Drag Queen Spotlight: Siri Talks Crazy Queens & Advice for Baby Queens

Good morning!! This week’s Drag Queen Spotlight is the silly and fabulously stunning Siri! She’s more than everyone’s favorite virtual assistant! Siri is a staple in LA’s drag scene, with looks and jokes to show for it. You can find Siri at her monthly show Fake Smart, on the last Thursday of every month at Redline. I may or may not have been a guest in the show, and can attest to the fun and fierce vibe that is Fake Smart! I was so tickled by Siri’s answers, and I know you will be too. So check out her interview below, and give the diva a follow!

How did you get your drag name?

What's a drag name? I am an electronic virtual assistant with long hair and a theater degree.

How long have you been doing drag?

I started approximately 9 months after my conception, so 27-something years.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Siri (@siri_eh)

When is your birthday? How old are you?

If this is a bit, I do not have a birthday because I was assembled in a factory. If you're thinking of buying me a present, my birthday is April 8th.

Relationship status?

I'm dating a total hottie and I'm in a constant state of terror that he'll leave me or die in a terrible accident.

What was your first time in drag like?

I always dressed up in varying levels of secrecy. I'm not sure when I drew the line between "drag" and "being a woman"— if I ever really did—but my first official gig was a newcomer pageant. My sponsors put me together in drag that was begged/borrowed/stolen from queens all over the greater Ohio area. Walking into that dressing room was TERRIFYING. My impostor syndrome was working overtime. Nobody talked to me for 20 minutes—and then some nicer queens started up a conversation. I placed 4th out of 9 girls, got the bug, and the rest is herstory.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Siri (@siri_eh)

What made you want to start drag?

Like I said before, I've always dressed up. I used to sneak onto the computer at midnight and watch Logo—the moment I saw the first episode of the first season of Drag Race, I knew that's where I belonged.

Who inspires your drag (celebrities, other queens, etc.)?

It changes all the time but some constants are Madeline Kahn, La Lupe, Mummenschanz, the musical Pippin, the opera Traviata, drag pageantry, futurism/transhumanism, Walter Matthau, George Carlin, Jinkx Monsoon, Bob the Drag Queen, The Fungineers, and of course, countless local performers that I work with.

Favorite song/artist to lip sync to?

I get tired of them so quickly. I try to do songs/genres that describe what "era" I'm in—right now that's artsy '80s British pop/rock. That being said, my "old faithful" is a mix of Lady Gaga's "Telephone" interspersed with dialogue from Alexis Niers' infamous phone call and a prank call about vaginal burning.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Siri (@siri_eh)

Have you ever hooked up in drag?

I literally cannot imagine how this is possible. Do you cut a hole in the center of your capezios? Between the nails, the stilettos, and the sequins, I'd be afraid of sending someone to the hospital. Clown paint is meant to be seen in motion under questionable levels of light from a reasonable distance.

What’s your favorite thing about drag?

Drag is a space (mostly) queer artists use to say what they'd change about the world— the difference between the beauty/ugliness/absurdity of drag and the real world is where you can locate what it would take to get to that utopia. That, and I like feeling pretty/the attention.

What are your hobbies outside of drag?

Nice try. It's illegal for drag queens to have hobbies outside of drag. I do like taking in nature, though.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Siri (@siri_eh)

What’s the craziest thing you’ve witnessed in a dressing room?

GIRL. There was this queen in Ohio—you had to have a friend stay in the dressing room during your number if she was on cast because she'd turn your garments inside out and take photos of the seams to see how it was made so she could replicate it. She also had a penchant for sneaking into people's bathroom windows to take pictures of their jewelry, and (allegedly) shackling twinks to radiators in her basement. She got in legal trouble after the third twink. Anyway, one day someone's drag went missing out of their car, which was parked outside the club. Everyone assumed it was gone, so she went to the bar anyway to have a drink and watch the show. Lo and behold, [redacted] showed up onstage IN THE STOLEN GARMENT. DAY OF. Unbelievable. Miss thing was so angry she drove her car INTO THE FRONT OF THE CLUB. ON CHRISTMAS.

Biggest pet peeve about working with other drag queens?

When they ignore me.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Siri (@siri_eh)

Biggest pet peeve about audiences in nightclubs?

When they get too touchy or try to shove money in inappropriate places. No shade to anyone who makes a living doing that, but drag is not automatic consent.

Any advice for someone wanting to start drag?

Just do it. There's no "ready" or "right time". If you hit it out of the park on the first go, hooray for you. Most of us suck at least 20 times before having one good number—there's a HUGE difference between performing in your bedroom and performing in front of an audience. The only way to get good—unless you have outside training, and even then— is to do it over and over and over until you find your niche. Make eye contact with as many people in the audience as you can—part of your job is to make them feel seen. Brush your teeth/use breath fresheners because you're gonna be breathing in peoples' faces. Don't be grand or a diva— you'll look like an idiot because no matter how great you think you look, you will look back and cringe at how busted you were. Be kind to people—you never know who's working the door at the next club. Your reputation is everything. At the same time, don't let people walk all over you, and don't be afraid to establish strong boundaries because there's gonna be a lot of people who want more from you than they paid for. Get to know the bouncer and the bar staff. If you make a mess onstage, go last and have a plan to clean it up quickly—don't make the bar staff do it, and don't take the host by surprise. Don't queenspread in the dressing room. Smile big onstage and pick upbeat music/music people know if you want enough tips for a Lyft home—otherwise, do whatever you want. Don't get caught up in acting "fierce." If you're fierce, be fierce. If you're awkward, lean into that. If you're a king, don't get caught up in having swagger if that's not really you. Just be authentic. And if you're gonna dance, populate your wig cap with metal alligator clips that will hook into the tracks of your hair so your bobby pins aren't doing all the work.

Follow Siri on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. You can find her at her show Fake Smart, on the last Thursday of the month at Redline DTLA!!

Don’t forget to follow me as well on Instagram,  Twitter, and TikTok!