How to act at a drag show… with guest Jackie Cox!

Published Aug 10, 2022, 7:52 PM

Jonathan and Jaymes are joined by drag superstar and real-life good friend Jackie Cox! They break down how to act at a drag show to be the best ally and Jackie shares some exclusive, insider details about her upcoming Gay Days show at the Disneyland resort. Plus, Jackie’s spilling tea about a Bennett Vaughan wedding secret (where she was the emcee) that you won’t want to miss. Plus why the Fire Marshall was at RuPaul’s Drag Race, shout-outs to some very well-deserved members of our LBGTQ+ family, and so much more.

It’s still Pride Season for a reason!

This is Pridecast with Jonathan Bennett James on I Heart Radio. Let's start Pridecast right now. That's my announcer voice, but this is my regular voice. Can you tell the difference? But you can't. Hey, guys, it's Jonathan Bennett and I'm joined by my eye rolling I mean I rolling husband James Vaughan. His eyes are now in the back of his head from that opening. It's all. If you weren't like this, i'd be you know what, I had a butt like yours, I would try to roll my eyes in the back of my head so I can look at it too. So here we are. We are doing Pridecasts, the one and only podcast, uh not the one who only podcast? What keep going with the world with? What number? Is the number one? Okay, guys, we had huge news coming today, um huge, huge news. But now it's now it's backed up by facts, babe, huge news. We are officially the best plus thirty somebody we're the best gay podcast in the world. My aunt said it, so it's true. So we are the number one podcast for gays in the universe, and we're so glad to be joined by all of you today. James, you just got back from Amsterdam Pride. Tell me about it. Yeah, because you guys heard the last episode. We were on our cruise or one of our outbound trips, and we did Berlin Pride to Amsterdam Pride. But my baby had to leave early because he had to come back for Christmas con and the big Christmas convention with all the Christmas stars, and so I got to stay for the Amsterdam Pride portion, which I'm so sorry you didn't get to be there for. See y'all. Listen, I gotta be honest with y'all, because we're always honest with you, all right, But then I gotta tell you to my baby, baby, I might have tempered it a little bit to try to not make you have too much fomo um. He was like, how was it. I was like, it was cool, but it was kind of repetitive, y'all. The parade, it is the coolest Pride parade I've ever seen in the world. It is on the canals that you see all throughout Amsterdam. This stuff everyd instagrams in front of. It's all on the water. It's on boats, and there were eighty different floats on these boats. Maybe why are you so bored? With my story that you were looking at your phone instead of listening to any Tell how cool amsterdamn Pride was. I don't want it was if you, if you can, if you get any way in your life, find a way to get to Amsterdam for Pride. It is honestly the coolest celebration for Pride I've ever seen. And I think they did such a beautiful balance of their theme this year was my Gender, My Pride, and I think they did a really good balance of featuring people that spoke to that, and they did a really good balance of celebration and protest and it was just really really cool thing to get to experience. We met some very kind local people that actually gave us a spot right up front. Their house was on the water, and so we were on the water watching the parade and it was it was just it was cool. I can't I can't even describe. Every boat came down, and it was like a different thirty seconds of party every time a new boat came. So it was it was just the coolest. It was like five hours and it was every boat was cooled the next and I'm so sorry you missed a baby, and I'm so glad that I did get to experience, and I'm so sad that you didn't. But we're going back next year and you can experience it then because it is it is next level. I'll be working all right when we come back. Jackie Cox, the legendary Jackie Cox from Race joins us, I don't want to hear it. Go to commercial. We are joined by our dear friend and fabulous, fabulous human, the legendary I mean icon icon. She's a legend. She's I don't know have enough words, nor do I have smart enough of vocabulary to explain how amazing this person. The word you're looking for is everything is our good friends, She's our everything. Bagel Darius Rows, who you all know as Jackie. Oh my god, I'm at the Pridecast. We've been trying to get you on since the start. I'm so glad this finally worked out and we're able to have you on today. But she has been traveling the world. She's like, I want to come on the cast, but I'm booked and blessed. I'm finally here. We are Pridecasting. We're going to be proud. I can't wait, I can't wait here. She's talented and also, Yeah, we do these on zoom calls so we can see the person we're talking to. So it's so good to see you. It's so good to see your face. I miss you a lot of You'll, if you followed our wedding would know that Jackie actually m seed our reception and it just m c but did a whole performance at the start where we were off doing our pictures, she was actually doing We had the cocktail baby grand piano, and she performed at the cocktail hour with Jackie Coxon. It was the coolest thing I've ever seen at our wedding and I'm really proud of was it ours. There's so many amazing photos from that night that I'm just waiting every year, I'm going to have a new want to post on your anniversary. Wait, we said the same thing. We're like, there's so many great Witwick Jackie's Birthday, like anytime, Like everyone in the photos were like, we can't wait to use what we have multiple days because there's just too many photos of photographer Tad Tod Dan Fourth. We love a Todd Dan Fourth moment. But you were such a hit at our wedding and such a hit at the reception, everything you are, well, what some of the everyone asked us about the wedding, like as us tell stories and it's rare that we have someone on the pop podcast that was actually at the wedding. So is there any stories? Do you want to share anything fun from the wedding that a lot of people might want to know a lot of people will definitely want to know that the grooms themselves wore the cutest little nude thongs under their wife. And this was like one of those moments when you realize that you've been in Hollywood too long and have been in the gay world too long, that like we're in between the wedding and the reception. We're both Jackie's doing a quick change. We're doing a quick change. We were in black for the ceremony and we changed to