“The Hardest Working Bedroom Queen”: Spjork is a 22-year-old drag artist based in Iowa. She’s a Youtuber, video editor, make-up artist, and content creator.
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“Hi it’s me, Piggy Banks.”-Spjork
She’s all about that club kid.
Transcript of micro podcast:
Makenzie: I recently had the wonderful opportunity to interview Spjork, an Iowa-based drag queen. She started drag in her college town and as she quotes that she, “Slipped and fell into drag” about 3 years ago. One thing from the interview that stuck out the most was that she uses her platform to give voices to the voiceless.
Spork: At every expense possible to uplift those who don’t have as big of a platform or dont have the platform to share. I always want to echo voices. I don’t- cause when it’s not me suffering, I don’t need to be the one’s saying things. I want to echo voices because those are the voices that need to be heard. I can shut up and just make those voices a little louder.
Makenzie: In the year 2021, many voices that need to be heard go unheard. Many drag artists use their drag personas to advocate awareness& rights for voices that need to be heard. Spjork also uses her platform to make people laugh and give them a break from reality.
Spjork: There is always love and you can always laugh at some point. No matter how hard or dark your head gets mentally, like, there is still gonna be- you can always crack a knock-knock joke and get a smile, ya know?
Interview with Spjork
To cite the following interview, please use the following:
Pickett, Makenzie. 2021. Interview with Spjork. Sociology of Drag, SIUE, March 31. Available URL (https://ezratemko.com/drag/spjork).
Spjork: Let’s party!
Makenzie: Alright. So, if you can go ahead and introduce yourself. My name is Makenzie Pickett, and I go by she/her.
Spjork: My name is Spjork, uh, I go by she/her or they/them. Oh, should I say more about myself? [Laughs]
Makenzie: Yeah, you can… you can say more about yourself [unclear].
Spjork: Um, I am a drag artist, um, who is currently in Iowa, but will be moving to Chicago, hopefully, here soon. Um, I post YouTube videos; I do virtual performances. I am easing into performing live again. I am halfway vaccinated, and I cannot wait to be back on stage again. Um, yeah.
Makenzie: Awesome. Okay. So, when did you first hear about drag, and what was your initial reaction to it?
Spjork: So, in high school, I actually… there was a bar that did, like, an all-ages drag show at, like, 5 p.m. or whatever. So, me and my friends, uh, snuck to that. We said we were studying [laugh], and then we went to, uh, that bar to watch an all-ages drag show. And that was when I first ever, like, experienced anything drag related.
Um, and then, after that, it was kind of the typical thing everyone, I think, goes through, where it’s like, um, they watch maybe two… they watch, like, the essential seasons of RuPaul’s Drag Race, and they act like they know everything.
Makenzie: Yes.
Spjork: Or they watch… they watch just Trixie and Katya, um, which… who I love, but I feel like that’s, like, this… that’s just like the typical thing that everyone kinda goes through. And then I started to… there was an opportunity in my… in the college town I was in to get into drag, and I was like, “Ooh, let’s live my fantasy.” And I think after that, I just, kind of, realized more and more that this is what I was, kind of, meant to be doing. So, it was, kind of, like, a weird little trip into it. It was like I slipped and fell into drag.
Makenzie: Yeah. So, when did you start performing as a drag artist after your first, um, experience with drag? And, like, why did you start performing?
Spjork: I, I started doing drag mostly ’cause all my friends were doing it, and ’cause there was a local competition, and I, basically, started drag to just be a part of that competition, or to aspire to be in that competition. Um, and then… and that was like three years ago, I want to say– or it’s, it’s almost been three years. I think it will be three years this December. Um, three to four, oh goodness.
Makenzie: Okay. So, how old were you, if you don’t mind me asking?
Spjork: I… yeah, no. I was… I wanna say I was 19. I was 18 when I started messing with makeup, but 19 when I was performing.
Makenzie: Okay. And how did your family, friends and other loved ones react to you becoming a drag artist?
Spjork: Um, I think it took a minute before they realized, like, how serious it was. My dad watched the local competition and literally sent me a super sweet message that was like, “I can see you doing this forev–” like, it was just, like, basically, what I needed to hear. It was just, “I can see you doing this forever,” and that I have a future with it. Which he was telling me that stuff before even I kinda came to terms with that being, like, what I wanted to do. So, even he saw something in it. Um, my mom, I… she had some questions [laughs] about it. But after talking about it, she understood it more. And then, she even went… she’s been to a couple of my shows, um, so has my grandma and my older sister.
