Chiffon Dior: So we’re a couple of days away from the finale of “RuPaul’s Drag Race” and I’m talking here with one of the most beloved former stars of that show — so it only makes sense that we’re here to talk about “The Walking Dead” of course! Pandora Boxx, star of stage and screen, how are you my dear?
CD: I am wonderful, although I suppose I would be remiss if I didn’t ask you for your thoughts on the finale. (If you’re not caught up on this season, why not check out Pandora’s Drag Center recaps here and get caught up before you watch the finale? )
PB: It’s going to be my last “Drag Center” so I’m a little sad that it has to come to an end again. It was fun to do, and I feel like I “went for it” a little more this season because the queens started off a little bitchy so I figured I could say what I wanted this time. I think all the girls are great and it’s kind of like a tight race, but I think there seems to be a clear favorite amongst everybody and that’s Bianca Del Rio, of course. I think she’s been consistent and great throughout the whole thing. She’s funny and talented and she came in to win from day one. It would be great to have her win because she’s different than any of the other winners. She’s just fucking funny.
CD: Does it make you a little, shall we say forlorn, that the judges have a newly developed appreciation for humor the last two seasons, more so than they had when you were on?
PB: (Laughs) Welllllll, maybe not forlorn….well maybe, that’s a good word. It’s kind of fun. Yes, it’s a little bittersweet because people love comedy. I never thought of myself as just a comedy queen. I thought of myself as a drag queen. People like to go out to clubs and laugh and to have fun. That’s what people want to see. It’s great that they’re being appreciated more now because in my season it really didn’t feel like it. It felt more like you had to be a “Top Model” on the runway and that’s what they were looking for that season.
CD: Well you seem to have moved into more of a “Top Model” look yourself recently, because your waist on Drag Center is the size of one of my thighs. Are you looking forward to eating again now that the season has ended?
PB: I have a really good corset! The bad part about wearing a really good corset is it gives you an excuse to eat! It makes me think “Oh I can just tie it all in!”
CD: Let’s get to what we’re here for…..The Walking Dead.
PB: Yes!
CD: As some people maybe be aware there is an online campaign out there to get you on the “Talking Dead” talk show which follows “The Walking Dead”.
PB: There is, yes! I know I’m not an “A-list”, “B-list” or “C-list” celebrity but I am really funny and do have some level of fan base. Plus I’m a huge fan of the show and they have had some people on that show that are really, really boring!
CD: Plus you can presumably handle your liquor better than Marilyn Manson!
PB: Yes, I definitely can!
CD: What attracted you to the show? Were you a fan of the comic before the show?
PB: No, I had heard of the comic but I’m not really into comics all that much. I have read the comic since the show began but I didn’t want to read too much because I wanted to avoid spoilers, even though they have kind of strayed from the comic. I really like zombie movies and I’m a big horror buff and…..
CD: I’m sorry, did you say whore or horror?
PB: Horror! Horror buff, not a big whore buff!
CD: I’m sorry. My connection might not be great. I just wanted to be sure.
PB: Yeah, yeah, yeah! So I watched the show from the first episode and was blown away by it. I think it is a great take on the zombie apocalypse and if the zombie apocalypse did happen, I think “The Walking Dead” is a pretty accurate look at what life would really be like; because, often in the show, the humans are the ones you should fear more than the actual zombies.
CD: Well for sure! I mean anyone who saw “Zombieland” knows that (Spoiler) humans are the ones that killed Bill Murray, not zombies.
PB: (Laughs) That was the BEST part of that movie! I love that movie by the way.
CD: It was so completely unexpected for me.
PB: Me too. I was like “Did that really just happen?”
CD: So since you a fan of zombie movies beforehand, what is your favorite zombie movie?
PB: “Zombieland” is definitely up there. I really liked that one. I loved the “Dawn of the Dead” remake! I think it was the first zombie movie where they didn’t move super, super slow. They were really fast and it made them even scarier. Let’s be honest, in the older zombie movies, you could totally just walk past them and you’d be fine. I used to love the movie “Return of the Living Dead” because it’s so cheesy! There was acid rain or something, toxic rain that was turning them into zombies and there was the one girl was topless that gets turned into a zombie and she was all fierce in her leg warmers, walking down the street.
CD: Even as a zombie in high heels and leg warmers, she probably still walked in them better than some queens I know.
PB: Definitely. She could have probably lip-synched for her life right then and won.
CD: Getting back to “The Walking Dead”, what did you make of the season finale?
PB: I liked the season finale. It was a little calm but I like that. I kind of feel like “The Walking Dead” needs to give us suspense and thrill us without killing off major characters because they’ve done that a lot. It would be cool to see them do that without killing everybody off……except for one person. I mean, is it child abuse to say Carl can totally leave? Can someone please bite him? Can the people at Terminus eat him first?
CD: For a moment there I thought you were talking about Gia Gunn but that’s a totally different show. But yes, Carl doesn’t seem like he’s the most popular of characters but I don’t think he’s going anywhere.
PB: No. I mean I get the drama it creates between father and son but I just don’t care. I’m still pissed about Andrea.
