Smosh Mouth - #72 - Meeting Our Biggest Fan

Episode Date: November 25, 2024

Amanda and Shayne are joined by the lovely Aurora Matrix, drag queen extraordinaire and Smosh Mouth's biggest fan! Exclusive $45-off Carver Mat at https://www.AuraFrames.com. Use code SMOSH at checkout to save! 0:00 Intro 3:14 Aurora Matrix’s start 10:08 Her experience on Canada’s Drag Race 39:58 Aurora Matrix’s introduction to Smosh 44:48 Amanda or Shayne? 59:13 Amanda and Shayne’s drag names 1:03:41 Lip syncing for their LIVES SUBSCRIBE: https://smo.sh/Sub2SmoshCast WEAR OUR JOKES: https://smosh.com WHO YOU HEAR Shayne Topp // https://www.instagram.com/shaynetopp/ Amanda Lehan-Canto // https://www.instagram.com/filmingamanda/ Aurora Matrix // https://www.instagram.com/auroramatrix/ WHO YOU DON’T HEAR (usually) Director: Selina Garcia Editor: Rock Coleman Producer: Amanda Lehan-Canto, Shayne Topp, Selina Garcia Production Designer: Cassie Vance Art Director: Erin Kuschner Assistant Art Director: Josie Bellerby Art Coordinator: Alex Aguilar Prop Assistant: Courtney Chapman Audio Mixer: Scott Neff Audio Utility: Matt Taylor Director of Photography: Brennan Iketani Camera Operator: James Hull Camera Operator: Eric Wann Assistant Director: Alexcina Figueroa Executive Vice President of Production: Amanda Barnes Production Manager: Alexcina Figueroa Production Coordinator: Zianne Hoover Operations & Production Coordinator: Oliver Wehlander Production Assistant: Quincy Bell Production Intern: Caroline Smith Post Production Manager: Luke Baker DIT/Lead AE: Matt Duran IT: Tim Baker Director of Design: Brittany Hobbs Graphic Designers: Ness Cardano, Monica Ravitch Senior Manager, Channel & Strategy: Lizzy Jones Channel Operations Coordinator: Audrey Carganilla Director of Social Media: Erica Noboa Social Creative Producer: Peter Ditzler, Tommy Bowe Merchandising Manager: Mallory Myers Social Media Coordinator: Kim Wilborn Social Media Intern: Mailyn Stiffler Talent Coordinator: Selina Garcia People Operations Specialist: Katie Fink Front Office Assistant: Sara Faltersack CEO: Alessandra Catanese EVP of Programming: Kiana Parker Coordinator Producer of Programming: Marcus Munguia Executive Coordinator: Rachel Collis OTHER SMOSHES: Smosh: https://smo.sh/Sub2Smosh Smosh Pit: https://smo.sh/Sub2SmoshPit Smosh Games: https://smo.sh/Sub2SmoshGames El Smosh (Spanish Dub): https://smo.sh/Sub2ElSmosh FOLLOW US: TikTok: https://smo.sh/TikTok Snapchat: http://smo.sh/OnSnapchat Instagram: https://instagram.com/smosh Facebook: https://facebook.com/smosh Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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Please gamble responsibly. If you have questions or concerns about gambling or someone close to you, please contact Connex Ontario at 1-866-531-2600 to speak to an advisor free of charge. BetMGM operates pursuant to an operating agreement with iGaming Ontario. Hello, welcome to Smosh Mouth. I'm Shane. And I am Amanda. And we have a very, very, very special guest with us today.

Aurora Matrix, the runner-up of Canada's Drag Race Season 4. Oh my god. Hello. Super big fan. Me too. I feel like this is so meant to be. You met at DragCon this year. Yeah, that was like months ago. I know, and you were like, Sarah Christ, and I was like,

hello? She knows the lore. And now you're here. Here I am. I really did manifest this. I was like, I'm gonna get on Smosh. Yeah, we learned after Amanda and Tommy met you that you are arguably our biggest fan.

I mean, I definitely watch your videos every single night before I fall asleep. I literally sleep to Smosh Mouth podcast. Oh, my God. It's that relaxing? I don't know. Maybe it's like the brain rot conversations. Good. I don't know.

Maybe it's because you're so dumb. No, I love that no it's just like when I'm like laying in bed and I hear Shane try to tell a joke and then just break before you even get to the punchline it's just so comforting because I'm like oh I'm a fly on the wall I get to listen in on other people's

conversations oh my god you really are a big fan because that's exactly what happens all the time that is the most accurate description of this show literally he warms up to tell a joke and then he just starts breaking it before it happens. And it just falls apart. You think about the punchline, you're like, it's too funny.

But it's funny for me. I'm having a good time. You were getting a tour before we started recording and you were like naming out references to things. Like you recognized every room, you recognized small jokes here and there. I saw the chance mask from Let's Do This on how to cheat

on a test. That's crazy. There was the crocs with the chicken on the feet when you guys were hitting each other with pool noodles. By the way, when you threw the pool noodle and you got chance, I was like, he's the chosen.

Oh my god god i love this and you were you were telling us that you've been watching shane since he was on so random yeah it was definitely like when i was little just watching tv and like loved you honestly loved the whole cast it was just like one of those where it's like i can put this on the background and it'll be entertaining every single time. So yeah, sitting here, I'm like, whoa, big fan. I'll see you. You're real.

I could touch you if I wanted. And then I just fade away into mist. You just disappear. I'm like, oh, never mind. It was a mirage. He's a hologram. It means a lot. You know, it's so funny. It was so random.

Like when it was on, I felt like nobody was watching it. And then after like five to eight years, suddenly people were being like, oh, I loved that show when I was younger. It's really cool. felt like nobody was watching it. And then after like five to eight years, suddenly people were being like, oh, I loved that show when I was younger. It's really cool. How old were you when you were on the show? I was 19. Oh my god. Yeah. I was like barely alive.

