In this age of Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, Google+ and yes, even good old Myspace, social media has become THE method for self-promotion and networking. Facebook has done wonders for the drag world. Entertainers have been able to network across the country and talk to show directors and promoters in different states. Pageants and shows can get state-wide attention. When you stop to think about how different things are from a decade ago, it really does boggle one’s mind.
When I started doing drag, Myspace was THE social media brand. Everyone had a Myspace. I knew right off the bat that if I was going to have any sort of a legitimate drag career I’d need to have a separate page for both my drag and mundane personalities. From the get go I knew I didn’t necessarily want all my drag peeps up in my personal business. Now, in the world of Facebook, my feelings haven’t changed. I have two Facebook pages: my personal, non-drag page, and Freddy’s page. I have very few drag people on my personal page, and I like it that way. I don’t even have a “personal” Twitter account, it’s all Freddy.
To me, Facebook, Twitter and the like are the equivalent of online business cards. The link to my page is on my actual business card, and it’s the first place I send people when they ask about upcoming shows, pictures, videos, etc. That being said, I try to keep my profile as professional as possible. Everyone vents, everyone has bad days. We’re human. But generally this is why I have my other profile. This is also why I have friends I can text and a partner I go home to every night. If I need to bitch, or if someone did something that REALLY pissed me off, I can vent to them. Not everyone thinks the way I do, however, as is apparent by the numerous status updates I see every day that bitch about this, that or the other. In my opinion people in the drag world don’t really need to know about what’s happening in my personal life, nor do they really care. The same can be said for the drag drama spilling over into my personal life. It’s like every employer will tell you: leave your home life at home. I don’t bring my personal crap to the office.
When you go into a job interview, you don’t go in saying, “Oh my god, this bitch the other night got all up in my grill and I smacked that ho down and told her to stay the fuck away from my man! Nasty ass broke-down ho bag.” You also don’t (or at least I hope not) fill out a job application that looks like this:… Note: I just sat here for 10 minutes trying to come up with a couple of grammatically incorrect sentences and I just couldn’t do it. But I think you know the ones I mean. The ones that have no punctuation, that look like their keyboard has no vowels, and that use slang that requires an interpreter. These are the types of statuses that will get you hidden from my news feed or, in some cases, deleted.
I don’t care if you’re a show director, promoter, drag queen, drag king, male entertainer, photographer, whatever… If you use Facebook as a form of self-promotion use common sense when it comes to what you post on it. If you were a show director who came across your profile, what would their first impression of you be? Would they see you as someone eloquent and well-spoken? Professional? Or would they see you as a trash-talking, drama-starting hood rat? Someone who speaks in slang and foul language? What you post in public forums like Facebook and Twitter can speak volumes about who you are as a person and a professional. Granted, we’re all human. We all have those days where things just don’t go the way we want. We all have those people who rub us the wrong way. And it all affects us. But how we choose to deal with it in public, where everyone can see, is what defines us as a professional.
Everyone has their opinions, professional and personal, about people in the drag world. But the second you let your verbal or written diarrhea spill over into a place where everyone can see it, you only hurt yourself and your reputation; not the person you’re bitching about. Remember that drag is a job, just like any other job. Yes, we work in bars, but we still need to be professional. Bar owners, promoters, show directors, other entertainers are all potential employers.
Remember that the next time you decide to call that skanky-ass-ho out on your status.
There is a constant debate among drag kings and MIs regarding the use of makeup. I’m not just talking about the “costume makeup” ie. clown makeup, etc but the same type of makeup the queens wear, to help with shading and contouring. There are a lot of us who started off wearing at least the basics: darkening the eyebrows, eyeliner, foundation, that sort of thing. We experimented with different styles of facial hair to help make us look more masculine, then eventually branched off into playing with shading of some sort.
Today, most of us feel makeup is a MUST when creating the illusion. Even those who identify as trans men wear makeup when performing. Hell, even bio boy performers wear makeup when on stage.
Why then are there STILL new kings who fight this aspect tooth and nail? “Men don’t wear makeup, why should I?” or “I’m already pretty dark, I don’t need makeup.” There are so many excuses thrown out there, it’s ridiculous. What baffles me are the kings who use no or barely any facial hair, AND no makeup. Dude… you don’t look like a dude. There’s a big difference between looking like a butch lesbian and a man. The facial structure is different; men are angles while women tend to be rounder and softer.
And so it is with this that I bring you my next tidbit of advice… Makeup!
Use it.
