1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:08,600 Hey there, I hope everyone's having a great day. 2 00:00:08,600 --> 00:00:12,340 Thank you for joining me again for another episode of YQG In Bloom. 3 00:00:12,340 --> 00:00:15,500 My name is Tracy Martens and I will be your host. 4 00:00:15,500 --> 00:00:19,120 Today this podcast is sponsored by Auntie Aldoo's Kitchen. 5 00:00:19,120 --> 00:00:22,160 Auntie Aldoo's is a family favorite of mine. 6 00:00:22,160 --> 00:00:29,040 She offers a huge variety of hand pies, pastries, baked goods, soups, savory pies, you name 7 00:00:29,040 --> 00:00:30,440 it, she has it. 8 00:00:30,440 --> 00:00:35,720 She also has wonderful coffees and lattes as well as other beverages. 9 00:00:35,720 --> 00:00:39,280 All of her products and ingredients are locally sourced. 10 00:00:39,280 --> 00:00:44,160 Make sure if you hit the Windsor-Essex County area to stop by Auntie Aldoo's Kitchen and 11 00:00:44,160 --> 00:00:48,200 definitely follow her on Instagram and Facebook. 12 00:00:48,200 --> 00:00:50,960 Now today is a very special day for me. 13 00:00:50,960 --> 00:00:55,080 We have the lovely Venom here with us today. 14 00:00:55,080 --> 00:01:00,400 Not my first drag queen friend, not my first drag queen show, but you stand out from the 15 00:01:00,400 --> 00:01:01,400 rest. 16 00:01:01,400 --> 00:01:02,400 It's extra. 17 00:01:02,400 --> 00:01:03,400 It's the jaw line. 18 00:01:03,400 --> 00:01:04,400 It sticks out. 19 00:01:04,400 --> 00:01:06,560 You know what, actually you do have a good jaw and cheekbones. 20 00:01:06,560 --> 00:01:07,560 Thank you. 21 00:01:07,560 --> 00:01:09,440 But your makeup, you do a fabulous job. 22 00:01:09,440 --> 00:01:10,720 You do that all yourself, right? 23 00:01:10,720 --> 00:01:11,720 I do, yes. 24 00:01:11,720 --> 00:01:13,680 I do it all myself. 25 00:01:13,680 --> 00:01:21,080 I'm self-taught, which means that I've gone through the stages of horror that most drag 26 00:01:21,080 --> 00:01:22,080 queens have. 27 00:01:22,080 --> 00:01:25,360 If you have not gone through a stage of horror, you're a liar. 28 00:01:25,360 --> 00:01:26,360 Yeah. 29 00:01:26,360 --> 00:01:28,760 Even us girls growing up. 30 00:01:28,760 --> 00:01:29,760 Oh, that's it. 31 00:01:29,760 --> 00:01:30,760 2008. 32 00:01:30,760 --> 00:01:32,480 First time you have makeup, forget it. 33 00:01:32,480 --> 00:01:34,080 The Maybelline Dream Matte mousse. 34 00:01:34,080 --> 00:01:36,200 Bring it back. 35 00:01:36,200 --> 00:01:39,320 It was so easy to apply. 36 00:01:39,320 --> 00:01:41,800 Just one and done. 37 00:01:41,800 --> 00:01:44,560 Now what got you into being a drag queen? 38 00:01:44,560 --> 00:01:45,560 Okay. 39 00:01:45,560 --> 00:01:52,000 So I was always interested in drag ever since I was like 14, I would say. 40 00:01:52,000 --> 00:01:58,080 But I have a drag mother in Nova Scotia. 41 00:01:58,080 --> 00:02:00,720 So I was born and raised in Nova Scotia. 42 00:02:00,720 --> 00:02:07,400 And my drag mother, Stevie Von Snaps, has been doing drag for, I would say like 10 years 43 00:02:07,400 --> 00:02:08,400 maybe. 44 00:02:08,400 --> 00:02:10,640 No, but what is a drag mother? 45 00:02:10,640 --> 00:02:11,960 I've never heard of that before. 46 00:02:11,960 --> 00:02:12,960 Okay. 47 00:02:12,960 --> 00:02:20,880 So a drag mother is a term probably established, I would say in like the forties, maybe the 48 00:02:20,880 --> 00:02:22,960 sixties, I think more the sixties. 49 00:02:22,960 --> 00:02:24,760 I don't have the exact date. 50 00:02:24,760 --> 00:02:30,440 But a drag mother is basically a person who has been doing drag for a while. 51 00:02:30,440 --> 00:02:35,520 Keep this in mind, if you were having drag children, keep this in mind, has been doing 52 00:02:35,520 --> 00:02:42,160 drag for a while and knows what they're doing in some aspects. 53 00:02:42,160 --> 00:02:49,720 So they're trained, they've been around, and then they will usually take in drag children. 54 00:02:49,720 --> 00:02:58,080 So drag mothers originate from when like younger queer youth were exploring their gender identity 55 00:02:58,080 --> 00:03:00,360 and they would usually get kicked out of their homes. 56 00:03:00,360 --> 00:03:06,280 So drag mothers would usually start houses and then those kids would move in and then 57 00:03:06,280 --> 00:03:12,140 they would grow into adults and it would basically be like their own type of family. 58 00:03:12,140 --> 00:03:15,660 So that's where drag mothers kind of started. 59 00:03:15,660 --> 00:03:24,660 It's now trickled down through the years basically with advances in politics and gender equality. 60 00:03:24,660 --> 00:03:28,760 So a lot more people just become drag mothers and they're not starting full houses where 61 00:03:28,760 --> 00:03:30,000 everybody lives together. 62 00:03:30,000 --> 00:03:36,520 But they are mentoring newer drag performers, just kind of showing them the ropes. 63 00:03:36,520 --> 00:03:42,040 Some people are just claiming children off the street, which is nice, but please teach 64 00:03:42,040 --> 00:03:43,040 them something. 65 00:03:43,040 --> 00:03:44,040 Yeah. 66 00:03:44,040 --> 00:03:45,040 You know? 67 00:03:45,040 --> 00:03:46,040 Definitely. 68 00:03:46,040 --> 00:03:47,040 But that's where drag mothers originate from. 69 00:03:47,040 --> 00:03:49,200 So my drag mother basically scooped me up. 70 00:03:49,200 --> 00:03:54,840 She was starting a merch line and wanted somebody to model up for her and instead of modeling 71 00:03:54,840 --> 00:03:59,640 for her, she just put me in drag and was like, this will do. 72 00:03:59,640 --> 00:04:01,520 And then Venom was born. 73 00:04:01,520 --> 00:04:02,520 And she has stayed. 74 00:04:02,520 --> 00:04:03,720 And she has stayed. 75 00:04:03,720 --> 00:04:06,540 So how old is Venom? 76 00:04:06,540 --> 00:04:11,840 So Venom, my goodness, I would say about two and a half. 77 00:04:11,840 --> 00:04:12,840 Okay. 78 00:04:12,840 --> 00:04:13,840 Two and a half I would say. 79 00:04:13,840 --> 00:04:14,840 Wow. 80 00:04:14,840 --> 00:04:15,840 Yeah. 81 00:04:15,840 --> 00:04:16,840 Time flies. 82 00:04:16,840 --> 00:04:18,200 But you know what? 83 00:04:18,200 --> 00:04:23,800 Your performance is, you look like you've been doing it a heck of a lot longer than 84 00:04:23,800 --> 00:04:24,800 two years. 85 00:04:24,800 --> 00:04:25,800 Yeah. 86 00:04:25,800 --> 00:04:32,280 So I broke my foot actually in 2020 at a Pride celebration and I jumped off a stage and I 87 00:04:32,280 --> 00:04:38,040 had a strap on my heel cut through all of my metatarsals on the top of my foot. 88 00:04:38,040 --> 00:04:39,120 Oh my goodness. 89 00:04:39,120 --> 00:04:43,800 So I wasn't able to like dance or rehearse. 90 00:04:43,800 --> 00:04:48,960 I wasn't actually back to like full capacity for like dancing and moving until I would 91 00:04:48,960 --> 00:04:50,640 say within the last five months. 92 00:04:50,640 --> 00:04:51,640 Oh my goodness. 93 00:04:51,640 --> 00:04:56,560 I just, I start, I can like these shoes that I'm wearing when I first got them, I couldn't 94 00:04:56,560 --> 00:05:01,960 really wear them because like my foot would still not bend in the way I needed it to bend. 95 00:05:01,960 --> 00:05:05,040 So I'm finally just having more fun being able to dance and move again. 96 00:05:05,040 --> 00:05:08,040 I quite literally thought I was never going to be able to, I thought it was over. 97 00:05:08,040 --> 00:05:10,040 I was like, well, she started and she's done. 98 00:05:10,040 --> 00:05:11,040 It was a nice year. 99 00:05:11,040 --> 00:05:12,040 She was short lived. 100 00:05:12,040 --> 00:05:20,320 Hey, I say kudos to you for, well, to all drag queens for wearing those kinds of shoes. 101 00:05:20,320 --> 00:05:23,240 I'd still like to know how in the hell you dance in them. 102 00:05:23,240 --> 00:05:25,880 Well, I will say we've learned from our mistakes. 