Pose - Ryan Murphy's FX Gay Show

[TotallyOz]

I just started watching this. I hated the first scene but I kept watching. I'm really glad I did.  The show has some great characters and scenes.

 

[RockHardNYC]

I haven't seen it yet. Never fully recovered from seeing "Paris is Burning," and a few follow-ups after that. Brings up lots of memories. In my extreme youth, I walked the runway for a specific House. I think the category was Glamour Realness. Deborah Harry and Gianni Versace were judges. I was one of a few White boys who dared to give voguing a go. I wasn't exactly a club-kid, but I knew how to play one for fun. In my early years I thought I wanted to be a dancer. I studied at a prestigious NYC studio that taught Bob Fosse style jazz. I enjoyed it, but I did not fall in love with the life. I lost interest fairly quickly, but that didn't mean I stopped clubbing and enjoying a great dance floor opportunity. Haven't danced in a long time. Some things change as we age.

[TotallyOz]

Personally, I think worth giving the show a chance. Each episode, I enjoy a bit more as I get to see the depth of some of the characters.

I had an ex who was a drag queen and I thought I was very supportive but looking back I see that I didn't let him live up to his full potential. We all learn from our mistakes and our history takes us places we never thought possible. I didn't think my ex would be a show stopper at The Web but he was. He was always androgynous and when I first went to Montreal with him, those Canadian lads ate him up.  We had one boy who feel in love with him from Taboo and would show up at our hotel room and ask to fuck him but always bring another boy as a treat for me. I loved the costumes and the dancing and the attention. But, looking back on ages past, I wish I had been more present in the moment.

[Suckrates]

 

LOVE the show, Love the backstories, love the authenticity and that the actors are actually Transgendered.   Evan Peters kills every role he plays and is awesome here too as the repressed family man from N.J. longing for some "excitement".... A tour de force celebration of the often shunned segment of the LGBTQ community.  Not to mention, Billy Porter of Kinky Boots fame is "exquisite"...    Another jewel in Ryan Murphy's crown. 

[Riobard]

Rodriguez (Blanca) is fantastic, fierce yet vulnerable, and Tobagonian-American Jackson (Elektra) is a scene stealer (think Grace Jones with wry attitude). I hope they get nomination nods for the '18-'19 season. 

[RockHardNYC]

2 hours ago, TotallyOz said:

Personally, I think worth giving the show a chance.

I may get around to checking it out. especially now that you've said something. I check most things out anyway. I'm still catching up from recorded shows that I missed while being away in spring. I think Ryan Murphy has a lot of talent, but I'm not a diehard fan of his productions. I don't have patience for most TV shows and their formulas. I know too much about what goes into the sauce, and I'm way too critical to just sit back and hang loose.

3 hours ago, TotallyOz said:

I had an ex who was a drag queen

I went through a drag stage. If I ever get around to writing my biography, I'm sure it will include that chapter. I have tons of photos. I wasn't exactly androgynous, but I had the makings of a superb chameleon. With the right ingredients, and lots of help from talented friends, I had the potential of "passing" and looking fierce. In drag, I had Vicki Frederick hair and legs. I had access to custom-made lace wigs, shoes, and clothing. Vicki seduced me in A Chorus Line and Dancin'. I am tall with some dance training, so I knew how to maneuver in heels with flair. For many years, I hung with the drag pageant crowd, both in Florida and Chicago. In time, I grew to dislike drag, and the fans who lived for it. I especially did not enjoy drag performers, and stopped allowing them to have a place in my life. I don't watch Drag Race. I see snippets, and when I do, I say to myself "not missing anything important."

[TotallyOz]

I never went through a drag stage. But, MANY of my friends in NYC were drag queens. So, perhaps I don't have a full chapter.  However, they are a very important part of my story.

I only dressed in drag one time. I was scared and nervous. I was also hit on more that night than any other time I went to gay bars in NYC.

[Suckrates]

4 hours ago, TotallyOz said:

I never went through a drag stage. But, MANY of my friends in NYC were drag queens. So, perhaps I don't have a full chapter.  However, they are a very important part of my story.