You're old. I graduated high school like two years ago. I'm kidding. Oh my god. I'd believe it. I was born in 2000. Okay. Okay. Yeah. I'm kidding. Oh my god. I believe it. I was born in 2000. Okay. Okay. Yeah that's awesome. Aurora Matrix you are incredible and a baby and I love that so much. So you're our biggest fan I think kind of pretty much. Pretty much. I want to hear I want to hear more about you like when did you start becoming a beautiful drag queen? Oh, my God.

Well, I've been performing my whole life. When I was little, my parents put me in piano, in musical theater, in Chinese dance choir. So I've been involved in the arts pretty much my whole life. And then when I went to high school, I auditioned for the drama program. And my mom was like, if you get get in you can pursue this but if you don't then you're going to your regular school and you're going to go into like whoa or whatever that's in the sciences ultimatum yeah so if anything it kind of made me want to do it even more because i was like well i'm going to prove you wrong and i can do it so i did the audition

for my high school got in and they're like okay fine you could do it and then it came back to applications for university and college and I was like well I want to keep going with this and they're like okay again if you get in you can continue and if not find something else to do so I auditioned and they accepted me on the spot and I was like well acting conservatory here we come um and since then I've just been performing and being in theater I feel like I've always already been involved in like makeup and the theatrics of everything and the extraness of everything so one day I was like oh there's an open stage in Toronto let me just go I love makeup I love theater mash it together and here I am Aurora Matrix wow yeah that's kind of how it all started so you were born in Canada.

True North, strong and fierce. Wow. I was always curious how people get into, like, drag. Like, you know, like, how do you get your start in it? You know, like, so many other types of performing, you kind of understand, like, oh, if you want to get into stand-up, you go to open mics. If you want to get into acting, you get an agent and you audition. But drag, I've never understood, where does it start? It's pretty much the same thing like the open stages are just a stage where uh performers can just come for free

they're not paid or anything but you can do a number kind of get your name out and that's how I started my very first time performing actually there were people in the crowd who who booked shows and all that and they saw me and after my first two numbers they came up to me like we would love to book you like are you free on Tuesday you can come to my show do a couple numbers and that's kind of how I got the ball rolling went to that Tuesday show and they're like oh we have another show on the Friday do you want to come and do it? Oh you just started like gig life. Yeah so that's kind of how it started and I was still doing school full-time at this point I was in my first year of university so I was juggling school, doing shows

until like 4am and then going to a movement class at like 8.30 and I'm showing up and all my classmates are like, did you not have a show last night? I was like yeah, I've slept for two hours but here we are, let's go, let's do some yoga or something like I don't know. Damn! That's so intense! Yeah, but that's

how I knew that I really wanted to do it because I was willing to sacrifice my sleep, my mornings, my school life to do it. Because I was like, oh, this brings me joy. It doesn't feel like work to me. I genuinely do enjoy doing it. How did you come up with your name? Oh, yeah, that's a good question. I always say Aurora like the princess, Matrix like the movie.

Badass. Aurora's the chosen. I princess, Matrix like the movie. Badass. Aurora's the chosen. I mean, that is quite little. That's chosen right there. Yeah, so I had my start in makeup

and people always said that I never really had an ugly phase because I started doing makeup before I even did drag. So when I first started doing drag, I already had my face down.

I already kind of had an idea of what I wanted my drag makeup to look like. So I always joke like, oh, I'm like Princess Aurora, Sleeping Beauty. I'm a pretty girl. And then Matrix, because when I perform, I'll give you splits. I'll give you turns. I'll give you drops.

Like bullets or... I mean, the outfit right now is very Matrix. Yeah, like bullet time. Like I'll give you a backbend where like my hair is literally touching the ground. There are clips of me online of like me jumping off of a stage like six feet off a stage doing a split oh yeah i've seen that things like that you know you're unbelievable when i'm like in dragon performing the adrenaline takes over and you really don't think and you just kind of you just go for it you pay for the

consequences later you're stuck in a split you're yeah, I feel like you guys can relate to that with like Smosh and just like fully committing to jumping off. Yeah. I can relate to that. I can do a split. Can you? Yeah. I like how it was my,

it was my goal. Uh, and then I failed horribly. And then one day you were like, Hey, I did the splits. I was like, that's cool.

It was, I wasn't trying to do it. I just love doing yoga and stretching and then doing strength training. And then all of a sudden I got't trying. I wasn't trying. I wasn't trying to do it. I just love doing yoga and stretching and then doing strength training and then all of a sudden I got into it and I was like and then I was like I'm gonna get out. I hope. You're like a new move has been unlocked. Literally it was

unbelievable. It felt so good. I'm so proud of you. But to jump off the stage and going into it I'm not sure I can. It's easier. The momentum just pushes you all the way down. What? Oh, my God. Look, gravity's your friend.

You just got to trust the process. And you have to, like, rehearse that, or do you just sometimes just go for it in the moment? The latter. Wow. Yeah, I never rehearse any of my numbers, unless they're, like, dance numbers with dancers and everything. But I'm very like feel the music, whatever I feel in the moment.

Maybe I know like, oh, at this chorus, I'm going to do some trick. After this bridge, when it like builds up to the last chorus, I'm going to do a trick. But I never really plan out what I'm going to do because I also just like feed off the audience. Depending on what they're giving, then I'm going to give that back. You're off the audience depending on what they're giving then I'm gonna give that back. You're a true performer. You're like an improviser. 100%. You are. Yeah and like also like the audience has to earn

the tricks. Yeah. When I first started performing like I would do a ballad and be doing like six splits and I'm like why are we doing a split in a ballad? Like Celine Dion like in a gown. I'm like cause I'm like, why are we doing a split in a ballad? Like Celine Dion, like in a gown. I'm like, cause I'm yours. But you know, I learned and like, you have to let the audience kind of want and make

them work for that trick. And it makes the tricks more impactful. I love Celine Dion so much. So if I saw that happen and you did six splits, I literally. Okay. Well, if you're ever in the audience and I'm doing a Celine Dion song, I will do a split for you. Okay. Thank you so much.