103 00:05:25,880 --> 00:05:27,880 This is not a dancing shoe. 104 00:05:27,880 --> 00:05:29,960 A dancing shoe is usually secure. 105 00:05:29,960 --> 00:05:30,960 Yeah. 106 00:05:30,960 --> 00:05:31,960 Oh, okay. 107 00:05:31,960 --> 00:05:32,960 So take that. 108 00:05:32,960 --> 00:05:35,640 If you're listening, please wear a secure shoe when you're dancing. 109 00:05:35,640 --> 00:05:37,880 But even in heels. 110 00:05:37,880 --> 00:05:41,940 Some girls will wear like a really nice like strappy heel and they'll have like a clear 111 00:05:41,940 --> 00:05:46,280 band that you can't really see, but it'll hold the foot in. 112 00:05:46,280 --> 00:05:47,280 Okay. 113 00:05:47,280 --> 00:05:52,120 That is a really good dancing heel because like your foot's not going anywhere. 114 00:05:52,120 --> 00:06:01,460 But I see a lot of queens, including baby venom, wearing a strapped heel with nothing 115 00:06:01,460 --> 00:06:02,800 else holding it in. 116 00:06:02,800 --> 00:06:06,360 And then your foot's just like, oh, you're just, you're clinging on. 117 00:06:06,360 --> 00:06:09,920 And you got little cliffhangers just praying to God that you don't lose your ankle. 118 00:06:09,920 --> 00:06:10,920 Yeah. 119 00:06:10,920 --> 00:06:11,920 And kinking up. 120 00:06:11,920 --> 00:06:12,920 No, I couldn't do it. 121 00:06:12,920 --> 00:06:13,920 Couldn't do it. 122 00:06:13,920 --> 00:06:14,920 It's all right. 123 00:06:14,920 --> 00:06:23,560 I've tried, but my foot just does not fit into those. 124 00:06:23,560 --> 00:06:28,360 It's just, I feel pain when I see shoes that are that high. 125 00:06:28,360 --> 00:06:30,680 There's something about them. 126 00:06:30,680 --> 00:06:36,080 Like especially now that after I've started transitioning, I just live for a heel. 127 00:06:36,080 --> 00:06:37,480 There's something about. 128 00:06:37,480 --> 00:06:39,680 And you find them comfortable? 129 00:06:39,680 --> 00:06:45,520 I wouldn't say comfortable, but I would say they're like powerful. 130 00:06:45,520 --> 00:06:49,880 Like I just feel more confident. 131 00:06:49,880 --> 00:06:52,440 Maybe it's because I just have a decent set of legs. 132 00:06:52,440 --> 00:06:53,720 Your cats are killer. 133 00:06:53,720 --> 00:06:58,160 Thank you for my mother. 134 00:06:58,160 --> 00:07:00,680 Not my drag mother, my biological mother. 135 00:07:00,680 --> 00:07:01,920 Yeah. 136 00:07:01,920 --> 00:07:03,080 She gave me a couple of things. 137 00:07:03,080 --> 00:07:07,040 Some trauma and these legs. 138 00:07:07,040 --> 00:07:08,040 Thanks mom. 139 00:07:08,040 --> 00:07:09,040 We all have them. 140 00:07:09,040 --> 00:07:10,040 Thanks. 141 00:07:10,040 --> 00:07:11,040 My mom's not watching anyway. 142 00:07:11,040 --> 00:07:14,120 Yeah, I probably smell like someone. 143 00:07:14,120 --> 00:07:18,160 So how did you develop your style and your character? 144 00:07:18,160 --> 00:07:23,280 Is that something that you really have to take a long time figuring out? 145 00:07:23,280 --> 00:07:32,160 That's a very, okay, that's a really good question because it's ever changing for myself. 146 00:07:32,160 --> 00:07:39,960 I'm constantly kind of finding what makes me feel comfortable, confident and happy. 147 00:07:39,960 --> 00:07:43,760 Where when I first started drag, I thought I was like, my name is Venom. 148 00:07:43,760 --> 00:07:49,640 I have to be like kind of spooky and I would really lean into that aspect of my drag. 149 00:07:49,640 --> 00:07:54,400 So I was like, oh, like Alvira and I still love that aspect of my drag. 150 00:07:54,400 --> 00:07:57,800 I saw those pictures you got the other night. 151 00:07:57,800 --> 00:07:59,800 So I still, that's like my roots. 152 00:07:59,800 --> 00:08:01,300 Thank you. 153 00:08:01,300 --> 00:08:03,960 But it's ever changing for myself. 154 00:08:03,960 --> 00:08:09,400 There are queens that know like their textiles, their motifs, like everything right off the 155 00:08:09,400 --> 00:08:13,000 bat and they are stuck with them their whole career. 156 00:08:13,000 --> 00:08:17,400 Which I think is really good for those girls and like kings. 157 00:08:17,400 --> 00:08:21,520 Most performers, if they have that, like it's pretty, they're very successful. 158 00:08:21,520 --> 00:08:23,680 If you have a good brand. 159 00:08:23,680 --> 00:08:30,600 Myself, I try and just use like community outreach, kindness. 160 00:08:30,600 --> 00:08:33,080 And just like positivity with like a little shade. 161 00:08:33,080 --> 00:08:34,080 You got to have some fun. 162 00:08:34,080 --> 00:08:37,320 That's what drag is. 163 00:08:37,320 --> 00:08:40,740 But that's what Venom is right now. 164 00:08:40,740 --> 00:08:42,560 Because I'm just constantly ever changing. 165 00:08:42,560 --> 00:08:48,720 I've started transitioning outside of my life, which I think has really influenced who Venom 166 00:08:48,720 --> 00:08:52,640 is in terms to like who I am. 167 00:08:52,640 --> 00:08:53,640 If that makes sense. 168 00:08:53,640 --> 00:08:54,880 Yeah, it does. 169 00:08:54,880 --> 00:08:57,480 It's almost like a smidge of a... 170 00:08:57,480 --> 00:08:58,480 It's like an amalgamation. 171 00:08:58,480 --> 00:08:59,480 Yeah. 172 00:08:59,480 --> 00:09:01,520 I'm like, you need to keep them separate. 173 00:09:01,520 --> 00:09:02,520 Exactly. 174 00:09:02,520 --> 00:09:08,280 Because Lord knows I'm not looking like this when I go to get groceries. 175 00:09:08,280 --> 00:09:10,200 I would love to look like this when I get groceries. 176 00:09:10,200 --> 00:09:11,200 Okay. 177 00:09:11,200 --> 00:09:14,760 But yeah, realistically, if you're transitioning, you're lucky if you throw eyeliner on and go 178 00:09:14,760 --> 00:09:16,400 to the grocery store. 179 00:09:16,400 --> 00:09:17,400 That part. 180 00:09:17,400 --> 00:09:18,960 Yeah, that's about it. 181 00:09:18,960 --> 00:09:19,960 That's about it. 182 00:09:19,960 --> 00:09:20,960 Yeah. 183 00:09:20,960 --> 00:09:21,960 You're not getting this, honey. 184 00:09:21,960 --> 00:09:22,960 Sorry. 185 00:09:22,960 --> 00:09:27,160 Oh, so you are in the beginning stages of your journey? 186 00:09:27,160 --> 00:09:28,760 I'm in my baby stages. 187 00:09:28,760 --> 00:09:30,520 Wow, that's exciting. 188 00:09:30,520 --> 00:09:31,520 It is. 189 00:09:31,520 --> 00:09:39,720 I had kind of like an inkling, but it was really repressed. 190 00:09:39,720 --> 00:09:46,560 Being like a rural kid from Nova Scotia, I didn't really even have the opportunity or 191 00:09:46,560 --> 00:09:51,960 the option to explore that part of my life. 192 00:09:51,960 --> 00:09:57,920 I didn't even consider it an option for the longest time until I moved here and I started 193 00:09:57,920 --> 00:10:08,560 working with Trans Wellness Ontario and just giving myself the opportunity to reflect and 194 00:10:08,560 --> 00:10:13,840 be like, is this... because a trans woman told me who is a really good mentor to me, 195 00:10:13,840 --> 00:10:21,040 her name is Angelina, and she told me that a really good sign that you owe it to yourself 196 00:10:21,040 --> 00:10:23,360 is if you keep asking yourself the question. 197 00:10:23,360 --> 00:10:29,400 So if you are constantly asking yourself, well, is this for me or may I be trans? 198 00:10:29,400 --> 00:10:35,800 You can ask those questions, but most people who aren't trans don't ask themselves that 199 00:10:35,800 --> 00:10:36,800 question. 200 00:10:36,800 --> 00:10:37,800 No. 201 00:10:37,800 --> 00:10:40,840 You have probably never woken up one morning and said, you know what I need to be today? 202 00:10:40,840 --> 00:10:41,840 A man. 203 00:10:41,840 --> 00:10:42,840 I wish. 204 00:10:42,840 --> 00:10:44,840 I know, we all do. 205 00:10:44,840 --> 00:10:49,480 Although I'll be happy not to have the face here. 206 00:10:49,480 --> 00:10:50,480 Same. 207 00:10:50,480 --> 00:10:59,960 But yeah, that is where it all began and I've just recently started reaching out. 208 00:10:59,960 --> 00:11:02,680 Like medically, I have to go through a couple of things. 