Money Rehab with Nicole Lapin - The Business of Drag with Alaska Thunderf*ck (RuPaul's Drag Race)

Episode Date: December 19, 2024

Today, guest-host Morgan Lavoie follows the money trail of drag with iconic drag queen, Alaska Thunderfuck (RuPaul's Drag Race). Alaska unpacks the business of drag through her own story— how she got started, the big money-makers in drag and the surprising reason it's hard to get a good ROI. Plus, Alaska talks about how she had to redefine success after Drag Race and her newest project Drag: The Musical, on now in New York City, and how the election has changed the stakes of the show. Find more Alaska here! Get your tickets to Drag: The Musical here.

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I'm Nicole Lapin, the only financial expert you don't need a dictionary to understand. It's time for some money rehab. Hi, money rehabbers. It's Morgan, the EP of the show guest hosting money rehab this week while Nicole is on maternity leave. Today, I'm going to be talking about the business of drag. This is an episode I've wanted to do for so long because one, I'm just a big fan of drag, but also because it's one of those jobs where I've just always wondered how people actually

make money doing it. Today I'm talking to one of the most iconic drag queens ever, Alaska. She goes by Alaska or Alaska Thunderfuck, and so today I'm just gonna stick with Alaska because I don't know how many times I can say Thunderfuck without the show getting canceled, too already feels like I'm kind of pushing it. Alaska grew up in Erie, Pennsylvania and worked in Pittsburgh and LA before getting cast on the Olympics of Drag, the show RuPaul's Drag Race. Alaska was a runner-up on season five and then went on to win RuPaul's Drag Race All-Stars season two. If you don't know Alaska,

you just simply have to. Her memoir, My Name's Yours, What's Alaska, is a good place to start. She has a huge fan base, 1.8 million followers on Instagram alone, and she just does a zillion different things from performing to her drag race rewatch podcast, Race Chasers, she makes music, she tours, she has a fragrance, and now she has a show in New York City. Alaska co-wrote and stars in Drag the Musical, which if you're in New York, you definitely should see.

And she tells me a little bit more about it in this conversation. Today we talk about the business of drag through her story, from how she got started to redefining success after drag race, how she kept going when she had no money, and yes, how drag queens actually make money. Here's Alaska. Alaska, welcome to Money Rehab.

Thank you so much. It's a pleasure. The pleasure is all ours. I'm so excited to talk to you about the business of drag really through your story. So let's start with you. Do you remember the first drag performance you ever saw? Yes. I think her name was Amanda Love.

Amanda Love or Amanda Hug and Kiss. I can't remember. But we walked into like a bar and it was like one of the first gay bars ever that I went into. And she was like lip syncing and doing a number. And I was like, why isn't she singing? I don't understand. I had only seen like the Birdcage and like Starina, like with the microphone, you know. So I was like, I didn't understand what drag was. Do you remember what she sang and what she was wearing?

No idea what she was doing. But she was huge and just like gorgeous and yeah. And so this was in Pittsburgh? I feel like it was in Pittsburgh. I feel like it was in like, I feel, I wanna say like West Virginia or something like that. Like I don't. That's a plot twist.

That is what I thought. West Virginia, okay. And so when you saw that, did you think I wanna do that immediately? No. No. No, cause I was like think, I wanna do that immediately? No. No? No, cause I was like, I can't do that. I can't be that gorgeous and glamorous and beautiful.

I was just like stunned. I just wanted to get drunk, you know. And did you? Yeah. Good. Well, yeah. And so this happened in West Virginia maybe. It did not happen in Erie where you grew up.

Not a lot of drag representation in Erie. Well, there is. I just didn't know about it. And I think we went to West Virginia because I was under 21 and it was like, you could get into bars there. I don't know, my memory is full of holes. Happens.

Yeah. But even though you felt at the time that could never be me, you had an early interest in style. I read in your memoir that you would make cat woman suits out of trash bags and you would dye your contacts with food coloring. I definitely did the contacts thing, yes.