It's funny. In Toronto, we have a couple like signals. This is split. Yeah. That makes sense. This is jump off a chair. You guys have your own sign language. Well, just like within my group, honestly.

Okay. So if I'm performing and my friends are in the audience, they'll do this and they're like, oh, I want you to do a split. Or this, I want you to jump off a stool into a split. And then this is cartwheel. Wow! Like it's baseball and you're up there like.

You're giving your plays. And then you do the splits right there. Oh, 100%, yeah. That's so funny, wow. There's a whole formula to my performances for sure that's so incredible and so eventually then you go on rupaul's which is like well not rupaul's i went on canadian version well drag oh canada's drag race yeah sorry but yeah the canadian franchise of it got it um which is i just feel like those shows are kind of like the

pinnacle like yeah like did you know? The Olympics of drag, yeah. It's a huge thing. You weren't working towards that because you already knew that you loved doing it. But were you like, okay, I want to get on that? Was it one of your goals? It definitely was one of the goals. Well, when I started doing drag, Canada's Drag Race didn't exist. It wasn't a thing yet.

That's what I was going to say. So RuPaul's was way before Canada. Yeah, RuPaul's Drag Race, I think, was already on the 10th or 11th season at that point. And I just had loved it from discovering it in high school. I remember watching YouTube videos and finding

funny compilations and being like, what is this? People dressed in wigs? What are they doing? I remember the first time seeing it being like, this is weird. What are people doing? And then the more I watched it, I was like, oh, no, like, I kind of love the extravagance of it all. Like, yeah, you're a theater kid. Yeah, well, I grew up like listening to like Beijing Chinese opera from my parents and like Chinese dramas of like ancient China. So it's like, it's always the biggest costumes, the craziest makeup, feathers, pom poms, all that. So

as I started watching Drag Race, I was like, wait, I kind of love this and I kind of want to do that too. So I started doing drag. And then I remember the summer when the season one of Canada's Drag Race announced and they were like calling all Canadian queens. I was like, oh my God. How old were you? I think I was 19.

So you were in school. Yeah. So this was the summer after I had finished my first year of school. And you were already performing. I was already performing. Yeah. I think by like three or four months, I was performing weekly with school as well. Yeah.

So you hear the call and you're like, I must go. I must go. But I made a promise to myself. you're like, I, I, I must go. I must go. But I made a promise to myself. I was like, I'm going to finish theater school first. I've already started. So I'm going to finish school. And I went to my teachers at the beginning of the,

my final semester. And I was like, I don't want to be an actor anymore. I'm going to pursue being a drag queen. They're like, okay, okay. They weren't surprised because they knew that I was doing it. I remember in second year, one of my teachers pulled me aside and're like, okay, okay. They weren't surprised because they knew

that I was doing it. I remember in second year, one of my teachers pulled me aside and was like, you know, technically you're not supposed to be doing drag. What?

Yeah, with the conservatory, you're not supposed to be performing outside of school. Because it's like, you're supposed to be doing your training. They don't want you

to like revert back to old habits before you're fully trained. But I was like, yeah, but I'm not really acting with like my out of drag like legal name. It's kind of like a persona. Yeah, you're fully trained. But I was like, yeah, but I'm not really acting with my out-of-drag legal name. It's kind of like a persona. Yeah, you're doing something else.

It's a character, almost. So he was like, okay, well, I'm going to go to a staff meeting. I'm going to bring it up, and I'll let you know. And he never brought it up again. So I'm sure the other teachers were like, it's fine. Yeah. Yeah. Exactly.

And if he told you that you had to stop, where are you going to? Absolutely not. Yeah. I mean, he's. And if he told you that you had to stop, were you going to? Absolutely not. Yeah. I mean, he's not at the gay bars watching me perform. So like. Well. Well. Well.

You know what? You're right. You suddenly look out and he's in the audience. He's going. Yeah, he's going. Splits. Splits. Splits.

Or I'm cutting you off. Splits. Or you're done. Or you're getting an F. Okay. So then you don't go to the first casting call of Canada's Drag Race. No, I don't submit a tape for season one. I don't submit a tape for season two.

Damn. I don't submit a tape for season three. Were you dying? Were you just... I was dying to do it. And at this point, I was starting to really make a name for myself in Toronto, which was originally the goal.

I wanted to be a regular girl in the city. If you say my name, I want people to be like, oh, I've seen her. She's at this bar or this bar. So that was the short-term goal until Drag Race came around. I was like, oh, I need to do that now. But I made it very known online that I was going to finish school first. So everyone was like, oh, she's not going to be on. She's in school. She's in school. And then I posted that I was going to finish school first. So everyone was like, oh, she's not going to be

on. She's on. She's in school. She's in school. And then I posted that I graduated and everyone online was like, she's going on. She's going on. And that was also the year that I didn't post anything about the auditions. Like I didn't post like, oh, my God, exciting. I didn't comment on the post saying that there were applications open. And I think at that point, people were starting to think like, okay, this is her time. This is her moment. So I auditioned. They accepted my audition

and I went through the whole audition process. And it was very much like, oh, this is what I've worked towards. And like, I told myself, I'm going to finish school, I'm going to audition and then I'm going to get on season four. How many people are auditioning?

Like for Canada's Drag Race, like, how many in that initial round are in? Maybe like, I don't know, hundreds? Thousands? Wow! It's a lot. It's definitely on a smaller scale than the States, just because like, in Canada, all the major cities are so spread apart. Versus you guys have a bunch of major cities in each state. Yeah. Versus we have, like, one province with one major city.