209 00:11:02,680 --> 00:11:05,720 I'm not putting a bunch of weight on it and being like, I'm doing this and there's like 210 00:11:05,720 --> 00:11:09,720 a strong timeline because I feel like that'll stress me out. 211 00:11:09,720 --> 00:11:11,200 Yeah, it's going to happen. 212 00:11:11,200 --> 00:11:14,960 It's just going to happen really naturally and I'm just going to basically enjoy my life 213 00:11:14,960 --> 00:11:19,560 and give myself the opportunity to just do and be who I want to be. 214 00:11:19,560 --> 00:11:21,400 That makes sense. 215 00:11:21,400 --> 00:11:22,400 Perfect sense. 216 00:11:22,400 --> 00:11:23,400 Yeah. 217 00:11:23,400 --> 00:11:24,400 Perfect sense. 218 00:11:24,400 --> 00:11:27,400 Now, okay, getting on to a little lighter side. 219 00:11:27,400 --> 00:11:30,720 Do you have a signature song or performance? 220 00:11:30,720 --> 00:11:32,180 Oh my gosh. 221 00:11:32,180 --> 00:11:39,740 So I actually don't have a signature song, but I have a couple staples that I have realized 222 00:11:39,740 --> 00:11:42,400 make their way back up throughout the years. 223 00:11:42,400 --> 00:11:45,400 So I love Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend. 224 00:11:45,400 --> 00:11:48,640 Not by Marilyn though, by Carol Channing. 225 00:11:48,640 --> 00:11:50,720 Yes, that was a good cover. 226 00:11:50,720 --> 00:11:53,800 Oh, it's my favorite. 227 00:11:53,800 --> 00:11:58,760 And when I broke my foot, I haven't done this, but I want to do a reprise because I loved 228 00:11:58,760 --> 00:11:59,760 it so much. 229 00:11:59,760 --> 00:12:03,720 I still wanted to perform when I broke my foot and I had like a little knee scooter. 230 00:12:03,720 --> 00:12:05,760 So I just did Hell on Wheels by Cher. 231 00:12:05,760 --> 00:12:06,760 Oh my goodness. 232 00:12:06,760 --> 00:12:09,240 And I just did it every, I would not do any other song. 233 00:12:09,240 --> 00:12:10,560 I was like, oh, I have to perform twice. 234 00:12:10,560 --> 00:12:12,040 You're getting Hell on Wheels twice. 235 00:12:12,040 --> 00:12:13,040 Yeah. 236 00:12:13,040 --> 00:12:18,360 And I would roll around on my little scooter and there's some days I wake up and I go, 237 00:12:18,360 --> 00:12:20,680 oh, I missed my scooter days. 238 00:12:20,680 --> 00:12:24,960 How do you feel Windsor is with the drag community? 239 00:12:24,960 --> 00:12:30,400 So yeah, ever since like the emergence of RuPaul's Drag Race in like the early 2000s, 240 00:12:30,400 --> 00:12:34,760 it's really, it's really just brought it into the mainstream and made it a lot more like 241 00:12:34,760 --> 00:12:35,760 acceptable. 242 00:12:35,760 --> 00:12:38,600 People are like, well, this is enjoyable. 243 00:12:38,600 --> 00:12:40,480 Like we like to watch this. 244 00:12:40,480 --> 00:12:49,400 So it's really blossomed in Windsor coming from a rural town. 245 00:12:49,400 --> 00:12:56,720 I expected almost like more queer representation because it's, we're so close to Toronto. 246 00:12:56,720 --> 00:12:58,120 You know what I mean? 247 00:12:58,120 --> 00:13:04,200 But it didn't, it didn't transfer in the way that I thought it would because I, I have 248 00:13:04,200 --> 00:13:14,480 been like openly queer in Halifax in Nova Scotia and I felt almost like more comfortable. 249 00:13:14,480 --> 00:13:15,960 Now that was a couple of years ago. 250 00:13:15,960 --> 00:13:18,680 That would be two years ago. 251 00:13:18,680 --> 00:13:22,840 But I almost felt more comfortable there than I have in Windsor sometimes, which I thought 252 00:13:22,840 --> 00:13:25,920 was very, very interesting. 253 00:13:25,920 --> 00:13:29,560 I remember calling like a couple of my friends and being like, I don't know what's in the 254 00:13:29,560 --> 00:13:32,360 air up here, but like I'm on edge. 255 00:13:32,360 --> 00:13:34,440 It's the border city. 256 00:13:34,440 --> 00:13:35,440 It's the border. 257 00:13:35,440 --> 00:13:37,960 And that's what a lot of people have told me that it's, it's that we're a border, a 258 00:13:37,960 --> 00:13:40,320 border city. 259 00:13:40,320 --> 00:13:44,160 But the community here is very vocal and tight knit. 260 00:13:44,160 --> 00:13:50,320 So all of my friends, like, well, I've branched out now, but a lot of my friends when I first 261 00:13:50,320 --> 00:13:54,360 moved here were in the drag community. 262 00:13:54,360 --> 00:13:59,920 They were like, they're, they were very welcoming, open, open arms when I showed up off the little 263 00:13:59,920 --> 00:14:00,920 plane. 264 00:14:00,920 --> 00:14:02,680 That's really good. 265 00:14:02,680 --> 00:14:11,160 Yeah, I was really like, I have a drag family up here called the House of Whimsy. 266 00:14:11,160 --> 00:14:12,160 Okay. 267 00:14:12,160 --> 00:14:15,960 And a house usually consists of like a bunch of performers who usually like kind of have 268 00:14:15,960 --> 00:14:17,760 their, their each other's backs. 269 00:14:17,760 --> 00:14:22,680 Again, that circles back to drag mothers and drag houses. 270 00:14:22,680 --> 00:14:24,640 And they're really tight knit with me. 271 00:14:24,640 --> 00:14:31,200 And that consists of like Miss Mercury, retrograde, Lua, Luxie Charms, Hudson Bay. 272 00:14:31,200 --> 00:14:35,640 Oh, well, a lot of girls start back in the day, they used to say it was your first pet 273 00:14:35,640 --> 00:14:36,640 in your street name. 274 00:14:36,640 --> 00:14:37,640 Okay. 275 00:14:37,640 --> 00:14:39,080 So like, what was your first pet's name? 276 00:14:39,080 --> 00:14:40,080 Poppy. 277 00:14:40,080 --> 00:14:41,080 Poppy. 278 00:14:41,080 --> 00:14:42,480 What was your street that you grew up on? 279 00:14:42,480 --> 00:14:43,480 Lakeside. 280 00:14:43,480 --> 00:14:44,480 Poppy Lakeside. 281 00:14:44,480 --> 00:14:45,480 Oh my goodness. 282 00:14:45,480 --> 00:14:46,480 Like, I love that. 283 00:14:46,480 --> 00:14:49,320 I live for Poppy Lakeside. 284 00:14:49,320 --> 00:14:50,320 So that's how you guys. 285 00:14:50,320 --> 00:14:54,000 So that's how a lot of girls back in the day would kind of get their drag name. 286 00:14:54,000 --> 00:14:57,280 A lot of people now just kind of do so venom for me. 287 00:14:57,280 --> 00:15:04,280 Like I thought, like I'm pretty quippy and I enjoy, I like, I enjoy fun banter. 288 00:15:04,280 --> 00:15:08,600 I love throwing shade, but it's always, it's always just for fun. 289 00:15:08,600 --> 00:15:11,960 So that's why I thought venom, because it's kind of punchy. 290 00:15:11,960 --> 00:15:15,560 It's a little. 291 00:15:15,560 --> 00:15:17,600 You can have a little sass with that name. 292 00:15:17,600 --> 00:15:18,600 Yeah. 293 00:15:18,600 --> 00:15:20,400 And then the Von Snaps comes from the drag family. 294 00:15:20,400 --> 00:15:21,960 So which is cool. 295 00:15:21,960 --> 00:15:22,960 Yeah. 296 00:15:22,960 --> 00:15:23,960 Which is cool. 297 00:15:23,960 --> 00:15:29,680 So it goes back to my drag mother's mother who started in like the early 2000s, maybe 298 00:15:29,680 --> 00:15:30,680 even the nineties. 299 00:15:30,680 --> 00:15:34,120 I can't confirm, but her name was Bridget. 300 00:15:34,120 --> 00:15:35,120 Bridget Von Snaps. 301 00:15:35,120 --> 00:15:37,920 And she adopted my drag mother who then adopted me. 302 00:15:37,920 --> 00:15:38,920 So there's three of us. 303 00:15:38,920 --> 00:15:39,920 Oh, that's cool. 304 00:15:39,920 --> 00:15:40,920 Yeah. 305 00:15:40,920 --> 00:15:46,640 Do others take on the name of their drag mother or is that? 306 00:15:46,640 --> 00:15:48,600 So some do. 307 00:15:48,600 --> 00:15:49,600 Okay. 308 00:15:49,600 --> 00:15:55,320 So like some people when they're entering a house and they take a last name, it's, it's 309 00:15:55,320 --> 00:15:58,440 based on like old pageantry as well. 310 00:15:58,440 --> 00:16:05,360 So there's like full pageantry like queens that have gone for years, like decades. 