Think of drag as theatre. No theatre company would let you go on stage without makeup. Why? Because you wash out under the lights. If for no other reason, that should be why you should use makeup. However, there is so much more to it. If you’re just starting out, you don’t even need to spend that much if you want to practice and see what works. Revlon, Cover Girl, Mabeline, etc all have things you can use.
The needed essentials:
Foundation – look for something slightly darker than your natural skin tone
Eyeliner – I’m a fan of the Revlon Color Stay stuff, just be prepared to have eyeliner for a day or so after a show, and generally, even if you’re a tow head, get black, not brown
Eyebrow pencil – find something that doesn’t look ridiculous. I’m a redhead, so I use a brownish one
A darker brown eye shadow – this can be used for shading, just make sure it’s matte, and not sparkly
Makeup brushes – you can find a pack of 10 or so different brushes at Walmart for $5
Makeup sponges – you can find the basic ones in a pack, they come in triangles, rectangles and sometimes circles
With just the tools above you can start to work on the contouring and shading needed to really boost the illusion.
Start with the foundation and make sure it spreads evenly. I always try to get down my neck and even some of the back of my neck, only because otherwise there is such a huge difference in colour. We’ve all seen those women with a harsh line under their chin where their foundation ends… don’t be that person! Blend it in as best you can, using a makeup sponge. Make sure you do this before you put your facial hair on!
My next step is always my facial hair, because the style of facial helps me decide where and how I need to shade.
Next, darken and thicken your eyebrows, and line your eyes. Most men don’t have thin brows, unless they’re going for a certain look. They don’t need to be over the top, but they need to look thicker and denser than your natural eyebrows. Again, I don’t care if you’ve got black eyebrows or practically clear eyebrows, like mine, you need to darken them. They get lost in the stage lights. Mascara is optional. I have suuuuuuper long eyelashes and when I darken them it makes me look ridiculously feminine, so it doesn’t help the illusion.
Now with the shading and contouring, remember men are all about angles. Their jaw line is sharper, their brows are more prominent and their cheek bones are more angular. There are ways of helping create that look with shading. Again, this is just the basics. Obviously there are more complicated methods, but a lot of it is trial and error, and playing with makeup. Giving the jaw line a more chiseled look is relatively simple. You want to start at the jaw joint and basically draw a line with the dark eye shadow down and across, following the jaw bone, but slightly under it. Blend it downwards, towards the neck. You want to create the look of a shadow, subtle but still noticeable. To create the illusion of an Adams apple, take the dark shadow and draw two lines down on either side of your oesophagus. (Tilting your head back slightly will give you a better idea of where to make the lines.) Blend these outwards, creating a lighter space in the center of the throat. That should pretty much take care of the jaw/neckline. Remember to blend!
Now for the face. You’ve darkened your brows, lined your eyes, etc. Now to make those eyes stand out. Using a smaller brush, you’ll want to use your darker shadow and shade the sides of your nose up to your eyelid, under your eyebrow. Think of a T, split in half. You don’t want to look like you’ve been punched in the eye, so I wouldn’t use a ton on the lid itself, but more directly under the eyebrow. Make sure to blend this in too. Blending is the key to all of this! Now if you happen to have a lighter powder, or your partner has one that they don’t mind you borrowing, you can use a little light or white powder above the eyebrows. Make sure this gets blended in WELL, or you could look like you have two white stripes crawling across your face. Putting the lighter powder above your eyebrows, in contrast to the dark under them, will make your brow “pop” on stage, giving it a more pronounced look. You can create the look of angular cheekbones by using a similar method to apply rouge, except instead of applying the makeup with a larger brush on the whole cheek, you’ll want to take a smaller brush and draw a darker line down along the cheekbone. Once blended in this should be the finishing touch to give your face the angles it needs to be more masculine in appearance.
I consider facial hair to be a part of makeup. You could have an immaculate face, that ends up looking like crap because your facial hair is wack. Make sure the loose hair is cut fine, as fine as you can get it. You don’t want to have a ton of random long hairs sticking out all over the place. I recommend getting beard trimmers, either electric or scissors, so you can trim everything up when you’re done. Putting facial hair on isn’t just a matter of throwing spirit gum on and slapping some cut up hair on it. To ensure it’s going where you want it, I’d recommend using a shadow to outline where you’re going to put the spirit gum. That way you can make sure everything is even. Once you’ve got the spirit gum on, and the hair where you want it, use an eyebrow brush (those little brushes that look like there’s a miniature comb on one side and a miniature brush on the other) to straighten the lines and get rid of any stray hair on your face. This is where a trimmer comes in handy. Using either an electric pair or pair of beard/mustache scissors, trim up any long hairs that got missed in the cutting process. It just looks neat, rather than a hairy mess.
