Now that all of the prelims for Oklahoma USofA are done, it is time to get ready for the state pageant. This is where the social media begins to catch fire and people start to scrutinize all of the qualified contestants. They start trying to handicap who has the best chances and I will be honest I am guilty of this, like any good strategist, I look and try to gauge the odds and let me tell you, I am better at calling the national pageants. Maybe the problem is that usually, the contestants are my friends at the state pageant and maybe I feel badly about trying to pick a winner.
So I decided to level the playing field.
This is USofA and ONE point often decides pageants (especially at the state level where the talent pool is smaller) so how do you come out on top?
MYTH- "You must do a HUGE production number with 12 dancers to win"
FACT: You do NOT need to do that. You do however have to entertain. You have to be realistic about your own drag and the kind of drag you like to watch. The worst thing in the world is watching someone get to state and do drag that is NOT them. The number one mistake that happens at pageants is to look like you are NOT having fun. If you look bored,angry, annoyed or scared, that is easily one point.
MYTH- "Her interview doesn't matter,she looks amazing in gown and her talent will be on point"
FACT- Interview does matter. It ALL matters. YOU HAVE TO SELL YOURSELF IN EVERY CATEGORY and let's face it, if I am not buying you in interview, and you cannot articulate yourself, I am going to be terrified to send you to prelims.
MYTH- "She is not fishy enough for USofA"
FACT: Every system has a certain aesthetic that they go for, but come on people, the highest standard you set for yourself is your look? Your illusion IS important but that is not all there is, and if that is all you are counting on, there are bigger problems
Get ready. People are going to eviscerate you. They are going to tell you to your face that you are a shoo in and then to anyone else that will listen, they will talk about your makeup, your drag family, your body odor, your sex life and they will remember every single thing you did ('She never paid me back for gas money I lent her in 2009'; 'I heard she had 3 ads on Craigslist'; 'She was talking shit about her promoter').
They are going to hate you until you win and then they will love you in that moment. Then you spend a year proving that you won and every year you come back as a former, you have to remind them why you won.
They will talk about every outfit you wore, every number you did, every cocktail you had.
The issue is that we rest our hopes on the drag community on our title holders. We want you to accomplish everything so that we can make sure that this long, rich tradition continues. Those of us that love it and want to preserve it, WE ARE ROOTING FOR YOU. We want you to succeed and if you do, we are your biggest fans. And if you don't, we will never let you forget. Not because we hate you but because we love this art form THAT MUCH.
I recognize that the fans are the problem. We think you OWE us, promoters think they OWN you and you are just trying to figure out who your character is and how to afford what all of this means to you.
So if you want to win, here is the best advice:
DO NOT LET IT CHANGE YOU.
Know yourself SO well, that it doesn't change you. That the fans, skeptics and promoters DO NOT CHANGE YOU. Don't let competition make you bitter, jaded or indifferent.
Always care.
Always smile
Always, DO YOU.
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