Honestly, I miss it.
It’s pageant season in the drag world and Facebook is ripe with constant updates on evening wear, talents and interviews. Across the country kings and queens are preparing to compete in prelims and finals, looking for sponsors, packing suitcases and truck beds with costumes and props and dragging backup dancers across country.
Honestly, I miss it.
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Since winning my Pride title back in March I’ve been asked a few times what my platform is for this year, and why. So I figure I’d answer both questions here.
My platform for my reign of Mr Phoenix Gay Pride is GLSEN (The Gay Lesbian and Straight Education Network). The why is easy. They help promote safe schools. Not just for LGBTQ youth but for everyone. I look at kids today and they don’t realize how lucky they are, really. Many schools now have a Gay/Straight Alliance (GSA) and counselors who are both knowledgeable and supportive. Many gay and lesbian juniors and seniors are finding they can take their partners to prom with little upset. Trans kids are more able to express their gender identity than ever before. Yes, there is still bullying, ignorance and intolerance. This is evident by the rash of LGBTQ teen suicides over the last year or so. Luckily, thanks in part to Dan Savage’s It Gets Better Project, that number has dropped to next to nothing. But the bullying is still there. Self-professed "Professional Pervert" Shanna Katz (www.shannakatz.com) decided to feature Freddy in her Fearless Press blog Out of the Box. The first drag king to be featured in her column, I'm tickled that I got the opportunity!
Thank you, Shanna, for helping to shed a little light on the drag community and kings and opening the door to something that doesn't get talked about a lot: ie. drag and sexuality. Read the interview here. And be sure to check out her other blog Unapologetic. How many of us have heard that? Basically it implies that girls aren't allowed to have any fun, and let's face it, underneath the spirit gum, duct tape and facial hair a good majority of us still identify as women of one sort or another. But regardless of how we identify, how we conduct ourselves in public speaks volumes as to our true character.
I've touched on how we, as representatives of our community, should behave in public. This goes double for title holders. I will not name names, I will not point fingers, and I will not trash talk. However, when a title holder threatens to tarnish the reputation of the rest of us because of their completely unacceptable behaviour, it is NOT ok. I’m not one of these droggers who write blog after blog about how this person did this or that person did that, and oh my feelings are hurt because of this that and the other. However, when a specific incident arises that warrants attention, not because it affects one person but because it could potentially affect many, it’s acceptable to address it. When you become a title holder, it doesn’t matter whether it’s a bar title, state title, local title, whatever, you sign a contract stating that you will conduct yourself appropriately in public. I’ve seen queens stripped of their titles, kings stripped of their titles, for far less than some of the behavior I’ve witnessed over the last few years. How it is some manage to keep their titles is beyond me. Now, I don’t claim that everyone likes me. I know for a fact that many don’t. Personally, I don’t care. I also don’t claim that I have never had a drink or 2 at a show. However, not once have I ever conducted myself in anything other than a strictly professional manner no matter where I am, or who I’m working with. The same cannot be said for others. I have seen kings get drunk, push people around, be obnoxious, and act sloppy on stage and off. I have seen kings start rumours about other people in the community, write pages of blogs calling people “whores.” I have seen kings go out of their way to try and start drama, when there really is no drama to be had. Whether you like someone or not, regardless of your reasons, publicly calling someone “the whore of Babylon” is completely unprofessional, as is getting trashed at a show, breaking bottles behind the bar, and causing the other people in your show to leave in the middle of it. Unacceptable. Full stop. This kind of behavior, had it been done in the home, would have been considered a form of domestic abuse. Just because it was done in a bar, in front of an audience (witnesses?) doesn’t make it any less despicable. Where does the line get drawn? What can a title holder get away with before the pageant system they represent says enough is enough? When does the community they represent say enough is enough? People make mistakes, we’re only human. But when something like this is not just a one-time occurrence, maybe it’s time to say “no more.” For some, having a title is more than just a feather in our cap. It’s something to be proud of, not just another “win” to add to a list. You could have a dozen titles, but if you act like a moron, disrespect your community and make yourself look like an ass, then they mean nothing. Just something to think about… Kings are catching a lot of flack for the amount of bling on their costumes lately. At least here they are. It’s a running joke about the amount of stones one has on an outfit. Stones, glitter, anything else that’s shiny and sparkles. I know that whenever I put on my outfit that has large, uber-sparkly flames on it, I get endless “Flaming Freddy” comments. Jerks. Freddy isn’t flaming. He’s fabulous! Ha! At any rate, there’s a constant debate about the shinies and the sparklies. How much is too much? Where do you draw the line? Where does it stop looking sharp and start looking like a day care project? Because we’re expected to keep raising the bar, both in performance and costumes, I think it’s all too easy to go overboard.
