November 17, 2025 • 68 mins
Is it hot in here, or is it just King Molasses? The first King of Drag talks about why they almost didn’t audition in the first place and the kind of pressure they felt to make sure the first season of a new kind of reality drag show was the best it could be. Yvie and Molasses compare and contrast their experiences with reality tv, the performance industry, and how misogyny still shapes the way culture understands both drag kings and queens. Molasses also talks about how a broader art-making practice informs their approach to drag, and why dreaming matters so much right now. Plus, Ryan’s excited for Zohran Mamdani’s win and wondering: what happens next? Listen up girls, we’re getting inspirational today.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
He was like, kid season two's season threes, all those
are only guaranteed when they're announced. Don't decline an offer
you haven't made yet.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
And I was like, that's right.
Speaker 3 (00:13):
When white people are right, it's.
Speaker 1 (00:20):
Like, oh, you ain't my daddy, Like no, oh my god, ev.
Speaker 3 (00:30):
I'm liking the green hair. I'm liking like you always
have a different context. It's it's actually painful to me
to watch you put your contacts in because it looks
like you are about to like take out your eyeball.
And I just don't understand why you put yourself.
Speaker 4 (00:44):
Through it, because people are mean.
Speaker 2 (00:51):
People your natural eye color, Like why are people mean?
Speaker 4 (00:55):
It's been a while since, I guess I consistently had
been putting myself out in such a public way where people,
I guess are taking my image into consideration. A girl
some of the ship that people like would be saying
under our comments like wow, Evie looks like a crazy
candy meth head or something, or like I've actually.
Speaker 3 (01:17):
Seen the opposite recently, Like I remember when we first
started the pot, they were for sure saying that, but
now they're saying you give by panic like you are
like full on hot, And I just be like, am
I like humpty dumpty sitting next to Ede because Edie
is hot.
Speaker 2 (01:32):
But what about me?
Speaker 4 (01:34):
Bench you are hot? You're hot? Is just like you're
not showing enough.
Speaker 2 (01:39):
Hole.
Speaker 4 (01:47):
No. Now, I'm just like doing this shit because as
the weather gets colder, especially like post Halloween, I don't
know what it is that all October I don't want
to do like ooky, spooky anything. I don't like, I
don't want to get into all the shenanigans. The second
Halloween is over, I'm like, oh, I have thirty different
like horror ideas I want to do and I want
(02:09):
to be this monster, and I already bought all these
crazy spooky contacts, so like.
Speaker 3 (02:15):
You're like, I might as well use them. Ah Uh, yeah,
that's real, that's right. And I'm actually I'm so excited
and I don't even know where we should say it,
but honestly, fuck it, I'm so excited. I get to
see Edie next week. She's coming to LA and she
really literally spending the entire week together, and we have
some like really great like interviews planned and we're in
(02:36):
person because we we've only been in each other's like
presence like in real life like literally just about one
week one, and so it's like I'm so excited to
like have you hear all next week. Like I have
really been thinking about it.
Speaker 4 (02:51):
Like, you know what I didn't realize about us, Ryan,
We're not real friends.
Speaker 2 (02:55):
I mean that is true.
Speaker 4 (02:56):
We're internet friends.
Speaker 2 (02:58):
It's giving colleagues.
Speaker 4 (03:00):
Or like what your parents are Like, that's not your
real friend. You shouldn't been talking to strangers on that internet.
That's not a real friend. That's your internet friend.
Speaker 3 (03:08):
It is for sure be asking asl in a chat
room with you.
Speaker 4 (03:12):
Oh my god, just how to fuck up?
Speaker 3 (03:13):
Now?
Speaker 4 (03:13):
We're gonna have a key though. I want to I
want to go out. I want to like do something
out in public. Okay, I feel like since this is
your hometown, we have to go somewhere that you wouldn't
usually out.
Speaker 3 (03:25):
For sure, and that's everywhere because I'm normally a the
mo house.
Speaker 2 (03:29):
That's the thing.
Speaker 3 (03:30):
I feel like we are just such the complete opposites
where it takes me so much. It's like there's a
lot of energy that it takes for me to like
really want to like go out. I went out last
night to a Red Bull event where they were like
having us try their new flavor that basically is it
is actually really delicious, and I will not allow them
(03:51):
to get me addicted to Red Bull in the ways
that I used to be when I used to be
like a server. Oh my god, that's so real, No,
because what that shit is cracked? And they gave us
like a box of a few of them, and I
was like, oh, y'all are dirty.
Speaker 2 (04:06):
But it was such a I'm about to have problems
are I?
Speaker 3 (04:08):
Yeah, it was such a it was such a cute
moment to like be to be there because it felt
very fall and just be out. But I found out
like less than like ten minutes that oh, like, hey,
you want to come to this thing? And I was like, yeah,
I'm gonna come. But it took me a minute to
really want to like get myself ready to go out.
That's time been actually preparing. We've have been preparing for
(04:32):
this trip for probably like a few weeks, and I
have been preparing since then to be like, Okay, the
week is coming, Let's let's be ready to be outside
with Evie because I know you don't want to be outside.
Speaker 2 (04:43):
Okay, we go to Acbar.
Speaker 4 (04:45):
I don't know what that is, but let's do wait.
Speaker 3 (04:46):
Acbar is like a hole in the wall spot over
here in uh like silver Lake. And I ran into Naomi.
I didn't speak. She was with someone and I just
was like with friends. But I saw her and and
I was like, yeah, it's like a very hole in
the wall spot. I feel like you were like, the
drinks are very strong and they're low key cheap, and
so I'm like, I think we.
Speaker 4 (05:07):
Could have a down down. Actually that sounds like the
outing experience because I've seen I've seen I've seen weho
and she's seen me.
Speaker 5 (05:14):
Girl.
Speaker 3 (05:15):
Yeah, I'm just I I rather not do the wee.
I shout out to it when it's there and you
you want to go, but I rather find like a
cute hole in the wall and.
Speaker 2 (05:25):
Just do that.
Speaker 3 (05:26):
And macbrtends to be that, you know, and it's not
like Precinct, where the smell is in the walls, even
though I like Precinct.
Speaker 4 (05:32):
You're so hateful. You're so hateful to my favorite bar
in your whole fucking city. Goddamn you.
Speaker 3 (05:39):
But I mean, here's the thing. The person that's coming
on the show, I'm honestly if they do in La,
like if they're coming to La I feel like they
would totally perform.
Speaker 2 (05:48):
At precinc like that would be their spy.
Speaker 3 (05:51):
And I'm so excited because Evie has been fan girling
over our guests that is.
Speaker 2 (05:57):
Coming on right now. They one King of Drag and
who are they?
Speaker 4 (06:03):
It's King Molasses. Y'all better puss respect on the name excellence.
This man excellence. I want to smell his pet. Okay,
King Molasses.
Speaker 2 (06:11):
Yeah, I change your panties because he's gonna get good.
Speaker 4 (06:18):
I'm so lat.
Speaker 2 (06:20):
Ike okay, y'all so our guest today. I am so excited.
Speaker 3 (06:26):
They didn't just win a crown on you know, on
King of Drag, but they actually made history doing it.
The first ever winner of King of Drag, a performer,
a producer in All around powerhouse. And if I must say,
the first time that I knew of King Molasses was
when they were teaching Ashley Darby on Real Housewives of
(06:48):
Potomac how to be a drag king, which is a
wild crossover.
Speaker 2 (06:53):
Please welcome King Molasses to the show.
Speaker 4 (06:57):
Welcome.
Speaker 1 (07:00):
It is my absolute honor to crown thee the first
ever King of Dregs.
Speaker 5 (07:12):
Charms absolutely obsessed, no, I'm says literally, you are just
the coolest human that I have, Like, watch just really grow.
Speaker 2 (07:23):
It's been really incredible.
Speaker 3 (07:25):
And I know your life has shifted in a very
quick way, in.
Speaker 2 (07:29):
A very real time.
Speaker 3 (07:32):
And how are you how have you been dealing with
the shift in the.
Speaker 2 (07:39):
Insane exposure to the spotlight?
Speaker 4 (07:41):
Yeah, because, honestly, okay, I know that question does and
will and forever get asked a lot of you, for sure,
And I also know that I personally struggled coming up
with an answer that felt as deep as what I
was feeling every day. So I'm curious for you, like,
how would you describe your experiences to people who have
nothing to benefit from whether you plug an ad or not.
Speaker 1 (08:04):
Yeah, no, thank you, thank you for the question. Albeit, yes,
the weight of that question the last like three months
of my life has just been exponentially heavier. Ye I
right now I am dehydrated, but I'm good.
Speaker 2 (08:26):
I mean so real.
Speaker 3 (08:29):
It's like you're like one inch step from having a
Charlie Horse right now.
Speaker 1 (08:32):
Yeah, Like it's giving like whatever, Like that pyramid is
like the lowest.
Speaker 4 (08:37):
Or like you just eat water, Like wait, why are
you talking about the food pyramid? And if that's the case,
why wasn't water ever. On the pyramid of things we
had to consume, they're like eat twenty loaves of bread, bitch.
Speaker 2 (08:50):
And like dirty eggs.
Speaker 4 (08:52):
Yeah, you can even have a little ice cream and
then there's like a little asterisk down at the bottom
like water.
Speaker 1 (08:57):
If you feel a propaganda honest, but yeah, you know,
I am. I am tired and grateful. I think is
the easiest way to sort of encapsulate, the most honest way. Yeah,
and I am. I mean I think some people maybe
(09:17):
got this from the show, but I'm definitely not someone
that's afraid of sort of just being like sad boy,
like I don't care, like yeah, like have you been outside?
Speaker 2 (09:31):
Like what like happy about lo KEI.
Speaker 1 (09:33):
No, you know, I love being grumpy, dead ass. Like
I think it's realistic. I think it's honest. I think
most scenes call for it, like in the Bit of Life,
and you know, like I want to be a trash
gobblin every now and then. So it's like all I
feel everything kind of at once. And also I beneath
(09:58):
all of that, I try to honestly, I do fashion
myself a bit of an optimist, like I choose to
be here, you know, like in depending on how wu
you want to like take it, Like I really choose
to be here. I don't know why I chose to
be here sometimes, but I I can't help but sort
(10:19):
of turn to the fullness of it. And even when
it's super intense, it's dude, it's super beautiful, Like life
is kind of beautiful real song.
Speaker 4 (10:27):
I like, uh, well, I guess I should get some
fangirling out of the way too.
Speaker 2 (10:31):
Okay, dude, I'm waiting.
Speaker 3 (10:34):
I have been waiting for you to be on our
show so I can see, like evy o fool fan mo,
because I'm always like a fan when the like queens
and everyone come.
Speaker 2 (10:42):
On, and so I'm like, Evie is I was?
Speaker 4 (10:45):
I like, I first of all, I was shocked out
of the blue, just randomly that like, yeah, finally there's
this opportunity to showcase a facet of the same art
for my practice that for some reason, it's kind of
funny whendn't like we play around in the art of
to call it simply gender, Like we're that we're the
(11:05):
gender artists, and it's kind of funny that the whole
point of this is to like make fun of gender.
But then we're like, yeah, but those girls trying to
be boys can't be with us.
Speaker 1 (11:18):
But also may I can I keep may I keep
this gate? Like no, I how we always turn to
systematic oppression? Oh yeah, like she is me?
Speaker 4 (11:33):
I mean I will, I will say there is this
like a constant critique. I remember having myself, like when
I had a lot, a lot more misogyny to unpack,
a lot more self hate to unpack. But like I
do remember feeling like in general about drag kings being like, yeah,
but they're boring. They're they're not, they're not they're not
(11:56):
doing as much they like And it's it's funny because
that's still the critique I hear echoed back from the
people who like aren't quite sold yet. What would you
have to say to somebody like that who clearly has
like at least never seen one of your shows.
Speaker 1 (12:11):
Because yeah, I think that's like the first thing I guess.
It's like, you haven't met me, you haven't seen me.
And also just I mean, I don't think I have
a unique take in that misogyny plays a huge part
in people's attitudes towards drag kings because it's based on
(12:33):
the assumption that you know a drag king is not
a cis man or someone who has assigned male at birth,
but just a not true. There are many amb drag kings.
There are many great a mab drag kings. And also
this is drag, so all of these weird like sort
(12:56):
of boxes that we are putting ourselves in. It's it's
very gummy, it's super goofy behavior.
Speaker 3 (13:03):
It feels so stupid at the end of day because
it's like this one. I feel like it's something that
we always hear when it comes to just drag the
art in general. It's like what it's you are kind
of like glorified clowns in a lot of way, like
you make people happy and joyful, and it's it's it's
really interesting to see how like drag has become such
a huge mainstream moment where the the speaker of criticism
(13:28):
has gotten larger and larger with someone from like you.
You had your own platform before going on King of Drag, right,
And so I wonder why, even like I guess, open
yourself up to the possibility you're already dealing You're already
dealing with all of the shots already locally and what
(13:50):
you're dealing with but now it's on a national, global level.
Speaker 2 (13:54):
What were what was.
Speaker 3 (13:55):
Your decision around to being like, okay, yeah, I'll do
King of Drag.
Speaker 1 (13:59):
Yeah, was definitely tired upon that application, like let's get
let's be sad boy, Let's be sad boy. So it
is fair to definitely say I had a bit of
a cult following coming into the launch of visibility from
King of Drag. And that was built the way that
(14:22):
you know that ev that many drag performers like out
around the country, around the world built it, which is
that you know, I started, I went to a show,
I started performing. I made twenty five dollars that first night.