I reiterate once more that these are just the basics. Once you get the hang of the basics, then you can start experimenting with stipple and more elaborate makeup techniques, as well as investing in some good stage makeup, like Kryolan, Mehron or Ben Nye.
Just like anything, don’t half-ass your makeup, or facial hair. Take pride in what you do. If you’re getting into drag and getting ready to perform and you look in the mirror and you don’t look any different except for maybe some tiny bit of facial hair on your chin, maybe you need to reevaluate your methods. We are all constantly learning and growing, experimenting is key, as is trying something new, even if it’s just new to you. The thing is to realize when you need to change something, and to put on your big boi knickers and change it.
Making the Man - Costume Tips for the Male Illusionist and Drag King
In an online group for male illusionists (the Male Illusionist Exchange – MIX – on Facebook) there was a post a while back about making sure one’s costume is neat and “odor free” before performing. So true. I’m going to take it to the next level, since costumes are the window to the soul. Or something. Just go with it.
If the entertainer is the gift, then the costume is the wrapping. You always see the wrapping first and you always judge a book by its cover, at least to start. The second you step on stage the first thing people see is what you’re wearing. Make it count! But there are a few things to keep in mind when figuring out what you’re going to wear for a number.
First of all, whatever you’re wearing, make sure it fits. This may seem obvious, but just like my girlfriend always says, “Just because you can button it doesn’t mean it fits.” You don’t want to be popping at the seams, and you don’t want something that is 16 sizes too big. Fitting and flattering are key words here. This goes for kings, queens, femmes, whoever.
Clean. Everything should be clean. Makeup on the collar is one thing. Giant stains from Goodwill are another. Wash things before you start altering or if you don’t notice something until after the fact, Shout wipes, Tide pens and dry cleaning are all viable options. Buy a steamer! Trust me on this one. You can get them for $20 at Walmart and I promise you’ll thank me later. Steaming can get out wrinkles and creases that result from blinging, sewing, gluing etc that ironing can’t. It’s also safe on pretty much any material from tulle to gauze to silk to denim.
Ok, so you’ve found an outfit you like and that fits you well. Now what to do with it? Here’s where it gets tricky. A lot of newer kings are fighting the whole “costume” thing because of the bling factor. “I don’t want to bling it out. I’m supposed to be a dude!” Ok, well, bully for you. However, you have to remember that this is a performance. No one is saying that you take 1000 gross of stones and bling out an entire outfit. No one is saying you have to use stones at all. But going out there in jeans and a t-shirt will get you no where. If you can walk in off the street and go right on stage in what you’re wearing, you probably need to change it up. Find a fabric store or a craft store. Look for fabric, odds and ends, chain, buckles, studs. Anything can be turned into a costume with enough imagination.
Speaking of imagination (like my segue there?), it should be yours. Not someone else’s. It’s one thing to be inspired by someone, but if you make a suit that looks suspiciously like Drag King A’s suit, it shows that a) you have very little imagination and creativity of your own, b) you are willing to take the easy way out and just copy someone else. Granted, no one “owns” a material or element, just like no one “owns” a song. But be respectful of your peers. For example, almost every king has a pants/vest/hat combo. It’s a versatile staple. However, I’m not going to use the same material or design as someone else. Just be aware of what other entertainers are wearing, especially in your area. If I happen to see someone do something or use something new and different that I’d like to maybe use in the future, I go up to said entertainer and say, “Dude! That’s a badass idea! Would you mind if I did something similar or used a similar concept? But this is how I would change it…” That way you’re showing the entertainer who actually HAD the idea and who HAD the creativity that you respect what they’ve done, you like the idea, but you’d make it yours by doing A, B and C. That would be the non-douchebag thing to do. I can tell you from experience that it’s never fun to be at a show or see pictures and see essentially your outfit or choreography or whatever up there. I put the work into it, I expect to be given at least a little respect. And you should too.
Ok, I’ll jump off that soap box for a minute. Now about adhesives. I’m a fan of E6000 and Gemtac for stones and bigger elements. A little bit goes a long way. Gemtac is great for stones because it goes on white so you can actually see where you put the glue, and it dries clear. The end of a toothpick works great for placing glue for smaller stones. Do not use tape, either clear or duct, to stick elements to a costume. If it’s an emergency and you’re at a show and you need to fix something, that’s one thing. But don’t just tape shit on to a pair of pants or a shirt. It looks tacky, messy, rushed and like you didn’t give a shit. Need to throw something on last minute? Spray adhesive works great for something like that! The Elmer’s brand is non toxic and is great for any facial masks etc that you may want to use. The 3M stuff is great for costumes, but I wouldn’t recommend it for anything that’s going on your face. I can tell you that from experience. I had some awesome chemical burns from that crap and it hurt like a bitch! If you have glue residue on an outfit that you need to remove, I’ve found that pure acetone works great. Grab a cotton ball, get some acetone on it and start scrubbing. For more delicate fabrics test it first to make sure it won’t ruin the fabric.
