September 28, 2025 • 59 mins
Ryan and Yvie welcome the iconic Kim Chi — Drag Race legend, fashion queen, and beauty mogul. Kim opens up about her whirlwind tour life, the balance between artistry and survival, and why she thinks modern Drag Race has lost some originality. She spills on launching KimChi Chic Beauty, writing a cookbook, and navigating the toxic mix of body image and online hate while still pursuing her passions.
Expect plenty of shade and laughs too: Yvie recalls a chaotic tour disaster, Kim confesses her biggest drag pet peeves, and the queens debate what really makes a great performance. Plus, Kim’s foodie adventures, juicy pageant drama, and hot takes on Big Brother and Gen V.
This episode is equal parts inspiring, hilarious, and raw, showcasing Kim Chi’s wit, resilience, and undeniable drag legacy.
If you’re HIGHKEY! vibing with us, come hang on Patreon! We’re dropping early ad-free episodes, bonus content, behind-the-scenes tea, exclusive group hangs — basically, the HighKiKi.
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HIGHKEY! is a production of iHeartPodcasts, as part of the Outspoken network. The show is created and executive produced by Ryan Mitchell, Yvie Oddly, and Spoke Media.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Do you think you're a good drag like lip singer,
like a drag performer? Do you think that's your strongest too?
Speaker 2 (00:05):
Wow?
Speaker 3 (00:06):
Whoa yeah, go for the cutting ones.
Speaker 4 (00:09):
Absolutely, I think I'm the best there is.
Speaker 3 (00:12):
That's a drag queen. Y'all lie to yourself until it's true,
you know.
Speaker 1 (00:20):
Oh my god, please before you type in your fucking
chatter in the in the comments section. Yes, I know
I sound like this and I can't help it, but
just know it was worth it, because that anytime I
sound like this means I had a motherfucking good time.
Speaker 3 (00:36):
Uh did somebody uh fuck your throat so deep that
your voice box got fractured? Somebody told me that in
the last week. They were like, yes, and then I
sucked so much dick.
Speaker 2 (00:50):
Professional?
Speaker 3 (00:51):
Uh no no, but you know they did have precise
doctor doctor like familiarity with anatomy.
Speaker 2 (01:00):
So okay, well that is not what happened.
Speaker 1 (01:04):
Okay, even though I would not say that has not
happened before.
Speaker 2 (01:10):
However, Comma, I had that.
Speaker 3 (01:12):
What were you doing?
Speaker 2 (01:13):
How did you lose your voice? Yes? Oh my god?
So this week was so was weeekend was so much fun.
Speaker 1 (01:19):
I was a part of putting on Glad's Black Queer
Creative Summon, and just think about it in this way,
if like Summer Camp met like a black queer and
trans hogwarts, like it's literal being surrounded by two hundred
to three hundred black queer people from across the country.
And I programmed this alongside some other folks of the team,
(01:42):
and we programmed just like three days worth of incredible
opportunities of intention and Lee Daniels was there. Lena waitecreased
Summer Non. Wayne Brady opened it up with the video
right before he was about to get on stage it
broad like on Broadway like.
Speaker 2 (01:59):
To like welcome every everybody in.
Speaker 1 (02:00):
I mean, we had every black clear power person, industry
leader or like professional creative who was good at their game.
We had them at this summit, and it just was
so beautiful because you take for granted, like we take
for granted the fact that we have access and we
get to talk to some really incredible people, and like
we have people that we consider friends who are also
just incredible at their at their work. We take for
(02:23):
granted that there's someone from the middle of bump fuck
nowhere who just like doesn't even probably have any other
black queer people around them, and like being in a
space where it's like you look to your left and
to your right and then you see like in front
of you what your future can be. It's just like chilling.
And there were so many moments with that. People were
(02:44):
just coming up to me and like I've been reposting
on my Instagram all these like recap videos and their
experiences and how everyone just is like I am full,
Like I have never felt more seen and I've always
get so nervous about stuff where I'm like, oh my god,
I just hope people can tell that we like put
like our heart and the tears into this thing, like
(03:08):
hours on hours of just like workshopping, well what makes sense,
like what conversation should go here and there?
Speaker 2 (03:15):
It just was beautiful.
Speaker 1 (03:16):
And to be honest, I feel like it like unlocked
something in myself where it's like I was reminded. I
was like, oh my god, I can do the unthinkable.
Are like the impossible, Like I can't run something that
of this caliber and be like when I tell you
I was a white girl with my iPad to my
ham chat, I was I.
Speaker 2 (03:36):
Felt like I was running a bitch.
Speaker 1 (03:38):
I could have ran for president, So I said, next time,
I'm getting you a headset because you're giving like like
Britney spear. They were called me Riot spears because I
was like literally just like corporate Baddy giving stage manager teams,
which shout out to Ryan in theater in high school.
All your hard stage manager work paid off.
Speaker 3 (04:00):
It worked out, girl, That sounds so beautiful.
Speaker 2 (04:04):
It was. It was great.
Speaker 3 (04:07):
Wait, so was number one? Was this the first of
its kind? Is is this like the first year that
it's been on or was this just like your first
time getting to run all of it?
Speaker 2 (04:16):
Well, it is not its first time.
Speaker 1 (04:18):
The first the Inaugria year was in twenty twenty three,
and I was just a part of the planning committee,
right Like I.
Speaker 2 (04:24):
Was just like a small piece.
Speaker 1 (04:26):
There was like our leaders, you know, the actual people
in charge day Sean Usher and Julian Walker were actually
leading us. But this time they were like, hey, do
you and my good friend shar want to like co
lead on this? And I was like yeah, oh yeahs Like.
Speaker 3 (04:43):
Why not, My plate's already overflowing, but I might as well, yes, girl.
Real And thing number two though, Ryan is you were
like this had all of like the black Queer Industry
Leaders Summit. Bitch, where the fuck was my first?
Speaker 2 (05:00):
Of all, you be busy one minute.
Speaker 1 (05:05):
One minute you in New York, one minute you're in Denver,
one minute you're in timbuk to Florida.
Speaker 2 (05:10):
I don't know where to hell you be in sometimes.
Speaker 1 (05:13):
But please know if we did get to do this again,
I for sure one I want us to have a
high key moment at the summit, like the next time.
You know, I'm brainstorming. But it's just it was beautiful.
I love doing shit for us in a really beautiful way.
Speaker 2 (05:30):
Like it just it.
Speaker 1 (05:31):
Makes me happy because I just never in a million
years thought I would ever be able to do that,
especially because I was told like my queerness was unacceptable
and was never going to like take me anywhere.
Speaker 2 (05:43):
And I've just proven everybody fucking wrong.
Speaker 4 (05:46):
Girl.
Speaker 2 (05:48):
How was your weekend? Though?
Speaker 3 (05:50):
It was so wild? It was pretty wild. I was
working on a couple of projects, shooting a couple things.
Speaker 2 (06:00):
Wow, yeah, the secrecy.
Speaker 3 (06:02):
Projects and things. You know, if you like music, you
know That's all I'm gonna say about that. But I
also I went and did a couple of shows down
in North Carolina.
Speaker 2 (06:16):
Really, have you ever been to North Carolina.
Speaker 3 (06:18):
I've got I got family in Raleigh, so I've been
for like family reunions as a kid and being like, wow,
great food, y'all have a beach. This is so cool,
I will say, being there at this time and and
this this gay it was definitely a little bit of
a different experience, especially because I was running late like
(06:42):
I do, like I am, Like I was painting on
the plane, so already like, okay, this is gonna be
an interesting thing.
Speaker 2 (06:51):
I have a question. Why do they do that to you?
Speaker 1 (06:53):
Why do they like book your your travel like was
that day of or something like where you have to
get straight off the plane and then go right there.
Speaker 3 (07:00):
It's not even like they they don't. I will say,
my management, my agents, and all the promoters I've worked
with usually are very very understanding and try and get
me out in a reasonable amount of time. The problem
I've been running into is I have just been like
a step behind in everything. So, like I said, I was,
(07:21):
I was on set shooting something all day like the
day before, and had that night to like pack and
get ready to fly out early early in the morning,
and I could not make my original flight, so I
had changed it till the next closest thing was like,
all right, girl, You're just gonna be who you are.
Speaker 2 (07:42):
He's just going you gonna make it happen.
Speaker 3 (07:44):
Girl, bitch the way I was like literally all day
painting in cars in a train station that I was
supposed to be catching a train on, but she was
running late. I like left my phone at the Pride
festival I was at. Oh, I had to take an
uber from Greensboro to Charlotte, which is like a two
(08:06):
hour ride. And when I tell you, this man pulled
up with little crossstickers like on all of his windows
with the American flag print on it. And here I
am in like full full t girl tranny standing in
the bathroom to scare your daughter face like oh god, oh.
Speaker 2 (08:27):
God, so did your like heart sink?
Speaker 1 (08:30):
When this man like rides up and with probably Confederate
flags all over his car, It's like, oh what happened?
Speaker 2 (08:38):
How awkward was the uber ride? Is what I'm asking.
Speaker 3 (08:42):
I'm I want to take a second and say I've
got the right career here in podcasting because I'm a
good ass conversationalist. I mean, he talked to me first.
I'm sitting there in full clear as day night drag
and he's like, so, what you doing down here? And
I was like, I'm a drag artist and a performer.
(09:05):
And he was like, oh, why are you going from
here to there? And I was like, you know, I
was essentially like a glorified birthday clown in the daytime,
but now that I'm going where adults are, I'm gonna
be a birthday clown who's a stripper. And he did
not crack a smile.
Speaker 2 (09:21):
He was like, what in the DVA? Let me start praying? Right? Yeah?
Speaker 3 (09:26):
I quickly readjusted.
Speaker 2 (09:27):
I was like, you said wrong crown, wrong cra Actually.
Speaker 3 (09:30):
Mostly just there to do comedy. I'm a comedian.
Speaker 2 (09:34):
And he was like.
Speaker 3 (09:38):
And then proceeded to talk to me about how he
moved there from across the country because he didn't like
how liberal the place he was was getting. And I
was like, okay, girl, we're gonna talk about the Bible,
we're gonna talk about Christianity, we're gonna talk about how
the world is not a place he likes. And you
know what, I held my own. I had a really
great conversation with him about spiritual So I.
Speaker 2 (10:00):
Had like a really constructive come like you know back
and forth.
Speaker 3 (10:04):
I mean, I think as constructive as it could have
been for a professional deviant and somebody who was literally
moving their wife and kids across the country to.
Speaker 2 (10:17):
Get away from people like you.
Speaker 1 (10:18):
Oh yeah, literally, the fact that like you were sitting
right in his backseat is like insane to me.
Speaker 3 (10:28):
Wow, we just talked about the Bible.
Speaker 2 (10:30):
Girl, What did you feel leaving it?
Speaker 3 (10:32):
What did I feel leaving it? Oh my god, I'm
so glad to be here at a gay club. Oh
the way I ate that shit up. I was partying
with the girls.
Speaker 2 (10:42):
I love the case.
Speaker 3 (10:44):
Yeah, I had been dead after Pride. I was like, oh,
this is exhausting, I'm going to be late to the
next place. But and then having that car ride, I
was like tense, And the second I saw faggotry, I
knew I was home again.
Speaker 1 (10:58):
So to bring me back to the and chaos, that's
like injected into my veins.
Speaker 3 (11:04):
Girl, shout out to all the queers legit living in
places where I know the world might be a little
bit more aggressive against us, but y'all are some of
the best people because you know how to deal with
the bullshit.
Speaker 1 (11:16):
Speaking of queers, we have one joining us today. Who
is one of your sisters who I'm so excited about. Honestly,
when you think of Mogul, you think of her. Kim
Chi from Ruepaul's Drag Race is joining us right after this.
Speaker 2 (11:34):
Hike.
Speaker 1 (11:37):
Now we've had a ton of queens on the show,
but here's this is a queen that I think about
when I think about Empire and drag Race. There's only
two queens that come to mind. And to be honest,
she's not number two. You know her as RuPaul's Drag
Race legend, the ultimate makeup Mogul and then of course
one of the most iconic fashion queens to ever hit
(11:58):
the scene. She's fears, she's iconic, she's funny, she's all
the things.
Speaker 2 (12:02):
Welcome to high key kim Chi Sation.
Speaker 4 (12:19):
Thank you for having me. Oh my god, want to
build a Hopefully I live up to some dramatic introduction.
Speaker 3 (12:26):
Oh my god. As if girl, that was like cut
in half your your story, your lower goes like ten
ten times longer. It'd be like Kimchi.
Speaker 2 (12:36):
It's longer than a CBS receipt.
Speaker 4 (12:38):
Girl, Yeah, which where you can actually protest my makeup?
Speaker 1 (12:43):
Yeah, that is exactly why I said the plug.
Speaker 2 (12:46):
I thought, I pete game. I'm a journalist. I did that.
Speaker 1 (12:49):
Yeah, no, thank you so much for coming on the show.
You know, I have always loved with doing the show
with ev one as a fan of like Grace, but
too as like someone that gets to sit alongside so
many big queen personalities and just legends. I get to
be like the kids sitting at the adult table, right,
(13:10):
Like I get to find out all the lore and
the tea and be like the fly on the wall,
and so it's just it's really fabulous.
Speaker 2 (13:16):
How have you been? Let's start there. How have you been?
How's everything you know? SOM's going on in the world.
How are you?
Speaker 3 (13:22):
Yeah, girl, how's your soul? How are your holes?
Speaker 4 (13:26):
You know, on a personal level or professional level, you know,
like I feel great because obviously, like I have my
books coming out, everybody's been loving with makeup brand, so
that's going good on a personal level, you know, Like
I think the word right now is survival. Yeah, for sure,
(13:46):
Like every day I log into social media and there's
just nothing but terrible news. But then also like I
don't have like the luxury of like not logging to
social media because you know, like it's what we do
for work, literally your job.
Speaker 3 (13:58):
Yeah see, but that's why I'm just like bad at
my job, is true, but also like have you ever
been good at drag?
Speaker 4 (14:05):
You know, I'm kidding, I'm kidding.
Speaker 2 (14:06):
I'm kidding.
Speaker 3 (14:07):
Girl, don't even yeah, don't even start like you don't
get like you're kidding. No, she's not this bitch at
like at five years of sharing random dressing rooms with her,
and she only ever has nice things to say behind
people's back.