Just cause I liked changing my appearance, I thought it was fun. And I always wanted to have dark eyes, like I still do. So when then did you, for the first time, think, like, I can do that, like I could do drag? It was San Francisco that did that for me. I went to the stud on my 22nd birthday and there was a show there and it was Duran Duran night and it was a drag show and it was Duran Duran is a bunch of guys and so just that in and of itself was like wait like sort of all the rules of what I thought drag was did not apply and it was it was scary and it was funny and it was sexy

and it was gross and like messy. And I just, I was like, I wanna do that. I wanna do this. So I went back to Pittsburgh and I was like, I'm gonna do drag now, because of that. And so how long after that did you perform as Alaska for the first time? It wasn't too long after that.

And I picked up a flyer at Pegasus, and it was like a contest, a Chi Chi Lu Ru contest. The fishbowl? Yeah, the fishbowl contest. And I was like, I'm gonna do that. And I'm gonna win that. And you did? Well.

Well. I don't like to brag. And so I love that you knew what your name would be And you did? Well. I don't like to brag. And so I love that you knew what your name would be as soon as you encountered it, which was a weed strain, right? Yeah. Love that. And so there was never another contender.

You were like, this is him. No, no, that was it. It was like a lightning bolt. It was like instant. So tell me about the fishbowl performance. Yeah, all the queens in in town showed up because it was like $250 or $200. And that was like, I mean, that basically like with inflation, that's like a million dollars now. And so we were like, you know, everyone came out. And so I was very nervous, but I had a bunch of tricks and gags planned in case I didn't

know the song, I would still have something to do. So I like put all this stuff up my skirt and I would pull it out as the number went on. And then the skirt would tear away and it would be a giant sign that said, I love Chi-Chi LaRx. So, you know, sucking up to the host, stunts and gags, distractions, those are the key to performance in drag, I think. And yeah, and I pulled, cause you had to choose your song out of the fishbowl.

You didn't know what you were gonna do. And I pulled How Many Licks by Lil Kim, and I happened to know every word of that. And so we did it. So was that actually your first time performing as Alaska? Officially, yeah. Officially. And so how did it feel?

It felt great. I was bit by the bug, and that was that. And so then you decide to move to LA. Uh-huh. But you decide at the time that you're not gonna do drag there. You like pack your wigs and then you go through security at the airport

and then you take your wigs out because you're like, I'm not doing drag. You did all your research on this. Like usually I have to explain all of this on podcasts and you know everything, I'm so glad. No, I got you. Yes, I was like, I'm going to be a serious actor. I studied theater arts and I'm going to be a serious actor and I'm going to give up all this drag shit. And then I was like,

being a serious actor is hard and I lacked the discipline and the skills to do it. And I was like, I had to like have normal looking hair and I had to take my piercings out and like I had like, I'd wear like normal clothes. I was like, none of that appealed to me. And it didn't make any sense to me. And so I was like, I can't do that. So I didn't know what I was doing. And so I did drag for fun just to like keep my, keep myself sane yeah and I ended up getting a job just from like going out and drag and looking crazy yeah and well thank God that you did yeah so at some point you're like okay

I'm doing drag for fun now I have to make money doing it and I read that you sort of like looked around and you're like what how are other drag queens making money and so you saw somebody sell t-shirts online so you're like I'll sell t-shirts online yeah you saw people promoting and producing shows and parties so you're like I'll try that yeah and then also making their own music and so well first all, do you have any of those old T-shirts still? Because I want one. I do. You know, I must.

They must be somewhere. They're like the OG. And it was like a face, the eyes, nose, mouth on a white T-shirt and just like blue eyeshadow. And that was it. And then it was like we did a yellow eyeshadow edition and like that's it. There are very few of those out there, but those are OG. I don't even know if I have any. Okay, well, if you find one, let me know.

I want one. But when I was reading that, I was surprised because I figured that sort of the big moneymaker is performing. Is that right? Uh, yes. But the problem there is that it also takes all your money to do that. So it's...

Tell me about that. So drag is like a conundrum because it, it costs a lot of money. Like we have a song in the musical called Drag is Expensive, because it fucking is. And it, so you have to ride the line of like, okay, when I was first starting out, it was like, I'm getting paid, you know, $100 to do this. So that means I have to make sure I'm not spending

more than that to get there. To wear all the things that I'm required to wear to do drag. Luckily I wore a bunch of garbage. So that's the business savvy that we're here to espouse. Keeping costs low, yes, no, perfect. And so you said you were getting paid like a hundred bucks maybe, so is that normally the structure?

