If you don’t know about Jordan Power’s podcast, then Shame On You! Shame On You is a raw, honest, hilarious, and very gay, podcast that Jordan co-hosts with his best friend Brad Price. You can expect to hear about all the fun drama in their lives, don’t worry there is a plethora, but also feel empowered about embracing yourself as these two have learned to do. To learn more, please read our exclusive interview below.

Where are you based?
Toronto

How did you get into comedy?
A lot of childhood pain and trauma. I’ve used it to cope with my lowest lows and thus became quite adept at it. People have been telling me I’m funny for a while so I decided to move into this career path and I did rather quickly.

Congrats on hosting the fastest growing gay podcast in the world. Can you tell us about “Shame On You?” What inspired you to start your podcast?
It was a conversation with my best friend about residual gay pain and the terrible mistakes we both were making with men. We both agreed we wanted to leave this world a little better than we came into it, particularly for gay men. Then I looked at the space, and saw an opening for a gay podcast that was willing to take risks that no one else would. That was just the beginning. It’s now our listener feedback that keeps us going because it’s damn exhausting.

The show has actually encouraged hundreds of men to come out of the closet which includes a priest and a gay man from Saudi Arabia. How does this make you feel? Did you think this would happen when you started the podcast?
I think I would sound like a real megalomaniac if I said I expected people to come out because of my words on a microphone. I’ve tried to analyze why we keep inspiring people to come out and I think it is rooted in what is fueling shame. Shame is a fear of disconnection, thus we’ve created a surrogate community with open dialogue. I think that’s what is behind it but there is no way to know for sure.

Guests on the “Shame On You” podcast range from celebrities, your childhood bully, and your mom. How do you choose who you want to feature?
My background is in talk radio producing so I understand valence emotions in entertainment. That is one factor for sure. Most of the guests come from our inner circle and we both have had pretty interesting lives. The first ones came as a necessity because we were unknown. The others came on because they had a unique story to tell. The main reason I ask someone to come on the podcast is because they are not boring. Boring is corrosive in this business. Going into 2020 we will continue to prioritize a diverse range of voices.

Why is it important to you that you are so open with your disclosure on Shame On You?
I need to lead by example, otherwise I would be a massive hypocrite. Thus, I try to live a very transparent life in which I acknowledge my flaws as well as my best attributes. I try to take topics that are traditionally shameful and shine a spotlight on them, like drugs, plastic surgery and sex. Of course there is also an inherent entertainment value in putting it all out there.

We hear you are working on your memoir “My Therapist Sent Me Nudes”. Can you tell us a little bit about what lead up to this, and what sparked the memoir?
Well, largely because my previous therapist did send me naked photos of himself. But of course that only inspired the title. I wrote this book because I had been a published writer for a decade and the most implausible things kept happening to me, like making out with my step brother or having to end a relationship with a legal letter. Of course I played a role in orchestrating a lot of this stuff, but it was subconscious because I was a very broken person. The book is largely a cautionary tale, but it’s very entertaining because it’s self-destructive. The best memoirs are catalyzed by that.

Can you talk about your work with the AIDS Committee of Toronto (ACT)?
It is still amazing to me the number of gay men that are not familiar with the latest science on HIV/AIDS with regards to PREP, PEP and that undetectable status equals untransmittable. I’ve hammered home these points on the podcast several times. I’ve supported this charity financially and with promotions on the podcast because they are doing phenomenal work with regards to education and eradicating stigma. Day by day things are getting better.

Congrats on your 2020 North American tour. Where can we look out for you?
We will be hitting four US cities and one Canadian city before summer. I can’t confirm anything yet, but tour dates will be on our Instagram @shameonyoupod when they are finalized.

What is your motto in life?
To run your own race. Comparison is an assault on yourself and a distraction.

Please list any websites and social media you would like Jejune to promote:
My Instagram is @jpowercomedy and the show Instagram is @shameonyou. My website, where I post some of my writing, is www.jordanpowerwrites.com

Photography by Kasablanka Photography

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