Speaker 4 (14:41):
And I'll say you were really good from the job
from like you making money.
Speaker 1 (14:46):
Twenty five for one act, babe like work.
Speaker 3 (14:51):
Uh.
Speaker 1 (14:52):
Actually, I think it's probably a good time to sort
of say I didn't have a drag family, like nobody
asked me to do. Yeah, like cry for help. But
I first saw my my first Drag king show. I
think I was around like twenty five, twenty like six.
I had not done drag up until that point. I
(15:14):
started drag at twenty seven years old, yeah, which yeah,
which means I am older than twenty seven years old,
which is also really funny to me because I think
a lot of people were quite taken by like the
heft of me, and I'm like, it's because I'm over
the age of thirty. That's that's why I was.
Speaker 4 (15:34):
I was not I wasn't like going to ask this,
but to be honest, I was like getting ready in
the shower and I was like, oh the fuck old
is king? No, because like because like they seem like
one of those people who, like, you know, they were
just like a little kid walking around like a like
a two year old baby, like already walking smoking a
(15:56):
cigar with like the nicest posture, and people are like,
you were You're one of those people who got You're
an old soul.
Speaker 1 (16:05):
Just about Yeah, it's called I had African parents. The
bags under my eyes are.
Speaker 3 (16:12):
Like, you were actually at the age of thirty when
you you like exited the womb.
Speaker 1 (16:17):
Yeah, Like I paid off like three cars, like you
saying nothing. Yeah, but anyways, it's sort of like really bad.
Like I had very humble beginnings and I had no
expectations when I started doing drag. I saw I saw
kings perform up until that point. I had watched drag
(16:39):
for several years in my young adulthood or in my
like early twenties. I saw my first track show in college.
Uh so when I saw Kings do it, I was like,
I think I would be really good at that. Yeah,
like like it just it was a very simple, clear
(16:59):
thought and that sort of launched this whole internal turmoil
around like what like what you mean you want to
like be a boy. And at that time, like I
was really still forcing myself into like the this cis
woman experience. And by force, I mean like I was chilling,
(17:21):
but like women are weird too, so like we'll get there,
like don't like, yeah, I promise we're gonna get to that.
That gatekeeping is gonna We're gonna get over there. So yeah,
it was it I a lot of the questions that
people naturally have when your friend says they want to
start doing drag, which is like, like, you know, is
(17:43):
this about something else? Possibly?
Speaker 2 (17:45):
Do you want to transition?
Speaker 1 (17:47):
Yeah, like what does this mean for me? And and
I've always been I think it's fair to say I've
always been coded as a masculine person, like since I
was very very.
Speaker 4 (17:57):
Young, if it was the nineties, we'd be like, oh,
you're a tomboy, you know, and then if the out
word came out, they'd be like, oh, yeah, that's that's
one of those those like a bold dyke. So that's
one of those butchers.
Speaker 1 (18:08):
Oh yeah.
Speaker 2 (18:09):
But honestly for sure.
Speaker 1 (18:12):
But honestly, if you like insert me to the universe,
the butcher ones would be like, you see all them
girls in there, like.
Speaker 3 (18:17):
Na, there's there's actually that that that girl pattern right there, that.
Speaker 1 (18:23):
That's a little suit.
Speaker 2 (18:28):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (18:28):
Yeah, the studs were like, that's cute. I really I had,
I tried. I tried.
Speaker 3 (18:33):
So so you've done you you've entered into like knowing
that you wanted to do drag and like be a
drag king. Yeah, and you've built the platform. But like
when you saw the show, when you were like, oh,
King of Drag, there's a show. Now they're trying to
build this up and I know that you almost didn't
(18:56):
audition until like Murray Hill was like please, what did
you tell.
Speaker 2 (19:01):
Us about that? And why was that?
Speaker 1 (19:04):
Yeah? So the hesitancy was when the show was announced.
I was taking a break.
Speaker 2 (19:12):
I like, up.
Speaker 1 (19:14):
Until the end of that year, I had like really busted,
like my ass trying to get projects off the ground
that you know, would kind of really try to put
me in the space where I am now. I went
through a really crazy bodybuilding circuit at the top of
(19:34):
the year and I did like a whole body like
recomp I was working on like a documentary project and
I was gigging like crazy. So like and by crazy,
I mean like I did haun Show, like I did nightgowns,
(19:56):
like the start of twenty twenty four my first snip gowns,
and I had ended that season with my first bushwig
where I ended up like opening for Julie Ja, my
first entry. It was the latest spot that a king
had ever had. Wow, And I mean to be frank,
I smashed it and I felt like I was just
(20:21):
punching up, punching up, punching up, and everything that I
was doing just wasn't really reaping the return. Yeah, And
like I like that that sigh, Like hearing that side
from you ev like tells me. And truly even at
the end of end of this experience, like roo girls,
dragular girls, folks that are gigging in the performance industry,
(20:45):
like these like cycles of like working and just kind
of the thanklessness and the needing to self validate. All
of those things are so present they never really change.
Speaker 4 (20:56):
It's the trippiest part, especially because like I think there
is some of what we do as drag artists, like
obviously a lot of it is to please ourselves, to
heal ourselves, to like really put some energy in and
be like what do I want? But there is also
this part of the ego that I would say is
like we we see how stagnant it gets to be
(21:19):
at a certain level. I often get critiqued for talking
shit about the hand that fed me, but I'm I'm
always thinking about like the hungry person I was right
before then, the person who like saw drag race as
not something necessarily that like they wanted their life to
(21:39):
become about, but like you wanted you want a chance
to do more because you can work your ass off.
And I still get this, honestly from all the performers
I talked to back in Denver, where they're like, yeah, man,
can you, like, can you give me one more tip
on like how to make a depression this way or
(22:01):
that way? Or I might do this show that next year,
because like I've done everything here and people still don't
cling onto it. So I'm very curious because, uh, you're
a self aware person. It is it is written all
over your code.
Speaker 1 (22:17):
Yeah, I try. I try to be. And and that
was definitely something that like I considered when the show
had come out, which is that like you know, I
had I I was honestly, I already felt that I
was already one of the best to do it by
the time that the show had already been announced, and
(22:40):
it wasn't. It didn't It doesn't actually mean anything like
I was at the top or sort of really honestly
creating and pushing against a ceiling that doesn't. Yeah, and
I felt I think that heaviness in that the lack
of return was really realizing that there wasn't really a
(23:01):
space for me because there wasn't nobody really knew what
to do with me. They knew that I was good,
and like my favorite thing often is that when I'm booked,
like I'll usually try and ask, like, you know, what's
like the vibe if I if I don't know it already,
if I don't do my research, and they're just like,
just do whatever that thing you.
Speaker 4 (23:21):
Do, which is like the worst prompt to give somebody
with an artist's brain, like.
Speaker 3 (23:29):
Yeah, I actually think that's a great prompt because at
least it's like affirming that, like what you've been able
to build Break by Brook is like working and do
it in this space because you wouldn't have been hired
if it didn't work.
Speaker 1 (23:45):
Jay, for sure, It definitely it's definitely a double edged
sword in that it gives you. It's it's validating and
it's just like you know you're doing something right, but
it's also you know, no one seems to be able
to articulate what that is. And then in terms of
like your ability to matriculate and to enter other rooms,
(24:07):
you can only really move laterally to a certain point.
Speaker 2 (24:11):
That's so interesting.
Speaker 4 (24:12):
I need to like, can we talk about puppies or
some ship like.
Speaker 3 (24:16):
Feel So he's like I am like, yeah, no, we're
not trying to activate.
Speaker 1 (24:25):
But that's so they're the silver lining here is that
like I was fatigued and I was just like I
just need to stop and figure whatever however I come
back is gonna it has to be different. I just
need to do something different. And that was literally to
the day. December sixteenth was when Variety had had announced
(24:48):
that the show was gonna happen. That was the anniversary
of my dad's death. I was and my dad is
buried not too far from me, like about an hour
and a half away, so I like I was there
with him like that morning. I often like, you know,
I'm like to kind of hang out with the graveyard
(25:10):
like kids and stuff. It's cool. But like I was
getting like buzzes like on my phone and I'm just
like right now, like I'm just like variety, like like
and then I see this and I'm like huh. And
(25:30):
then people are just immediately adding me being like yo,
this person, this person, this person. I'm like, okay.
Speaker 2 (25:38):
Cool.
Speaker 1 (25:39):
When I take my beat and I look at it,
it was like little morsels of like a lot of potential,
not a lot of details in the beginning, and like anybody,
I think with like just caution, and where I was
sort of at I was like, this sounds awesome. I
will wait till season two.
Speaker 6 (25:58):
Thank you.
Speaker 2 (26:06):
You know you don't want to be the test dummy.
Speaker 4 (26:07):
That's where I was going with a You're a very
self aware person, and I think we all are deep
enough into reality TV culture to know that, Like the
pilot season of the fiercest things that have changed the
biggest culture like don't always get the justice that those
artists are hoping for deserving. But which is why I'm
(26:30):
curious how you like cross the boundary into doing it,
because I do think that in your case, however you
are are and wear like such an established name, you
were already, as you said, you were already doing that
shit like, so it's interesting do you think you would
(26:54):
have been more I guess more privy to auditioning, Like
you would have been hungrier to do it if there
were like if it were later, even if that meant
that you'd have to come in as like a legend
trying to muld yourself into a show or.
Speaker 1 (27:10):
Yeah, yeah, that's a great that's a great question because
you know, not that I would have regrets regardless of
my result on the show, But what ended up ultimately
sort of turning my path toward it was when Marie
(27:32):
had like spoken to me and I had expressed like
similar things. I was just like, is this worth it?
Like yeah, like I this is a really tight turnaround.
It's the winter time, like I'm already in sort of
like a season of sort of like reflection. I'm fatigued.
I'm tired, you know, like, will this be worth it?
(27:57):
Why are you doing it? And you know he was like, kid,
season two's season threes, all those are only guaranteed when
they're announced, So don't decline an offer you haven't made yet.
Speaker 2 (28:14):
Wow, And I was like, God.
Speaker 3 (28:16):
Dang it, white people are right, Daddy, like, no.
Speaker 4 (28:29):
Well, what's what's fun? Those who do like hold up
to What I will say is this coincidence amongst the
big drag shows where in the first season, you know,
where they don't they may not have the biggest production
and budget and all this, and that the person who
ends up winning is really typically the idea of whatever
(28:51):
that brand's perfection is somebody who can carry the weight
of being like, no, I've I've actually held a position
of power before, like I can lead us into the future.
Whereas later on, you know, sometimes they'll choose like a
fierce fashion twink.
Speaker 1 (29:08):
And the season two of me was likely like we
get but yeah, it was it. I definitely take the
responsibility of not only just winning but simply being on
the cast very highly. And to be honest, the part
(29:28):
of that turn of thinking was that Kings have been
waiting for a moment to respond to that question that
is always just kind of thrown into the forum around
whether or not kings can perform to be direct at
(29:49):
the level of drag race performers, and then Dragula. But
then we of course quickly we've established that we can
land Insider, thank you so much. But even still right
because Dragula is still born out of an alternative response
(30:09):
to the drag race model.
Speaker 2 (30:13):
Right.
Speaker 1 (30:13):
It's it's like, I mean, we see the articles like
we like, we've done the explainers. I've done the explainers.
So this was really when I started to look toward it.
I said that if I was going to do this,
I'm going to put down the idea about being the
(30:34):
best or winning. I don't have anything to prove in
that regard, to be quite honest, nor do I necessarily
need the attention of people who are not looking for me.
So if I can put that away, I can focus
on using this Like you know, we don't know the
(30:56):
aperture of this microscope, but we know that there's a
lens toward us, like in Earnest for the first time,
so I'm gonna have to smash it out of the park. Yeah,
it's gonna it's I have to make it. Not only
(31:18):
to be quite honest, winning was the least of my priorities.
It was making the impression that I couldn't get past
when I was doing it all those years before, on
that ceiling.
Speaker 3 (31:36):
And when you have that opportunity, when that spotlight is
spinally on you and like on the culture of drag
Kings as a whole, how does that change your sense
of what drag can now be for you?
Speaker 1 (31:52):
For me, it definitely gives a sense of safety in
the sense that you know, if this show I mean
like I mean that a lot of people argue whether
or not like it was successful or not. I would
argue that it was in fact, like successful at least
for my purposes.
Speaker 2 (32:11):
And we love a crunchy first season regard like that's
actually cult classic, yeah.
Speaker 1 (32:18):
Ridiculous, like and I am of the early reality show era,
like I watched like Surreal Life, like it was like
it was a lawless land, like yes, like honestly rocket
like like we can we can get real deep in there.
I still watched the Challenge every now and then, like
you know, just for nostalgia, for nostalgia's sake, So like
(32:39):
I definitely for my own sort of like sake. I
was like, you know, I don't want to look too crazy,
like I mean, like I'm a clown, so this is
not you.
Speaker 2 (32:48):
Know, let's be refined a little bit.
Speaker 1 (32:50):
Please, right. But but I know as soon as this
show comes out, we don't know how well it's going
to do, but we know it's going to be compared
to Track Race, So I am not phoning this in
like and if anything, like, I'm setting my own. I
tried to set my own specific agendas per each challenge
(33:13):
and each presentation that I can get. So the works
that I were the works that I did on the show,
one of which was one that I had been working
on as a thesis since college, like which was the
Void suit for the Fear Challenge, which, like color and
color theory and performance art, has been something like within
my art making practice for over a decade. Like, I
(33:37):
am not new to this, Like I might be newer
to drag in the context of like my work as
a professional, but I am not new to making and
sort of like like getting in that ass in terms
of like concept.