white for the reception to symbolize all becoming one family because all of our guests were just in white. Yeah, and so and so we're backstage kind of in this room. We're off the wedding planners room, and Jackie, me and James are all like stripping down completely to our like skivvies and and changing while we're dripping in sweat and like we're helping with heels and we're having touch ups done, and it was just like a quick change on like Broadway, but it was our wedding, and so it was hilarious that, like, this is such a moment, and we did. We wore nude colored thongs because we wore white tux pants, and we swept through the tux pants completely. So it's a good thing we wore those songs because otherwise people would have seen everything. We didn't realize that we got to Mexico that the pants were actually see through. I don't know why I didn't think, hey, we should try these all, because these really gorgeous custom tux is done. I mean usually white pants are a little sea through because if you if you don't get them see through, then they have to be very thick and you don't want like pants. And we should have known that and listen, and a savvy drag queen knows that. But a gay that's focused on everything else about his wedding except for that doesn't think about it. So we got to Mexico and I was like, let me try these owner quick, and I was like oops, So I had to call my best friend Reeves and be like, listen, I ordered a whole bunch of just like nude thongs they're calling a couple of cock socks. I ordered everything. I know what we need and send him all to her house and was like, she was one of our best. So I was like, as your duty of the best, I need you to bring these to us and could you try them all with some white pants first and see if they showed through and took it. Took him back to his Chippendale days, you know, wearing the cock sock back stage. We're moving on from that time. Oh we're moving on from that topic, okay, but talking Yes, we're talking about talking about Jackie cock socks. Stop it. Oh my gosh. Well that makes me proud to know you because I love that you committed to the underwear. It's it's people under estimate the importance of underwear when it comes to the outfit. It is. It is key, especially for events. We have to have the right underwear for the occasion. Um and I was very proud of you both for having the right underwear. It was the one and only time in our life that either of us wore underwear, so it was such an occasion all around and I'm glad we did because quite easy. I spoke to you about this on text a tiny bit. I would love to, since we have a formidable drag queen here, talk about this clip that I've seen going viral that Michelle Bessade share because Jonathan and I, as as big fans of drag, feel very strongly about this too. You're not going to go to theater and gets so face strong that you're going to start attacking the actors, are you no? So, then, Dante, that is a drag show. If you're going to have a drink or two, fine, You do not touch the queen's They are not your property. You do not jump on stage without them unless they call you up. You very politely tipped them if you can afford to, that'd be lovely. If not, just smile at that. I'm a wave at them, appreciate, clap for them, just be there. You're a spectator, you're not a participant, So remember that. Oh let's talk about that. Let's let's give everybody a little bit because I want to put this in the description of the show too, because I think this is important etiquette at a drag show. If you were going because I do see sometimes where the hands e stuff is unbelievable to me. Um, what what what would you say if if it's someone going to a drag show celebrating whatever they may be celebrating. What would you say? Are your tips for how to treat performers at a drag show? Yeah? I mean, there's so much to unpack here. The only thing I'm going to disagree with just um in terms of the way that I think maybe people might interpret it. I don't think the shell is wrong and what she was meaning to say, but I do think that even if you're not physically participating, you are participating in the drag show by your attendance. So I think what people I want want the audience to still feel like they're part of the show even if they don't actually get up on stage. And for me, it's important because or else you can just watch a clip of me online. You know, I want it. It's like we're live and in the same room with each other. Like I want you to feel like you're there with me and I'm there with you. So I think that's important, and I think what Michelle was gluing in on was the way to do that is by being respectful. And I think what's interesting is now that drag is quote popular amongst a lot of people. It's a phenomenon. It's a phenomenon. I think people think of it as I don't know. I think some people they're only equivalent is maybe when they've gone to like, um, like a stripper show. But even then, I feel like they're very clear with the rules of like, you know, only the biggest rule at a strip club is don't touch the stripper, the rule. Right. It's hard because I think I'm not sure what it is about drag, but it gets people so excited that they just which is amazing. I want people to feel that larger than life feeling, and that's what we're trying to bring um. But it's not necessarily your time to get on stage. And I think what's great is there's oftentimes in drag shows where we will bring people on stage or ask for volunteers to come on stage. I try to be very respectful of my audience and like check in with them, ask them, like if they're okay with that, if that's part of the show. Um, you know. I like to include moments where I want the audience to sing with me, but it is kind of you, you know, think of the drag queen as the leader of your night, and so if she invites you to do something, do it. And when she says, thank you so much, have a go do that. What I've also found is sometimes people, you know, in addition to the physical stuff, we had a lot of hecklers sometimes who just want to, like, you know, I don't know, yell about whatever it is. Um. I often what I find works at the best with hecklers. I will sometimes just march right off of this stage and grab my microphone and be like, Hi, what's your name? You have a lot to say, And I'm like, let's you gotta talk to me? What's your name? Where are you from? What are you doing here? You know? I just like to just because I think people sometimes think that we're like it's not the the level of familiarity or ownership people think they have over us. I think is sometimes can be problematic, but I have I will