Speaker 4 (14:22):
It's also true, but I say I'm not kissing as
just because like I'm on your podcast and get ready,
ev I'm gonna expose you. Evie is one of the
best queens to tour, would because like she is so
professional and she's so sweet, but also like she's great
in a sense where because you know, some girls they
(14:43):
get very clinging on tour and then they get very
like all up in your business, you know, like Evie.
You can like talk and hang out with her and
have fun, but then also she goes and like does
her own thing, you know, like catch up with your
own time.
Speaker 3 (14:55):
Yeah, girl, because I'm still trying to get late. Like
that's that's the thing about hanging with all the roof
bitches is like people are like, oh my god, it
must be so cool to chill with the girls and
blah blah blah Kikiki, And I know they're divas who
are literally always like attached to somebody else. But I
realized that number one, I don't like drag queens that much.
Speaker 4 (15:16):
I get it, I get it absolutely understandable.
Speaker 3 (15:20):
And number two, I'm trying to fuck and nobody is
like out here trying to jump in our pants. If
they see us in a gaggle of us, they're like,
oh yeah, it's like it's like trying to hunt a
rhinoceros or some other metaphor.
Speaker 1 (15:33):
Well, the crazy thing is I mean, honestly, I'm surprised
Kim that you have time when on tour, which you
do do a lot, to hang out with the queens,
because it's like I would think in your spare time
you are full on business, corporate baddy like you like,
it's it's just you came straight out of Drag Race
in such a swing, Like, yes, you went on the
(15:55):
show and you had a platform, followers, all the things,
But I guess, how did you think was the key
to establishing your post Drag Race career.
Speaker 4 (16:03):
So after a while I was in drag race, I
was like filling my calendar completely. I don't want to
see an empty day. I want to like work, work, work,
and you know, like save up much as much money
as possible. And I was doing that for like several years.
I was like never home. But then it kind of
like took a toll on my like physical and mental health,
you know, like I like used to go to like
(16:26):
gym regularly, but then I just like stopped working out
because I am sure, you know, like after like getting
on a plane getting somewhere new and then like getting
asleep to like catch up, and then doing the gig
late at nights, like who.
Speaker 2 (16:38):
Has time for that shit?
Speaker 3 (16:40):
And carrying three fifty pound luggages everywhere you go.
Speaker 1 (16:44):
Exactly which I would assume also a little side No,
I would assume that that is also a form of cardio.
You are, y'all suitcase and carrying that shit around y'all
are lifting at least fifty to sixty pounds a bag,
that is true.
Speaker 4 (16:58):
And then on top of that, and this is not
me like complaining at all. I'm very happy for like
the opportunities and things. And then because like I'm always
out of town. You just naturally like fall out of
touch with your friend's home, and then when you're actually home,
you're like two tireds do you don't want to do anything?
And then everybody just assumes that, like you're always out
of town. Then you stop getting invited to things. Yeah,
(17:20):
so I'm just like.
Speaker 3 (17:21):
And people ask you, oh my god, girl, when did
you move.
Speaker 4 (17:24):
To LA And You're like, and then all the conversation
is like, so, how is the tour? And I'm like,
I mean, I mean, it's great, you know, but also like,
do you really want to hear about my work girl?
Speaker 2 (17:36):
And do you also want to talk about your work
after doing the thing?
Speaker 3 (17:39):
My favorite thing is that like how is the tour?
Speaker 4 (17:42):
Is like the.
Speaker 3 (17:42):
Question that like any random person who like knows you
and wants to like get to know you a little
better will ask. They'll be like, oh my god, girl,
how's the tour? And you're like, actually, it's COVID and
I haven't been doing anything, but.
Speaker 1 (17:57):
Well, because I'm assuming tour is just a lot of
traveling to the next city you go and stay like
you're prepping. You're sitting around prepping, like dress rehearsals kind
of take us behind the scenes of like a tour moment.
Speaker 4 (18:10):
So everybody is on a different journey in tour. So
I will tell you routine of some of the girls
and then what I personally do.
Speaker 3 (18:18):
Yeah, yeah, tell us what those other bitches do and
why you're better.
Speaker 4 (18:21):
So I realize everybody's tour routine. It's really dependent on
each queen's reliance on substance. So there's the drinkers, and
then there's the stoners, and then there's like the straight
edge girls, and then there's the girls who are all
up the above.
Speaker 2 (18:41):
Say their names.
Speaker 4 (18:42):
You know, I'm not gonna say ny names. I don't
calling anybody out, but the ones that are drinkers, I
feel like they sleep all day and then they wake
up in time to get ready for the show, and
then do the show, and then go out to the
clubs and then party until like it's time to come
back to the bus, and then they come back to
the bus and just drinking until like dawn or whatever,
and then they passed out and then rinse and repeat.
Speaker 3 (19:05):
Girls some of them, like some of those bitches. I
always thought the most exhausting thing about tour was that
you want to hang out with the divos, so you're like, yeah,
I'm gonna hang out with the drinkers. You're out till
three am, and then those bitches are up the next
morning and we're like, yeah, we went shopping. Hate that.
Speaker 2 (19:21):
I don't see how y'all can do it. This is
crazy working in night life.
Speaker 1 (19:24):
I mean I went out this weekend for one night
and I stayed out till like four am, and immediately
the next day I felt like I needed to be
admitted into the hospital. I was like, I can't breathe,
I'm I'm hurting, I'm about to throw up. I did
throw up. I just don't how y'all can do it?
Like it just I also have no voice, Like this
is That's why I don't do it, you know. That's
(19:45):
why I like a drink, and that's why I don't
like really do anything. You know, Like if I stay
up till two am, my entire like weakest ruined now.
Speaker 2 (19:55):
Period.
Speaker 1 (19:56):
So your your kind of routine is the complete opposite
of what you just listed.
Speaker 4 (20:01):
So like, I'm I'm a morning person.
Speaker 3 (20:03):
She's the straight edge bitch.
Speaker 4 (20:05):
Yeah, I mean, what in reason?
Speaker 2 (20:07):
You know?
Speaker 4 (20:07):
But like I don't really like do anything. So I
just like to go to bed like before midnight and
then make up at like seven am, and then like
go to the gym like goal, explore to town like
we're on errands, and then like do work.
Speaker 3 (20:20):
I love that you like opened up by saying how
much you like touring with me, because also not kissing
your ass, you are one of my favorite people to
tour with. Oh, Like there's just like some like sense
of adventure and or like actually taking advantage of like
what you get to do in the moment that you're there.
(20:43):
And there's this energy that drag queens get when we're
all around where we either are all like chit chatting
king like ahha gospas blah blah blah blah blah, Oh
the hell yeah her way blah blah blah, or we're
bitching about things like fuck tour, fuck that fan, fuck
you know, fuck these eyelashes, fuck this, fuck my job.
Speaker 1 (21:05):
Yeah, it's like one of those conversations where if only
the like the lost could talk.
Speaker 4 (21:10):
You know, because we spent so much time with each other,
Like you have to find a balance of like having
fun but then also like learning to like get people
like their space.
Speaker 3 (21:19):
Yeah, but that's why I feel like you have some
of the best balance. Like I never would have thought
I would have fallen in love with I specifically remember
in Asia, you were like my saving grace in Asia
because I was excited to go to Asia for the
first time, excited to be with all these girls I
hadn't worked with, and then there was you in Aquaria
(21:41):
and I was like, okay, sweet, yeah, yeah, they're good
girls or whatever. I was so shocked when we were
all throughout Asia and every city and not one of
the bitches wanted to go and do anything. They were like, no,
I'm just gonna stay in my hotel room and eat
McDonald's for the fifth day in a row.
Speaker 4 (21:59):
I'm like, that feels me codd if I was a queen,
if I'm an Aisha, like, I will not waste my
time in Asia into second hotel room. You know. I
want to eat new things and I want to like see.
Speaker 3 (22:09):
Places, right, And I feel like I was shocked because
I spent the most time on that little mini tour
with like you and Aquaria actually going around eating things,
going places, having adventures, and I realized that drag queens suck.
Speaker 2 (22:29):
I can I totally get that.
Speaker 1 (22:30):
I think y'all, y'all have gotten so many really incredible
opportunities to like travel internationally in the ways that you
have where it's like, yes, you want, especially in those
early days, you want to take those moments and like
explore and.
Speaker 2 (22:43):
Do these once in a lifetime opportunities.
Speaker 1 (22:45):
But then on the other side, I can see a
piece where like someone might just be a little like
overwhelmed or exhausted, and like I just be like, I
can't if y'all want me to perform the way I
need to perform, I need to like conserve my energy.
So it feels like a little bit of a balance
when you're a choring.
Speaker 3 (23:03):
Well girl, I get that part, Like that's for real.
I think that's what Kim was just talking about. Is
like also, we went back to our hotel rooms. We
had our space. This sword was like a blessing too,
because they're well I can't say that in this order,
but there was a typhoon that gave us like three
(23:23):
or four extra days off. So we had days off
in a country where I know none of these bitches
had ever been to. Like you had time to chill
and rest, and then you had time to like go
do something and legit. The most that I remember bitches
doing were like, yeah, we went to a bar and
got drunk.
Speaker 4 (23:47):
And also like a lot of my experience, especially traveling abroad,
is experiencing the food in that culture. So then I'll
be I'm going to get this food. Anyone's welcome to join,
and most people don't join, but ev he's always down
to join and come on these like food adventures with me.
And then she like eats everything order and she like
enjoys it genuinely, not performatively, right, no.
Speaker 3 (24:09):
Girl, because it's it's dope. And honestly, it feels like
I'm so spoiled when I'm with you, because I'm like,
when the fuck am I ever going to be in
a country where somebody, even if they don't speak the language,
knows what that thing is on the menu.
Speaker 2 (24:23):
You have a tour guide for sure.
Speaker 1 (24:26):
And I think there's just an appreciation like being a
personal color here, like anytime you go somewhere else, like
you're like immersed in culture, there's an appreciation for that, right,
Like it's never going to feel necessarily performative. And I
think that's why you two probably really bonded as well
during that time. But I guess when you're when did
(24:48):
you start working on Kimchi Beauty, Like when were you
doing all of that like pre work while you were
touring and you were taking calls and meetings while you
were like eating whatever with the Like what what was
that tact? Like?
Speaker 4 (25:02):
Oh?
Speaker 2 (25:02):
Pretty much?
Speaker 4 (25:02):
Yeah, I mean when drag queens tell you like, oh girl,
I'm so busy, I'm so busy. Sure, yes, we are busy,
but also we are not busy at the same time,
if that makes sense. Like we are very busy, like
traveling and going to places, but then there's also like
a lot of downtime in between. And I'm sure Eve's
heard this phrase, you know, like rush to wait around
(25:26):
like a lot of times, like we're like rushing, rushing
to get ready, and then after we get ready and
we're like, all right, it'll be like four hours before
you're on stage.
Speaker 2 (25:32):
Oh sure, I understand that too.
Speaker 1 (25:34):
Of like hosting live events where you're just like have
to be there at like noon in the events, not
until seven.
Speaker 2 (25:43):
Yeah, you're just sitting around.
Speaker 4 (25:45):
So there's always time to like work on things. As
far as kim Chhike Beauty, I was working on it
for a good year before we launched it, and then
my cookbooks and my young adult novel. It'spending the work
for two years before it's finally like seeing the light.
So we worked on it for a long time.
Speaker 3 (26:05):
Yeah, bitch, you're just like always doing things. I think
it's really interesting because to me, you come from the
season that sort of represents like the end of I'm
gonna say a golden era of drag Race. And it's
not because I'm saying like, oh, the show was better,
like the queens were better. I think there was something
(26:27):
about the culture that still was allowing drag queens to
take risks in new directions like the first person in
fashion magazines, the first person you know in TV or film,
or doing a stand up tour. And I would argue
that literally, season eleven, the one that I was on,
(26:49):
was the beginning of our modern drag race, where it
was like, okay, girl, there's like three other drag races
going on right now. You pick and choose what you're doing,
and they're more limited opportunities. I'd say to really like
carve out your lane. If you just got on, what
would what do you think of Like the bitches who
are coming off of these like last couple of seasons.
Speaker 4 (27:12):
You know, it's like a double edged sword because like
in the earlier seasons, like a lot of times, like
you have to be like pioneers to do like anything
when it comes to like putting out content or things
like like wide and now I feel like there's like
a blueprint for all the queens to follow. But then
also there's not much like individual in terms like coming
up with like things they do. I feel like before
(27:33):
the queens will like harve out their like own niche
and spaces, you know, like queens will like start like
djaying and circuit parties, or they will like they will
like curate these parties or like curate like just tough music.
And now I'm like, all right, here's the cat's reveal,
all right, here's my merch all right, here's my own
club gigs. All right, here's you know, and then even
like the termes of like mercy released, like all right,
(27:55):
here's my shirt and a pin.
Speaker 2 (27:57):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (28:00):
You really see, like a queen's like breaking boundaries in
terms of like what they offer to the audience aside
from the generic like one two three, Like yeah, here's
my photo shoots. Here's my shirt, here's you know. Yeah,
it doesn't make sense.
Speaker 3 (28:16):
Have you always had such like a forward mind about it?
Speaker 2 (28:19):
Though?
Speaker 3 (28:20):
Like where does this entrepreneurial ship come from? This like
business mind? Because you came out right after drag Race
with what was your song called, like drag Race song,
drag Race Ruegirl Bop?
Speaker 4 (28:31):
Oh, it was called single are you ready.
Speaker 2 (28:36):
For My Single?
Speaker 1 (28:37):
I know?
Speaker 4 (28:50):
So around that time, every Drag Race finalist was releasing music,
you know, literally, and some were good and some were
not things that I would choose to listen to. So
it was just like, how did you go from like
live singing at clubs to I mean, and there are
drag queens that are great singers, you know, but like
(29:10):
not all of them were great singers that were like
releasing these music. So I'm like, let me pokepon at
this like system of like drag queens feeling like they
have to release music when they become a finalist.
Speaker 1 (29:20):
Yeah, that's a blueprint that was like set up for
RuPaul like herself.
Speaker 4 (29:25):
Yeah, it makes sense because RuPaul had been releasing music
like all of his life. Yeah, so I reached out
to a producer and I said, I want you to
make me the worst song that you could possibly make,
and let's create something terrible together. So then we did it,
and then I put in iTunes. So it was basically
like a joke that people were paying ninety nine cents for.
