This weekend, Lady Red Couture, a well known drag entertainer in L.A. and the co-host of the youtube talk show Hey Qween died at the age of 43.

Jonny McGovern, who co-hosted the talk show with Lady Red, announced the news on social media saying “It doesn’t feel real but the beautiful light that was Lady Red is gone. I love you baby. I will miss you every day.”

[Please enjoy this encore presentation of our podcast with Lady Red recorded on 11.18.15.]

Inch for inch, pound for pound Lady Red Couture may well be as she calls herself “the world’s largest drag queen in captivity” but it’s not just because of her size, but because she commands a room and fills our hearts with love.

As Jonny McGovern’s sidekick on the fabulous talk show Hey Qween, Lady Red Couture keeps it real by throwing some legendary shade as she munches down on snacks while sitting on her own couch.

Today we kiki with Judge Lady Red Couture about crowdfunding her new album “Stunt Qween,” her deep friendship with Jonny McGovern and the challenges she’s overcome to become the glorious person she was always meant to be.

➤ Living full time as your own drag creation.

➤ The difference between shade and reading.

➤ Fans vs Lady Lovers.

➤ Her close friendship with Latrice Royale and Jasmine Masters.

The coronavirus pandemic is one of the biggest challenges we’ll face in our lives, the death toll is staggering but it also exposes the racism, police violence and corrupt leadership that America faces.

Despite the current horrors, one thing that keeps us going is our relationships with wonderful people like our friend musician Tom Goss.

TOM GOSS:
http://tomgossmusic.com

Today Tom Goss joins us to play songs from his new album, “Territories” including his passionate new single “Regretting.” The music video for “Regretting” stars Mean Girls actor Daniel Franzese. Regretting is Tom and Daniel’s third music video collaboration after “La Bufadora” and “Quebec.”

Listen as Tom chats with us about opening up his relationship and how it’s hard to make art during these difficult times.

FEATURED MUSIC
🎵 Tom Goss - Territories:
https://geo.music.apple.com/us/album/territories/1484727794?mt=1&app=music&at=10laC9

The year 2020 has turned the world of drag upside down and round and round. Since most venues have closed, performances have gone online and drag queens are speaking truth to power like never before.

With the industry going through some contortions it’s oddly fitting that super elastic Yvie Oddly would be the last drag queen before the ‘Rona Pandemic hit to be crowned America’s Next Drag Superstar.

But not even an apocalypse will keep fierce queens down- new forms of entertainment are adapting to entice audiences and Voss Events’ Drive ’N Drag Series is merging the world of drive in movies and drag into an innovative show where you don’t even have to leave your car to take a selfie with a queen.

Today the wonderfully weird Yvie Oddly, winner of RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 11, joins us to talk about doing drag during the times of Rona, the surprising criticism she got from fans and fellow contestants after being crowned and killing it as a lip synch assassin on RuPaul's Drag Race All Star Season 5.
Plus--

➤ Why did RuPaul and Kameron Michaels delete all the photos on their Instagram accounts?

➤ Tina Turner, the original queen of the apocalypse is back for more.

[Originally posted as FOF #1409 – We Love Mo’Nique, Jul 7, 2011.]

One of the most fabulous Oscar winners in recent years is Mo’Nique– last year she won the Best Supporting Actress award for her stunning portrayal of Mary Jones, the vicious cruel mother in the critically acclaimed film “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire.”

Her husband and writing partner Sidney Hicks recommended she take the unusual role because he felt that the film would have the power to save lives, but Mo’Nique was stunned when she discovered that playing the horrible character would save her own life.

Join us as we talk to the very funny queen of sass, Mo’Nique, about her amazing journey from stand up comedian to Oscar winning actress and what’s happened to her since she won the award.

MO'NIQUE: https://moniqueworldwide.com

➤ Her devoted fight for Marriage Equality as part of the LGBT community and being a rainbow mom.