311 00:16:05,360 --> 00:16:12,320 So like the Davenports, the Dupris, like that's kind of where it stemmed from. 312 00:16:12,320 --> 00:16:13,320 Okay. 313 00:16:13,320 --> 00:16:16,620 But nowadays some people, when they're adopted into a drag house, they don't even take the 314 00:16:16,620 --> 00:16:17,620 last name. 315 00:16:17,620 --> 00:16:20,160 Because they're just saying like, oh, that was my drag mother, like my drag mentor, but 316 00:16:20,160 --> 00:16:21,520 they want their own last name. 317 00:16:21,520 --> 00:16:25,320 I myself like really admired Stevie and Bridget. 318 00:16:25,320 --> 00:16:27,840 So I was more than happy to take the last name. 319 00:16:27,840 --> 00:16:28,840 If that made sense. 320 00:16:28,840 --> 00:16:29,840 No, it does. 321 00:16:29,840 --> 00:16:30,840 It perfect sense. 322 00:16:30,840 --> 00:16:31,840 It's like a child being adopted. 323 00:16:31,840 --> 00:16:34,960 You take your parents last name. 324 00:16:34,960 --> 00:16:35,960 Exactly. 325 00:16:35,960 --> 00:16:36,960 Out of respect. 326 00:16:36,960 --> 00:16:37,960 Out of respect. 327 00:16:37,960 --> 00:16:38,960 Exactly. 328 00:16:38,960 --> 00:16:45,980 Now I know I've just known the drag community for a short amount of time and I'm still dipping 329 00:16:45,980 --> 00:16:46,980 my toes into... 330 00:16:46,980 --> 00:16:47,980 Yes, you've just opened the door. 331 00:16:47,980 --> 00:16:48,980 Exactly. 332 00:16:48,980 --> 00:16:49,980 I mean, between you and Coco. 333 00:16:49,980 --> 00:16:50,980 And you're just waiting through the crowd. 334 00:16:50,980 --> 00:16:55,960 And I've been to two of her shows and now I've seen one of your shows. 335 00:16:55,960 --> 00:17:03,200 And what I'm finding is that there's a lot of misconceptions about a drag show and about 336 00:17:03,200 --> 00:17:04,200 drag queens. 337 00:17:04,200 --> 00:17:07,480 Because I had no idea that there are... 338 00:17:07,480 --> 00:17:16,020 Because I don't want to get into this gender identity thing, but even biological women 339 00:17:16,020 --> 00:17:18,520 can be drag queens, which I had no idea. 340 00:17:18,520 --> 00:17:19,520 Oh yes. 341 00:17:19,520 --> 00:17:21,000 Now did I say that right? 342 00:17:21,000 --> 00:17:22,000 Yeah, you did a great job. 343 00:17:22,000 --> 00:17:23,000 You did a great job. 344 00:17:23,000 --> 00:17:26,080 Listen, I'm not here to be the police. 345 00:17:26,080 --> 00:17:33,720 Nevermind, I just said A-cap. 346 00:17:33,720 --> 00:17:36,560 But no, I'm not here to police people. 347 00:17:36,560 --> 00:17:38,360 I am here to just educate. 348 00:17:38,360 --> 00:17:41,920 I feel like a drag queen's job in a community. 349 00:17:41,920 --> 00:17:42,920 And that's what we're rooted in. 350 00:17:42,920 --> 00:17:45,800 Like drag queens were rooted in... 351 00:17:45,800 --> 00:17:50,520 We started Pride, like we threw the first brick. 352 00:17:50,520 --> 00:17:54,360 So women doing drag has existed for a long time. 353 00:17:54,360 --> 00:17:59,800 And it's really segued from the burlesque scene. 354 00:17:59,800 --> 00:18:04,080 And then women can do drag because it's basically... 355 00:18:04,080 --> 00:18:12,800 Drag is usually, it's typically, femininity or performance exaggerated. 356 00:18:12,800 --> 00:18:22,840 So even if you're not being a woman, you can be a drag creature, you can be a drag king. 357 00:18:22,840 --> 00:18:30,760 So it's quite literally just taking a character and exemplifying it and making it marketable, 358 00:18:30,760 --> 00:18:36,840 entertaining and community oriented is what I think it stems from. 359 00:18:36,840 --> 00:18:40,040 I like that idea because I had no idea... 360 00:18:40,040 --> 00:18:46,320 Like we have a local performer, her name is Miss Mercury Retrograde. 361 00:18:46,320 --> 00:18:51,200 It's different for some people, some people don't align with this, but like an AFAB performer, 362 00:18:51,200 --> 00:18:56,840 so it's Assigned Female at Birth, she's an AFAB performer. 363 00:18:56,840 --> 00:18:58,800 And she's really good at all. 364 00:18:58,800 --> 00:19:00,280 She's really good at it. 365 00:19:00,280 --> 00:19:06,680 Her costumes, like her production, her wigs, like she does good stuff. 366 00:19:06,680 --> 00:19:10,960 I know, like I had no idea about drag kings or creatures or... 367 00:19:10,960 --> 00:19:14,800 Yes, oh it spans, it's very extensive. 368 00:19:14,800 --> 00:19:17,560 So there's RuPaul's Drag Race and there's Dragula. 369 00:19:17,560 --> 00:19:20,320 Those are the two main shows and then a couple side shows. 370 00:19:20,320 --> 00:19:21,480 I haven't seen Dragula. 371 00:19:21,480 --> 00:19:26,720 Dragula is basically drag, but like spookified. 372 00:19:26,720 --> 00:19:33,040 So like think Fear Factor meets reality television. 373 00:19:33,040 --> 00:19:39,080 So like these queens are sewing outfits, they're performing, but they're also like doing, like 374 00:19:39,080 --> 00:19:44,320 they're eating bugs and they're like getting buried alive. 375 00:19:44,320 --> 00:19:49,280 And that's where drag creatures will kind of fall in because drag creatures are giving 376 00:19:49,280 --> 00:19:51,120 you something completely different. 377 00:19:51,120 --> 00:19:53,360 Now is their makeup staying perfect the whole time? 378 00:19:53,360 --> 00:19:56,760 A lot of them, a lot of them are really good, I'm telling you. 379 00:19:56,760 --> 00:19:58,240 Okay they kill on you too. 380 00:19:58,240 --> 00:20:02,760 A little bit of cake and spackle, they don't move. 381 00:20:02,760 --> 00:20:03,760 That's true though. 382 00:20:03,760 --> 00:20:12,480 I've watched you guys perform, everybody perform and the makeup is flawless at the end. 383 00:20:12,480 --> 00:20:13,480 Hair might be ruffled. 384 00:20:13,480 --> 00:20:14,960 Hair might be a little ruffled. 385 00:20:14,960 --> 00:20:22,280 And the costumes, your dresses can be a little, whoa, but makeup still spot on perfect. 386 00:20:22,280 --> 00:20:24,160 Notorious for a little outfit. 387 00:20:24,160 --> 00:20:25,160 Okay. 388 00:20:25,160 --> 00:20:26,160 Gibbaco. 389 00:20:26,160 --> 00:20:31,960 Now how do you, how did you learn how to do the makeup? 390 00:20:31,960 --> 00:20:38,360 Is it, was it from your mother or is it just years and years of practice? 391 00:20:38,360 --> 00:20:44,440 There is not, no I have some people on like my dad's side of the family, but not one woman 392 00:20:44,440 --> 00:20:48,240 in my life did makeup. 393 00:20:48,240 --> 00:20:53,360 My grandmother like loved Clinique and like Lancome, you know. 394 00:20:53,360 --> 00:20:57,600 So I remember like being younger and like sneaking into the bathroom and like playing 395 00:20:57,600 --> 00:20:58,600 with her makeup. 396 00:20:58,600 --> 00:20:59,600 I didn't even put it on my face. 397 00:20:59,600 --> 00:21:01,880 I was like, like draw, like I was just playing with it. 398 00:21:01,880 --> 00:21:02,880 Yeah. 399 00:21:02,880 --> 00:21:07,800 But she still has that makeup from when I was like a child. 400 00:21:07,800 --> 00:21:10,480 So and my mother doesn't do makeup at all. 401 00:21:10,480 --> 00:21:15,480 So like when I call my mother and I am in full makeup, she's like, how did you do that? 402 00:21:15,480 --> 00:21:16,480 So I've done it all. 403 00:21:16,480 --> 00:21:22,180 I've taught myself using like YouTube videos and I had to like hide it for a long time. 404 00:21:22,180 --> 00:21:28,020 So I remember one time my grandmother like caught me and found my makeup train and she 405 00:21:28,020 --> 00:21:34,520 like was like, this is not happening and she like threw out my whole makeup train and I 406 00:21:34,520 --> 00:21:36,240 was like, oh, okay. 407 00:21:36,240 --> 00:21:40,320 So that I just like threw everything into like a rucksack over my shoulder and out the 408 00:21:40,320 --> 00:21:46,160 door I went because I was like, and I think that's where a lot of like that's where venom 409 00:21:46,160 --> 00:21:50,320 can stem from too is I, I didn't take a lot of guff as a child. 