Speaker 3 (29:44):
But listen, girl, it's worth it.
Speaker 4 (29:46):
It's a bob And basically it was a song about
how I won't release a single. I don't know. I
thought it was cam you know, it was profitable.
Speaker 1 (30:04):
Even to go to your earlier point, ev, I do
think there is something there was something really special about.
Speaker 2 (30:10):
Like that Logo era, like Groupaus Drag Race.
Speaker 1 (30:15):
Right, there's just when it started to move over, which
into the VH one and then then the MTV, there
was a moment where you you feel like, well.
Speaker 2 (30:25):
Did we just take something out of the recipe.
Speaker 4 (30:27):
So I personally think like it's not necessarily like logo
per se, but doing regular season and All Star every
year is I think, which is great. It's constantly creating
more content and is giving more Queen's opportunities, but then
also it's kind of giving like an exhaustion where before,
at least around like my season to run that time,
(30:48):
even just like regular season cast announcements was a big deal,
and then the bars do like cast announcement parties, and
then East Queen like all the fans will like look
up all their content and there's like so much like
build up and like which we're going to be on? Also,
like every year was like who's gonna be get on?
Like which Queen's disappear from? Like your town? Yeah, but
now it's kind of like all right, she's gone. All right,
(31:09):
that's cool. Yeah, it's good for her girls, you know.
And then queens will purposely like going to hiding around
like filming time just to like create a high for
themselves and you know, like and now it's kind of
like all right, I guess it's gonna be in next season,
dusk fool.
Speaker 1 (31:22):
Were you prepared for when you got on drag Race?
Like what did you feel like you were? You were
ready for what it was going to be like opening
up for yourself, right because you did have a ton
of followers like I mentioned before, But even then, I
feel like influencer culture was different, Like I don't even
know if there was like still like there were the
(31:42):
brand deals and the like the bigger opportunities that you
can see now. So like were you prepared for kind
of like being cats pulled it into like such a
mainstream way, in such a defining way.
Speaker 4 (31:53):
I knew it was going to be like a big
opportunity for me and possibly one of the biggest opportunity
I get in my lifetime. So I was just trying
to monopolize it as much as possible. That's why I like,
as soon as I came back, I'm like, all right,
I'm going to have like photoshoots up like all my
office like ready to go. So then like it's not
like discreached us from the show that people share around,
but it's the photoshoots that people like share for things.
(32:14):
Because I know, like all these fan accounts like always repostings.
I want to have like merch that goes with like
every episode like that may sense, you know. And also
I wanted to create merch that wasn't like a generic
thing but like actually cool like iconography that people want
to wear it even if they didn't know who I was.
So I came prepared.
Speaker 3 (32:34):
You also came out of out of like some very
special period of time for drag and the drag culture
where I will say Chicago specifically as a scene was
creating platforms for drag artists around the country, Like everybody
I knew followed, like kim Chi followed Tricksy followed Shay,
(32:57):
and we're paying attention to these things.
Speaker 4 (32:59):
So it was.
Speaker 3 (33:00):
Interesting because that was a point in time where being
an influencer, content creator, whatever the fuck it was called
them kind of kind of.
Speaker 2 (33:08):
Work for sure.
Speaker 4 (33:09):
Yeah, there was like a renaissance in like the Chicago
draag scene at that time. There were like create so
many crazy parties happening all the Chicagos were like it
was like a friendly competition where you were trying to
like up one another with the craziest like looks and
performance ideas possible. And I don't know why, like so
many of the Chicago queens get overlooked into casting. Nowadays,
(33:31):
Chicago is like a great city for like up and
coming artists because the living cost for a main city
is very low. But it's also easy to get around
with the public transit. The city you stuff, is very clean.
I mean, Chicago has its problems too, but you know
where in America doesn't have problems nowadays?
Speaker 3 (33:48):
You know, Yeah, all you don't need to tell me, I.
Speaker 4 (33:52):
Mean, if you don't need to get to politics because
it will like send me spiraling too.
Speaker 2 (33:57):
I know.
Speaker 3 (33:58):
Right, wait, let's let's get into something that will spiral
you in the other direction then, because I'm actually really
excited about your cookbook. You are a foodie. You go
around the world like trying all of these things, searching out.
Kim will like take you on a fucking journey.
Speaker 1 (34:16):
Which I love a girl that knows, like if you
go to a city, she knows exactly where to go
a food wise and like has done the research.
Speaker 2 (34:24):
Because that's that's the type of girl. You need a
friend group.
Speaker 4 (34:26):
And I always like to say, like when we are
in a new stadium, I'm like, this is where I'm going.
You're welcome to join me. If you can't eat like
this in this type of food, yeah, because they will
not mix substitutions here. Blah blah blah. Give me everybody
run down. And then people came and then you know
a lot of times people are happy.
Speaker 3 (34:43):
I'd say, so like even if not, you know, I
think it's nice to do something that isn't just going
to them all. What do you think your like relationship
with food like really stems from, because like obviously you've
got like a food name you are sharing sharing a
new cookbook? What the world like?
Speaker 4 (35:01):
I think my relationship with food comes from me constantly
needing new stimulation. What are that? It's like a new
flavor and new texture and things. When I was young
and growing up, and every time a new ethnic restaurant
would open up in my small town Michigan that I
grew up in, I would save up all my allowance
to go try it because I was like so fascinated
(35:22):
by like the way different places cook their food and
the ingredients they use. Yeah, and now I'm too, like
if I go to a restaurant and if I see
something that I've never tried before, like I would, I
always have to order it, no matter like how hungry
you were, like full I am, You're like, I.
Speaker 3 (35:37):
Still got to see what she's gonna do.
Speaker 1 (35:39):
It seems like your love for food really started in
such a positive way. But then I think about what
happens to you internally when, especially if you've lived in
a bigger body and the world will not be scared
or shy to tell you that we hate your fat body.
Speaker 2 (36:00):
Did did your relationship to.
Speaker 1 (36:02):
Food change when you became one in the public eye,
and then two you felt like, Oh, I'm this fat
person that is like talking about my love for food
when everyone is telling me to do the opposite, which
is not eat.
Speaker 4 (36:15):
That is so funny you bring that up because for
a while I was like ashamed to like post any
like food that I eat because every time like a
picture of me get posted, there would always be a comments.
And it's still to nowadays. There's always a comment about
my weight whate are like I've lost weight, where I've
gained weight, there's always someone posting about my weight. And
(36:35):
I'm like, yeah, I'm here like trying to share like
this beautiful dish that I like, I got to enjoy
and it shut with and you know, like what in
your focus is on wheter like I'm fat or skinnier?
You know, girl, I feel like maybe just something that
I'm going to like dealer for the rest of my life.
It's almost as if like my art and like the
things I like doesn't have a merit if my weight isn't.
Speaker 3 (36:57):
Like tagged on at the end.
Speaker 4 (37:00):
Yes, certain, I feel like yeah, and also like like
a lot of my opinion towards like food becomes it
feels invalidated if I'm not skinny, enough. But then if
I'm skinny, then I'm like, oh, what does she know
about food?
Speaker 2 (37:14):
You know? Yeah?
Speaker 4 (37:15):
After at some point, you know, I just have to
like not worry about what our people are going to
sink and just do what I like.
Speaker 1 (37:23):
That has to be so conflicting though, when you're trying to,
like when the thing that you're the passion, because when
you talk about food, there is like a passion. Like
I'm a Top Chef girly. I love watching Top Chef
because of how beautiful like the food looks and like
the experience. Not because I want to eat everything, but
just because of like this beautiful examination of cultures that
(37:44):
I may not have grown up in are have seen and.
Speaker 3 (37:48):
It's or their fancy kitchens. They have really nice kitchens.
Speaker 1 (37:51):
Yeah, and the kitchens, but it's it is just something
I would imagine how conflicting it would feel trying to
pursue like and what has become a potential like epithot
for you out of drag spaces, and I may even
emerge into like bringing the two together. How conflicted that
could be sometimes when there are so many comments about
(38:11):
your body and and how it's changed or hasn't changed,
and like even on top of the noise that you
are probably even internally going through about your own body.
Speaker 4 (38:21):
You know, if there's one thing I learned very quickly
if they're going on drag race, that if you constantly
worry about what other people think about you, you'll never
want to do anything because there will always someone just
hating on something you do. Some people just don't like you,
and that's absolutely okay. So and this is something like
I still, you know, have to like learn. It's just
like I just have to do what I like to do,
(38:43):
and I will choose to share if I want to share,
and if people don't like it whatever. I can't worry
every second in my life what other people think about
me anymore. Like life is too short. I just have
to eat the things I want to eat, share what
I want to share.
Speaker 3 (38:58):
And comment mean things under other queen's posts. Slash post
pictures of their noses and chins and grown neck hairs.
Speaker 4 (39:06):
And never make fun of people's physical appearance.
Speaker 2 (39:09):
No, you don't have to.
Speaker 3 (39:10):
You just take the worst unflattering pictures of bitches and
then just share it with the world.
Speaker 4 (39:15):
I think they're very flattering. So I think it's crazy
that you are. I think these on beautiful photos of
my sisters are absolutely unflattering. That is kind of crazy.
I'm actually seeing them from like their best angle, and
then you trying to guesslight me into sinking their own flattering.
Oh that is crazy.
Speaker 3 (39:35):
You make me so scared to fall asleep or under
because I know she like will get up in there,
she will get like the tongue rolling out.
Speaker 2 (39:43):
Oh I've heard about this that well. I remember.
Speaker 1 (39:46):
I feel like I've heard Naomi talking about like people
would be so annoyed on y'all season because y'all would
be taking these flattering photos.
Speaker 4 (39:53):
I mean also about them. We were so young and
we were like menaces, you know, like if you're still
immatured and just like.
Speaker 3 (40:02):
You know, I mean, are you a different bitch now
because you're you've been on tour with work the world
for Yeah?
Speaker 4 (40:08):
Now, I just I just don't care any to anyone
just said I ever heard in the past by taking
unflattering photos of you that I think is very flattering,
Get over it.
Speaker 1 (40:21):
Wow, I thought there was gonna be some accountability camp.
Speaker 3 (40:27):
That is not how she got here.
Speaker 1 (40:29):
So I do I do wonder when you are on
tour you know, people comment about your style of drag performance,
and I wonder, do you do you think you're a
good drag like lip singer, like a drag performer. Do
you think that's your strongest to.
Speaker 4 (40:53):
Wow?
Speaker 3 (40:55):
Oh yeah, go for the cutting ones.
Speaker 4 (40:57):
Yeah. Absolutely, I think I'm the best there is work
that's a drag question.
Speaker 3 (41:04):
Y'all light to yourself until it's true.
Speaker 1 (41:07):
You know.
Speaker 3 (41:08):
No, Actually, Kim, I don't think you get enough credit
for like literally being like one of the tallest people
I've ever seen, still not really chickening out, like when
you wear a heel, it's usually a pretty real heel,
and then like also having the most ridiculously big, billowing
bullshit outfits in front of you. And people are like,
(41:29):
Kim's not dancing, and I'm like, yeah, cause she's a
piece of art. Girl.
Speaker 2 (41:33):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (41:33):
Some people like I think I saw you? Do you
do you do it? Adal number?
Speaker 4 (41:38):
Oh Mariah carry that.
Speaker 1 (41:39):
I was like, I think I saw you because I
saw the big blonde hair, and I was like, it's
either way, like I I personally have when I've seen
you perform, I think you eat, but it's it's just
nice to hear you straight on, you know, answer that
question because so many people have opinions today.
Speaker 4 (42:00):
I don't know. I actually don't read. I don't read
the comments because I like don't I don't want to
get into speed up again, like wondering like what other
people are thinking about me. I just had to like
get on stage and then do it and do what
makes me feel good. And if you don't like it,
get over it.
Speaker 3 (42:18):
Can I be more personal then? Because I all of
that just reminded me one of my core memories of
learning how to be a rude girl or whatever going
on my first tour. I won't ever forget like sewing
and hot gluing together a finale outfit like the day
of like the opening or something, or like the biggest show.
Maybe it was in La and then my outfit fell
(42:40):
apart on stage.
Speaker 2 (42:43):
Like on purpose.
Speaker 3 (42:44):
No, no, because it was hot.
Speaker 4 (42:46):
It was it was a tool a dress. But then
you just like tied it around your waist and it
just like fell apart in stage.
Speaker 3 (42:54):
Yeah, and then you ate ship on my on my tool.
Speaker 4 (42:59):
Yeah I didn't see really, Yeah, just like slipped. It
was like a big tool that was just like on stage.
Speaker 2 (43:06):
Sounds like sabotage to me.
Speaker 3 (43:08):
No, I just knew that we were probably never gonna
speak again. I was like, Kim always gets so much
shit about like walking in heels, this that, this, that
we are at LA, big fancy lights are like in
her face, and then my messy us trips her with
all my tool.
Speaker 4 (43:25):
I mean, I'm not mad at you because you didn't
do it in like intentionally, Like I was more like
mad at the situation, you know.
Speaker 3 (43:31):
Like I cannot believe they crowned this messy bitch.
Speaker 4 (43:36):
But also like that that's what made you unique.
Speaker 1 (43:38):
You know, that was a really nice compliment of saying,
yes you are a messy bitch.
Speaker 4 (43:44):
Look, that's what we love about EV. Like I don't.
I don't want everyone to see like patch and Polish
gons form MeV. I want to see like punk like
fun looks that she like curates that no one else
could would err And I.
Speaker 1 (43:57):
Think the reason why I bring up the whole drag
performance of it all is because I think, well, even
when we watch seasons now, I think fans think you have.
Speaker 2 (44:05):
To do like a flip are a pop number?
Speaker 1 (44:09):
Are all the theatrics to make a great drag performer. And
I think we've historically seeing that that's just simply not
the case. And I just I wonder your thoughts around
how people because of modern drag race are taking in
the ways that they feel like drag race, our drag
queen should be performing.
