1 00:00:00,400 --> 00:00:03,000 Speaker 1: Jum Mission with Jones and Amanda. 2 00:00:03,160 --> 00:00:06,000 Speaker 2: One of my biggest delights hosting Dancing with the Stars 3 00:00:06,080 --> 00:00:07,920 Speaker 2: was being cheeky, naughty and a little bit rude with 4 00:00:07,960 --> 00:00:10,440 Speaker 2: Courtney Act. The producers would often say to us, Okay, 5 00:00:10,520 --> 00:00:14,160 Speaker 2: you two, that's enough. Courtney Act, of course, is Australia's 6 00:00:14,240 --> 00:00:18,280 Speaker 2: drag queen entertainer. The premier drag queen entertainer. Has appeared 7 00:00:18,280 --> 00:00:20,320 Speaker 2: on the first season of Australian Idol, then went on 8 00:00:20,360 --> 00:00:23,599 Speaker 2: to take the world by storm RuPaul's Drag Race UK. 9 00:00:23,720 --> 00:00:25,360 Speaker 1: Celeb's big brother. 10 00:00:26,760 --> 00:00:29,960 Speaker 2: Shane Jennik, who is the man behind Courtney Act, has 11 00:00:30,000 --> 00:00:32,760 Speaker 2: written a new book called court in the Act, and 12 00:00:32,800 --> 00:00:34,280 Speaker 2: we're thrilled to welcome him to the show. 13 00:00:34,440 --> 00:00:38,680 Speaker 1: Shane, Hello, Helloja, good morning. How are you both great? 14 00:00:39,080 --> 00:00:39,800 Speaker 1: We are great. 15 00:00:39,840 --> 00:00:41,880 Speaker 2: And I had the privilege of having an early read 16 00:00:41,920 --> 00:00:44,479 Speaker 2: of your book because you asked me to write a quote. 17 00:00:44,320 --> 00:00:47,440 Speaker 1: For it, and it's just so so good. 18 00:00:47,520 --> 00:00:52,520 Speaker 2: It's hilarious, it's raw, it's funny, and I don't even 19 00:00:52,520 --> 00:00:54,360 Speaker 2: know where to begin, but let's cut back to you 20 00:00:54,400 --> 00:00:57,320 Speaker 2: as a kid, a pretty naive little kid, doing talent 21 00:00:57,360 --> 00:01:01,200 Speaker 2: shows with the Veronicas, who were just your friend in Brisbane, 22 00:01:02,240 --> 00:01:03,000 Speaker 2: That's true. 23 00:01:03,200 --> 00:01:07,119 Speaker 3: The Veronicas and I went to the Fame Talent Agency 24 00:01:07,200 --> 00:01:10,280 Speaker 3: and theater company in Brisbane where we would learn sort 25 00:01:10,280 --> 00:01:13,600 Speaker 3: of singing, dancing and acting and pantomime. And then one 26 00:01:13,680 --> 00:01:16,399 Speaker 3: day we decided, hey, why don't we go and join 27 00:01:16,440 --> 00:01:20,400 Speaker 3: the talent quest circuit of Brisbane. And I do remember 28 00:01:21,120 --> 00:01:23,920 Speaker 3: we performed what was when my Baby Smiles at Me? 29 00:01:23,959 --> 00:01:26,480 Speaker 3: I go to Rio Ye and I had seen the 30 00:01:26,560 --> 00:01:29,520 Speaker 3: Kylie Minogue. Oh I'm having all these slashbacks. The Kylie 31 00:01:29,520 --> 00:01:33,120 Speaker 3: minob Live, an intimate concert where her backup dancers, who 32 00:01:33,200 --> 00:01:37,840 Speaker 3: looking back now were probably extremely gay, wore white fringy 33 00:01:38,000 --> 00:01:40,200 Speaker 3: tassel pants and I just knew I needed a pair 34 00:01:40,240 --> 00:01:42,960 Speaker 3: of those, so I wore those. Lisa and Jessica had 35 00:01:43,000 --> 00:01:46,520 Speaker 3: these like black cat suits covered in rainbow feather. Boa 36 00:01:46,680 --> 00:01:49,440 Speaker 3: and I had some maraccas and we would sing when 37 00:01:49,480 --> 00:01:51,440 Speaker 3: my bee there ween ma Bear. I mean, if the 38 00:01:51,480 --> 00:01:54,320 Speaker 3: signs weren't there, I don't know how signs work. 39 00:01:54,680 --> 00:01:56,520 Speaker 4: How old were you at that stage? 