410 00:21:50,320 --> 00:21:53,640 I didn't like I had a complex situation. 411 00:21:53,640 --> 00:21:57,800 So I was constantly being like, this isn't going to fly. 412 00:21:57,800 --> 00:22:01,480 I was, I was a little delinquent at one point. 413 00:22:01,480 --> 00:22:02,480 So sorry. 414 00:22:02,480 --> 00:22:05,240 We all listen, if you weren't a delinquent, you weren't having fun. 415 00:22:05,240 --> 00:22:06,240 Exactly. 416 00:22:06,240 --> 00:22:07,240 I'd rather. 417 00:22:07,240 --> 00:22:08,920 And you know, I got it all out of the way now. 418 00:22:08,920 --> 00:22:12,600 So I'm in like my mid twenties before we could hit jail. 419 00:22:12,600 --> 00:22:15,000 No prison and I love going to bed before 10. 420 00:22:15,000 --> 00:22:17,400 It's I know. 421 00:22:17,400 --> 00:22:22,360 It is I'm up at six o'clock in the morning and I don't care because I woke it up at six, 422 00:22:22,360 --> 00:22:23,680 but you can get me up at nine. 423 00:22:23,680 --> 00:22:25,560 I don't want to get up at six. 424 00:22:25,560 --> 00:22:30,920 That was the problem with having my son the day I found out I got pregnant up before dawn 425 00:22:30,920 --> 00:22:34,760 and it just never went away. 426 00:22:34,760 --> 00:22:35,760 It's not a bad thing. 427 00:22:35,760 --> 00:22:36,760 It's not about that. 428 00:22:36,760 --> 00:22:40,960 Now I get a lot of stuff done and then get to bed early and then you feel good. 429 00:22:40,960 --> 00:22:43,120 You're like, look at all the stuff I've done before 10 am. 430 00:22:43,120 --> 00:22:44,880 I know. 431 00:22:44,880 --> 00:22:48,360 And then you can sit back and relax and not feel guilt. 432 00:22:48,360 --> 00:22:50,040 I love that. 433 00:22:50,040 --> 00:22:57,800 Now is there any certain misconceptions about a drag queen that we haven't covered yet? 434 00:22:57,800 --> 00:23:01,480 So this is like a newer misconception. 435 00:23:01,480 --> 00:23:03,520 We probably probably know what I'm going to cover. 436 00:23:03,520 --> 00:23:06,840 It's the whole like drag queens are groomers. 437 00:23:06,840 --> 00:23:12,800 Drag queens are like out here to like steal your children and eat them for dinner. 438 00:23:12,800 --> 00:23:14,840 It's ridiculous. 439 00:23:14,840 --> 00:23:19,280 Unfortunately, like there's just a lot of rhetoric that has just been backpacked off 440 00:23:19,280 --> 00:23:27,560 of like political policy and they just use drag as like a wonderful reason to ignore 441 00:23:27,560 --> 00:23:30,880 what's actually going on. 442 00:23:30,880 --> 00:23:31,880 Easier to blame. 443 00:23:31,880 --> 00:23:37,040 It's so much easier to blame because respectfully, like I have no business with children. 444 00:23:37,040 --> 00:23:39,880 I don't even know if I want them. 445 00:23:39,880 --> 00:23:40,880 That's okay. 446 00:23:40,880 --> 00:23:41,880 Yeah. 447 00:23:41,880 --> 00:23:42,880 And you know what? 448 00:23:42,880 --> 00:23:44,680 I can read a book. 449 00:23:44,680 --> 00:23:46,720 I can read you a children's story. 450 00:23:46,720 --> 00:23:49,120 But like that's the extent of it. 451 00:23:49,120 --> 00:23:53,040 Like I am not, I promise you drag queens are not thinking about kids. 452 00:23:53,040 --> 00:23:54,040 No, no. 453 00:23:54,040 --> 00:23:55,040 I promise you. 454 00:23:55,040 --> 00:24:01,440 And there's, and there's rhetoric that like drag queens are like nasty and 455 00:24:01,440 --> 00:24:02,440 You know what? 456 00:24:02,440 --> 00:24:10,240 I, I'm almost wonder if people understood about the drag, the drag mothers, because 457 00:24:10,240 --> 00:24:14,360 then it makes a lot more sense because it's a mentorship. 458 00:24:14,360 --> 00:24:20,360 It's a family and a mentorship, but you can be part of these community groups and be mentoring 459 00:24:20,360 --> 00:24:21,920 and they're 460 00:24:21,920 --> 00:24:23,320 Drag has existed for 461 00:24:23,320 --> 00:24:26,120 Yeah, just taking care of you guys 462 00:24:26,120 --> 00:24:27,880 For like well over a hundred years. 463 00:24:27,880 --> 00:24:30,340 Drag has been documented. 464 00:24:30,340 --> 00:24:31,340 So it's not new. 465 00:24:31,340 --> 00:24:32,340 No. 466 00:24:32,340 --> 00:24:38,760 It's just that it's, it's new that it's so popular in the mainstream, which is great, 467 00:24:38,760 --> 00:24:42,520 but then it also makes it a target, which for most things. 468 00:24:42,520 --> 00:24:43,680 Yeah. 469 00:24:43,680 --> 00:24:45,960 All you can do is just be vocal. 470 00:24:45,960 --> 00:24:49,920 And I like, if you haven't been to a drag show and you have like these thoughts and 471 00:24:49,920 --> 00:24:52,320 feelings and conceptions, go to a drag show. 472 00:24:52,320 --> 00:24:54,520 If you haven't been to a drag show, go to one. 473 00:24:54,520 --> 00:24:55,520 They're fun. 474 00:24:55,520 --> 00:24:56,520 It is. 475 00:24:56,520 --> 00:24:57,520 It's a lot of fun. 476 00:24:57,520 --> 00:25:03,360 They're the people, the audience, they just have a blast. 477 00:25:03,360 --> 00:25:05,160 They just honestly, they have a blast. 478 00:25:05,160 --> 00:25:06,160 It's one of my favorite. 479 00:25:06,160 --> 00:25:07,160 It's my favorite part. 480 00:25:07,160 --> 00:25:08,160 I really enjoyed it. 481 00:25:08,160 --> 00:25:09,160 I see people's like smiles and like 482 00:25:09,160 --> 00:25:10,160 Yeah, get right into it. 483 00:25:10,160 --> 00:25:11,160 People get it. 484 00:25:11,160 --> 00:25:12,760 People love it. 485 00:25:12,760 --> 00:25:15,240 It's so fun for so many people. 486 00:25:15,240 --> 00:25:16,240 It is. 487 00:25:16,240 --> 00:25:17,240 It is. 488 00:25:17,240 --> 00:25:24,520 And, and that's what people don't understand is it's not some kinky sex night or anything. 489 00:25:24,520 --> 00:25:26,040 It's not fun. 490 00:25:26,040 --> 00:25:29,480 It's like a, it's like a performance, a show, a play. 491 00:25:29,480 --> 00:25:31,440 It's like the, it's so theater based. 492 00:25:31,440 --> 00:25:32,440 Yes. 493 00:25:32,440 --> 00:25:36,440 Like, and, and it can be like performing, we're performing and it can be like raunchy. 494 00:25:36,440 --> 00:25:39,240 It can get adult themed, but so can movies. 495 00:25:39,240 --> 00:25:40,240 Yeah. 496 00:25:40,240 --> 00:25:41,240 So can movies. 497 00:25:41,240 --> 00:25:45,920 We're exposing children to these shows that like, that is my biggest like thing when people 498 00:25:45,920 --> 00:25:48,440 are like, Oh, well, like you're exposing our children. 499 00:25:48,440 --> 00:25:50,760 We are not exposing. 500 00:25:50,760 --> 00:25:55,920 You are making an active choice to take your child to a show where adult content could 501 00:25:55,920 --> 00:25:57,460 be taking place. 502 00:25:57,460 --> 00:26:00,080 That is not on me. 503 00:26:00,080 --> 00:26:02,680 If it's an all ages show, it is then on me. 504 00:26:02,680 --> 00:26:06,200 If it's advertised that like young people are going to be there, then on me to make 505 00:26:06,200 --> 00:26:14,200 it marketable and safe, like not a overtly like R rated environment. 506 00:26:14,200 --> 00:26:15,320 And that's on all drag queens. 507 00:26:15,320 --> 00:26:20,880 If you know, you're going to be with young people that I expect myself and most performers 508 00:26:20,880 --> 00:26:24,400 to use a little bit of like cadence in that regard. 509 00:26:24,400 --> 00:26:25,400 Yeah. 510 00:26:25,400 --> 00:26:26,400 Yeah. 511 00:26:26,400 --> 00:26:27,400 It's just common sense. 