Speaker 4 (33:53):
You're an art school queer, You're an art school queer.
Speaker 1 (33:57):
I'm art part like.
Speaker 2 (34:00):
No Evie.
Speaker 3 (34:01):
I was literally just like it's so hot to watch
people nerd out on their shit.
Speaker 4 (34:06):
You can tell that like you've been in a gallery
critique before having to be like Okay, yeah, well this composition.
Speaker 1 (34:14):
I may have adjunked maybe once or two, like you know, like.
Speaker 2 (34:20):
Yeah, yeah, I'm really good at this.
Speaker 1 (34:23):
So yeah, like I I wanted to bring no I
didn't want to like show it off like that these
are my skills. But I'm like, this is the biggest
room I've been in so far, So let's take what
I've got and let's like transform it into whatever the
fuck this is gonna be. Like I have no idea
(34:46):
what the who the judges are. I don't know like
how it's going to be presented. I don't know if
I will look good, but like win it for me.
And we filmed this and this is not like a
couple of people referenced it, so this is not news.
But we filmed this in seven days, which.
Speaker 2 (35:09):
Is crazy to me.
Speaker 3 (35:10):
That is honestly, Like, and I also I'm familiar with Reverie,
the production company and the studio that put the show on,
and insane, I mean they do to know that that
one I'm precedented work. It's just crazy. Did you feel
that when you were in it that week?
Speaker 1 (35:29):
Like feel is an? I felt nothing because it's seven
consecutive days, that's what people like. So by the finale,
every day prior was tend to like sixteen hours and
(35:51):
then the next day.
Speaker 4 (35:53):
And it's not like you're sleeping like really comfortably at night.
You're like, oh, what happened today? And also my brother
who went at home, and also I.
Speaker 2 (36:02):
Just talked about the trauma of my life on camera.
Speaker 1 (36:05):
Yeah, and like my my brother is also like like
my roommate. Like you know, like the budget is small
and there is a lot of there was not only
just like the mental labor of the competition, but the
emotional labor. And with all of that, I knew, like
even when I got there and I was just like, Okay,
(36:26):
we're all punching up here, there's no excuse for me.
I still have to make the statement because talking about
that safety, if this show did flop, there wouldn't be
a lane for me to come back to that would
allow me to surpass like the tear that I had
(36:47):
already gotten to prior to the show.
Speaker 3 (36:49):
A lot of pressure though to like kind of know
that that's like rested, like the legacy of drag Kings
are kind of rested on your shoulders while you're doing
this historic thing.
Speaker 2 (36:59):
I mean, that's hot, that's heavy.
Speaker 1 (37:01):
It is heavy.
Speaker 4 (37:02):
It's funny too, because it is something that at least
as a viewer, I got out of you, like actually,
all all of the Kings I saw it, like you
and a cast full of people. I saw you know,
your mentors and your guests even understand how important this is.
And that's why I think it's really funny. Like the
(37:23):
little bit of push I've heard kind of not even
against the show, but like we have Bob on and
Bob was like.
Speaker 7 (37:30):
Uh, there was one episode of Kings of Drag that
I was like, this.
Speaker 4 (37:36):
Is wild.
Speaker 7 (37:38):
There were just it was the episode where they were
confronting their fears and everyone's performance was like really like
it was trauma. It was thirty minutes of non stop trauma.
Speaker 4 (37:50):
I hated it when like when they were just like
all trauma dumping and I'm like, dude, it's been a
minute since you've been to it like a good crunchy
local show, because yes, there is gonna be some trauma.
Welcome to being queer and welcome to finally having a
space to talk.
Speaker 3 (38:04):
For you, this is actually how what we've been asking
for a lot of times when it comes to representation,
to hearing authentic and truthful stories about like our lives
and seeing it on such a platform as this, right, Like,
it's important.
Speaker 1 (38:21):
I totally agree. And also to to be fair to Bob,
like it was it was great.
Speaker 2 (38:29):
I have eyes.
Speaker 1 (38:32):
I was like, like I was there.
Speaker 4 (38:38):
Everybody like just you're like, yeah, this was actually a
horror challenge and we just went into the horrors of
our lives.
Speaker 1 (38:45):
Like I was like a word, like, that's what you want, Like,
like I was gonna like.
Speaker 2 (38:53):
Did you hate that? Did you hate that day work?
Speaker 3 (38:55):
I mean because that's the production part of television, right Like,
that's the have to pull the story together.
Speaker 2 (39:02):
And it's just like did it feel forced?
Speaker 1 (39:05):
I wouldn't say that what I brought and honestly, in earnest,
what I felt everybody bring was forced. Now there is
that level of removal when you're watching it, like from
the audience, because yeah, what is edited out is a
lot of context. And then also the sort of underneath
(39:26):
it is that all reality TV is constructed like these
are like it is made for the purpose of being
this thing. It's not necessarily made for the purpose of
making sense outside of the scope of the game. So,
you know, like everybody at the end of that episode
(39:50):
and honestly at the end of almost every episode, because
there is this like emotion, There is an emotionality to
the show that is simply just not in contemporary drag race.
I don't know if it ca and be just based
on like the commodification of the model, like it's it's
it's too big, and it's also not necessarily there to
serve that purpose, you know. But with the show, we
(40:13):
were honest about our lives and how our lives pertain
to our drag in watching it. We are not above feedback.
I don't like, we're not above critique. I actually think
that that would be a disservice to us. Like I
(40:35):
didn't punch as far up as I did for y'all
to just be like what yeah, like I know I'm
good and I am so good that like this is
what I'm here, This is the sport of it. So
that was what made it feel so much like more
(40:58):
you know, in the moment, like it didn't feel off
like I mean, it's weird to be on TV. It's
weird to be on cameras. Like I am not the
loudest personality, and I can be quite inward and I
can't be quite serious and intense and those things don't
necessarily tend.
Speaker 4 (41:15):
To work for character TV character.
Speaker 1 (41:20):
Yeah, but like but dead ass. Like when I was
auditioning for the show, and you know, they within that
the callback model, They're like, so we really want to
know what your character is.
Speaker 2 (41:30):
I was just like, so, like.
Speaker 1 (41:39):
Just me, it's me eating hair like that what it is?
Like you think you they won't let me stand on
the bar if I look like this, like they would.
You know, they barely let me stand on the bar
trying to get into the gig, even though I'm on
the flyer. But like that, like the shows authenticity was
(42:02):
because we were authentic and that was honestly the best
that we could do. And then once it's released, it's released,
and I'm super grateful for the fact that, you know,
Bob gave Kings of Drag three uh three episodes, you know,
I'm I'm grateful to all of the I'm grateful to
(42:23):
y'all for like spotlighting it on the podcast for the
Root girls that were in My d MS episode one
that were like, holy shit, like this is so cool.
Speaker 4 (42:35):
That wasn't gonna be I'm not sure it would be
a fake bitch on you gotta I gotta see if
you're a winner first, baby, Yeah, I.
Speaker 1 (42:43):
Got hi you like you know, but it meant a
lot to me, Like, you know, even when we gig together,
like in New York, like for fashion week, like you
just even running up and saying hey, when we had
like five you had five million yards of fabric in
your arms running around like those things mean everything to
(43:09):
me because it's about the sport. It's not about like
my ego. It's not about like and it can be
about my ego, it can be about feeling good about myself,
but I don't find that particularly worth it in the
long run. And I have like I've worked before I
(43:31):
did drag, like I worked like a nine to five.
I've been in corporatis environments, I've been in service industry environments.
Like the work tends to kind of function the same
across industries, you know. I hate to say it, so
if you're really doing it for like some prestige factor,
(43:54):
like you will get tired, like it's not gonna it's
not gonna feel good. It has to kind of something
has to kind of go beyond that. So honestly, I
didn't know when the show was announced, the winner was announced.
I knew the day before in order to like do
my Entertainment Weekly interview, but up until that point, like
(44:15):
we did the multiple endings the last day for the finale,
so we did that whole reset and everything, and Lisa
Retta like shout out to her, like we did the
whole like aw we this was within those seven days.
It was like it was a tour de force, like
and every single person, I think in the production where
(44:36):
your talent, behind the camera, sound, everybody wanted this to work.
We didn't know what the fuck work meant, but we
needed it to work. And the part that I played
in this was the same part as everybody else. I
just happened to have the privilege and the circumstance certain
(45:01):
skill like set that allowed me to win. And that's
really it.
Speaker 2 (45:06):
Yeah, And I also think, like you're so hot. Yeah,
it's so true. That was at the time of my time.
Speaker 4 (45:13):
It's funny because I could not get my husband to
watch the show for shit. But when he came when
he came to the Zero Waste Daniels show, we were
walking in and I was like, I'm so excited King
Molasses is walking in it too, like you are one
of the only other people he talked about in that show.
He was like, yeah, there were performers performing, and why
(45:35):
didn't you tell me, like King Molasses is so hot?
Like it does? He go both ways? Can we can we.
Speaker 3 (45:40):
Bring I also want to I guess I want to
highlight that visibility, right because not only are you in
your your your reigning moments, but also I mean the
out one hundred congratulations on that.
Speaker 2 (45:55):
Like what do you.
Speaker 3 (45:56):
What do you hope your visibility opens up for? I
don't even really want to say the next generation because
it feels like y'all haven't even gotten the like all
the things that you can soak up right now, But like,
what are you hoping this.
Speaker 2 (46:11):
Kind of opens up in this.
Speaker 3 (46:14):
Next chapter of for performers that are also wanting to
be draggings and seeing the opportunities land on their labs.
Speaker 1 (46:23):
To be honest, I just I kind of high key.
I want chaos and anarchy. I don't have like I
am someone who takes a very structural approach to drag.
I think that's what made me stand out pretty early on,
(46:45):
which is that like if I am offered entry into
a space, I consider the space before I do anything else.
Like if there is a runway, that is what's driving
my choices. If there are five people in a black
(47:05):
box theater, like that's going to drive like sort of
like my research. Like you know, I've always had that
type of approach, And the point of honestly understanding systems
and trends and patterns is to know when you can
effectively break when you can effectively break them down, when
(47:29):
you can kind of move and go within it. So
my hope, I think, as King Molasses, is in being
myself and making the decisions that I want to make,
and that makes sense to me that people will feel
empowered to make decisions and be their full and best selves.
(47:56):
And once we all do that, that's when we can
actually take this whole weird thing that we're in, this timeline,
the whether you call it like oppression, the end of days,
like whatever, that's when we actually can take that down.
Like I don't want to like be like dramatic or severe,
(48:18):
but I'm in it for the war of it all,
like I'm in it for the reconstruction of it And
why honestly, I'm willing to be as tired as I am,
and to be as focused as I am, and to
be as grumpy as I am is because like history
favors the fuck no one. And if I don't do
(48:40):
my part like I literally can have, I have no
expe I can't expect it from anybody else. Absolutely, like
I like I really, I stand on tables and bars
and I shape like my ass. That's like, you know,
that was the very bag, from the very beginning, from
that twenty five dollar act that I did. It was
(49:03):
about literally and in some kind of physical way, breaking through.
That's all I really want people to do. I try
not to put too much of my own agenda. I
try not to project. I'm certainly not perfect, but I
am really in it for what people have to bring.
(49:27):
Like Drag excites me, Like I watched drag. I watched
drag for years before I even considered that it could
include me as a performer.
Speaker 3 (49:37):
I mean, drag is actually movement work like it there
is so much like like active change that can actually
happen in a drag performer in the way that they
showcase there are are how they present in spaces that
could actually like move the needle in so many ways.
I mean, we've seen it at a mainstream level, but
(49:58):
like I think there's just a constant, especially at the
like the space of the intersections that you exist in.
It's it's it's no no shit, it's like it's life
changing work.
Speaker 2 (50:11):
It's legacy work.
Speaker 1 (50:12):
Yeah, yeah, it really And thank you so much for
saying that, because it's not corny to frame it what
we do like this, like it might feel.
Speaker 2 (50:24):
A bit like that one woke friend.
Speaker 1 (50:29):
Yeah, you know, Like my sort of thing is is
that like like you won't be doing this if you
enjoyed what you saw. Yeah, Like I do crazy things
in front of white people when I'm in drag, like
things like I'd be throwing money in their faces, like
you know on and it's free.
Speaker 2 (50:51):
It's free. You could do it.
Speaker 4 (50:53):
You could do the craziest shit.
Speaker 6 (50:55):
Like you like if I if if I can build
a container that makes you feel safe and seen, Yeah.
Speaker 1 (51:08):
I really can do almost anything that I want. And
it's and I want to be careful with this language
because this isn't about like moving beyond someone's like wall
of consent, and this is not about like finding a
way to inflict harm.
Speaker 2 (51:26):
Right, I do.
Speaker 1 (51:27):
Think that there are artists that are like they're not
coming into it for malice, but like when you start
to kind of bring your ego into it, that's when
those sort of like like rubs and those, yeah, that's
when it gets it always gets hard. So if I
can just be like I said, quite honest and forthright
(51:48):
and in movement, like I had a I grew up
in a religious home, which like my mother was very
very caful, like a very very devout Catholic, and so
I would do I did confirmation, like I taught uh
(52:08):
CCD or what is Sunday School like up before I
went to college, Like you know, I had nuns like
as like Sunday School teachers like briefly like like.