Speaker 4 (44:28):
So personally, when I go to a drug show, and
I can't speak on anybody else, but this is personally
what I want to see when I go to a
drug show. I don't want to see like ten queens
all just bucking and turning. I want to see like
comedy queen tell like a funny joke. I want to
see like a loo queen turn like a beautiful look
to like a beautiful song. I want to see like
a dancing queen, like bucking and turning, you know. I
(44:50):
want to see like a crazy like alternative queen doing
some something punk rock. I want to see a variety,
you know. And I feel like and each queen has
like their own color and style. I don't care what
you do. It doesn't matter what your specialty is, as
long as you commit to it and do it well,
you know. And obviously everyone is like different expectations of
(45:12):
like what a good performance should be, you know. But
if you know your lane and if you like commit
to the lane, you know, like I I'd love done.
Speaker 3 (45:21):
Okay, Okay, that was really sweet of you. But now
I want to hear a pet peeve, Like what's something
that like does when you go to a drag show,
you watch that and you're like, this stupid bitch.
Speaker 4 (45:32):
Also, my biggest drag pet peeve is and it's not
directly at a drag show, when drag queens online or
social media, I ask what kind of performance do you
guys see me do? Or what kind of looks do
you guys want to see me do? That is just
my personal biggest pet peeve because I feel like it
is your job as an artist to curate an experience
(45:53):
and let people experience your art. Otherwise you're a jukebox
just taking requests from people.
Speaker 3 (46:00):
Girl, you just wrecked me. That's like all I was
gonna do for the month of October.
Speaker 2 (46:04):
I was like, Okay, y'all, what do you want to
see me dress up as?
Speaker 3 (46:08):
Next week? Watch hike here she's gonna offer the first suggestion.
Speaker 4 (46:14):
And also I'm not even talking about the queens. You know,
like get a bar where you they take like requests
from the audience and they like to like a du
RG suicide or think you know, it's the ones that
are like, why do you want to see me perform?
Speaker 1 (46:25):
You know?
Speaker 4 (46:26):
That's something like you ask your direct sisters and friends,
you know, but like don't ask people to are.
Speaker 3 (46:31):
You just become a good vibe reader? Like that's my
favorite scale that drag queens have to have when we're
like on the run going to all these places. Doing
twelve shows a day is like, Okay, that's a brunch crowd.
What am I trying to bring them that's gonna make
them give me money? That's like a slutty sex club crowd.
What am I gonna do that's gonna make them give
me money and sex?
Speaker 4 (46:53):
Sure, Like the number that you were performed for, like
the Bachelor party will be different from like the number
you'll be performing at like a queer alternate the club.
Speaker 1 (47:05):
So we asked every guest on the show, what are
you ii key about?
Speaker 4 (47:11):
You know what I'm kind of obsessed with? Do you
follow Patsant Drama?
Speaker 2 (47:16):
No?
Speaker 4 (47:17):
Do you know Miss International?
Speaker 2 (47:20):
Kind of now needing to know?
Speaker 1 (47:22):
Yeah?
Speaker 4 (47:22):
Yeah, Mister International is basically like Miss Universe but for
a trans woman, And the latest drama is so the
final three for Miss USA, Vietnam and Cuba, and Miss
USA ended up winning, and then right after day one
they're interviewing Miss Cuba. She said she basically accused Miss
(47:45):
USA and Miss Vietnam of bullying her, throwing rocks, atter,
calling names behind throughout this competition.
Speaker 2 (47:52):
To say the least, I've been bullied. I have been
told that I look like a man. I have been pushed.
I have been throwing.
Speaker 4 (47:58):
Locks at And no one went up and hugged USC
and Vietnam, but every other girl we're all surrounding Cuba
like all like jumping cheering for.
Speaker 2 (48:10):
Was she was this? She was?
Speaker 1 (48:12):
She wearing a yellow dress. I think I saw that
like the USA was. Yeah, she was like a black woman. Yes, yes, yes,
I saw this. Oh I saw this clip.
Speaker 4 (48:23):
So I don't know what the truth is obviously, when
you'll never know. It's like audience at home. But my god,
it's pageant drama. Ju see Wow, of.
Speaker 2 (48:31):
Course that's what you're taking in on your downtime.
Speaker 4 (48:34):
I mean it just shot up on my algorithm. You know.
Speaker 3 (48:36):
She's like this is this is some good, shady content,
like the world is chaos. Let me let me focus
on some smaller bullshit.
Speaker 4 (48:45):
Honestly, I cannot handle another breaking use about like what
rice being are being taken away from us. I'd rather
just see you like I know, girls like fighting it out,
dragon drag queens, ladies being ladies.
Speaker 1 (48:59):
There's such a where I'm like, I'm I'm down to
like no, I want everyone to know what's going on
in the world. But I also don't want you like spiraling.
I need like finding little pockets of sunshine and happiness
is the most fucking important thing we could be doing
right now.
Speaker 4 (49:15):
Mm hmmm. We gotta do what we gotta do to survive,
you know, hopefully the next three years and god, I
know some Oh my god, no more.
Speaker 2 (49:25):
Okay, I need to eat a meal.
Speaker 3 (49:27):
I now like put on a nail or something.
Speaker 4 (49:29):
When have you ever worn nails?
Speaker 3 (49:31):
Okay? You know what's crazy is I've been sitting here
this whole time trying to peel the backs off of
these nails because I'm trying to become a woman who
wears a nail.
Speaker 4 (49:41):
Why are you starting now the world?
Speaker 3 (49:44):
Is any girl? Do what you've always wanted to do,
follow your dreams or whatever the fuck you know?
Speaker 4 (49:51):
I think you're a beautiful vitter without nails, but mostly
without nails, because I've never seen you at nails.
Speaker 3 (49:57):
You heard it here first. I'm sick of her shit.
Speaker 2 (49:59):
Ye she Thank you so much for coming on, hi Key.
Speaker 4 (50:01):
We love you so much. Please come on anytime, Chris,
Thank you so much for having me my books. Kim Cheese.
The world is out, or it should be out by
the time, just comes out. I'm assuming she'll be there
and then you can protest my makeup CBS jcpenny available
on Ulta dot com starting from September thirtieth. And thank
(50:23):
you so much for all your support.
Speaker 1 (50:25):
Of course, always don't y'all go anywhere. We have our
high Keys of the week up next.
Speaker 2 (50:30):
Yeah, Hike, that.
Speaker 3 (50:38):
Was like a really really chill convo with kim Chi.
That's like one of the things I always forget about
her is like when we're in a room full of
drag queens, she'll she'll like, you know, be there, she'll key,
she'll throw the sharpest shade in the room.
Speaker 2 (50:56):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (50:56):
But Kim and I were often like the only two
smokers on tour, so we shared a lot of smoke
breaks where I'd accidentally be like, girl, the world is tough.
Here's some deep philosophical issues and she'd be like, I've
learned these lessons in life, and then we go back
into the room and be.
Speaker 1 (51:14):
Like, yafkaga, your makeup's busted, y'all? Would I would love
to be in that, like that blood rotation if I'm
being quite honest with you too, because yeah, can she Honestly,
she's exactly how I thought she was going to be.
Speaker 2 (51:30):
Like I've always.
Speaker 1 (51:31):
Thought of her in a very like Courtney Kardashian monotone way,
like and you never know what she's really thinking. Her
face is not as expressive, but I think every time
she does open her mouth, it's something witty, it's something insightful,
and it's just like it's a reminder that, like drag
queens aren't always these big clowns, like wow, I always
(51:56):
tried to, like, you know, be like larger than life.
Speaker 3 (52:00):
If, like, you know, our extra nest comes out in
different ways.
Speaker 1 (52:04):
Well, tell me what your extra high key is because
I would love to know.
Speaker 3 (52:09):
Okay, okay, my extra high key right now is gen V.
I'm so excited. I'm so excited. Yeah, I like.
Speaker 2 (52:19):
I reacting that way. It is, yes, though I was
binging it last night so yes.
Speaker 3 (52:26):
Girl, same. Well, actually I was rewatching it because I've
I've already watched all of the episodes that are out
like twice already.
Speaker 1 (52:34):
Which is this part one part two thing? Because I
could it couldn't end like that.
Speaker 3 (52:38):
Do you What do you mean part one part two?
Speaker 1 (52:40):
Well, I'm just saying, you know how like Wednesday, they
like split up the seasons. They do like part one
that you get the first like four episodes or five episodes,
and then part two you get the rest.
Speaker 2 (52:49):
I got a later day.
Speaker 1 (52:50):
I'm like, that can't be the whole season that I
just watched last night?
Speaker 2 (52:54):
Right?
Speaker 3 (52:55):
Wait are you the first season? Because I only saw
like three episodes out and I just figured they were
just teasing the people and we're going to become a
weekly thing or something.
Speaker 2 (53:04):
Oh, there's like the second season is out right now? Girl?
Speaker 3 (53:09):
What if you just have like the extra privileged I'm
in the industry, I'm friends with somebody password because I
did not see that shit.
Speaker 2 (53:18):
I'm telling you.
Speaker 1 (53:20):
My Amazon Prime is exactly like everybody else's Prime video.
Speaker 3 (53:24):
You heard it here first.
Speaker 2 (53:27):
I'm just like you little people, Well, it's legit.
Speaker 3 (53:30):
I mean, I love the show because it is always
cultural commentary about all of these big aspects of what
it's like to be an American in America. It's it's
a part of the Boys universe. So it's like superheroes politics,
like social commentary. And I love it because it's just
(53:51):
so raunchy, like Dix and Blood and people like lots
of body Gore. So she's my everything right now. I'm
really into it. What's what's your high key?
Speaker 2 (54:03):
You know my high key?
Speaker 1 (54:05):
I just want to echo again how like incredible the
Black Girt creative summing was. I just can't stop thinking
about it, of course, because I just came off the
heels of it, and so like always obsessed with every
person that attended and like got something from it and
live their fucking best life. It's high key obsessed with
(54:25):
that always. My actual high key is I am high
key ready for this season a big brother to be
overo I it's almost over granted, there has been a
lot of changes. There's been the producers are really losing
it for me. They're making this game quite stupid, and
(54:47):
they did that when a game favorite, Rachel got eliminated
for no fucking reason. Spoiler alert if you're not watching
or if you're behind. You came to the wrong place, being.
Speaker 3 (54:57):
Yeah, that's really on you. There's like an episode of
every day right there.
Speaker 1 (55:01):
It's every three days, so it's like it's like, yeah, Sunday, Wednesday, Thursday,
and then it's like that's the that's a cycle.
Speaker 2 (55:07):
And there's just been so much going on.
Speaker 1 (55:10):
It's I don't even know if I want to say
it's the worst season, but it's low key giving the
worst season of all time. However, Comma, my winners are
for sure between which is crazy to say. I would
have never said this week's ago is Morgan and Ashley.
Those are my two winners and also maybe Keanu, but.
Speaker 2 (55:29):
I still got some catching up to do. It's just
been a shit show.
Speaker 1 (55:32):
I hate it when these competition shows, when they are
trying to it seems like every show is trying to
establish like Love Island numbers, trying to get everybody in
their mama to talk, like have the same kind of
cultural like relevance like that show did this past summer,
and like you overproduce.
Speaker 2 (55:49):
And you're over like doing shit. We can see right
through that.
Speaker 1 (55:53):
We can see this like gameplay, we can see how
you're manipulating the contestants in the diary room where you're
trying to get them to say the thing or trying
to you know, you're just playing at the game, which
it's like fine, but like also sit back and let
them do what they're supposed to do, Like these folks
should know how to play the game. To be honest,
(56:13):
these people have been also the worst of playing the game.
It's a lot of newbies who have never watched Big
Brother before, which just pissed me off.
Speaker 3 (56:21):
Right, you're going in on everyone. You're like, producers, this
is you, contestants, this is you.
Speaker 1 (56:27):
Because they're ruining a game that I genuinely love, Like
I love this game, and it's just like I understand
everybody is like it's like everybody probably feels like they're
on the chopping block if they don't get like insane numbers.
And then the show was like gonna like plummet, but like, bitch,
stop overdoing it. Stop trying to force it and trying
(56:48):
to like gaslight us into loving it.
Speaker 2 (56:50):
We will love it if you just let people do
the fucking thing. Thank you.
Speaker 3 (56:54):
And also Castryan Castriton and she'll stop talking about you.
Speaker 1 (56:57):
They never cast after Dragon, they never they're gonna be like,
they're gonna bring me into that house and bit and say, bitch,
you're eating slot for two weeks just because we heard
on high key what you said. So yeah, that's my
high key. But what a wonderful episode. I genuinely am
so excited that we had kim Chi on. Thank you
so much for coming Ony. Y'all should really get her
(57:18):
cookbook in her makeup. Maybe you can put me in
a in a kim Chi face using her makeup palletts.
Speaker 3 (57:23):
Ooh okay, I'll do it because I got a lot
I'm hording.
Speaker 1 (57:27):
How my I really just want you to put me
in drag, like please, just please do it one of
these episodes.
Speaker 3 (57:31):
I'll do it. And to do the thing that kim
Chi hates, make sure y'all leave us a five star
review in Apple Apple Podcasts, and make sure y'all use
words like hey, Eve and Ryan, you're awesome people and
I love you a lot. And also to do what
kim Chi hates, make sure you tell me what I
(57:53):
should dress as for every week of Halloween.
Speaker 1 (57:59):
And don't forget we're about to head over to our patreon,
you know, hang on the Aptis Patreon dot com slash
hi Key. We love it over there, we spent about
twenty thirty minutes just chit chat and reviewing, talking shit.
I'm probably gonna go in on more people because you
fucking deserve it. But it's all the exclusive contents, over
all the apties. Patreon dot com slash Hikey.
Speaker 3 (58:20):
So yeah, see you there.
Speaker 2 (58:22):
God that can't believe you just h that like Ikey.
You're getting so good at this.
Speaker 3 (58:26):
I'm a professional. Ah.
Speaker 2 (58:29):
I love you.
Speaker 3 (58:32):
If you're hikey obsessed with our show, take a second
to follow or subscribe so you never miss an episode,
and while you're at it, rate us, drop a review
and tell your friends.
Speaker 1 (58:43):
If you want to keep the high key key going,
join us on Instagram and TikTok at high Key here,
and of course on Patreon, where we are literally dropping
all that spicy ass tea every week.
Speaker 2 (58:56):
See you there.
Speaker 1 (58:58):
Hike is a production of iHeart as a part of
the Outspoken Network. This show is creating an executive producer
by Ryan Mitchell, ed Addley and Spoke Media.