Makenzie: So, you said that she had some questions. What type of questions did she ask you?
Spjork: It was questions regarding my gender identity. She felt… she was like, “Oh, why do you want to?” blah-blah-blah. Or why… she also was confused about… [laughs] she was like, “What about people who want to have sex with drag queens? What’s their… what’s their tea?” pretty much, was her question. And I was like, “I don’t know, I’m not… I was like, “I’m just the drag queen portion of that question.” So…
Makenzie: Oh, my goodness!
Spjork: But, like, after… it was a pretty quick talk, and she was like, “Okay, whatever. If that’s what your… if that’s what your tea is, Momma, go ahead and do it.
Makenzie: Right.
Spjork: And my grandma loves that I do it, because she is just happy I’m performing again, ’cause I used to do it in high school, and she knows I used to love it. Although she wants me to perform, like, my own original songs, and not, like, lip-sync songs.
Makenzie: So, I’m just curious, so, how old is your grandma?
Spjork: Oh um… [laughs] I am so bad at, uh, ages.
Makenzie: That’s okay. [Laughs] I was just curious, like a general range ’cause she…
Spjork: I want to say… Yeah. I want to say that she is… she’s probably, like, 60. I think, in my head, she is, like, 54 still.
Makenzie: Yeah.
Spjork: I guess, I’m not sure. [Laughs] Love you grandma.
Makenzie: [Laughs] And where does your drag name come from? Is it original, or did you get it off of something, or…?
Spjork: Um, it’s, kind of… it’s… I was just looking at silverware, and I wanted to make it. Like, dumb, but have a spin, like an artistic spin, ’cause I felt, like, at the start of drag, that’s, like, just exactly what the… I wanted to encompass. So, um, it was just a mix of silverware with Bjork, who is… who I’m not necessarily a super fan of, but they just have this great artistic aesthetic that is kinda mysterious, that I was like, ooh, that, but camp it up with silverware, so it became Spjork. Um, and at first, it really bugged me that no one could really pronounce it. But now it’s kinda, like, a funny thing that I like to be like, “Yeah, they got my name in their tongue, but they don’t know how to say it.”
Makenzie: [Laughs]
Spjork: You know? So…
Makenzie: And there are lots of terms for types and styles of drag, from drag queen to drag queen, to glamor queen, male impersonator, comedy queen, bearded queen, queer artists, bioqueen, camp queen, among others. Are there particular labels that you would use to characterize your drag?
Spjork: Um, I, I mean, for me, it comes… it’s just like me being… at least, lately, it is just me being me, and just being like, “Hey, this is… I made this, and this fabric ma– told me how to make this outfit, kind of thing. That… I hope that makes sense. [Laughs]
Makenzie: Yeah.
Spjork: But, like, uh, what other people have described me as, I definitely heard comedy queen, um, I’ve definitely heard… I, I… lat—recently I loved the… someone said, uh, they like my non-ba… nonbinary, uh, aspect of things, and I really liked that ’cause I never was intentionally trying to do that kind of thing. I also heard—I really like the Club Kid movement. It’s been, like, my whole tea. Um, so I will, like… I really like to just push what, uh, something… what an outfit can be, I guess, but also give it a little bit of me that’s still cute. So, I guess, I don’t really know what categories I fit. I know I’m funny. Um, I’m like…
Makenzie: Yeah. You don’t have to fit in a category, anyway.
Spjork: Yeah.
Makenzie: I mean, like, you just be you.
Spjork: I’m the hardest-working bedroom queen in Iowa…
Makenzie: [Laughs]
Spjork: Is what I like to describe myself as.
Makenzie: That’s awesome. What kind of drag… Um, oh, sorry. [Laughs]
Spjork: You’re good.
Makenzie: So, does that type of drag that you do affect your life as a drag artist?
Spjork: Um, sometimes…
Makenzie: Like, you said that you’re, like, sort of, like a nonbinary queen. So, do people say anything about that? Or are people very supportive or…?
Spjork: I mean, that’s more just the way that my drag character presents themselves, sometimes. I wouldn’t say that I necessarily identify as that. ‘Cause I know some amazing nonbinary performers who literally do not get the time of day in some shows just because they don’t… some people don’t understand. Or I’ve, I’ve heard about people locally that have literally bullied other people for their pronoun usage, you know? And, um, that definitely affects a lot of people in the community.