And then you go to, like, Montreal. And you go to, like, Vancouver. It's, like, everything's so spread apart. And they're really far apart. Yeah. I don't really think I know how many drag queens there are out there. I mean, in Toronto alone, I always joke, like, a weekly there's 100 new queens. Just because, like, everyone wants to do drag these days

Which is totally fine, but it's just like there are so many queens and it's so oversaturated It's so hard to like start drag now I don't know how the girls are doing it now because when I was starting it was very rare that like there was a whole bunch of new girls coming in Right, so I'm part of like kind of maybe like two generations before now. And now there's two generations of girls after me. Crazy. I mean, I was we message each other because Courtney and I were in Toronto a few weeks ago for Buffer Film Festival. Yeah. They had drag brunch with Miss Mosu. Yes. From season three of Canada's Drag Race. OK, so we we couldn't go in and watch it because we had work to do.

But we were outside right before and someone was performing Celine Dion, It's All Coming Back to Me Now, which is like my karaoke song. And Courtney and I were like, we will, can we? You're like peeking in the door like, hello? And then she like came out in the lobby

and then like entered and we were like, can we just come in there? And right then and there, there was like so many drag queens right in our hotel. And we were just like, I just come in there? And right then and there, there was like so many drag queens right in our hotel, and we were just like, I just wanna go back to Toronto and go see more drag shows because I was like, all right, this is incredible. Oh my God, please.

So you know, have you ever done? I have done, actually, the last time I did that gig was three days before the finale of my season. Oh! So you were performing outside of doing DragCon. I mean, not DragCon. Canada's Drag Race.

Well, Canada's Drag Race, it's all pre-filmed. Yeah. Oh, before the finale release. Yeah, before the finale release. And so you had to kind of keep, like, you couldn't talk about it. No, at this point, it was airing. And I was performing right before the finale episode

was going to air. And for the finale they film multiple people winning. So there's footage of me winning and then there's footage of Venus, the winner, winning. And you were the runner up. And I was the first runner up so I was second place. Why did they do that? So that no one knows who wins.

You find out who wins in the live airing of the show. So I'm sitting here from filming all the way to broadcast thinking there's a possibility I could win. There's footage of me winning. There's me holding the scepter, giving my thank you speech.

It's incredible. It's a crazy experience and filming it too is like it's real but it's not real because I know crazy experience. And filming it, too, is like, it's real, but it's not real. Because I know that they're also filming the other person winning. So I was at this brunch. At Drake Hotel. At the Drake Hotel going, find out this Thursday if I'm going to win. Because I don't know.

That's insane. That's genius. It's such a wild concept. Because otherwise people would find out. Exactly. People would definitely find out. And I'm pretty sure they do that for the American seasons too. They started doing that after season three of RuPaul's Drag Race because it kind of leaked who had won.

Sure. So season four and on, when they started doing live finales in the States, they started recording multiple winners so that when they air the final edit of the episode, that's when you find out who wins. I did not know that. You were just performing brunch at the Drake Hotel being like, I could have won. I don't know if I did. Exactly. And I'm literally saying on the mic during my mic work, like, I don't know if I'm going

to win, but you guys should come to the finale viewing party and watch me watch the episode. So I found out and watched the episode live and found out I lost in front of a live audience on stage. That. But to still get runner up is so. No, 100%. And like I've always said, like, if it wasn't me, it was going to be Venus. Like she was going to be the other winner. So it was it was just such a crazy experience.

I feel like because Courtney obviously watches tons of Drag Race, and it feels like it's almost sometimes not about winning. Because they all make a name for themselves out of these shows, and they always come back onto the other shows. Oh, 100%. Spinoffs, all-stars. It's kind of just the beginning, no matter where you place. Because I'm aware of Miss Vanjie and that was

Vanjie. And she was the first one kicked off but she became like super famous from it. And then she came back for the next season and then was I think top five of her season when she came back so it's really what you do with your career after the show. It's just

it was so crazy when I was at DragCon, because that was my first time at DragCon. And the queens were cracking me up. Oh, the girls are funny. So funny. We'll say anything. And literally also so loving and, like, connected and open. But also you could feel that they were, like, a tribe. Like, tight-knit tribe.

It's a sisterhood. It really feels like that. Like, we jokingly see each other. We're like, oh, my God, hey, sister. Sister. But, like, tight-knit tribe. It's a sisterhood. It really feels like that. Like, we jokingly see each other. We're like, oh, my God, hey, sister, sister. But, like, it kind of is. It is. You just have this bond because you've been through this process of going through Drag Race.

And, like, it's a hard process. And, like, there's such a mental pressure on you. Of, like, you watch the show. You think it's going to be one way. And you get there and you of like you you watch the show you think it's gonna be one way and you get there and you're like oh but it's also a TV show it's not just a competition right so they're repositioning cameras they're calling cut they're refilming things doing pickups like things like that you never see on camera so now when I watch new seasons I'm like oh I know that took 20 minutes oh I know that only took two minutes. Oh, I know they cut here and they refilmed that.

Or I know they filmed that out of order. It's just like, whoa. And I guess. Lowering the curtain a little bit. Yeah, of course. Like in most shows, they have a makeup department. You're getting your makeup done. But on Drag Race, you're all doing your own makeup.

Yeah, you have two hours to do your entire. Everything? Your makeup, hair, jewelry, outfit, jewelry outfit corset audio all within two is that enough time no i usually give myself three hours in general yeah i was gonna say i was gonna say two hours to do my thing and everything and you're also doing your makeup and a little story producer is crawling under the table going hey can you ask them about coming out can you ask this person about their relationship with their mom because you're getting filmed because it's a show that aspect of reality tv is always i always forget about that of like all the about coming out? Can you ask this person about their relationship with their mom? Because you're getting filmed right there.

