WEBVTT - MINNIE COOPER GETS SUPER HONEST ABOUT RUPAUL'S DRAG RACE 0:00:00.160 --> 0:00:01.720 It's in the news today, but it was actually on 0:00:01.800 --> 0:00:05.800 TV Reload the podcast last week. They might welcome back 0:00:05.840 --> 0:00:08.840 guys to TV Reload. My name's Benjamin Norris, and on 0:00:08.920 --> 0:00:11.720 this podcast I go behind the scenes with the biggest 0:00:11.720 --> 0:00:15.280 players in television. Each episode you will get a front 0:00:15.360 --> 0:00:20.000 row seat with content makers like executive producers, writers, editors, 0:00:20.040 --> 0:00:23.080 and casting agents, plus the talent that we see on 0:00:23.079 --> 0:00:26.640 our screens. TV Reload reloads the shows that you are 0:00:26.680 --> 0:00:29.560 currently watching and gives you a better insight into our 0:00:29.600 --> 0:00:33.559 television industry and our streaming services. Today on the podcast, 0:00:33.600 --> 0:00:36.880 I have the freshly eliminated queen from RuPaul's Drag Race 0:00:36.960 --> 0:00:41.080 down Under series two that has arguably polarized her audience. 0:00:41.400 --> 0:00:45.519 It is Mini Cooper. This series on down Under, we 0:00:45.680 --> 0:00:49.479 have been on a real journey with Minnie Cooper. Her experience, 0:00:49.600 --> 0:00:52.560 her humor, and her commitment to the show certainly did 0:00:52.600 --> 0:00:53.640 not go unnoticed. 0:00:53.760 --> 0:00:54.360 And while she. 0:00:54.360 --> 0:00:57.920 Did rub some queens the wrong way, audiences were left divided. 0:00:58.440 --> 0:01:01.920 Love her or hate her. This is one impressive queen. 0:01:02.760 --> 0:01:05.520 There was plenty to talk about with Minnie and we 0:01:05.680 --> 0:01:08.959 have to pay some respect to some impressive commentary with 0:01:09.000 --> 0:01:13.400 her master interviews, her conflict style was always take no prisoners, 0:01:13.600 --> 0:01:16.520 and let's face it, I don't think anyone will ever 0:01:16.640 --> 0:01:19.560 use a stapler on address again. We will talk about 0:01:19.560 --> 0:01:22.760 the segregation she felt from the others, the snatch game 0:01:22.880 --> 0:01:27.119 that didn't really pay off, her secret bond with RuPaul himself, 0:01:27.400 --> 0:01:31.399 and some shady answers from an outspoken queen. However, let's 0:01:31.400 --> 0:01:34.840 get started with today's guest. I'd like to welcome Minnie Cooper, 0:01:35.040 --> 0:01:37.000 who I loved to TV reload. 0:01:39.480 --> 0:01:41.280 I'm talking to you because you were bitching behind my 0:01:41.360 --> 0:01:46.600 back previously on Rupas Jacks. Well, all that stuff that 0:01:46.640 --> 0:01:48.600 you see on the first day is just me being 0:01:48.600 --> 0:01:52.840 myself this whole season, Mini versus x y Za Queen 0:01:54.320 --> 0:01:57.440 was really upsetting for me to upset her that much. 0:01:57.920 --> 0:01:59.760 This is the first time in the competition I've seen 0:01:59.800 --> 0:02:03.520 you not feel in control. We're all talking about each 0:02:03.560 --> 0:02:05.760 other's outfit. Everyone hated my mind because I stuck with 0:02:05.920 --> 0:02:06.320 it together. 0:02:06.800 --> 0:02:10.240 Minni and Beverly, I'm sorry, my DearS, but you are 0:02:10.240 --> 0:02:11.600 both up for elimination. 0:02:12.639 --> 0:02:14.400 There's so much other stuff that you didn't see that 0:02:14.480 --> 0:02:17.320 didn't make it to camera, where we had such great rapport. 0:02:18.080 --> 0:02:20.080 Hi bare Mini Cooper how are you. 0:02:20.639 --> 0:02:23.560 I'm here eliminated. She's been picked to the. 0:02:23.600 --> 0:02:26.200 Curve, which is a massive shock. If you asked me, 0:02:26.639 --> 0:02:30.040 I was very surprised to see you go. Are you 0:02:30.160 --> 0:02:31.440 coping with the elimination? 