40 00:01:57,320 --> 00:02:01,320 Speaker 1: I would have been I'm gonna say fourteen, right. 41 00:02:01,520 --> 00:02:05,640 Speaker 2: But you say that you were slow to get used 42 00:02:05,640 --> 00:02:09,639 Speaker 2: to the idea that you were different to everyone around you, Well, 43 00:02:09,680 --> 00:02:10,239 Speaker 2: I was still. 44 00:02:10,160 --> 00:02:10,840 Speaker 1: On the uptake. 45 00:02:10,919 --> 00:02:16,160 Speaker 3: I think because there just wasn't any I guess visibility 46 00:02:16,280 --> 00:02:19,080 Speaker 3: is the right world. I never saw someone who and 47 00:02:19,200 --> 00:02:21,280 Speaker 3: when I say looked like me, I don't mean there 48 00:02:21,360 --> 00:02:23,919 Speaker 3: was lots of pretty, glamorous blonde women, but that came later. 49 00:02:24,080 --> 00:02:28,440 Speaker 3: But there wasn't anybody who was really expressing I guess 50 00:02:28,440 --> 00:02:31,960 Speaker 3: there were no guys expressing femininity comfortably. 51 00:02:32,000 --> 00:02:34,280 Speaker 1: It's probably the way that I would put it. 52 00:02:34,440 --> 00:02:37,360 Speaker 3: And so I just always tried to be me. Going 53 00:02:37,360 --> 00:02:39,640 Speaker 3: to fame was a place where I could feel comfortable 54 00:02:39,840 --> 00:02:42,359 Speaker 3: expressing myself. But in the outside world and at school, 55 00:02:42,400 --> 00:02:44,919 Speaker 3: I was kind of learning that boys were supposed to 56 00:02:44,960 --> 00:02:47,880 Speaker 3: act a certain way, and so I would learn to 57 00:02:47,919 --> 00:02:50,240 Speaker 3: sort of switch my behavior depending on where I was. 58 00:02:50,320 --> 00:02:53,200 Speaker 4: But it was harmful to your health to be flamboyant 59 00:02:53,400 --> 00:02:55,280 Speaker 4: like you were younger than me. But when I was 60 00:02:55,280 --> 00:02:57,400 Speaker 4: a kid in the eighties, that was the time of 61 00:02:57,720 --> 00:03:00,640 Speaker 4: gay bashing in Sydney. And I was reading this horrible 62 00:03:00,720 --> 00:03:04,520 Speaker 4: article the other day about a police officer who was 63 00:03:05,400 --> 00:03:09,360 Speaker 4: dragged over the coals by his superiors because he arrested 64 00:03:09,400 --> 00:03:13,440 Speaker 4: a man that was beating up a gay guy central 65 00:03:13,639 --> 00:03:16,080 Speaker 4: And the police officer said, we don't arrest guys. We 66 00:03:16,120 --> 00:03:18,720 Speaker 4: don't arrest guys for Pufa bashing. I couldn't believe this story. 67 00:03:18,760 --> 00:03:22,480 Speaker 4: This happened in the eighties and this guy was was 68 00:03:22,960 --> 00:03:27,080 Speaker 4: like like demonized in the police force. So this was 69 00:03:27,080 --> 00:03:29,120 Speaker 4: as recent as the eighties. 