Because it's a show. That aspect of reality TV is always, I always forget about that. Of like all the conversations that are happening, it's like, producers are kind of...

There's literally someone sitting, like imagine if like Selena was sitting on the table here going, hey, can you ask Shane about this? Most episodes, that's what we do. No, she usually is right here.

I'm actually petting her right now. Selena! You're so cute! She's so little! She's very tiny. So dainty. So cute. But yeah, there's, like, you're getting ready, but there's so many moving parts happening.

How? And, like, sometimes you're doing your makeup and they're like, okay, girls, can you guys keep quiet on this side? We're gonna film something on this side. And, like, oh, we're going to re, we have this conversation. And some of you guys have never been in front of a camera before. Yeah. I would say like most of the girls are usually used to just an onstage presence compared

to like on camera. So like, don't look straight at the camera, but be aware that you are being filmed. It's hard not to. It's totally different. I will say having like a stage presence helps you guys so filmed. It's hard not to. It's totally different. I will say having stage presence helps you guys so much. Oh, 100%. Like, if you just came from camera and then went to stage,

I think that would be way harder. But it's so crazy because it looks so... I mean, that's reality TV. They do such a good job of making it look so natural. Are they ever telling you things that you're like, I don't want to ask that? No.

Are you ever saying no to the producer? I would say you could, but for me, knowing how it worked, I was like, well, if I say no, that's less screen time. They probably have an overall storyline that they have for me. So if I'm saying no to that, who knows? They might just kick me off. They might find a reason to send me off. Oh, interesting. Right? There's so many aspects that I'm like, when you're there, you're aware of that, who knows, they might just kick me off. They might find a reason to send me off. Oh, interesting. Right? Like there's so many aspects that I'm like, when you're there, you're aware of that.

And you're like, oh, I know that they're watching. I know that they're listening. Your mic is always on. So even when you're like off the set and you're just on the side waiting, they're listening in on everything. So if you say something like, oh, I'm stressed. Like I didn't finish zipping this up or I didn't finish sewing this up. The judge is going to call that out.

They're going to be like, oh, we noticed that you didn't finish the back of this dress. Like, it's because they're always listening. Like, producers are always listening. Because they're trying. Do you think that they created a storyline that wasn't necessarily you? Or did you think like, OK, they understood me? Or were you? Overall, I feel like they got my story.

Also, because i had so many storyline points that i had given them initially like relationship with my parents um my history in theater how i got in my got my start in drag um so i knew that they had a good storyline for me but you never know you never know like i'm not looking at the storyboards looking at what they have laid out for me right are there definitely times in your season but probably other seasons where there's drama happening but as soon as like everyone's offset they're like oh yeah we're just playing this up there's no real drama oh no when when on my on my season i was gonna say i was

like no i think it's real the drama's real on season, when it was episode four, we had just did the design challenge. And one of the queens, her name's Melinda Verga. Hi, Melinda. I love you. I miss you. Does she watch the show, too? I don't know.

Hi, Melinda. We love you. She was actually just on Traders Canada. Oh, my God. So good on her. She just got kicked off. We love you. We love you. We you we miss you Melinda

go fuck yourself with gratitude but Melinda blew up and she was like fuck the judges fuck you fuck all of you this is Vivian Westwood inspired she was popping the fuck off and it was giving to Lulu

do you see your outfit girl Vivian Westwood we all thought she had like tailored four different jackets to make it like a patchwork one jacket we find out it's one jacket that she just kind of cut the sleeves off and reattached so we're like oh it's not as impressive as we thought yeah so she was going off flipping tables walking off like i'm done with this i hate this blah blah blah and i'm sitting there going melinda's crazy like melinda's crazy like she's about to like throw throw hands and then after watching it back and i'm like oh no melinda is crazy but with good intentions but i remember we had finished wrapping that episode and we were all just kind of

getting out of drag it's it's silent because they're like we're not allowed to talk when the cameras aren't rolling um yeah we're not allowed to talk when the cameras aren't rolling because they want to keep it everything on camera oh my god yeah it's a whole world so we're silently taking off our makeup there's tension in the room and i just kind of go up to melinda i was like hey like just want to make sure like nothing was personal but it's just like we're here because we all want to be here and for you to say that you don't want to be here anymore really struck a chord with all of us and she was silent she didn't really respond to me she just went okay thank you it was like so uncomfortable but she probably respected that I I'm sure.

And it was just like kind of like in the moment. She was like, let me just get through the rest of this day. Let me get out of drag. Let's get back to the hotel. We'll come back tomorrow fresh and new. And she did. She came back. We started the new.

It's a new day in the workroom. All that. You come in. You kind of sit around the table. You're like, OK, girl. So let's talk about what happened last episode. And she's like, well, I want to start off by saying I'm sorry. And like she had that thing. But in the moment, you And she's like, well, I want to start off by saying I'm sorry. And like she had that whole thing. But in the moment, you're sitting there going, oh, my God, this is going crazy.

She's crazy. My only regret, I wish I inserted myself into that argument more. I was like, I'm watching it back. I was like, oh, that was an iconic like argument. I wish I was in that argument like saying like, let us sit the fuck down. Like, you don't need to be popping off like this. The judges are here to give you critiques. It's their job.

I mean, it's so easy to go back and watch your season and be like, damn, I wish I just... Everything you respect. You're seeing things from a different point of view. But in the moment, you're sitting there like, oh, oh, oh. You're protecting yourself. You're like, I don't want to... Also, I'm aware that it's going to be on TV.

