Saturday, October 18, 2014

Tatiana Rexia: Scary Face with a Heart of Gold


There are so many drag queens who are complete divas and they are only in drag for themselves. Obviously not everyone is this way but people would be shocked at how selfish and catty people can be when it comes to being in the lime light even if their fame won't last that long. Tatiana Rexia has made it very clear that her intentions are much more humble than that. With her drag, she wants to help people who need it and she is trying to prove that the one thing that makes her extraordinary is her heart. 


1. Describe your drag persona.

I would say my drag is very dark and mysterious but I can also be glamorous sometimes depending on how I'm feeling. It's mostly dark though. My look, if I were to name it anything it would be "witch". I'm definitely like a witch. My makeup skills and my blending...that's my "spell" work. I love being dark, that is my thing. 


2. What personality differences are there between Tatiana and Anthony?

Well, Tatiana is very out there and crazy. She talks to everybody no matter who the person is. I always introduce myself when I'm Tatiana. I'm very bubbly and crazy and very cool...but Anthony is pretty much like a wallflower. Sometimes when I'm drunk I'm not a wallflower and I'm all up in everybody's shit. But for the most part, Anthony is very calm. I'm not very open as much as I am when I am Tatiana. There's a big difference, you can tell. 

3. What do you do in your free time?

I'm a very spiritual person. I literally am a witch outside of drag. I practice Pagan. So I like to go out in nature and experience the earth and get real crazy with that shit. I'm a big hippie. I don't like being stuck in the house all day, I like to go out and do things. I walk to the park all the time. I also like to be a Facebook whore and I will literally post like 16 posts a day. If I had to choose between the 2, nature would be first and Facebook would be second.

4. Do you have a drag family?

Well I do have a drag family. I would consider the people who I do a show with to be my drag family. If I ever need anything I would go to them. We don't have a specific name where all of us have the same name. With my drag mother, I didn't take her name...I kept my own. But with all the queens at the club we all just use our own names. 

5. Who is your biggest inspiration?

I would say my biggest inspiration is Marilyn Manson. Not because he's dark and creepy but because I feel like he's very artistic and smart with his art and the way he does things. I have pictures of him all over my wall in my room and I have his book. I LOVE his book! I'm inspired by him a lot because of the way he does dark things and I just like the creative mind that he has. I love watching his interviews because he is so smart. 

My second biggest inspiration would be Porcelain Black. I listen to her music every single day and I perform to her music all the time. I love that she doesn't have any fucks to give whether she's cool or not, she just does it. That's what inspires me not to give a fuck. Cause when I'm onstage, people tell me not to do things but my thing is that I just do what I want and I've been kicked out of places before for doing what I want. 


6. How does your family react to your drag?

Well when I was with my parents, I lived with them until I was about 17 and then they kicked me out. Two of the reasons that they kicked me out was because I was gay and because I was a Wiccan and they did not like that...so they kicked me out and my grandparents took me in. My grandparents are totally okay with it. My grandma even comes to my shows once in a while. She actually sits in the crowd and gives me dollar bills and stuff like that. She's crazy, I love it. But my parents, they don't want anything to do with it. My mom said she doesn't wanna hear about it and doesn't wanna talk about it and what's really weird is my mom is so against it but my dad said that if I ever get on Rupaul's Drag Race that he would watch it. But he still won't look at my pictures or add me on Facebook or anything but he says when I get to that point he will be more supportive. 


7. If you could meet anyone, dead or alive, who would it be and why?

I would really like to meet Stevie Nicks. The reason for that is because first of all, I really want to know if she really is a witch. There's all this controversy of her being a witch and I wanna know if she actually is one! The other reason is because I love her music, I love her message, I love everything about Stevie Nicks. She is just phenomenal. I wanna go see her live, I wanna be her. Every time I perform in drag, even though sometimes I don't do crazy shit, I just wanna be her. She's so cool and she just has this flow about her. Even though she's not dead, she's still cool. She'd be cooler if she was dead...IM JUST KIDDING! But I really love Stevie Nicks. She is just beautiful.

