#Like the absolute earliest would be this Friday every other day is busy lol

[sysig]

Welp

From here on out, I’ve only got the last episodes of TAZ: Balance

[purplesurveys]

988

survey by ashleybayle

Has anyone ever told you that you looked like a celebrity? Yeah. The most popular opinion I get is Anna Akana and a local singer named Kakie, and then more occasionally I’ve also gotten Lucy Hale. Of course, all of these people are absolutely gorgeous though so it’s hard to accept comments like these lol

When was the last time you got something done to your hair? Professionally, late February. But I trimmed my bangs last Saturday.

Do you have any change on you right now? Barely. I only have a few 1-peso coins and a couple of 25-cent coins left.

What color is the pillowcase(s) on your bed? They’re pink with white lines.

Do you have a favorite day of the week? I like Monday mornings because we have weekly video calls for work and it’s really the only time I get to talk to other people anymore. Even if I can’t really count any of my colleagues as my friends, I’m able to get the human connection I’ve been hungry for and it always leaves me feeling good for the rest of the day.

Cutting your hair extremely short, would you do it? Yeah. That’s what I did last February; I’d do it again once my hair gets too long. I’ll probably go even shorter the next time because depression.

Have you ever been in an art show? I’ve been to art exhibits, if you’re referring to the same thing.

Would you considered yourself to be well-exposed to life or sheltered? I was sheltered for most of my life but I’ve been trying to get exposed to more scary life things so that I slowly start to detach from people I used to normally depend on, like my parents.

How high is your pain tolerance? Not high at all. I bruise like a peach and have near-meltdowns over sharp objects especially if I get pricked by one.

Have you ever played the game Halo? I don’t think so. I could have watched others play it in the past, but I’ve never played the game myself.

Are you wearing any jewelry at the moment? No I’m not.

Is there a sport that you love to play? Table tennis! Futsal was also fun the one or two times I played it, and it was in playing that sport that I learned I apparently make a good goalkeeper. In an alternate universe I probably play football, ha.

Has anything made you sad in the past 48 hours? Yes. That’s a constant state of mind now.

Have you ever had to learn lines for a play/skit/movie? Yes. We were required to do so many skits in high school so making scripts and memorizing lines was part of a normal day.

Do you like your nose? I’ve never complained about it. I don’t normally think about my nose either.

Is there a hair color you prefer on the opposite sex? No.

Kissing someone with facial hair, do you mind? I’ve never tried it, so I don’t have a solid opinion.

Would you ever like to be a stunt person? Sounds fun but I’m barely physically fit for such a role and I’d break a bone almost immediately. Even professional stunt people get injured, so...

Are you a pyromaniac? The furthest thing from it. I’m terrified of fire.

How soon is your birthday? Six months and a day.

Are you one of those people who listen to songs on repeat? Isn’t everyone prone to doing that once in a while? But yeah, I guess I’m ‘one of those’ people.

Can any of your friends sing very well? Lots of em. Hannah, Tina, Ed, Andi, Michelle, Nacho, etc.

Would you ever enter any kind of pageant? That does not sound interesting to me.

Do you have piano fingers? No :(

What is your preferred curse word? Fuck.

When someone's drunk, the truth comes spilling out, correct? I guess, for some people. Other people express their drunkenness in other ways. But I for sure lose my filter once I’m drunk; it’s a lot easier to ask me questions once I’ve had a few glasses, ha.

Have you ever shouted something random at someone out a car window? I’m sure I’ve rolled down my windows to cuss out a stupid driver once or twice.

Have you ever slept on a beach? No. I know my mom does, but I personally find it risky/dangerous. When it comes to open spaces like the beach, I find it hard to trust people to not be thieves.

Would you like to be taller? It’s not an active wish of mine. It’d always be cool to be taller, but I’m also okay with my current height.

Are you a fan of piercings on the opposite sex? Not necessarily. I wouldn’t say I’m attracted to them.

Have you ever listened to Celtic music? Nope.

Do you enjoy making up words? I’ve never done that, no.