Speaker 3 (59:07):
Our show runner is Tyler Green. Our producers are Kelly
Kolff and Katie Alis Greer. Our video producer is bo
Delmore and our video editor is Luis Peiga. Our audio
engineer Sammy Syrich. Special thanks to Jenna Burnett and Tess Ryan.
Speaker 1 (59:21):
Executive producers for Smokes Media are Travis Lamont Balinger and
Aliah Tabacolia.
Speaker 3 (59:25):
Our iHeart team is Just Crime Chicic and Sierra Kaiser,
and our
Speaker 1 (59:29):
Fame music is by the one and only Kayan Hersey
and our show art is by Work by Work, with
photography by Eric Carter
Do you think you're a good drag like lip singer,
like a drag performer? Do you think that's your strongest too?
Speaker 2 (00:05):
Wow?
Speaker 3 (00:06):
Whoa yeah, go for the cutting ones.
Speaker 4 (00:09):
Absolutely, I think I'm the best there is.
Speaker 3 (00:12):
That's a drag queen. Y'all lie to yourself until it's true,
you know.
Speaker 1 (00:20):
Oh my god, please before you type in your fucking
chatter in the in the comments section. Yes, I know
I sound like this and I can't help it, but
just know it was worth it, because that anytime I
sound like this means I had a motherfucking good time.
Speaker 3 (00:36):
Uh did somebody uh fuck your throat so deep that
your voice box got fractured? Somebody told me that in
the last week. They were like, yes, and then I
sucked so much dick.
Speaker 2 (00:50):
Professional?
Speaker 3 (00:51):
Uh no no, but you know they did have precise
doctor doctor like familiarity with anatomy.
Speaker 2 (01:00):
So okay, well that is not what happened.
Speaker 1 (01:04):
Okay, even though I would not say that has not
happened before.
Speaker 2 (01:10):
However, Comma, I had that.
Speaker 3 (01:12):
What were you doing?
Speaker 2 (01:13):
How did you lose your voice? Yes? Oh my god?
So this week was so was weeekend was so much fun.
Speaker 1 (01:19):
I was a part of putting on Glad's Black Queer
Creative Summon, and just think about it in this way,
if like Summer Camp met like a black queer and
trans hogwarts, like it's literal being surrounded by two hundred
to three hundred black queer people from across the country.
And I programmed this alongside some other folks of the team,
(01:42):
and we programmed just like three days worth of incredible
opportunities of intention and Lee Daniels was there. Lena waitecreased
Summer Non. Wayne Brady opened it up with the video
right before he was about to get on stage it
broad like on Broadway like.
Speaker 2 (01:59):
To like welcome every everybody in.
Speaker 1 (02:00):
I mean, we had every black clear power person, industry
leader or like professional creative who was good at their game.
We had them at this summit, and it just was
so beautiful because you take for granted, like we take
for granted the fact that we have access and we
get to talk to some really incredible people, and like
we have people that we consider friends who are also
just incredible at their at their work. We take for
(02:23):
granted that there's someone from the middle of bump fuck
nowhere who just like doesn't even probably have any other
black queer people around them, and like being in a
space where it's like you look to your left and
to your right and then you see like in front
of you what your future can be. It's just like chilling.
And there were so many moments with that. People were
(02:44):
just coming up to me and like I've been reposting
on my Instagram all these like recap videos and their
experiences and how everyone just is like I am full,
Like I have never felt more seen and I've always
get so nervous about stuff where I'm like, oh my god,
I just hope people can tell that we like put
like our heart and the tears into this thing, like
(03:08):
hours on hours of just like workshopping, well what makes sense,
like what conversation should go here and there?
Speaker 2 (03:15):
It just was beautiful.
Speaker 1 (03:16):
And to be honest, I feel like it like unlocked
something in myself where it's like I was reminded. I
was like, oh my god, I can do the unthinkable.
Are like the impossible, Like I can't run something that
of this caliber and be like when I tell you
I was a white girl with my iPad to my
ham chat, I was I.
Speaker 2 (03:36):
Felt like I was running a bitch.
Speaker 1 (03:38):
I could have ran for president, So I said, next time,
I'm getting you a headset because you're giving like like
Britney spear. They were called me Riot spears because I
was like literally just like corporate Baddy giving stage manager teams,
which shout out to Ryan in theater in high school.
All your hard stage manager work paid off.
Speaker 3 (04:00):
It worked out, girl, That sounds so beautiful.
Speaker 2 (04:04):
It was. It was great.
Speaker 3 (04:07):
Wait, so was number one? Was this the first of
its kind? Is is this like the first year that
it's been on or was this just like your first
time getting to run all of it?
Speaker 2 (04:16):
Well, it is not its first time.
Speaker 1 (04:18):
The first the Inaugria year was in twenty twenty three,
and I was just a part of the planning committee,
right Like I.
Speaker 2 (04:24):
Was just like a small piece.
Speaker 1 (04:26):
There was like our leaders, you know, the actual people
in charge day Sean Usher and Julian Walker were actually
leading us. But this time they were like, hey, do
you and my good friend shar want to like co
lead on this? And I was like yeah, oh yeahs Like.
Speaker 3 (04:43):
Why not, My plate's already overflowing, but I might as well, yes, girl.
Real And thing number two though, Ryan is you were
like this had all of like the black Queer Industry
Leaders Summit. Bitch, where the fuck was my first?
Speaker 2 (05:00):
Of all, you be busy one minute.
Speaker 1 (05:05):
One minute you in New York, one minute you're in Denver,
one minute you're in timbuk to Florida.
Speaker 2 (05:10):
I don't know where to hell you be in sometimes.
Speaker 1 (05:13):
But please know if we did get to do this again,
I for sure one I want us to have a
high key moment at the summit, like the next time.
You know, I'm brainstorming. But it's just it was beautiful.
I love doing shit for us in a really beautiful way.
Speaker 2 (05:30):
Like it just it.
Speaker 1 (05:31):
Makes me happy because I just never in a million
years thought I would ever be able to do that,
especially because I was told like my queerness was unacceptable
and was never going to like take me anywhere.
Speaker 2 (05:43):
And I've just proven everybody fucking wrong.
Speaker 4 (05:46):
Girl.
Speaker 2 (05:48):
How was your weekend? Though?
Speaker 3 (05:50):
It was so wild? It was pretty wild. I was
working on a couple of projects, shooting a couple things.
Speaker 2 (06:00):
Wow, yeah, the secrecy.
Speaker 3 (06:02):
Projects and things. You know, if you like music, you
know That's all I'm gonna say about that. But I
also I went and did a couple of shows down
in North Carolina.
Speaker 2 (06:16):
Really, have you ever been to North Carolina.
Speaker 3 (06:18):
I've got I got family in Raleigh, so I've been
for like family reunions as a kid and being like, wow,
great food, y'all have a beach. This is so cool,
I will say, being there at this time and and
this this gay it was definitely a little bit of
a different experience, especially because I was running late like
(06:42):
I do, like I am, Like I was painting on
the plane, so already like, okay, this is gonna be
an interesting thing.
Speaker 2 (06:51):
I have a question. Why do they do that to you?
Speaker 1 (06:53):
Why do they like book your your travel like was
that day of or something like where you have to
get straight off the plane and then go right there.
Speaker 3 (07:00):
It's not even like they they don't. I will say,
my management, my agents, and all the promoters I've worked
with usually are very very understanding and try and get
me out in a reasonable amount of time. The problem
I've been running into is I have just been like
a step behind in everything. So, like I said, I was,
(07:21):
I was on set shooting something all day like the
day before, and had that night to like pack and
get ready to fly out early early in the morning,
and I could not make my original flight, so I
had changed it till the next closest thing was like,
all right, girl, You're just gonna be who you are.
Speaker 2 (07:42):
He's just going you gonna make it happen.
Speaker 3 (07:44):
Girl, bitch the way I was like literally all day
painting in cars in a train station that I was
supposed to be catching a train on, but she was
running late. I like left my phone at the Pride
festival I was at. Oh, I had to take an
uber from Greensboro to Charlotte, which is like a two
(08:06):
hour ride. And when I tell you, this man pulled
up with little crossstickers like on all of his windows
with the American flag print on it. And here I
am in like full full t girl tranny standing in
the bathroom to scare your daughter face like oh god, oh.
Speaker 2 (08:27):
God, so did your like heart sink?
Speaker 1 (08:30):
When this man like rides up and with probably Confederate
flags all over his car, It's like, oh what happened?
Speaker 2 (08:38):
How awkward was the uber ride? Is what I'm asking.
Speaker 3 (08:42):
I'm I want to take a second and say I've
got the right career here in podcasting because I'm a
good ass conversationalist. I mean, he talked to me first.
I'm sitting there in full clear as day night drag
and he's like, so, what you doing down here? And
I was like, I'm a drag artist and a performer.
(09:05):
And he was like, oh, why are you going from
here to there? And I was like, you know, I
was essentially like a glorified birthday clown in the daytime,
but now that I'm going where adults are, I'm gonna
be a birthday clown who's a stripper. And he did
not crack a smile.
Speaker 2 (09:21):
He was like, what in the DVA? Let me start praying? Right? Yeah?
Speaker 3 (09:26):
I quickly readjusted.
Speaker 2 (09:27):
I was like, you said wrong crown, wrong cra Actually.
Speaker 3 (09:30):
Mostly just there to do comedy. I'm a comedian.
Speaker 2 (09:34):
And he was like.
Speaker 3 (09:38):
And then proceeded to talk to me about how he
moved there from across the country because he didn't like
how liberal the place he was was getting. And I
was like, okay, girl, we're gonna talk about the Bible,
we're gonna talk about Christianity, we're gonna talk about how
the world is not a place he likes. And you
know what, I held my own. I had a really
great conversation with him about spiritual So I.
Speaker 2 (10:00):
Had like a really constructive come like you know back
and forth.
Speaker 3 (10:04):
I mean, I think as constructive as it could have
been for a professional deviant and somebody who was literally
moving their wife and kids across the country to.
Speaker 2 (10:17):
Get away from people like you.
Speaker 1 (10:18):
Oh yeah, literally, the fact that like you were sitting
right in his backseat is like insane to me.
Speaker 3 (10:28):
Wow, we just talked about the Bible.
Speaker 2 (10:30):
Girl, What did you feel leaving it?
Speaker 3 (10:32):
What did I feel leaving it? Oh my god, I'm
so glad to be here at a gay club. Oh
the way I ate that shit up. I was partying
with the girls.
Speaker 2 (10:42):
I love the case.
Speaker 3 (10:44):
Yeah, I had been dead after Pride. I was like, oh,
this is exhausting, I'm going to be late to the
next place. But and then having that car ride, I
was like tense, And the second I saw faggotry, I
knew I was home again.
Speaker 1 (10:58):
So to bring me back to the and chaos, that's
like injected into my veins.
Speaker 3 (11:04):
Girl, shout out to all the queers legit living in
places where I know the world might be a little
bit more aggressive against us, but y'all are some of
the best people because you know how to deal with
the bullshit.
Speaker 1 (11:16):
Speaking of queers, we have one joining us today. Who
is one of your sisters who I'm so excited about. Honestly,
when you think of Mogul, you think of her. Kim
Chi from Ruepaul's Drag Race is joining us right after this.
Speaker 2 (11:34):
Hike.
Speaker 1 (11:37):
Now we've had a ton of queens on the show,
but here's this is a queen that I think about
when I think about Empire and drag Race. There's only
two queens that come to mind. And to be honest,
she's not number two. You know her as RuPaul's Drag
Race legend, the ultimate makeup Mogul and then of course
one of the most iconic fashion queens to ever hit
(11:58):
the scene. She's fears, she's iconic, she's funny, she's all
the things.
Speaker 2 (12:02):
Welcome to high key kim Chi Sation.
Speaker 4 (12:19):
Thank you for having me. Oh my god, want to
build a Hopefully I live up to some dramatic introduction.
Speaker 3 (12:26):
Oh my god. As if girl, that was like cut
in half your your story, your lower goes like ten
ten times longer. It'd be like Kimchi.
Speaker 2 (12:36):
It's longer than a CBS receipt.
Speaker 4 (12:38):
Girl, Yeah, which where you can actually protest my makeup?
Speaker 1 (12:43):
Yeah, that is exactly why I said the plug.
Speaker 2 (12:46):
I thought, I pete game. I'm a journalist. I did that.
Speaker 1 (12:49):
Yeah, no, thank you so much for coming on the show.
You know, I have always loved with doing the show
with ev one as a fan of like Grace, but
too as like someone that gets to sit alongside so
many big queen personalities and just legends. I get to
be like the kids sitting at the adult table, right,
(13:10):
Like I get to find out all the lore and
the tea and be like the fly on the wall,
and so it's just it's really fabulous.
Speaker 2 (13:16):
How have you been? Let's start there. How have you been?
How's everything you know? SOM's going on in the world.
How are you?
Speaker 3 (13:22):
Yeah, girl, how's your soul? How are your holes?
Speaker 4 (13:26):
You know, on a personal level or professional level, you know,
like I feel great because obviously, like I have my
books coming out, everybody's been loving with makeup brand, so
that's going good on a personal level, you know, Like
I think the word right now is survival. Yeah, for sure,
(13:46):
Like every day I log into social media and there's
just nothing but terrible news. But then also like I
don't have like the luxury of like not logging to
social media because you know, like it's what we do
for work, literally your job.
Speaker 3 (13:58):
Yeah see, but that's why I'm just like bad at
my job, is true, but also like have you ever
been good at drag?
Speaker 4 (14:05):
You know, I'm kidding, I'm kidding.
Speaker 2 (14:06):
I'm kidding.
Speaker 3 (14:07):
Girl, don't even yeah, don't even start like you don't
get like you're kidding. No, she's not this bitch at
like at five years of sharing random dressing rooms with her,
and she only ever has nice things to say behind
people's back.
Speaker 4 (14:22):
It's also true, but I say I'm not kissing as
just because like I'm on your podcast and get ready,
ev I'm gonna expose you. Evie is one of the
best queens to tour, would because like she is so
professional and she's so sweet, but also like she's great
in a sense where because you know, some girls they
(14:43):
get very clinging on tour and then they get very
like all up in your business, you know, like Evie.
You can like talk and hang out with her and
have fun, but then also she goes and like does
her own thing, you know, like catch up with your
own time.