8. What is the reason you started to do drag and how did you develop your character?

When I was in high school, I didn't believe in drag. I thought it was disgusting actually. I did not want to associate with anybody that wore makeup. This sounds really terrible, there was this transgender girl, male to female, and I made fun of her at school a lot. Mostly because I thought she was a bitch and she really wasn't. Somebody asked me one time to go to a drag show with them and I don't know what got me to say yes but I said yes. So I went to the show and I was only 18 and I saw all the queens performing onstage and something inside me changed about me not liking drag. My drag mother now, she got onstage and performed and I was just so amazed. I don't know what changed but I said "I would LOVE to do that!" So the first time I did it I was just going to do it once for fun and that's it and it was a lie because after I performed for the first time I was literally addicted. Once you start drag, you become addicted. I was really terrible when I first started and the queens didn't want to help me because I did weird shit like fake blood and weird stuff. But eventually I became friends with all of them and they started helping me and that's how I got to where I am today. 


9. Where do you see yourself in 10 years? 

I don't want to sound like a diva or anything like that but I do see myself being a bigger name queen traveling around the country doing shows and charity events. I love charity events! I love doing something for someone else, that's the way I am as a person. I want to be that big name queen that everybody talks about. But not the big name queen who just takes her money and goes her own way. I wanna be that big name queen that says "I got all this money and I'm donating it to this cause...". We do a lot of charity events here and it's my favorite time to do drag. In 10 years I want to be a big name queen doing lots of charity events because I love that shit. 

10. How is Tatiana unique?

In all honesty I feel like I am giving my real self. I'm not trying to be fake with anyone. I want to give love and that is it. I want to show all of my fans and friends lots of love. I try not to act fake bitchy just because I'm a drag queen. I try not to be that way. I am not like most queens who don't want to help anyone. If someone comes to the drag show that I'm at and they're new and they want help I will do my best to help them and be there for them. Sometimes I don't have a lot of time to help them but if I have time, I'm going to be there and help. I don't want to be that bitchy queen like most of them are. I'm not that way I try to be as nice as possible. I'm different because I really have a heart...and a real heart, not a fake one.


11. Have you met any famous drag queens? Were you star struck by them?

Well I'm going to meet Yara Sofia tomorrow so there's no denying that I will be star struck. I've met Shanell, and I wasn't really star struck by her because I didn't really think she was that nice in real life. I'm not trying to be shady but she wants everything to be her way...and I understand that. She's famous. But she's pretty bitchy in real life. I also met Delta Work and I love her! She is one of the most humble and beautiful souls I've ever met. Delta is fierce and she's so nice! If I could meet any queen that I've ever met that was the nicest queen it would be Delta. She's just perfect. 

12. What is your biggest insecurity?

Well I don't tell people this often especially fans of mine because I don't want people to know. I have a very bad acne problem and it is so bad that I can't even go out in face and that's how bad it is. My insecurity for that is just absolutely terrible. I will get into drag, I will cry, I will literally fuck up my face. I will smear shit on my face to make me look ugly so people won't be able to tell. That's how insecure I am about my acne. Sometimes my acne doesn't flare up and I feel great and sometimes it flares up and I feel like shit. My biggest insecurity is definitely my skin.

13. What other interests do you have besides drag?

I don't have the greatest singing voice in the world but I always was interested in singing. Even though my voice isn't great, I thought maybe I could sing and people would like it. I've been talking to some DJs and recording artist friends of mine about releasing a single and the funniest thing is I sound like Jeffree Star. I compared the sounds together and when I really get into it I sound like Jeffree Star. So I feel like it would be really bad if I released a single and I sounded exactly like Jeffree Star. When I'm in the shower I can sing Jeffree Star pretty great. Everyone can sing in the shower. It's no secret.