say, by and large, and I've now been in gay bars all over this country and big a lot of parts of the world, is by and large, most people are respectful. You just get sometimes people get too excited, get too drunk, whatever it is. I think I think the excitement takes people over or they just don't know. They've never been to a drag show and they think it's the same as like you know, where you're at the club and you can go dance up on the stage with the DJ. It's not like that, We're not. This is not I mean, there are some shows that are like that, but mine certainly. Yeah, I guess, I guess for me, we see it a lot in Palm Springs. We see a lot of the bachelorette parties and stuff coming to the drag shows, and just I'm just saying, Becky, please remember that this is not your show. This is a show being put on for you in a space where people are coming to feel safe that may not always feel safe everywhere else. Please just remember that you were stepping into our space and we're happy to have you. We love having you here, we love seeing the support. But remember it's our safe space, and it's especially the safe space for those performers that are brave enough to jump up on stage dressed how they're dressed, performing how they're performing. Protect them, don't try to grab them, don't try to to to grabbing is what gives me. Sometimes I also want to like sometimes I want to like I I try to tell this to everyone, but it's like, um, I'm being held together by glue and a prayer, like like like is big, it's out to hear. My costume is like you know, as Ryan Stones and everything, but like you don't actually want to touch me, Like you don't. You don't want the makeup is like it's too much, Like you really don't. I don't like it's it's sweaty, it's hot. It's like when I hug people in drag, I I kind of hold them by their biceps and just like lean and kind of like, yeah, we do we do a lovely slow dance hug because it's, um it's drag. Is is hot and and um collapsible and um flammable. As am I am. I. I just want to remind every one of that, And then I also want to remind people that, like, in addition to queer people um having queer spaces as safe spaces, they're also spaces for us to meet each other and make connections, you know, because unlike you know, UM, we don't walk around the world assuming everyone that we meet is queer certainly in you know, you're at the grocery store, depending on neighborhood or you are, you may be too nervous to say hi to someone because you may not know if they could maybe be homophobic or um, you know, you're a part of It's nice to be in a queer space where even if they may not be interested in you or may not be maybe they're not even queer, you know, at least well, it's a safe space that you know, if I go say hi to sub would and they're like, oh, I'm not interested or I'm not whatever, at least like you know, you're hopefully not afraid of being gay bash. You know. I think that's something in addition to it being a safe space just to be is also a safe space to connect, and that's so important for us to have spaces are we looking feel like they can connect without feeling also like there's zoom animals. You know, I certainly have had my share of you know, people coming up and saying like, oh my god, you and you know you're so cute, like you know, and I'm like, I'm not really a zoom animal, Like I'm just I'm living my life over here. Yeah, No, I get it. So yeah, I just remember, like, if you're gonna step into our space, like also be an ally, be an ally for our safety out you're there, be an ally for the people who space you have stepped into. That's all I'm saying. When I always think about, like, why are we so protective and drawn to the drag girls? And I think we've talked about this a little bit, but I'd love to do eppisode A mess. They are, But they're they're the first ones that I think for many of us, welcomed us when we first stepped into a gay club and we first had the bravery enough to go out and step into a gay space. They were the ones that were there. For me. It was the drag queens and the trans girls. Those are the ones that took me under their wings right away. It made me feel safe. So I think that's why I always feel really protective of them, because I'm like, y'all are the ones that showed me how brave somebody can be, that allowed me to find that bravery of me. My first drag show I saw New York was peppermint Um. Oh my god, the first one to see before I ever did Drag. You know, now, my first drago I ever saw, My first show I ever saw New York City before I even did Drag was Peppermint, And you know, talk about it in Amazing Welcoming Presents. She's so she's so smart, she's so funny, and so you know, lovely as a human being. I'm so excited that now I'm working with her. All right, Well, if yeah, let's let's move on. But if we can take anything from this, don't touch the girls. Tip the girls. Tip them, well, but don't. If you can afford it, tip the girls. If not, just give us some good ending. But more importantly, tip them. So you're actually coming to visit me. You're coming to Palm Springs. Maybe you trying to make it about you. You're coming to visit me. She's coming to Palm Springs. Not even gonna be here, She's coming. That's right, You're gonna be conn. I'm coming to Palm Springs. It's my first vacation I've taken since I don't even know when, probably since whenever I was in Palm Springs last time. Because it's it's uh, I'm coming. I'm no gigs. I'm just gonna come relaxed, hang out, um, you know, cut it with your dog, some time with Brad. He'll be throw to see Anti Jackie. Because you've been traveling the world. You've been everywhere. I have literally been everywhere, you know, since it feels like it was more than I mean, it was just like a year and a half ago when we all finally got vaccinated and I could start touring. But since then, I've just been literally everywhere. And then I got to Yeah, this summer has been so fun so far. It's been NonStop since Pride Um, and it's still I just I just hosted another Pride last week in Canada. I mean, probably just keeps going. We love it. We may October now is like the prime season. I love that. And then there's Palm Springs Pride in November, so it keeps going. And then it just let's it never ends. Let's just keep it going. We should make a pridecast. Oh wait, we are. We are, Like, there's so much pride we had to make a podcast about it. All right. We'll sit here in Kiki with you all day because we love you and you you are one of our friends in real life. But I want to talk about promoting you. I want to talk about the whole stuff you have coming up, because I've seen