Um, I know I have an amazing drag sister named Hazy Buchanan, who, um, is a, I believe, cisgendered woman, um, but they were running for a pageant, and they got a lot of flack for that because there were a lot of tea and drama about if a, a woman-presenting person could run for a pageant, for some reason. Um, and that’s… and that was really upsetting for her and for everyone. We were all really mad that that was even a question, you know?
Makenzie: Yeah.
Spjork: So, um, that definitely is something in the… even drag community that people are working to be better at, for sure, or need to be better at, you know?
Makenzie: Mm-hmm. Um, who or what has influenced your drag?
Spjork: Um, I, I… lately, a lot of my confidence to, kind of, be myself has been coming from the iconic women in my life, like my friends. Um, my mom, lately, I like to think about too, ’cause she, she’s gone through a lot in her life, and she, like, has always been the first person to make a joke about it to get through it. And I just… I really am inspired by that, because that’s always, kind of, been how I thought, and I never really unders– really understood why. But lately, I recently\ was like, oh yeah, it’s ’cause my mom is an actual clown, and that’s why I’m a clown, you know?
Makenzie: Yeah. So, she, kind of, experie– or influenced, uh, your… like, ’cause you’re a comedy queen, is, like…
Spjork: Yeah.
Makenzie: one label that you, kind of, gave yourself and, like, other people have given you. So, yeah.
Spjork: She, she influences my ability to, kind of, handle life and be like, “You know, life is hilarious in the worst ways and the best ways. And if you’re… if you… if you get a bad hand, the best you can do is crack a good joke about it.” [Laughs]
Makenzie: Right.
Spjork: So, I’m always inspired by a lot of my friends and performers that I see. Uh, I also love, like, cartoons and anime and stuff like that. So, like, that, obviously, influences me a little bit.
Makenzie: Yeah. And do you consider your drag political? And why or why not?
Spjork: Uh, I mean, I, I think every… it’s like a known thing, like, drag in every sense is political every single time. Um, I have always wanted my drag to represent… if… no matter what shitty time is going on, there’s always love, and there’s always… you can always laugh at some point. Like, no matter how hard or dark your head gets mentally, like, you can… there’s still gonna be a… you can still crack, like, a knock-knock joke and get a smile, you know?
Makenzie: Yeah.
Spjork: So, I, I think, in my sense, I always wanna use my drag as that, to give people a break from reality. But I also know that reality is reality, and you need to use your voice. And I like to use my platform in every sense possible to uplift those who don’t have as big of a platform or don’t have the platform to share. Uh, I always want to echo voices. I don’t… ’cause when it’s not me suffering, I don’t need to be the one’s saying things. I want to echo voices, ’cause those are the voices that need to be heard. I can shut up and just make those voices a little louder.
Makenzie: That’s really inspiring. And can you talk about what in your life… what your life is like as a drag artist? Like, are you a part of a drag family, a house or a collective?
Spjork: Yes. Um, my drag family, my drag mom, is, uh, Kimmy Blac, um, formerly known as Eboné Bell. They just recently changed their name, um, and they are my drag mom. [Laughs] And I think our drag house is House of Aress.
Makenzie: Mm-hmm.
Spjork: Um, and then, Hazy Buchanan, like I said, is one– is my drag sister. Um, I also have a lovely drag daughter by the name of Dusty Rose. Um, and we are just… we are quite the, the group of gals, if I do say so myself. Um…
Makenzie: Yeah.
Spjork: We… I would say we are all iconic, fashion ladies, is the best way to describe it.
Makenzie: Do you guys, like, perform together, or do you guys, like…?
Spjork: Sometimes.
Makenzie: Sometimes?
Spjork: Yeah, we got… we… almost all of us got our start with the local competition that we… uh, in Iowa city that we did. Um, but, after that, we, kind of, have since become, like, really close going through that. And Dusty never got the chance to compete. They were like a newer queen that started. Um, but they did the same thing that I did to get into drag the first time. It was like a… like a… where… I don’t know, where they grab random twinks from the audience and put them in drag, basically. [Laughs]
Makenzie: [Laughs] Yeah.