14. What advice do you have for other queens that are just starting?

Don't let anyone else tell you how to do your drag. You can take tips from other people but always stay true to yourself and do what YOU want to do. Don't let anyone else tell you what's right or wrong in drag because it's fucking drag. It's just DRAG. Watch a lot of youtube videos and watch a lot of people do their thing and find something that YOU like. Don't try to look like somebody else. Just be yourself and do what you want to do not what anyone else wants. 

15. What is your opinion on the Facebook real name policy? 

GIRL. I have an opinion on this. So when Facebook first deleted my profile, I had a fit. They didn't just say "change your name or I will delete your profile.". They literally just deleted it and it was gone from existence. I tried four times to appeal it. I sent my ID in and changed my name and everything and they still wouldn't give it back. I had a huge issue with it. I was so upset. I feel like Facebook was being really shady. They said it wasn't them specifically but it was someone being a "serial reporter" that reported all these queens. Not because Facebook thought we shouldn't have profiles but because they really aren't our real legal names. But now Facebook has everything fixed but they're still blocking drag accounts even after this was all supposed to be fixed. A few of my friends had their drag accounts and now they're gone. Even though Facebook "apologized", it's still happening. I think they're bullshitting us, honestly. I don't think their apology was sincere and I think they were just trying to calm us down because we had an uprising.   


Talk to Tatiana here:
Twitter- @tatianarexia9
Instagram- @tatianarexia

The Drag Enthusiast:
Twitter- @DragEnthusiast
Instagram- @dragenthusiast
Tumblr- dragenthusiast.blogspot.com

Wednesday, October 8, 2014

Adore Delano: Looking Cool, Drag Race, and Pizza


To anyone who was just passing Adore on the street, they may think she's just a queen who rocks a hog body and likes to party. But, if they saw her perform live, they would realize she's even more than extraordinary. Adore is a powerhouse who is very quickly taking over the world with her voice, beauty, charm, and uniqueness. When watching Adore, whether it would be watching a performance or even just having a conversation, one would quickly come to the conclusion that she is not only funny and carefree but also extremely passionate and genuine towards her fans and her art. 


1. Describe Adore's personality. What are the personality differences between Adore and Danny?

I'm pretty much the same. I mean, I have makeup on and anyone feels more powerful with makeup on. It's like an exaggeration of myself.




2. What inspired you to start youtube?

I had no friends so I became friends with the camera. I had a lot of viewpoints on things and I was young. I wanted to just share them with the world. I wanted men to look at me.


3. When you were making YouTube videos and had all those characters like Angel Baby and Chelsea and Roseanne, where did the inspiration for those characters come from? And were they used to help form Adore?

I think they just came from my brain. I'm convinced I have multiple personality disorder. Angel Baby is clearly inspired by my family and the Mexican culture that I grew up with. Roseanne is definitely inspired by my "white" side of my family. They're just exaggerations of parts of me and the way that I think and separations of cultures in my life.

                   Angel Baby 
                    Roseanne


4. How many times did you audition for Rupaul's Drag Race before getting cast on the show? Which challenge was your favorite?

I auditioned once before I got on the show and that was for season 5. My favorite challenge was the rap challenge because I like to think of myself as very gangster.


5. Your new single is called "I look fucking cool" featuring Alaska Thunderfuck. How did that collaboration begin and what was it like working with Alaska?

They said "what's one queen that you would want to work with" and I said "Alaska." We were doing a writing session and Alaska said "Adore, why don't you just talk about how you're cool". So then I started writing and that's how it happened. 


6. Which music videos have you already released and what is next for you?

We have two music videos already finished for "Jump The Gun" and "My Address is Hollywood" and I think "My Address is Hollywood" is coming out first and it's so beautiful and I'm most excited about this one. I actually got in a fight on set with someone but it was really cool. With "Jump The Gun" I had lesbian action with Courtney Act in the hot tub and it was so much fun.



