Over the course of our 45-minute conversation, we talked current events, the progress drag has made over the years and what disappoints her about drag as currently practiced.

How do you feel about the current controversy raging over the 1944 song, Baby It’s Cold Outside?

I say fuck ’em. It was written by a man for him and his wife to sing at parties. It was a playful back and forth. The lyrics aren’t suck me or die in the ice, are they? Now they are saying that Santa Baby is sung from the viewpoint of a prostitute. But what’s wrong with a Christmas prostitute? Mary Magdalen. There you have it! If anyone wants to be offended, please come to my Christmas show. Not only will I be singing songs that are offensive in their original format, I will be twisting them into filthy parodies which will leave snowflakes running for the door and crying.

Do you ever feel the need to warn anyone about your humor?

I always like to put in the ticket link, “Bunny is trashy and raunchy.” Don’t come if you don’t enjoy that stuff. Plus, why should Mariah Carey be the only holiday heffer who struggles to hit the high notes. It’s not fair!

How will you celebrate Christmas?

Christmas with an atheist! (She lets out a big laugh.) That could be the name of the show. Christmas is the day before my show opens in New York. I will probably shut up to conserve the few high notes I can hit.

What do you consider the highlight of The Stockings Were Hung?

I reworked Santa Baby and it was the biggest hit in Seattle. Not only because it suits my voice, but it’s a demented idea and it’s fairly PG. I’ve got so many Christmas tunes that I didn’t get enough started in time. I’d like to release a Christmas album next year. I’ve got some good ones. And drag queens always need good Christmas stuff to lip synch to.

Did you think at any point that drag would take you as far as it has?

Well, it obviously surprises you! Bianca Del Rio is getting ready to play Wembley Arena. To be honest with you, I’ve really only done my one-woman show in Los Angeles at Castita del Campo (in Silver Lake), but they were booked. But why not try something new? 

I haven’t been to Catalina and now I’m getting nervous. Every performer would like to see their talents be recognized and along with that comes bigger venues. And it’s thrilling to do so. As a direct result of RuPaul’s Drag Race making drag so popular, last year I played in Cardiff, Wales – twice! That’s never happened. Even though I’m not on Drag Race I do reap the benefits just by being associated with Bianca and Ru. 

What disappoints you most about the drag scene today?

I don’t think more drag means better drag and I’m seeing a lot of cookie cutter drag queens. Ru wears a flower, they wear it. Bianca wears lower lashes, they wear it. It’s not very authentic to copy. 

The other thing that disappoints me is the over-emphasis on looks and luxury make-up and specialty make-up. And lace-front wings which cost thousands. It’s not very democratic anymore. Drag is seen as deluxe. The younger queens feel they need these lace fronts in order to be RuPaul quality or whatever. 

Look at the winners: Jinkx Monsoon, Sharon Needles, Bob the Drag Queen, Bianca, Raja, Sasha Velour – they all have something unique. Typically the winner is someone who stands out, not cookie cutter. My secret is to slap on as much make-up as you can, appear in front of drunks and keep on moving.

A colleague of mine asked if you would adopt her. She’s mid-20s, dating seriously and loves drag.

Let me put it this way. I’m on the road a lot, so the only pets I can keep are mice and roaches. They feed themselves. The mice will eat the roaches and the roaches will eat the mouse droppings. It works out beautifully. I wouldn’t trust myself with a live human being.

Your Facebook page is very political. How important are socio-political issues to you?

I’ve always known drag queens to have an option. Strong opinions and they aren’t afraid to express them. I think drag queens are quick to call bullshit and I don’t want to ruin the line, but Bianca says something like, “we’re men in dressed with our nuts shoved up our ass in wigs.” 

Having said that, when I asked Lady Bunny about her predictions for the New Year, I expected her to go an a comic rant about Donald Trump, the investigations and more. Instead, I got a very knowledgeable expression of her thoughts, in particular, on the war in Afghanistan. But her concluding comment was spot on.

I don’t believe in God, but I do believe in good. And it’s not good what we’re doing. I feel a little freaked out, not by Baby It’s Cold Outside, but by this war. Peace on earth,, goodwill to men. That’s dead.

You expressed yourself so well. Are you announcing a campaign?

My shoes are the only platform on which I stand. I’m not. I’m here to throw stones at everyone politically. Some if works itself in my show. It’s mainly just laughs. And dirty stuff.

Images provide by Lady Bunny.

The post Drag Legend Lady Bunny Explains It All To You appeared first on Cultural Attaché.

Fans of RuPaul’s Drag Race regularly hear references to Lady Bunny. The two were roommates in Atlanta back in “the day.” Lady Bunny regularly performs in clubs around the world and is known for her quick wit, her topicality and her complete lack of fear in offending anyone and everyone.

How she will address the holiday season in The Stockings Were Hung is anyone’s guess, but the title is obviously a clue. But why is it in the past-tense? What happened to those stockings?

We’ll have an interview with Lady Bunny this week. Check back for some hilarious and outrageous comments from her.

The post Lady Bunny: The Stockings Were Hung appeared first on Cultural Attaché.