Spjork: And so, I got to put them in drag the first time. And after that, the rest is kinda just history. We’re all just, kind of, a little family who likes to talk about horror movies. They love horror movies. Like, that’s… That’s, like, all three of them’s, like, biggest inspiration. Then you have me, who, I’m like… I don’t… I can watch a horror movie, but I got to watch it with people [laughs, like…
Makenzie: Yeah.
Spjork: So, odd one out, but we’re… I love them so much. They’re, they’re really great and inspiring.
Makenzie: How often do you perform, and, like, where do you perform?
Spjork: So, during COVID, I didn’t perform for, like, almost a year. Um, I perfor– I’m starting to perform now a little more at the Blazing Saddle in Des Moines. Um, but, like I said, I’m going to be moving in June. So, I’m trying to just collect some money, save it up, and kinda keep my head down, in a way, I guess, if that makes sense.
Makenzie: Yeah.
Spjork: So, Blazing Saddle and Studio sometimes I perform at.
Makenzie: Okay.
Spjork: But I don’t really have a set schedule.
Makenzie: Right. You just kinda do it whenever you feel like it or, like, when there’s an opening, like…?
Spjork: Yeah.
Makenziie: And what goes into getting ready for a performance?
Spjork: Um, it’s kinda like, a little ceremony. I like to, um, play some music, or if I’m watching YouTube or a movie, and I just get into my makeup. It’s, kind of, an interesting process, I guess. I, I feel like one drag queen’s makeup process is almost the same as every other drag queen’s. There’s always gonna be some differences but… I don’t know, I guess I just… I’ve never really felt like my, my makeup transition is, like, super crazy. ‘Cause most of the time, I just blink, and next thing I know, I’m glamorous, I guess, is how I like to think about it. So, I don’t even know. I don’t like to rush. I like to take my time.
Makenzie: Yeah. And what are the biggest challenges to doing drag and being a drag artist?
Spjork: Hmm… I mean, I’ve always really… I’ve never really felt that people necessarily get it. I know that that’s partially in my head, because if there… if no one’s outwardly being like, “Hey, I don’t understand,” then I shouldn’t assume that they don’t understand. But I always feel, like, the people around me are like, “Oh, ha-ha, you do drag.” Like, they never are, like, “Oh, this is, like…” I feel like it’s like, if your friends joined clown college, is what I feel like sometimes, where I’m genui– where I’m genuinely like a clown for a living, and that’s them just being like, “Oh, ha-ha-ha-ha.”
So, that’s probably the biggest difficulty. But usually, I’m able to drown stuff like that out. And if you’re able to do that and just keep focusing on what you love doing, it’s, like, really… it’s, it’s easy. ‘Cause you know at the end of the day, they’re right. I am a clown. It’s funny. I’m still serious about it. Doesn’t… does… just because they think it’s funny, doesn’t mean I’m not serious about it.
Makenzie: Mm-hmm. So, have they said anything to you, specifically, that…?
Spjork: Not like… they’ve just been like…that’s just how they talk to you sometimes when you’re like, “Oh I do drag,” they’re just like, “Ohh, cool,” like… Uh, well, when people are like, “Can you do my makeup?” But that’s not even what I’m talking about. I just feel like… I’ve known my… I know my family doesn’t always understand. Or, like, they’ll see something I do on stage, and they’re like, “You really did that,” you know? [Laughs]
Makenzie: [Laughs] Yeah.
Spjork: So… I mean, I just did a YouTube video not that long ago where I had hotdogs dangling from the ceiling.
Makenzie: [Laughs]
Spjork: So, I can only imagine what their thought process is.
Makenzie: Yeah. I’ll have to check that out.
Spjork: Yes, youtube.com/Spjork.
Makenzie: Is there anything unique to the drag scene where you live compared to other places in the country or world?
Spjork: Iowa city is like Comedy Central of Iowa, I think. It’s, it’s… I have… I laugh so hard sometimes going to those drag shows, or at least I used to. Like, oh, there… I think my… I convinced my old roommate Beep Beep to do a number. Well, they just… they did the X Files theme that has no words but it’s four minutes long, and all they did was stare at the audience. And they made…
Makenzie: [Laughs]
Spjork: They made so much money, and it was so funny, like, we’re clowns.
Makenzie: [Laughs] And is there… or how has COVID affected you or, um, what has it meant for your life as a drag artist?