Speaker 3 (14:55):
Yeah, girl, because I'm still trying to get late. Like
that's that's the thing about hanging with all the roof
bitches is like people are like, oh my god, it
must be so cool to chill with the girls and
blah blah blah Kikiki, And I know they're divas who
are literally always like attached to somebody else. But I
realized that number one, I don't like drag queens that much.
Speaker 4 (15:16):
I get it, I get it absolutely understandable.
Speaker 3 (15:20):
And number two, I'm trying to fuck and nobody is
like out here trying to jump in our pants. If
they see us in a gaggle of us, they're like,
oh yeah, it's like it's like trying to hunt a
rhinoceros or some other metaphor.
Speaker 1 (15:33):
Well, the crazy thing is I mean, honestly, I'm surprised
Kim that you have time when on tour, which you
do do a lot, to hang out with the queens,
because it's like I would think in your spare time
you are full on business, corporate baddy like you like,
it's it's just you came straight out of Drag Race
in such a swing, Like, yes, you went on the
(15:55):
show and you had a platform, followers, all the things,
But I guess, how did you think was the key
to establishing your post Drag Race career.
Speaker 4 (16:03):
So after a while I was in drag race, I
was like filling my calendar completely. I don't want to
see an empty day. I want to like work, work, work,
and you know, like save up much as much money
as possible. And I was doing that for like several years.
I was like never home. But then it kind of
like took a toll on my like physical and mental health,
you know, like I like used to go to like
(16:26):
gym regularly, but then I just like stopped working out
because I am sure, you know, like after like getting
on a plane getting somewhere new and then like getting
asleep to like catch up, and then doing the gig
late at nights, like who.
Speaker 2 (16:38):
Has time for that shit?
Speaker 3 (16:40):
And carrying three fifty pound luggages everywhere you go.
Speaker 1 (16:44):
Exactly which I would assume also a little side No,
I would assume that that is also a form of cardio.
You are, y'all suitcase and carrying that shit around y'all
are lifting at least fifty to sixty pounds a bag,
that is true.
Speaker 4 (16:58):
And then on top of that, and this is not
me like complaining at all. I'm very happy for like
the opportunities and things. And then because like I'm always
out of town. You just naturally like fall out of
touch with your friend's home, and then when you're actually home,
you're like two tireds do you don't want to do anything?
And then everybody just assumes that, like you're always out
of town. Then you stop getting invited to things. Yeah,
(17:20):
so I'm just like.
Speaker 3 (17:21):
And people ask you, oh my god, girl, when did
you move.
Speaker 4 (17:24):
To LA And You're like, and then all the conversation
is like, so, how is the tour? And I'm like,
I mean, I mean, it's great, you know, but also like,
do you really want to hear about my work girl?
Speaker 2 (17:36):
And do you also want to talk about your work
after doing the thing?
Speaker 3 (17:39):
My favorite thing is that like how is the tour?
Speaker 4 (17:42):
Is like the.
Speaker 3 (17:42):
Question that like any random person who like knows you
and wants to like get to know you a little
better will ask. They'll be like, oh my god, girl,
how's the tour? And you're like, actually, it's COVID and
I haven't been doing anything, but.
Speaker 1 (17:57):
Well, because I'm assuming tour is just a lot of
traveling to the next city you go and stay like
you're prepping. You're sitting around prepping, like dress rehearsals kind
of take us behind the scenes of like a tour moment.
Speaker 4 (18:10):
So everybody is on a different journey in tour. So
I will tell you routine of some of the girls
and then what I personally do.
Speaker 3 (18:18):
Yeah, yeah, tell us what those other bitches do and
why you're better.
Speaker 4 (18:21):
So I realize everybody's tour routine. It's really dependent on
each queen's reliance on substance. So there's the drinkers, and
then there's the stoners, and then there's like the straight
edge girls, and then there's the girls who are all
up the above.
Speaker 2 (18:41):
Say their names.
Speaker 4 (18:42):
You know, I'm not gonna say ny names. I don't
calling anybody out, but the ones that are drinkers, I
feel like they sleep all day and then they wake
up in time to get ready for the show, and
then do the show, and then go out to the
clubs and then party until like it's time to come
back to the bus, and then they come back to
the bus and just drinking until like dawn or whatever,
and then they passed out and then rinse and repeat.
Speaker 3 (19:05):
Girls some of them, like some of those bitches. I
always thought the most exhausting thing about tour was that
you want to hang out with the divos, so you're like, yeah,
I'm gonna hang out with the drinkers. You're out till
three am, and then those bitches are up the next
morning and we're like, yeah, we went shopping. Hate that.
Speaker 2 (19:21):
I don't see how y'all can do it. This is
crazy working in night life.
Speaker 1 (19:24):
I mean I went out this weekend for one night
and I stayed out till like four am, and immediately
the next day I felt like I needed to be
admitted into the hospital. I was like, I can't breathe,
I'm I'm hurting, I'm about to throw up. I did
throw up. I just don't how y'all can do it?
Like it just I also have no voice, Like this
is That's why I don't do it, you know. That's
(19:45):
why I like a drink, and that's why I don't
like really do anything. You know, Like if I stay
up till two am, my entire like weakest ruined now.
Speaker 2 (19:55):
Period.
Speaker 1 (19:56):
So your your kind of routine is the complete opposite
of what you just listed.
Speaker 4 (20:01):
So like, I'm I'm a morning person.
Speaker 3 (20:03):
She's the straight edge bitch.
Speaker 4 (20:05):
Yeah, I mean, what in reason?
Speaker 2 (20:07):
You know?
Speaker 4 (20:07):
But like I don't really like do anything. So I
just like to go to bed like before midnight and
then make up at like seven am, and then like
go to the gym like goal, explore to town like
we're on errands, and then like do work.
Speaker 3 (20:20):
I love that you like opened up by saying how
much you like touring with me, because also not kissing
your ass, you are one of my favorite people to
tour with. Oh, Like there's just like some like sense
of adventure and or like actually taking advantage of like
what you get to do in the moment that you're there.
(20:43):
And there's this energy that drag queens get when we're
all around where we either are all like chit chatting
king like ahha gospas blah blah blah blah blah, Oh
the hell yeah her way blah blah blah, or we're
bitching about things like fuck tour, fuck that fan, fuck
you know, fuck these eyelashes, fuck this, fuck my job.
Speaker 1 (21:05):
Yeah, it's like one of those conversations where if only
the like the lost could talk.
Speaker 4 (21:10):
You know, because we spent so much time with each other,
Like you have to find a balance of like having
fun but then also like learning to like get people
like their space.
Speaker 3 (21:19):
Yeah, but that's why I feel like you have some
of the best balance. Like I never would have thought
I would have fallen in love with I specifically remember
in Asia, you were like my saving grace in Asia
because I was excited to go to Asia for the
first time, excited to be with all these girls I
hadn't worked with, and then there was you in Aquaria
(21:41):
and I was like, okay, sweet, yeah, yeah, they're good
girls or whatever. I was so shocked when we were
all throughout Asia and every city and not one of
the bitches wanted to go and do anything. They were like, no,
I'm just gonna stay in my hotel room and eat
McDonald's for the fifth day in a row.
Speaker 4 (21:59):
I'm like, that feels me codd if I was a queen,
if I'm an Aisha, like, I will not waste my
time in Asia into second hotel room. You know. I
want to eat new things and I want to like see.
Speaker 3 (22:09):
Places, right, And I feel like I was shocked because
I spent the most time on that little mini tour
with like you and Aquaria actually going around eating things,
going places, having adventures, and I realized that drag queens suck.
Speaker 2 (22:29):
I can I totally get that.
Speaker 1 (22:30):
I think y'all, y'all have gotten so many really incredible
opportunities to like travel internationally in the ways that you
have where it's like, yes, you want, especially in those
early days, you want to take those moments and like
explore and.
Speaker 2 (22:43):
Do these once in a lifetime opportunities.
Speaker 1 (22:45):
But then on the other side, I can see a
piece where like someone might just be a little like
overwhelmed or exhausted, and like I just be like, I
can't if y'all want me to perform the way I
need to perform, I need to like conserve my energy.
So it feels like a little bit of a balance
when you're a choring.
Speaker 3 (23:03):
Well girl, I get that part, Like that's for real.
I think that's what Kim was just talking about. Is
like also, we went back to our hotel rooms. We
had our space. This sword was like a blessing too,
because they're well I can't say that in this order,
but there was a typhoon that gave us like three
(23:23):
or four extra days off. So we had days off
in a country where I know none of these bitches
had ever been to. Like you had time to chill
and rest, and then you had time to like go
do something and legit. The most that I remember bitches
doing were like, yeah, we went to a bar and
got drunk.
Speaker 4 (23:47):
And also like a lot of my experience, especially traveling abroad,
is experiencing the food in that culture. So then I'll
be I'm going to get this food. Anyone's welcome to join,
and most people don't join, but ev he's always down
to join and come on these like food adventures with me.
And then she like eats everything order and she like
enjoys it genuinely, not performatively, right, no.
Speaker 3 (24:09):
Girl, because it's it's dope. And honestly, it feels like
I'm so spoiled when I'm with you, because I'm like,
when the fuck am I ever going to be in
a country where somebody, even if they don't speak the language,
knows what that thing is on the menu.
Speaker 2 (24:23):
You have a tour guide for sure.
Speaker 1 (24:26):
And I think there's just an appreciation like being a
personal color here, like anytime you go somewhere else, like
you're like immersed in culture, there's an appreciation for that, right,
Like it's never going to feel necessarily performative. And I
think that's why you two probably really bonded as well
during that time. But I guess when you're when did
(24:48):
you start working on Kimchi Beauty, Like when were you
doing all of that like pre work while you were
touring and you were taking calls and meetings while you
were like eating whatever with the Like what what was
that tact? Like?
Speaker 4 (25:02):
Oh?
Speaker 2 (25:02):
Pretty much?
Speaker 4 (25:02):
Yeah, I mean when drag queens tell you like, oh girl,
I'm so busy, I'm so busy. Sure, yes, we are busy,
but also we are not busy at the same time,
if that makes sense. Like we are very busy, like
traveling and going to places, but then there's also like
a lot of downtime in between. And I'm sure Eve's
heard this phrase, you know, like rush to wait around
(25:26):
like a lot of times, like we're like rushing, rushing
to get ready, and then after we get ready and
we're like, all right, it'll be like four hours before
you're on stage.
Speaker 2 (25:32):
Oh sure, I understand that too.
Speaker 1 (25:34):
Of like hosting live events where you're just like have
to be there at like noon in the events, not
until seven.
Speaker 2 (25:43):
Yeah, you're just sitting around.
Speaker 4 (25:45):
So there's always time to like work on things. As
far as kim Chhike Beauty, I was working on it
for a good year before we launched it, and then
my cookbooks and my young adult novel. It'spending the work
for two years before it's finally like seeing the light.
So we worked on it for a long time.
Speaker 3 (26:05):
Yeah, bitch, you're just like always doing things. I think
it's really interesting because to me, you come from the
season that sort of represents like the end of I'm
gonna say a golden era of drag Race. And it's
not because I'm saying like, oh, the show was better,
like the queens were better. I think there was something
(26:27):
about the culture that still was allowing drag queens to
take risks in new directions like the first person in
fashion magazines, the first person you know in TV or film,
or doing a stand up tour. And I would argue
that literally, season eleven, the one that I was on,
(26:49):
was the beginning of our modern drag race, where it
was like, okay, girl, there's like three other drag races
going on right now. You pick and choose what you're doing,
and they're more limited opportunities. I'd say to really like
carve out your lane. If you just got on, what
would what do you think of Like the bitches who
are coming off of these like last couple of seasons.
Speaker 4 (27:12):
You know, it's like a double edged sword because like
in the earlier seasons, like a lot of times, like
you have to be like pioneers to do like anything
when it comes to like putting out content or things
like like wide and now I feel like there's like
a blueprint for all the queens to follow. But then
also there's not much like individual in terms like coming
up with like things they do. I feel like before
(27:33):
the queens will like harve out their like own niche
and spaces, you know, like queens will like start like
djaying and circuit parties, or they will like they will
like curate these parties or like curate like just tough music.
And now I'm like, all right, here's the cat's reveal,
all right, here's my merch all right, here's my own
club gigs. All right, here's you know, and then even
like the termes of like mercy released, like all right,
(27:55):
here's my shirt and a pin.
Speaker 2 (27:57):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (28:00):
You really see, like a queen's like breaking boundaries in
terms of like what they offer to the audience aside
from the generic like one two three, Like yeah, here's
my photo shoots. Here's my shirt, here's you know. Yeah,
it doesn't make sense.
Speaker 3 (28:16):
Have you always had such like a forward mind about it?
Speaker 2 (28:19):
Though?
Speaker 3 (28:20):
Like where does this entrepreneurial ship come from? This like
business mind? Because you came out right after drag Race
with what was your song called, like drag Race song,
drag Race Ruegirl Bop?
Speaker 4 (28:31):
Oh, it was called single are you ready.
Speaker 2 (28:36):
For My Single?
Speaker 1 (28:37):
I know?
Speaker 4 (28:50):
So around that time, every Drag Race finalist was releasing music,
you know, literally, and some were good and some were
not things that I would choose to listen to. So
it was just like, how did you go from like
live singing at clubs to I mean, and there are
drag queens that are great singers, you know, but like
(29:10):
not all of them were great singers that were like
releasing these music. So I'm like, let me pokepon at
this like system of like drag queens feeling like they
have to release music when they become a finalist.
Speaker 1 (29:20):
Yeah, that's a blueprint that was like set up for
RuPaul like herself.
Speaker 4 (29:25):
Yeah, it makes sense because RuPaul had been releasing music
like all of his life. Yeah, so I reached out
to a producer and I said, I want you to
make me the worst song that you could possibly make,
and let's create something terrible together. So then we did it,
and then I put in iTunes. So it was basically
like a joke that people were paying ninety nine cents for.
Speaker 3 (29:44):
But listen, girl, it's worth it.
Speaker 4 (29:46):
It's a bob And basically it was a song about
how I won't release a single. I don't know. I
thought it was cam you know, it was profitable.
Speaker 1 (30:04):
Even to go to your earlier point, ev, I do
think there is something there was something really special about.
Speaker 2 (30:10):
Like that Logo era, like Groupaus Drag Race.
Speaker 1 (30:15):
Right, there's just when it started to move over, which
into the VH one and then then the MTV, there
was a moment where you you feel like, well.