So if I see something too controversial, are the fans going to hate me? Are the fans going to come for me for coming for whoever? It's just, yeah. Having that balance on reality TV is, we've talked about how difficult that is. Of being entertaining without being too much of a villain. Or just going full on into the villain. Which I feel like you can either choose to be or the editors are like, you're a villain. Or just going full on into the villain, which I feel like you can either choose to be or the editors are like,

you're the villain. Well, yeah, if you're going to commit, you're going to have to go like full throttle. Full throttle. Like you really just have to go for it,

or else it's just like, oh, she has no personality and she's just kind of, she's just playing this persona that isn't real. And people can clock that. People will be like,

oh, she's fake as fuck. That's insane because you're balancing reality TV show and then also, correct me if I'm wrong, you're bringing all your outfits you're bringing everything do you make you make all your outfits well i don't make all of my outfits but someone makes them and then i commission them to make it and then we bring it all it's like crazy you have like six or seven giant boxes i think i had four giant tubs that were like the size of this

table um and then i had two giant suitcases i mean yeah it makes sense you had to bring in everything yeah and they have and they have weight limits they have dimension limits on your boxes and suitcases so that to keep it fair for everyone because like not everyone's gonna have the same boxes but they're like you have to stay within these dimensions well yeah you can't bring like a crazy outfit well people do and i'm like how did you pack that you have to get like make things so that it can also collapse or it can fold up one of my one of my drag sisters on the show she always we called it the lettuce because she had this outfit that was this giant green emerald outfit with all these extra pieces. And I'm like, that literally is bigger than the hotel room.

I don't understand how you packed this. She collapsed it down. She collapsed it like folds over, collapsed it down. She brought like giant flat screen TV boxes. And that's how she packed her like. Wow. She like compressed it. Compressed it all down.

And I'm like, you are so smart i was like i'm just gonna like fold everything up and i never would have thought about that aspect of it no that's one thing that if i were to ever go back for another season i'm gonna ask her how she packed because like the outfits that she brought i was like that's not fitting in a car how are you gonna bring that here literally insane i don't know how you put that on a plane. Like I was lucky that I was in Toronto. Yeah, I was going to say. I didn't have to fly out to do.

So people flew in. Yeah. So people who weren't in like close by had to fly in. So I was like, oh, my God, that's a whole other thing to deal with. Would you do it again? I would. I would. I mean, I right now I mean, right now,

I want to, like, give myself time, like, to tour, travel, go to different places and perform because I want to get that experience of just, like,

working full-time as a drag race girl and, like, just get a sense of what it's like to live the fantasy, you know? Yeah, of course.

But, I mean, if the opportunity were to come up again, I don't think I would pass it up. I would do it. Yeah? How long is it? Like, how much time do you have to dedicate to it?

Is it like, how long is the shooting? I don't know if I can reveal, but you're sequestered, you're quarantined. My season, we called it gay prison. Wow. My season, we called it gay prison. We called it gay prison. And for weeks, I'm sitting alone in my hotel room with no iPad, no phone, no nothing. All I have is whatever's on HGTV, on Showcase, on Paramount. Law and order.

Yeah, I watched a lot of Bar Rescue. Oh my God, Bar Rescue. With John Taffer. is just on order yeah i watched i watched a lot of bar rescue oh my god with with john taffer that show's insane like i should have done john taffer for snatch game i by the end of filming i knew him from the head i knew him in and out i knew everything about him i was watching like the property brothers. Such hyper masculine people on TV. Rock the Block. I was like, I don't know, all these like random hotel TV shows. And I'm like, well, this is all I'm going to do. Yeah.

Stop. That's amazing. I think the only thing that I brought for my own entertainment was like a word search book from the dollar store. Okay. And like I'm on the phone with like the queen care like like the the wranglers who are like helping us out care queen care and i'm on the phone with them in the hotel room like doing my word search like oh can you search up what an orb weaver spider is that's my next thing on the word search one of the word searches were called let's make a salad and all

the words you have to find were just ingredients. So I was literally going, how do you feel about tomatoes? As I was looking for things. Okay, we're moving on to Parmesan cheese. How do you feel about that? Holy shit. Yeah, you really just have to find ways to entertain yourself. Wow. That's the most insane thing I've ever heard.

That's so funny. And then you can call the office to be on. I'll be like, can you put me on the queue for outside time? Oh, my God. You really are in gay jail. Do you say gay jail or gay prison? Oh, prison is very different than jail. Oh.

So you had to literally ask to be let out. Can I have some? let's make this out. Can I have some outside time? Can I have some sunlight privileges, please? Would they literally like supervise you when you went outside? Like someone standing by it, like off in the distance, just like walking. Queen's care. Oh, let me tell you.

So you're going, can I be put on the queue for a walk? Can I be put on the queue for an outside time? And they'll go, great. We've added you to the list. We'll give you a call when someone's on the way. So you're just sitting there. You don't know how long the queue is because other queens are probably asking to go outside too.

So I'm like, maybe like half an hour later, someone will call you, be like, hey, this is so-and-so from the office. Like, oh, hey, it's so-and-so speaking. And they'll be like, oh, this person's coming to get you. Have your mask ready. Have your headphones ready. We'll be ready to pick you up coming to get you have your mask ready have your headphones ready uh we'll be ready to pick you up so they come and pick you up you have to have your earbuds in

playing music head down so you can't see anyone just in case like the public sees you i don't know how obsessive the fans are they bring you outside and they're literally just sitting on the bench with you as you're just having outside time. No! No! Like it's like a chaperoned time out. No! So just like on a bench outside of the hotel. That's so awkward.

It's really uncomfortable. And you're listening to music? You're listening to music and all the music you're listening to is just all the lip sync songs that they give you. It's literally like an school mp3 player with the USB at the end that you can uncap. Stop! You're clicking through.

