Drag, Not Just for Brunch!
Drag has a wide, rich culture in LGBTQIA culture. The dancing queens in glamorous dresses and lip synching to current pop hits is a time honored tradition.
Which asks the question, “What is drag?”
“We’re all born naked, and the rest is drag.”
- RuPual Andre Charles
The concept of gender-bending performance is nothing new. From ancient Greece to Shakespeare, cross-dressing has been a feature of theater.
William Dorsey Swann pioneered the modern idea of drag, hosting shows that illuminated his own artful expression. It wasn’t until the next century that drag moved away from purely theatrical aspects and became relevant in gay culture. It fused drag into an exciting night out; where people are entertained with creative, dynamic performances.
Today, drag is a recognized art form. RuPaul’s Drag Race had a hand in shining a light on drag performers. The show featured queens from all over to compete and show off their skills of charisma, uniqueness, nerve, and talent to win $100,000. Thanks to social media uplifting millions of queen’s voices around the world, drag culture is more accessible now than ever.
For more info, check out https://www.masterclass.com/articles/a-primer-on-drag-queens-in-popular-culture
We had the opportunity to sit down with our local queen, Miss Venom.
Miss Venom is a fabulous queen and one hell of a rocker! She is also one of the fantastic hosts of our Funky Picnic Drag Brunch performances hosted twice a month.
Burning Questions!!
Question: What made you come up with the name, Miss Venom?
Miss Venom: “You see, my first time in drag I was a Kiss Impersonator and that rock and roll genre had a very impactful influence on my drag persona. Plus, at that time I had owned snakes and that’s how I got the name Venom due to my love of rock n roll. I even told myself I would be the Snake Queen of Dallas!”
Q: When was the first time you did drag?
MV: “The first time that I did drag was back in 2016. Whenever I did come out, I grew fascinated with what drag is and how amazing people were able to show off their art. I watched the performances and fell in love with it.”
Q: What do you wish people knew more about you or drag?
MV: “What I wish people knew about is the beauty of people and letting them see how empowering and self-expressive it is. So that’s why during my shows, I love to pull people from the audience and just let them have their moment to shine.”
Q: What’s your signature drag look?
MV: “I love the colors black and red makeup. I also love heavy makeup, big colorful hair, and lots of glitter!”
Q: What advice would you give yourself or people pursuing anything in their career (whether that’s drag or anything) that you wish someone had told you?
MV: “The advice I would give is to not lose touch with your end goal! And don’t ever allow yourself to ever let that goal down, things are always changing, and you must learn to adapt to adversity.”
Lightning Round!!
Q: Who is “Venom”?
MV: “A drama queen.”
Q: What’s your pre-show ritual?
MV: “I take about 2 hours of skincare before I do my makeup for drag. And I’m bald, so that goes all the way back!”
Q: What does drag allow you to express that you normally wouldn’t feel?
MV: “Inner beauty.”
Thank you, Miss Venom! Don’t be a stranger, follow Miss Venom and show some love for one of our excellent hosts!
Of course, you can always see Miss Venom at our Drag Brunch shows! Make sure to keep a lookout on our events tab and social media!
Authors: Natalie Albert and Alex Lopez
Natalie and Alex are the Funky Picnic Fall interns!
They’ve been hard at work creating content for all the funk punks to enjoy!
Alex recently graduated with Tarleton State University with a bachelor's in English and a minor in Digital Media studies.
Check them out on Instagram @aloe.illustrations where they post new digital art weekly!
Natalie currently attends The University of Texas at Dallas, where she’s studying Business in Marketing! She loves to paint, dance, and have a fun time gaming with her online buddies.