7. Do you have any advice for any queens that are just starting out?

I always say that there's one rule in drag and that is that there is no rules in drag. I feel like it should be like a melting pot of all your inspirations and female influences in your life. Have fun before anything else. 



8. What is the biggest lesson you've learned during your drag career? What has been your biggest obstacle?

Sleep and sleep. I don't know how to do it and I need it. When I was a kid I had weird insomnia and on the road I still haven't managed my sleeping schedule, but I sure do know how to put a pizza in my mouth.


9. Who is your biggest inspiration?

My mother...it's so cliche and boring but it's true. 



10. Is Bianca actually nice? (Hahaha)

Yes she is but she doesn't want you to know she's nice. She does a lot of nice shit off camera and behind the scenes just to keep her look. But she's an awesome soul. You know when a bitch is raised right and she has a good family and a good background and she's an awesome person.



11. What was it like working with Joe Harwood? 

He's awesome! We got so drunk at his house. I did an interview with him that was over an hour long and I was so wasted and I'm kind of nervous for that interview to come out. His house is amazing! I was so fascinated because he has so many stuffed, dead animals in his house and he's vegan and his viewpoint on that was awesome and he's such a good time. 



12. Watching the episodes of drag race from season 6, what was your favorite moment to watch?

I think it was cool when I almost failed the first challenge and broke my mannequin. I thought it was funny.



13. Who do you dream of working with in the future?

I dream of working with Freddie Mercury in heaven when I die. 

14. Is there anything you would like to say to all your fans and supporters across the world?

Just thank you for changing my life and saving my life. I feel like they were my friends when I had none even before Rupaul's Drag Race. I think there's a few girls that are at my shows that have been with me since I was about 17 and I think that's awesome. Thank you for being hardcore. A big fucking thank you!




Buy Adore's latest single "I Look Fucking Cool" featuring Alaska Thunderfuck:


Find Adore Delano:
Instagram- @adoredelano
Twitter- @AdoreDelano
YouTube- DannyNoriega

The Drag Enthusiast:
Twitter- @DragEnthusiast
Tumblr- dragenthusiast.tumblr.com

Kara Zmatiq: Flamboyance and Charisma



Kara Zmatiq is a queen from Australia who has the look of a goddess and the singing voice of an angel. She definitely lives up to her name which is a play on words and it's pronounced "charismatic". Having conversations with her, she's very sweet and extremely determined. 


1. Describe your drag persona?

Kara Zmatiq is a more flamboyant and more theatrical extension of my normal boy self. A whimsical character, fearless, competitive, open minded, magical and enticing to both male and female audience just as my name suggests, when on stage I'm a charismatic character.


2. What competitions have you competed in and or won?

As an all rounder entertainer, as with drag an extension of who I am as an experienced entertainer, musician and artist for the past 11years, I've competed in music, vocal, acting, drag and dance competitions on a local, state and national level. I've won as a musician several trophies and awards for my ability to play the Clarinet, Saxophone and Tenor Vocals. I've taken out the title of Charismatic Vocalist of the Year - two years in a row, I've won several talent shows as Kara Zmatiq as part of ACON, Rainbow Visions and Connexions Entertainment for my vocal talents and entertainment style and have been nominated in both QLD and NSW for Drag Queen of The Year, Rising Star, Community Legend for helping raise over $50,000 for both local and national charities, as well as Variety Entertainer of the year all consecutively the last two years.

I'm not much of a competition queen, I don't believe competitions get anyone anywhere in the drag biz. It's the way you promote, market, brand and advertise yourself and the different ways you put yourself out there in front of different people and different audiences, not the same types of audience and same types of judges... That just stunts growth, and you become the same as those who judge you in the end. Standing out for being unique, different and inspiring is what makes a queen successful (from my own personal experience anyway).


