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| Even though most people compare the look and style of this New York-based drag
artist to Dusty Springfield, Lady Bunny says Barbara Eden from
‘I Dream of Jeannie,’ inspired her look. (Photo by Jimmy Smith)
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HOME > LOCAL LIFE > COVER
By: YUSEF NAJAFI COMMENTS
 
More than two decades after creating Wigstock, an annual drag festival that takes
place in New York City on Labor Day and draws more than 40,000 participants, Lady
Bunny is still going strong.
The nationally famous drag artist doesn’t need to mention her cameo appearances
on television shows such as “Sex and the City,” her friendship with
RuPaul or the fact that she shared a Los Angeles Gay Pride Parade stage with
Cyndi Lauper to turn heads.
Leave it to her Marilyn Monroe-meets-Dusty Springfield appearance and quirky
wit to do the trick.
The native of Chattanooga, Tenn., who doesn’t discuss her real name or
age, kicks off 2005 by performing at Velvet Nation on Saturday, Jan. 1.
This year, Lady Bunny hopes to promote her Web site (www.ladybunny.net), on
which she posts updated blog entries.
Lady Bunny talked to the Blade about her appearance this weekend.
A riotous good time. I do a lot
of song parodies and the crowd knows all the songs, which helps. I do everything
from Avril Lavigne to Elton John.
It’s very cheerful. Great
food, cute boys, what else do you want? There is one really annoying thing about
it — George W. Bush lives there.
Look at me. Are your going to take
that seriously? With my look comedy is essential [laughs], it’s strictly
comedy and it’s somewhat raunchy, but those D.C. kids like a little bit
of smut, especially the ones from the Maryland area, with that inbred accent
[laughs].
It was a joke that stuck, and now
it’s too late to change it.
About seven years ago. That’s
when I got the makeup down. Although I think I look better now.
Barbara Eden from “I Dream
of Jeannie.” I love her. People say I look like Dusty Springfield, but
not everyone knows who she is in this in country.
The false eyelashes. [They are]
definitely a trademark, because I wear upper and lower lashes.
It’s a drag festival that
happens annually in New York City, although we did take a couple of years off,
it has just gotten bigger and bigger. This last year we had Boy George, RuPaul
plus every drag queen in NYC. And it’s mostly what people know me from,
as the creator of Wigstock. People call it a hipper version of Gay Pride Day,
because in NYC [Gay Pride] can be very corporate.
Twenty-two years ago, we were drinking,
and after the club closed we started clowning around in the park, and thought
what if we put on a show outdoors. After the first one, we realized that we
had hit upon a winning formula, and it just got bigger every year.
I sometimes think it’s because
the straight press has paid attention to what I do. As insane as it may seem
the [New York] Daily News has named me one of the year’s most stylish
performers. At one point I was primarily known for Wigstock. Wigstock is something
I do, but there’s so much more, and I’m not talking about my wig
[laughs].
A brat, the class clown, with no
class.
In 1984, before that I lived in
Atlanta with RuPaul. The bitch still owes me $10. We just worked together in
Atlanta, at the Civic Center, for “Divas Rock.”
I love it. I will never ever leave.
I’m addicted to Puerto Rican men, and NYC is the capital of Puerto Rico.
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