It's like you'll get a fee and then tips. Yeah. So how much, like say the Blue Moon, where, you know, bar in Pittsburgh, where you're a big part of the legacy there, how much would somebody make in tips a night there? Well, the Blue Moon was special, and I've never had like a show structured like this.

Andy, who was the owner and the manager, believed in us and wanted the bar to not have a cover charge ever. So he gave us a chunk of $500, which we could use as we saw fit. There were three of us, usually four of us, but sometimes three of us. And so we would take that and then we would like hire a guest to do it. We'd each get like a hundred dollars or a hundred twenty five dollars,

which was amazing. No cover charge so all our friends could come. They'd get drunk on four locos and we could do whatever we wanted. I've never had a show like this ever since, where it was structured like that. And I'm so grateful for that because it was such freedom creatively. Yeah. We weren't worried about, oh, we've got to sell tickets. We have to do something that grabs people and gets them to buy tickets. It's like, no, it's free.

Just come watch us do a show called The Bible. And it's, you know, I'm dressed up like Jesus with a laser blaster riding on my friend, like a Minotaur. Like that's what we did. Tips, we'd get tips. I don't know how much, $20? $40? Something like that. Something like that? Yeah. And so all the other stuff, I mean, selling t-shirts and making music and, you

know, all of those things, like, that no one was buying it. Yeah. Like when I was first starting out because no one bought a shirt. No one bought a shirt? No one bought a shirt. But I wanted to have it there. Yeah. To do it. Because I saw someone like Jackie B, who is a brilliant drag artist, the queen of fucking

Los Angeles. And I was like, I want to emulate what she's doing. Even if no one's buying it, I want to have it. Yeah. Yeah. And so what are the costs? How does it get so expensive? Eyelashes, hair, makeup is expensive, clothes, shoes.

All of it is so costly. And there's so many steps just to like get out the door. Yeah. Yeah. And do you think, because I was thinking about it and not every job has such startup costs like that. Yeah. And so you really have to be willing to invest in yourself.

Yeah. And so did that make you feel differently, do you think, than if you had a job where like you could have just jumped into it? Like, do you feel like you were more confident because you're investing? Or did you feel like, I gotta make this work because I'm like putting my money into it? I had to make it work because I wasn't good at anything else. Like, it was like drag chose me and it's my destiny because every other job, like, it was like, it just wasn't working.

Just wasn't. Couldn't do it. Yeah. So I had to make it work. So, but pre-drag race, it sounds like you were not making enough money from drag that you could live on. You were like working in coffee shops doing other things. Yeah.

Is that right? And then when you were in LA, you got a shitty apartment so that you could save for a second audition tape for Drag Race, right? I mean, I guess that's how we tell the story. I don't know, I think I was driving my friend Jeremy nuts and he was like studying in grad school and I was being an unhinged drag queen pothead. So I got my own place and it seemed like a great idea until it was like infested with roaches. And it was just like, it was like stalled. It was like just like a dead end. I was like,

It was just like, it was like stalled. It was like just to like a dead end. I was like, I don't know if I can do this out here. So you did your audition tape for season two. You auditioned every year until season five. I did. And so I also read it in your memoir that you said that early on you were like, I'm gonna be famous.

And when I'm famous, all of my problems are gonna go away. And so when- The folly of youth. The folly of youth. And so when you did get cast, did you think this is it? I'm gonna be famous and all of my problems are gonna go away?

I mean, that is what you think, yes. That is what you think. And then it was like, then I got, you know, we wrapped filming and you know Sharon who I was dating at the time The first phone call we had was like the cat ran away the house burned down like like it was just like everything had Was a disaster So no it getting on Drag Race doesn't make all your problems go away

Shocking. And so how have you had to think about redefining success for yourself so that you can feel like it's not tied to fame, but it's tied to maybe something that is self-worth, happiness? Yeah. I mean, that took a really long time. Yeah. I mean, that took a really long time. Yeah. It took a really long time to value

my life outside of drag as it relates to drag race. It took a very long time. And that's really important. Yeah. I think that's important with any career. It's like you have to have something beyond that. Because if that evaporates or slows down or goes away, like that can't be your whole existence. It's like the movie The Substance. It's exactly like the movie The Substance. Be the substance. Hold onto your wallets. Money rehab will be right back. And now for some more money rehab.