CD: If she didn’t die then, Carol probably would have shot her or burned her or something’d her at some point. Speaking of Carol, “Look at the flowers. Lizzie”, that’s a pretty big moment in TV history, shooting a little girl in the back of the head. What did you make of that?
PB: I think it was probably one of the most disturbing episodes of “The Walking Dead”. But again, if you look at the show from a perspective of being real, you really are put in that position. This little girl just killed her sister because she thinks she’s going to come back to life. In her state, you don’t have psychiatrists, you don’t have 24-hour mental care. This little girl could possibly kill you in the middle of the night. So that’s kind of what you have to do.
CD: I agree. The show walks this kind of morally gray ground. I remember back in season two where Shane shot Otis in the leg so he could escape with the medicine to save Carl’s life. Everyone was saying how evil Shane was — but if he didn’t do that, they both would have died and Carl would have as well. Plus if the zombie apocalypse does happen, it gives me ideas of what to do with some of my less effective friends in that situation.
PB: You’re getting very good survival skills on what to do and what not to do on “The Walking Dead”.
CD: Getting back to “Talking Dead”, on social media, there are literally thousands of people that support the idea of you being on the show. I know the official “Walking Dead” Twitter account has tweeted at you. What else do you think needs to happen to get you more on their radar?
PB: Well, whoever does their Twitter likes me!
CD: So basically some intern over at AMC watches Drag Race?
PB: Yes, I’ll always have that! Thank you to whoever does their Twitter!
CD: I think the sad part is you would be really good on the show. A lot of their guests seem like they’re just going through the motions. I’ve told a bunch of people that if they had you on, I’m pretty sure Chris Hardwick would ask you to be on his “Nerdist” podcast and on “@Midnight” before you left since you’d fit right into their wheelhouse of what they do. They just don’t realize it yet.
PB: Yeah, it’s the whole Hollywood thing. I’m not with an agency and I’m not currently on a TV show and — again — I’m well aware of in which circles and how known I am, so it’s not like I’m thinking I’m a B- or C-list celebrity or whatever. It’s all about who you know and who you meet. So you never know.
CD: Well if they’re reading this at AMC, especially that intern running the Twitter account, you know how to get in touch with us!
PB: I’m sure he has direct access to producers! (Laughs) Not to knock any of their guests because I know they want to get big names, but it’s kind of boring. I mean, it’s always exciting to see a cast member on the panel because then you get to hear the scoop, but I think it would be great to bring on someone who REALLY watches the show! Some of them make me think, “Have you ever even SEEN the show before? Wouldn’t you rather have someone who is really excited to be there?” I don’t know. Maybe they feel the audience is too heterosexual and they’re scared to put a drag queen on! (Laughs)
CD: I don’t know. They’ve had more than one pro wrestler. They can handle a drag queen.
PB: Yeah, I think so. You never know what will happen. I did meet two guys who played zombies in several episodes of “The Walking Dead”. They came to one of my shows in San Francisco so that was kind of cool. They brought me signed zombie pictures of themselves, so if nothing else I have zombie fans!
CD: So if the producers totally botch this and don’t put you on “Talking Dead” this fall, what else is on your agenda in the coming months?
PB: Oh I don’t know. I will probably be traveling with the new stand-up comedy show I have that is going to be called, “Missed Connections” named after the Craigslist section. Or is it the Craigslist area? Let’s go with area. That sounds dirtier.
CD: Now that is the section of Craigslist where people pretend they missed a chance encounter with someone in order to lure them to their deaths right?
PB: Kind of, yeah! But there are some really hysterical ones there. My friends were talking about them and I had no idea they even existed and the messages people left were SO funny! I was like, I really want to do a show about this! By riffing off Craigslist ads, it becomes a jumping off point to tell my own stories, intertwined with these crazy ads and other things people say and do on the internet. It seems like that is where everybody lives their life these days it seems.
CD: If not for the internet, I don’t know if I would have a life at all.
PB: If not for the internet, I don’t know if I would have a career at all, so thank you internet!
CD: What else do you enjoy watching aside from “The Walking Dead”. How about “Game of Thrones”?
PB: I don’t have HBO so I don’t watch “Game of Thrones,” but I do want to see it because everyone talks about it. I’m pretty sure I would like it. I really love “The Goldbergs”. It’s a really funny comedy with Wendi…uhhh…she’s got like thirty names and I can never remember them. She’s really funny though. She was in “Bridesmaids” and she plays the mother on “The Goldbergs”. She’s hysterical and I love her.
CD: (With a little help from Google) Wendi Mclendon-Covey.
PB: Covey! Yes, yes, yes! That’s it! That’s a great show.
CD: Now that has to be a tough show for you to relate to since it takes place in the 80’s and you *cough* weren’t even born yet, right?
PB: I know! It is kind of weird to watch it but I think it’s funny. But I can kind of relate…..ish. (Laughs) I’m excited for the next “American Horror Story” but that’s not until October. I watch “Dr. Who” but that one is done for a little bit too. Oh, I really love “Warehouse 13”!
CD: Didn’t one of the stars of that show, Eddie McClintock, tweet at you in support of getting you on “Talking Dead”?
