Like clockwork, I jump into bed with a drink and snack at 11 p.m. on Monday nights to turn in to my new favorite show. "INTO talk show," a radio and visual show, which is broadcast over their website and on YouTube. Each week your resident psychotherapist Matt Dempsey and your in-house comedian Jimmy Fowlie spend about 45-minutes to an hour on a specific issue in the gay world. Although their perspective is from a gay male's point of view, their discussions are universal. Their topics have ranged from depression, to social media, to dating, relationships and hook-ups. They bring their own personal experience and share real and raw stories from their own lives. However, it's not just 45-minutes of them talking, although that would be perfectly fine with me. The duo check multiple sources of social media throughout the show for questions. Matt usually sits on Facebook live, looking to answer questions and Jimmy has been known to be on Periscope, at least during the first episode. Some of the questions they answer are chosen ahead of time, but the show is incredibly interactive, and the guys preach at the beginning of each episode. The guys take calls throughout the show, and their genuine surprise and sweetness anytime anyone calls is so wonderful to see. They take each call with a caring tone and a welcome attitude to conversation. They ask who is calling and where are they are from as if it is a long-time friend.
Matt and Jimmy make a wonderful pair. They are genuine friends and share great back and forth banter. The show can go from incredibly somber and serious to campy and fun in the blink of an eye. Matt brings his trained ear and eye to each conversation, while Jimmy displays his comedic chops and his ability to relate to situations with an open and honest demeanor. I knew Matt Dempsey from his videos on YouTube talking about various psychological topics in the gay world and his friendship with Kyle Krieger (who, if you saw my article on "The Gilded Razor," you know I'm a fan of). His calm and cool descriptions of understanding of the underlying issues of what so many go through keep me coming back and ready to see this show. I knew who Jimmy Fowlie was and had seen some of his videos, particularly his hilarious web-show "Go-Go Boy Interrupted." After seeing him on this show, I have watch more of his material and he is funny, engaging, and makes smart choices. Each one of them has online trolls, something they discussed in one of the episodes, but I implore them not to listen.
One of the best sections of each episode is a therapy style session with Jimmy's puppet Tristchan, pronounced like an augmented form of Tristan, it so funny and uncomfortable at the same time. Tristchan will go through his weekly meeting with Matt discussing what has gone on in this puppet's life, which is normally on the week's topic. In more recent episodes, Matt has been given a bell when he take anymore of the puppet's crazy life and antics. This puppets has some crazy shit going on and Jimmy as the puppet master always gives me something to laugh about each week.
I would recommend this show to everyone, not just gay men, or LGBT people. The topics are universal to all of us and are worth exploring. Jimmy and Matt do an amazing job. And although it has a certain amateurish quality about it, it is live you know, the guys always pull out a great show. The episodes stream everyone Monday night at 11 p.m. eastern time, and also available on their YouTube page, Twitter and Facebook. Check the show out, be vulnerable and challenge yourself to examine the topic in your own life.
