Bloggasm

Simon Owens: Do you think the realm of drag has become an art?

Lady Bunny: Well, I think it’s been an art for centuries. From Japan’s kabuki theater to boys playing all the female roles of Shakespeare’s plays to Michael Jackson, the larger than life quality of drag has made it an entertainment staple for centuries. It goes in and out of vogue, but at one point around the turn of the century, a queen named Julian Eltinge hit it so big on Broadway that he had musicals written for him and even face cream marketed to women who wanted his complexion–which was actually make-up!

Many people think of drag as lip-synch only and that is what is the standard fare in gay clubs around the world. But there are also queens doing stand-up (Dame Edna, Jackie Beat), recording original music (RuPaul, Hedwig, Kevin Aviance, Celeda), djing (Me!), directing porn (Chi Chi LaRue), and even singing opera (Shequida, La Gran Scena). Many queens act as well, but often bigger drag roles are given to either straight actors or gay ones who don’t really do drag full-time. Do I sound bitter?

SO: Do you find there to be a ridiculous humor to drag, or is it to be taken completely seriously?

LB: Interview cancelled! I’m highly offended by that question! No, nothing should be taken completely seriously ever! Especially not drag! There are plenty of queens who do take themselves too seriously, but since my character is basically a clown, I don’t. There is something innately ridiculous about drag. When a queen is rigged up in all her flashy finery it can be quite regal–hence the term “queen”. I think it’s hilarious to temper this grandness with lunacy or else the drag risks being a snooze. Unless, of course, the queen is breathtakingly beautiful and styled so incredibly that she can get away with taking herself seriously. But that route has never been an option for me!

SO: Have you ever appeared in drag in a very conservative area? What was the general response?

LB: Well, I dj’ed at the CEO of Abercrombie and Fitch’s Ohio mansion this summer. There was a little stiffness at first, but once the liquor started flowing their reservations/curiosity about me passed. Besides, they coulldn’t request a song from anyone else, so they had to get over the fact that a freak was the dj at their staff party!

I also protested a KFC in Lexington, Kentucky in a very short skirt. A few people yelled things, but I think they were more motivated by thoughts like “You’re a whore/freak who my kids shouldn’t be seeing in the light of day” as opposed to any pro-KFC sentiments. I do put myself in a lot of mainstream situations where you don’t normally expect to see a queen. I just attended Howard Stern’s Sirius radio launch at the Hard Rock Cafe in NYC and his fans were a little homophobic but after enough booze they were begging for “photos with the clown.” I also dj’ed last Xmas at Saks Fifth Avenue in NYC. That was nuts. There were tourists from all over in the middle of frenzied holiday shopping and many of them gagged at the sight of me. So I have to give Saks credit for taking a chance like that. Certain types are predisposed to hating you–like young, straight guys or anyone with a Middle-Eatern head wrap, but you just have to be fearless. I met every stare with “I’m-sending-out-holiday-party-vibes-whether-you-like-it-or-not!” attitude and won the vast majority over. I think when people see a drag queen with a big wig and an over-the-top look, they associate it with partying and tend to scream “Work!” or “You go, girl!”. It’s the serious “I’m-passing-as-a-woman” looks that tend to be less popular, when the queens aren’t passing and there’s no hint of fun or glamor. Then straights tend to want to yell stuff like “Hello, sir!” to let the queens know that they aren’t fooling anybody. But with a more outrageous look, your glad rags don’t indicate that you are trying to blend in or “pass”.

SO: What are the five blogs everyone should be reading (besides your own)?

LB: 1.Huffingtonpost.com–not exactly a blog, but it contains blogs and the kind of news stories which our mainstream TV news refuses to cover. So if you don’t have time to scour the NY Times and Washington Post daily, it’s a quick fix.

2.lucasblog.com (by porn star and sick, very opinionated queen Michael Lucas)

3.VaginalDavis.com This whore is hilarious.

4.WorldofWonder.net Ex-Details columnist Stephen Saban edits this juicy gossip blog.

5.yeastradio.podshow.com This bloated, Jewish lesbian with a yeast infection mixes insightful with ridiculous and is a top-notch pod-caster, with amazing video posts as well.

You can find Lady Bunny over here.