Speaker 2 (52:19):
And not like the Whoopy Gobert sister act sort of.
Speaker 1 (52:22):
Way it really like wasn't cute. And also like I
was kind of into it. So I was just like
like nerd, like I was like, oh God, like I
like my stories. I like my stories. So I had
a a teacher who used to say, you know, like
(52:45):
singing and praise movement is like praying twice. So when
you do that in front of people in any way,
there is such a surrender that comes from like person
in that spotlight that regardless of whether the audience members
are sort of like queued into like the tangles that
(53:07):
we have right now, they are in that. They're in
the container.
Speaker 2 (53:12):
Yeah yeah, yeah, there's no way out. They're in it.
They're the experience to get regardless.
Speaker 1 (53:17):
Yeah. So when like drag is the reminder of the container,
it's a reminder that we can also build that frame
and then of course we can expand it to like
you know, we're all born naked and the rest of
drag because yes, like our life, our lives are rooms.
All of these are containers to which you know, we
(53:39):
are called to. Really my belief is that we are
called to have and display the same vulnerability that we
do on stage.
Speaker 4 (53:50):
Oh you are so hot, like now, it's it's true,
It's true.
Speaker 1 (53:59):
Yeah yeah, And like that's like because being it's human.
Being human is about connection, right Like in my you know,
I want to be effective at it, so in showing
like my movement and I'm not a trained dancer and
dance has actually been historically quite an insecurity of mine.
(54:20):
This is like like when I was like a young kid,
like I grew up in a black neighborhood, so you
wore and it was the nineties and the early two thousands,
so you were white Air Force ones and you knew
how to dance, and I had neither of those things.
So like my like sort of being coordinated in every
sense of the word was like a challenge for me,
(54:41):
especially like as a child of like immigrants, Like my
parents are doing what they got to do, and their
focus is not necessarily on like sort of my my
social welfare, like going out into the world. But you know,
I learned a lot and I continue to always try
(55:04):
to learn as much about people as possible.
Speaker 3 (55:08):
Yeah, And I think that I think that really does
show in your work, in what you're building and what
you have built already. And it's it's it's if no
one else tells you, and I know there are plenty
of people doing it. You are doing that fucking thing
you are eating, you know, and it's it's not even
just to callously say, it's like you are really building
(55:31):
something of value.
Speaker 2 (55:34):
And it's it's important to witness.
Speaker 3 (55:36):
It really really is. And I don't like Evie, do
you want to ask? Molasses are like question that we
always ask I.
Speaker 4 (55:44):
Do I do? Because we've gotten real deep, we've gotten
real high, we've gotten real low, We've gotten everywhere in between.
But I want to know in your life right now,
it could be big, small thought, idea, person plays, feeling,
movie tastes, smell color, Like, what are you legit high
about right now?
Speaker 1 (56:04):
I am high key about dreaming right now. I am
hikey about like going to sleep, Yeah, and dreaming not
like the survival like I gotta make it or die
trying dreaming. Yeah, I'm talking about like dreams that center play.
(56:28):
I'm talking about like dreams that remind me that like
I want to be a club kid, Like dreams that
like remind me to like hang out with my friends,
to like drink water like it's and and I have
(56:49):
to like say this. I was such a skeptic before
I turned toward drag in terms of like what life
could sort of like offer, like offer my spirit, you know,
like I had accepted that. You know, at a certain point,
(57:09):
I got a pretty good job. You know, I'm making
it do like I'm not where I necessarily want to be.
Speaker 2 (57:17):
But you know, like you're coasting their life.
Speaker 1 (57:21):
You know it is what it is. And there is
something about the radical nature of dreaming in a time
like this, because everything does feel like it's collapsing. But
think about every dream you've ever had when you're flying.
Speaker 2 (57:46):
Damn what fucking water sign?
Speaker 3 (57:49):
Are you?
Speaker 2 (57:49):
Are you?
Speaker 1 (57:50):
And you know what? What's so crazy? I hear not
no water in my charge? What for the exception of
like chiron or something. I don't know how woo you are?
We can move I have I have five fireplacements.
Speaker 4 (58:05):
Bab well, you are the most like well contained fire
I have ever seen in my whole lass life.
Speaker 1 (58:15):
Let me tell you when you pay for therapy. Example,
like and I'd be doing homework like no, not y'all
be talking like no, no, yeah, yeah, like like wretched,
so many four LEO placements like is I've done?
Speaker 2 (58:37):
When we are all leos in this call, I felt
I felt that home. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (58:46):
Like when I say like a skeptic like I really
had to, I really had. I've been through quite a life.
I've lived many lives, I think, I like to say,
I think many of us have. But I'm very grateful
that I hit a point of awareness that like I
can be grumpy because like I know what's like again,
like when we remove the floor, we're flying, so I
(59:09):
just have to kind of get to there. So I'm
high key about that ship. Let's dream.
Speaker 4 (59:14):
Dude, I'm gonna stop smoking pot just for you.
Speaker 1 (59:17):
That's how I got here. I was like I thought
we were gonna like hang up and just yo, we
are all smoking.
Speaker 3 (59:28):
That's the whole point of this King Molasses. Thank you
so much for being on hiking. Oh, thank you all
for having I'm obsess with you. And seriously, do have
not watched fucking King of Drag. Please do your fucking
big one. Please support I think that's what's going to
keep this train going.
Speaker 4 (59:45):
And you heard it from Mo first, Like, if you
think it's crunchy, you better go on there. You better
slide in these kings.
Speaker 1 (59:51):
Yeah, you know, if you have any constructive feedback, you
know venmo dot com slash kinglases, I.
Speaker 3 (59:58):
Like how you're oh, have some money with your fee back,
you know I'll hear it better.
Speaker 1 (01:00:03):
Yeah, I love tips.
Speaker 2 (01:00:04):
So all right, our hikes are coming up next.
Speaker 3 (01:00:11):
Hikey, no ivy, Seriously, I completely understand why you have
such a huge crush because King Molasses definition of delicious,
Like their picture in the definite like in the dictionary
is right there under delicious.
Speaker 4 (01:00:29):
It's actually just wild how deeply sexual they are, like
down to their soul. Their soul is radiating this like
I could lay you down so good energy. Like you
were like, yeah, they they not only did they like
steal the crown. I was like, yeah, they stole our hearts.
They could steal, they could steal. Yeah, they can steal
(01:00:53):
all my cookies. Girl, get in this jar.
Speaker 3 (01:00:56):
Yeah, because I'm just I I genuinely that's kind of also,
like I feel like probably their major issue too, is
because everyone probably falls in love with them. And on
top of the sexual energy, child I am, I'm actually
Jazmine Sullivan breaking windows out of your car.
Speaker 2 (01:01:15):
I would fight for that person. I would fight for
that person.
Speaker 3 (01:01:19):
No, it was really really special to have them on
and such inspire like so inspiring, so inspiring.
Speaker 4 (01:01:25):
I'm just very very thankful because like they really regardless
of the future of King of Drag, like how it
changes or adopts or whatever, like, they represent such an
important piece in such a hopeless time and in a
time where like people are looking for a place to
exist and y'all look look to King Molasses. I'm so
(01:01:49):
hyped about it.
Speaker 2 (01:01:49):
Absolute.
Speaker 4 (01:01:50):
Speaking of which, let's get into our hikey is Ryan
you want to start this week?
Speaker 2 (01:01:54):
Okay?
Speaker 3 (01:01:55):
Yes, So I am what I'm hikey about a lot
of different things because so much we haven't talked our
touchdown politics a lot, but there is a political shift
happening and I am high key all about it. I mean,
Zorahn Madami.
Speaker 1 (01:02:12):
The name is mom, Donnie m.
Speaker 4 (01:02:16):
The name is Mam Donnie m.
Speaker 2 (01:02:21):
N was saying, like ate it up in New York.
Speaker 3 (01:02:24):
I don't even live in New York, and normally New
York makes awful decisions when it comes to politics and
the like.
Speaker 2 (01:02:32):
I really hope in a.
Speaker 3 (01:02:34):
Very serious and meaningful way, Like I know everyone was
really happy when the news came out, and of course,
like Prop fifty was passed here in California, but I
genuinely hope that this is like a tie, like a
shifting of the tides, because we need fresh energy if
we're going to keep doing this two party bullshit that
(01:02:56):
we know Loki does. And for me, I I am
high key very happy in taking advantage of this this
like like small piece of sunshine coming out of very
cloudy time which is this year, and this is like
a sunshine moment, and I think we're all feeling it in
(01:03:18):
to see the amount of like happiness just flood on socials.
Speaker 2 (01:03:22):
It's been beautiful to witness.
Speaker 3 (01:03:23):
And I'm really now past the phase of like, Okay,
we stands around, he's great. Now it's time to hold
him accountable to actually do the things that he says
he's going to do, and hopefully that can be a
blueprint on what we need to do across the board
to like get us the fuck through these next years,
because we're only one year in and honestly, I'm ready
(01:03:44):
to jump. It's it's it's I'm just I I needed
to say that I'm so high key about this, like
not even want to say brief energy of like happiness, but.
Speaker 4 (01:03:59):
But this like long missed, like sight for sore eyes,
ask long forgotten, not even forgotten, just like bitch, we need.
Speaker 3 (01:04:06):
This absolutely absolutely, and so yeah, that's what I'm hikey about.
Speaker 2 (01:04:11):
It's so fucking cool. And this in us talking to King.
Speaker 3 (01:04:14):
Malast is literally like Katie, are incredible, like producer. We
were just talking about how important like all of this
is like happening at just a brilliant time and.
Speaker 2 (01:04:24):
Yeah, I'm I'm living. I'm living. What are you hikey about?
Speaker 4 (01:04:28):
I mean, I'm hikey about that number one I was.
I was in New York slash I in New York
on election night and uh or is it called election
night yet?
Speaker 1 (01:04:39):
Yeah?
Speaker 4 (01:04:39):
Okay, I feel like there should be Yeah, okay, yeah,
I was here on election night day and I don't know,
the the energy was palpable. It's nice to feel like
everything isn't completely hopeless. And for me, I'm less even
about like holding zoramam Donnie like accountable for all the
shit he s because, like girl, he's a mayor and
mayors don't have that much power, but he.
Speaker 3 (01:05:02):
Was the mayor of one of the largest like I mean, yeah,
I know, but in this country.
Speaker 4 (01:05:06):
But that's why. Actually, I'm just in general pleased to
have the hope, because the hope is what really powered
me before these last like twelve years. It was this
idea that there is a space where the world could
be better that I feel like I had especially.
Speaker 2 (01:05:26):
Given up on in politics.
Speaker 4 (01:05:27):
So I'm with you on that to reel it back
into the shallow a little bit. It's funny. I'm really
high key about the cold, like about the winter, bunkering down,
about things getting specifically because for me, it's the best
(01:05:48):
creative space. Like I know, I've already talked about it.
I've been working on music. I've been like doing housework, redecorating,
got like new tasteful gay art. So I'm I'm into
the time where the world's being like, hey, girl, slowed down,
(01:06:08):
why don't you go make a soup and think about
what color you should paint those banisters? Please hikey about it.
She's a good Judy.
Speaker 3 (01:06:21):
God, No, I'm obsessed and this was such a great show.
I'm so I'm really loving doing this show. And y'all
know what I'm about to say every time.
Speaker 2 (01:06:30):
It's true.
Speaker 4 (01:06:31):
Okay, y'all have to find us everywhere on social media
hikey here, slash here here, hi, hike at, hike here, yes, yes, yes,
got that one, including but not limited to, if you
are listening to us on Apple Podcasts, you should go
and leave us a five star review and then tell
(01:06:55):
us who dressed better today?
Speaker 2 (01:06:59):
Yes, actually I would love to know.
Speaker 3 (01:07:02):
Also, just tell me how cute Coco is, because y'all
are actually, I've realized and by looking at the comments
on YouTube, y'all are low key her babysitters because I'm
not watching what she's doing. They're always like, oh, Coco is,
like she's just sleeping and she's so cute, and that
she's moving from one into the other.
Speaker 4 (01:07:18):
Election should she be swallowing that remote home.
Speaker 3 (01:07:23):
Like, so, y'all need to let me know, keep up
with keys, keep up what y'all are now her official
aunties and gounkles.
Speaker 4 (01:07:30):
Welcome to the family.
Speaker 3 (01:07:33):
I tell you next time though we love you so much.
She will see you next time. Bye AUTI yourse, motherfuckers.
Speaker 8 (01:07:42):
If you're high key 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 3 (01:07:53):
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 4 (01:08:06):
See you there.
Speaker 3 (01:08:07):
Hi Key is a production of iHeart Podcasts as a part.
Speaker 2 (01:08:10):
Of the Outspoken Network.
Speaker 3 (01:08:11):
This show is created and executive produced by Ryan Mitchell, E,
Edadley and Spoke Media.
Speaker 4 (01:08:16):
Our showrunner is Tyler Green. Our producers are Kelly Kolff
and Katie Alis Greer. Our video producer is Bo Delmore,
and our video editor is Luis Pegnath. Our audio engineer
Sammy Sirich. Special thanks to Jenna Burnett and Tess Ryan.
Speaker 3 (01:08:30):
Our Social media and community manager is Daria Cottingham. Executive
producers for Spoke Media are Travis Lamont Ballinger and Aleiah Tabacoli.
