Will, Grace, and the Closet: When Queer Pain Became Primetime Comedy

This week on The Problematic Gaze, we hop in our Telly Tardis and jump between the year 2000 and 1985 — courtesy of Will & Grace’s infamous two-parter, Lows in the Mid-Eighties. It’s the big bang of the Will & Grace universe, where we witness the origin stories of our favorite neurotic New Yorkers: Will's awkward coming out, Grace's wedding-that-wasn’t, Jack’s dramatic entrance (obviously), and Karen… just being Karen, with fewer highlights, even less shame and Martina Navratilova!

In this episode we focus on the US sitcom Will and Grace with the two-part "Lows in the Mid-Eighties" episodes (episodes 8 and 9 of season 3)

We break down the fashion crimes, the emotional chaos, and the surprisingly heartfelt moments buried under layers of hairspray and shoulder pads. Was this a nostalgic masterpiece, or a chaotic retcon with a laugh track? 

So slip into your acid-wash denim, crank up the Eurythmics, and join us for a walk down memory lane — one that’s paved with drama, denial, and deeply questionable hair choices.

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Gazer Homework: Click here to watch 'The Stepford Wives' from 1975 on YouTube

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Please leave us a review wherever you get your podcasts. They really help to spread the word of The Problematic Gaze. 

And if our fellow Gazers want to comment on what they've heard in our episodes, or to suggest future topics, please email us at [email protected]. We love hearing from you!

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