many a live Jackie show, and the live Jackie shows are there's so much more. I mean, if you have in your head what you think a drag show is, yours is that plus plus plus? And so you have one show that's coming up I think next week, right, yeah, next week. I'll be in Seattle on Friday. The um very excited this. This was actually my very first gig to get canceled because of COVID. So this gig was supposed to be on March five? Was this gig? And it was? And the outbreak first started in Seattle, And they've rescheduled me a couple of times, but then other things came up so I couldn't do it. So I'm finally going to Seattle. Uh, a gig that's been on my calendar since March five, finally going to Seattle. I haven't perform in Seattle yet. I'm very excited. She's a queer bar, so anyone who's in Seattle, come to Queer Bar. We're gonna have a great time. I'm so excited. Every all, my all my sisters who've gone I've said, it's a really great time. So come out to Queer Bar in Seattle, UM, and then I'll be in California again. Let's talk about this because so last year you were gay. Let's talk about what's in Seattle though. Seattle is the home of coffee, coffee, Starbucks, Starbucks. Anywhere we go in the world, there's all these like cute little local coffee shops. And my baby will go and appease me. He will go to this cute little coffee shop with me. Let me get my local coffee, and then I have to go find the Starbucks with him. And I have no shame about it, Like I don't care. I want my Starbucks. I get it. There's cute mom and pop places, but I just want my Starbucks. You know. You know what I will say it's been great about Starbucks is there was a while when unless it was like an actual Starbucks, it tasted horrible, like if you'd go to a hotel or wherever it was like Starbucks. But I feel like they got word of that, and so I feel like they've up coming in and actually like making all of the franchise Starbucks, like step it up. It's that familiarity. I get it. You like that familiar taste, so I understand why you do it. But this podcast just gets gay every time we got drag queen and two gays talking about ice coffee like this well and something Seltzer right now even Seltzer. Wait, all right, where why were you not at Gay Days last year? Baby? You? Okay? So last year we were at Gay Days. Outbound was one of the sponsors, and Jackie performed her show, Jackie Vision, which was like a fool basically like musical review, like tons of characters, tons of scenes, the standing ovation at the end, I think standing ovation in the middle. At one point to the Lisa Rendom number, they went people do Yeah. So that was That was a touring show I did last year, and I, um, I'm working on a new show to tour with this year. But before I kind of do that, I Gay Days came up again and I was like, I think I'm just gonna like put together a very special one night only cabaret just for Gay Days. I got to know some really amazing cool singers in um the l A area, just doing Greece the Musical, which I just did uh in Long Beach and there are so many amazing singers that I met that I was like, what's something like fun and cool? And so many queer artists were in that as well. So I'm putting together, I'm cooking up something. It's going to be wild if I can make it all happen um. But it's going to be like a love letter to Disneyland itself, which is um where Gay Days is happening. And so you'll have to see my gay twists on a lot of your favorite Disneyland songs. Are you doing live vocals lip sync mix? I think this one's gonna be almost all live vocals, um because I'm gonna bring in some singers and my friend Connor is an amazing music or ranger, and we're going to do some like new gay versions of some songs that you will all know. So if you're it's in September, um one. I only um at the at the Digiteland Hotel, maybe there or maybe at the Grand Californian, but all the info is at Gay Days Anaheim info dot com. So that's what's coming up in September. First simple short website there dot com. I don't love the name of the website, but also link link in my Instagram bio. That's way faster. Lin Lincoln link my Instagram bio is way faster. It's also where you can get um the tickets actually, I believe go on sale tomorrow, the eleven. Today's the tenth. I think UM so tomorrow to get them because of somebody who went to a Jackie Cock's Gay Day show. They sell out. The seats will be full and taken, so get your tickets in advance. Yeah, and it's only right now. I only have one show at six, so maybe it'll sell it well at another one. But if if otherwise, it's just the one. It's just the one now when you come up for when you come up with these shows. And I'm so interested in because like I see Jackie Vision, and I didn't get to see it in person because we were I was gone. But I say, when people see Jackie you said, I see like you see the title. When I see the shows like you see like when you see like clips of it or parts of it. Yeah, when I see parts of the show, I'm just astounded by how absolutely just bizarre your brain can get. Because I love how just out of the box and weird your brain goes and how far Like when I think I've gone is like cookie and weird as it can be. I look on Jackie's Instagram and I'm like, oh no, I haven't even scratched the surface. Like I'm like, okay, this is crazy. No, no, it's not. So like you come up with an idea for for Gay Days at Disneyland, how do you like, how does that begin? Like, Hey, Jackie, we want you to do a show, and you go okay, and then you have to like come up with it, but like what do you do to do that? I don't even know the first thing on how to do that. I always think, which is probably not the right way to do it. But I think what helps me is like from the outside end, So I think structure first. So for Jackie Vision, for example, I wanted the structure of time and decades of television, so from the fifties to today, and I was like, okay, that's my structure. And I wanted like each kind of segment of the show to represent a different era of television. So I kind of think like structure first, because I think what works really well in a cabaret is when there's like almost like a Rhyman reason to it, because then the audience can kind of just once they kind of hook in and see what's happening, they can kind of relax, and then you can play with them and be like, so we're gonna do the nineties, but it's not going to be what you expect or you know. In the sixties segment, we're actually going to end with Days of Our Lives, which started in the sixties and launchly Serena's career. So I put least Arena in the middle of the show. So it's kind of like I