30 Jan 2026
Episode 206: Parody Only Works If You Love the Genre w/ Erin Stegeman
Talking with Erin Stegeman feels like sitting down with someone you’ve known forever and immediately picking up where you left off. Erin is a writer, director, and performer who has spent years creating smart, scrappy parody work, and in this episode of Everything is Awesome, we spend a lot of time talking about what happens to creative projects long after you think you’ve moved on from them.
We start in very familiar territory: parenting chaos, kids getting hurt in new and inventive ways, the weird anxiety spiral that comes from googling medical symptoms, and the general realization that once you have multiple kids, your house just becomes a series of controlled disasters. It’s loose, funny, and immediately settles into the kind of tone that defines this show.
From there, the conversation shifts into Erin’s work, especially Once Upon a Time: The Rock Opera, and what it’s been like to see that project find new life a decade later. Erin talks candidly about how scrappy that era was, how much work went into it, and how hard it was for a long time to even revisit the project without focusing on everything she wished she’d done differently. Now, years later, there’s a sense of perspective and appreciation for what it was, how ridiculous it could be, and why it still resonates with people discovering it for the first time.
We also dig into parody as a genre, how comedy changes over time, and why context matters when you look back at humor from the early days of social media. Erin and Kev talk about the difference between punching up and punching down, how certain styles of comedy were everywhere in the late 2000s, and why growing as a creator doesn’t mean pretending your past didn’t happen. It just means you’re not that person anymore.
Later in the episode, we talk about Shame of Thrones, Erin’s Game of Thrones musical parody, how it evolved from a low-budget idea into something much bigger, and what it’s like dealing with IP holders who have very different reactions to parody. There are stories about Comic-Con runs, off-Broadway shows, lawyers calling, and the strange line between being embraced by a fandom and being told to change a font so lawyers don’t get involved.
If you’re into parody, genre storytelling, creative growth, or just honest conversations about making things and surviving the process, this episode is a great listen. It’s funny, reflective, occasionally deep, and very much an Everything is Awesome conversation.
SUPPORT ERIN STEGEMAN
Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/erinstegeman/) | M.A.C.B.E.T.H (IG) (https://www.instagram.com/macbethandfriends/) | M.A.C.B.E.T.H (tickets) (https://artfarmatserenbe.app.neoncrm.com/nx/portal/neonevents/events?path=%2Fportal%2Fevents%2F28675) | Shame of Thrones (https://www.instagram.com/shameofthronesmusical/) | Save the Video Store (https://www.instagram.com/savethevideostore/) | OUAT: The Rock Opera (https://www.amazon.com/Once-Upon-Time-Rock-Opera/dp/B0DQ372PQS)
THE SHOW
Everything is Awesome is produced by Starbird Media (https://starbirdmediallc.com/) and edited by Kevin M. Gallagher, Jr. The Everything is Awesome logo is by Francois Jooste & Kevin M. Gallagher, Jr. For advertising rates, guest inquiries, or press coverage, email us at info@starbirdmediallc.com.
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/everything-is-awesome/id1080785725 (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/everything-is-awesome/id1080785725)
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6P4LLWBQD5DUFBCykh9adm (https://open.spotify.com/show/6P4LLWBQD5DUFBCykh9adm)
YouTube: Coming Soon!
Kev: TikTok (http://tiktok.com/@thatnerdykev), BlueSky (https://bsky.app/profile/thatnerdykev.gobirds.online), Twitter (https://x.com/thatnerdykev), Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/thatnerdykev), and Threads (https://www.threads.com/@thatnerdykev), all at @ThatNerdyKev. | ThatNerdyKev.com (https://thatnerdykev.com/) | MayorOfLevittown.com (https://mayoroflevittown.com/) | AvatarStateRadio.com (https://avatarstateradio.com/) | GetEmNextYear.com (https://getemnextyear.com/).
SUPPORT THE SHOW
Please consider supporting The HEADstrong Foundation (https://headstrong.org (https://headstrong.org/)). They are based in the Philadelphia area, minutes from the University of Pennsylvania Hospital. They assist families dealing with cancer with everything from meals to travel and housing. I've been working with them for nearly nine years now, and they are good people.
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Organizations & Causes We Support:
Make 5 Calls (https://5calls.org/) | HEADstrong Foundation (https://headstrong.org/) | The Trevor Project (https://www.thetrevorproject.org/) | Black Lives Matter (https://blacklivesmatter.com/) | Need to Talk? Dial 9-8-8 (https://988lifeline.org/)