Have you ever been attacked by an animal? Aside from the time a giant bird kind of charged at me at a safari and getting playbites from Cooper, no. Cats hiss at me all the time, but I get out of their vicinity before they can attack me or whatever.

Who did you dance with last? Rita, Blanch, Mik, Laurice, Jum, a bunch of strangers.

When holding hands, do you intertwine fingers? Yeah. That’s my favorite.

Is there a movie that makes you cry every single time you watch it? This is gonna get some eyerolls but...Titanic. Forever one of my faves no matter how overrated people find it, hahaha. The “Rose Dawson” scene gets me all the time.

Do you ever talk to the TV? I mean if I have comments about the show I’m watching, yeah I guess I’m technically talking to the TV. But I don’t talk to the TV like a camera, if that’s what you mean.

What's your opinion on Johnny Depp? I feel for him and all the shit he’s gone through with Amber Heard. I’ll always feel bad for having sided with Amber in the past. Movie-wise, not really a fan of his repertoire but I respect his craft and abilities nonetheless.

Have you ever watched the Tudors? Nah but I hear of it a lot, so I’ve always been interested.

Can you speak in different accents? No. My dad’s super good at accents though since he travels a lot for his job. He can do American, Indian, Singaporean, Chinese, Australian, etc.

Who was the last person you mocked/mimicked? The annoying person at the BIR who wasted my time. 

If you write, isn't writer's block the most horrible thing? I’d say it’s inconvenient, but it’s not the worst of my worries whenever it strikes.

Can you sew or knit? No but I’ve made up my mind about learning how to :) I put some cross-stitch kits on my online shopping cart recently and I can’t wait to get my hands busy.

Do you have a favorite pair of jeans? Yesssss. They’re the only pair of jeans I wear these days, on the rare times I have a reason to go out.

What size shirt do you normally wear? XS.

Are you good with money? I’m good with saving if I absolutely have to, but I’m equally good at spending all my money in one go lol

Has anyone ever aimed a gun at you? No. Don’t know how well I’d fare in that; I tend to freeze up and forget words when I’m terrified.

What is the first letter of the person's name you last kissed? G.

Do you use myspace for following celebrities, and facebook for friends? I never regularly used Myspace, and Facebook is for sharing memes, staying updated on the news, and connecting with family and friends. At least up until I deactivated last month.

Have you ever written a song? Maybe in grade school when it was an assignment for class, but never on my own time.

Do you believe there is life on other planets? Other planets in other galaxies perhaps in other universes, sure.

If you think about the universe long enough, it's baffling isn't it? Doesn’t take long for me, but yes it is.

When was the last time you fell? I haven’t in a while.

Are you a fan of Christian Bale? I wouldn’t say so. I don’t think I’ve seen any of his movies. I’ve been meaning to watch American Psycho for years but just never got around to it.

Do you have any sort of debt? No.

Is there an accent you prefer? I don’t know if prefer is the right word since I don’t have any favorite accents, but hmmm I can listen to Florence Pugh’s accent all day.

Have you spoken to the person you love today? Yep.

Would you ever travel to Los Angeles? If given the chance sure, but I honestly prefer other cities.

Have you ever been through a natural disaster? A lot of them.

Is there a specific time period that interests you? I don’t think I’ve ever been hooked to just one specific era...I’m interested in all of them and read about them an equal amount.

Do any of your friends own an expensive car? JM used to drive a Lexus to school on Fridays.

Have you ever been on a train? Just once. I had to go to Manila for a journalism class but I wasn’t willing to drive all the way there, so I took a train and had Jum keep me company because I didn’t know how commuting worked.

Is there a memory that embarasses you to think about? I mean yeah, there are a lot.

Have you ever used different colored paper clips? Possibly.

Where exactly are you right now? In a corner in my room.

Don't you admire those people who know exactly what they want to do? I admire anyone who’s able to make the best of what they’ve got, no matter what their progress is in life. Life shouldn’t be a contest of who gets their shit figured out the earliest or the best way possible.

Is there a guy you can talk to about anything? No.

