Life's A Drag by Tizzie Kite

Life’s A Drag! The #1 Dragazine for RuPaul fans

Adore Delano ‘After Party’ RuPaul BOTS Review “My First Time in Drag”

WHO’S YOUR FAVOURITE QUEEN?

Wigsbyvanity.com

This magazine was created for Writing in the Media at the University of Kent. I do not claim ownership of the images used.

Welcome to Life’s A Drag! Here’s what we’ve got in store for you this issue! >< RuPaul’s Battle of the Seasons! We review our favourite queens live in London on page 4 >< Our cover star Adore Delano’s new album is reviewed on page 6 >< Want to learn some Drag Race lingo? Turn to page 7 >< We talk girls in drag on page 8 >< 18 year old Edward tries drag for the first time on page 10 >< Who is your favourite Drag Race contestant? We ask the public on page 11 >< Fancy a new tattoo? Here are some draggy suggestions. Turn to page 12 >< The Top 10 most shocking Drag Race Eliminations! Make sure you check out page 14 >< Enjoy, squirrel friends!

Tizzie xoxo

REVIEW

On Friday 25th March, a crowd of all ages, genders and sexualities piled into the sold out O2 Forum Kentish Town, ready to have their minds blown by RuPaul’s top drag queens. And, girrrrl did they deliver! The lights dropped and, amidst the deafening cheers and screams, the queens took to the stage to perform a Drag Race themed parody of Under the Sea from The Little Mermaid, which was interrupted by the show’s sensational judge Michelle Visage, who lead it into Poor Unfortunate Souls, whilst wearing in an Ursula-style dress.

(L-R: Adore Delano, Pandora Boxx, Sharon Needles, Jinkx Monsoon, Courtney Act, Violet Chachki and Katya Zamolodchikova) Michelle began the show by asking the rowdy audience; “Have you seen my tits?” followed by a reel of swear words, acknowledging the parents in the audience, very much setting the tone for the remainder of the night. The answer? Yes, Michelle, we can constantly see your tits. Michelle also performed a cover of

Anastacia’s 2000 hit I’m Outta Love, featuring special surprise guest Anastacia herself. Her appearance was met with rounds of euphoric applause from the audience, many of whom would have heard her songs at school discos as kids. Each of the queens took to the stage, performing musical items and showing off their phenomenal costumes and personalities. First to perform was the youngest of the group, Adore Delano, who wore a Geri Halliwell style Union Flag dress and belted out a spectacular rendition of her new single Take Me There. Her voice was flawless and her hilarious and over the top personality shone through in true Adore fashion. Later in the show, she also performed an amazing amalgamation of Rihanna’s song Stay and her own number I Can’t Love You. Winner of season four Sharon Needles performed Space Oddity in homage to the late David Bowie, and a terrifyingly haunting cover of Cerrone’s 1977 song Supernature, featuring a series of creepy graphics depicting an alien-esque autopsy. Sharon’s makeup for this routine took the form of a latex alien mask, showing off the unique style that her fans have come to know and love. Season two favourite Pandora Boxx performed a Star Wars themed number, beginning the routine as a blue-haired Princess Leia, before revealing a glittery R2D2 corset and hot pants. True to her reputation, Pandora provided an act full of humour, dancing and laughs. Katya

REVIEW Zamolodchikova performed a Russian parody of I Can’t Do It Alone, whilst Jinkx Monsoon and Michelle Visage belted a perfectly harmonised cover of Class, both from the hit musical Chicago. Jinkx also treated the audience to a hilarious performance of Death is Just Around the Corner. The ever-fishy Courtney Act took to the stage to perform her original songs Ugly, Talking and Kaleidoscope, the latter being accompanied by some incredible dancing whilst under neon lights. Reigning queen Violet Chachki took to the air in an aerobatic hoop routine which left the audience speechless and stunned at both the skill and nerve of her astounding performance. Throughout the night, the audience were treated to videos depicting the stars’ rises to fame and the history of drag, presented by Ru herself, one of which showed the seminal hit musical The Rocky Horror Picture Show, famous for being outside the box and depicting one of the first well-known drag queens, Tim Curry’s Doctor Frank N. Furter. The cast then performed a medley of Rocky Horror songs and acts, culminating in The Time Warp, which the audience were very excited and enthusiastic to join in with. The highlight, shared by many of the audience members came in the form of a live version of Snatch Game, the Drag Race parody of the TV show Blankety Blank, known in the US as Match Game. The game featured special guest contestant Fleur East, runner up on the X

