I had the chance to ask writer, comedian, and activist Jordan Power about his fast growing gay podcast, Shame On You. He and his co-host Brad Price will be doing a live show this month and it is sure to be a hilarious event. Thank you to Jordan Power for answering all of my questions.

Can you tell our readers a little about yourself? 

I’m the co-host of Shame On You Podcast with my best friend Brad. I’m also a published writer, currently in the middle of finishing my first novel, after rewriting it twice. The working title is “My Therapist Sent Me Nudes” and it’s a memoir which covers age 23 to 33. It’s filled with disparate comedy essays and some of them are downright shocking. I’m so proud of it. On a personal level, I’m a straight shooter and a free thinker with a great butt.

How would you describe your podcast Shame On You?

Our podcast is an exercise in radical self-disclosure. As gay people we are constantly told to stay reticent in verbal and non-verbal ways. Our sex lives can be considered unnatural or worthy of shame. Our podcast is the antidote to that and we encourage gay people to act in rebellion. It’s an unapologetic guide to zero gay f*cks. Someone can call me the worst thing for a gay guy and I’ll say “ok, so what?”

What inspired this podcast? 

Pain. Our own pain and the pain we saw in other gay men, mostly the ones we dated. I don’t think anyone can truly understand the plight of a gay man until they live it day in and out. Our brains show intense trauma on scans. Most of us hobble into adulthood malformed and are left to our own devices to reverse the damage. We wanted an open dialogue and raw honesty which includes our sex and dating lives (and those of our audience). Gay entertainment options are limited so we wanted to be your two gay best friends every Thursday over wine. It’s the un-PC conversations you have you’re your friends when no one is around. Thus, its nature is offensive at times. When I do the podcast, I imagine I’m talking to my 25 year old self. He was a goddamn mess and could have used an “older brother” looking over him.

How did you and your co-host Brad Price get together for this project? 

We’ve been best friends for nearly a decade. Since we often mine our personal lives for content we almost had to do this together. Truthfully, I had to drag him into this but the intrinsic motivation we both feel is priceless. In terms of the actual construction of the podcast we just did our own research, not just on how to run a podcast, but also crucial lessons in branding, digital marketing, harnessing critical mass and more. It was meticulously planned.

What have been some of your favorite podcast moments?

My ex-boyfriend of five years, Paolo, came on to recap our relationship. That one was very special for me because he remains one of my best friends to this day. He also has impeccable comedic timing. I think he could have his own podcast. The other moments that stick with me are the ones where we shine a light on our souls. We’ve both cried on the podcast multiple times. It naturally forges a bond with listeners as the podcast is largely a group effort. I don’t know any podcast that reveals the amount of personal info we do. The past year doing the podcast is like a special time capsule and if you listen from the first episode you witness us grow, not just as entertainers but as people. We have a 360 view on things as we have had on a wide variety of guests and also have received thousands of emails. I’m learning a newfound empathy which is odd for me. I’m a textbook misanthrope but gay men hold a special place in my heart and I’ll never stop fighting for them, even the ones who hate me.

Shame On You will be doing a live show on November 21st at 8 pm at the Rivoli, can you share a bit about what guests can expect?

It’s unvarnished. The opening dialogue is very free flowing, stream of consciousness. We let the subconscious spill out and that produces great comedy. The format is our usual banter, some exclusive stories, audience interactions (including helping fans with their dating profiles) and then a surprise guest. We have a porn star coming to the Toronto show. That’s not the surprise guest though. Plus a bunch of men will be in the audience that I fornicated with. How fun! I really am shameless.

What do you hope listeners and attendees take away from Shame On You, both live and online? 

For all listeners I want to instill a feeling of empowerment and personal responsibility. Yes, being gay is a harder path, but it’s only one obstacle. At the end of the day, you answer to yourself. I’m not big on pandering or finding excuses for why you put yourself in a situation. It’s tough to look yourself in the mirror and realize the role you play in your faults and failures. When my therapist does it to me I get angry but then I realize I’m just mad at myself. That’s how personal growth works. Scars build self-esteem. We deliver brutal honesty that might sting and trigger people, but in the long run it will serve them well.

If I had to give you two words for our podcast: Unapologetically gay Can you tease any future plans for the podcast? 

The first year was largely interviews with men we hooked up with or dated and that will get old soon. Or maybe not. We do need a long lasting arc. I have a few ideas. I want to venture outside just interviewing gay men and build our footprint. We’ve had on a couple straight guys and a lesbian but in general I have a deep and unwavering interest in the human condition. I also want to have on people who disagree with us. My Mom is coming on soon and my step dad. Actually, I haven’t asked him yet so I guess I should right? You can rest assured the comedy will always stay and we will not be apologizing for jokes, no matter who asks. That’s a recipe for disaster.

Where can our readers keep up with you and the podcast online? 

My Instagram is @itchyprostate and the Instagram for the show is @shameonyoupod. We post new episodes every Thursday on all players. If you want to be a doll and support our Patreon visit www.patreon.com/shameonyou. If you support most tiers you get bonus content, episodes a day early and ad free, plus some empowerment 20 minute solo episodes I’ll be doing. I’m really into David Goggins lately. Look him up.

Share your thoughts with us in the comments or on Twitter, @thenerdygirlexp. You can find me on Twitter, @kleffnotes, on my blog, kleffnotes.wordpress.com, and on my kleffnotes YouTube channel.