512 00:26:27,400 --> 00:26:28,400 Common sense. 513 00:26:28,400 --> 00:26:29,400 As a, as a human being. 514 00:26:29,400 --> 00:26:32,200 Which we lose year after year, I've noticed. 515 00:26:32,200 --> 00:26:36,360 Well, it's easier to blame others than to blame yourself. 516 00:26:36,360 --> 00:26:45,400 But I want to talk really quickly about pride that our pride fest that's coming up in August. 517 00:26:45,400 --> 00:26:50,680 Now did we already have a pride parade in June? 518 00:26:50,680 --> 00:26:52,520 I don't think we had a parade in June. 519 00:26:52,520 --> 00:26:53,520 No. 520 00:26:53,520 --> 00:26:54,520 Okay. 521 00:26:54,520 --> 00:26:55,520 You just see so much. 522 00:26:55,520 --> 00:26:56,960 It's so hard to tell between online. 523 00:26:56,960 --> 00:26:58,360 I know, I know. 524 00:26:58,360 --> 00:27:01,160 And then I even get confused when I pride month in June. 525 00:27:01,160 --> 00:27:03,120 Yeah, we're having pride. 526 00:27:03,120 --> 00:27:04,120 Back home, they had it in like September. 527 00:27:04,120 --> 00:27:07,520 I broke my foot in September at a pride show. 528 00:27:07,520 --> 00:27:13,320 I think it lines up a lot for like districts and like times of year. 529 00:27:13,320 --> 00:27:16,320 I'm not super like, I'm not on a pride board. 530 00:27:16,320 --> 00:27:18,800 So I don't know the full reasoning on why it would be in August. 531 00:27:18,800 --> 00:27:22,560 This is my first time performing in pride here in Windsor. 532 00:27:22,560 --> 00:27:24,080 Yay. 533 00:27:24,080 --> 00:27:27,760 So I know the parade is going to be in August. 534 00:27:27,760 --> 00:27:32,160 Maybe it's just easier for them to put them to span it out because it would be too jam 535 00:27:32,160 --> 00:27:36,160 packed to do it in June with a million like Toronto Pride. 536 00:27:36,160 --> 00:27:37,840 And then there's like would be starting a pride. 537 00:27:37,840 --> 00:27:41,600 So if it was all in June, maybe some people are going to feel like they're going to miss 538 00:27:41,600 --> 00:27:43,080 events or something. 539 00:27:43,080 --> 00:27:44,080 This way they can hit them all. 540 00:27:44,080 --> 00:27:46,000 This way they can hit them all type vibe. 541 00:27:46,000 --> 00:27:47,920 But yeah, this is my first time performing at pride. 542 00:27:47,920 --> 00:27:49,400 It's going to be at Lansbury Park. 543 00:27:49,400 --> 00:27:51,400 It's my first time going to it. 544 00:27:51,400 --> 00:27:55,240 So I actually couldn't get the day off last year at my job. 545 00:27:55,240 --> 00:28:00,320 So by the time I was off of work, most of the festivities were over. 546 00:28:00,320 --> 00:28:05,080 So this is my first year like going, going and I'm performing. 547 00:28:05,080 --> 00:28:06,080 Oh my goodness. 548 00:28:06,080 --> 00:28:13,880 So and it's with Trinity the Tuck and a couple like really like all star performers from 549 00:28:13,880 --> 00:28:14,880 Toronto. 550 00:28:14,880 --> 00:28:18,160 And then we have like a local queen, my sister Apoxie. 551 00:28:18,160 --> 00:28:19,160 She's in it. 552 00:28:19,160 --> 00:28:20,160 Okay. 553 00:28:20,160 --> 00:28:21,160 Yes. 554 00:28:21,160 --> 00:28:24,200 But Trinity the Tuck won her season and she's going to be headlining the show. 555 00:28:24,200 --> 00:28:25,600 So I'm excited. 556 00:28:25,600 --> 00:28:26,600 I'm excited. 557 00:28:26,600 --> 00:28:27,600 I'm very nervous. 558 00:28:27,600 --> 00:28:28,600 You'll be fine. 559 00:28:28,600 --> 00:28:31,080 I know I'll be fine. 560 00:28:31,080 --> 00:28:34,640 You are a performer in and out of drag. 561 00:28:34,640 --> 00:28:36,120 Yeah, I do try. 562 00:28:36,120 --> 00:28:37,120 Yeah. 563 00:28:37,120 --> 00:28:39,800 Unfortunately, I've come to realize that I do put on a performance in most places of 564 00:28:39,800 --> 00:28:40,800 my life. 565 00:28:40,800 --> 00:28:41,800 But that's okay. 566 00:28:41,800 --> 00:28:42,800 Oh, the world's too boring. 567 00:28:42,800 --> 00:28:43,800 You have flair. 568 00:28:43,800 --> 00:28:44,800 Yeah. 569 00:28:44,800 --> 00:28:45,800 I love it. 570 00:28:45,800 --> 00:28:46,800 The world's too boring. 571 00:28:46,800 --> 00:28:47,800 Yeah. 572 00:28:47,800 --> 00:28:48,800 Yeah. 573 00:28:48,800 --> 00:28:49,800 Exactly. 574 00:28:49,800 --> 00:28:52,480 They say there's been a study show that color has dropped like worldwide in the last like 575 00:28:52,480 --> 00:28:53,480 50 years. 576 00:28:53,480 --> 00:28:56,760 There's just less color everywhere. 577 00:28:56,760 --> 00:29:00,440 It's like as my son would say, we've turned back into the gray days. 578 00:29:00,440 --> 00:29:01,440 Exactly. 579 00:29:01,440 --> 00:29:03,840 It's a really good way to put it. 580 00:29:03,840 --> 00:29:09,120 He always said the black and white TV shows and that were it's from the gray days. 581 00:29:09,120 --> 00:29:10,640 Okay, whatever. 582 00:29:10,640 --> 00:29:15,400 But there's not just the drag shows at Pride Fest. 583 00:29:15,400 --> 00:29:16,400 They have. 584 00:29:16,400 --> 00:29:20,520 Oh, they have like I think they have like picnics and they have like painting events. 585 00:29:20,520 --> 00:29:21,520 There's like open discussions. 586 00:29:21,520 --> 00:29:26,400 It's gonna be like pop ups with local businesses. 587 00:29:26,400 --> 00:29:31,280 Pride parades really Pride season is really good because it engages a lot of local businesses 588 00:29:31,280 --> 00:29:38,400 who are who want to be a part of Pride, which also like gives them more business in the 589 00:29:38,400 --> 00:29:39,400 long term. 590 00:29:39,400 --> 00:29:40,400 Of course. 591 00:29:40,400 --> 00:29:46,680 Which I think a lot of people tend to forget about Pride season is it's for it's for visibility, 592 00:29:46,680 --> 00:29:50,760 but it also like fully engages your local communities when you're starting them like 593 00:29:50,760 --> 00:29:51,880 it gets vendors out. 594 00:29:51,880 --> 00:29:54,040 It starts businesses. 595 00:29:54,040 --> 00:29:56,120 It helps make it more mainstream. 596 00:29:56,120 --> 00:29:59,920 It just makes it more mainstream and a lot of people and it stimulates the economy in 597 00:29:59,920 --> 00:30:00,920 your local area. 598 00:30:00,920 --> 00:30:05,720 And a lot of people forget that a lot of people forget that a lot of money is spent on the 599 00:30:05,720 --> 00:30:12,040 gate and everybody else, but they spend a lot of money in the gate. 600 00:30:12,040 --> 00:30:13,040 Okay. 601 00:30:13,040 --> 00:30:20,600 Now looking at your shoes and your outfit, where do you find clothes that fit? 602 00:30:20,600 --> 00:30:24,640 Like the shoes, they're gorgeous shoes. 603 00:30:24,640 --> 00:30:27,800 So I can't find a seven and a half. 604 00:30:27,800 --> 00:30:32,120 I'm like a drag, like a hunter. 605 00:30:32,120 --> 00:30:39,560 Like I hunt down these items mostly because I'm cheap because it's like drags expensive 606 00:30:39,560 --> 00:30:42,120 overall like it's all expensive. 607 00:30:42,120 --> 00:30:48,160 So you have to be very tactful because you can basically blow thousands of dollars right 608 00:30:48,160 --> 00:30:52,000 out the gate if you want to look and do what you want to do, which fine. 609 00:30:52,000 --> 00:30:55,200 But if you're not getting booked to pay those bills off, then you're just sitting there 610 00:30:55,200 --> 00:30:58,800 with thousands of dollars to drag and you're like, Oh God, what did I do? 611 00:30:58,800 --> 00:31:04,720 So myself, like I, if like a performer is selling something and I really like it, I'll 612 00:31:04,720 --> 00:31:06,880 like message the performer and buy it off them. 613 00:31:06,880 --> 00:31:10,320 So they're usually commissioning it and then you're getting it for half of the price or 614 00:31:10,320 --> 00:31:12,400 whatever they paid. 615 00:31:12,400 --> 00:31:13,400 Wow. 616 00:31:13,400 --> 00:31:18,360 I will scope thrift stores like no one's business. 