Alright lovelies! Welcome back to the one and only Pink-Tutu.com - where the glitter's always fabulous and the pink tutus are always poppin' (literally!)
This month, my time-traveling pink tutu has taken me all the way back to July 2004, a time when pop punk was in full swing, the Spice Girls were back together (oh how we celebrated!), and a young drag queen named Emma was already plotting her domination of the pink-tutu universe! And honestly, babes, if 2004 Emma knew about the glamorous adventures I’ve had, she would be flipping her glittery wig!
Drag Divas of July 2004: A Real Tummy Tickler!Let's delve into the glamour of July 2004, shall we?
Well, imagine my surprise when I hopped out of my pink tutu and into the Backstreet Boys "Never Gone" tour! The screams from the audience could have brought down the entire arena, but guess what? The best part wasn't even the dreamy boy-band voices, it was the stunning drag performances! Yep, imagine it, girlies, drag queen superstars were the touring backup dancers - all that energy, sass and fierce attitude! Talk about serving!
There were drag queens of all shapes, sizes and flavours strutting their stuff, even alongside Justin Timberlake, (remember that era? shudders, lol) which just shows that drag is truly universal and the only "boundary" you need to break is that dusty ol' 'should I/ shouldn't I' thought in your head!
Speaking of "universal," while I was busy hopping between continents on a vintage time travel flight, the whole world was already experiencing a massive explosion of Drag Culture through the legendary "RuPaul’s Drag Race" which launched season 1 this month! A few big-time Queens started their rise to fame - Akashia and Jade Soto, among them. Honestly, you could hear their legendary voices even in my 2004 self!
It was clear, from even then, that the power of Drag was truly global and changing the face of pop culture in every single country in the world! Talk about Girl Power!
My Fab Finds:Of course, with a name like Pink-Tutu.com, I have to be all about the fashion! So what was a fashion-obsessed drag queen to do?
I waltzed through London's bustling streets, past the famous Primark, (honestly, even then it was my go-to spot!), and did some serious "window-shopping," even for the pink-loving time traveller that I am, it wasn’t in my budget to buy a wardrobe every time I go time-travelling. (My monthly drag show earnings don't stretch that far!)
Speaking of theatrical drag performances, I managed to sneak into the premiere of "Avenue Q," (remember those fluffy puppets?!) I had to double check the dates to make sure my timeline was correct, those fluffy critters were too camptastic to have ever existed!
Oh, but don’t even get me started on the legendary Drag Race fashion from Season 1! (Honestly, honey, I need to give a little nod to every single look ever created in drag! It's like looking into a rainbow-filled galaxy! The talent! The creativity! The inspiration!!)
And because my time travel Tutu is magical, (and maybe a little fairies-at-the-bottom-of-the-garden-type of magical), it also led me to a small theater group in Derbyshire, right back where it all started! (My childhood hometown...oh how we've grown up together! ).
Now, Derbyshire isn't really known for being "in the thick of things," unless it comes to home-made cheese, *high-tea-parties and those really strong country-folk accents you know? But honestly, we're a hidden-gem kind of place!
In the middle of my beloved home-county, I came across an "open-mic drag night," just your basic local, homegrown, small-town drag show, just for a small, enthusiastic crowd... And, in this small corner of Derbyshire, nestled in the small-town village, *right next to the fish & chip shop, (because no British event is complete without it! *wink-wink-nod-nod ), there they were: my inspiration, my fellow queens! It was all happening *then. Even back then, the spark of Drag was blazing so brightly.
I truly believe that every single queen, no matter where they are, has the potential to change the world... You could be the next drag superstar! You could be a quiet “momma bear queen” inspiring your little village, like those Derbyshire divas! Or you could be traveling around the globe just like me!
But I can tell you this: no matter where you go, no matter what genre of drag you prefer, or how you choose to express yourself, don't ever doubt *your amazing, creative, drag-tastic self!
You've got the talent! You've got the flair! And you've got the pink-tutu! Now, go on and strut your stuff, darling!
Stay fabulous,Emma
P.S. (And of course!) Don't forget to check back next month when I take a giggle-filled ride to another month in Drag Queen history! Remember, babes, *Drag is History, Drag is Now, and Drag will always be Forever! **
