Back To Werk, Bitch!

Roommates: Rent is Cheap but the Drama is Expensive

Roommates are a queer adventure all their own, and in this episode of Back to Werk, Bitch, John and Leakd Tea dive into every angle of the shared living experience. From the long LGBTQ+ tradition of calling your partner your roommate to avoid suspicion, to the modern reality of splitting rent with friends, strangers, crushes, and chaos magnets, nothing is off limits. We talk about the real pros and cons of roommates. Yes, it is cheaper and can save your entire budget, but it also means dealing with noise, mess, unexpected guests, and the occasional drunk best friend who might leave the oven on. We get into the emotional math of deciding whether living with someone you love platonically is worth risking the friendship, and the very real fear of waking up to someone else's mess, drama, or booty do in the bathroom. The episode jumps through stories from college suites, dorms, and off campus houses that felt like frat basements. We revisit the roommate who moved into the garage to save money, the house mother role John accidentally took on, the plant that grew out of a sink, the door that got punched, the stray dog that destroyed the trim, and the spreadsheet that kept six people from financial collapse. Leakd Tea shares the party house above a Waffle House, the modeling team era, the noise complaints, and the roommate who ruined a New York crush with one messy Instagram comment. We also get into the queer experience of crushing on a roommate, sleeping with the door cracked just in case, and the awkward tension when two roommates like the same guy. Plus, the gag of finding out years later that your old roommate was gay the whole time and wondering what could have been. The conversation also explores living with parents as an adult, especially during COVID, and how moving back home can feel like a roommate situation with childhood rules attached. It is humbling, financially smart, and sometimes deeply annoying. Finally, we break down what actually matters when choosing a roommate today: cleanliness, noise levels, emotional stability, guest policies, financial responsibility, job stability, communication style, and whether their friends are the type to steal your stuff. It is all about mutual respect, shared expectations, and not living with someone who stresses you out for sport. It is funny, honest, chaotic, and very queer. Whether you are living with strangers, best friends, parents, or someone you met on an app at 2 a.m., this episode will make you feel seen and maybe rethink who you let share your space.

America, We Have Got a Problem...

In this episode of Back to Werk, Bitch!, John Levengood and Leak’d Tea unpack the whirlwind of 2025-2026 headlines shaping life in the U.S. and especially in the nation’s capital. They discuss reports about the National Guard in DC, immigration enforcement actions, the release of the Epstein files, debates around DEI, and the rise of DOGE as a cultural talking point. They explore how constant breaking news can feel like a psychological overload, including how it affects creativity, songwriting, and the ability to process one crisis before the next one hits. They also talk about how these national conversations impact queer people on the ground: from feeling less safe to questioning how they present themselves in public. The hosts dive into celebrity reactions in the news cycle, including public discussions around Chilli from TLC. The episode also touches on global tensions, rising gas prices, and the special election in Virginia. John shares lessons from his first protest, including why you should never pregame before a protest. Finally, John gives an update on his new song, “Make Me Proud, America,” and how current events shaped its creation.