Hey all. I want to discuss something that has been on my mind lately, and that is trying to make money doing drag.
want to preface this by saying that I know how lucky I am to have a steady income from doing drag, and I do not take that for granted. But drag culture has changed a lot over the years, and, sometimes, the struggle is real.
The cost of doing drag is getting ridiculous.
Getting new drag — costumes, wigs and accessories — of course is gonna cost you. But just the upkeep on the drag we already have is killing us — well, if you wanna look professional, that is. And since somehow the thousands-of-dollars Drag Race looks have become the new standard, we have to look professional.
Now, I am not saying I don’t want to look put together and polished. But I ain’t making that Drag Race money. Hell, many of the Drag Race girls are not making that Drag Race money anymore.
Things are tough all over.
There is such an oversaturation of drag now. More and more drag queens are being born every day. I just wish some of these “mothers” would swallow their “kids” before they take away anymore bookings. It’s hard out here for a working “girl!”
Then there are the undercut queens. Undercut queens are these bitches that will go to a show and tell the boss that they will do the job/show for cheaper than the queens already doing said job/show.
That is some shady ass bullshit. Unfortunately, sometimes it works, and the undercut queen will get that show. But you get what you pay for, and 99 times out of 100, that show doesn’t last very long.
To be clear, we haven’t seen that behavior in DFW in years, and when it happened, it was over a brunch show. But on my recent tour to other cities around the country, it seems like it is a fairly common practice.
I think the Texas queens respect each other enough to not be messy like that. After all, even as big as the drag scene is here, everyone knows everyone … and we talk. So, bitches beware.
Another big complaint I have is when people charge you differently because they think you have more money. It annoys me when a costume maker or wig stylist will sell one girl something for one price then tell me a higher price for the same service because I work in the Rose Room and can probably afford to pay more. Then they tell a Drag Race girl an even higher price because they got that Drag Race money.
That is a shady practice. I know that they set their prices, and what other people get charged shouldn’t be any of my damn business. But the whole reason I went to them for their services is because another queen told me they do good work for a fair price.
I guess I need to be more upfront about what I am willing to pay and not assume that they will charge me what they charged everyone else that has used them.
But like I said earlier: We talk. I can be a great customer, a literal walking billboard for them, but not if I feel I am getting overcharged because of what you think I can afford.
One last thing: If you have ever held a tip out to a drag queen, then snatched it back, saying, “Work for it!” — I want you to know: We hate you.
Saying “FUCK YOU” does not seem big enough for how much we despise that shit. It is crazy disrespectful, and it fills me with a rage I can hardly express.
A few weeks ago, at a show in the Rose Room, a straight girl did exactly that to me. Then she said, “Do the splits or a death drop! C’mon work for it!” (By the way, she was holding up a single dollar bill, acting like it was a diamond or a solid brick of gold.)
I couldn’t do the splits when I was young and thin, and if I do a death drop, it will be because I actually died. Oh Discordia! Why do you test me with these demons?
I know I probably sound like an entitled asshole bitching about money, but our economy sucks, and the trickle down is getting all of us. I am writing this a few days before the election, so you already know if I am feeling hopeful or hopeless by the time you actually read this.
Fingers crossed!
Remember to always love more, bitch less and be fabulous! XOXO, Cassie Nova