Cohesiveness is key, too. Make sure all your elements work together. They don’t necessarily have to be all matchy-matchy but there should be something that ties everything in, even things like masks and acessories. A mask, eye patch, half mask, necklace, bracelet etc will not work with every outfit nor every number. It should match the outfit and the song, otherwise it just looks like you threw on a mask last minute because you saw someone else do it. It can just look awkward, which is no fun for anyone. Your shoes should go with the outfit too, as much as possible. Having a hard time finding shoes? Here’s a trick of the trade: find a pair of boots, shoes, whatever. Probably not sneakers. Cover the toe (and anywhere else you want) with the CLEAR Swarovski crystals. They need to be clear and they need to be the quality of the Swarovskis. Once you have the stones on your shoe, you can actually colour them in using sharpies or Crayola markers so that the crystals match your outfit. When you’re done, wipe them clean with rubbing alcohol. Ta-da! Good as new. And now you have a versatile pair of shoes that can be used for virtually any outfit.
Oh, and just as a side note… once you are in costume, if you haven’t performed yet, don’t go wandering around the bar! People want to be surprised. They don’t want to see you wandering around in the outfit before they see it on stage. If you must go out into the crowd, find a cover-up. Keep the audience guessing, they want to be entertained and your costume is a part of the package!
This took me forever to write, but it's gotten great feedback since I wrote them back in 2011.
A – Accountability. Take responsibility for your actions, both on and off the stage.
B – Back-Up Plan. Always have a back-up plan. You never know when you’ll forget a costume or music or tape or whatever. Make it work with what you’ve got.
C – Confidence. Be confident in who you are. Don’t cave in to peer pressure. Your drag persona is YOUR drag persona, take pride in it!
D – Dependability. Everyone understands that things come up, but generally, if you say you’re going to be somewhere, be there. You made a commitment and flakiness makes us all look bad.
E – Expand. Don’t become stagnant. To be successful, we need to grow, to learn and to expand our minds and our characters.
F – Fun. In the end, it should always be fun. When it stops being fun, when the drama starts to be too much, maybe that’s when you need to step back and reevaluate why you do what you do.
G – Go with the Flow. Shit happens. Things don’t always go as planned. Music stops, dancers fall, costumes don’t turn out the way you wanted. The important thing is not to freak out. Just go with it. Roll with the punches.
H – Humility. It’s not always all about you. Check your ego at the door. This isn’t about how many titles you have, or how good you think you are.
I – Integrity. What you do has an effect on the rest of us, keep that in mind if you ever feel the urge to do something unethical or underhanded.
J – Jackassery. This gets you nowhere! Be mindful of your actions, your words, how you treat others and the way you portray yourself.
K – Knock ‘Em Dead. Remember, the audience is there to be entertained, so be entertaining. Don’t check yourself out in the mirror, don’t focus on one person or group, and keep in mind who your audience will be when picking songs.
L – Love What You Do. If you love it, it will show, and so your audience will love it too.
M – Mentoring. Extend a hand to those who are new or who need guidance. We all needed that help at one point, just remember that you are teaching them what they need to know, so keep in mind the ABCs!
N – Network. Get out there, work with new people, new bars. Ask not what drag can do for you, but what you can do for drag!
O – Originality. Keep it fresh, keep it original. No one “owns” a song, but be respectful of your fellow performers and avoid “borrowing” concepts and costume ideas.
P – Professionalism. Even in situations that you may not enjoy, keep in mind that you are being watched. You don’t have to like everyone, but you do have to be civil. Be mindful of your actions, whether drinking or sober.
Q – Quality Not Quantity. It’s not how often you perform, it’s the quality of your performances. If you find yourself performing every week or even every other week and you find yourself doing the same things over and over again, maybe it’s time to take some time to come up with new material.
R – Respect. Be respectful of the venues you perform in, bar owners, patrons, other performers and their property.
S – Surround Yourself With Good People. Everyone, from the friends you keep to your romantic partners, is viewed as an extension of you. Keep that in mind when you associate with people who make it their hobby to trash-talk, slander, roll their eyes, be constantly drunk in public, and back-stab.
T – Take Chances. Step out of your box, try something new and unexpected. Push your boundries! You never know how something will turn out until you try.