try to like give people a little bit of a framework and then kind of funds with it as we go. So when I was seeing about this show, what I was thinking about was like, if I was taking a group of my very best gays on a tour of my personal Disneyland, as someone who's gone there since they were a little child, work there as a teenager, Um, what would the gayest version of Disneyland be? Starting from Main Street and taking you around the park. So that's kind of how I like think of things, um, and then I kind of just slot in ideas where they go, and then the next the kind of the last pieces I'm like, oh, yeah, I need to make some highs and lows. Make sure there's not like too many slow parts next to each other. Where can we kind of like build in time for changing costumes, etcetera. So that's how I. That's how I that's how my little brain works. I just kind of take all the pieces I like, put them like up on the wall of my brain, and then I kind of pull them into a show. If you could see me right now, I know you guys are listening, can't see, but my hands are moving a lot. It's like you know, as c s I when they have the things up on the wall and through all the evidence that that's what I see your head doing right now. It all I mean, and some people actually do it like with like bore and stuff. A lot of it happens like in I'm like a in my head, I have like a giant white board that I'm always drawing on. It's like, that's why you have to wear such big glasses. That is true. That is true. They helped me see all of the all the white board. Um. So yeah, that's how that's how I do my own cabaret shows. Um. And then I'm excited because right after that, I'm doing another musical in l A. So I'm very excited. Yeah, and I am going to this show because I missed you in Greece because we were not here and I was so upset. But I've been so pumped about this Drag the musical because I've been seeing everybody that's involved, and I just know the brains involved in this. They're like you. They're all just like super creative. And people tell us a little bit about the musical and name drop who's in it. Oh yeah, So so this is like Alaska's baby, So Alaska five thousand, this is like her baby musical, like she and the music writers Um Thomason actually like created this together and yeah and the and they released a concept album with like all of your favorite drag queens like um, like you know, so many amazing queens. Um. And we did like a little workshop of it, like a one week kind of quick workshop of it in l A in June, And so now we're mounting kind of a full run of it. UM starts previews. I believe the twenty three opening night is the September and then we run through I believe October fifteenth, Fridays and Saturdays, which we're very excited about. So an amazing people. Nick Adams is one of the leads. His voice is incredible. Um. And then my sister Jan is joining the cast. Jan has not done it yet, so Jan is doing it. I know my Peppermint is going to be love yeah, and if you if you want a good cry, listen to her song on the concept album because it is so beautiful. Um. And Laguna Blue, who's a dear sister of ours as well and an amazing vocalist, is going to be in it, and so it's gonna be a lot of fun. I cannot wait for everyone to see this version of it because we're taking some of those things that we learned in the workshop and making some changes. The music is all there, so we're just kind of making it into like this perfect drag show for everyone that like will give you everything. It will give you kids in drag, it will give you ladies in drag, It will give you eye opening, heartwarming um. And each queen has like a personality and a character, which I think is so important, you know. I think of like some other shows where there's a lot of drag queens and the girls just kind of fade into nothing, and all of us really have a lot to say and do in this which is fun. Um. The part I'm doing was on the album. Uh was Divina Decampo, who is an amazing, incredible vocalist. Yes, she's so amazing, So honored to be stepping into her shoes while she's in the UK. Okay, still um, But it's gonna be such a cool, cool project and I can't wait for everyone to see it. Spencer I'll leave, who is the amazing, amazing director, choreographer so cool. I mean his the way he actually makes us move is really beautiful and such beautiful stage crafting. So I love you. Given everybody shouts to given everybody their credits. That's nice. Oh yeah, well you know I love all these kids, and I think speaks to you. It's it's it's such a you know. The minute I found out about it, I was like, how do I get involved? And doing the reading was such an amazing experience that I was like, let's let's keep this going. So I'm I'm so honored that they asked me to come back and do this, So we're gonna have It's gonna feel like summer camp. I'm literally with so much, so many of my favorite people, spending like seven weeks in l A and we're going to have all of the fun. Jonathan, I hope you come back from filming all of the things so that you can Yes, no, I'll be I'll be back. All from Alaska's brain, right yeah, yeah yeah. And Alaska's brain is so smart, so creative. Everything she does. You you in your illustrious film career, baby, have actually worked with Alaska. My film career is I am is so illustrious. I'm so tell everybody what movie you did? I am so famous? Um, I did you guys do Sharknato? We did Sharknado number nine or something together. But like the fun part was I got to go to Comic Con with Alaska and that was just worth all of its weight in gold right there. Like when she went in Star Trek Drag, I remember it was very brilliant, yes, and it was just absolutely what you wanted to see. It's just we're so obsessed with drag Like That's why I mean, like I'm sitting here listening to you sale this stuff. We're so obsessed with drag, James and are probably some of the biggest drag fans in the world. And then on top of that, I'm obsessed with musicals. So literally, if you like drag and if you like musicals, you're going to get to see drag music. What more do you want. It's like how you and I met on Snatch Game. It was it was like a trifecta. I was judging on drag race. We were playing the Snatch game and then the lip sync was a Broadway version of Frozen the musical. I was like, well, I've peaked and it's snow. Yeah, I'm done. I'm done. I'm done. The best part was when we were done with that U when the it's snow we were sitting there judging, They saying let it go from Frozen it got done snowing and they yelled cut and Rule just turned to the side and you can tell ru had no clue, was about to snow like