Have you ever been in a parade? I know I said in a previous survey that I haven’t been to a parade, but now that I think about it I’ve been to several Pride Marches, which kinda count as parades...so yeah, I have been.

Would you ever consider being a news reporter? My entire family wanted me to end up being one, but it was never an interest of mine. I was just too shy to tell them that that’s not really my goal. I like staying behind the camera for the most part.

Are you, or anyone you know, an atheist? Yes and yes, I know several people who are.

Has anyone ever told you to "get a grip"? I don’t think I’ve ever gotten those exact words before.

Do people say you look your age? Or younger or older? Younger.

Have you ever sent a celebrity fan mail? Kind of. Five years ago my friend Heather and I were at YouTube Fanfest where Joe Sugg, Caspar Lee, and Oli White were part of the line-up, and we didn��t anticipate that so many fans would come with gifts even though there was no guarantee of meeting them. We came up with a little gift of our own, which was really nothing more than a tiny post-it saying that we love them lmao (we went to the venue straight after school, hence Heather having school supplies HAHA). It was such a poor-looking gift. We went to their assistant who was SUPER nice about it and didn’t make us feel like shit for our gift which was pretty much worthless and could easily get lost – it was literally a piece of post-it. I doubt it ever got to them, but we gave it a shot anyway.

Are you ashamed of how you acted when you were younger? Some parts of it, definitely. I grew up in a violent household, so I was violent towards my brother when he was a baby, not knowing how serious my actions were. I was also a pain in the ass while I was going through puberty.

Do you ever have those days where you feel you're the ugliest person ever? Yes.

Beauty is both external and internal, correct? Sure.

Have you ever been in a musical? Yeah, in grade school through high school. Never had a solo role, though.

When was the last time you swam in a pool? July 2019.

Is there a friend's family that makes you feel like you're family too? Angela’s. At one point, Katreen’s too, before we grew apart.

How do you know someone is your best friend? When I don’t feel like filtering my words around them, and when I allow myself to be fully vulnerable with them.

When was the last time you used a highlighter? Sometime in February I’m guessing. Before the lockdown and when I still went to school and had readings.

Has a flashlight ever ran out batteries on you in the dark? I don’t think so.

[thotyssey]

RePoint: Viva Vidalia

When Thotyssey last interviewed Viva Vidalia (one of our earliest), she’d just won the Mr. Rockbear sash at her home base of Rockbar, and had also just started doing drag. Much as changed! Now among many other things, Viva is the key element to Thotyssey’s latest nightlife venture. Let’s review with Viva!

Thotyssey: Viva, hello again! So I understand you’re off tonight... how are you spending your “down time?”

Viva Vidalia: Hey Jim! YES I finally have a Friday off, and all I want to do is be as far away from a bar as possible! I'm using today to catch up on sewing commissions and hair things. The drag never stops!

When did you start making stuff for other queens? 

I have been sewing costumes for other performers for a long time now. I started openly taking commissions about two months ago, and I'm very fortunate to say that it's been keeping me quite busy.

And do you have a piece you did for another queen that you’re most proud of?

I recently worked on Honey Davenport's Poison Ivy costume for her BloodBath performance, and I am still super proud of how the entire look came together.

So the last time Thotyssey spoke to you was in 2016. you’d just won Mr. Rockbear, and had been doing drag for like 5 minutes! Obviously a lot has changed since then. 

Yeah, that was a while ago!

What has surprised you the most about how you have evolved as a queen since you started?

I think what's surprises me the most is how much I absolutely did not have anything together back then, even though I really I thought I did. The last time we spoke I was still trying to balance a bear life and a drag life. It was tiring, and not very fruitful. I think when I married both parts of my life, I was able to evolve into the performer I am right now.

I recently saw a drag king performance you did with Jason Mustachio’s revue at Rockbar... that was kind of a tribute to Bear Viva in a way, but still very drag!

Absolutely! That night actually is, to date the most nervous I've ever been about any performance. But I'm glad I was able to bring out Vincent; I perform as Viva so much that I sometimes forget about the man underneath the lashes and stretch fabric.

So today, what’s the best thing about drag for you, and what’s the worst?