Factor in 2014, alongside the queens, who played controversially comedic celebrities. Sharon portrayed Caitlyn Jenner, Pandora was US Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton and Katya played Russian Olympic gymnast Svetlana Khorkina, doing frequent forward rolls across the stage. However, the stand out act of the group was, by far, the character of Queen Elizabeth I, played by Jinkx, who walked out on stage to declare “I’m the fucking queen”. Though her British accent left a lot to be desired, she was met with rapturous applause and hysterical laughter. It wouldn’t be a successful drag show if it didn’t feature RuPaul’s hit song Sissy That Walk, which was the grand finale. The queens were applauded for almost five minutes straight, ever more proof that the entire show was phenomenal. To this crowd, these queens aren’t merely men dressed as women, they are superstars, role models, and, proof that, in the words of the great drag Goddess, RuPaul herself: “we’re all born naked, and the rest is drag”.

Find out where you can see Battle of the Seasons next at rupaulbots. com

“Now sissy that walk!” The queens’ closing number

REVIEW

Adore Delano’s After Party Season six runner up Adore Delano was previously a contestant on American Idol, so it’s no surprise that she has gone on to record two amazing albums. Her second offering ‘After Party’ was released in March 2016. Compared to other music released by drag queens, Adore’s appeals to the more mainstream listener. It comprises of big dance tunes and ballads, as opposed to the satire and parodies usually offered. Even compared to her debut album ‘Till Death Do Us Party’, it is notable how much Adore’s style has changed and matured in just two short years. This time around, the album’s overall aesthetic is decidedly more mainstream, evidenced by its cover, depicting Adore with sunglasses, bright red lips and her iconic blue hair. Two of the album’s main tracks, Dynamite and its titular After Party focus more on Adore’s sexuality and aggressive way of demanding such things, shown through the whispered lyrics “it’s my party and I’ll fuck who I want”, sitting alongside the seductive vocals of the main part of the chorus.

Besides these, After Party explores a more pop style of music and vocals that offer a counterpart for the more sexualised tracks. In particular, the album’s second single Take Me There offers a more upbeat vibe, accompanied by a very colourful and Katy Perry-esque music video. This track is a strong fan favourite, due to its carefree nature and catchy chorus. However, it is Constellations which truly stands out amongst the other songs. It has a more subdued beat, but still remains upbeat, using spacey sound effects to sound more sparkly and magical, almost a reflection of Adore herself. Ultimately, After Party is just that. It is an album which depicts Adore’s life after the party. The party of RuPaul’s Drag Race. The party of her first album. It’s the aftermath of her whirlwind rise to superstardom.

Buy After Party on iTunes and Amazon Music

FEATURE

Drag Linguistics Do you ever find yourself wondering “What the hell are these drag queens talking about?” Well, we’re here to teach you all the lingo so you can be a part of the in crowd! No T, No Shade: A replacement for “no offence” at the beginning or end of a sentence Hunty: A portmanteau of Honey and the ‘C’ word – used as a term of endearment in the drag community Miss Thing: A woman who is attractive, well-groomed, and confident and seems to be undeterred by judges Squirrel Friends: What drag queens sometimes refer to each other as. They are hiding their nuts. Literally. Sissy That Walk: You need to walk like a woman. Kiki: Party Kai Kai: When two drag queens have sex Fish: When a drag queen could be mistaken for a woman in the street Reading: Telling someone something about themselves, usually offensively. How is she though?: Isn’t this gorgeous?

Now go forth with your newfound wisdom, but, whatever you do, don’t mix up Kiki and Kai Kai...

FEATURE

Hereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s to the Ladies in Drag Did you know women can do drag? Female drag queens are known as bio-queens and are on the rise in many club scenes. However, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not all plain sailing for the women in drag. Recently, RuPaul sparked some controversy in the drag community. When asked whether season 9 will allow any female drag queens to enter, she replied with; Now, obviously this has caused many conversations and debates between both male and female performers. First, it must be said that the type of beauty judged in Miss Universe is very very VERY different from the kind of beauty which is judged in Drag Race. Miss Universe is a beauty competition; thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a swimsuit round and you have to conform to the stereotypical standards of what is beautiful. It is expected that you have long hair, are skinny but still have sizeable boobs and wide hips. However, Drag Race allows queens of all shapes and sizes to enter, and they are judged on their overall presentation rather than their conformity to these standards. Drag Race is, first and foremost, a competition for entertainers. Miss Universe is a pageant. Miss Universe used to be owned by Donald Trump. Trump is a huge misogynist, and wants women who have abortions to be punished. Obviously, this is a point of contention for many members of the community. Despite him not having any ownership of the organisation anymore, he is still very much associated with it, and this association is one which drag performers as a whole are against.