I only dressed in drag one time. I was scared and nervous. I was also hit on more that night than any other time I went to gay bars in NYC.

 

Drag is alot of work, but those heels keep your legs FIERCE... I recommend everyone walk around your house in 6 " heels everyday...  Its the Best leg workout....  I cant do it now, but hopefully after my surgery, I will again !  

[RockHardNYC]

10 hours ago, TotallyOz said:

I never went through a drag stage...I only dressed in drag one time.

I had talented friends who urged me on. I possessed a strong creative streak. My fashion and costumes could be outrageous, one outdoing the next. Viewers could never predict what a transformation might look like. And then it always shocked. The fever started with the Halloween Parade, when the route went through the small streets of the Village. Magical times. At a young, pretty age, that parade left impact. The swarm of photographers and applause followed you everywhere. Then it was pageant events with friends, hanging with Dana Douglas, Tandy Andrews, and Chilli Pepper, to name a few favorites. Then it was House Balls. Then it was private cross-dressing parties that catered to men who enjoyed that fetish. Then it was the Susanne Bartsch parties. I vaguely remember winning an award soon after my X kicked in. My drag was rich, Krystle Carrington rich, but young and fun. I had a drag closet that smelled like the perfume counter at Bergdorf's. I eventually sold everything on eBay, including my $3000 wigs. Haven't done drag in over 20 years. No interest. That chapter is closed. No regrets. Had a ton of fun.

[Suckrates]

 

                                                             

[TotallyOz]

9 hours ago, RockHardNYC said:

I eventually sold everything on eBay, including my $3000 wigs. Haven't done drag in over 20 years. No interest. That chapter is closed. No regrets. Had a ton of fun.

The one thing I do remember of my night is drag is that it was VERY expensive.  My dragqueen friends took me out shopping and I spent a fortune. My headdress alone was over 500 USD. Plus, all the other accessories like the white arm covers as I was not going to shave my arms for one night. However, all that said, I never once regretted spending that money, the time it took to dress (all day) or the night full of amazing memories. The one thing I will say is that that the effort put into that night brought a new respect from me toward my friends and the effort they put in on a very regular basis.

Did you ever go to Lips? (I think that was the name of the restaurant with dragqueens).

[Suckrates]

25 minutes ago, TotallyOz said:

The one thing I do remember of my night is drag is that it was VERY expensive.  My dragqueen friends took me out shopping and I spent a fortune. My headdress alone was over 500 USD. Plus, all the other accessories like the white arm covers as I was not going to shave my arms for one night. However, all that said, I never once regretted spending that money, the time it took to dress (all day) or the night full of amazing memories. The one thing I will say is that that the effort put into that night brought a new respect from me toward my friends and the effort they put in on a very regular basis.

Did you ever go to Lips? (I think that was the name of the restaurant with dragqueens).

LIPS is now most famous for their "Drag Brunch".....

[TotallyOz]

Just now, Suckrates said:

LIPS is now most famous for their "Drag Brunch".....

Yes. That is when I would go on a Sunday Brunch. With everyone wearing sunglasses from the late night parties and events.

[Suckrates]

Just now, TotallyOz said:

Yes. That is when I would go on a Sunday Brunch. With everyone wearing sunglasses from the late night parties and events.

I hosted Drag bingo there years ago......

[TotallyOz]

1 minute ago, Suckrates said:

I hosted Drag bingo there years ago......

Nice! I played in Faggot Feud at Blu Bar years ago.  Same same as Bingo? jk

 

[Suckrates]

Just now, TotallyOz said:

Nice! I played in Faggot Feud at Blu Bar years ago.  Same same as Bingo? jk

 

Not quite the same... I pulled "balls".....

[Guest Larstrup]

Back in the day, Jim Flint (RIP) owner of The Baton Show lounge in Chicago, where drag ( female impersonation) ruled supreme; hired me to work his front door, then his lights and sound during performances. I was the opposite reflection of the entertainment within and spent 5 years meeting and interacting with some of the finest people I ever had/have still ever known. Often back then, the club was subject of violence from haters, and I was there to stop it too. 

