LOS ANGELES – Before taping his new truTV series "Talk Show the Game Show" — part mashup, part parody of the two genres — host Guy Branum got some advice from good friend Chelsea Handler.
"She told me the most important thing about being a host is listening," he said, holding court recently in a hotel lobby. "I've really tried to get better at that, creating a space where my guests shine and it's not all about me. There's not like a monologue at the top where I get to dazzle. Part of me is like, 'I have to show everyone why I'm great!' No. Calm down. Let these people do what they have to do."
You can see why Branum may have a hard time pressing his inner mute button, especially when he dives into his juicy personal life, which includes a short but pivotal chapter set in the Twin Cities.
While attending the University of Minnesota Law School, Branum checked out Balls Cabaret, the anything-goes variety show that continues to run Saturday nights at the Southern Theater, and Acme Comedy Company's open-mic night. Both were critical in his realization that he would rather play to drunken patrons than a jury.
It was also the period in which Branum came out of the closet.
"Minneapolis is where I learned to be gay," he said. "Everyone was nice and supportive. The right-size town. Not overwhelming. Nights at the Saloon and the Gay 90's. That was my first gay pride parade. I barely remember getting to Loring Park."
It may seem surprising that Branum wasn't comfortable enough to come out in the Bay Area, where he grew up and did his undergraduate studies, but it was important for the now-41-year-old to separate himself from the world he had come from before being open about his sexual orientation.
"The space made me feel distant and safe," said Branum, who also spent six months writing theater reviews for City Pages. "Minneapolis was the first place I felt like a grown-up."