FEATURE Bioqueens Poutine Queen, Miss Lacey Noel and Tete Bang. Taken from instagram/queenswithvaginas

RuPaul had his own show, Drag U, where he, along with previous Drag Race contestants, took ordinary women and gave them drag-style makeovers in order to help them feel more empowered. He has a series where he shows women the art of drag and how they can find themselves and their confidence through this, and yet doesn’t expect women to want to be a part of Drag Race. Throughout history, women have had to fight for nearly everything. Women have had to fight to vote, to be educated and even the right to choose their own professions. Many women have chosen their own profession in the drag performance sphere. So why is RuPaul not allowing such talented individuals to showcase their own talents on his show? Some have said that RuPaul was simply joking in his response, but whether it was meant in jest or not, he has reinforced the opinions of those people who constantly degrade bio-queens and tell them that they don’t belong in the drag community. With the rise in the representation of all genders in the media, shouldn’t we all be free to portray whatever gender we choose? We are all human and we all just want to be happy and to live our lives as whoever we want to be. Show your support for bioqueens at intagram/queenswithvaginas

FEATURE

My First Time in Drag 18 year old Edward volunteered to try out drag for the first time and be made into his new alter ego. He gives us an exclusive interview.

What did it feel like, having makeup put on ?

I did feel a little bit self conscious. I don’t really like things near my eyes so the eyeshadow was especially difficult. And this wig is extremely itchy.

What’s your drag persona and back story?

I’m Elizabeth and I’m 23. I was born in Margate and now I work as an engineer though I’m currently on maternity leave.

Oh, you’re pregnant? Congratulations! Yeah, I’m 6 months gone with twins. I’m very excited to become a mother.

How do you think your brother and family will react to seeing you like this?

Hi Edward! First of all, thank you for allowing me to create your drag look. Thank you for asking me to take part.

What do you think of your look?

I think perhaps it’s not the exact look for me.

Have you ever worn makeup before?

Only in a couple of primary school productions and once when I let my sister do it.

I don’t think they’ll be surprised, really. I think my sister will love it and it’ll give her an excuse to put more makeup on me. My mum will probably roll her eyes and my dad will laugh. My girlfriend will probably be a little bit weirded out by it though.

How is Elizabeth’s personality different to yours?

Elizabeth is more flamboyant and sexual than me. I wouldn’t wear anything this revealing.

Will we see any more of Elizabeth in the future? Never say never.

OPINIONS Who’s Your Favourite Drag Queen? We took to the streets to ask who your favourite Drag Race contestants of all time are. Here’s what you said.

‘Jinkx Monsoon, because of how amazingly she coped with Roxxxy essentially bullying her. “Water off a ducks back!”’ – Hannah Ingram-Shields ‘I second that, also never afraid to be herself, amazingly talented.’ – Claire Ingram-Shields

‘Sharon Needles. Alternative and forward thinking. Pushing boundaries and people’s buttons. A Queen for those to look up to if they’ve ever felt different or out of place.’ – Dan Guilder ‘I’m probably going to get hate but Willam Belli because after being thrown of the show for breaking the rules she has stayed true to herself despite the criticism she may get from doing so. She has also paved a career to become one of the most well know and successful queens appealing not only to drag race fans but a much larger audience.’ – ‘JINKX MOONSOON! Not only was Joseph Walbyoff her heart so pure, but she took the judges critiques better than any other queen and was consistently funny and charming and loveable. She’s a beautiful soul.’ – Maffy Carnevale

‘I adore Adore Delano. She’s always true to herself and honest about everything. She’s so funny and unique and her hair is to die for. Her music is amazing too!’ – Tizzie Kite

ARTWORK

TAT’S AMAZING! We’ve been hard at work looking for inspiration for our upcoming Drag Race themed tattoos. Here are some of our favourites. Alyssa Edward’s infamous “Backrolls?” and tongue pop take pride and place on this artwork.