Ruse. That's not Ruse, Lane like Ruse doing everything else, And Drew just turned to the side and goes, whose not deal was that? Because she had snow all over her eyelashes and all over her face and it was just this like tongue in cheeks. She just turns and goes whose mother working on deal was that? And it was just delivered so brilliantly and everyone just started dying laughing. You don't. Backstage, we all got like we we got like they weren't sure if that snow is flammable enough or not. I don't know if you remember Britta did that little like fire trip. So afterwards there was this whole melted on backstage. They brought the fire Marshal just to make sure that nothing had like exploded or anything. It was a drama happened drama. They're like, yeah, and the p A is like, I'm putting up fires right now. Literally, I'm putting up fires, okay. And that was the episode, actually, baby where you got to have like a bucket list moment because you made RuPaul laugh. Yeah, it was so cute, my baby. It was so you were so nervous to go and I can say this right, he was so nervous to go on Drag Race as a judge because like it's our favorite show and it is kind of like an intimidating space because you do want to go on and like have those moments. And at the very end, I saw my baby make RuPaul laugh, and I was like, look at this little dream because I imitated Valerie Cherished from The Comeback, because I knew that was Rue's favorite show. Yeah. She asked me what person I would be on Snatch Game, and I did Valerie Cherish. I was like, well, Mark, you know here with Drew Paul, Drew Paul in his new show. You know, so Drew Paul's Drew Paul's rag Race. You know, so fun, real excited for you, Jane, Jane, Juna Juna. So I did that and Rue laughed and I got Rude to laugh one time and again I peeked. That was the day I peeked. It's been downhill ever since. No, it's been well, hey, I'll tell you this. I've had a few gay librities. I won't say their names. Um asked me how to get that gig, guess judging on Drag Race, and I'm like, I don't know, but you did it, Jonathan. You have got us so many things. UM, I have no idea how I got it, to be honest, I think they just called and said, hey, do you want to be on the show, and I said, of course yes. You definitely looked out as the d D episodes. Snatch Room is the episode. Let's take a quick break really quick and just come right back. Okay, we're gonna be right back. We'll be right back, and we're back. Which we are back, which I had to stand up right into the camera lens there for you. Yeah. If anyone want to see our only fans version, just go and log on. It's James standing up in short shorts to turn the camera. I don't know, and I'm being very supported by the right now. Yeah, a fashion with Ucchi daddy shorts because they're in season and in style. Jackie, how do you feel about Hucci daddy shorts. It's a thing. Yeah, well, um, as you may. Yeah, I wear very short shorts. Um. So the new thing for fall is um baggy highwaisted pleated pants. I can't, No, I can't, I can't. Here's the thing I'm gonna do, my elderly rant as an elderly gay man and Raymond, you'll understand this. Back in the day, when I mean James and I were like children running around the streets in the clubs. I remember, I think I know where this is going. All we wore were like, what what did you wear out to the club, like the tightest T shirt you could possibly find and the tightest jeanes that you could squeeze into without like ripping, because I didn't do all these squads for nothing. Yeah, that was the uniform. Now people go out and and I we we were somewhere the other day and there was like a club but by it, and we saw the people walking in and out, and I'm like, is everyone just dressed in potato sacks? White? What? Like? I've never seen I've never seen people where where jeans that are more ill fitting than the jeans that people are wearing right now. And I'm like, is that the thing to like, hey see how bad I can look in these pants? Like? Can you help me understand? Um? For sure, I mean fashion is always a cycle. I think it's it is important though, because Jonathan, I also know that you remember back in your youth, youth when all the boys wore baggy baggy pants. Absolutely I wore the parachute pants. Yeah, for sure, it's a cycle. I think the key though, is you can actually wear any fit of pant. But it's very important And I used the word butt here because you can get any fit of pant. Taylor to show off your butt. Even if it's a baggy pant. They can take little darts in the like the top in the back to actually still give you some butt shape because that's you know, that's what we want. I have No, I have no idea what you're talking about here. It's what I did on my wedding. Well, yeah, if you want to go look at send you some pictures and meat looking cute and baggy pants. Oh, I don't think it's awesome because I like a fitted pant still because yeah, like I'm still in the gym, so like I want I want to show it off. James, I mean the Dead. No, you have a great ass, like it's so big that like the like the Dead. No, but I would say, you don't say what I would do, right is you if you want, like pick like one trendy item. So if it's like a baggy pant, then maybe it's like a tight shirt. But because I do love that look. I love the look of like the baggy pant high waisted with the wife with a little tank top. That's when I wore out last night when I went out with you. Yeah, but yeah, but you're you're very much a fashionist so you actually where were we going that time? Um? What was it? No? We went to yeah, and I I made you go shopping shopping because my outfit was unacceptable. And then you styled me and I looked very cute. You look both very cute. We were going to U the l a outfest premiere of Potato Dreams, and uh, you both look like you're living Potato dreams. And now the kids look like they're wearing potato sacks. Hey, y'all potato sack, Chad, potato sash. All about portions, you know. So I'm built like a very young person. So like, especially like when I'm on stage, like not in drag or anything. I I read like a child because I have a big head, little shoulders. I'm built like a like a kid. Um, so I'm always trying to find things depending on what I'm going for that like you know, we'll like give me a little bit more shoulder, a little broader. So it depends on the silhouette. But it's all about knowing your body and what works. Not every trend will work, but you can always take elements of a trend and make it work for you. So maybe if you don't want to do a pleated pants. They do some really cute pleated shorts that I bet you can get into length that