Spjork: Um, honestly, drag, drag, like, really saved me, in a way. Like, I, I find that when I’m doing drag, I am the most Zen and comfortable and confident with myself, lately. And it’s, it’s… it really is, what, like, I’m meant to be doing. In some facet, it’s, it’s the outlet I can use. So, COVID, COVID was scary because it’s like, oh god, [laughs] what…? Does this mean anything [laughs], like, any drag? But I think what it did was redefine… almost redefine happiness, in a way. So…
Makenzie: Is drag like a therapy for you?
Spjork: Yeah. I think, uh… I thi– I just watched this video. Someone said that, “So, if you can’t afford a therapist, you can afford to sew.” And so, I find… I’ve been lately finding that sewing and creating and stuff like that has been very therapeutic.
Makenzie: Yeah.
Spjork: So…
Makenzie: Okay. So, we, kind of, covered this one, um, but how do you identify in terms of your sex, gender identity, and gender expression out of drag? Like, what, what pronouns do you use in and out of drag?
Spjork: Um, out of drag, I have always… well not always. I, I know… I… it’s hard for me to explain, because I don’t even know exactly what I would use to explain me, because a lot of times I like to joke that I don’t have a physical form. Um, and, like, I think that I… oh goodness. I am… trying to find the right words here.
Makenzie: It’s okay. Take your time.
Spjork: I like to think… I like to think that I just don’t… it’s not that I don’t have a gender, because I definitely know that I am a male, but I also don’t always feel comfortable with that. And I also know that I have internalized fear of, like, being too feminine and it being in public and being perceived that way. So, I think I’m, kind of, rediscovering that. Uh, but for now, I would say still, still a cis man, if I absolutely have to put, uh, stuff, labels down. But just, I am… I just would prefer, like, don’t put me in a box, you know? Just…
Makenzie: Right.
Spjork: Just leave me be. Just call me Spjork or, you know, my out-of-drag name or they/them, she/her, he/him. Just don’t be mean is all I really care about. But if I am in drag, and you call me he, I will… I will make you feel bad… Well, not make you feel bad, I will…
Makenzie: [Laughs]
Spjork: I will joke about it, because if I am outwardly trying to be my drag performer self, I don’t… I would prefer to be called she.
Makenzie: Right. So, would you say that drag has influenced your sex and gender identities? Like, has it changed, um, like, ever since you started doing drag, or…?
Spjork: I think, in a way. It’s, it’s, kind of, been my play on gender. It’s, kind of, been, like, whenever I feel anxious about, um, how I’m presenting out of drag, when I’m in drag, it’s like, “Oh, it doesn’t matter, I can literally do whatever. Who’s gonna tell me I can’t do that?” you know? So, it’s, kind of… I’m trying to ease that mindset in everyday life and be like, “Oh, you know, if I wanna wear a crop top, I can wear a crop top. Or if I wanna wear whatever I wanna wear, you know, I don’t have to worry about what people are gonna see or think of me, because who cares, ’cause it’s me, you know?
Makenzie: Mm-hmm. So, have your sex and gender identities influenced your drag in any way?
Spjork: Um, on a way, I think, lately, because I have been able to really mess with that and do my more club kid, where I, kind of, push what the shape is or push what my body looks like, you know, or what my face looks like.
Makenzie: Mm-hmm. And jow has drag impacted or changed you? Has it impacted…? I… you, kind of, talked about how it impacted your confidence as a person. Um, but has it impacted your confidence as a person when you’re out of drag?
Spjork: Oh, for sure. I… ’cause realized, especially with COVID, that life is so short. Um, like, if I wanna do… be si– be silly in a grocery store, I don’t need to be wearing a wig to do that, or… I mean, drag is nice because it is, kind of, like, a disguise. But not necessarily a disguise, I think it more, like, if I’m in drag, most, most people aren’t gonna say anything mean; they’re gonna be like, “You better work,” you know?
Makenzie: [Laughs]
Spjork: But when I’m out of drag, being flamboyantly ma– I guess, male presenting, for some reason, at least in my head still, there is, like, a weird stigma with that. And I am trying to move past that and be like… and be like, “Who cares? I have just as much of a right to be in this space and be a… be as queer presenting as I wanna be” you know?
Makenzie: Yeah.
Spjork: And I think that’s, that what drag has lately been impacting me with is, it’s all… it’s all me still. It’s like Spjork is still me, it’s just me being… wearing a wig sometimes, you know?
