It’s time to investigate item two on Jesse and Holly’s airtight queer icon checklist: Underdog Status. They need to find in him experiences of struggle that would make him relatable to queer people, so they can root for him as an underdog. Show notes:  Read a transcript of today’s episode If this is your first time thinking about The Boss as a queer icon, and you want to explore these new feelings you’re having, me and Holly have made a playlist:  Queer Springsteen. Think of it as a Queer Bruce 101 - it’s a combination of Bruce songs that we think are queer anthems, and then covers of Bruce songs by legendary queer artists. Some of them are their friends, who made the covers to celebrate the release of the show! Credits: Because the Boss Belongs to Us is a production of Molten Heart and iHeartPodcasts   Creator: Jesse Lawson Hosts and Executive Producers: Jesse Lawson and Holly Casio This episode features: Naomi Gordon-Loebl, Jazmine (JT) Green and Lex  Producer + Sound Designer: Jesse Lawson Production Assistant: Tess Hazel Mix Engineer: Michelle Macklem Original music and theme: Talk Bazaar  Show Art: Holly Casio Fact Checking: Selena Solin Legal: Rowan Maron and Feil Molten Heart Executive Producer: Jazmine (JT) Green iHeartPodcasts Executive Producer: Lindsey HoffmanSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Because the Boss Belongs to Us

3: Underdog

Jesse and Holly have anointed themselves with Queer Scientific Research Status and they’re ready to put The Boss to the test. Can he fulfill the first item on their checklist: CAMP? Show notes:  Read a transcript of today’s episode ‘Can a cis guy be butch’ meme If this is your first time thinking about The Boss as a queer icon, and you want to explore these new feelings you’re having, me and Holly have made a playlist:  Queer Springsteen. Think of it as a Queer Bruce 101 - it’s a combination of Bruce songs that we think are queer anthems, and then covers of Bruce songs by legendary queer artists. Some of them are their friends, who made the covers to celebrate the release of the show! Credits: Because the Boss Belongs to Us is a production of Molten Heart and iHeartPodcasts   Creator: Jesse Lawson Hosts and Executive Producers: Jesse Lawson and Holly Casio This episode features: Eleanor Medhurst and Brooke Palmieri  Producer + Sound Designer: Jesse Lawson Production Assistant: Tess Hazel Mix Engineer: Michelle Macklem Original music and theme: Talk Bazaar Show Art: Holly Casio Fact Checking: Selena Solin Legal: Rowan Maron and Feil Molten Heart Executive Producer: Jazmine (JT) Green iHeartPodcasts Executive Producer: Lindsey HoffmanSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

2. Camp

Jesse Lawson fell in love with Bruce Springsteen when they were 20. They knew who he was before then, but that’s the first time they’d properly heard his music. It went straight into their insides, pulling out feelings that they didn’t even realize they had yet, giving them new words as they were held up to the light.  It turns out, they are not alone. And Jesse has questions. What is it about Bruce? Why are queers so obsessed with him? And why don’t people know that Bruce is loved by queer people? Show notes:  Read a transcript of today’s episode Find more Butch Springsteen here.  If this is your first time thinking about The Boss as a queer icon, and you want to explore these new feelings you’re having, me and Holly have made a playlist:  Queer Springsteen. Think of it as a Queer Bruce 101 - it’s a combination of Bruce songs that we think are queer anthems, and then covers of Bruce songs by legendary queer artists. Some of them are their friends, who made the covers to celebrate the release of the show! Credits: Because the Boss Belongs to Us is a production of Molten Heart and iHeartPodcasts Creator: Jesse Lawson Hosts and Executive Producers: Jesse Lawson and Holly Casio This episode features: Tom Rasmussen Producer + Sound Designer: Jesse Lawson Production Assistant: Tess Hazel Mix Engineer: Michelle Macklem Original music and theme: Talk Bazaar Show Art: Holly Casio Fact Checking: Selena Solin Legal: Rowan Maron and Feil Molten Heart Executive Producer: Jazmine (JT) Green iHeartPodcasts Executive Producer: Lindsey HoffmanSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

1. The Mission

You know Bruce Springsteen, but did you know that he is a queer icon? Because The Boss Belongs to Us is a series presented by Jesse Lawson and Holly Casio that uses Bruce Springsteen as a lens through which to explore queer history, identity and politics. Through original reporting, tender personal narratives, and playful, sound-rich surprises, Jesse and Holly go on a journey to not only understand why The Boss low-key resonates with so many queer folks, but also what it even means to idolize a celebrity in this way.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Introducing: Because the Boss Belongs to Us

If someone asked you to name a queer icon, who would you say? Cher? Britney? Whitney? Mariah? What about…Bruce Springsteen? In Because the Boss Belongs to Us, Jesse Lawson and Holly Casio try to get Bruce Springsteen recognised as the queer icon they know that he is. Over 7 episodes, they’ll be addressing important questions, like:  Who wore it best? Bruce Springsteen or K D Lang?What is the best Bruce song for your sex playlist? Is Bruce Springsteen… the Ultimate Emo? And what the hell are they—trans / activist / abolitionist / DIY punk / drag king / working class / weirdos—doing, idolizing a cis, straight, rich, white man?

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Because the Boss Belongs to Us

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