0:02:31.800 --> 0:02:34.000 At the time, I wasn't coping, But I'm coping now 0:02:34.120 --> 0:02:37.760 it's been seven months. I've had a lot of time 0:02:37.800 --> 0:02:38.480 to think about it. 0:02:38.520 --> 0:02:40.600 Well, awesome to be able to have this chat with you. 0:02:40.840 --> 0:02:43.760 I thought you made a huge impact on this series, 0:02:43.840 --> 0:02:46.520 and the fact is you had the most amount of 0:02:46.560 --> 0:02:47.560 people talking about you. 0:02:47.760 --> 0:02:51.080 Well, I'm pretty interesting, That is true. I did have 0:02:51.160 --> 0:02:54.760 a lot of people talking tonight, not necessarily for good things. 0:02:54.800 --> 0:02:57.120 All the time, there was a whole episode about me, 0:02:57.160 --> 0:02:58.680 and I wasn't in the bottom, all the top. I 0:02:58.680 --> 0:02:59.480 didn't win, all lose. 0:03:00.000 --> 0:03:01.480 It says something about you, my friend. 0:03:01.760 --> 0:03:03.520 You know about this being polarizing. 0:03:05.000 --> 0:03:07.480 Can I just say that is the ultimate showbag with 0:03:07.520 --> 0:03:09.480 you is to get a bit of a shady comment, 0:03:09.520 --> 0:03:10.760 because that has just made my day. 0:03:10.840 --> 0:03:12.919 At least you can take the shade. Some people can't. 0:03:13.320 --> 0:03:15.680 They really can't. They really can't. I have to ask 0:03:15.720 --> 0:03:18.240 you how much of this experience was like what you 0:03:18.360 --> 0:03:19.320 expected to be. 0:03:19.280 --> 0:03:22.320 Honest, it wasn't what I expected. I didn't expect to 0:03:22.360 --> 0:03:25.239 be so isolated by the group. I didn't see that coming. 0:03:25.440 --> 0:03:28.280 I had no idea, Like I knew I was going 0:03:28.360 --> 0:03:31.040 to come in with my career and that would be 0:03:31.240 --> 0:03:34.040 obviously have an effect, but I didn't realize it would 0:03:34.080 --> 0:03:36.520 have that effect on people. And it was jarring because 0:03:36.560 --> 0:03:39.600 I've never been in a group of people, especially of drag, 0:03:39.720 --> 0:03:42.160 where I've been isolated by a group people like I've 0:03:42.160 --> 0:03:44.520 never experienced that before, So to me, it was really 0:03:44.680 --> 0:03:48.040 a fifty to be isolated on acquired people. It's just weird. 0:03:48.120 --> 0:03:50.120 It's like, psychologically it wasn't great. 0:03:50.240 --> 0:03:52.680 Well from the start, you had the best jokes and 0:03:52.720 --> 0:03:55.000 the best pieces to camera, and I want to know 0:03:55.040 --> 0:03:57.400 what sort of preparation did you put into the show 0:03:57.480 --> 0:03:59.400 prior to packing your bags and turning up. 0:03:59.600 --> 0:04:01.680 Well, all that stuff that you see on the first 0:04:01.760 --> 0:04:04.320 day is just me being myself because I am constantly 0:04:04.360 --> 0:04:07.200 making jokes and having a good time and being aware 0:04:07.240 --> 0:04:09.520 of the environment. Okay, you're going to throw something at 0:04:09.520 --> 0:04:11.800 me off. That's what drag queens do well. In my 0:04:11.960 --> 0:04:14.720 generation of drag, you throw a joke, you throw it back, 0:04:14.760 --> 0:04:17.560 and you bounce off each other, and it's fun. It's 0:04:17.560 --> 0:04:20.520 fun to say, well, you've fifty, how old are you? Well, 0:04:20.560 --> 0:04:24.960 at least I look good, Like it's just funny. It's 0:04:25.000 --> 0:04:25.719 just lighthearted. 0:04:26.120 --> 0:04:29.160 When you were relaxed and you weren't worrying about the others, 0:04:29.200 --> 0:04:32.160 you really shone in a way that was just excellent. 0:04:32.279 --> 0:04:33.640 It was great television. 0:04:34.080 --> 0:04:36.200 But I guess a lot of people were wondering, did 0:04:36.279 --> 0:04:39.599 you get sandbagged by the relationships with these other queens? 