Hi Alaska. This is Sidney Stokes with WERRRK.com. How are you?
WERRRK.com boots!
Yes! How are you doing today honey bunny?
I’m good. How are you?
I’m doing great. Thank you. Well I know you’re super busy doing the press junket so we really appreciate you taking the time to speak with us. We will jump right in if that’s okay?
Photo by Drag Coven
Of course.
All right. So last week you nearly broke the Internet specifically the gay Internet the gay Twitter dot com when you announced eight contestants will compete in your Drag Queen Of The Year pageant at this year’s DragCon on Sunday May 26. How did this event come about?
Oh my God. Wow. I’ve been wanting to do it for a while. I get to travel the world and everywhere I go I meet drag queens. Drag is my life and I fucking love drag queens. I can be jet lagged, in multiple cities in multiple days not knowing where the fuck I am and then as soon I get into a dressing room with drag queens I’m like, “Okay, I’m home”. These are my people. I guess one of the good things about doing this event is I get to share a little bit of the gift I’ve been given by RuPaul’s Drag Race. I get to share it with fucking amazing drag queens. These girls come from all over the world. They’re all different types of drag queens and they’re all competing on the same level. I’m really excited to see it. I can’t wait to watch the show.
So as you said there’s a great, diverse group of drag queens and as you traveled the world, you get to see all these queens. How were you able to make the selections of the girls you have in this competition?
Well luckily it wasn’t up to me.
*laughs*
I couldn’t possibly make the decision. I left it up to an anonymous council of drag elders.
Ooooh! What fabulous cloaks they must be wearing.
Oh yes, oh yes! Full length cloaks.
One of the other things you’ve also been doing, you did it in L.A. and now you’re going to be doing in New York, your A Star is Born This Way show. It’s coming up in New York in about a week. How did it go in L.A. and can you tell us a little of how that one came about?
Well it came about because we’re obsessed with A Star is Born. We can’t get over it so I just wanted to do a drag show about A Star is Born. I’ve seen Shallow performed a lot in drag shows and I was like *claps* “the rest of that music needs to be done by drag queens!” *end claps* We did it in L.A. and it was hugely successful and so Nick Laughlin, who is my best friend, lives in New York. He was really jealous that LA got to see it so he said, “Let me choreograph the New York one! Let me direct that!” and I’m like “Okay girl, let’s do that”. So I’m excited. (Get your tickets here!)
We’re excited for that! People inn New York reading this please, please go check it out. So now, Alaska. We’re also here to talk about your appearance at Drag World UK on August 18th and 19th at Olympia London. Are you excited to head across the pond again? (Get your tickets and more information about Drag World UK here!)
Oh yeah. I love it! I get to spend a weekend with my sisters in London. So like what is not to love about that?
Well I mean, we love London. We love gay old London. We love all things British. As far as the people over in England and the UK, what do you think are the tangible differences between fans over there and here in the States?
Everybody asks this and I love it. I think it comes down to like the level of proper politeness, because England kind of invented politeness. Right, as we know? So they’re very well mannered and very polite and that’s great. I love it.
And along the same lines, what would you say the differences between drag performers and artists in the U.K. versus the ones here in the States?
Well, I think UK drag is a little different because they value camp a bit more and they love life singing so much. That’s like a little bit different for America but wherever you go in the world, a death drop gets them going.
*Laughs* Luckily the universal language is a good old death drop! We will just about wrap it up but here at WERRRK.com, we believe in one thing above all other things and that is, if you have something else to plug, plug it as cheaply and as shamelessly as possible. So is there anything else you want to let our readers know before we let you go today?
I do a podcast with Willam called Race Chaser and that’s a pretty good way to find out what’s going on and when I’m coming to a city near you. (Check it out here!)
Yes! Be sure to subscribe WERRRKers!. We are looking forward to seeing you at DragCon as we all do this time of year. Can you give us any preview of what people can expect when they come to see you this year?
All I can say is everything must be leopard print.
Photo by Drag Coven
Yes, giving us our Peg Bundy life honey! Alaska thank you so so much for taking the time to talk with us today. Good luck on the show next week and good luck on everything. We will see you in May and WERRRK.com readers in the UK can see you this August!
Thank you very much. I’ll see you all then.