3. Who is your biggest inspiration?

My biggest inspirations are music icons such as Grace Jones, Stevie Nicks and Cyndi Lauper. I draw my inspiration to perform, passion for music and the stage from their performing energy and stories. I find the three very fascinating and there music uplifting And moving. When I perform I aim to bring emotion and feeling to a song, interpret them in my own way and own the songs I perform and sing live as if the story being told is mine. This is what makes a true performer and entertainer. 


4. If you could work with any well known queen, who would it be and why?

I think of I were to work with any well known queen it would have to be none other than RuPaul. Sounds a bit cliche but she is entrepreneurial, a marketing and branding genius, an all rounder performer and a queen I can relate as well as be inspired learning a lot from as a singing drag entertainer myself.


5. What was your childhood like?

My childhood was very creative, very artistic and very musical. I had many female friends when id was younger, really didn't click that I was gay until end of 9th grade when the change rooms were used more for sport class (*wink*). Growing up was hard, I to this day still have four very close friends, my family is very supportive so I got lucky in that regard - but making friends and finding my place has never been an easy journey. Eventually I decided to bite the bullet, not fit in at all in society and do things very differently, seems to be working for me both in and out of drag 😊


6. How long have you been doing drag?

The art of performance has been part of my life for 11 years (2015 will mark 12 years of entertainment). I acknowledge that my early days in drag were a train wreck but every queen starts somewhere and most of us don't start on a high note when we do it all by ourself the first time. So... Professionally, I would say I've been doing drag as the polished, refined and "awe-inspiring" (HAN) , "phenomenal" (Newcastle Panthers) , "Australia's Best Drag Star" (Focus Magazine) since November 2013.


7. When people go and see you perform, what should they expect?

People shouldn't expect boring. I'm very interactive, the stage is just a platform. As a live singing gender illusionist it's my mission to entertain, enthral, excite, engage and evoke emotions from each person in the audience... So expect participation and a hands-on show. Occasionally I'll mime and do dance routine, but it's not who I am as a drag performer. I sing a very wide repertoire of music, from the best of the 60's to the Top40 pop, ballads, jazz, theatre, rock, grunge and glam-rock. I create production shows and sets to suit the audience I'll be entertaining. 


8. What inspired you to start drag?

My music theatre, singing, musical and entertainment industry family as well as my passion for the stage. I was to either run away with the circus or create my own in the meantime, so here I am!


9. Do you make your own outfits or do you purchase them?

All of my outfits are custom designed and sourced from designers globally as well as hand-made/customised to suit my character. When I first started doing drag I would shop at Paddys... I hate looking like and wearing what other queens are or have been wearing, so since November 2013, I've learnt to customise outfits, design, create and make my own jewelery, headpieces and props as well as source the best in staging, lighting and sound equipment. I want my audience to be blown away with quality when I perform. I expect a lot of myself and so does my audience and fans.


10. What is your favorite number to perform to?

I am a huge fan of Jessie J so her song 'Who You Are' is a favourite. Such a moving, powerful and one song that helps me reflect on who I am as a person, a performer and an artist. I find audiences tear-jerked or inspired when I do this song, so it's a pleaser. 


11. How do you handle negativity?

Back in the day I would bite back with a vengeance, until some wise old seasoned queens said roll with the punches and let it be like water off a ducks back. Today negativity is ignored and constructive criticism is welcomed in the appropriate form (via my manager).


12. If you could rid the world of one thing, what would it be and why?

Homophobia. I hate that still to this day we are treated unequally. I don't care if I don't fit in but society makes it difficult to believe we are equally accepted. Everyone is human.


13. If you got the opportunity, where would you travel and why?

I really want to travel to Montreal. The drag scene there is outrageous and such a party city along with America, if I could spend a day with RuPaul on a shopping, creating, performing and business insight that would be the top of my bucket list complete.

