Into The Mud Podcast

Coming out is often portrayed as the moment everything falls into place, but for many LGBTQ+ people, it's only the beginning of a much more complicated search for belonging. Comedian Gray West joins Drew and Alex to unpack body image, beauty standards, queer community, comedy, tokenism, Fire Island culture, and why finding "your people" isn't always as easy as it looks. Together they explore the pressure to fit in, the loneliness that can exist even within your own community, and how authentic friendship is often found in the most unexpected places. 
Bio: Gray West is a New York City based stand-up comedian, writer, and host originally from Alabama. He is a regular at the Comedy Cellar and has performed at clubs and theaters across the country, touring alongside nationally touring headliners while building a following for his sharp observational comedy. Gray has appeared on festivals and showcases throughout the United States and has been featured on podcasts and digital platforms highlighting emerging voices in stand-up. His comedy draws from his experiences growing up in the South, navigating queer identity, and life in New York City.
Gray's Social Media: @GrayWest.
Follow along at @IntoTheMudPodcast on all platforms!
For the visual version, follow along on YouTube!
Your Hosts: Alex Kumin (@Alex.Kumin) and Drew King (@DrewKingNYC). 
Contributing Editors: Manthan Baldha, Sarah Webb (@SWAudioPost) and Drew King.
Filmed and recorded at @TheMalin in New York City.

www.IntoTheMudPodcast.com

What happens when your pets accidentally become internet celebrities?
This week, we're joined by Kaylin Bergeson and her famous French Bulldogs, Lavender and Latte, to talk about the surprising reality of life as a dog influencer. From negotiating brand deals and writing children's books to navigating internet fame, ethical breeding, creator burnout, and whether influencers have a responsibility to speak out politically, this conversation explores the unexpected business and emotional realities behind one of social media's happiest corners
Lavender and Latte's Social Media: @LavenderAndLatte (Instagram), @LavenderLatteKaylin (TikTok), www.LavenderLatteKaylin.com.
Bio: Kaylin Bergeson is a filmmaker, producer, entrepreneur, and the co-owner of an Orlando based video production company. She is the creator behind the internationally recognized French Bulldog brand Lavender & Latte, whose content has amassed millions of views across social media and led to partnerships with major pet and consumer brands.
Alongside her two French Bulldogs, Lavender and Latte, Bergeson has expanded the brand into live appearances, a children's book, podcast content, and national brand collaborations, while continuing to produce commercial video content through her production company. Her work sits at the intersection of digital storytelling, content strategy, influencer marketing, and pet media.
Follow along at @IntoTheMudPodcast on all platforms!
For the visual version, follow along on YouTube!
Your Hosts: Alex Kumin (@Alex.Kumin) and Drew King (@DrewKingNYC). 
Contributing Editors: Manthan Baldha, Sarah Webb (@SWAudioPost) and Drew King.
Filmed and recorded at @TheMalin in New York City.

www.IntoTheMudPodcast.com

What if the parts of yourself you've been taught to hide became the very things that changed your life?
This week, we're joined by David Lauterstein, CEO and co-founder of Nasty Pig, who opens up about letting go of shame, embracing kink and fetish as a core part of his identity, and building one of the world's most iconic queer fashion brands alongside his husband and co-founder, Frederick Kearney. Their decades-long love story is also the heart of David's memoir, Sodomy Gods.
Together, we explore queer identity, sex positivity, the lasting impact of the AIDS crisis, entrepreneurship, spirituality, and what it means to build a life rooted in authenticity instead of fear.
This isn't just a conversation about sex. It's about authenticity. Identity. Community. And what happens when you stop apologizing for who you are.
Bio: David Lauterstein is the CEO and co-founder of Nasty Pig, the internationally recognized New York City based queer fashion brand he founded with his husband, Frederick Kearney, in 1994. He has been recognized in the OUT100 for his impact on LGBTQ+ culture and was honored at the Las Culturistas Culture Awards, celebrating his influence on queer fashion and culture.
Over the past three decades, Nasty Pig has become one of the most influential names in queer fashion, blending streetwear, underwear, and fetish-inspired design while helping redefine LGBTQ+ visibility and self expression.
David is also the author of the memoir Sodomy Gods, an intimate love story chronicling his relationship with Kearney, the creation of Nasty Pig, and his journey through queer identity, spirituality, and entrepreneurship. The book received a starred review from Kirkus Reviews and was praised by The New York Times. His work has been featured by major media outlets for its impact on queer culture, fashion, and LGBTQ+ history.
David's Social Media: @David_Lauterstein, @NastyPig, www.NastyPig.com
Follow along at @IntoTheMudPodcast on all platforms!
For the visual version, follow along on YouTube!
Your Hosts: Alex Kumin (@Alex.Kumin) and Drew King (@DrewKingNYC). 
Contributing Editors: Manthan Baldha, Sarah Webb (@SWAudioPost) and Drew King.
Filmed and recorded at @TheMalin in New York City.

