Every great monster survives long enough for a sequel (or seven, we’re looking at you Chucky), and the newly outed Babadook is no different. Just in time to wrap up Pride 2017, New Jersey’s resident drag diva Pissi Myles is here to make you scream “YAS, GHOUL!” with her new music video & dance track “Babashook”. The Babadook, our favorite queer monster/allegory, was outed earlier this month when a bemused Netflix user discovered the horror flick had been accidentally grouped with LGBT content on the popular streaming site. The glitch set off a viral firestorm just in time for Pride, inspiring countless tweets, original art, and several drop dead gorgeous lewks. However, in “Babashook” Myles takes the meme to frightening new levels of fierceness by laying her razor wit over a sickening dance beat. I got a chance to interview Pissi, about her new video, legendary queens, and her idea for a new dating app for monsters. Watch the full video below and grab the song on iTunes (Buy it here)!
Full disclosure: I’m good friends with both Pissi and her husband David Ayllon. I had the awesome privilege of getting to help with some of the writing and video production for BABASHOOK. That means the below interview is a real life kiki with freshly brewed T being spilt.
TC: Hi, Babe!
PM: Hello, my love!
TC: You just did an awesome interview with our buddy Michael Cook over at Huffpost with your husband David. You talked a lot about your journey through the world of drag, and the video—so let’s skip all that and go right to the sex!
PM: Ha! Sounds great. When do we get to the water sports? I’m a huge fan of water polo.
TC: Let me get my water wings, I’ll dive right in! Speaking of NSA fun- the Babadook is out of the closet, he probably deleted his shady torso picture from Scruff, uploaded a face shot, and is living his best life. What famous monster would he woof at first?
PM: Oh, obviously Freddy Krueger! You know that queen’s been out of the closet since Nightmare on Elmstreet 2. He’s had a Scruff profile, a Grindr profile, and a Killr profile.
TC: I love the idea of “Killr” – What do you think the tag line would be?
PM: “Killr: Don’t just deep dick your date”
TC: “Killr: Still not as bad as your ex”
PM: “Killr: Don’t just get your machete wet”
TC: I smell a new business venture. Speaking of thing that are ready to slay, let’s talk about Babashook. This feels like one of your biggest videos to date. Is that fair to say?
PM: Absolutely. Since my fat ass keeps getting bigger, so do the videos.
TC: Why this project over another? Why did this queer Babadook thing feel so special to you?
PM: It felt special because I love camp! I love that all of this started with a joke and sort of evolved into something sort of real, that’s what the gays do best- we take something serious, make it silly, and then get sort of serious again. That was the recipe for a great song. I was really inspired by queens like Lady Bunny, Coco Peru, and Jackie Beat. I took Bunny’s flavor for dance music, Coco Peru’s camp sensibility, and Jackie’s deliciously inappropriate but intelligent sense of humor and bam! Out came Babashook.
TC: I love that these legendary queens were so inspiring to you, and you’re actively trying to learn from their work and carry that torch. They always say queer people get to pick their families- but you picked yours and then put them to work- because so many people you loved worked on this with you.
PM: I know! It was really a family ordeal with this one. David came up with the initial idea, and was so encouraging. He believed so strongly in this project that he was involved every step of the way- from its inception, to introducing me to B. Ames (who produced this AMAZING track, now available on iTunes ding), to helping persuade our brilliant friend Joe LaScola to direct the video, and even getting his cousin Gia Famularo to co-star in the video as the girl that the Babadook takes under her wing. I really couldn’t have made this project happen without his help, and without the help of a LOT of people who gave their time, energy, and excitement to this project.
TC: Aaawww! Okay, we did the sweet thing. Can we get back to the spook factor for a second? Cause It feels like Halloween came early, and I promised the people reading this some “freshly brewed T” in my intro—so, will you tell us your real-life ghost story? It’s a good one. Just the Cliff’s Note version will do.
PM: ABSOLUTELY NOT! Stop listening to David, I won’t tell the story any time of year, and ESPECIALLY not on a popular website like WERRRK.com! What I will say is that I have had a few experiences with the paranormal, and my ghost story is one you would want to hear! I only tell the story on Halloween in a creepy atmosphere, so if you really want to hear it, you have to come to one of my Halloween parties and set the mood. I can tell you that the story involves Blair’s Den, a super spooky estate in Northern NJ, all five of my brothers and sisters, my brother-in-law Carmen, and several actual ghost sightings in the woods of Morris county!
TC: Fine, since you’re being stingy with the spooky, how about some other T? Anything. For instance, has Lady Bunny ever made a pass at you?
PM: Of course she hasn’t! Do I look like a taco truck to you? Don’t answer that.
TC: Mm…now I’m craving queso. Let’s wrap this up so everyone can go eat. Do you have time for a quick game?
PM: Always for you, darling.
TC: Okay, this is rapid fire. Because it’s never too early to plan for Halloween, let’s get some of our favorite queens ready by picking their costumes! First up: Bob The Drag Queen
PM: Slimer from Ghost Busters. She just needs a hot dog. Which I can lend her.
TC: Robbie Turner.
PM: Judy Garland in Meet Me in St. Louis! I love that movie…
TC: Speaking of Broadway queens: Alexis Michelle.
PM: Lorna Luft! She can just work her way through the whole family. Laughs
TC: Jiggly Caliente.
PM: The Great Pumpkin. Does the Great Pumpkin wear rompers?
TC: Last one, Sasha Velour
PM: Bat Boy from Bat Boy: The Musical. Sasha has always reminded me a little of him. If not him, she could definitely be the Cheshire Cat!
TC: Yay! That was fun. Any last words?
PM: Just make sure you checkout Babashook on iTunes, and definitely tell your friends to share the music video! All of the money we earn from the sales of that song will be split between the Gay Monsters Fund and Pissi Myles’ Chipotle savings account. I will be buying many, many burritos. And don’t forget to sign up for my mailing list for more updates and new surprises we’ve got coming at PissiMyles.com!