Makenzie: Mm-hmm. So, if you could go back in time as Spjork, what advice would you give Spjork? And what advice would you give to your younger self?
Spjork: Um, to my younger self, I would wanna go back and make my mom take away all social media for a while. I think that social media really, like, as… when… I grew up with it, so it’s kinda like, huh, I never really experienced… I never really found out myself without social media. So, it’s kinda like, huh, that’s, that something that I would… I wish would have changed just because it, it’s just kind of a gross habit, I guess, to be on your… my phone so much.
Um, but to tell past Spjork, I would go back and be like… and tell them, “Who cares?” I would just scream at them, “Who cares?” but in the best way. Because I think I would need to know that the only people that are judging you are in… truthfully, in my head, because that’s the only judge that matters. And I think I… starting drag in a competition setting, kind of, messed up my mind a little to where it feels that I can only create things if it’s going to be well received. When in reality, I can just create things, so…
Makenzie: Yeah.
Spjork: That, that’s probably what I would tell my past self is, “Just chill, create, have fun.”
Makenzie: I’m curious if and how your social identities have impacted your experiences of drag or vice versa. How has drag impacted your identities? Can you share about how one or more of your social identities such as gender, race, class, age, geography, religion, size, sexuality, disability, etc. and/or the interaction of these social identities have impacted your experience of drag and/or how has drag impacted your experience of this social identity?
Spjork: Oh, wooo, come on, question. [Laughs]
Makenzie: I know. It’s a loaded question. [Laughs]
Spjork: Um… no, I… could you repeat it one more time while I form this?
Makenzie: Yeah, of course. So, how has your social identities have impacted your experience of drag or vice versa? How has drag impacted your identities? Can you share about how one or more of your social identities such as gender, race, class, age, geography, religion, size, sexuality, disability, etc. and/or your… the interaction of these social identities have impacted your experience of with drag and/or how has drag impacted your experience of this social identity?
Spjork: Okay, period. Um, I think that drag has impacted me socially, in a way. I don’t know, I feel like when I am with just any, like, hetero people, um, when you tell them you do drag or you’re gay, you… they… I, I feel like they just automatically assume that you’re the funniest person in the world. And so, [laughs] I… sometimes, when I’m with more hetero presenting people, I feel more of, like… just like the gay one that’s just with them. And I think that through drag I’ve, kind of, realized what that feeling was and, like, that it… and, like, seeing how celebrated I can be in, like… with queer people and queer presenting people, I prefer… I feel more comfortable with people like that versus any hetero people, [laughs] basically. Um, I guess there’s just like… ’cause you know, sometimes, straight people will be like, “Oh, that’s so gay,” and that really bugs me. [Laughs]
Makenzie: Yeah.
Spjork: Makes me think of that Hillary Duff commercial, and it gets me real mad. [Laughs]
Makenzie: [Laughs] I can see how that could be irritating.
Spjork: Yeah.
Makenzie: Okay. So, how do you define drag?
Spjork: Um, for me, drag is, um, everything around me and everything about existing into one three-minute and 45-second number. Um, I’ve always, kind of, felt that it was… it’s just my outlet to feel like the superstar that I know that I am and feel as iconic as I am. Because even if I’m doing a really dumb number, and the audience is confused by it, if, if I think it’s dumb and funny, I’m gonna be like, “You know what, I don’t care if no one liked it. That was iconic,” you know? And it’s just… it’s just the outlet for me to actually be myself and feel myself and feel comfortable.
Makenzie: Mm-hmm. So, what do you think is the purpose of drag, if you had to give it a purpose?
Spjork: I think that is different for everyone. The purpose for drag for me is just my purpose. I… It’s just the best outlet for me, at least in my life right now, to do all of these things that I wanna do. I like filming, I like filmmaking, I like this creative outlet, and I love makeup, I love fashion. I’ve always loved fashion. I’ve always loved the idea of performing. Even though I’ve never been the best singer, I can make that up. [Laughs]
Makenzie: [Laughs]
Spjork: AndI… for me, it’s just… just everything about it.
Makenzie: And do you think drag is sexual? Why or why not? And if so, how and in what way? [Laughs]
Spjork: Well, [laughs] this is what my mom basically asked me. Um, I, I think it can be sexualized. I think… I think I want to use it more as a way to be more comfortable with my own sexuality out of drag, because, you know, it… you can feel… there are moments where you can feel sex– like, some people wanna do drag to feel sexy, and that’s their prerogative, you know?