Before you got that call saying that you were on drag race, were you stressed about money? Yes. Oh yeah. We were very, very poor. Oh yes, it was a disaster. It was like, are we going to keep the lights on? Are we going to keep the heat on? Yeah.

And so do you think if you hadn't have gotten on Drag Race, would you have kept doing drag? Yes. Yeah. Cause I can't do anything else. That was it. Yeah. So yeah.

When I first moved to New York after college, it took me a long time to get a job. And my, I did the thing where I like sold my car to move here and moved with one suitcase. And it was like, this is the total amount of money that I have in my life. And I just watched it go down while I was trying to get a job.

And when I finally got a job at iHeartRadio, I didn't have enough money in my bank account to pay for subway fare, so I walked to work every morning. Yeah, thank you. Do you have any stories like that where you're like, I just gotta fucking make it work? I ride my bike a lot, but also when I was in LA,

I was like, I would ride my bike to gigs sometimes, like in drag. So in like, you know, 2007, if you saw a drag queen on a bicycle going down Santa Monica Boulevard, it was probably me. Can you tell me about Drag Musical? Yeah. Let's start with where did this idea come from? How long have you been working on it?

Well, it's been almost eight years at this point. My God. And I had been making music with my friends Tomas and Ash. And Ash is an amazing songwriter, and Tomas is an amazing song producer. So like all my music was done with them. And so we had that relationship. And at a certain point Tomas was like, so I'm thinking of doing a musical. Do you want to write it with us? And so I was like, sure, that'll be easy. It was not easy. Yeah, how hard could it be?

It was very difficult, easy. It was not easy. Yeah, how hard could it be? It was very difficult. But we did it. Yeah, you did it and people love it. And so you didn't just write it, you also star in it. Can you tell us a little bit about what the show is about? Yes, the initial like kernel

of what it is is I like the idea of it being two rival drag houses. So it's like, originally it was like, this is the singing house and this is the dancing house. But it turned into just like, we're kind of the same, but we hate each other sort of thing, which is, you know, that's how that's how it goes in life sometimes. And then we wanted to have like a family element to it. And then we wanted to have like a family element to it. So one of the drag queens has to call her brother, who she hasn't talked to in five years.

They don't get along at all. And then her brother comes into town because he can, he can possibly help them get out of financial trouble. He brings along his son who's 10 years old and who just, his father doesn't know what to do with him because he's like, he wants to wear his mom's glasses and he doesn't, he isn't connecting. And then he discovers drag and is like, oh wait, like this is kind of sickening. I love this, you know?

And so it's about all of those things. There's a lot of, like, family elements to it, whether it's your biological family or your chosen family. Yeah. And, um, yeah. What would seeing something like that have meant to you when you were 10? I can't imagine. I don't know.

I think that it would be great, probably, because it's like when you have shame as a young person, which there was a lot regarding being feminine or dressing in flamboyant clothes or whatever, when those things are completely not allowed, then it becomes like shame. And then you have to like spend a lot of time unlearning that and reintegrating that into your self. And so I guess there would have just been like less time having to unlearn stuff. Yeah, yeah.

Well, one of the parts of your memoir that really made me feel for Little Alaska was when your mom was like, don't play like a girl. Yeah. Yeah, that's really hard. That's really hard. And then you're also, it struck me that you're also doing this show, and then the election happens.

So do you feel like the stakes are higher now somehow, or do you try to keep it in its own creative bubble? Well, and just a side note, my mom is now the biggest fan of Alaska, of me, and my biggest supporter. Yes. She told me don't play like a girl because she was trying to protect her child. You know what I mean.

That's how it was. Yes. because she was trying to protect her child. You know what I mean? That's how it was. But yeah, I mean, the fact that like children being in proximity to drag is now like a hot button political issue. We started this eight years ago, that was not even on the table. So it's a little preposterous that our musical is literally about that.