Speaker 2 (30:25):
Did we just take something out of the recipe.
Speaker 4 (30:27):
So I personally think like it's not necessarily like logo
per se, but doing regular season and All Star every
year is I think, which is great. It's constantly creating
more content and is giving more Queen's opportunities, but then
also it's kind of giving like an exhaustion where before,
at least around like my season to run that time,
(30:48):
even just like regular season cast announcements was a big deal,
and then the bars do like cast announcement parties, and
then East Queen like all the fans will like look
up all their content and there's like so much like
build up and like which we're going to be on? Also,
like every year was like who's gonna be get on?
Like which Queen's disappear from? Like your town? Yeah, but
now it's kind of like all right, she's gone. All right,
(31:09):
that's cool. Yeah, it's good for her girls, you know.
And then queens will purposely like going to hiding around
like filming time just to like create a high for
themselves and you know, like and now it's kind of
like all right, I guess it's gonna be in next season,
dusk fool.
Speaker 1 (31:22):
Were you prepared for when you got on drag Race?
Like what did you feel like you were? You were
ready for what it was going to be like opening
up for yourself, right because you did have a ton
of followers like I mentioned before, But even then, I
feel like influencer culture was different, Like I don't even
know if there was like still like there were the
(31:42):
brand deals and the like the bigger opportunities that you
can see now. So like were you prepared for kind
of like being cats pulled it into like such a
mainstream way, in such a defining way.
Speaker 4 (31:53):
I knew it was going to be like a big
opportunity for me and possibly one of the biggest opportunity
I get in my lifetime. So I was just trying
to monopolize it as much as possible. That's why I like,
as soon as I came back, I'm like, all right,
I'm going to have like photoshoots up like all my
office like ready to go. So then like it's not
like discreached us from the show that people share around,
but it's the photoshoots that people like share for things.
(32:14):
Because I know, like all these fan accounts like always repostings.
I want to have like merch that goes with like
every episode like that may sense, you know. And also
I wanted to create merch that wasn't like a generic
thing but like actually cool like iconography that people want
to wear it even if they didn't know who I was.
So I came prepared.
Speaker 3 (32:34):
You also came out of out of like some very
special period of time for drag and the drag culture
where I will say Chicago specifically as a scene was
creating platforms for drag artists around the country, Like everybody
I knew followed, like kim Chi followed Tricksy followed Shay,
(32:57):
and we're paying attention to these things.
Speaker 4 (32:59):
So it was.
Speaker 3 (33:00):
Interesting because that was a point in time where being
an influencer, content creator, whatever the fuck it was called
them kind of kind of.
Speaker 2 (33:08):
Work for sure.
Speaker 4 (33:09):
Yeah, there was like a renaissance in like the Chicago
draag scene at that time. There were like create so
many crazy parties happening all the Chicagos were like it
was like a friendly competition where you were trying to
like up one another with the craziest like looks and
performance ideas possible. And I don't know why, like so
many of the Chicago queens get overlooked into casting. Nowadays,
(33:31):
Chicago is like a great city for like up and
coming artists because the living cost for a main city
is very low. But it's also easy to get around
with the public transit. The city you stuff, is very clean.
I mean, Chicago has its problems too, but you know
where in America doesn't have problems nowadays?
Speaker 3 (33:48):
You know, Yeah, all you don't need to tell me, I.
Speaker 4 (33:52):
Mean, if you don't need to get to politics because
it will like send me spiraling too.
Speaker 2 (33:57):
I know.
Speaker 3 (33:58):
Right, wait, let's let's get into something that will spiral
you in the other direction then, because I'm actually really
excited about your cookbook. You are a foodie. You go
around the world like trying all of these things, searching out.
Kim will like take you on a fucking journey.
Speaker 1 (34:16):
Which I love a girl that knows, like if you
go to a city, she knows exactly where to go
a food wise and like has done the research.
Speaker 2 (34:24):
Because that's that's the type of girl. You need a
friend group.
Speaker 4 (34:26):
And I always like to say, like when we are
in a new stadium, I'm like, this is where I'm going.
You're welcome to join me. If you can't eat like
this in this type of food, yeah, because they will
not mix substitutions here. Blah blah blah. Give me everybody
run down. And then people came and then you know
a lot of times people are happy.
Speaker 3 (34:43):
I'd say, so like even if not, you know, I
think it's nice to do something that isn't just going
to them all. What do you think your like relationship
with food like really stems from, because like obviously you've
got like a food name you are sharing sharing a
new cookbook? What the world like?
Speaker 4 (35:01):
I think my relationship with food comes from me constantly
needing new stimulation. What are that? It's like a new
flavor and new texture and things. When I was young
and growing up, and every time a new ethnic restaurant
would open up in my small town Michigan that I
grew up in, I would save up all my allowance
to go try it because I was like so fascinated
(35:22):
by like the way different places cook their food and
the ingredients they use. Yeah, and now I'm too, like
if I go to a restaurant and if I see
something that I've never tried before, like I would, I
always have to order it, no matter like how hungry
you were, like full I am, You're like, I.
Speaker 3 (35:37):
Still got to see what she's gonna do.
Speaker 1 (35:39):
It seems like your love for food really started in
such a positive way. But then I think about what
happens to you internally when, especially if you've lived in
a bigger body and the world will not be scared
or shy to tell you that we hate your fat body.
Speaker 2 (36:00):
Did did your relationship to.
Speaker 1 (36:02):
Food change when you became one in the public eye,
and then two you felt like, Oh, I'm this fat
person that is like talking about my love for food
when everyone is telling me to do the opposite, which
is not eat.
Speaker 4 (36:15):
That is so funny you bring that up because for
a while I was like ashamed to like post any
like food that I eat because every time like a
picture of me get posted, there would always be a comments.
And it's still to nowadays. There's always a comment about
my weight whate are like I've lost weight, where I've
gained weight, there's always someone posting about my weight. And
(36:35):
I'm like, yeah, I'm here like trying to share like
this beautiful dish that I like, I got to enjoy
and it shut with and you know, like what in
your focus is on wheter like I'm fat or skinnier?
You know, girl, I feel like maybe just something that
I'm going to like dealer for the rest of my life.
It's almost as if like my art and like the
things I like doesn't have a merit if my weight isn't.
Speaker 3 (36:57):
Like tagged on at the end.
Speaker 4 (37:00):
Yes, certain, I feel like yeah, and also like like
a lot of my opinion towards like food becomes it
feels invalidated if I'm not skinny, enough. But then if
I'm skinny, then I'm like, oh, what does she know
about food?
Speaker 2 (37:14):
You know? Yeah?
Speaker 4 (37:15):
After at some point, you know, I just have to
like not worry about what our people are going to
sink and just do what I like.
Speaker 1 (37:23):
That has to be so conflicting though, when you're trying to,
like when the thing that you're the passion, because when
you talk about food, there is like a passion. Like
I'm a Top Chef girly. I love watching Top Chef
because of how beautiful like the food looks and like
the experience. Not because I want to eat everything, but
just because of like this beautiful examination of cultures that
(37:44):
I may not have grown up in are have seen and.
Speaker 3 (37:48):
It's or their fancy kitchens. They have really nice kitchens.
Speaker 1 (37:51):
Yeah, and the kitchens, but it's it is just something
I would imagine how conflicting it would feel trying to
pursue like and what has become a potential like epithot
for you out of drag spaces, and I may even
emerge into like bringing the two together. How conflicted that
could be sometimes when there are so many comments about
(38:11):
your body and and how it's changed or hasn't changed,
and like even on top of the noise that you
are probably even internally going through about your own body.
Speaker 4 (38:21):
You know, if there's one thing I learned very quickly
if they're going on drag race, that if you constantly
worry about what other people think about you, you'll never
want to do anything because there will always someone just
hating on something you do. Some people just don't like you,
and that's absolutely okay. So and this is something like
I still, you know, have to like learn. It's just
like I just have to do what I like to do,
(38:43):
and I will choose to share if I want to share,
and if people don't like it whatever. I can't worry
every second in my life what other people think about
me anymore. Like life is too short. I just have
to eat the things I want to eat, share what
I want to share.
Speaker 3 (38:58):
And comment mean things under other queen's posts. Slash post
pictures of their noses and chins and grown neck hairs.
Speaker 4 (39:06):
And never make fun of people's physical appearance.
Speaker 2 (39:09):
No, you don't have to.
Speaker 3 (39:10):
You just take the worst unflattering pictures of bitches and
then just share it with the world.
Speaker 4 (39:15):
I think they're very flattering. So I think it's crazy
that you are. I think these on beautiful photos of
my sisters are absolutely unflattering. That is kind of crazy.
I'm actually seeing them from like their best angle, and
then you trying to guesslight me into sinking their own flattering.
Oh that is crazy.
Speaker 3 (39:35):
You make me so scared to fall asleep or under
because I know she like will get up in there,
she will get like the tongue rolling out.
Speaker 2 (39:43):
Oh I've heard about this that well. I remember.
Speaker 1 (39:46):
I feel like I've heard Naomi talking about like people
would be so annoyed on y'all season because y'all would
be taking these flattering photos.
Speaker 4 (39:53):
I mean also about them. We were so young and
we were like menaces, you know, like if you're still
immatured and just like.
Speaker 3 (40:02):
You know, I mean, are you a different bitch now
because you're you've been on tour with work the world
for Yeah?
Speaker 4 (40:08):
Now, I just I just don't care any to anyone
just said I ever heard in the past by taking
unflattering photos of you that I think is very flattering,
Get over it.
Speaker 1 (40:21):
Wow, I thought there was gonna be some accountability camp.
Speaker 3 (40:27):
That is not how she got here.
Speaker 1 (40:29):
So I do I do wonder when you are on
tour you know, people comment about your style of drag performance,
and I wonder, do you do you think you're a
good drag like lip singer, like a drag performer. Do
you think that's your strongest to.
Speaker 4 (40:53):
Wow?
Speaker 3 (40:55):
Oh yeah, go for the cutting ones.
Speaker 4 (40:57):
Yeah. Absolutely, I think I'm the best there is work
that's a drag question.
Speaker 3 (41:04):
Y'all light to yourself until it's true.
Speaker 1 (41:07):
You know.
Speaker 3 (41:08):
No, Actually, Kim, I don't think you get enough credit
for like literally being like one of the tallest people
I've ever seen, still not really chickening out, like when
you wear a heel, it's usually a pretty real heel,
and then like also having the most ridiculously big, billowing
bullshit outfits in front of you. And people are like,
(41:29):
Kim's not dancing, and I'm like, yeah, cause she's a
piece of art. Girl.
Speaker 2 (41:33):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (41:33):
Some people like I think I saw you? Do you
do you do it? Adal number?
Speaker 4 (41:38):
Oh Mariah carry that.
Speaker 1 (41:39):
I was like, I think I saw you because I
saw the big blonde hair, and I was like, it's
either way, like I I personally have when I've seen
you perform, I think you eat, but it's it's just
nice to hear you straight on, you know, answer that
question because so many people have opinions today.
Speaker 4 (42:00):
I don't know. I actually don't read. I don't read
the comments because I like don't I don't want to
get into speed up again, like wondering like what other
people are thinking about me. I just had to like
get on stage and then do it and do what
makes me feel good. And if you don't like it,
get over it.
Speaker 3 (42:18):
Can I be more personal then? Because I all of
that just reminded me one of my core memories of
learning how to be a rude girl or whatever going
on my first tour. I won't ever forget like sewing
and hot gluing together a finale outfit like the day
of like the opening or something, or like the biggest show.
Maybe it was in La and then my outfit fell
(42:40):
apart on stage.
Speaker 2 (42:43):
Like on purpose.
Speaker 3 (42:44):
No, no, because it was hot.
Speaker 4 (42:46):
It was it was a tool a dress. But then
you just like tied it around your waist and it
just like fell apart in stage.
Speaker 3 (42:54):
Yeah, and then you ate ship on my on my tool.
Speaker 4 (42:59):
Yeah I didn't see really, Yeah, just like slipped. It
was like a big tool that was just like on stage.
Speaker 2 (43:06):
Sounds like sabotage to me.
Speaker 3 (43:08):
No, I just knew that we were probably never gonna
speak again. I was like, Kim always gets so much
shit about like walking in heels, this that, this, that
we are at LA, big fancy lights are like in
her face, and then my messy us trips her with
all my tool.
Speaker 4 (43:25):
I mean, I'm not mad at you because you didn't
do it in like intentionally, Like I was more like
mad at the situation, you know.
Speaker 3 (43:31):
Like I cannot believe they crowned this messy bitch.
Speaker 4 (43:36):
But also like that that's what made you unique.
Speaker 1 (43:38):
You know, that was a really nice compliment of saying,
yes you are a messy bitch.
Speaker 4 (43:44):
Look, that's what we love about EV. Like I don't.
I don't want everyone to see like patch and Polish
gons form MeV. I want to see like punk like
fun looks that she like curates that no one else
could would err And I.
Speaker 1 (43:57):
Think the reason why I bring up the whole drag
performance of it all is because I think, well, even
when we watch seasons now, I think fans think you have.
Speaker 2 (44:05):
To do like a flip are a pop number?
Speaker 1 (44:09):
Are all the theatrics to make a great drag performer. And
I think we've historically seeing that that's just simply not
the case. And I just I wonder your thoughts around
how people because of modern drag race are taking in
the ways that they feel like drag race, our drag
queen should be performing.
Speaker 4 (44:28):
So personally, when I go to a drug show, and
I can't speak on anybody else, but this is personally
what I want to see when I go to a
drug show. I don't want to see like ten queens
all just bucking and turning. I want to see like
comedy queen tell like a funny joke. I want to
see like a loo queen turn like a beautiful look
to like a beautiful song. I want to see like
a dancing queen, like bucking and turning, you know. I
(44:50):
want to see like a crazy like alternative queen doing
some something punk rock. I want to see a variety,
you know. And I feel like and each queen has
like their own color and style. I don't care what
you do. It doesn't matter what your specialty is, as
long as you commit to it and do it well,
you know. And obviously everyone is like different expectations of
(45:12):
like what a good performance should be, you know. But
if you know your lane and if you like commit
to the lane, you know, like I I'd love done.
Speaker 3 (45:21):
Okay, Okay, that was really sweet of you. But now
I want to hear a pet peeve, Like what's something
that like does when you go to a drag show,
you watch that and you're like, this stupid bitch.