would still show off your legs. These are all options. When you see the five inch in seam and everyone says that they're short, are you like, why is it so long? Because I've seen some of your shorts and I feel like you're like a five inch Why would you wear something so baggy? Where's the free? Um? I started wearing a slightly longer shorts just because I realized I'd be going to like on an airplane, and then the minute that ac kicks on, I would get so cold and I would just be thighs out to the wind. So now I have like my airplane shorts which are just like like a like just above the knee, you know, like a Catholic school if I was very conservative. Yes, here's the thing. Here's the thing. We are going to shine our big gay spotlight on someone right now, because each week we like to shout out members of the lgbt Q plus community that are doing amazing things that you might not know about. Maybe they're famous, maybe they're not, but they're doing incredible things. So this week's gay Spotlight that we are shining on James is who oh speaking to people doing big things, speaking to people being welcoming presences and spaces. Angelica Ross has been named as the next Roxy Heart in Chicago. She's gonna be the first out trans performer to take on the lead role. And I mean talk about visibility, talk about somebody who's so talented and deserves to be playing this role. Sometimes you see these roles and you go, okay, stunt casting, this is okay, this makes sense casting. So she is forming. She's joining a small but formidable group of black trans women who have bowed on Broadway, including Peppermint, who we talked about in she was in the Go Goes musical Head over Heels, and then my friend that we talked about when we first started Pridecast that is now a Tony nominee, miss elm Morgan Lee who's in a Strange loop. And um also I think coming up was seventeen seventy six is gonna include trans performers as well. But right now, Angelica Raw stepping in to play Roxy Heart in Chicago. I highly recommend going to see her. I want to go see her myself, and I'm not even a musical theater. Gay, big Gay Spotlight on you baby doing big things, big star, but Chicago I've never heard of. Is that a musical? Oh my gosh, walking down the halls? Oh God, I'm so excited. Wait, this is a full This is like a really full circle moment for me. We have tough an episode with el Morgan Lee, by the way, because this has to happen. I told you about this before. The first time I ever saw elm Morgan Lee living her truth loudly and proudly on stage, it was a number from Chicago. It was Cell Block Tango, and I remember that was that those formative moments where you talk about where like somebody inspired you to be yourself and gave you the energy and the strength. Seeing her do that, I remember still clear as day. It's one of the best performances I've ever seen in my life. And was we were kids performing at Paramount's King's Dominion and she nobody else was on the stage with her. Nobody I mean they were, but they weren't because she's still in the spotlight. So that's a cool, little, fun, full circle moment there for me. Um so big gay spotlight on all y'all I love. I'm so excited. I'm so excited to see this. I I UM, I saw both Peppermint uh and and l in Um Strange Loop are so incredible. Both of them are so incredible. Um Ghost is Strange Loop. Anyone who asked, who's listening, who is able to come to New York City is really really cool, very personal, um truthful story and I think the way it's told is so interesting and clever and beautiful. Um. And yeah, I want to see everyone play every role in Chicago, Like at this point, I think it should be open open season where I say we should do it all and certainly someone is talented. It's going to be incredible. And I'm so excited that Pose has now become this platform that's now launched these amazing careers of these incredibly talented, stunning Black frans women And so how amazing that we all get to just enjoy that. And I love this. Now trans women are getting to play roles that are not necessarily just trans women. We need to just open our minds and hearts. I mean we have trans and onn binary folks in Greece that I just did, Um, you know, I trans on binding your person playing one of the one of the greasers, you know, So we're doing some really cool things. I think people are opening their minds. I mean, I was playing a role that's criginally played by someone not in Drag, you know, Teen Angel and Miss Lynch. So it's like I think we're we're opening our minds and hearts into ways of being entertained. Sometimes I think there's something interesting that is learned from apart when it's played by someone that's not necessarily the typical gender you see playing that part. So it's really incredible to see all of that happen, or you finally just get to see people, you know, living their truth in a really artistic moment. I think there's so many opportunities for people to share everything that they are kind of through their art. Love it, love it, love it. Let's go to Chicago, all of us, Let's go see each Let's go Hey, baby, can you send me up here because I'd like to do some gay history. Oh um, Jackie. This is my favorite part because we have music underneath it. Cue the music. Each week we like to learn what happened this week in gay history, because in order for us to move forward, it's important for us to always remember where we came from. So what happened James? This week in gay history, we must talk about Harvey Milk. Yes, the first openly gay elected official in the history of California. I feel like that he might be everywhere, but I know the only facts I can find for this was California. Anyway. Harvey Milk, big time trailblazer. There's that fabulous film about him. There's also so much information that you can consume about what an amazing person he was to really help push for gay rights and equality and open the door for other people to have the strength and the ability to do that after him as well. Well this week. In August of two thousand nine, Resident Barack Obama bestowed the highest civilian honor, the Medal of Freedom, posthumously to Harvey Milk because everything that he did truly is deserving of the Medal of Freedom. And in two thousand nine, even long after we lost him in this world, he did get the recognition he deserves. So let's not a big gay spotlight on him as well as absolutely history this week for him. So, Harvey Milk, we appreciate everything you did, buddy. They're just love, love, love to that man. Thank goodness for Harvey Milk to be a leader not only for our community but also for the city of San Francisco, you