70 00:03:29,800 --> 00:03:32,520 Speaker 3: Yeah, I mean, there's even not to bring down the 71 00:03:32,560 --> 00:03:37,000 Speaker 3: Morning Sorry, as a huge inquiry into a whole bunch 72 00:03:37,000 --> 00:03:38,520 Speaker 3: of deaths. I want to say it was over eighty 73 00:03:38,560 --> 00:03:44,400 Speaker 3: deaths that went sort of unclassified by the police because 74 00:03:45,080 --> 00:03:47,920 Speaker 3: a lot of them now in retrospective, turned out to 75 00:03:47,920 --> 00:03:51,800 Speaker 3: be what they call inverted commas Pufa bashings. But in 76 00:03:51,880 --> 00:03:55,240 Speaker 3: the eighties and nineties in Brisbane that that wasn't so 77 00:03:55,320 --> 00:03:58,080 Speaker 3: much my fear. It was just more, you know, just 78 00:03:58,120 --> 00:03:59,920 Speaker 3: not fitting in, Like I wasn't like the other boy, 79 00:04:00,800 --> 00:04:02,720 Speaker 3: and there was no other example of what you could 80 00:04:02,760 --> 00:04:03,400 Speaker 3: be because there was this. 81 00:04:03,840 --> 00:04:04,640 Speaker 1: I think the thing that I. 82 00:04:04,600 --> 00:04:07,720 Speaker 3: Realized was as I was older, is that it's okay 83 00:04:07,760 --> 00:04:10,080 Speaker 3: for boys to be feminine and it's okay for girls 84 00:04:10,120 --> 00:04:13,720 Speaker 3: to be masculine, and however you feel is how you 85 00:04:13,720 --> 00:04:16,920 Speaker 3: should act, and rather than trying to be what other 86 00:04:16,960 --> 00:04:17,800 Speaker 3: people say you are. 87 00:04:17,920 --> 00:04:19,400 Speaker 1: I think that's a moral for life. 88 00:04:19,480 --> 00:04:22,080 Speaker 2: Really absolutely, and you don't hold back in what it 89 00:04:22,120 --> 00:04:24,480 Speaker 2: was like for you, excuse me, to be a young 90 00:04:24,480 --> 00:04:28,560 Speaker 2: guy exploring that side of your sexuality. It's pretty descriptive 91 00:04:28,600 --> 00:04:30,080 Speaker 2: of your early coming out. 92 00:04:29,800 --> 00:04:31,800 Speaker 1: Yes, it was. 93 00:04:31,880 --> 00:04:35,680 Speaker 3: It was, indeed, and I wanted to include descriptions. I 94 00:04:35,720 --> 00:04:38,560 Speaker 3: think you're referring, Amanda specifically to sex. You've got a 95 00:04:38,560 --> 00:04:40,440 Speaker 3: frog in your throat. It was a prince this morning, 96 00:04:42,440 --> 00:04:47,480 Speaker 3: and I wanted to describe, you know, sex and sexuality 97 00:04:47,480 --> 00:04:49,280 Speaker 3: and how that manifested. 98 00:04:48,680 --> 00:04:48,919 Speaker 1: In a. 99 00:04:50,440 --> 00:04:52,840 Speaker 3: A scintillating and frank sort of way, because I think 100 00:04:52,880 --> 00:04:57,440 Speaker 3: so often we shy away from the ideas of sex, 101 00:04:57,680 --> 00:05:01,560 Speaker 3: and I just wanted to describe and think that like 102 00:05:02,360 --> 00:05:04,640 Speaker 3: maybe in the describing of it, some people might clutch 103 00:05:04,680 --> 00:05:06,680 Speaker 3: their pearls. I probably should have given my mum and 104 00:05:06,760 --> 00:05:10,599 Speaker 3: dad a redacted version. In hindsight, they didn't comment on it, 105 00:05:10,640 --> 00:05:12,400 Speaker 3: but I imagine it's a bit like stumbling across the 106 00:05:12,480 --> 00:05:15,160 Speaker 3: child's only fans and you're like, oh, okay, maybe I 107 00:05:15,160 --> 00:05:16,400 Speaker 3: didn't need to see that. 108 00:05:16,880 --> 00:05:19,320 Speaker 2: I also love that. I also love the descriptions of 109 00:05:19,360 --> 00:05:21,880 Speaker 2: the lengths you go to to become Courtney. There's a 110 00:05:21,880 --> 00:05:24,200 Speaker 2: lot of tape involved, there's a. 111 00:05:24,160 --> 00:05:26,240 Speaker 1: Lot of tape, several kinds of adhesive. 