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Hot Takes & Deep Dives

Jess Rothschild
Madonna
New York City
Fire Island
Reality Television
Broadway
The L Word
AIDS Crisis
Queer As Folk
Provincetown
Reality TV
Mental Health
Cabaret
Sex and the City
LGBTQ+ Community
Theater Marketing
Los Angeles
Soulcycle
Bravo
The Traitors
Betty

Podcast serving quick hits & deep cuts on LGBT pop iconography & NYC culture. Recent guests include Rosie O'Donnell, Sandra Bernhard, Fortune Feimster, Roxane Gay, Fran Drescher, Isaac Mizrahi, Lea DeLaria, Melissa Etheridge, Rachel Dratch, Gina Gershon, Margaret Cho, L Word creator Ilene Chaiken, Jenifer Lewis, Judy Gold, Mario Cantone, Michael Musto & more!

PublishesTwice monthlyEpisodes277Founded7 years ago
Number of ListenersCategory
TV & Film

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Artwork for Hot Takes & Deep Dives

Latest Episodes

Jess is joined by Tony Award-winning actor WILSON JERMAINE HEREDIA, who originated the iconic role of Angel in RENT, ahead of the show's 30th Anniversary Concert! Topics: Wilson's pre-RENT life as club kid, playing Jonathan Larson's demo tape for the... more

Jess is joined by longtime activist James Tavs for inside stories of building queer NYC -- from working with ACT UP founder Larry Kramer and helping open the LGBT Center in 1983 to putting queer news on cable-access TV with "Out in the 80s" and worki... more

Jess is joined by Daily Mail writer Jacques Peterson for a culture catch-up! Topics include: Why are all the news and gossip sites suddenly subscription-based? Troye Sivan's "Party," which samples Madonna's "Music"; what is wrong with Miley Cyrus?; t... more

Jess is joined by downtown New York fixture Gene Fedorko, age 83, for a trip through more than six decades of queer history. Gene recalls escaping to New York City in 1960, discovering Fire Island in 1961, attending the March on Washington in 1963 an... more

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Recent Guests

Wilson Jermaine Heredia
Tony Award-winning star who originated Angel in RENT
Broadway, RENT
Episode: RENT's Original Angel | Wilson J. Heredia on Jonathan Larson, Club Kid Days & The Movie
James Tavs
Guest with a lived history in NYC LGBTQ+ activism and technology/finance background
Independent researcher and activist
Episode: Stonewall Myths, Larry Kramer & Inside 1980s Queer NYC (w/ James Tavs)
Jacques Peterson
Writer for the Daily Mail
Daily Mail
Episode: Culture Catch-Up: Troye Sivan's Madonna 'Party,' The Miley Cyrus Problem & RHONY (w/ Jacques Peterson)
Gene Fedorko
fixture of the downtown New York scene and activist/collector
Episode: Stories of 1960s NYC, Provincetown & Fire Island (w/ Gene Fedorko, age 83)
Rosie O'Donnell
Actor, comedian, former talk show host
Self
Episode: Rosie O'Donnell on Madonna, The View, Britney, The L Word & more!
Ana Matronic
Lead singer of Scissor Sisters and historian of queer nightlife
Scissor Sisters
Episode: Scissor Sisters' Ana Matronic — Behind the Music, History of Tea Dance & more!
Ben Rimalower
Returning guest, Madonna fan and performer
Episode: Madonna Confessions II Review (w/ Ben Rimalower & Mike Fernandez)
Mike Fernandez
Guest, Madonna fan and collaborator
Episode: Madonna Confessions II Review (w/ Ben Rimalower & Mike Fernandez)
David Kennerley
Author and archivist of LGBT club flyers
Author of Getting In and curator of club flyers book
Episode: Stories from Limelight, The Roxy, The Saint & '90s NYC Club Flyers (w/ David Kennerley)

Host

Jess
Host of Hot Takes & Deep Dives (primary on show), known for deep-dive grilling and cultural context

Reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars from 1.1k ratings
  • Wow

    Great Episode analyzing West and Summer House. I love the thoughtful look at supposedly low brow entertainment. Excellent!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    MDubs212
    United States5 months ago
  • All we need for Christmas/Hanukah is

    Jess and mark! It’s got a ring to it! You guys have such a chemistry we need a series of podcasts with you guys together! This year has been too rough and sad we need you both to make 2026 bearable! 💙💙💙💙💙

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    dedeferre
    United Statesa year ago
  • Awesome Podcast

    Jess is an AMAZING interviewer, she asks great questions, prompts the guest enough, shares herself but doesn’t talk over the guest. So many podcast hosts or interviewers today ask the same boring, generic questions but with Jess the questions are always insightful

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Ash From Coffee
    United Kingdoma year ago
  • Ruthless, arrogant host

    Could you please stop re-airing episodes without indicating anywhere in the description that it’s a repeat?? It’s very rude to your listeners and against common practice. It actually feels intentionally misleading. People who haven’t already heard the episode will still want to listen. But those of us who have already given you our time won’t have to listen again to try and figure out if we’ve already heard it.