You can listen to the radio, I guess, if it can connect to the service or whatever. Are they speaking to you? No, they're pretty much not allowed to. They're not allowed to speak to you! It's like, the only conversations you're allowed to have are very surface level conversations. Anything that can't

be applied to Drag Race. So you can talk about... Is this the Hunger Games? You can talk about Beyonce, but you can't talk about how Beyonce has influenced your life because that could be content for the show. Oh my god, they're just like, organizing

all the content so you don't see anything. They're literally content farming these queens. They're like, okay, we so you don't see anything. They're literally content farming these queens. They're like, okay, we have you for this amount of weeks. We're going to get the most out of you while you're here. I can't handle. I find that so cringy to sit next to a person you don't really know. And you're just like, birds. Or you can ask for a 20-minute walk around the block.

Do they come with you? Well, yes. So it's like they're taking their dog out for a walk, but it's me. I can't handle that. And like I remember when I was there, the first few weeks it was still like chilly out. So like we're like bundled up in like jackets with my hood up, with my music up. And we're just like walking in silence. I have my hood up with my music up and we're just like walking in silence i have my music playing so i can't hear what she's you're not allowed to listen

to the out outdoors you have to have music on when you're outside yeah because they're trying to limit any influences of the outside world while you're filming because that also will put a time stamp of when the season was filmed if you're making references to things that are happening in the moment. You're like, the leaves are changing. You're not supposed to know that. No, you can't say that. We're not in the fall. I'm like, okay.

The trees are nice. I love leaves. Why is it so intense? I don't know. Wow. It definitely is. I love that I got to experience that. Because it is like a, that is crazy, right?

In the moment, you're like, whatever. I'm here already. like i love that i got to experience that because it is like a that is crazy right like in the moment you're like whatever like i'm here already but you look back at your at it and you're like that was crazy that was absurd like that's not normal no no i i think it's fair to say that's not normal i feel like on reality shows like the circle or something i feel like they did some intense shit like that but that like to not be able to, like, hear the outside world. Yeah, and, like, all the queens are on different floors, so we never pass by each other. You only see each other on set. You only see each other on set.

You don't know who would even be in your season. No, I found out who was on my season pretty much when I walked into the room. Wow. Did you know any of them? Have you, like, performed with a lot of them? I haven't performed with any of them before the season, but I think out of the 11 girls that we

had, there was only two girls that I hadn't heard of. And they were from smaller cities in Canada. But the girls from the big cities, Montreal, Vancouver, and the other Toronto girls that were with me. I knew the name at least, or I had chatted with them online.

So we were like neutrals, especially over the pandemic. Like we kind of connected with so many people. Oh, yeah, right. So many people across Canada. So getting there was like, oh, it's nice to meet you. Like I've known you now for three years online, but we've never met before. Insane. Yeah, it's wild and then when you're

prepping for the show you're like there's like rumors of who got casted or who might be asking so-and-so for commissions for looks like oh this person just got three wig commissions all with the same due date or this person is also asking me for an outfit with a similar theme to what you're asking me for so like you kind of put the pieces together of like who is the potential cast for your season, but you don't find out until you actually get there and you walk into the room and you see the other girls there. Wait, when you say wig commissions, what exactly do you mean?

So you kind of get a list of the runways that we're going to be doing, the themes. So for example, we had one runway called gemstones so i decided to do the jade gemstone love my look the concept was i'm going to be my mother's jade necklace so because she had this giant jade necklace of this goddess called guanyin so i was like i'm going to be the guanyin jade empress um so i painted my whole self green and I had this blonde wig that was like chain links. We went to the dollar store, got foam

rings. To be like a necklace but it's your... But it's my hair. My hair is the chain necklace. Oh my god, incredible. I am the Jade pendant. So like I asked one of my besties and she's currently on the next season of Canada's Drag Race season 5 which is super exciting

but she had to basically figure out how to make a chain link hair that'll sit on my head I don't understand it but it's true like it's so interesting wow that's wild

it's unbelievable what you have already done. I know. And it's weird to think that like this is technically the beginning of my drag. Like this is that big jumping off point. It's all your training. Yeah. So like I've been doing drag now for almost six years coming January. But all this, the whole, for the first six years, that was all prep for the beginning of my career

and i'm like this is now the start of of my my international world debut wow so cool yeah that's i feel like that's kind of any job in entertainment of any sort like it takes so yeah yeah to get it so much prep so much work behind the scenes before you even get to do it yeah people are like oh my god you're on smosh like so cool and it. And it's like, yeah, I've also been training for over 10 years in improv. You're like, I'm a trained actor and like I went to school for it and all that. They're like, whoa, so cool.

And it's like, yeah, I've been working. I try. So. Oh, excuse me. Why are you walking so close behind me? Well, you're a tall guy. You throw a decent shadow when I'm walking in it to keep out of this bright sun. It hurts my eyes.

Okay, well, you know what? At Specsavers, you can get two pairs of glasses from $149. And, oh, you'll like this. One can be a pair of prescription sunglasses. Sounds great. Where's the nearest store? Not far. Come on.

Let's hurry then. To my count. One, two, one, two, one, two. Visit specsavers.ca for details. Going back, when did you start watching Smosh? Ooh. That's a good question. So you weren't able to watch Smosh while you were on?

No, unfortunately not. No, definitely not. Now that would have gotten me through the quarantine period. Yeah, literally. I think my earliest memory of Smosh was back in the Ian Anthony days. Okay. Whoa, okay. And my memory was probably food battle.

Great. Whoa. So you're an OG. OG, but at the time I wasn't like a huge, huge fan. It was more like a couple of my friends were really big fans and I would I would like go home uh after school with them and be like oh there's there's a new new food battle and they're oh this I I love this every year we do this so that was kind of my introduction to Smosh and then I think I kind of fell off with Smosh a little before Anthony left okay um and then yeah for a long time I kind of didn't have any connection with Smosh.