112 00:05:26,600 --> 00:05:29,279 Speaker 3: I was actually thinking this morning that I might do 113 00:05:29,360 --> 00:05:31,320 Speaker 3: a little gag where I was just sitting here in 114 00:05:31,360 --> 00:05:34,680 Speaker 3: a wig, lipstick and sunglasses, and then I thought, it 115 00:05:34,760 --> 00:05:37,039 Speaker 3: is the radio, and I know that it's a visual component, 116 00:05:37,080 --> 00:05:38,680 Speaker 3: but really only you two would get the gag, and 117 00:05:38,680 --> 00:05:41,240 Speaker 3: everybody driving to work would be like, what's going on? 118 00:05:42,160 --> 00:05:42,760 Speaker 4: You look good? 119 00:05:42,839 --> 00:05:45,799 Speaker 1: You look great? Do you I feel great? 120 00:05:46,600 --> 00:05:48,240 Speaker 2: Have Do you ever get confused as to where you 121 00:05:48,400 --> 00:05:49,719 Speaker 2: end and Courtney begins? 122 00:05:50,400 --> 00:05:51,640 Speaker 1: Are they two distinct pimple? 123 00:05:52,600 --> 00:05:54,720 Speaker 3: Well, it's interesting because I think of Courtney and Shane 124 00:05:54,760 --> 00:05:57,640 Speaker 3: as two ends of the one stick. But for a 125 00:05:57,680 --> 00:06:01,599 Speaker 3: long time, I thought of Courtney as job and Shane 126 00:06:01,680 --> 00:06:04,359 Speaker 3: as me. But what I realized over the years was 127 00:06:04,440 --> 00:06:07,520 Speaker 3: Courtney was a place where I could Interestingly, it was 128 00:06:07,560 --> 00:06:10,400 Speaker 3: more socially acceptable for me to be a guy and 129 00:06:10,440 --> 00:06:13,560 Speaker 3: wear women's clothes and be feminine than it was just 130 00:06:13,600 --> 00:06:17,080 Speaker 3: for me to be a guy an act feminine, and 131 00:06:17,120 --> 00:06:19,880 Speaker 3: so Courtney sort of was a compartmentalization of all of that. 132 00:06:19,920 --> 00:06:22,480 Speaker 3: But as I've gotten older and more comfortable with my identity, 133 00:06:22,520 --> 00:06:25,240 Speaker 3: I'm like, ah, I can just be me. But then 134 00:06:25,320 --> 00:06:28,800 Speaker 3: Courtney still remains because I love sequence, and I love glamour, 135 00:06:28,839 --> 00:06:30,480 Speaker 3: and I love performing and being on stage. 136 00:06:30,520 --> 00:06:33,000 Speaker 4: I wais and your references in the book in UK 137 00:06:33,240 --> 00:06:37,920 Speaker 4: Big Brother, you lost your skirt as Courtney and everything 138 00:06:38,000 --> 00:06:41,680 Speaker 4: was on display. So how would have Shane handled that? 139 00:06:41,720 --> 00:06:45,040 Speaker 4: Because it would that be more mortifying than if I'm 140 00:06:45,080 --> 00:06:45,760 Speaker 4: like Courtney. 141 00:06:47,680 --> 00:06:51,600 Speaker 3: Yes, so everything was on display, But as Amanda previously mentioned, 142 00:06:51,640 --> 00:06:56,920 Speaker 3: there is some tape involved in the downstairs department. I 143 00:06:56,960 --> 00:07:02,600 Speaker 3: have mummies features and Daddy's fixtures, but in that instance 144 00:07:03,279 --> 00:07:05,920 Speaker 3: I had been to the plumbing supply shop and gotten 145 00:07:06,880 --> 00:07:09,360 Speaker 3: some tape to ensure that everything sort of looked maybe 146 00:07:09,400 --> 00:07:15,120 Speaker 3: like vacuum pact chicken breast that you have riper market. Unfortunately, 147 00:07:15,160 --> 00:07:18,200 Speaker 3: the publisher, now I help me with this. In the book, 148 00:07:18,400 --> 00:07:20,840 Speaker 3: there is a photo of me losing my skirt, but 149 00:07:20,880 --> 00:07:24,480 Speaker 3: the publisher has pixelated that looks worse. 