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    Reb026
    United Statesa year ago
  • Endless insights!

    I loveeee these deep dives into pop culture topics and learn so much with every episode! 🙌 🎤 ✨

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Madelyn Glory
    United Statesa year ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Listeners praise Jess's in-depth interviewing and ability to surface unique insights from diverse guests.
A few listeners note repeat episodes without clear labeling, which can be frustrating.
Shows are considered highly informative and culture-forward with strong guest lineups.

Top TV & Film Podcasts

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

RENT's Original Angel | Wilson J. Heredia on Jonathan Larson, Club Kid Days & The Movie
Q: So how did they give you the music? If you could be really specific about your first impressions, and is it Jonathan Larson actually singing the songs?
Jonathan Larson sang most of the songs, but the Angel parts were sung by Mark Setlock in the workshop; Wilson listened to the entire demo to understand the world and his character.
Stories from Limelight, The Roxy, The Saint & '90s NYC Club Flyers (w/ David Kennerley)
Q: Which venues or moments stand out as emblematic in your collection?
He highlights The Roxy and Limelight as pivotal spaces, notes the development of back rooms during the AIDS era, and points to specific events like Lifebeat benefits and Channel 69 at Pyramid Club as key touchpoints, illustrating how venues shaped community and activism.
Stories from Limelight, The Roxy, The Saint & '90s NYC Club Flyers (w/ David Kennerley)
Q: What drew you to collect and preserve these club flyers?
Kennerley discusses the sense that the flyers are cultural artifacts that map the social fabric of the era, capturing who was on the scene, how spaces were used, and how activism and nightlife intersected, which motivated him to save and contextualize them rather than let them fade away.
Ballroom Culture, POSE & How a Ryan Murphy Show Gets Made (w/ POSE's Steven Canals)
Q: Tell me how you got your pilot script, the initial screenplay into the hands of Ryan Murphy to actually get this produced in Hollywood.
Steven describes a long, network-building journey starting with Paris Is Burning's influence, writing the pilot in UCLA, meeting Sherry Marsh who connected him to Ryan Murphy, and a multi-year process of meetings, pitches, and eventual collaboration that brought Pose to life.
Hedda Lettuce on Madonna, Kim Cattrall & Surviving Drag
Q: What was it like performing with Madonna at the 1999 VMAs?
Hedda describes an overwhelming, almost surreal energy from Madonna, a moment of intense attention and a lasting, almost hypnotic influence that left her feeling exhilarated for hours after the performance.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

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Frequently Asked Questions About Hot Takes & Deep Dives

What is Hot Takes & Deep Dives about and what kind of topics does it cover?

This show centers LGBT pop iconography and New York City culture through candid conversations with artists, actors, writers, and nightlife figures who shaped queer scenes. Recent episodes spotlight nightlife history, iconic performers, and behind-the-scenes stories from theater, television, and music, often weaving personal memories with cultural analysis. Guests frequently come from Broadway, drag, nightlife, and celebrity circles, yielding deep dives into performance, representation, and community legacy. The format blends archival history with contemporary takes, offering listeners rich context, sharp takes, and a pulse on queer culture over decades. It's likely to appeal to fans of pop culture history, LGBTQ+ culture, and NYC arts scene... more

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Which podcasts are similar to Hot Takes & Deep Dives?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Hot Takes & Deep Dives:

1. Fixing Famous People with Chris DeRosa & Dominick Pupa
2. Is This Real Life? With Mandy Slutsker
3. Gabbing with Gib
4. Reality Life with Kate Casey
5. Everything Iconic with Danny Pellegrino

How many episodes of Hot Takes & Deep Dives are there?

Hot Takes & Deep Dives launched 7 years ago and published 277 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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What guests have appeared on Hot Takes & Deep Dives?

Recent guests on Hot Takes & Deep Dives include:

1. Wilson Jermaine Heredia
2. James Tavs
3. Jacques Peterson
4. Gene Fedorko
5. Rosie O'Donnell
6. Ana Matronic
7. Ben Rimalower
8. Mike Fernandez

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

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