My outfit with the flames is probably the most sparkly one I have. And it took a shit ton of glitter and sealant stuff to get it to look the way it does. I even have shoes to match! But generally, I don’t like going the glitter route. Too often it ends up just looking cheesy and kind of juvenile. Sequins are a good substitute if you can’t afford the good Swarovski crystals, but again, try not to go overboard. Oh! I forgot about that outfit. Oops. I do, in fact, have an outfit that has gold sequins covering most of it, but it went with the number it was designed for, so shut it. Will I ever use it again? Not sure. It’s hard to find a song that goes well with a dark blue outfit covered in gold sequins. But that’s ok. I digress. Sequins are an easy, cheap way to bling out any costume. It’s finding the balance that can be tricky. You don’t want to look like an 8 year old’s dance recital costume. You’d be surprised what even a few scattered SINGLE sequins can do for an old jacket or pants. I mean, ideally, most kings will try to get the crystals. Everyone likes the way they sparkle, so why wouldn’t you? Cuz they can be damn expensive, that’s why! I have a job, I work full time, but rarely do I have the funds to be able to really splurge on my costumes. But let me tell you, I am the KING of thrift store shopping! I can’t tell you how many tail coats and such I’ve found for next to nothing. We also have here in Phoenix a store called SAS Fabrics By The Pound, which has all sorts of cool accessories, ribbons, D rings, chain, leather scraps, etc that can be purchased for super cheap and used on pretty much any costume. Yet, I still end up spending more than planned on outfits. The key, I’ve found, is buy in bulk if you can. If you see a good deal on something, get it, because I can guarantee you’ll find a use for it. But back to the bling issue. I try really hard to not have 100 costumes that all look alike. But there are kings and queens who don’t really care. So you see them in essentially the same outfit for every number, but with slight variations in, say, colour. I mean, everyone has their signature look, but it’s always good to think outside the box. Freddy has a thing for tail coats, I admit it. I own no fewer than 6, probably more, but the ones that are all costumed out are all different. And if I’ve used the same one in a couple different numbers, then I try to do something new to it to change it up. I’m actually in the process of doing just that with the tail coat I used for my Mr Brightside number. By the time I’m done with it, it won’t even be recognizable as the same jacket! I also try to keep my stuff uncluttered. Sometimes more is NOT more. Sometimes less is DEFINITELY more. The key is knowing when to stop and put down the E6000. You don’t always have to use bling, be it sequins, crystals or glitter. There are other ways to dress up a costume, without being a walking disco ball. And I don’t mean taking a sharpie and writing your name all over everything you wear. (Laugh if you want… I’ve seen kings who pretty much wear nothing unless it has their name on it.) I’ve used everything from chain, to leather, to zippers, to feathers, to this funky lanyard stuff, to pasties (seriously!), to random pieces of material and fabric paint. I’ve tried to grow in terms of costuming, because in my opinion, there’s nothing worse than becoming stagnant, whether it be in performance or costumes. Which is why it’s kind of nice not to be performing as much as before. It gives me the chance to really work on things. Of course, I usually end up doing everything last minute anyway because that’s just how I roll, but still. (Case in point: performing at Modesto Pride, we got there Friday evening, worked on costumes til about midnight. Saturday, I was supposed to check in at the venue by 11:45am. We were still working on costumes at 10:30am.) But at least it gives me the chance to THINK about what I want to do. Having time to plan is always nice. Basically, there’s a time and a place for bling, be it of the crystal, sequin or glitter variety. Though sometimes, bling is definitely the way to go. After all, “everything in moderation, including moderation,” n’est pas? Oh look! It's another drag blog. 'Cuz there aren't already a gazillion of them out there already. It seems that these days everyone has something to say, and everyone seems to think that what they have to say is going to be entertaining enough that the masses will want to hear it, thereby causing a revolution in the drag blogs. Me, I don't necessarily believe that my thoughts are any better, or any worse, than any of the others out there. I've been asked for years why I don't have a blog, and I never did have a good excuse, so I finally bit the bullet and decided "what the hell!" And so here we are. Do I think I'm going to be THE name in drag blogging (drogging?)? In all honesty, I don't really care. Obviously there are people out there who'd be interested in a Freddy blog, and so it is for them that I write here.
I know that my perspective on things will be different than other droggers out there. (Yep, I totally think I'm going to stick with it... It will be a household word soon, mark me!) The drag community is already huge, and continuing to grow exponentially, so I neither expect everyone to read this, nor do I expect those who do read it will all agree with what I have to say. I am going to try my damndest to not make this blog all about me. Which is kind of strange to say, since blogging (drogging) is pretty damn narcissistic to begin with, but what I mean is I'd like to try to keep it about drag and not about how this person hurt my feelings, or how this drag king stole my song, or how I'm just full of unresolved teenage angst, so I stomp my foot and throw a proverbial temper tantrum. (Note: these are all things I've seen on other drogs, so I'm not just making stuff up.) I will not dish dirt, start drama or write page after page about how the community or the world OWES me. So if that's what you're looking for, I can direct you to a couple different drogs, because you won't find it here, my friend. That being said, I'm going to do my best to update fairly regularly, as time and computer access allows. THAT being said, it's almost quitting time and since I decided to write my first blog on company time, I should probably clock out and head home. Cheers! |