of performers, fashion, law, and tickyboxes

[dancinglights]

From an Eddie Izzard interview with Radio Boston on his new tour "Force Majeure"

On being identified as a transvestite, or wearing drag

Comments

[elenbarathi]

Right on. My understanding has always been that 'drag' is like 'garb' - it's more than just a costume, it's the wardrobe that belong to one's persona within an alternative community. I know some guys who are both drag queens and SCAdians, and they generally don't mix the two, but there's one whose drag-queen persona has her own SCAdian persona, very distinct from his non-drag SCA persona.

Of course one's garb wardrobe and one's mundane clothes naturally cross over to some extent. I'm not 'in garb' just because I happen to be wearing a skirt in mundane life that I also wear at SCA events. Eddie Izzard isn't 'in drag' just because he happens to be wearing a skirt that he also wears when he's in drag.

Always so fascinating to watch the 'mainstream' finally beginning to get a glimmer of a clue about these matters that have gone without saying in the alternative communities for decades.

[dancinglights]

I have definitely seen major differences difference between everyday presentation, dressing up, persona, and persona dressing up (mostly through growing friendships with burlesque performers), but I've never encountered quite so many layers and distinctions as your SCA fellow. That's fascinating and I bet I'd like them rather a lot.

Definitely good to see someone out there doing mainstream interviews and putting their approach out there plainly like it's no big deal whatsoever because dammit it shouldn't be. I'm so glad he's back in the spotlight.

[elenbarathi]

Oh, I think you would totally love both His Lordship Matthew, Archbishop of the Temple of the Goddess Caffeinea, and Miss Betty Desire, reigning Diva of the Northwest drag scene. Betty appears very rarely at events, because her garb is fancy and complicated, and Matty is usually working his tail off at the Temple, but she does come now and then. LOL, she was one of the judges for a very memorable Banana-Eating Contest I was in once (didn't win, alas,) and she looked utterly fabulous.

Iddie Izzard is hilarious, and he's absolutely right: to hell with the self-appointed Fashion Police telling everybody what they may or may not wear. Clothes iz clothes; it is generally appropriate to wear some in public; beyond that, who cares? Yeah, there's a lot of really bad fashion statements being made, by people of all gender-identities and sexual orientations - what're we going to do, outlaw poor taste

[angiereedgarner]

I need more Eddie in my life!

everyone deserves to be shiny

<3