150 00:07:24,560 --> 00:07:26,640 Speaker 2: So you imagine that you're seeing everything. 151 00:07:26,480 --> 00:07:29,440 Speaker 1: Yeah, exactly, but you weren't. You were just seeing the 152 00:07:29,480 --> 00:07:30,320 Speaker 1: vacuum pact chicken. 153 00:07:30,560 --> 00:07:35,440 Speaker 3: I think had my clothing fallen off as Shane and 154 00:07:35,640 --> 00:07:37,040 Speaker 3: my genitals. 155 00:07:36,480 --> 00:07:37,880 Speaker 1: Were exposed to the world. 156 00:07:38,880 --> 00:07:42,240 Speaker 3: Oh gosh, I mean Jones, do you know what it's like? 157 00:07:42,680 --> 00:07:46,400 Speaker 3: Sometimes it can look better. Sometimes it doesn't look as good. 158 00:07:46,400 --> 00:07:49,600 Speaker 3: And you as you're always kind of as that guy thing, 159 00:07:49,600 --> 00:07:51,160 Speaker 3: isn't it? You always wanted to look its best. So 160 00:07:51,160 --> 00:07:52,960 Speaker 3: I think if that would have happened, it probably wouldn't 161 00:07:52,960 --> 00:07:54,679 Speaker 3: have looked at best, and I probably would have started 162 00:07:54,720 --> 00:07:57,920 Speaker 3: an only fans just to prove and validate my own self. 163 00:07:58,040 --> 00:08:00,760 Speaker 4: I did that crazy real form Monty, and just before 164 00:08:00,800 --> 00:08:04,360 Speaker 4: we went on stage and all the other fellas there, 165 00:08:04,440 --> 00:08:08,600 Speaker 4: so for Jet Kenny, all our areas retracted into itself 166 00:08:08,880 --> 00:08:11,320 Speaker 4: and I said, what the it's actually got? And like, 167 00:08:11,400 --> 00:08:16,400 Speaker 4: I think I'm average, but it actually it turtled into itself, 168 00:08:16,680 --> 00:08:19,840 Speaker 4: and I said, I said, well why? But Jet Kenny 169 00:08:19,880 --> 00:08:23,000 Speaker 4: seemed to be not worried and said, why is the 170 00:08:23,000 --> 00:08:26,480 Speaker 4: man that's smoked Kenny? Yeah, genetically blessed of all of us? 171 00:08:26,720 --> 00:08:29,800 Speaker 4: Why is he fully you know? There? And then we're 172 00:08:29,800 --> 00:08:30,800 Speaker 4: all you know? 173 00:08:31,560 --> 00:08:39,080 Speaker 1: And oh wait, that comes out wrong. Didn't come out wrong. 174 00:08:39,480 --> 00:08:41,640 Speaker 1: It's always great to talk to you. According The act 175 00:08:41,880 --> 00:08:42,920 Speaker 1: is in all good bookstores. 176 00:08:43,360 --> 00:08:45,319 Speaker 2: It's a fabulous read, it really is. 177 00:08:45,640 --> 00:08:48,199 Speaker 1: It's wonderful. Thank you for your quote, Amanda. I really appreciate. 178 00:08:49,080 --> 00:08:52,680 Speaker 2: Again here I said, chock full of hilarity, honesty, and wisdom. 179 00:08:52,920 --> 00:08:55,120 Speaker 2: This is a classic tale of a search for identity, 180 00:08:55,200 --> 00:08:58,600 Speaker 2: with masking tape, spice girls, and Rue Paul. It's all 181 00:08:58,640 --> 00:09:00,280 Speaker 2: that and all so nice to talk to. 182 00:09:00,200 --> 00:09:04,160 Speaker 1: You said, nice to talk to you. Thank you. Have 183 00:09:04,200 --> 00:09:04,680 Speaker 1: a good day. 184 00:09:05,640 --> 00:09:07,360 Speaker 3: Jonesy and Amanda's Gnation