When I look back at that time in my life, no–one was ever more loving and embracing than were the boys who came every night to transform themselves into some of the most beautiful, talented and fascinating performers most had never seen before. I loved them all and they loved me equally. I wouldn’t change those years for any amount of money in the world. Ever. 

Sadly the Baton, like many of our most memorable places of past, has lost it’s history and magic. But the memories will never fade.

Chili Pepper was the first to befriend back then, she loved the lighting I orchestrated during her performances.   she will always be a dearest and best friend. 

[RockHardNYC]

20 hours ago, Larstrup said:

Jim Flint (RIP) owner of The Baton Show lounge in Chicago

I am long gone from the drag loop, but I haven't heard that Jim Flint has died. If there's an online obit, please offer a link.

Chicago's Baton Show and Miss Continental

 

20 hours ago, Larstrup said:

Sadly the Baton, like many of our most memorable places of past, has lost it’s history and magic.

Perhaps Mimi Marks and Monica Munro have moved on, but The Baton Show Lounge continues with veterans Ginger Grant, Maya Douglas, Sheri Payne, and Chilli Pepper. As far as I know, Jim Flint is still owner and running the business.

[Guest Larstrup]

37 minutes ago, RockHardNYC said:

 As far as I know, Jim Flint is still owner and running the business.

Yes, apologies, I was inadvertently thinking about Eddie Dugan owner of Dugan's Bistro (once situated right around the block). While the Baton carries on, it's far from what it once was, even with the veteran crew. But it is still an unofficial historical city landmark for the LGBTQ+ community.

Since you've hung up your wigs, you might enjoy reading about the man behind the venue.

http://bitterqueen.typepad.com/friends_of_ours/2012/02/gay-barkeep-jim-flint-beat-chicago-outfit.html

[RockHardNYC]

On 7/4/2018 at 8:01 PM, TotallyOz said:

The one thing I do remember of my night is drag is that it was VERY expensive.

Expensive is an understatement.

Too many drag queens mop everything. Very few have a benefactor with full pockets. Trust is a big issue with me in friendship. I was lucky. I had a great job and I could afford my expensive hobby.

No one at work knew about my drag creation. No one at work could imagine me doing drag. I was a corporate executive and kept the hobby a secret. Some clients of the business believed I was straight. I had a son, so it was easy to confuse people.

I had super talented designer friends who would help me make certain costumes or dresses, depending on the occasion. We copied Thierry Mugler and Jean Paul Gaultier a lot. The knock-offs and alterations cost me dearly.  I would never ask someone to work for me without getting paid. My wigs, make-up, and fashion had to be perfect.

A superstar drag queen taught me how to create padding. I carved my own. I did not have a woman's body, but when certain curves were enhanced, I could pass. I almost always wore a corset. That too was custom-made.

Drop-dead fabulous drag is a lot of work, especially for a guy like me, and I wasn't interested in anything less than FABULOUS. Fabulous drag requires time, money, and a lot of energy. I'm not very hairy, but I still shaved my entire body when I did drag.

The Suzanne Bartsch queens really knew how to turn it out. They defined fierce at the time. Her Palladium parties on 14th Street were among the best parties I ever attended. Much more fun than anything I experienced at Studio 54.

I never did drag without being high on some drug, mostly coke. Eventually, the time came when the hobby was no longer fun and enjoyable. I quit doing drugs around the same time. I changed my focus to other things that I loved more. Like I said, no regrets.

[TotallyOz]

This week's episode was so moving.  I was in tears.

[RockHardNYC]

On 7/9/2018 at 6:43 AM, TotallyOz said:

I was in tears.

I enjoy learning about this sensitive side.

[Guest Larstrup]

[TotallyOz]

This week's episode was amazing.  So moving and touching. This has been my favorite new show of 2018.

[TotallyOz]

I just finished the series finale. It was spectacular. The last few episodes really allowed for every actor to shine in different ways.

This was truly moving and beautiful. If you didn't watch it when it was out, binge it. It will be worth it.