www.IntoTheMudPodcast.com

Emmy-winning comedy writer Jenny Hagel joins Into the Mud to talk about her new book, Advice No One Asked For, and the strange art of giving advice when nobody wants it.
A writer for Late Night with Seth Meyers, Jenny tackles a plethora of muddy topics and imparts some great advice that we never even asked for: from rejection in comedy writing and perfectionism to grief, aging, procrastination, self-worth, and learning when to trust your instincts, Jenny shares the lessons she's collected from a lifetime of experiences. Along the way, we explore why going to the funeral matters, why your value is not your productivity, and how sometimes the best advice helps you discover what you already knew all along.
Bio: Jenny Hagel is an Emmy-nominated TV writer and comedy performer in New York City. She is a writer/performer on Late Night with Seth Meyers, where she created the recurring segment "Jokes Seth Can't Tell." She was also head writer and executive producer of The Amber Ruffin Show.
Other writing credits include the Golden Globe Awards, Impractical Jokers, and Big Gay Sketch Show. Jenny has an MFA in Writing for the Screen and Stage from Northwestern University, and has been nominated for two GLAAD Awards for her work addressing LGBTQ issues on TV.
Jenny's Social Media: @JennyHagel, www.JennyHagel.com.
Follow along at @IntoTheMudPodcast on all platforms!
For the visual version, follow along on YouTube!
Your Hosts: Alex Kumin (@Alex.Kumin) and Drew King (@DrewKingNYC). 
Contributing Editors: Manthan Baldha, Sarah Webb (@SWAudioPost) and Drew King.
Filmed and recorded at @TheMalin in New York City.

www.IntoTheMudPodcast.com

Liz Glazer spent years doing everything right: law school, a philosophy degree, a tenured law professorship, and a stable career path. Then she discovered stand-up comedy and began questioning whether success and fulfillment were actually the same thing.
In this episode, Liz shares how therapy, sobriety, recovery programs, and nearly two decades of self-reflection helped her learn to trust her own judgment. Together, we explore intuition, major life pivots, ending a 19-year therapy relationship, and how to know when it's finally time to choose a different path.
Bio: Liz Glazer is an award-winning standup comedian, actor, and writer known for her smart, personal comedy. Her new special, Do You Know Who I’m Not?, is streaming on YouTube. She has appeared on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Don’t Tell Comedy, and The Showcase, and opened for Maria Bamford and Judy Gold. Liz won first place at the Boston Comedy Festival and Ladies of Laughter, and was profiled in The Wall Street Journal.
As an actor, Liz has appeared on ABC's For Life and CBS's BULL, and teaches at Lesly Kahn & Co. She is currently developing a TV pilot based on her life, which was a Stage 32 semi-finalist. Before comedy, Liz was a tenured law professor at Hofstra Law. She earned her BA/MA from UPenn, her JD from the University of Chicago Law School (serving on Law Review), practiced real estate law at Fried Frank, and published scholarship in top journals like the Georgetown Law Journal.
Liz's Social Media: @LizGlazer
Liz's Website: https://www.dearlizglazer.com/
00:00 Into the Mud: Intro
01:09 Comedy, Academia, and Netflix
02:23 Law Professor to Stand-Up: The Not-So-Classic Route
05:22 Finding Comedy in Chicago
08:23 Standup for Lawyers and Sex Educators
09:43 Coming Out & Discovering Comedy's Call
10:03 The Knowing: Trusting Yourself with Big Decisions
12:13 Signs, Journals, and When to Leap
14:04 The Nine-Year Exit: Quitting with a Plan
18:11 Buffers, Health Insurance, and Rolling into Standup
21:38 Supporting Your Craft without Starving
22:48 The Voice Inside: Intuition, Timing & Feeling
25:11 Buffer Time: Therapy, Debt, and Getting Better
27:27 Sobriety, Self-Trust, and Program Life
30:29 Dropping Bad Habits: From Stalking Instagrams to Small Choices
32:08 Sober Decisions: Controlled Experiments and Instinct
38:07 Ending Therapy: Tennis, Growth, and Letting Go
44:00 Facing the Last Session: Nerves and Readiness
46:02 What Happens When Therapy Ends?
49:07 85% Over the Net: Trust, Growth, and Mystery
50:17 Wrapping Up: Mutual Admiration and Tennis Jokes
51:06 Final Credits & Where to Follow
Follow along at @IntoTheMudPodcast on all platforms!
For the visual version, follow along on YouTube!
Your Hosts: Alex Kumin (@Alex.Kumin) and Drew King (@DrewKingNYC). 
Contributing Editors: Manthan Baldha, Sarah Webb (@SWAudioPost) and Drew King.
Filmed and recorded at @TheMalin in New York City.

www.IntoTheMudPodcast.com