Speaker 8 (01:08:38):
Our iHeart team is Just Crime Chich and Sierra Kaiser
Speaker 3 (01:08:42):
And our fame music is by the one and only
Kayan Hersy and our show art is by Work by Work,
with photography by Eric Carter.
He was like, kid season two's season threes, all those
are only guaranteed when they're announced. Don't decline an offer
you haven't made yet.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
And I was like, that's right.
Speaker 3 (00:13):
When white people are right, it's.
Speaker 1 (00:20):
Like, oh, you ain't my daddy, Like no, oh my god, ev.
Speaker 3 (00:30):
I'm liking the green hair. I'm liking like you always
have a different context. It's it's actually painful to me
to watch you put your contacts in because it looks
like you are about to like take out your eyeball.
And I just don't understand why you put yourself.
Speaker 4 (00:44):
Through it, because people are mean.
Speaker 2 (00:51):
People your natural eye color, Like why are people mean?
Speaker 4 (00:55):
It's been a while since, I guess I consistently had
been putting myself out in such a public way where people,
I guess are taking my image into consideration. A girl
some of the ship that people like would be saying
under our comments like wow, Evie looks like a crazy
candy meth head or something, or like I've actually.
Speaker 3 (01:17):
Seen the opposite recently, Like I remember when we first
started the pot, they were for sure saying that, but
now they're saying you give by panic like you are
like full on hot, And I just be like, am
I like humpty dumpty sitting next to Ede because Edie
is hot.
Speaker 2 (01:32):
But what about me?
Speaker 4 (01:34):
Bench you are hot? You're hot? Is just like you're
not showing enough.
Speaker 2 (01:39):
Hole.
Speaker 4 (01:47):
No. Now, I'm just like doing this shit because as
the weather gets colder, especially like post Halloween, I don't
know what it is that all October I don't want
to do like ooky, spooky anything. I don't like, I
don't want to get into all the shenanigans. The second
Halloween is over, I'm like, oh, I have thirty different
like horror ideas I want to do and I want
(02:09):
to be this monster, and I already bought all these
crazy spooky contacts, so like.
Speaker 3 (02:15):
You're like, I might as well use them. Ah Uh, yeah,
that's real, that's right. And I'm actually I'm so excited
and I don't even know where we should say it,
but honestly, fuck it, I'm so excited. I get to
see Edie next week. She's coming to LA and she
really literally spending the entire week together, and we have
some like really great like interviews planned and we're in
(02:36):
person because we we've only been in each other's like
presence like in real life like literally just about one
week one, and so it's like I'm so excited to
like have you hear all next week. Like I have
really been thinking about it.
Speaker 4 (02:51):
Like, you know what I didn't realize about us, Ryan,
We're not real friends.
Speaker 2 (02:55):
I mean that is true.
Speaker 4 (02:56):
We're internet friends.
Speaker 2 (02:58):
It's giving colleagues.
Speaker 4 (03:00):
Or like what your parents are Like, that's not your
real friend. You shouldn't been talking to strangers on that internet.
That's not a real friend. That's your internet friend.
Speaker 3 (03:08):
It is for sure be asking asl in a chat
room with you.
Speaker 4 (03:12):
Oh my god, just how to fuck up?
Speaker 3 (03:13):
Now?
Speaker 4 (03:13):
We're gonna have a key though. I want to I
want to go out. I want to like do something
out in public. Okay, I feel like since this is
your hometown, we have to go somewhere that you wouldn't
usually out.
Speaker 3 (03:25):
For sure, and that's everywhere because I'm normally a the
mo house.
Speaker 2 (03:29):
That's the thing.
Speaker 3 (03:30):
I feel like we are just such the complete opposites
where it takes me so much. It's like there's a
lot of energy that it takes for me to like
really want to like go out. I went out last
night to a Red Bull event where they were like
having us try their new flavor that basically is it
is actually really delicious, and I will not allow them
(03:51):
to get me addicted to Red Bull in the ways
that I used to be when I used to be
like a server. Oh my god, that's so real, No,
because what that shit is cracked? And they gave us
like a box of a few of them, and I
was like, oh, y'all are dirty.
Speaker 2 (04:06):
But it was such a I'm about to have problems
are I?
Speaker 3 (04:08):
Yeah, it was such a it was such a cute
moment to like be to be there because it felt
very fall and just be out. But I found out
like less than like ten minutes that oh, like, hey,
you want to come to this thing? And I was like, yeah,
I'm gonna come. But it took me a minute to
really want to like get myself ready to go out.
That's time been actually preparing. We've have been preparing for
(04:32):
this trip for probably like a few weeks, and I
have been preparing since then to be like, Okay, the
week is coming, Let's let's be ready to be outside
with Evie because I know you don't want to be outside.
Speaker 2 (04:43):
Okay, we go to Acbar.
Speaker 4 (04:45):
I don't know what that is, but let's do wait.
Speaker 3 (04:46):
Acbar is like a hole in the wall spot over
here in uh like silver Lake. And I ran into Naomi.
I didn't speak. She was with someone and I just
was like with friends. But I saw her and and
I was like, yeah, it's like a very hole in
the wall spot. I feel like you were like, the
drinks are very strong and they're low key cheap, and
so I'm like, I think we.
Speaker 4 (05:07):
Could have a down down. Actually that sounds like the
outing experience because I've seen I've seen I've seen weho
and she's seen me.
Speaker 5 (05:14):
Girl.
Speaker 3 (05:15):
Yeah, I'm just I I rather not do the wee.
I shout out to it when it's there and you
you want to go, but I rather find like a
cute hole in the wall and.
Speaker 2 (05:25):
Just do that.
Speaker 3 (05:26):
And macbrtends to be that, you know, and it's not
like Precinct, where the smell is in the walls, even
though I like Precinct.
Speaker 4 (05:32):
You're so hateful. You're so hateful to my favorite bar
in your whole fucking city. Goddamn you.
Speaker 3 (05:39):
But I mean, here's the thing. The person that's coming
on the show, I'm honestly if they do in La,
like if they're coming to La I feel like they
would totally perform.
Speaker 2 (05:48):
At precinc like that would be their spy.
Speaker 3 (05:51):
And I'm so excited because Evie has been fan girling
over our guests that is.
Speaker 2 (05:57):
Coming on right now. They one King of Drag and
who are they?
Speaker 4 (06:03):
It's King Molasses. Y'all better puss respect on the name excellence.
This man excellence. I want to smell his pet. Okay,
King Molasses.
Speaker 2 (06:11):
Yeah, I change your panties because he's gonna get good.
Speaker 4 (06:18):
I'm so lat.
Speaker 2 (06:20):
Ike okay, y'all so our guest today. I am so excited.
Speaker 3 (06:26):
They didn't just win a crown on you know, on
King of Drag, but they actually made history doing it.
The first ever winner of King of Drag, a performer,
a producer in All around powerhouse. And if I must say,
the first time that I knew of King Molasses was
when they were teaching Ashley Darby on Real Housewives of
(06:48):
Potomac how to be a drag king, which is a
wild crossover.
Speaker 2 (06:53):
Please welcome King Molasses to the show.
Speaker 4 (06:57):
Welcome.
Speaker 1 (07:00):
It is my absolute honor to crown thee the first
ever King of Dregs.
Speaker 5 (07:12):
Charms absolutely obsessed, no, I'm says literally, you are just
the coolest human that I have, Like, watch just really grow.
Speaker 2 (07:23):
It's been really incredible.
Speaker 3 (07:25):
And I know your life has shifted in a very
quick way, in.
Speaker 2 (07:29):
A very real time.
Speaker 3 (07:32):
And how are you how have you been dealing with
the shift in the.
Speaker 2 (07:39):
Insane exposure to the spotlight?
Speaker 4 (07:41):
Yeah, because, honestly, okay, I know that question does and
will and forever get asked a lot of you, for sure,
And I also know that I personally struggled coming up
with an answer that felt as deep as what I
was feeling every day. So I'm curious for you, like,
how would you describe your experiences to people who have
nothing to benefit from whether you plug an ad or not.
Speaker 1 (08:04):
Yeah, no, thank you, thank you for the question. Albeit, yes,
the weight of that question the last like three months
of my life has just been exponentially heavier. Ye I
right now I am dehydrated, but I'm good.
Speaker 2 (08:26):
I mean so real.
Speaker 3 (08:29):
It's like you're like one inch step from having a
Charlie Horse right now.
Speaker 1 (08:32):
Yeah, Like it's giving like whatever, Like that pyramid is
like the lowest.
Speaker 4 (08:37):
Or like you just eat water, Like wait, why are
you talking about the food pyramid? And if that's the case,
why wasn't water ever. On the pyramid of things we
had to consume, they're like eat twenty loaves of bread, bitch.
Speaker 2 (08:50):
And like dirty eggs.
Speaker 4 (08:52):
Yeah, you can even have a little ice cream and
then there's like a little asterisk down at the bottom
like water.
Speaker 1 (08:57):
If you feel a propaganda honest, but yeah, you know,
I am. I am tired and grateful. I think is
the easiest way to sort of encapsulate, the most honest way. Yeah,
and I am. I mean I think some people maybe
(09:17):
got this from the show, but I'm definitely not someone
that's afraid of sort of just being like sad boy,
like I don't care, like yeah, like have you been outside?
Speaker 2 (09:31):
Like what like happy about lo KEI.
Speaker 1 (09:33):
No, you know, I love being grumpy, dead ass. Like
I think it's realistic. I think it's honest. I think
most scenes call for it, like in the Bit of Life,
and you know, like I want to be a trash
gobblin every now and then. So it's like all I
feel everything kind of at once. And also I beneath
(09:58):
all of that, I try to honestly, I do fashion
myself a bit of an optimist, like I choose to
be here, you know, like in depending on how wu
you want to like take it, Like I really choose
to be here. I don't know why I chose to
be here sometimes, but I I can't help but sort
(10:19):
of turn to the fullness of it. And even when
it's super intense, it's dude, it's super beautiful, Like life
is kind of beautiful real song.
Speaker 4 (10:27):
I like, uh, well, I guess I should get some
fangirling out of the way too.
Speaker 2 (10:31):
Okay, dude, I'm waiting.
Speaker 3 (10:34):
I have been waiting for you to be on our
show so I can see, like evy o fool fan mo,
because I'm always like a fan when the like queens
and everyone come.
Speaker 2 (10:42):
On, and so I'm like, Evie is I was?
Speaker 4 (10:45):
I like, I first of all, I was shocked out
of the blue, just randomly that like, yeah, finally there's
this opportunity to showcase a facet of the same art
for my practice that for some reason, it's kind of
funny whendn't like we play around in the art of
to call it simply gender, Like we're that we're the
(11:05):
gender artists, and it's kind of funny that the whole
point of this is to like make fun of gender.
But then we're like, yeah, but those girls trying to
be boys can't be with us.
Speaker 1 (11:18):
But also may I can I keep may I keep
this gate? Like no, I how we always turn to
systematic oppression? Oh yeah, like she is me?
Speaker 4 (11:33):
I mean I will, I will say there is this
like a constant critique. I remember having myself, like when
I had a lot, a lot more misogyny to unpack,
a lot more self hate to unpack. But like I
do remember feeling like in general about drag kings being like, yeah,
but they're boring. They're they're not, they're not they're not
(11:56):
doing as much they like And it's it's funny because
that's still the critique I hear echoed back from the
people who like aren't quite sold yet. What would you
have to say to somebody like that who clearly has
like at least never seen one of your shows.
Speaker 1 (12:11):
Because yeah, I think that's like the first thing I guess.
It's like, you haven't met me, you haven't seen me.
And also just I mean, I don't think I have
a unique take in that misogyny plays a huge part
in people's attitudes towards drag kings because it's based on
(12:33):
the assumption that you know a drag king is not
a cis man or someone who has assigned male at birth,
but just a not true. There are many amb drag kings.
There are many great a mab drag kings. And also
this is drag, so all of these weird like sort
(12:56):
of boxes that we are putting ourselves in. It's it's
very gummy, it's super goofy behavior.
Speaker 3 (13:03):
It feels so stupid at the end of day because
it's like this one. I feel like it's something that
we always hear when it comes to just drag the
art in general. It's like what it's you are kind
of like glorified clowns in a lot of way, like
you make people happy and joyful, and it's it's it's
really interesting to see how like drag has become such
a huge mainstream moment where the the speaker of criticism
(13:28):
has gotten larger and larger with someone from like you.
You had your own platform before going on King of Drag, right,
And so I wonder why, even like I guess, open
yourself up to the possibility you're already dealing You're already
dealing with all of the shots already locally and what
(13:50):
you're dealing with but now it's on a national, global level.
Speaker 2 (13:54):
What were what was.
Speaker 3 (13:55):
Your decision around to being like, okay, yeah, I'll do
King of Drag.
Speaker 1 (13:59):
Yeah, was definitely tired upon that application, like let's get
let's be sad boy, Let's be sad boy. So it
is fair to definitely say I had a bit of
a cult following coming into the launch of visibility from
King of Drag. And that was built the way that
(14:22):
you know that ev that many drag performers like out
around the country, around the world built it, which is
that you know, I started, I went to a show,
I started performing. I made twenty five dollars that first night.
Speaker 4 (14:41):
And I'll say you were really good from the job
from like you making money.
Speaker 1 (14:46):
Twenty five for one act, babe like work.
Speaker 3 (14:51):
Uh.