0:04:39.720 --> 0:04:42.000 One hundred percent? Like, I think that's obvious in Snatch 0:04:42.040 --> 0:04:45.080 Game because I had that oldcation. That oldcation with Beverly 0:04:45.200 --> 0:04:48.520 is literally probably an hour before we're doing Snatch Game, 0:04:48.680 --> 0:04:50.840 so you can imagine having that. And I didn't mean 0:04:50.839 --> 0:04:53.080 to upset Beverly. I actually really liked Beverly, and it 0:04:53.160 --> 0:04:56.120 was really upsetting for me to upset her that much 0:04:56.200 --> 0:04:59.680 because she was really upset, and for me, because I'm 0:05:00.360 --> 0:05:03.520 empathic person, I would never want to upset her like that. 0:05:03.839 --> 0:05:06.839 So I'm going into this comedy challenge where I don't 0:05:06.839 --> 0:05:09.360 feel funny. I don't feel like having joy because I've 0:05:09.440 --> 0:05:12.120 upset this poor kid. Like it's not nice. It's not 0:05:12.160 --> 0:05:12.840 a nice feeling. 0:05:12.920 --> 0:05:15.679 You know, there was a lot of people commenting online 0:05:15.720 --> 0:05:18.000 saying that RuPaul loved you the most out of all 0:05:18.040 --> 0:05:20.120 of the Queen's. Do you think that there was any 0:05:20.160 --> 0:05:22.680 truth in that, especially in episode one. 0:05:22.480 --> 0:05:25.400 Well, that was absolutely the truth, and that there's so 0:05:25.480 --> 0:05:27.280 much other stuff that you didn't see that didn't make 0:05:27.320 --> 0:05:30.320 it to camera where we had such great rapport and 0:05:30.400 --> 0:05:32.919 that I think was a great thing for me, but 0:05:33.000 --> 0:05:35.640 also a hindrance with the other contestants because they're all 0:05:35.680 --> 0:05:38.839 looking at me being confident and making real laugh and 0:05:38.880 --> 0:05:41.000 who doesn't want to do that on Rubel's drag race. 0:05:41.160 --> 0:05:42.560 It's like chag winning. 0:05:43.120 --> 0:05:46.640 I honestly think that you are a dream when it 0:05:46.680 --> 0:05:49.040 comes to reality television, because I think you are a 0:05:49.120 --> 0:05:51.840 bit of shake and bake drama. And that's because you 0:05:51.839 --> 0:05:55.680 can turn any situation into, you know, a big focus piece. 0:05:55.760 --> 0:05:58.560 You know, is that who you are? Or did this 0:05:58.600 --> 0:06:00.000 show do something to you? 0:06:00.080 --> 0:06:03.240 Well, it's really interesting because you know, one of my 0:06:03.320 --> 0:06:05.880 things was to go on that show was to discover 0:06:06.000 --> 0:06:09.760 things about myself as well, like especially when I said 0:06:09.760 --> 0:06:11.880 to all Real, I think your costumes are fitting, and 0:06:12.080 --> 0:06:13.919 it's funny how she played that down. I don't know 0:06:13.960 --> 0:06:15.919 why she's going on about this. She was bitching and 0:06:15.920 --> 0:06:18.200 behind my back, and I pulled her up on it, 0:06:18.240 --> 0:06:20.960 and that's why it looks like it escalates. So it 0:06:21.000 --> 0:06:22.720 was quite funny that she said, Oh, I don't know 0:06:22.760 --> 0:06:24.920 which I'm talking to you because you were bitching behind 0:06:24.960 --> 0:06:26.560 my back. And I want to say, well, if you 0:06:26.560 --> 0:06:28.400 want to talk to me and we'll discuss it. And 0:06:28.440 --> 0:06:31.480 that's why that comes across quite heated, like that's something 0:06:31.680 --> 0:06:33.640 that you don't see on camera. And I wanted to 0:06:33.640 --> 0:06:36.279 find out why I had this reaction with people, Why 0:06:36.400 --> 0:06:39.880 my opinion causes a reaction like that in someone We're 0:06:39.880 --> 0:06:42.280 all talking about each other's outfit. Everyone hated my mind 0:06:42.320 --> 0:06:44.480 because I stuck pulling it together. Am I crying at 0:06:44.480 --> 0:06:45.520 the corner? No, I'm not. 0:06:45.800 --> 0:06:47.599 I think the side note to that is that it 0:06:47.720 --> 0:06:50.919 is the best recipe for success when it comes to 0:06:51.200 --> 0:06:54.760 TV reality TV stes. Producers want someone to go from 0:06:54.839 --> 0:06:57.640 zero to one hundred pretty quickly, and in some situations 0:06:57.880 --> 0:07:00.720 you kind of did, which I think made good television. 