But it's also like wonderful. I mean, you know, I mean, when it's our turn on the chopping block, which it is sometimes with politics, we know what to do. This isn't a new story. And we know how to fight back. And we know how to organize. And we know how to lean on each other. And so that's what we're going to do. And the musical is part

of that. I was reading the comments of some of the posts on the drag, the musical Instagram account, and just so many people being like, hi from Minnesota. Like I took my kids when we were visiting New York. It meant so much to them. And it's amazing, it must feel so good to hear stories like that and see how it's resonating because it is such a light right now when it's like, that's exactly what we need.

Yeah, and people come back so many times. Ugh. There's a couple who has seen the show 16 times, as of today. Oh my God. Oh my God. Oh my God. So will you write another musical? Oh God. When?

Yes. I mean, maybe, I don't know. Yes. Yes. Yeah, why not? I love it. Right here, right now. Another musical.

Will there be a drag, the musical, the movie? That'd be great. I would love that. I would love that too. Yeah, cause again, it's like more people need to see it. Before I let you go, I would love to play a game with you. Ooh, okay. It's never have I ever, but money themed.

And we're not drinking. So we'll just put our hands up. Okay. And so if you have done something, you put a finger down. Oh, okay. And if you haven't, you keep it up. Okay.

So never have I ever split the check on a first date. If you have done it, put your finger down. I have done it. I don't think I've done that. You don't think? I don't know. Again, brain full of holes. But no, I was always dating older guys so they would buy stuff for me.

Never have I ever maxed out a credit card. I don't think I've done that. Oh, I have. Wait, I have. Finger down. Okay. Yeah. Never have I ever won a cash prize.

I have. You've done that? I have. So you've put a finger down. Okay. Yeah. Never have I ever won a cash prize. I have you've done that I have so you put a finger down Okay, never have I ever invested in the stock market. I Have it you haven't we got it. We got to get you in there. Okay, we're gonna make you rich. Okay, great never have I ever Given a big gift to a friend or family member I've done that. Yeah. Okay, put that finger down. Never have I ever had credit card debt.

I feel like I never got credit cards. I've had debt before, but not credit card debt. Yeah. What kind of debt have you had? Like student loans. Yeah. Yeah. I don't think I've had credit card debt either.

Yeah. Never have I ever played the lottery. I have. I mean, I don't think I've had credit card debt either. Yeah, never have ever played the lottery. I have I mean I I think I have I think I got like just scratchers cow scratchers. Absolutely cow. Okay, great. So I have okay, perfect Never have I ever been fired from a job? haven't I have What's that story? Yeah, I went to Burning Man and I was supposed to come back after three days and I was like,

I'm not leaving. So I stayed and so they fired my ass because I was supposed to be back at work. You were like, fair enough. Oh, what an idiot. I mean, was it worth it? Yes. Okay, good. All right, we end all of our episodes by asking our guests for a money tip that listeners

can take straight to the bank. And so it can be anything about something, a lesson that you've learned, something that you use to save, negotiate, make money, shop, anything. Well, and I want to address this to drag queens, or really anyone, I think it's okay to re-wear stuff all the time. I think it's great to re-wear costumes or dresses. So, because I think there's too many clothes in the world,

so it's good for the environment, but it also is like, it saves you money. And like, if you spend a lot of money on a garment, you should wear it all the time. Yeah. So don't be afraid to rewear stuff. It's like when Tiffany Haddish re-wore a dress that she wore to an award show and she was hosting SNL.

And she was like, I need to get my money's worth. Please, right? Like normalize that, because why not? I think that we should culturally do that. And it saves money. And it saves money. Good for the environment. I'm sold. Money Rehab is a production of Money News Network. I'm your host, Nicole Lapin.

Money Rehab's executive producer is Morgan Lavoie. Our researcher is Emily Holmes. Do you need some Money Rehab? And let's be honest, we all do. So email us your money questions, moneyrehabatmoneynewsnetwork.com to potentially have your questions answered on the show or even have a one-on-one intervention with me. And follow us on Instagram at MoneyNews and TikTok at MoneyNewsNetwork for exclusive video content.

And lastly, thank you. No, seriously, thank you. Thank you for listening and for investing in yourself, which is...