617 00:31:18,360 --> 00:31:22,920 If there's something I need an outfit for, like I will, I have had outfits commissioned 618 00:31:22,920 --> 00:31:24,280 done. 619 00:31:24,280 --> 00:31:28,240 You just do what you got to do to find what you need. 620 00:31:28,240 --> 00:31:29,960 Shoes are a hard one. 621 00:31:29,960 --> 00:31:35,200 You find a sister who has bigger feet than you or about the same size and then you just 622 00:31:35,200 --> 00:31:37,980 wait for her to die like I did. 623 00:31:37,980 --> 00:31:40,340 She didn't actually die, but she just wasn't doing drag anymore. 624 00:31:40,340 --> 00:31:44,400 So I just inherited a lot of her stuff, but like all of my shoes, like I would have to 625 00:31:44,400 --> 00:31:47,600 go on like pleaser, like shoe freaks. 626 00:31:47,600 --> 00:31:51,400 Like there's a lot of sites now that drag has become popular. 627 00:31:51,400 --> 00:31:55,440 So yeah, you can get shoes, you can get shoes from anywhere. 628 00:31:55,440 --> 00:31:59,080 Now that drag has become more mainstream, there's just so many retailers. 629 00:31:59,080 --> 00:32:05,480 Even Amazon has expanded their size where you can get like size 12, like size 13. 630 00:32:05,480 --> 00:32:13,080 That's when you're a really big footed girl and you're like Mrs. Big and Tall. 631 00:32:13,080 --> 00:32:16,280 People forget how tall they are and then they buy these little dresses and then they're 632 00:32:16,280 --> 00:32:22,840 like inches away from a lawsuit and I'm like girls, longer dresses. 633 00:32:22,840 --> 00:32:26,240 Especially when a lot of you are six, four out of heels. 634 00:32:26,240 --> 00:32:35,240 I know like Coco, when they booked our photography studio to get pictures done, Haley, the photographer 635 00:32:35,240 --> 00:32:39,560 is going, do you have anything big enough because she might be close to seven feet in 636 00:32:39,560 --> 00:32:40,560 her shoes. 637 00:32:40,560 --> 00:32:41,560 Seven feet! 638 00:32:41,560 --> 00:32:42,560 Well probably close. 639 00:32:42,560 --> 00:32:43,560 She is taller than me now. 640 00:32:43,560 --> 00:32:44,560 Yeah, she is tall. 641 00:32:44,560 --> 00:32:45,560 She was a tall girl. 642 00:32:45,560 --> 00:32:46,560 Yeah. 643 00:32:46,560 --> 00:32:47,560 Was, we have to use was. 644 00:32:47,560 --> 00:32:49,000 She's no longer with us. 645 00:32:49,000 --> 00:32:51,560 In my heart, I'm hoping. 646 00:32:51,560 --> 00:32:54,440 Well see, I have so much of her stuff now that my room smells like her. 647 00:32:54,440 --> 00:33:00,760 So when I walk into my basement, I go, oh, smells like a dead girl. 648 00:33:00,760 --> 00:33:03,680 So where do you see venom going? 649 00:33:03,680 --> 00:33:08,480 So for a while I was just doing drag and venom wasn't going to go anywhere. 650 00:33:08,480 --> 00:33:12,120 Venom was just going to be like with me and I was going to perform where I could perform 651 00:33:12,120 --> 00:33:14,720 and just enjoy life. 652 00:33:14,720 --> 00:33:21,200 But as I have started to grow and my foot healed in a way that I can move again, I'm 653 00:33:21,200 --> 00:33:23,120 just going to keep on actively trying. 654 00:33:23,120 --> 00:33:26,880 I try to actively improve after each event. 655 00:33:26,880 --> 00:33:27,880 That makes sense. 656 00:33:27,880 --> 00:33:32,040 Like I try to, after every event, successful or non-successful, I'll basically kind of 657 00:33:32,040 --> 00:33:33,880 pick it apart and be like, what went right? 658 00:33:33,880 --> 00:33:34,880 What went well? 659 00:33:34,880 --> 00:33:37,400 What didn't go well? 660 00:33:37,400 --> 00:33:45,240 So then hopefully, the hope is that I will just be like very polished and well put together 661 00:33:45,240 --> 00:33:51,720 in the next five years where when you are performing at that level and you are delivering 662 00:33:51,720 --> 00:33:56,200 a certain expectation, then you can do more with your drag. 663 00:33:56,200 --> 00:33:58,320 So like, who knows if I want to go on television? 664 00:33:58,320 --> 00:33:59,320 Who knows if I want to start? 665 00:33:59,320 --> 00:34:00,320 I think I should. 666 00:34:00,320 --> 00:34:01,320 I would love to. 667 00:34:01,320 --> 00:34:03,320 You would have great personality for that. 668 00:34:03,320 --> 00:34:04,680 I would love to be on television. 669 00:34:04,680 --> 00:34:07,360 I actually wanted to audition for Big Brother. 670 00:34:07,360 --> 00:34:11,160 I don't know if I should do it like this or if I should just do it like this. 671 00:34:11,160 --> 00:34:12,160 I wouldn't that be fun? 672 00:34:12,160 --> 00:34:15,960 See the looks on everybody's face. 673 00:34:15,960 --> 00:34:18,120 Oh my God, it would be insane. 674 00:34:18,120 --> 00:34:19,920 With those pink gloves. 675 00:34:19,920 --> 00:34:20,920 Oh hell. 676 00:34:20,920 --> 00:34:21,920 Into the Big Brother house. 677 00:34:21,920 --> 00:34:24,200 Now let's see how long it lasts. 678 00:34:24,200 --> 00:34:26,440 Hopefully it would be a good house. 679 00:34:26,440 --> 00:34:29,000 Because it would be so funny to see you on there. 680 00:34:29,000 --> 00:34:33,520 For some reason in reality television they hunt the queers down in like 10 minutes. 681 00:34:33,520 --> 00:34:37,680 The traitors, they just had Peppermint on it and Peppermint was in and out within like 682 00:34:37,680 --> 00:34:39,440 the first two episodes. 683 00:34:39,440 --> 00:34:45,440 And I'm sorry the producers, they're stupid then because you keep that on and you got 684 00:34:45,440 --> 00:34:47,400 some drama for weeks to go. 685 00:34:47,400 --> 00:34:48,400 People don't understand the queers. 686 00:34:48,400 --> 00:34:50,320 Some of them, gay men love drama. 687 00:34:50,320 --> 00:34:51,320 Oh my gosh. 688 00:34:51,320 --> 00:34:52,320 Love it. 689 00:34:52,320 --> 00:34:53,320 Love it. 690 00:34:53,320 --> 00:34:56,920 Well Coco, rest in peace, told me about Real Hells. 691 00:34:56,920 --> 00:35:00,960 I watched Vanderpump Rules and well you got to watch Real Housewives, Beverly Hills. 692 00:35:00,960 --> 00:35:02,680 Did you watch Beverly Hills? 693 00:35:02,680 --> 00:35:03,680 Yes. 694 00:35:03,680 --> 00:35:04,680 What season? 695 00:35:04,680 --> 00:35:05,680 All of them. 696 00:35:05,680 --> 00:35:06,680 All of them? 697 00:35:06,680 --> 00:35:07,680 I binged for months. 698 00:35:07,680 --> 00:35:09,880 Who's your least favourite housewife and then who's your favourite housewife? 699 00:35:09,880 --> 00:35:11,380 Oh my gosh. 700 00:35:11,380 --> 00:35:12,380 You know what? 701 00:35:12,380 --> 00:35:13,760 I love Yolanda. 702 00:35:13,760 --> 00:35:14,760 You love Yolanda? 703 00:35:14,760 --> 00:35:17,480 I love, I know she was vanilla. 704 00:35:17,480 --> 00:35:19,640 She was vanilla but she went through an awful lot. 705 00:35:19,640 --> 00:35:20,640 She did. 706 00:35:20,640 --> 00:35:26,600 And she had class and I think that's what I loved about her was that she had class. 707 00:35:26,600 --> 00:35:28,560 And there's a lot of them. 708 00:35:28,560 --> 00:35:29,840 Lisa Vanderpump for one. 709 00:35:29,840 --> 00:35:30,840 Lisa Vanderpump. 710 00:35:30,840 --> 00:35:36,480 Okay, Lisa Vanderpump was one of my favourites and then Lisa Rinna was my all time favourite 711 00:35:36,480 --> 00:35:37,480 housewife. 712 00:35:37,480 --> 00:35:38,480 She was. 713 00:35:38,480 --> 00:35:40,920 Because she just woke up every morning. 714 00:35:40,920 --> 00:35:41,920 Oh my goodness. 715 00:35:41,920 --> 00:35:47,520 Dusted off her little wooden spoon and then just stirred every pot she could find. 716 00:35:47,520 --> 00:35:48,520 Even sometimes inadvertently. 717 00:35:48,520 --> 00:35:53,800 And that's why I live, because she didn't even know what she was doing. 718 00:35:53,800 --> 00:35:54,800 Yep. 719 00:35:54,800 --> 00:35:55,800 Oh I love that one. 720 00:35:55,800 --> 00:35:56,800 Oral vomit. 