Makenzie: Mm-hmm.
Spjork: Um, but I don’t think all drag is sexu– sexual. That’s, kind of, like, sexualizing everything, you know?
Makenzie: Right.
Spjork: Like, what do you…? You think me performing Crazy Frog is sexy, you know?
Makenzie: [Laughs]
Spjork: Then, you know, you’re a little weird to me. [Laughs]
Makenzie: [Laughs]
Spjork: So…
Makenzie: And how do you feel about RuPaul’s Drag Race?
Spjork: Um, I think they can definitely work on diversifying, um, obviously. I do watch it; I am an avid watcher. I would love to be on it, because as I’ve said before, I’ve always wanted to echo voices, and I think that with that platform, I can really use that to my best ability. And not only do that, but also use my ability to keep people… I don’t… make people happy, is, kind of, like… I want people to smile and, like, take a break from their hard days and just, like, laugh a little. So, I think, with that… it’s a great outlet for people, is basically what I’m saying. It’s, yeah, it’s a great outlet.
Makenzie: If you could change one thing about drag, the drag scene, or the drag community, what would it be and why?
Spjork: Uh, I would change how catty it can be. I hate when, like, a baby queen will, like, be at an open stage, and then two other baby queens see that one’s makeup, and they laugh with each other or something. It’s… and it’s just… it’s a very toxic behavior that I think, locally, it needs to be outgrown. Um, because there’s room for everyone. Not everyone is going to be at the same level when they start. Um, and everyone can learn something from everyone. So, I would like to change the cattiness.
Makenzie: Yeah. What do you think are misconceptions that people have about drag? And where does it come from? What do you think would help change that?
Spjork: I think that, at least lately, the misconception would be that, you know, not everyone can do drag. Um, everyone can do it. It’s really easy. [Laughs] Well, it’s not easy, but it’s, it’s really easy to have fun with it. So, I think that’s a big misconception. And I’m not really sure how we can change it, other than slowly but surely opening our minds and our hearts to things.
Um, I also think that, that drag… I’ve always loved doing someone’s makeup and seeing them transform into this dragged-out version of them, because you really see who they are. So, I, I wish it were possible to give some crazy… not Republican, necessarily, but [laughs] some… someone who doesn’t quite understand and, like, just put them in drag, complete drag, and see if they… like, with… them with an open mind, me with an open mind, just see what happens, you know? Someone who doesn’t understand it. Because I think once you get into that costume, you get into that makeup and that wig, no matter who you are, you’re gonna… you gonna somewhat… you’re gonna play it up a little bit. Like, even, even straight guys will put on a skirt, and they’ll, like, do a little strut, like, make a joke, you know? And I feel like that’s them being confident.
Makenzie: Yeah.
Spjork: So, I think drag comes in all forms.
Makenzie: And if you could choose one thing that you want people to know about or learn about drag, what would it be?
Spjork: Um, support local girls. Not everyone, uh, that’s super amazing is on… is gonna be on RuPaul’s Drag Race. So, get on that Instagram; look up some local girls. Some, some of us have YouTube channels; some of us have Tiktoks. And, like, just go, go comment on a drag queen’s post, go like a drag queen’s post that’s not a RuPaul girl. Just be supportive. It’s super easy. You’re already on the phone doing nothing. Just go like, comment, maybe share it, you know?
Makenzie: Yeah.
Spjork: It’d be just like if your friend did painting… it’s just like, if your friend paints for a living or does art for a living, just support ’em, you know?
Makenzie: Mm-hmm. So, would you be comfortable, like, dropping your Instagram or your YouTube for people to follow and support you?
Spjork: Oh yes. My YouTube is youtube.com/Spjork, S-P-J-O-R-K. My Instagram is @thespjork, S-P-J-O-R-K. And the Twitter is, [laughs] is Spjork but the o is an x. So, S-P-J-X-R-K. And my TikTok is just @spjork, spelled regular.
Makenzie: Okay.
Spjork: But I barely post on TikTok; I’m bad at TikTok.
Makenzie: Thank you so much for sharing.
Spjork: Oh, of course.
Makenzie: I really appreciate that.
Spjork: Thank you guys for reaching out, This was fun.
Makenzie: Alright. Well, give it up for Spjork. [Laughs]
Spjork: Yes. Thank you, studio audience. [Laughs] Thank you.