The suppression of 'queer joy' is no match for Matt Rogers and Las Culturistas

Rogers still gets nervous to do a good job in massive projects like the Culture Awards have become, but he's also just "accepting it as part of my process now," adding: "Four to six weeks before I do anything big, I'm having a low-grade panic attack [that I'm] not going to prepare correctly — but that's just the goal-oriented, results-driven little closeted boy inside of me that had a jock dad and did sports."

"I guess I'll try to remind myself in the future like, 'Relax. You don't have to wear yourself out,'" he continues. "I feel like my mission statement is, 'Don't take yourself too seriously,' so I want to take my own advice next time. Ultimately, we are really not curing cancer here."

That old adage about films, TV shows, music, and video games not curing cancer remains true. On the other hand, there are times when the glitz, the glam, and the gags of an awards show — yes, even a satirical one — can't escape the reality existing outside of it. Rogers undoubtedly understands that responsibility. "As I'm putting the show together, seeing all that in the news, and living in the world… That's when it becomes a little bit of a responsibility."

But instead of losing his mind over how a comedy podcast and a satirical awards show can find the solution to world peace, Rogers smartly focuses on the ways that this platform can actually help. "This is supposed to be a fun thing; so let's make it fun, bitch," he remembers telling himself. "I just hope that people feel good when they watch it."

Even though Rogers and Yang have successfully cultivated a strong, resilient, and supportive community of queer people in their lives and careers — as seen in multiple episodes of Las Culturistas featuring queer peers like Joel Kim Booster, Patti Harrison, Cole Escola, Sudi Green, Aaron Jackson, Josh Sharp, among others — the LGBTQ+ community at large still deals with unnecessary in-fighting and an inexplicable urge from likeminded people to compete with one another.

Rogers obviously understands those dynamics, which can feel even more intense in the case of famous gay men feeling threatened by other famous gay men. In any case, Rogers is determined to not get distracted. "I just always focus on the gay men that are supporting, you know what I mean?" he muses. "Because they are out there. I feel the love from them all the time."

"And to the gay men that are not supporting gay men: I just hope they know that I'm rooting for them as well," Rogers adds. "If you're not rooting for me, and you're not rooting for Bowen, we get it. But we're rooting for you. All we want to do is make sure that we have a fun time, and to be in projects that can represent ourselves positively."

As a fellow Drag Race superfan, I bring up the absolutely bonkers reaction to Ginger Minj winning RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars 10, and how people direct so much intense rage at a target that won't actually solve any of their problems.

"I really agree with you," Rogers says. "In times of political hopelessness, and when you feel like you can't do anything to change that, something you can do is really pick on something that's frivolous, or really tear that pop girlie up 'cause of a new album. The discourse getting crazier in pop culture directly correlates to how politically abandoned, hopeless, and depressed people feel."

Rogers hopes that the Culture Awards can help people rest for a little bit and find community through laughter. He also thinks that queer projects like this one have a very important place in the resistance against conservative rhetoric.

"Of course there's reasons to be outraged, but I hope people remember that they want to exhaust us. They want to wear us down. They want us to feel like experiencing joy is a form of betrayal," he explains. "But that is not true. You can center joy, and fun, and find a way to remember why life is worth living."

Rogers notes how dangerous it can be to "forget what we're fighting for and how good life can be when it's good." It's also easy to get trapped by a group of people "that wants us to be less powerful," he explains, even though "one of the great things about the queer community is how smart, how diverse, and how funny we are."

As the relentless attacks against members of the LGBTQ+ community continue, Rogers shares an interesting perspective. "The fact that we can see culture from the outside — because we've been pushed to the outside of it — means we can see things clearly. There's so much opportunity just in being who we are, and the fact that we do have this community."

Considering the lineup of guests, honorees, and presenters at the Las Culturistas Culture Awards, Rogers says: "I hope that people look up on stage and we have Sasha Colby in the show alongside Jeff Goldblum. I just want to show the tent actually is big and there is a lot of fun to be had. And people want to participate in it."

Is Rogers interested in the idea of keeping the Las Culturistas Culture Awards on television, and perhaps turning it into a live broadcast?

"Yeah! I think the question is, would they?" Rogers teases. " I don't say 'no' to anything anymore, or wonder if it could happen. I've been blown away so many times. If Bowen and I put our minds to it, we can do it. Right now I just want to make sure people can see the live-to-tape one, and then we'll talk about doing it live."

Rogers muses, "I do think there is something special about being able to keep all the secrets, you know what I mean? Even all the red carpet looks are already online, and I'm like, 'Ah, I wish that the first time people saw Paige DeSorbo's outfit was on stage, or when she's in the crowd.'"

But a lot of people don't keep up with social media in such a way, Rogers knows. "And this is on Bravo, so it's going to be a discovery for a lot of them. I'm excited about that."

The 2025 Las Culturistas Culture Awards ceremony airs tonight at 9 p.m. on Bravo. The broadcast will be available for streaming on Peacock the very next day.