Speaker 1 (14:52):
Actually, I think it's probably a good time to sort
of say I didn't have a drag family, like nobody
asked me to do. Yeah, like cry for help. But
I first saw my my first Drag king show. I
think I was around like twenty five, twenty like six.
I had not done drag up until that point. I
(15:14):
started drag at twenty seven years old, yeah, which yeah,
which means I am older than twenty seven years old,
which is also really funny to me because I think
a lot of people were quite taken by like the
heft of me, and I'm like, it's because I'm over
the age of thirty. That's that's why I was.
Speaker 4 (15:34):
I was not I wasn't like going to ask this,
but to be honest, I was like getting ready in
the shower and I was like, oh the fuck old
is king? No, because like because like they seem like
one of those people who, like, you know, they were
just like a little kid walking around like a like
a two year old baby, like already walking smoking a
(15:56):
cigar with like the nicest posture, and people are like,
you were You're one of those people who got You're
an old soul.
Speaker 1 (16:05):
Just about Yeah, it's called I had African parents. The
bags under my eyes are.
Speaker 3 (16:12):
Like, you were actually at the age of thirty when
you you like exited the womb.
Speaker 1 (16:17):
Yeah, Like I paid off like three cars, like you
saying nothing. Yeah, but anyways, it's sort of like really bad.
Like I had very humble beginnings and I had no
expectations when I started doing drag. I saw I saw
kings perform up until that point. I had watched drag
(16:39):
for several years in my young adulthood or in my
like early twenties. I saw my first track show in college.
Uh so when I saw Kings do it, I was like,
I think I would be really good at that. Yeah,
like like it just it was a very simple, clear
(16:59):
thought and that sort of launched this whole internal turmoil
around like what like what you mean you want to
like be a boy. And at that time, like I
was really still forcing myself into like the this cis
woman experience. And by force, I mean like I was chilling,
(17:21):
but like women are weird too, so like we'll get there,
like don't like, yeah, I promise we're gonna get to that.
That gatekeeping is gonna We're gonna get over there. So yeah,
it was it I a lot of the questions that
people naturally have when your friend says they want to
start doing drag, which is like, like, you know, is
(17:43):
this about something else? Possibly?
Speaker 2 (17:45):
Do you want to transition?
Speaker 1 (17:47):
Yeah, like what does this mean for me? And and
I've always been I think it's fair to say I've
always been coded as a masculine person, like since I
was very very.
Speaker 4 (17:57):
Young, if it was the nineties, we'd be like, oh,
you're a tomboy, you know, and then if the out
word came out, they'd be like, oh, yeah, that's that's
one of those those like a bold dyke. So that's
one of those butchers.
Speaker 1 (18:08):
Oh yeah.
Speaker 2 (18:09):
But honestly for sure.
Speaker 1 (18:12):
But honestly, if you like insert me to the universe,
the butcher ones would be like, you see all them
girls in there, like.
Speaker 3 (18:17):
Na, there's there's actually that that that girl pattern right there, that.
Speaker 1 (18:23):
That's a little suit.
Speaker 2 (18:28):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (18:28):
Yeah, the studs were like, that's cute. I really I had,
I tried. I tried.
Speaker 3 (18:33):
So so you've done you you've entered into like knowing
that you wanted to do drag and like be a
drag king. Yeah, and you've built the platform. But like
when you saw the show, when you were like, oh,
King of Drag, there's a show. Now they're trying to
build this up and I know that you almost didn't
(18:56):
audition until like Murray Hill was like please, what did
you tell.
Speaker 2 (19:01):
Us about that? And why was that?
Speaker 1 (19:04):
Yeah? So the hesitancy was when the show was announced.
I was taking a break.
Speaker 2 (19:12):
I like, up.
Speaker 1 (19:14):
Until the end of that year, I had like really busted,
like my ass trying to get projects off the ground
that you know, would kind of really try to put
me in the space where I am now. I went
through a really crazy bodybuilding circuit at the top of
(19:34):
the year and I did like a whole body like
recomp I was working on like a documentary project and
I was gigging like crazy. So like and by crazy,
I mean like I did haun Show, like I did nightgowns,
(19:56):
like the start of twenty twenty four my first snip gowns,
and I had ended that season with my first bushwig
where I ended up like opening for Julie Ja, my
first entry. It was the latest spot that a king
had ever had. Wow, And I mean to be frank,
I smashed it and I felt like I was just
(20:21):
punching up, punching up, punching up, and everything that I
was doing just wasn't really reaping the return. Yeah, And
like I like that that sigh, Like hearing that side
from you ev like tells me. And truly even at
the end of end of this experience, like roo girls,
dragular girls, folks that are gigging in the performance industry,
(20:45):
like these like cycles of like working and just kind
of the thanklessness and the needing to self validate. All
of those things are so present they never really change.
Speaker 4 (20:56):
It's the trippiest part, especially because like I think there
is some of what we do as drag artists, like
obviously a lot of it is to please ourselves, to
heal ourselves, to like really put some energy in and
be like what do I want? But there is also
this part of the ego that I would say is
like we we see how stagnant it gets to be
(21:19):
at a certain level. I often get critiqued for talking
shit about the hand that fed me, but I'm I'm
always thinking about like the hungry person I was right
before then, the person who like saw drag race as
not something necessarily that like they wanted their life to
(21:39):
become about, but like you wanted you want a chance
to do more because you can work your ass off.
And I still get this, honestly from all the performers
I talked to back in Denver, where they're like, yeah, man,
can you, like, can you give me one more tip
on like how to make a depression this way or
(22:01):
that way? Or I might do this show that next year,
because like I've done everything here and people still don't
cling onto it. So I'm very curious because, uh, you're
a self aware person. It is it is written all
over your code.
Speaker 1 (22:17):
Yeah, I try. I try to be. And and that
was definitely something that like I considered when the show
had come out, which is that like you know, I
had I I was honestly, I already felt that I
was already one of the best to do it by
the time that the show had already been announced, and
(22:40):
it wasn't. It didn't It doesn't actually mean anything like
I was at the top or sort of really honestly
creating and pushing against a ceiling that doesn't. Yeah, and
I felt I think that heaviness in that the lack
of return was really realizing that there wasn't really a
(23:01):
space for me because there wasn't nobody really knew what
to do with me. They knew that I was good,
and like my favorite thing often is that when I'm booked,
like I'll usually try and ask, like, you know, what's
like the vibe if I if I don't know it already,
if I don't do my research, and they're just like,
just do whatever that thing you.
Speaker 4 (23:21):
Do, which is like the worst prompt to give somebody
with an artist's brain, like.
Speaker 3 (23:29):
Yeah, I actually think that's a great prompt because at
least it's like affirming that, like what you've been able
to build Break by Brook is like working and do
it in this space because you wouldn't have been hired
if it didn't work.
Speaker 1 (23:45):
Jay, for sure, It definitely it's definitely a double edged
sword in that it gives you. It's it's validating and
it's just like you know you're doing something right, but
it's also you know, no one seems to be able
to articulate what that is. And then in terms of
like your ability to matriculate and to enter other rooms,
(24:07):
you can only really move laterally to a certain point.
Speaker 2 (24:11):
That's so interesting.
Speaker 4 (24:12):
I need to like, can we talk about puppies or
some ship like.
Speaker 3 (24:16):
Feel So he's like I am like, yeah, no, we're
not trying to activate.
Speaker 1 (24:25):
But that's so they're the silver lining here is that
like I was fatigued and I was just like I
just need to stop and figure whatever however I come
back is gonna it has to be different. I just
need to do something different. And that was literally to
the day. December sixteenth was when Variety had had announced
(24:48):
that the show was gonna happen. That was the anniversary
of my dad's death. I was and my dad is
buried not too far from me, like about an hour
and a half away, so I like I was there
with him like that morning. I often like, you know,
I'm like to kind of hang out with the graveyard
(25:10):
like kids and stuff. It's cool. But like I was
getting like buzzes like on my phone and I'm just
like right now, like I'm just like variety, like like
and then I see this and I'm like huh. And
(25:30):
then people are just immediately adding me being like yo,
this person, this person, this person. I'm like, okay.
Speaker 2 (25:38):
Cool.
Speaker 1 (25:39):
When I take my beat and I look at it,
it was like little morsels of like a lot of potential,
not a lot of details in the beginning, and like anybody,
I think with like just caution, and where I was
sort of at I was like, this sounds awesome. I
will wait till season two.
Speaker 6 (25:58):
Thank you.
Speaker 2 (26:06):
You know you don't want to be the test dummy.
Speaker 4 (26:07):
That's where I was going with a You're a very
self aware person, and I think we all are deep
enough into reality TV culture to know that, Like the
pilot season of the fiercest things that have changed the
biggest culture like don't always get the justice that those
artists are hoping for deserving. But which is why I'm
(26:30):
curious how you like cross the boundary into doing it,
because I do think that in your case, however you
are are and wear like such an established name, you
were already, as you said, you were already doing that
shit like, so it's interesting do you think you would
(26:54):
have been more I guess more privy to auditioning, Like
you would have been hungrier to do it if there
were like if it were later, even if that meant
that you'd have to come in as like a legend
trying to muld yourself into a show or.
Speaker 1 (27:10):
Yeah, yeah, that's a great that's a great question because
you know, not that I would have regrets regardless of
my result on the show, But what ended up ultimately
sort of turning my path toward it was when Marie
(27:32):
had like spoken to me and I had expressed like
similar things. I was just like, is this worth it?
Like yeah, like I this is a really tight turnaround.
It's the winter time, like I'm already in sort of
like a season of sort of like reflection. I'm fatigued.
I'm tired, you know, like, will this be worth it?
(27:57):
Why are you doing it? And you know he was like, kid,
season two's season threes, all those are only guaranteed when
they're announced, So don't decline an offer you haven't made yet.
Speaker 2 (28:14):
Wow, And I was like, God.
Speaker 3 (28:16):
Dang it, white people are right, Daddy, like, no.
Speaker 4 (28:29):
Well, what's what's fun? Those who do like hold up
to What I will say is this coincidence amongst the
big drag shows where in the first season, you know,
where they don't they may not have the biggest production
and budget and all this, and that the person who
ends up winning is really typically the idea of whatever
(28:51):
that brand's perfection is somebody who can carry the weight
of being like, no, I've I've actually held a position
of power before, like I can lead us into the future.
Whereas later on, you know, sometimes they'll choose like a
fierce fashion twink.
Speaker 1 (29:08):
And the season two of me was likely like we
get but yeah, it was it. I definitely take the
responsibility of not only just winning but simply being on
the cast very highly. And to be honest, the part
(29:28):
of that turn of thinking was that Kings have been
waiting for a moment to respond to that question that
is always just kind of thrown into the forum around
whether or not kings can perform to be direct at
(29:49):
the level of drag race performers, and then Dragula. But
then we of course quickly we've established that we can
land Insider, thank you so much. But even still right
because Dragula is still born out of an alternative response
(30:09):
to the drag race model.
Speaker 2 (30:13):
Right.
Speaker 1 (30:13):
It's it's like, I mean, we see the articles like
we like, we've done the explainers. I've done the explainers.
So this was really when I started to look toward it.
I said that if I was going to do this,
I'm going to put down the idea about being the
(30:34):
best or winning. I don't have anything to prove in
that regard, to be quite honest, nor do I necessarily
need the attention of people who are not looking for me.
So if I can put that away, I can focus
on using this Like you know, we don't know the
(30:56):
aperture of this microscope, but we know that there's a
lens toward us, like in Earnest for the first time,
so I'm gonna have to smash it out of the park. Yeah,
it's gonna it's I have to make it. Not only
(31:18):
to be quite honest, winning was the least of my priorities.
It was making the impression that I couldn't get past
when I was doing it all those years before, on
that ceiling.
Speaker 3 (31:36):
And when you have that opportunity, when that spotlight is
spinally on you and like on the culture of drag
Kings as a whole, how does that change your sense
of what drag can now be for you?
Speaker 1 (31:52):
For me, it definitely gives a sense of safety in
the sense that you know, if this show I mean
like I mean that a lot of people argue whether
or not like it was successful or not. I would
argue that it was in fact, like successful at least
for my purposes.
Speaker 2 (32:11):
And we love a crunchy first season regard like that's
actually cult classic, yeah.
Speaker 1 (32:18):
Ridiculous, like and I am of the early reality show era,
like I watched like Surreal Life, like it was like
it was a lawless land, like yes, like honestly rocket
like like we can we can get real deep in there.
I still watched the Challenge every now and then, like
you know, just for nostalgia, for nostalgia's sake, So like
(32:39):
I definitely for my own sort of like sake. I
was like, you know, I don't want to look too crazy,
like I mean, like I'm a clown, so this is
not you.
Speaker 2 (32:48):
Know, let's be refined a little bit.
Speaker 1 (32:50):
Please, right. But but I know as soon as this
show comes out, we don't know how well it's going
to do, but we know it's going to be compared
to Track Race, So I am not phoning this in
like and if anything, like, I'm setting my own. I
tried to set my own specific agendas per each challenge
(33:13):
and each presentation that I can get. So the works
that I were the works that I did on the show,
one of which was one that I had been working
on as a thesis since college, like which was the
Void suit for the Fear Challenge, which, like color and
color theory and performance art, has been something like within
my art making practice for over a decade. Like, I
(33:37):
am not new to this, Like I might be newer
to drag in the context of like my work as
a professional, but I am not new to making and
sort of like like getting in that ass in terms
of like concept.