Speaker 4 (45:32):
Also, my biggest drag pet peeve is and it's not
directly at a drag show, when drag queens online or
social media, I ask what kind of performance do you
guys see me do? Or what kind of looks do
you guys want to see me do? That is just
my personal biggest pet peeve because I feel like it
is your job as an artist to curate an experience
(45:53):
and let people experience your art. Otherwise you're a jukebox
just taking requests from people.
Speaker 3 (46:00):
Girl, you just wrecked me. That's like all I was
gonna do for the month of October.
Speaker 2 (46:04):
I was like, Okay, y'all, what do you want to
see me dress up as?
Speaker 3 (46:08):
Next week? Watch hike here she's gonna offer the first suggestion.
Speaker 4 (46:14):
And also I'm not even talking about the queens. You know,
like get a bar where you they take like requests
from the audience and they like to like a du
RG suicide or think you know, it's the ones that
are like, why do you want to see me perform?
Speaker 1 (46:25):
You know?
Speaker 4 (46:26):
That's something like you ask your direct sisters and friends,
you know, but like don't ask people to are.
Speaker 3 (46:31):
You just become a good vibe reader? Like that's my
favorite scale that drag queens have to have when we're
like on the run going to all these places. Doing
twelve shows a day is like, Okay, that's a brunch crowd.
What am I trying to bring them that's gonna make
them give me money? That's like a slutty sex club crowd.
What am I gonna do that's gonna make them give
me money and sex?
Speaker 4 (46:53):
Sure, Like the number that you were performed for, like
the Bachelor party will be different from like the number
you'll be performing at like a queer alternate the club.
Speaker 1 (47:05):
So we asked every guest on the show, what are
you ii key about?
Speaker 4 (47:11):
You know what I'm kind of obsessed with? Do you
follow Patsant Drama?
Speaker 2 (47:16):
No?
Speaker 4 (47:17):
Do you know Miss International?
Speaker 2 (47:20):
Kind of now needing to know?
Speaker 1 (47:22):
Yeah?
Speaker 4 (47:22):
Yeah, Mister International is basically like Miss Universe but for
a trans woman, And the latest drama is so the
final three for Miss USA, Vietnam and Cuba, and Miss
USA ended up winning, and then right after day one
they're interviewing Miss Cuba. She said she basically accused Miss
(47:45):
USA and Miss Vietnam of bullying her, throwing rocks, atter,
calling names behind throughout this competition.
Speaker 2 (47:52):
To say the least, I've been bullied. I have been
told that I look like a man. I have been pushed.
I have been throwing.
Speaker 4 (47:58):
Locks at And no one went up and hugged USC
and Vietnam, but every other girl we're all surrounding Cuba
like all like jumping cheering for.
Speaker 2 (48:10):
Was she was this? She was?
Speaker 1 (48:12):
She wearing a yellow dress. I think I saw that
like the USA was. Yeah, she was like a black woman. Yes, yes, yes,
I saw this. Oh I saw this clip.
Speaker 4 (48:23):
So I don't know what the truth is obviously, when
you'll never know. It's like audience at home. But my god,
it's pageant drama. Ju see Wow, of.
Speaker 2 (48:31):
Course that's what you're taking in on your downtime.
Speaker 4 (48:34):
I mean it just shot up on my algorithm. You know.
Speaker 3 (48:36):
She's like this is this is some good, shady content,
like the world is chaos. Let me let me focus
on some smaller bullshit.
Speaker 4 (48:45):
Honestly, I cannot handle another breaking use about like what
rice being are being taken away from us. I'd rather
just see you like I know, girls like fighting it out,
dragon drag queens, ladies being ladies.
Speaker 1 (48:59):
There's such a where I'm like, I'm I'm down to
like no, I want everyone to know what's going on
in the world. But I also don't want you like spiraling.
I need like finding little pockets of sunshine and happiness
is the most fucking important thing we could be doing
right now.
Speaker 4 (49:15):
Mm hmmm. We gotta do what we gotta do to survive,
you know, hopefully the next three years and god, I
know some Oh my god, no more.
Speaker 2 (49:25):
Okay, I need to eat a meal.
Speaker 3 (49:27):
I now like put on a nail or something.
Speaker 4 (49:29):
When have you ever worn nails?
Speaker 3 (49:31):
Okay? You know what's crazy is I've been sitting here
this whole time trying to peel the backs off of
these nails because I'm trying to become a woman who
wears a nail.
Speaker 4 (49:41):
Why are you starting now the world?
Speaker 3 (49:44):
Is any girl? Do what you've always wanted to do,
follow your dreams or whatever the fuck you know?
Speaker 4 (49:51):
I think you're a beautiful vitter without nails, but mostly
without nails, because I've never seen you at nails.
Speaker 3 (49:57):
You heard it here first. I'm sick of her shit.
Speaker 2 (49:59):
Ye she Thank you so much for coming on, hi Key.
Speaker 4 (50:01):
We love you so much. Please come on anytime, Chris,
Thank you so much for having me my books. Kim Cheese.
The world is out, or it should be out by
the time, just comes out. I'm assuming she'll be there
and then you can protest my makeup CBS jcpenny available
on Ulta dot com starting from September thirtieth. And thank
(50:23):
you so much for all your support.
Speaker 1 (50:25):
Of course, always don't y'all go anywhere. We have our
high Keys of the week up next.
Speaker 2 (50:30):
Yeah, Hike, that.
Speaker 3 (50:38):
Was like a really really chill convo with kim Chi.
That's like one of the things I always forget about
her is like when we're in a room full of
drag queens, she'll she'll like, you know, be there, she'll key,
she'll throw the sharpest shade in the room.
Speaker 2 (50:56):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (50:56):
But Kim and I were often like the only two
smokers on tour, so we shared a lot of smoke
breaks where I'd accidentally be like, girl, the world is tough.
Here's some deep philosophical issues and she'd be like, I've
learned these lessons in life, and then we go back
into the room and be.
Speaker 1 (51:14):
Like, yafkaga, your makeup's busted, y'all? Would I would love
to be in that, like that blood rotation if I'm
being quite honest with you too, because yeah, can she Honestly,
she's exactly how I thought she was going to be.
Speaker 2 (51:30):
Like I've always.
Speaker 1 (51:31):
Thought of her in a very like Courtney Kardashian monotone way,
like and you never know what she's really thinking. Her
face is not as expressive, but I think every time
she does open her mouth, it's something witty, it's something insightful,
and it's just like it's a reminder that, like drag
queens aren't always these big clowns, like wow, I always
(51:56):
tried to, like, you know, be like larger than life.
Speaker 3 (52:00):
If, like, you know, our extra nest comes out in
different ways.
Speaker 1 (52:04):
Well, tell me what your extra high key is because
I would love to know.
Speaker 3 (52:09):
Okay, okay, my extra high key right now is gen V.
I'm so excited. I'm so excited. Yeah, I like.
Speaker 2 (52:19):
I reacting that way. It is, yes, though I was
binging it last night so yes.
Speaker 3 (52:26):
Girl, same. Well, actually I was rewatching it because I've
I've already watched all of the episodes that are out
like twice already.
Speaker 1 (52:34):
Which is this part one part two thing? Because I
could it couldn't end like that.
Speaker 3 (52:38):
Do you What do you mean part one part two?
Speaker 1 (52:40):
Well, I'm just saying, you know how like Wednesday, they
like split up the seasons. They do like part one
that you get the first like four episodes or five episodes,
and then part two you get the rest.
Speaker 2 (52:49):
I got a later day.
Speaker 1 (52:50):
I'm like, that can't be the whole season that I
just watched last night?
Speaker 2 (52:54):
Right?
Speaker 3 (52:55):
Wait are you the first season? Because I only saw
like three episodes out and I just figured they were
just teasing the people and we're going to become a
weekly thing or something.
Speaker 2 (53:04):
Oh, there's like the second season is out right now? Girl?
Speaker 3 (53:09):
What if you just have like the extra privileged I'm
in the industry, I'm friends with somebody password because I
did not see that shit.
Speaker 2 (53:18):
I'm telling you.
Speaker 1 (53:20):
My Amazon Prime is exactly like everybody else's Prime video.
Speaker 3 (53:24):
You heard it here first.
Speaker 2 (53:27):
I'm just like you little people, Well, it's legit.
Speaker 3 (53:30):
I mean, I love the show because it is always
cultural commentary about all of these big aspects of what
it's like to be an American in America. It's it's
a part of the Boys universe. So it's like superheroes politics,
like social commentary. And I love it because it's just
(53:51):
so raunchy, like Dix and Blood and people like lots
of body Gore. So she's my everything right now. I'm
really into it. What's what's your high key?
Speaker 2 (54:03):
You know my high key?
Speaker 1 (54:05):
I just want to echo again how like incredible the
Black Girt creative summing was. I just can't stop thinking
about it, of course, because I just came off the
heels of it, and so like always obsessed with every
person that attended and like got something from it and
live their fucking best life. It's high key obsessed with
(54:25):
that always. My actual high key is I am high
key ready for this season a big brother to be
overo I it's almost over granted, there has been a
lot of changes. There's been the producers are really losing
it for me. They're making this game quite stupid, and
(54:47):
they did that when a game favorite, Rachel got eliminated
for no fucking reason. Spoiler alert if you're not watching
or if you're behind. You came to the wrong place, being.
Speaker 3 (54:57):
Yeah, that's really on you. There's like an episode of
every day right there.
Speaker 1 (55:01):
It's every three days, so it's like it's like, yeah, Sunday, Wednesday, Thursday,
and then it's like that's the that's a cycle.
Speaker 2 (55:07):
And there's just been so much going on.
Speaker 1 (55:10):
It's I don't even know if I want to say
it's the worst season, but it's low key giving the
worst season of all time. However, Comma, my winners are
for sure between which is crazy to say. I would
have never said this week's ago is Morgan and Ashley.
Those are my two winners and also maybe Keanu, but.
Speaker 2 (55:29):
I still got some catching up to do. It's just
been a shit show.
Speaker 1 (55:32):
I hate it when these competition shows, when they are
trying to it seems like every show is trying to
establish like Love Island numbers, trying to get everybody in
their mama to talk, like have the same kind of
cultural like relevance like that show did this past summer,
and like you overproduce.
Speaker 2 (55:49):
And you're over like doing shit. We can see right
through that.
Speaker 1 (55:53):
We can see this like gameplay, we can see how
you're manipulating the contestants in the diary room where you're
trying to get them to say the thing or trying
to you know, you're just playing at the game, which
it's like fine, but like also sit back and let
them do what they're supposed to do, Like these folks
should know how to play the game. To be honest,
(56:13):
these people have been also the worst of playing the game.
It's a lot of newbies who have never watched Big
Brother before, which just pissed me off.
Speaker 3 (56:21):
Right, you're going in on everyone. You're like, producers, this
is you, contestants, this is you.
Speaker 1 (56:27):
Because they're ruining a game that I genuinely love, Like
I love this game, and it's just like I understand
everybody is like it's like everybody probably feels like they're
on the chopping block if they don't get like insane numbers.
And then the show was like gonna like plummet, but like, bitch,
stop overdoing it. Stop trying to force it and trying
(56:48):
to like gaslight us into loving it.
Speaker 2 (56:50):
We will love it if you just let people do
the fucking thing. Thank you.
Speaker 3 (56:54):
And also Castryan Castriton and she'll stop talking about you.
Speaker 1 (56:57):
They never cast after Dragon, they never they're gonna be like,
they're gonna bring me into that house and bit and say, bitch,
you're eating slot for two weeks just because we heard
on high key what you said. So yeah, that's my
high key. But what a wonderful episode. I genuinely am
so excited that we had kim Chi on. Thank you
so much for coming Ony. Y'all should really get her
(57:18):
cookbook in her makeup. Maybe you can put me in
a in a kim Chi face using her makeup palletts.
Speaker 3 (57:23):
Ooh okay, I'll do it because I got a lot
I'm hording.
Speaker 1 (57:27):
How my I really just want you to put me
in drag, like please, just please do it one of
these episodes.
Speaker 3 (57:31):
I'll do it. And to do the thing that kim
Chi hates, make sure y'all leave us a five star
review in Apple Apple Podcasts, and make sure y'all use
words like hey, Eve and Ryan, you're awesome people and
I love you a lot. And also to do what
kim Chi hates, make sure you tell me what I
(57:53):
should dress as for every week of Halloween.
Speaker 1 (57:59):
And don't forget we're about to head over to our patreon,
you know, hang on the Aptis Patreon dot com slash
hi Key. We love it over there, we spent about
twenty thirty minutes just chit chat and reviewing, talking shit.
I'm probably gonna go in on more people because you
fucking deserve it. But it's all the exclusive contents, over
all the apties. Patreon dot com slash Hikey.
Speaker 3 (58:20):
So yeah, see you there.
Speaker 2 (58:22):
God that can't believe you just h that like Ikey.
You're getting so good at this.
Speaker 3 (58:26):
I'm a professional. Ah.
Speaker 2 (58:29):
I love you.
Speaker 3 (58:32):
If you're hikey obsessed with our show, take a second
to follow or subscribe so you never miss an episode,
and while you're at it, rate us, drop a review
and tell your friends.
Speaker 1 (58:43):
If you want to keep the high key key going,
join us on Instagram and TikTok at high Key here,
and of course on Patreon, where we are literally dropping
all that spicy ass tea every week.
Speaker 2 (58:56):
See you there.
Speaker 1 (58:58):
Hike is a production of iHeart as a part of
the Outspoken Network. This show is creating an executive producer
by Ryan Mitchell, ed Addley and Spoke Media.
Speaker 3 (59:07):
Our show runner is Tyler Green. Our producers are Kelly
Kolff and Katie Alis Greer. Our video producer is bo
Delmore and our video editor is Luis Peiga. Our audio
engineer Sammy Syrich. Special thanks to Jenna Burnett and Tess Ryan.
Speaker 1 (59:21):
Executive producers for Smokes Media are Travis Lamont Balinger and
Aliah Tabacolia.
Speaker 3 (59:25):
Our iHeart team is Just Crime Chicic and Sierra Kaiser,
and our
Speaker 1 (59:29):
Fame music is by the one and only Kayan Hersey
and our show art is by Work by Work, with
photography by Eric Carter
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