➤ How Precious director Lee Daniels convinced Mariah Carey not to wear any makeup in the film.

➤ Her live concert special from a women’s prison- “I could have been your cellmate!”

➤ Mo’Nique answers all your hard questions- about Oprah, Barbara Walters, Richard Pryor, and why Holllywood struggles with diversity.

An amazing show with one of the funniest ladies of comedy. You don’t want to miss it!

If you enjoyed today’s show, please help keep Feast of Fun alive so we can bring more shows for years to come: https://feastoffun.com/donate/

[Originally posted as FOF #2780 – The Puerto Rican Bombshell, Barbra Herr, on Sep 17, 2019]

Television in Puerto Rico in the 1970s and 80s featured drag front in center with many comedy legends cross-dressing for laughs. During that time, Walter Mercado, the flamboyant psychic astrologer and bombshells like Iris Chacon became household names all over the world.



Iris Chacon was the spokesperson for Amelie Coolant in the 80s because the word butt and the word coolant sound the same in Spanish.


You know corrupt Gov. Roselló’s gig was up when even politically neutral Walter Mercado asked him to resign. Photo: Walter Mercado
One cabaret sensation who dazzled the airwaves was Barbra Herr, who along with her drag mamita, Pantojas brought lavish performances to life in the best gay and straight nigclubs in San Juan.

Today, Puerto Rican bombshell Barbra Herr joins us to talk her amazing career as a drag and cabaret performer, from fighting the AIDS crisis in Puerto Rico to working with the legends in New York City.

Plus– Barbra shares her amazing stories of being with Holly Woodlawn when she first heard Andy Warhol died, her friendship with Dominique Jackson from Pose, and what really happened to the dead man found in the chest belonging to Paris is Burning’s Dorian Corey.

Audiences are raving about Mucho Mucho Amor, the new documentary on the incredible life of Puerto Rican TV astrologer Walter Mercado.

The film, titled after Mercado’s catchphrase “lots and lots of love,” gives audiences
lots and lots to chew on with an unprecedented look into the private life of Latin America’s most beloved tv personality whose mysterious, gender non-conforming made them a queer icon.

Today queer Latinx historian Larry La Fountain joins us to take a look at Mucho Mucho Amor and the life of Walter Mercado the bejeweled gender and sexually ambiguous superstar who meant so much to so many people around the world.

LARRY LA FOUNTAIN:
https://www.facebook.com/larrylafountain

A BETTER HELP:
http://www.betterhelp.com/fun

Plus--

➤ #BoycottGoya: why did the CEO of one of the most iconic food brands in the world praise Trump?

➤ Chicago’s gay neighborhood of Boystown is looking to reinvent itself.

➤ And what wild and fabulous things did the documentary leave on the cutting room floor?

[Originally published #2801, on Nov. 11, 2019.]

TV psychic astrologer Walter Mercado captivated generations of people all around the world with his Liberace inspired elaborate fashion and campy astrological readings which were often messages of hope.

A household name in Latin America, Walter Mercado just passed away in Puerto Rico at the age of 87.

Musician Gloria Estefan called it an end of an era.

Despite his flourished demeanor, Walter Mercado never claimed any gender or sexual identity. When asked if he was gay he would respond: “I am not gay, because to be gay I would have to be in love with a man, and I am in love with the entire universe.”

Above all, Walter Mercado wanted folks to let go of their inhibitions and to shine as brightly as he did, even urging his followers to approach life with a tantric sensibility so they could “have sex even with a sunset.”

Of all his eccentricities, Walter was probably best known for his television sign off where he’d wish his fans: “paz, pero sobretodo mucho mucho (kiss) amor.” In English: Peace, but especially lots and lots of love.

Today queer Latinx historian Larry La Fountain joins us to take a look at the magical life of Walter Mercado and why this bejeweled gender and sexually ambiguious superstar meant so much to so many people around the world.

