RuPaul’s DragCon has become a yearly staple for drag fans across the globe. A special part of the con is experiencing a live panel. Usually, a panel of your favorite LGBT entertainers or queens hit the stage for what is an educational experience. Not in my case, however, since I sat in on ‘UNHhhh’, a live version of World of Wonder’s hit online show featuring Trixie Mattel and Katya Zamolodchikova. Nothing about this experience was even somewhat educational, but it was a lot of fun.
The panel kicked off with the two drag queens arriving on time, which is a miracle within itself. Trixie and Katya gave their signature opening phrase about how it’s their show and not ours, reminding the audience we had no control over what we would see on that stage. Knowing these two, it could get out of hand, but they were pretty tame and the room was constantly filled with laughter. Every chair was filled with fans with even more sat outside the door, unable to get a seat. In a room that full with two hilarious queens, the laughter was deafening! Watching so many people get their lives was a reminder of just how magical the DragCon experience is.
The queens were given some questions to answer. It was really interesting to hear the behind the scenes aspect of the show. As the show approached it’s 100th episode, they were asked if they thought the fun little online bit they threw together would ever get this far. From 100 episodes online to their on full-length tv show on Vice, it’s safe to say these two did not see this coming. To quote Katya herself, “Seinfeld was only like, 12 episodes. Friends was just a pilot”. Sure, this quote does not answer the question, nor are those true statements, but that is what she said anyway. Moving on from that, Trixie shared that they film about four episodes in one day. If you ever see an episode that is a little more bizarre than normal, that was probably the fourth episode they filmed that day. As you can guess, they tend to get a bit delirious after hours of filming and even longer smoke breaks for Katya. Also, if you were wondering, they are huge fans of their own show! By the time it airs, they have no memory whatsoever of what they filmed. So it’s just as surprising and new for them as it is for us!
Trixie and Katya went on to answer a few more question prompts. Curious which team Trixie was on for the finale of season 11? Based off of track record, of course, her clear winner was Tammie Brown. Katya agreed that when she found that dead body, it was a game changer. How have they changed, you may ask? Well, Trixie has explored several weights AND formed a healthier relationship with blush. What quotes from the show do fans relay to them the most? Katya shared a disgusting story about going into an online sex chat room, annonymusly, and reading the comment ‘f*ck my p*ssy with a rake, mom”. So, that’s awful. Trixie promoted her new cosmetics line, while Katya shared her own pallet launch, which is a simple wood pallet you obtain from a home improvement store. Good for her!
My favorite part, by far, was when they brought the editors of the show on stage. Christopher Smith and Ron Hill are the ones responsible for the magic we see on our screens every week. The unique style of editing truly makes the show. They shared that by far the hardest part of putting the show together is finding all those insane images they throw in to tell the story. You can imagine the struggle it is to find an overhead shot of a classroom scene they can edit Katya’s bald head into. They have to photoshop all those details together. Also, they are the ones in charge of cutting down all of the nonsense that doesn’t make the final cut. In a show full of nonsense, try to imagine what doesn’t make the show! It was so cool to put faces to the magicians behind the scenes.
As the panel came to a close, the queens took some fan questions. This process involved fans lining up down the isles. My favorite fan question came from an older man who watched a little girl at a panel the day before ask the queens for a hug. He decided he would put his own twist to it and ask the editors if he could give them a hug! It was adorable to see the editors get the love they deserve from fans. Someone asked Katya when she becomes a professional medium, what will she ask her dead dad? She replied simply, “is this a skin tag?” which I’m sure wasn’t a disappointing answer for the fan. Trixie chimed in that every time she hears a fan talk about Katya’s dead dad it confuses her because in real life, Katya’s dad is alive, and Trixie is concerned he actually died. When asked if an Australian tour featuring the two together is in the works, they could neither confirm or deny it, so Aussie fans, keep your eyes peeled for a possible upcoming announcement!
Another great question came from a fan who wondered what soup they would be. Katya, of course, loved this question and without missing a beat said butternut squash. As for the pair’s favorite episodes? Trixie has really been loving the most recent episodes on shame. They had a lot of fun filming them. She feels this season of UNHhhh is their best one yet, so make sure you’re keeping up on WOWPresents!
This panel and the others from the weekend will eventually be up on the WOWPresents YouTube page for those of you who missed out. If you were able to attend the panel, what was your favorite part? Sound off in the comments below with your opinion on the latest season of UNHhhh!