know. And I think it just I think what's amazing about that story is it reminds us all of it like we have the power to be leaders not only in our community but beyond, you know. I think I think for so long gay people maybe have thought that they can't access certain parts of the world or you know, maybe public life, because we felt like we had to keep being gay a secret. And I love that Harvey showed us that that that's not necessarily true, and it's getting better and better as as time goes on. Yeah, he changed the whole game. He was like a stockbroker or something and he wasn't out, and then he moved and came out and kind of changed his whole life too to get into politics and be openly gay, which is also shows you any time, any time, you could be your true, authentic self. And you always say this to to come out people. If you're listening to this in your own and you're not sure, and when it come out, just do it. Find find find those safe people to come out to first and and and live your best self. It's fabulous over here, Come join us. Glinda said it best come out, come out whoever you anyway, Um, that was a Wizard of Oz joke. But hey, listen, Jackie, we're also if you heard of it, I don't know if you know about it. Um, I'll go over Chicago with you later too. So, um, here's the deal. Here's the deal. We want. Because this is podcast and we're talking about all these amazing things about our community, we to know what does pride mean to you? Yeah, you've been at all these prides this year, what I've had, I've had a lot of amazing pride experiences. But pride as a concept is really about just being your real self and not being ashamed. I think the reason we have pride is because for so long in our history we had shame. And what we're saying is we're actively fighting against that shame by saying there's nothing about who I am that's wrong. There's nothing wrong about it. In fact, it is great. I am proud of being myself, and I think that's something. You know. Pride is lovely, it's rainbows, it's it's all of those cool things. It's a fun time, But more than anything, it's about saying no to shame and saying yes to yourself. And I think that's the secret to pride is when everyone feels like they can be their true selves and not have to hide it or lie about it or feel ashamed of it. Maybe maybe whenever that day comes, we won't need pride, but until then we need we need pride because we need remind our community, the people who are younger than us, who aren't sure if they can be part of this community, the people older than us who are maybe still too scared to be part of this community, um that we're proud of ourselves and we're proud of you too. Do you remember, Do you remember you? Do you oh so proud of you? Do you remember the first time that you had that, Like, is there a definitive moment where you were like, you know what, I am proud. I am proud of myself for who I am. That's a good question. I think A big one for me was when I, you know, I was I was actually you know, showing my mom because I didn't really tell my mom about drag because she was very not into me being gay. But when I showed her. I showed her the first clip of Drag Race when the announcement happened, and she still is not like super that into it, but she was at least like receptive and way more respectful than when she found out I was gay. And so that was a moment of pride where I was like, and even if she hadn't been, I was strong enough in myself to know that, like, you know, I can't live my life for other people, and no one should, certainly anyone listening to this. I know there's so many, so many young people especially who reach out to me who I feel so guilty about their parents not accepting them, and what I would love to say to them. It's like, that's their journey and you can be a you can be there as much as you can while protecting your own mental health. I think it's so important for young people to remember that they only have one life to live. They have to live it for themselves, and that, you know, that was a moment of pride for me to be like, you know what, I'm gonna share this with my mom now, and it went okay, It went okay, and that was cool. Well, listen, if I was your mama, I would be over the moon proud of you. So I'm not your mama, and I'm over the moon proud of you as you as your gay dad. So yeah, we're so proud of you. And that's so beautiful that you say that, because like, yeah, it's And don't worry because I have similar situation. My mom wasn't even at our wedding. So it's just one of those things where you're gonna find your chosen family. I find those people that love you for exactly who you are. So know that while that stings for a minute and that does hurt, you're going to find something that fills that void and loves you even harder. Yeah. Absolutely, And things you also have to do other than love yourself and be proud of who you are. You need to go see Jackie Cox at Gay Days and at Disney, and you need to go see Jackie Cox in Seattle next week, next week week, and if there's something else after Gay Days two, you wanted to tell people to come to Drag the Musical, I just want you say it again. And so there's three ways you can catch Jackie Cox Seattle, Gay Days, at Disney and then Drag the Musical we love her, we love love love blah blah blah blah. And social media. If you are nowhere, it comes to come see me on social media? How about that social Jackie Cox. And although I'm I l a girl in these days and when I I would like to remind the audience too, because I know people are like social media social media. Following a queen that you like is the cheapest and best way to support a drag queen. Tip. Because but even if, even if, even if you have no no, but like following them on social it's like it is like a tip. It's a way for us to get seen. People book us based on when they kiss on social media. So it's like the loveliest thing you can do to any of us to support us on social media, because for better or worse, that is how our jobs are quantified. Listen, that's that's a beautiful thing to share with people though, because yeah, it takes you nothing to to smash that like button. Smash the like button, smash away, hit it get me up in your algorithm. I feel like that. I think that in your algorithms. And thanks for tuning into podcast. I've that's Jackie such a light and this is James Vaughan. I love you guys. Just just end it. Someone just pushed Happy priadcast

Pridecast with Jonathan Bennett

Jonathan Bennett a.k.a. Aaron Samuels from Mean Girls has added another a.k.a. to his name, as host  
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