0:07:00.960 --> 0:07:02.839 Yeah, and it's so funny. I was just asked the 0:07:02.880 --> 0:07:05.599 question before because I did get trolled after that episode. 0:07:05.640 --> 0:07:07.039 I'm going to be honest, and it was about my 0:07:07.120 --> 0:07:10.400 dyslexia and it's so funny. Yeah, I did overreact in 0:07:10.440 --> 0:07:12.560 that moment, but I didn't know actually what they were 0:07:12.600 --> 0:07:14.200 laughing at because I was actually going to give them 0:07:14.200 --> 0:07:17.240 a compliment for being so helpful in the challenge, right, 0:07:17.360 --> 0:07:20.400 So here I am being vulnerable. They laugh and they go, oh, 0:07:20.440 --> 0:07:22.320 but it was only your joke. But I'd say this, 0:07:22.520 --> 0:07:25.200 if that was a person talking about their weight several 0:07:25.240 --> 0:07:27.200 times a day before and they brought it up again, 0:07:27.280 --> 0:07:28.480 would it be okay to laugh? 0:07:28.640 --> 0:07:32.320 But who decides the boundaries or the parameters on what 0:07:32.480 --> 0:07:35.000 is okay to be made fun of on Rupoul's Drag Race. 0:07:35.160 --> 0:07:37.760 What is it about dyslexia that people think it's okay 0:07:37.800 --> 0:07:38.920 that it's okay to laugh? 0:07:39.200 --> 0:07:40.840 Is that a really hard thing when it comes to 0:07:40.920 --> 0:07:43.720 RuPaul's Drag Race though, because around the world, I mean, 0:07:43.720 --> 0:07:45.120 it's a part of the magic at the show in 0:07:45.160 --> 0:07:47.480 a way, is to call people out and kind of 0:07:47.480 --> 0:07:48.920 make fun of some of their things, and then you're 0:07:48.920 --> 0:07:50.840 supposed to just dust it off and pick yourself up. 0:07:50.920 --> 0:07:53.480 But I think in some ways, you know, that wasn't 0:07:53.520 --> 0:07:55.120 how you wanted to play it. You know, you didn't 0:07:55.160 --> 0:07:57.760 play by the Rupoul's drag race rules in some ways. 0:07:58.040 --> 0:08:00.920 Yeah, I suppose it's so interest that you say that. 0:08:01.000 --> 0:08:03.640 So it's I think there's a time and the place 0:08:03.680 --> 0:08:06.600 to throw shade and laugh. I don't think when someone's 0:08:06.600 --> 0:08:08.720 talking about something vulnerable as a time and a place 0:08:08.760 --> 0:08:11.760 to be laughing and throwing shade. I think it's disrespectful. 0:08:12.360 --> 0:08:15.000 All that whole thing, to me is really quite vindictive 0:08:15.000 --> 0:08:16.720 and quite mean. And but then people go, it's all 0:08:16.800 --> 0:08:19.040 right for you to laugh. But I think it's two 0:08:19.040 --> 0:08:19.720 separate things. 0:08:19.880 --> 0:08:22.800 Reality TV is a very unusual thing because so much 0:08:22.840 --> 0:08:25.120 footage is shot, but then we only get to see 0:08:25.160 --> 0:08:28.040 a certain amount. We do struggle between the realities of 0:08:28.080 --> 0:08:30.800 what we remember and then what the audience is seeing, 0:08:30.840 --> 0:08:33.679 and they can be two different things. However, I do 0:08:33.760 --> 0:08:37.280 think the essence of people is captured correctly. Do you 0:08:37.320 --> 0:08:40.400 think the essence of Minnie Cooper has been captured correctly? 0:08:40.440 --> 0:08:43.439 Well, it's interesting when you see your conversation take out 0:08:43.520 --> 0:08:46.600 of context and it's flipped and the two separate conversations 0:08:46.600 --> 0:08:49.640 didn't happen like that, and what happened prior to that. Okay, 0:08:49.679 --> 0:08:51.240 if I said to this, if you had a whole 0:08:51.240 --> 0:08:55.000 bunch of people yelling at you, screaming at you. Prior 0:08:55.080 --> 0:08:57.520 to that conversation, would you have a different response to me. 0:08:57.679 --> 0:09:00.880 I think that's quite a major part of the the circumstance. 