721 00:35:56,800 --> 00:35:57,800 Yeah, oral vomit. 722 00:35:57,800 --> 00:36:02,040 There's a lot of them that I was glad they were only one season. 723 00:36:02,040 --> 00:36:07,960 They were like, okay, now you're just trying to fit a square peg into a round wall like 724 00:36:07,960 --> 00:36:09,600 the goth lady. 725 00:36:09,600 --> 00:36:11,800 Do you really think her and Lisa are going to be BFFs? 726 00:36:11,800 --> 00:36:13,640 No and then who was the other one? 727 00:36:13,640 --> 00:36:15,820 Teddy Mellencamp. 728 00:36:15,820 --> 00:36:16,820 She was too nice. 729 00:36:16,820 --> 00:36:17,820 She was too nice. 730 00:36:17,820 --> 00:36:19,960 But she's still friends with a lot of them. 731 00:36:19,960 --> 00:36:20,960 She is. 732 00:36:20,960 --> 00:36:23,080 She has her own podcast so she has a lot of the girls on it now. 733 00:36:23,080 --> 00:36:24,080 Oh yeah. 734 00:36:24,080 --> 00:36:26,080 I can't believe Kyle Richards is still there. 735 00:36:26,080 --> 00:36:27,080 Yeah. 736 00:36:27,080 --> 00:36:29,840 We'll have to see what happens next season with that one. 737 00:36:29,840 --> 00:36:32,840 Yeah see if she's not admitting anything. 738 00:36:32,840 --> 00:36:36,080 See if she's part of the community now. 739 00:36:36,080 --> 00:36:37,080 Come on. 740 00:36:37,080 --> 00:36:38,080 You know how terrible she is. 741 00:36:38,080 --> 00:36:39,080 Oh my gosh. 742 00:36:39,080 --> 00:36:42,400 I think it was just a, we're going to keep this under wraps until the divorce is done 743 00:36:42,400 --> 00:36:47,200 and make everybody wait until the new season and then hello. 744 00:36:47,200 --> 00:36:51,520 It's like yeah, okay, we already knew because everybody else is wondering. 745 00:36:51,520 --> 00:36:52,520 Oh my god. 746 00:36:52,520 --> 00:36:53,520 Like who follows their lead? 747 00:36:53,520 --> 00:36:56,360 They were really close friends. 748 00:36:56,360 --> 00:36:57,840 She started dressing like her. 749 00:36:57,840 --> 00:37:03,800 She always had the best clothes and the best shoes, the best outfits. 750 00:37:03,800 --> 00:37:07,160 She could have been a drag queen and now she's in jeans and ripped shirts. 751 00:37:07,160 --> 00:37:09,080 Oh my god now she looks like she was raised at the Hideaway Ranch. 752 00:37:09,080 --> 00:37:11,280 I know. 753 00:37:11,280 --> 00:37:12,640 One last question. 754 00:37:12,640 --> 00:37:18,720 Are you doing any of your shows outside of the Windsor area or do you stick directly 755 00:37:18,720 --> 00:37:19,720 here? 756 00:37:19,720 --> 00:37:24,200 I've actually recently, I've done a couple shows outside of Windsor now. 757 00:37:24,200 --> 00:37:31,000 So I've done two in Sarnia and then I did one in Chatham. 758 00:37:31,000 --> 00:37:35,520 And then I might be doing one, oh my god, Amherstburg. 759 00:37:35,520 --> 00:37:37,400 I might be doing one in Amherstburg. 760 00:37:37,400 --> 00:37:41,000 Oh the outdoor one. 761 00:37:41,000 --> 00:37:43,600 Went there last year and it was so much fun. 762 00:37:43,600 --> 00:37:44,600 Were you there? 763 00:37:44,600 --> 00:37:46,760 No at the True Fest. 764 00:37:46,760 --> 00:37:47,760 No Coco was there. 765 00:37:47,760 --> 00:37:51,280 No I didn't know if you went and watched. 766 00:37:51,280 --> 00:37:53,480 No I was in, I had to work that whole week. 767 00:37:53,480 --> 00:37:55,760 Yeah it was a lot of fun. 768 00:37:55,760 --> 00:37:59,840 So I might be doing something in Amherstburg in the future. 769 00:37:59,840 --> 00:38:00,840 Hopefully. 770 00:38:00,840 --> 00:38:03,080 Keep your fingers crossed. 771 00:38:03,080 --> 00:38:08,880 Now where can people find you online so that they know when and where you're performing? 772 00:38:08,880 --> 00:38:12,840 So you can find me online, usually on Instagram under Venon Von Snaps. 773 00:38:12,840 --> 00:38:20,800 And I'm usually just on Instagram. 774 00:38:20,800 --> 00:38:25,320 You can find me on Facebook under like Jared Alexander. 775 00:38:25,320 --> 00:38:29,200 Don't look me up, I probably won't add you out. 776 00:38:29,200 --> 00:38:32,720 And I'm on Twitter, but I'm not on Twitter. 777 00:38:32,720 --> 00:38:35,400 You know I'm on X, sorry X. 778 00:38:35,400 --> 00:38:39,720 I'm not on X actively. 779 00:38:39,720 --> 00:38:42,000 But Instagram like I am on there every single day. 780 00:38:42,000 --> 00:38:46,040 If you want to get in touch with me, please just DM me. 781 00:38:46,040 --> 00:38:49,520 And go watch my stories because they're insane. 782 00:38:49,520 --> 00:38:52,360 She gets into a lot of trouble. 783 00:38:52,360 --> 00:38:54,120 I know. 784 00:38:54,120 --> 00:38:56,120 It's so nice to, I love it. 785 00:38:56,120 --> 00:38:59,040 I love you, love you, love you. 786 00:38:59,040 --> 00:39:01,800 And you are so much fun. 787 00:39:01,800 --> 00:39:07,960 It allows me to be a little bit more me which is sassy and snarky and snotty. 788 00:39:07,960 --> 00:39:09,200 Oh you're just so fun. 789 00:39:09,200 --> 00:39:10,200 Who are you? 790 00:39:10,200 --> 00:39:11,200 You are so fun. 791 00:39:11,200 --> 00:39:13,720 Okay, quick story. 792 00:39:13,720 --> 00:39:18,120 Saturday at Sephora so I can get my birthday gift there. 793 00:39:18,120 --> 00:39:21,600 And we went through every stinking, the perfume. 794 00:39:21,600 --> 00:39:23,760 Oh we got to spray. 795 00:39:23,760 --> 00:39:25,520 You could smell it at the other end. 796 00:39:25,520 --> 00:39:27,120 I came home, I could still smell it. 797 00:39:27,120 --> 00:39:29,520 I had an upset stomach, I had to shower. 798 00:39:29,520 --> 00:39:32,040 Oh I sprayed this like tangerine one on me. 799 00:39:32,040 --> 00:39:33,320 I was like I love this one. 800 00:39:33,320 --> 00:39:35,840 And then like two hours later I was like I hate this one. 801 00:39:35,840 --> 00:39:37,560 I smell horrible. 802 00:39:37,560 --> 00:39:40,160 I couldn't smell it after. 803 00:39:40,160 --> 00:39:43,800 Well that was why it was cheaper, it didn't last that long. 804 00:39:43,800 --> 00:39:49,080 But yes you definitely have to bring her to the makeup. 805 00:39:49,080 --> 00:39:52,480 Yeah so you can like come and get me, you can see me at the Devon Taylor mall. 806 00:39:52,480 --> 00:39:53,480 Oh yeah. 807 00:39:53,480 --> 00:39:55,520 At my day job if you already need your makeup done. 808 00:39:55,520 --> 00:39:56,520 Makeup. 809 00:39:56,520 --> 00:39:57,520 Come DM me. 810 00:39:57,520 --> 00:40:01,120 She's good, she picked out the lipstick and. 811 00:40:01,120 --> 00:40:05,280 Anyway I do have to call it a day and thank you so much for being on my show. 812 00:40:05,280 --> 00:40:07,320 Thank you for having me. 813 00:40:07,320 --> 00:40:08,720 Venom lawn snaps. 814 00:40:08,720 --> 00:40:10,360 You can have me anytime. 815 00:40:10,360 --> 00:40:14,280 Gladly and we definitely will. 816 00:40:14,280 --> 00:40:24,840 And make sure to follow her on Instagram and like follow and comment on my podcast so I 817 00:40:24,840 --> 00:40:26,360 can keep it going. 818 00:40:26,360 --> 00:40:33,040 And I also want to remind you that our podcast today is sponsored by Auntie Aldo's Kitchen. 819 00:40:33,040 --> 00:40:37,680 Make sure that you follow her on Facebook and Instagram so you know what market she's 820 00:40:37,680 --> 00:40:40,840 at where you can stop in at her cafe. 821 00:40:40,840 --> 00:40:42,320 Those savory pies girl. 822 00:40:42,320 --> 00:40:43,720 Oh my goodness. 823 00:40:43,720 --> 00:40:45,440 The creamy lentil is amazing. 824 00:40:45,440 --> 00:40:51,200 I actually haven't had one that I haven't liked. 825 00:40:51,200 --> 00:40:52,520 My name is Tracy Martens. 826 00:40:52,520 --> 00:40:57,220 I want to thank you so much for joining me for another episode of YQG and Bloom. 827 00:40:57,220 --> 00:41:08,880 You guys all have a good day.