Speaker 4 (33:53):
You're an art school queer, You're an art school queer.
Speaker 1 (33:57):
I'm art part like.
Speaker 2 (34:00):
No Evie.
Speaker 3 (34:01):
I was literally just like it's so hot to watch
people nerd out on their shit.
Speaker 4 (34:06):
You can tell that like you've been in a gallery
critique before having to be like Okay, yeah, well this composition.
Speaker 1 (34:14):
I may have adjunked maybe once or two, like you know, like.
Speaker 2 (34:20):
Yeah, yeah, I'm really good at this.
Speaker 1 (34:23):
So yeah, like I I wanted to bring no I
didn't want to like show it off like that these
are my skills. But I'm like, this is the biggest
room I've been in so far, So let's take what
I've got and let's like transform it into whatever the
fuck this is gonna be. Like I have no idea
(34:46):
what the who the judges are. I don't know like
how it's going to be presented. I don't know if
I will look good, but like win it for me.
And we filmed this and this is not like a
couple of people referenced it, so this is not news.
But we filmed this in seven days, which.
Speaker 2 (35:09):
Is crazy to me.
Speaker 3 (35:10):
That is honestly, Like, and I also I'm familiar with Reverie,
the production company and the studio that put the show on,
and insane, I mean they do to know that that
one I'm precedented work. It's just crazy. Did you feel
that when you were in it that week?
Speaker 1 (35:29):
Like feel is an? I felt nothing because it's seven
consecutive days, that's what people like. So by the finale,
every day prior was tend to like sixteen hours and
(35:51):
then the next day.
Speaker 4 (35:53):
And it's not like you're sleeping like really comfortably at night.
You're like, oh, what happened today? And also my brother
who went at home, and also I.
Speaker 2 (36:02):
Just talked about the trauma of my life on camera.
Speaker 1 (36:05):
Yeah, and like my my brother is also like like
my roommate. Like you know, like the budget is small
and there is a lot of there was not only
just like the mental labor of the competition, but the
emotional labor. And with all of that, I knew, like
even when I got there and I was just like, Okay,
(36:26):
we're all punching up here, there's no excuse for me.
I still have to make the statement because talking about
that safety, if this show did flop, there wouldn't be
a lane for me to come back to that would
allow me to surpass like the tear that I had
(36:47):
already gotten to prior to the show.
Speaker 3 (36:49):
A lot of pressure though to like kind of know
that that's like rested, like the legacy of drag Kings
are kind of rested on your shoulders while you're doing
this historic thing.
Speaker 2 (36:59):
I mean, that's hot, that's heavy.
Speaker 1 (37:01):
It is heavy.
Speaker 4 (37:02):
It's funny too, because it is something that at least
as a viewer, I got out of you, like actually,
all all of the Kings I saw it, like you
and a cast full of people. I saw you know,
your mentors and your guests even understand how important this is.
And that's why I think it's really funny. Like the
(37:23):
little bit of push I've heard kind of not even
against the show, but like we have Bob on and
Bob was like.
Speaker 7 (37:30):
Uh, there was one episode of Kings of Drag that
I was like, this.
Speaker 4 (37:36):
Is wild.
Speaker 7 (37:38):
There were just it was the episode where they were
confronting their fears and everyone's performance was like really like
it was trauma. It was thirty minutes of non stop trauma.
Speaker 4 (37:50):
I hated it when like when they were just like
all trauma dumping and I'm like, dude, it's been a
minute since you've been to it like a good crunchy
local show, because yes, there is gonna be some trauma.
Welcome to being queer and welcome to finally having a
space to talk.
Speaker 3 (38:04):
For you, this is actually how what we've been asking
for a lot of times when it comes to representation,
to hearing authentic and truthful stories about like our lives
and seeing it on such a platform as this, right, Like,
it's important.
Speaker 1 (38:21):
I totally agree. And also to to be fair to Bob,
like it was it was great.
Speaker 2 (38:29):
I have eyes.
Speaker 1 (38:32):
I was like, like I was there.
Speaker 4 (38:38):
Everybody like just you're like, yeah, this was actually a
horror challenge and we just went into the horrors of
our lives.
Speaker 1 (38:45):
Like I was like a word, like, that's what you want, Like,
like I was gonna like.
Speaker 2 (38:53):
Did you hate that? Did you hate that day work?
Speaker 3 (38:55):
I mean because that's the production part of television, right Like,
that's the have to pull the story together.
Speaker 2 (39:02):
And it's just like did it feel forced?
Speaker 1 (39:05):
I wouldn't say that what I brought and honestly, in earnest,
what I felt everybody bring was forced. Now there is
that level of removal when you're watching it, like from
the audience, because yeah, what is edited out is a
lot of context. And then also the sort of underneath
(39:26):
it is that all reality TV is constructed like these
are like it is made for the purpose of being
this thing. It's not necessarily made for the purpose of
making sense outside of the scope of the game. So,
you know, like everybody at the end of that episode
(39:50):
and honestly at the end of almost every episode, because
there is this like emotion, There is an emotionality to
the show that is simply just not in contemporary drag race.
I don't know if it ca and be just based
on like the commodification of the model, like it's it's
it's too big, and it's also not necessarily there to
serve that purpose, you know. But with the show, we
(40:13):
were honest about our lives and how our lives pertain
to our drag in watching it. We are not above feedback.
I don't like, we're not above critique. I actually think
that that would be a disservice to us. Like I
(40:35):
didn't punch as far up as I did for y'all
to just be like what yeah, like I know I'm
good and I am so good that like this is
what I'm here, This is the sport of it. So
that was what made it feel so much like more
(40:58):
you know, in the moment, like it didn't feel off
like I mean, it's weird to be on TV. It's
weird to be on cameras. Like I am not the
loudest personality, and I can be quite inward and I
can't be quite serious and intense and those things don't
necessarily tend.
Speaker 4 (41:15):
To work for character TV character.
Speaker 1 (41:20):
Yeah, but like but dead ass. Like when I was
auditioning for the show, and you know, they within that
the callback model, They're like, so we really want to
know what your character is.
Speaker 2 (41:30):
I was just like, so, like.
Speaker 1 (41:39):
Just me, it's me eating hair like that what it is?
Like you think you they won't let me stand on
the bar if I look like this, like they would.
You know, they barely let me stand on the bar
trying to get into the gig, even though I'm on
the flyer. But like that, like the shows authenticity was
(42:02):
because we were authentic and that was honestly the best
that we could do. And then once it's released, it's released,
and I'm super grateful for the fact that, you know,
Bob gave Kings of Drag three uh three episodes, you know,
I'm I'm grateful to all of the I'm grateful to
(42:23):
y'all for like spotlighting it on the podcast for the
Root girls that were in My d MS episode one
that were like, holy shit, like this is so cool.
Speaker 4 (42:35):
That wasn't gonna be I'm not sure it would be
a fake bitch on you gotta I gotta see if
you're a winner first, baby, Yeah, I.
Speaker 1 (42:43):
Got hi you like you know, but it meant a
lot to me, Like, you know, even when we gig together,
like in New York, like for fashion week, like you
just even running up and saying hey, when we had
like five you had five million yards of fabric in
your arms running around like those things mean everything to
(43:09):
me because it's about the sport. It's not about like
my ego. It's not about like and it can be
about my ego, it can be about feeling good about myself,
but I don't find that particularly worth it in the
long run. And I have like I've worked before I
(43:31):
did drag, like I worked like a nine to five.
I've been in corporatis environments, I've been in service industry environments.
Like the work tends to kind of function the same
across industries, you know. I hate to say it, so
if you're really doing it for like some prestige factor,
(43:54):
like you will get tired, like it's not gonna it's
not gonna feel good. It has to kind of something
has to kind of go beyond that. So honestly, I
didn't know when the show was announced, the winner was announced.
I knew the day before in order to like do
my Entertainment Weekly interview, but up until that point, like
(44:15):
we did the multiple endings the last day for the finale,
so we did that whole reset and everything, and Lisa
Retta like shout out to her, like we did the
whole like aw we this was within those seven days.
It was like it was a tour de force, like
and every single person, I think in the production where
(44:36):
your talent, behind the camera, sound, everybody wanted this to work.
We didn't know what the fuck work meant, but we
needed it to work. And the part that I played
in this was the same part as everybody else. I
just happened to have the privilege and the circumstance certain
(45:01):
skill like set that allowed me to win. And that's
really it.
Speaker 2 (45:06):
Yeah, And I also think, like you're so hot. Yeah,
it's so true. That was at the time of my time.
Speaker 4 (45:13):
It's funny because I could not get my husband to
watch the show for shit. But when he came when
he came to the Zero Waste Daniels show, we were
walking in and I was like, I'm so excited King
Molasses is walking in it too, like you are one
of the only other people he talked about in that show.
He was like, yeah, there were performers performing, and why
(45:35):
didn't you tell me, like King Molasses is so hot?
Like it does? He go both ways? Can we can we.
Speaker 3 (45:40):
Bring I also want to I guess I want to
highlight that visibility, right because not only are you in
your your your reigning moments, but also I mean the
out one hundred congratulations on that.
Speaker 2 (45:55):
Like what do you.
Speaker 3 (45:56):
What do you hope your visibility opens up for? I
don't even really want to say the next generation because
it feels like y'all haven't even gotten the like all
the things that you can soak up right now, But like,
what are you hoping this.
Speaker 2 (46:11):
Kind of opens up in this.
Speaker 3 (46:14):
Next chapter of for performers that are also wanting to
be draggings and seeing the opportunities land on their labs.
Speaker 1 (46:23):
To be honest, I just I kind of high key.
I want chaos and anarchy. I don't have like I
am someone who takes a very structural approach to drag.
I think that's what made me stand out pretty early on,
(46:45):
which is that like if I am offered entry into
a space, I consider the space before I do anything else.
Like if there is a runway, that is what's driving
my choices. If there are five people in a black
(47:05):
box theater, like that's going to drive like sort of
like my research. Like you know, I've always had that
type of approach, And the point of honestly understanding systems
and trends and patterns is to know when you can
effectively break when you can effectively break them down, when
(47:29):
you can kind of move and go within it. So
my hope, I think, as King Molasses, is in being
myself and making the decisions that I want to make,
and that makes sense to me that people will feel
empowered to make decisions and be their full and best selves.
(47:56):
And once we all do that, that's when we can
actually take this whole weird thing that we're in, this timeline,
the whether you call it like oppression, the end of days,
like whatever, that's when we actually can take that down.
Like I don't want to like be like dramatic or severe,
(48:18):
but I'm in it for the war of it all,
like I'm in it for the reconstruction of it And
why honestly, I'm willing to be as tired as I am,
and to be as focused as I am, and to
be as grumpy as I am is because like history
favors the fuck no one. And if I don't do
(48:40):
my part like I literally can have, I have no
expe I can't expect it from anybody else. Absolutely, like
I like I really, I stand on tables and bars
and I shape like my ass. That's like, you know,
that was the very bag, from the very beginning, from
that twenty five dollar act that I did. It was
(49:03):
about literally and in some kind of physical way, breaking through.
That's all I really want people to do. I try
not to put too much of my own agenda. I
try not to project. I'm certainly not perfect, but I
am really in it for what people have to bring.
(49:27):
Like Drag excites me, Like I watched drag. I watched
drag for years before I even considered that it could
include me as a performer.
Speaker 3 (49:37):
I mean, drag is actually movement work like it there
is so much like like active change that can actually
happen in a drag performer in the way that they
showcase there are are how they present in spaces that
could actually like move the needle in so many ways.
I mean, we've seen it at a mainstream level, but
(49:58):
like I think there's just a constant, especially at the
like the space of the intersections that you exist in.
It's it's it's no no shit, it's like it's life
changing work.
Speaker 2 (50:11):
It's legacy work.
Speaker 1 (50:12):
Yeah, yeah, it really And thank you so much for
saying that, because it's not corny to frame it what
we do like this, like it might feel.
Speaker 2 (50:24):
A bit like that one woke friend.
Speaker 1 (50:29):
Yeah, you know, Like my sort of thing is is
that like like you won't be doing this if you
enjoyed what you saw. Yeah, Like I do crazy things
in front of white people when I'm in drag, like
things like I'd be throwing money in their faces, like
you know on and it's free.
Speaker 2 (50:51):
It's free. You could do it.
Speaker 4 (50:53):
You could do the craziest shit.
Speaker 6 (50:55):
Like you like if I if if I can build
a container that makes you feel safe and seen, Yeah.
Speaker 1 (51:08):
I really can do almost anything that I want. And
it's and I want to be careful with this language
because this isn't about like moving beyond someone's like wall
of consent, and this is not about like finding a
way to inflict harm.
Speaker 2 (51:26):
Right, I do.
Speaker 1 (51:27):
Think that there are artists that are like they're not
coming into it for malice, but like when you start
to kind of bring your ego into it, that's when
those sort of like like rubs and those, yeah, that's
when it gets it always gets hard. So if I
can just be like I said, quite honest and forthright
(51:48):
and in movement, like I had a I grew up
in a religious home, which like my mother was very
very caful, like a very very devout Catholic, and so
I would do I did confirmation, like I taught uh
(52:08):
CCD or what is Sunday School like up before I
went to college, Like you know, I had nuns like
as like Sunday School teachers like briefly like like.
Speaker 2 (52:19):
And not like the Whoopy Gobert sister act sort of.