0:09:00.880 --> 0:09:03.199 Would have I said those things if I wasn't being 0:09:03.280 --> 0:09:04.800 yelled at by a group. I don't think of. 0:09:05.200 --> 0:09:08.000 With some of that drama away of your subconscious also 0:09:08.040 --> 0:09:10.560 wanting to be noticed. Because you were quite eloquent with 0:09:10.600 --> 0:09:12.480 the way in which you would have these little trice 0:09:12.600 --> 0:09:15.240 with people, and it made for good television. I wondered 0:09:15.240 --> 0:09:18.120 whether or not that was a your subconscious being like, oh, 0:09:18.200 --> 0:09:20.040 this is good content. Oh this is how I'm going 0:09:20.080 --> 0:09:21.760 to be, how I'm going to get seen. 0:09:22.080 --> 0:09:25.360 No, that's not the way I think. It's not the way. 0:09:25.440 --> 0:09:27.880 I don't think that way. It's not in my makeup. 0:09:27.960 --> 0:09:29.640 I would have been quite happy to get on that 0:09:29.640 --> 0:09:30.720 show and just made jokes. 0:09:30.880 --> 0:09:32.640 And the jokes that you made were hilarious. Let me 0:09:32.640 --> 0:09:33.000 tell you. 0:09:32.920 --> 0:09:35.960 Exactly, that's your I want to go on there and 0:09:36.000 --> 0:09:37.839 be an entertainer. I don't want to. I don't want 0:09:37.880 --> 0:09:39.960 them to be talking about stuff that happens backstage, that 0:09:40.000 --> 0:09:42.360 happened in a dressing room two years ago. Brought up 0:09:42.400 --> 0:09:44.160 on a television show, like, do I want to talk 0:09:44.160 --> 0:09:46.080 about that now? No? Absolutely not. 0:09:46.559 --> 0:09:48.400 Honestly, I think that it's going to be hard to 0:09:48.400 --> 0:09:51.400 watch without you because you were such a tent pole 0:09:51.720 --> 0:09:54.160 of this series. You know, you were so much a 0:09:54.160 --> 0:09:55.680 part of it. It'll be interesting to see where it 0:09:55.720 --> 0:09:56.800 goes without you. 0:09:56.880 --> 0:10:00.280 Yeah, but I think in any circumstance, I think the Giana, 0:10:00.400 --> 0:10:02.000 we're going to have to change a move it somewhere 0:10:02.040 --> 0:10:05.240 else because it's obviously part Like I believe if you 0:10:05.240 --> 0:10:07.199 look at it as a group of ten people, right 0:10:07.400 --> 0:10:10.520 and with these lines in a pack, that line goes, well, 0:10:10.520 --> 0:10:13.040 the drama's got to go somewhere else, because, let's face it, 0:10:13.040 --> 0:10:15.120 it's got to move to So who's next? The focal 0:10:15.120 --> 0:10:17.240 point's going to move to someone else? And who that is? 0:10:17.480 --> 0:10:19.240 I bet you're at someone else, I guarantee it. 0:10:19.280 --> 0:10:20.280 Who do you think it would be? 0:10:20.440 --> 0:10:22.160 I'd say Beverly? Is it my picking? 0:10:22.240 --> 0:10:23.040 Okay, because it's. 0:10:22.920 --> 0:10:25.120 Got to move somewhere. Who else? Who would you would 0:10:25.120 --> 0:10:27.000 be next in the firing line. It's either going to 0:10:27.000 --> 0:10:28.520 be Beverly or it's going to be Uri. And I 0:10:28.520 --> 0:10:29.640 don't think it's going to be Uri. 0:10:29.760 --> 0:10:32.400 Well, we got to see you react to that sort 0:10:32.440 --> 0:10:34.920 of treatment. How do you think Beverly is going to 0:10:34.960 --> 0:10:37.640 respond to it if she then gets the heat. Oh, 0:10:37.640 --> 0:10:38.760 it's the focus put on her. 0:10:39.160 --> 0:10:41.600 I think she'll be reactive like I was reactive. But 0:10:41.679 --> 0:10:44.320 I think she does it. I don't know she'll be 0:10:44.360 --> 0:10:46.760 able to be as calm as I am in that circumstance, 0:10:46.800 --> 0:10:48.880 because