Find Kara Zmatiq here!
Official Website:
www.KaraZmatiq.com.au

Twitter:
www.twitter.com/KaraZmatiq

Facebook:
www.facebook.com/KaraZmatiq

Instagram:
www.instagram.com/KaraZmatiq


The Drag Enthusiast
Twitter: @DragEnthusiast
Tumblr: dragenthusiast.tumblr.com

Tuesday, October 7, 2014

Honey Golightly: Being Queen

In the YouTube community, you may find some people who are greedy and just want views or fame. Coming across people like that, you have to keep in mind that there are some occasions where you will find a genuine person who is just looking for people to relate to. When you search Honey Golightly, you will find just that...a genuine human being who never forgets who she is and how she got there.



1. Describe your drag persona. 

Honey is a party girl - she's everyone's best friend and knows how to have a damn good time, with a little bit of a cartoon character thrown in there.


2. When did you start doing YouTube videos? 

I started Honey's channel in the summer of 2012.


3. In your opinion, what is your biggest accomplishment? 

My recent documentary, Being Queen - and living through the experiences that created it.


4. Would you ever consider auditioning for Rupaul's Drag Race? 

Totally, and I have twice so  far. It's a great way to show off your art in unique and exciting ways, and I know I would slay it.


5. What can you say about the reality show you have recently worked on? 

I was part of an independently-produced game of Survivor that took place in Union City, Tennessee. It was a true test of my capabilities and I made lifetime bonds in such a short amount of time. The episodes will be released soon via YouTube, like the Facebook page Survivor Reelfoot Lake for updates!


6. When and why did you start doing drag? 

I started back in 2011. When I figured out what all drag could be, and everything that you could do with it, I had to get in. 


7. Who is your biggest inspiration and why? 

My followers. Being able to reach out and connect with them has been the best part of all of this.


8. What is the difference in personalities between Honey and your boy personality, Kyle? 

In my personal life, I'm extremely introverted and laid-back. Honey's a complete 180. Drag allows me to tap into all of the suppressed parts of my personality, and in that way it's extremely therapeutic for me.


9. What are your future goals?

I want to take my show on the road, travel and interact with real people in real time. Nothing compares to that feeling. 


10. What is the most rewarding part of doing drag in your opinion? 

Being able to become a product of your imagination. Doing drag is nothing less than creating a living, breathing work of art.


11. What does drag mean to you?

It means more to me than I could have ever imagined. It has opened so many doors and completely changed my life.


12. Do you have a drag family? 

I'm a drag orphan. I would have loved to have that bond with a drag mother, and God knows I could have used one on numerous occasions, but being able to say that I and I alone built myself from the ground up is incredibly liberating.


13. How do you deal with negative comments? 

There's a great quote by RuPaul herself that explains all of that shit in a nutshell... "If you have goals and the stick-with-it-ness to make things happen, people will feel threatened by you, especially if your goals don’t include them. They believe that if you take a piece of pie, then that leaves less pie for them." It's all about jealously, and anyone who tells you differently is full of it. And at the end of the day, the only thing that matters is the positive.


14. Growing up, what was the biggest obstacle for you to overcome? 

Being a weird, nerdy, creative, gay, agnostic kid in the heart of the bible belt. I grew up fighting a war every day, and being able to rise above it lets me know I can take on anything.


15. Have you ever been star-struck when meeting any of the famous queens that you've met?

Everytime! One of my biggest idols is Manila Luzon, and when I had the chance to meet her a couple of years ago I was so nervous and paranoid about saying or doing something stupid I barely spoke a sentence to her!


16. What is the biggest lesson you've learned about drag? 

Despite the fact that everything we're doing is fake, queens are some of the realest and most genuine people on the planet, and it is a very special and even familial world that I'm honored to be a part of.


17. What would you say to all of your supporters if all of them were reading this? 

I LOVE YOU SO SO MUCH! No, seriously, thank you for everything and being cared about by you is the greatest thing I've ever felt. xoxo



Find Honey here!
Twitter: @Honey_Golightly
Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100003614657111
YouTube: Honey Golightly

The Drag Enthusiast
Twitter: @dragenthusiast
Tumblr: dragenthusiast.tumblr.com