It’s been 25 years since the Showgirls hit movie theaters to a confused and terrified public. Promoted as “All About Eve in a G-String” the movie is a demented rollercoaster ride through the eyes of an ambitious dancer Nomi Malone who screams, slams and screws her way to the top of a Las Vegas showgirl revue- Goddess.

Nomi Malone is Goddess.

Like Paul Verhoven’s previous film Basic Instinct, Showgirls was supposed to be a star vehicle for Elizabeth Berkley, instead the Saved by the Bell actress spent the rest of her career wrestling with the trauma of being labeled the worst actress in the worst film in Hollywood history.

Today documentary filmmaker Jeffrey McHale joins us to take a look at why people still can’t stop talking about Showgirls all these years later. Jeffrey’s feature film debut, You Don’t Nomi, explores the themes of sexual violence, camp and outrageousness in Paul Verhovens films and interviews a wide variety of fans of this cult classic including our dear friend Peaches Christ.

YOU DON'T NOMI:
http://www.youdontnomifilm.com

Listen as we take a look at how Showgirls inspired early drag characters on social media like Human Resources Irene, Nomi Malone and Cristal Connors and how it was the bedrock of many of the great moments in Feast of Fun’s own history, darlin'.

Featured Film:
Jeffrey McHale - You Don't Nomi: Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B088P9C3KR/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B088P9C3KR&linkCode=as2&tag=faustofernos-20&linkId=20eeb4b7c3dc1a3a19acc483da4e506a

If comedy is born out of tragedy, then parody songwriters have a lot to work with in these trying times.

Today comedian and parody song enthusiast Amanda Cohen joins us to look at some fabulous parody songs stemming from the coronavirus pandemic.

Amanda regularly hosts Flapper’s Comedy Clubs Speakeasy Comedy Showcase and moderates as a judge on I’m With Stupid – A contest between comedy songwriters Carla Ulbrich & Steve Goodie.

AMANDA COHEN: https://www.facebook.com/amanda.cohen.355

Listen as we take a look at:

➤ Chicago Black Drag Council, an open group of black entertainers and activists host a virtual town hall meeting with several harmful entertainers and management of Chicago’s gay bar scene, resulting in the termination of one of the local scenes most visible drag queens T Rex.

➤ Nobody shows up at Trump’s rally in Tulsa.

➤ The theatrical release of Lin Manuel Miranda’s In the Heights film musical has been delayed till 2021.

➤ Farewell to filmmaker Joel Schumacher, best known for his campy films Car Wash, the Lost Boys and the nipple-tastic Batman & Robin, he died after a battle with cancer. He was 80.

We always think of Canada, our neighbor to the north, as an idyllic place where fountains flow with maple syrup, moose roam freely and everyone is happy riding toboggans to work.

But, just like the folks in the US of A, Canada has its own problems with race and police brutality.

Joining us today is comedian Brandon Ash Mohamed, one of the few out gay black comedians in Canada, to talk about his new comedy album, Capricornication, where he talks about growing up black and gay in the Great White North.

Listen as Brandon chats with us about his Trinidadian roots, the Black Lives Matter protests at the Gay Pride Parade and Brandon’s connection to Toronto’s gay serial killer.

BRANDON ASH-MOHAMED: https://www.facebook.com/BrandonAshMohammed

Plus--

➤ How Liberace fell in love with the sounds of the steel drums of Trindad.

➤ Trayvon Martin’s mom, Sybrina Fulton, announced that she’s running for political office.

➤ Sandy Allen the world’s tallest woman.

FEATURED MUSIC:
🎵Brandon Ash Mohammed - Capricornication:
https://geo.music.apple.com/us/artist/brandon-ash-mohammed/1516307158?mt=1&app=music&at=10laC9

🎵Toucans Steel Drum Band - Under the Sea:
https://geo.music.apple.com/us/artist/toucans-steel-drum-band/81644412?mt=1&app=music&at=10laC9

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