I think I was pretty calm, and because I can't. 0:10:48.960 --> 0:10:50.240 I thought I was calm at the time, but when 0:10:50.240 --> 0:10:51.559 I watched back, Oh, I'm not so calm. 0:10:52.880 --> 0:10:54.960 I know that feeling. I know that feeling very well. 0:10:55.040 --> 0:10:57.040 I remember thinking in Big Brother, when I was doing 0:10:57.120 --> 0:11:00.320 that show, I remember thinking I was like, really can'tfortable 0:11:00.400 --> 0:11:02.680 with being able to have conflict, And I would talk 0:11:02.720 --> 0:11:04.640 it through and then I'd watch it back and I'd 0:11:04.640 --> 0:11:06.240 be like, oh my god, I'm an asshole. 0:11:07.280 --> 0:11:09.400 That's exactly what I thought as well. Do you check 0:11:09.440 --> 0:11:10.319 it what I thought as well? 0:11:10.360 --> 0:11:12.439 To be honest, Well, the younger Queen's being a little 0:11:12.679 --> 0:11:14.960 I mean, they were being a little bit ages towards you, 0:11:15.120 --> 0:11:17.360 and that was a huge talking point right from the 0:11:17.360 --> 0:11:19.839 start of the series. Is that a reflection of this 0:11:19.960 --> 0:11:23.080 competition or is that the drag scene as a whole. 0:11:23.400 --> 0:11:25.800 I think it's the gay scene as a whole, right, 0:11:26.640 --> 0:11:29.480 don't you think too? When you're a gay man of 0:11:29.520 --> 0:11:31.520 an age, you can walk into a bar and you 0:11:31.559 --> 0:11:35.240 cannot even be present or exist, And that happens all 0:11:35.320 --> 0:11:36.800 the time. Would you agree? 0:11:37.160 --> 0:11:40.680 The LGBTI community is amazing to be a part of. 0:11:40.800 --> 0:11:43.800 But we can also be our worst enemy. And I've 0:11:43.840 --> 0:11:47.480 seen that happen Whilst we're trying to prove who we are. 0:11:47.640 --> 0:11:49.839 Sometimes we can stand on others. That's what I think. 0:11:49.920 --> 0:11:51.280 Oh, I agree, and you don't want I find the 0:11:51.360 --> 0:11:53.640 most fascinating. It just gets my goat all the time 0:11:53.679 --> 0:11:56.320 we've asked for gay marriage and asked to be the same, 0:11:56.960 --> 0:11:59.199 yet we don't want to invite them into our spaces. 0:12:00.000 --> 0:12:02.720 So I was too many straight girls here or and 0:12:02.760 --> 0:12:05.760 I just think, what are you saying? One minute, you're 0:12:05.760 --> 0:12:08.280 saying you want to be treated the same, you're saying 0:12:08.320 --> 0:12:11.520 you're you don't want people to come in. That doesn't 0:12:11.559 --> 0:12:14.640 compute in my brain. Just I don't get that connection. 0:12:15.080 --> 0:12:16.080 I've really struggled with that. 0:12:16.120 --> 0:12:18.200 For some reason, we want to be included by everybody. 0:12:18.360 --> 0:12:19.400 We should include others. 0:12:19.720 --> 0:12:22.320 Yeah, to me, it's such a we fought for that, like, 0:12:22.480 --> 0:12:24.960 I'm glad we paid all that money for the play 0:12:25.040 --> 0:12:27.600 aside because I think, you know, we we pay all 0:12:27.600 --> 0:12:30.480 these taxes. We don't have children, so I'm glad we 0:12:30.679 --> 0:12:31.000 have that. 0:12:31.000 --> 0:12:33.160 Phot Some of the other queens have come out saying 0:12:33.160 --> 0:12:36.200 that they didn't really see being ages towards you being 0:12:36.240 --> 0:12:37.840 a problem, or they said that, you know, they didn't 0:12:37.840 --> 0:12:39.800 even notice they were doing it. Is that another part 0:12:39.840 --> 0:12:42.760 of the problem I guess in our community is not 0:12:42.800 --> 0:12:45.440 being self aware of how we are treating other people. 