PB: He did! He tweeted, or retweeted something, I think. It’s funny, but he was apparently at this party I was at, a “Hot 100” party here in LA, but I had a show later on. I saw pictures later and he was there. I was so upset that I missed him, but he sent me this nice tweet saying “I’m so sorry I missed you!” We occasionally tweet each other. I don’t want to make it sound like we’re besties or anything but he seems really nice!
CD: Now you’re clearly name dropping!
PB: (Laughs) Clearly! I just think he’s funny and he’s really good on the show. It was really nice of him to tweet that. That party was open bar and they had these drinks and you couldn’t taste the alcohol. It was one of those parties where the open bar was promoting a liquor, so I was thinking they wouldn’t be very strong; but apparently they were and halfway through the second one I was like, “Wow! I’m a little intoxicated!”. Then I had to go do a show. I mean, I held it together, but I was like “Jesus Christ!”. I was really shocked because it was two drinks, max. That is all I had. I mean…I’m kind of a lightweight but not THAT much of a lightweight!
CD:So switching gears a bit, I hear you have a new song coming out a bit down the road?
PB: Yeah, well the song is done. There are actually three songs. The first one is going to come out when the video is done.
CD: What do you make of all these drag queens putting out songs? It seems like every other day there is a new song by a drag queen coming out.
PB: Well, I think it’s great because, why not? We’re given this opportunity and music and drag are….I can’t think of the word….synonymous, right? Yeah? No? Fix in editing. I don’t know what I’m talking about! (Laughs) They go hand in hand because that’s what drag queens do. Is it all good? No. But I think a lot of it is, and it’s fun, especially for me. I’m just doing because I’ve always loved music and I’m having fun and I always wanted to do it. If people like it, that’s great. If they don’t, that’s fine too.
CD: Have you lip-synched one of your own songs yet and if so, did you feel like Britney Spears on stage in Vegas?
PB: Yes! It felt weird! First it felt weird because I couldn’t believe I had my own song, and then it felt weird to lip synch so I thought I should at least sing it over the track or talk over it, depending on the song. And then I kind of make fun of my song “Cooter” in my standup act because it is a funny, odd song.
CD: I have to be honest. I was a little disappointed when I first heard it because I thought it was going to be about Cooter, the mechanic from “The Dukes of Hazzard” and it wasn’t.
PB: (What I can only assume was a pity laugh for that bad joke) Well, that should definitely be the remix on the five-year anniversary re-release.
CD: (Sighs) I really, really dated myself with that reference.
PB: Well, I knew what you were talking about because I watch TV Land. (Laughs)
CD: Wow! Ouch! I saw it in reruns too. I certainly didn’t watch it waiting for “Dallas” to come on.
PB: What’s “Dallas“?
CD: Oh come on! You can’t do that to me! It’s back on the air!
PB: (Laughs)
CD: So earlier I mentioned Chris Hardwick’s “Nerdist” podcast and recently RuPaul and Michelle Visage started their own podcast. Is that something you would ever consider doing?
PB: Well, yes I would consider it. I’ve thought about it. I’m trying to figure what I want to do. I’ve kind of been thinking about a web series. I’ve been thinking of a podcast. I’m not sitting around waiting but I want to figure out what direction I want to go in. I’ve had a really crazy start to the year but now it’s calming down a little so I need to figure out what I want to do, what interests me the most and what will interest other people. I mean you have to have people watching or listening or what’s the point?
CD: Well, yes that’s the idea although NBC stays on the air and no one watches that any more.
PB: (Laughs) It’s true. I flip through the guide and think, “Waste of money. Waste of money. Waste of money.” How do these things get made? Who green-lights them?
CD: I may have angrily tweeted at them when they cancelled “Community” the other day.
PB: Oh yeah. You know I never got into the show but I did watch a few episodes and it was really funny. It had a really talented cast so it’s really sad. I think it had a similar comedy vibe to a “30 Rock” which is probably one of my all time favorite sitcoms ever. I just feel like the networks don’t, especially with sci-fi shows, give shows enough time to resonate with people or to find an audience. I know they want an immediate hit and I know shows are really expensive to produce but I feel like a lot of times I don’t watch these sci-fi shows even though I think they look really cool because I think they’re just going to cancel it. I don’t want to get invested in something and then have them go, “Oh well, we’re done.”
CD: You’re talking to someone who is still bitter about “Firefly”.
PB: Oh yeah, I didn’t watch that but I’ve heard good things about it. I know it’s on Netflix so I’m going to have to set aside a block of time because I know I’ll probably binge-watch the entire thing.
CD: If not, I will send it to you. “Firefly” is like a religion….or maybe a cult…for people who watched it.
PB: I’ll definitely watch it when I get a chance.
CD: Well, we’ve gone way longer than I thought, so we should probably wrap this up. Is there anything else you want to promote before we call it a night?
PB: No, I’m good!
CD: Well thank you for doing this and being so generous with your time. Hopefully we’ll see you on “Talking Dead” this fall.
PB: You’re welcome. Yes, hopefully! I just want to say thank you to all the fans that have been pushing to get me on. Keep it up and hopefully we can make it happen!
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