Guy Branum on Being Unapologetic
Who's with Me? with W. Kamau BellPlay episode
Show notes
Kamau kicks off the episode by reconnecting with comedian and writer Guy Branum, noting they haven't seen each other in person in a while but keep up via social media. Kamau gives Branum his flowers and recalls their time working together on Totally Biased. Kamau praises Branum for refusing to be sidelined in the entertainment industry despite having a law degree and facing industry bias against gay and larger performers.
The conversation turns to Branum's solo show, "Be Fruitful," which explores his place in the world as a gay man who will never "be fruitful and multiply." Branum discusses taking the show to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, and the ongoing work of refining it. Bell shares advice about performing at Edinburgh, including the importance of acknowledging local culture for the audience.
They discuss Branum's social media series "Old Gays Remember," which grew out of filming standup clips in West Hollywood, and touch on the changing diversity of writers' rooms in Hollywood since 2020.
The episode gets more serious when Branum addresses his public criticism of the film "The Whale" for its portrayal of fatness, and his broader experience of being overlooked for roles despite fitting the exact description required. Branum also shares nuanced views on the Israel-Palestine conflict as a Jewish man, emphasizing complexity over simplistic positions.
The episode lightens again with a discussion of Branum's appearance on regular Jeopardy after 20 years of taking the test.
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Who's With Me is produced by Rabbit Grin Productions. Music by Chris Dowd. Distributed by Pushkin Industries.
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