Speaker 1 (52:22):
Way it really like wasn't cute. And also like I
was kind of into it. So I was just like
like nerd, like I was like, oh God, like I
like my stories. I like my stories. So I had
a a teacher who used to say, you know, like
(52:45):
singing and praise movement is like praying twice. So when
you do that in front of people in any way,
there is such a surrender that comes from like person
in that spotlight that regardless of whether the audience members
are sort of like queued into like the tangles that
(53:07):
we have right now, they are in that. They're in
the container.
Speaker 2 (53:12):
Yeah yeah, yeah, there's no way out. They're in it.
They're the experience to get regardless.
Speaker 1 (53:17):
Yeah. So when like drag is the reminder of the container,
it's a reminder that we can also build that frame
and then of course we can expand it to like
you know, we're all born naked and the rest of
drag because yes, like our life, our lives are rooms.
All of these are containers to which you know, we
(53:39):
are called to. Really my belief is that we are
called to have and display the same vulnerability that we
do on stage.
Speaker 4 (53:50):
Oh you are so hot, like now, it's it's true,
It's true.
Speaker 1 (53:59):
Yeah yeah, And like that's like because being it's human.
Being human is about connection, right Like in my you know,
I want to be effective at it, so in showing
like my movement and I'm not a trained dancer and
dance has actually been historically quite an insecurity of mine.
(54:20):
This is like like when I was like a young kid,
like I grew up in a black neighborhood, so you
wore and it was the nineties and the early two thousands,
so you were white Air Force ones and you knew
how to dance, and I had neither of those things.
So like my like sort of being coordinated in every
sense of the word was like a challenge for me,
(54:41):
especially like as a child of like immigrants, Like my
parents are doing what they got to do, and their
focus is not necessarily on like sort of my my
social welfare, like going out into the world. But you know,
I learned a lot and I continue to always try
(55:04):
to learn as much about people as possible.
Speaker 3 (55:08):
Yeah, And I think that I think that really does
show in your work, in what you're building and what
you have built already. And it's it's it's if no
one else tells you, and I know there are plenty
of people doing it. You are doing that fucking thing
you are eating, you know, and it's it's not even
just to callously say, it's like you are really building
(55:31):
something of value.
Speaker 2 (55:34):
And it's it's important to witness.
Speaker 3 (55:36):
It really really is. And I don't like Evie, do
you want to ask? Molasses are like question that we
always ask I.
Speaker 4 (55:44):
Do I do? Because we've gotten real deep, we've gotten
real high, we've gotten real low, We've gotten everywhere in between.
But I want to know in your life right now,
it could be big, small thought, idea, person plays, feeling,
movie tastes, smell color, Like, what are you legit high
about right now?
Speaker 1 (56:04):
I am high key about dreaming right now. I am
hikey about like going to sleep, Yeah, and dreaming not
like the survival like I gotta make it or die
trying dreaming. Yeah, I'm talking about like dreams that center play.
(56:28):
I'm talking about like dreams that remind me that like
I want to be a club kid, Like dreams that
like remind me to like hang out with my friends,
to like drink water like it's and and I have
(56:49):
to like say this. I was such a skeptic before
I turned toward drag in terms of like what life
could sort of like offer, like offer my spirit, you know,
like I had accepted that. You know, at a certain point,
(57:09):
I got a pretty good job. You know, I'm making
it do like I'm not where I necessarily want to be.
Speaker 2 (57:17):
But you know, like you're coasting their life.
Speaker 1 (57:21):
You know it is what it is. And there is
something about the radical nature of dreaming in a time
like this, because everything does feel like it's collapsing. But
think about every dream you've ever had when you're flying.
Speaker 2 (57:46):
Damn what fucking water sign?
Speaker 3 (57:49):
Are you?
Speaker 2 (57:49):
Are you?
Speaker 1 (57:50):
And you know what? What's so crazy? I hear not
no water in my charge? What for the exception of
like chiron or something. I don't know how woo you are?
We can move I have I have five fireplacements.
Speaker 4 (58:05):
Bab well, you are the most like well contained fire
I have ever seen in my whole lass life.
Speaker 1 (58:15):
Let me tell you when you pay for therapy. Example,
like and I'd be doing homework like no, not y'all
be talking like no, no, yeah, yeah, like like wretched,
so many four LEO placements like is I've done?
Speaker 2 (58:37):
When we are all leos in this call, I felt
I felt that home. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (58:46):
Like when I say like a skeptic like I really
had to, I really had. I've been through quite a life.
I've lived many lives, I think, I like to say,
I think many of us have. But I'm very grateful
that I hit a point of awareness that like I
can be grumpy because like I know what's like again,
like when we remove the floor, we're flying, so I
(59:09):
just have to kind of get to there. So I'm
high key about that ship. Let's dream.
Speaker 4 (59:14):
Dude, I'm gonna stop smoking pot just for you.
Speaker 1 (59:17):
That's how I got here. I was like I thought
we were gonna like hang up and just yo, we
are all smoking.
Speaker 3 (59:28):
That's the whole point of this King Molasses. Thank you
so much for being on hiking. Oh, thank you all
for having I'm obsess with you. And seriously, do have
not watched fucking King of Drag. Please do your fucking
big one. Please support I think that's what's going to
keep this train going.
Speaker 4 (59:45):
And you heard it from Mo first, Like, if you
think it's crunchy, you better go on there. You better
slide in these kings.
Speaker 1 (59:51):
Yeah, you know, if you have any constructive feedback, you
know venmo dot com slash kinglases, I.
Speaker 3 (59:58):
Like how you're oh, have some money with your fee back,
you know I'll hear it better.
Speaker 1 (01:00:03):
Yeah, I love tips.
Speaker 2 (01:00:04):
So all right, our hikes are coming up next.
Speaker 3 (01:00:11):
Hikey, no ivy, Seriously, I completely understand why you have
such a huge crush because King Molasses definition of delicious,
Like their picture in the definite like in the dictionary
is right there under delicious.
Speaker 4 (01:00:29):
It's actually just wild how deeply sexual they are, like
down to their soul. Their soul is radiating this like
I could lay you down so good energy. Like you
were like, yeah, they they not only did they like
steal the crown. I was like, yeah, they stole our hearts.
They could steal, they could steal. Yeah, they can steal
(01:00:53):
all my cookies. Girl, get in this jar.
Speaker 3 (01:00:56):
Yeah, because I'm just I I genuinely that's kind of also,
like I feel like probably their major issue too, is
because everyone probably falls in love with them. And on
top of the sexual energy, child I am, I'm actually
Jazmine Sullivan breaking windows out of your car.
Speaker 2 (01:01:15):
I would fight for that person. I would fight for
that person.
Speaker 3 (01:01:19):
No, it was really really special to have them on
and such inspire like so inspiring, so inspiring.
Speaker 4 (01:01:25):
I'm just very very thankful because like they really regardless
of the future of King of Drag, like how it
changes or adopts or whatever, like, they represent such an
important piece in such a hopeless time and in a
time where like people are looking for a place to
exist and y'all look look to King Molasses. I'm so
(01:01:49):
hyped about it.
Speaker 2 (01:01:49):
Absolute.
Speaker 4 (01:01:50):
Speaking of which, let's get into our hikey is Ryan
you want to start this week?
Speaker 2 (01:01:54):
Okay?
Speaker 3 (01:01:55):
Yes, So I am what I'm hikey about a lot
of different things because so much we haven't talked our
touchdown politics a lot, but there is a political shift
happening and I am high key all about it. I mean,
Zorahn Madami.
Speaker 1 (01:02:12):
The name is mom, Donnie m.
Speaker 4 (01:02:16):
The name is Mam Donnie m.
Speaker 2 (01:02:21):
N was saying, like ate it up in New York.
Speaker 3 (01:02:24):
I don't even live in New York, and normally New
York makes awful decisions when it comes to politics and
the like.
Speaker 2 (01:02:32):
I really hope in a.
Speaker 3 (01:02:34):
Very serious and meaningful way, Like I know everyone was
really happy when the news came out, and of course,
like Prop fifty was passed here in California, but I
genuinely hope that this is like a tie, like a
shifting of the tides, because we need fresh energy if
we're going to keep doing this two party bullshit that
(01:02:56):
we know Loki does. And for me, I I am
high key very happy in taking advantage of this this
like like small piece of sunshine coming out of very
cloudy time which is this year, and this is like
a sunshine moment, and I think we're all feeling it in
(01:03:18):
to see the amount of like happiness just flood on socials.
Speaker 2 (01:03:22):
It's been beautiful to witness.
Speaker 3 (01:03:23):
And I'm really now past the phase of like, Okay,
we stands around, he's great. Now it's time to hold
him accountable to actually do the things that he says
he's going to do, and hopefully that can be a
blueprint on what we need to do across the board
to like get us the fuck through these next years,
because we're only one year in and honestly, I'm ready
(01:03:44):
to jump. It's it's it's I'm just I I needed
to say that I'm so high key about this, like
not even want to say brief energy of like happiness, but.
Speaker 4 (01:03:59):
But this like long missed, like sight for sore eyes,
ask long forgotten, not even forgotten, just like bitch, we need.
Speaker 3 (01:04:06):
This absolutely absolutely, and so yeah, that's what I'm hikey about.
Speaker 2 (01:04:11):
It's so fucking cool. And this in us talking to King.
Speaker 3 (01:04:14):
Malast is literally like Katie, are incredible, like producer. We
were just talking about how important like all of this
is like happening at just a brilliant time and.
Speaker 2 (01:04:24):
Yeah, I'm I'm living. I'm living. What are you hikey about?
Speaker 4 (01:04:28):
I mean, I'm hikey about that number one I was.
I was in New York slash I in New York
on election night and uh or is it called election
night yet?
Speaker 1 (01:04:39):
Yeah?
Speaker 4 (01:04:39):
Okay, I feel like there should be Yeah, okay, yeah,
I was here on election night day and I don't know,
the the energy was palpable. It's nice to feel like
everything isn't completely hopeless. And for me, I'm less even
about like holding zoramam Donnie like accountable for all the
shit he s because, like girl, he's a mayor and
mayors don't have that much power, but he.
Speaker 3 (01:05:02):
Was the mayor of one of the largest like I mean, yeah,
I know, but in this country.
Speaker 4 (01:05:06):
But that's why. Actually, I'm just in general pleased to
have the hope, because the hope is what really powered
me before these last like twelve years. It was this
idea that there is a space where the world could
be better that I feel like I had especially.
Speaker 2 (01:05:26):
Given up on in politics.
Speaker 4 (01:05:27):
So I'm with you on that to reel it back
into the shallow a little bit. It's funny. I'm really
high key about the cold, like about the winter, bunkering down,
about things getting specifically because for me, it's the best
(01:05:48):
creative space. Like I know, I've already talked about it.
I've been working on music. I've been like doing housework, redecorating,
got like new tasteful gay art. So I'm I'm into
the time where the world's being like, hey, girl, slowed down,
(01:06:08):
why don't you go make a soup and think about
what color you should paint those banisters? Please hikey about it.
She's a good Judy.
Speaker 3 (01:06:21):
God, No, I'm obsessed and this was such a great show.
I'm so I'm really loving doing this show. And y'all
know what I'm about to say every time.
Speaker 2 (01:06:30):
It's true.
Speaker 4 (01:06:31):
Okay, y'all have to find us everywhere on social media
hikey here, slash here here, hi, hike at, hike here, yes, yes, yes,
got that one, including but not limited to, if you
are listening to us on Apple Podcasts, you should go
and leave us a five star review and then tell
(01:06:55):
us who dressed better today?
Speaker 2 (01:06:59):
Yes, actually I would love to know.
Speaker 3 (01:07:02):
Also, just tell me how cute Coco is, because y'all
are actually, I've realized and by looking at the comments
on YouTube, y'all are low key her babysitters because I'm
not watching what she's doing. They're always like, oh, Coco is,
like she's just sleeping and she's so cute, and that
she's moving from one into the other.
Speaker 4 (01:07:18):
Election should she be swallowing that remote home.
Speaker 3 (01:07:23):
Like, so, y'all need to let me know, keep up
with keys, keep up what y'all are now her official
aunties and gounkles.
Speaker 4 (01:07:30):
Welcome to the family.
Speaker 3 (01:07:33):
I tell you next time though we love you so much.
She will see you next time. Bye AUTI yourse, motherfuckers.
Speaker 8 (01:07:42):
If you're high key 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 3 (01:07:53):
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 4 (01:08:06):
See you there.
Speaker 3 (01:08:07):
Hi Key is a production of iHeart Podcasts as a part.
Speaker 2 (01:08:10):
Of the Outspoken Network.
Speaker 3 (01:08:11):
This show is created and executive produced by Ryan Mitchell, E,
Edadley and Spoke Media.
Speaker 4 (01:08:16):
Our showrunner is Tyler Green. Our producers are Kelly Kolff
and Katie Alis Greer. Our video producer is Bo Delmore,
and our video editor is Luis Pegnath. Our audio engineer
Sammy Sirich. Special thanks to Jenna Burnett and Tess Ryan.
Speaker 3 (01:08:30):
Our Social media and community manager is Daria Cottingham. Executive
producers for Spoke Media are Travis Lamont Ballinger and Aleiah Tabacoli.
Speaker 8 (01:08:38):
Our iHeart team is Just Crime Chich and Sierra Kaiser
Speaker 3 (01:08:42):
And our fame music is by the one and only
Kayan Hersy and our show art is by Work by Work,
with photography by Eric Carter.
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