair and enjoy!
You will hear:
How the new maps approved in Wisconsin will be more fair and representative of the voters in this very purple stateHow aside from Trump, the “Trumpy” candidates in other elections are not doing wellHow the 2024 election will set up the future of how we live in this country - taking racism and sexism into accountAnd more!
Guest Info: 
Whether lobbying, advocating, writing, or organizing, Jamie Lynn Crofts’ work centers around one goal: creating a just, more equitable society. Her main focus is protecting our democracy -- and that also means fighting for the civil and human rights of the people who make up our wonderfully diverse country. Jamie’s background in law, policy, and civil and constitutional rights give her expertise in a number of legal and policy areas -- and her writing and communications experience allows her to break down complex ideas in an accessible way. She also has years of experience leading and participating in coalitions, planning and teaching training sessions, and working on both electoral and issue-based campaigns.

Links:  
Twitter: https://twitter.com/jamielynncrofts



Connect with Stephen:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SER1897
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@ThePlayTyperGuy
Email: ser1840@gmail.com

Join the Player Typer Guy Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/stephenrobinson

In this episode, Ed Oswald and I look at the similarities and differences between the campaigns of Ronald Reagan and Donald Trump. Both ran on nostalgia with the idea of “making America great again,” both were Democrats for a large part of their lives, and both were incredibly media savvy. Ed is the author of From Ronald to Donald: How the Myth of Reagan Became the Cult of Trump.
You will hear:
Platforms and communication styles of Reagan vs TrumpReagan’s charisma with the people and unifying the Republican party while Trump’s crass nature and rhetoric divided the partyTax cuts that lead to the decline of the middle class in favor of the wealthyPeople voting against their own interest thinking they are getting someone who will fight for them and them consistently notThe myth of Reagan’s America and how we are still living in it four decades laterAnd more!
Guest Info: 
Ed Oswald is the former attorney-advisor, US Treasury, Office of Tax and Legislative Counsel under the Clinton Administration.

Connect with Ed:
Ed’s X (Twitter): https://twitter.com/Eoswald_munitax



Connect with Stephen:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SER1897
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@ThePlayTyperGuy
Email: ser1840@gmail.com

Join the Player Typer Guy Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/stephenrobinson

In this episode, I am chatting with my friend Danny Horn, the writer behind the Dark Shadows Every Day and Superheroes Every Day blogs. He has a new project coming out soon, The Fantastic Miss Piggy podcast that will discuss the history, analysis, and celebration of this cultural icon, which can be found on the site toughpigs.com. This is a really entertaining episode!
You’ll hear:
Talk about 1960s vampire soap opera Dark Shadows and how we came to love this showThe attempts at remaking the series that always seem to fall flatThe implied sexuality and queer coding within the showThe power of the mix of dark humor + scary in the seriesWhat was unique about Dark Shadows compared to other shows that tried to do a similar theme, but couldn’t capture the magicThe danger of planning so far in advance that one character could tank the whole plan because you’ve written yourself into a cornerAnd more!


Guest Info: 
By day, Danny Horn is a Director of Product Management at the Wikimedia Foundation, the non-profit organization behind Wikipedia. By night and weekend, he promotes truth and justice through the unlikely medium of a blog about superhero movies. Danny’s previous blog was Dark Shadows Every Day, an epic journey through every episode of the 1960s vampire soap opera. It was funny and weird and insightful, and even if you don’t know Dark Shadows, you should go check it out. He also founded the Muppet fan site Tough Pigs, and co-founded Muppet Wiki, the gorgeous and insanely detailed compendium of all knowledge about the Muppets and Jim Henson. Danny also appeared on a bunch of episodes of Tough Pigs’ Movin’ Right Along: The Muppet Movie Podcast.



Links:  
Dark Shadows Every Day (blog): https://darkshadowseveryday.com/
Superheroes Every Day (blog): https://superheroeseveryday.com/
Tough Pigs: https://toughpigs.com/
Connect with Stephen:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SER1897
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@ThePlayTyperGuy
Email: ser1840@gmail.com

Join the Player Typer Guy Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/stephenrobinson