The best part of drag is the performing. I absolutely love being on a stage and entertaining. For me there is no feeling on this earth like it. The worst part would definitely have to be getting out of drag! There is nothing I hate more than getting home at 3am and having to take everything off and shower before bed. All I ever want to do is sleep! 

I can imagine! So we’ve seen a few cycles of Drag Race come and go... Dusty Ray Bottoms is your gurl, isn’t it exciting to see what she’s been up to since her season?

Dusty has been one of my favorite performers in NYC since I first saw her perform. She has always been a star in my eyes, and I'm glad to see that the show has put her in a place to get the recognition she deserves.

Will Viva be a RuGurl someday?

I'd sure like to be. NYC is full of incredible queens, and the show in clearly looking at this city as a prime pickup spot. I think the chances of me getting on that show are as good as any other queen! So...  fingers crossed.

Let’s talk about gigs! You used to host Miss Runner Up at Rockbar on Fridays with another drag seamstress, Miss Florence D’Lee! Today you are with Lilith LeFae and sometimes Catrina Lovelace too.

Yeah! Miss Runner Up has had many queens come and through. Working with all the previous hosts has always been great because they are all my dear friends. Every Friday on stage was essentially just hanging out with my friends

These days it will just be me and Lilith Lefae keeping it going. We will actually be postponing the show to do a viewing party for Drag Race: All Stars when is starts.

That fuckin’ Friday night Drag Race time slot! How bullshitty is that!?

Haha! Truly any chance I get to get up in drag, sit down, watch and make money... I'm cool with it.

Congrats on recently becoming Boxers HK’s Wednesday night karaoke queen! How is that treating you so far?

Thank you! This week was my first time hosting. It's such a fun venue, and the neighborhood is super cute. The new GM is an absolute angel, and the entire staff are equally as great. It’s slowly becoming my favorite gig to host.

If you could pay, like, $10 to remove a song from the karaoke book forever, what would it be?

As much as I fully love and acknowledge this song as a classic, if one more person drunkenly stumbles through "Don't Stop Believing” one more time I might pelt them with my wig!

And I hear your stepping in for Shuga Cain at Hardware this Thursday.

Shuga is not only one of my favorite queens, but truly one of my favorite people on this planet. I have been guesting with her pretty regularly at the show, and stepped in to cover some she is away. It's always such a good time.

Love her! Now let’s talk about Viva Variety, the variety show at Bedlam we just premiered this past Tuesday night. It’s a Thotyssey production featuring guest performing queens, musicians, burlesquers, etc. (this week: Honey Davenport, Gloria Swansong & Senerio) each night, and you are the host! How fuckin’ fun was that premiere!?

I'm truly humbled and honored to be a part of it! We are celebrating not just drag, but all the different kinds of talent that exist within our community. Singers, dancers, comedians, burlesquers... anything and everything is welcome... and most importantly, appreciated. Bedlam Bar is the new queer bar / safe space in town, and such an incredible venue!

And I understand you have a Thanksgiving party coming up on Friday the 23rd at Cmon Everybody with the guys of Faith Lyft!

YES! I got a message asking if I'd like to be a part of the party and off course I said yes. I'm actually a closet disco freak, so I know oit’s ts gonna be a good time. The party is going to be benefiting the Bowery Mission as well. DRAG for a cause is always a good thing!

Anywhere else?

I am at The Phoenix on Sunday 11/25, at 10.

Werk! Okay last question... Mariah Carey’s Glitter soundtrack is suddenly and inexplicably back in the Top 10 downloads... yay or nay?

ALL. THE. WAY. YAY.

LOL! Thanks, Viva!

Viva Vidalia hosts “Viva Variety” at Bedlam on Tuesdays (9pm) and karaoke at Boxers HK on Wednesdays (9pm), and co-hosts “Miss Runner Up” with Lilith LeFae on Fridays at Rockbar (7pm). CHeck Thotyssey’s calendar for all of her scheduled appearances, and follow Viva on Facebook and Instagram.

Previously: Viva Vidalia (4.19.2016)

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