0:12:45.520 --> 0:12:47.480 One hundred percent. I don't even know half the time. 0:12:47.720 --> 0:12:49.960 We'll look at the first thing she asked me that 0:12:50.000 --> 0:12:52.880 came out of her mouth, that's ages. I didn't ask 0:12:52.920 --> 0:12:54.440 her about her age was so I would never do 0:12:54.480 --> 0:12:57.520 that to someone, ask what their ages. That's ages. That's 0:12:57.520 --> 0:13:00.640 what agesm is because oh you're old, you're old. Focusing 0:13:00.679 --> 0:13:04.160 on I'm not your age, that's ages. But it also 0:13:04.240 --> 0:13:06.120 goes the same way where I could look at them, 0:13:06.200 --> 0:13:08.640 go of the young the young kids. The way they 0:13:08.679 --> 0:13:11.559 responded lat's ageism as well to their defense. 0:13:11.920 --> 0:13:15.120 The question that's there, though, and it has to be asked, 0:13:15.240 --> 0:13:17.880 is is there any insecurity about your age? 0:13:17.920 --> 0:13:20.600 I mean to be perfectly honest. Going into the show, 0:13:20.760 --> 0:13:23.320 I did not feel like that. But being in that 0:13:23.400 --> 0:13:26.280 group has made me feel like because I was ostracized 0:13:26.320 --> 0:13:28.280 because of my age and who I am because I 0:13:28.360 --> 0:13:32.800 wasn't their age group and at where they are emotionally 0:13:32.840 --> 0:13:35.240 and mentally in life, I'm much more mature, I've had 0:13:35.280 --> 0:13:37.959 more experience, So that made me isolated by that group. 0:13:38.320 --> 0:13:42.520 Was it intimidating? So many reasons why they? Only they 0:13:42.520 --> 0:13:43.680 could really answer that, not me. 0:13:43.960 --> 0:13:45.679 Do you feel like you've learned something from this? Do 0:13:45.720 --> 0:13:48.400 you feel like you're stronger now going back into I 0:13:48.400 --> 0:13:50.600 mean the world that you've already owned for so many years. 0:13:50.880 --> 0:13:52.920 But do you feel like this show has made you stronger? 0:13:53.080 --> 0:13:54.640 Or has it made you question yourself? 0:13:54.880 --> 0:13:56.800 It's made me question myself to do everything else. 0:13:57.200 --> 0:13:58.800 No, I need to go and have a drink with 0:13:58.840 --> 0:13:59.520 you immediately. 0:14:00.000 --> 0:14:03.120 I didn't remind you of the amazingness that you have 0:14:03.240 --> 0:14:05.800 been able to create for so many years. You are 0:14:05.880 --> 0:14:08.640 one of the iconic austrained drag queens. I mean, when 0:14:08.640 --> 0:14:10.680 I think of Melbourne, I think of Paris the drag Queen. 0:14:10.720 --> 0:14:13.520 And I love Paris. Yeah, I know, and. 0:14:13.440 --> 0:14:17.400 I wonder if Paris was in your situation being that 0:14:17.440 --> 0:14:19.840 you guys are of a certain age. Like I'm not 0:14:19.840 --> 0:14:21.680 going to say how old either of you are, nor 0:14:21.760 --> 0:14:23.920 is it that important, But how do you think that 0:14:24.000 --> 0:14:25.800 Paris would have reacted to all of that? 0:14:25.880 --> 0:14:30.880 Probably the same. It's just weird. I just didn't expect it. 0:14:31.200 --> 0:14:33.760 I just didn't expect it because I don't feel like 0:14:33.880 --> 0:14:36.480 that when I work in the environment in Sydney, I 0:14:36.520 --> 0:14:39.200 feel like I'm standing next to someone I work with. 0:14:39.760 --> 0:14:42.800 We always made this joke I said, ninety six was 0:14:42.840 --> 0:14:44.880 the year I bought my apartment, ninety six, It was 0:14:44.920 --> 0:14:47.480 a year or she was born. But we work together 0:14:47.480 --> 0:14:50.560 and I don't feel and she offers stuff to me 0:14:50.800 --> 0:14:53.400 and it's reciprocated, like I don't look at her talent 0:14:53.480 --> 0:14:55.280 any less than I look at my eye. But I 0:14:55.320 --> 0:14:57.720 felt in that environment it was very but I don't know. 0:14:57.800 --> 0:15:02.000 I'm bearing your hardly a meter two. They heard of 0:15:02.080 --> 0:15:04.400 me and had a perception of me, but didn't know me, 0:15:04.640 --> 0:15:06.480 like Molly. I didn't know Molly at all, and she 0:15:06.520 --> 0:15:07.360 had a perception of me. 0:15:08.160 --> 0:15:09.880 Well, I think we can all be like that. And 0:15:09.960 --> 0:15:13.120 in a world of Instagram and being on social media 0:15:13.200 --> 0:15:15.800 and us believing we know who people are from what 0:15:15.840 --> 0:15:18.760 we can just see through through photo and through text. 0:15:19.200 --> 0:15:21.800 I mean it's a real breakdown of society of actually 0:15:22.280 --> 0:15:23.480 genuinely knowing people. 