Jasmine Masters’ Season 7 catchphrase takes inspired this tat from Mancunian artist Lucy Blue.

Queen Bianca shows off her iconic spidery lashes and one of her catchphrases in this tattoo also by Lucy Blue.

ARTWORK This gorgeous design showcases Jinkx Monsoonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s portrayal of Little Edie in lots of bright colours.

Adore Delano is showing off her beautiful mermaid tail in this stunning artwork by Lauren Winzer.

This incredible tattoo is from beautiful bioqueen Rumor Daluisio and features Jinkxâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mantra and signature.

COUNTDOWN The Most Shocking Eliminations! Over the years, there have been many times where Ruâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s decisions have left us all questioning whether she is seeing the same queens as we are. So, here is a countdown of the 10 most shocking elminations in Drag Race herstory. 10. THORGY THOR Thorgy was pegged as a front runner from day one of season eight. But, after not dragging her rival through the dirt in a political smear campaign, she had to lip-sync for her life and was ultimately eliminated from the competition. Drag Race fans are definitely still in shock over this one! 9. ACID BETTY Like Thorgy, Acid was also thought to be up for the crown in season eight. But, after her frankly terrible portrayal of Nancy Grace in The Snatch Game, she was sent home. 8. APRIL CARRION April was one of the most beautiful queens to date (and her man self was absolutely adorable!). However, she sashayed away in eleventh place, despite her consistently astounding wardrobe choices, after someâ&#x20AC;Ś interesting casting in Shade: The Rusical, she was ultimately sent home. 7. IVY WINTERS Ivy was another fan favourite from season five. She could make an outfit out of anything and everything. Ivy truly shocked the audience when she came out to the runway on stilts whilst dressed as a butterfly. However, Ivy only placed 7th overall and left the competition after lip syncing for her life against Alyssa Edwards and ultimately sashayed away, much to the disappointment of the fans. 6. LATRICE ROYALE Despite not initially being considered a contender for the crown (and sounding very much like a Burger King meal), Latrice pulled out all the stops. She went above and beyond to ensure her place, before falling into the bottom two three consecutive times. Latrice was very honest about her past in prison, leadingt o the audience finding a place deep in their hearts for this large and in charge lady. She finished in

COUNTDOWN third place behind Phi Phi O’Hara and Chad Michaels, much to her fans’ dismay. LA-TRIIIICE! 5. VIVIENNE PINAY & Honey Mahogany The first double elimination in Drag Race History! Season five saw queens Vivienne Pinay and Honey Mahogany go head to head against each other to lip sync Oops!... I Did It Again by Britney Spears after falling into the bottom two. However, Ru declared that neither of the pair showed “the fire it takes to stay” and set the two packing. To date, there has only been one other case of a double elimination. 4. PANDORA BOXX Pandora was, and remains to this day, a fan favourite. She was hilarious and consistently one of the best competitors, despite never winning a challenge. It was a shock when she was eliminated and placed fifth in season two of the competition. However, Pandora went on to win the hearts of the fans and was voted Miss Congeniality. 3. BEN DE LA CREME The world was left shocked when the “terminally delightful” Dela was told those infamous words and made to leave the competition. Fans had pinned her as a front runner and a shoe-in for the crown, but were surprised when she came fourth in the competition. 2. KATYA “Russian bisexual transvestite hooker” Katya won the hearts of Drag Race fans the world over through her unconventional style and blonde beauty, but also through her honesty about her past with addiction and the effect of sobriety on her mental well-being in the competition. Unfortunately, her Hello Kitty couture did not wow the judges and she was left to lip sync against Kennedy Davenport, and eventually sashayed away. Ultimately, it is widely considered that Ru made the wrong decision and the fans voted Katya as Miss Congeniality of Season seven.

TURN OVER TO FIND OUT WHO TOOK THE TOP SPOT

COUNTDOWN

1. WILLAM BELLI

Willam was conceited. Let’s just put that out there. She constantly told the other contestants why she was better than them, much to their annoyance. And she showed all of her body-ody-ody. The judges loved Willam and it seemed like she was going to win crown. However, after a conjugal visit with her husband, she was disqualified from the competition. William remains the only contestant to date to be eliminated through disqualification and the only contestant to throw up on the main stage.

We hope you’ve enjoyed this installment of Life’s A Drag. See you next month, hunties!