0:15:23.960 --> 0:15:26.880 Yeah, Like because I could look at Kong, who I'd 0:15:26.920 --> 0:15:29.680 followed online and had so much respect for as a performer, 0:15:30.400 --> 0:15:32.880 but then meeting Kong, there was so much more to 0:15:32.960 --> 0:15:35.880 Kong than just a tumble roll. Like I even text 0:15:36.040 --> 0:15:38.760 Kong after the Roast challenge and I said, look at 0:15:38.800 --> 0:15:41.440 you being more than just a tumble role on that episode, Like, 0:15:41.520 --> 0:15:43.720 how much more of you that I saw in that 0:15:43.720 --> 0:15:46.720 two and a half minutes of that episode. How incredible 0:15:46.760 --> 0:15:49.000 you were a star? Like cong that was a star 0:15:49.160 --> 0:15:52.320 performance I believed by Kom on that episode. 0:15:52.520 --> 0:15:55.160 Absolutely. What do you think of the amount of new 0:15:55.280 --> 0:15:58.400 drag queens that we all have now all around the 0:15:58.400 --> 0:16:01.840 world that have surfaced because of RuPaul's drag race. 0:16:01.760 --> 0:16:04.760 Well, it's leading people living their authentic life. See, when 0:16:04.800 --> 0:16:06.920 I grew up, I was never there so much shame 0:16:07.040 --> 0:16:09.600 involved with being a drag queen. Like to put on 0:16:09.680 --> 0:16:11.960 a dress to go out the door was a really 0:16:12.000 --> 0:16:15.600 big thing. Like it wasn't safe, it was taking a risk, 0:16:15.880 --> 0:16:18.800 and you were being mocked. You were basically if you 0:16:18.840 --> 0:16:20.600 were a drag queen before Drag Race, you were a 0:16:20.680 --> 0:16:24.920 junkie and you were basically you parted, that's all you 0:16:24.960 --> 0:16:28.080 ever did. That you were stigmatized into this one. What 0:16:28.120 --> 0:16:31.200 a drag queen is where Drag Race now has showed 0:16:31.240 --> 0:16:33.840 you that actually we're actually a human being that actually 0:16:33.880 --> 0:16:34.880 hold down a job. 0:16:35.600 --> 0:16:38.520 And it's very different and paid your bills, like you know. 0:16:38.520 --> 0:16:40.520 Think about own your own apartment. 0:16:42.200 --> 0:16:43.960 Not everyone has that you should wear that you should 0:16:43.960 --> 0:16:46.320 wear that well. I have been asking everyone coming off 0:16:46.320 --> 0:16:49.320 the show for a recommendation in case there's a down 0:16:49.400 --> 0:16:52.320 under series three, Do you have a recommendation for an 0:16:52.360 --> 0:16:55.800 Australian queen that you think should go on the show? 0:16:56.240 --> 0:17:00.200 Vanity Fair torah heiman penetration for them to right in 0:17:00.280 --> 0:17:04.840 there and see what you get. You know, I love 0:17:04.920 --> 0:17:08.160 to see more of an older demographic with minimal young 0:17:08.240 --> 0:17:12.280 people and see see how that would work, Like be 0:17:12.480 --> 0:17:14.920 a bit more of an even playing field. I reckon 0:17:14.960 --> 0:17:17.320 if I had even one more person that knew me 0:17:17.680 --> 0:17:20.880 on my spectrum, it would have been a whole different ballgame. 0:17:21.119 --> 0:17:23.760 The drag queens that I like, that I grew up with, 0:17:23.800 --> 0:17:25.520 that I think this is showing my age because I'm 0:17:25.720 --> 0:17:29.080 mid forties, but I grew up watching drag that is you, 0:17:29.680 --> 0:17:32.640 and so maybe my connection to you has a lot 0:17:32.680 --> 0:17:35.320