And then in the past year, I have crazy hyper fixations on YouTube. So one day just like an episode of Smosh Mouth came up. So I was like, oh, like I know who Shane is. Let me watch an episode. And then I fell in love with the conversations and just learning that like, oh, every person on the cast

also has like their little like character tropes too yeah so i'm like amanda has a hyphenated last name boston this and that like that's amanda like it almost became like a character study for me of like oh my god i want to learn about all the different people at smosh now i love that it's a full cast versus just yeah anthony yeah there's like 15 of us. Yeah. And I think that is so interesting and so such a fun addition to the channel compared to what I knew what it was years ago. So, yeah, for the last year, I've just been hyper fixated on Smosh, like every night just finding a new episode of something that I haven't watched.

And there are like podcast episodes that I always go back to. Oh, really? And, like, re-watch over and over and over again. Which, can I ask which ones? Yeah, let me name a few. Your Shakespeare reading. That is so cool. So cool.

And also because, like, that's, like, something that I'm familiar with, like, having studied theater and Shakespeare. So I'm like, okay, yeah, I'm listening to you guys do this, but in a way more entertaining way than what I knew. Yeah. Modern version. It looked gorgeous in that hat. Oh, and my mustache.

The mustache was a lot. My mustache, it looks like a potion seller. Angela going, ew, ew, ew. I was like, yeah, I feel that. I feel that. I put it on and I was like, oh my god. But it wasn't as bad as when Angela had the mustache on for something and the mustache just kept... Oh, Detective, where's my

coffee? Oh, Detective, where's my coffee? And it just kept going up. It became the Batman symbol. I was like, that's gross. It was nasty. And at one point, I think in one video, I had to switch mustaches with her and it was so gross. Was it really wet and sweaty? It was really wet and sweaty. And I regretted it immediately. Angela's gonna love this conversation.

I told her to her face. Angela, wet and sweaty. We have that relationship. I also love the episodes where you do Try Not To Laugh. Oh yeah. Which I think you should do more. Do more. Do more of those.

I have so much fun watching them because I'm also like can I sit there with a stone cold face and I'm like no. I'm like sitting there like literally smiling at like all the little jokes before you even get to the punchline. I'm already like I know what they're going to say. It's tough. I also love the

April Fool's episode. Oh. With Angela and Chan. As us. As you guys. We Angela and Chance. Yeah, proud of that. As us. As you guys. We were sitting right there when they were doing that. Which is hilarious.

Like knowing that you guys are watching and them just making jokes like, are you lying? Are you lying? That's a good impression of Chance doing me.

It's an impression of Chance doing you. Killed it. Perfect. And then Angela's just like, oh. Yeah. That moment

The like countdown Into the reveal of Angela In the lime shirt Might be My favorite moment On this podcast Literally Cause it was just

So incredible It was so good And Chance was like Practicing with me And he was just like I mean I Oh yeah I worked there

The aspirated breath Yeah Oh yeah I had a job there Did you know I worked there too? Yeah I worked there the aspirated breath yeah yeah oh yeah I had a job there did you know I worked there too yeah I worked there too yeah I'm like Amanda

you had a life before Smosh I was like bitch okay it was so good no because you guys I feel like are already caricatures uh huh

and then seeing a caricature of a character I'm just like this is insane yeah I love this so much it was so fun so you've watched pretty much every episode of Smosh Mouth'm just like, this is insane. Yeah, there's a lot of layers. I love this so much. It was so fun. So you've watched pretty much every episode of Smosh Mouth,

maybe every episode by this point. I don't know. There may be some that I've missed here and there, but I always scroll back and there's just a watched tag on a majority of them. But you've watched us a lot, so you know us fairly well, and we have a bunch of scenarios here. Selena compiled a bunch of questions where you're going to have to choose Amanda or me.

It's kind of like what we did at DragCon, Tommy and I, but a little bit different. But now I know who I'm picking. Exactly. And don't worry, we will not be offended. No. You won't be offended, but you just have to make a decision. I'm going to stick by my choices. Okay. Yes. I'm going to stick by my choices. Okay.

Yes. Stay strong. And in the comments, you can leave your answers to these as well. You have one extra ticket to a concert. Who are you taking? Oh, it depends on what the concert is. That's so true. Okay.

Music, music, concert. Musician. Big. Depends on which. Big musician. I feel like there's a correct answer to this one. I'm going to say Amanda. Yeah, I think that's the correct answer.

I know you're very into music right now. I like it. I think Amanda would be way more fun at a concert than I would be. I think we would have a good time. I think that we would, too. I'm a good third or fourth at a concert. I'm there also. Yeah.

But you bring people that are going to be fun. You guys are having a blast, and I'm a good third or fourth at a concert. I'm there also. But you bring people that are going to be fun. You guys are having a blast and I'm there nearby. At a concert, are you on your feet dancing? If you're getting a ticket with a seat, you're not sitting in the seat. No, no, no. You're standing. And I'm not filming the whole time. That's another thing about me.

You know how people just stand there and go. You see, I like to look up the set list beforehand. I know some people are against that. But I look up the set list because I want to know when to film certain songs. Okay. So I know like, oh, the next song is going to be my favorite song. Let me film a little clip and then I get to enjoy it. Yes. Versus being like, oh my God, I can't believe I missed it.

I know. I don't want to panic. Yep. That's really smart. You're on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire. Who are you calling for your lifeline? Oh, I'm going to go with Shane. That's smart. You're on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire. Who are you calling for your lifeline? Oh, I'm going to go with Shane. That's smart.

It depends on the question. No, literally, that's the correct answer. I think it depends on the question. Especially if it's a really niche topic. I'm like, I'm sure, I feel like you would know a random thing. And be like, oh yeah, it's this, this, and this. I read a book on this. And be like, of course you did.

Yeah, that's literally Shane. Thank you. I think there's a correct answer, this, and this. I read a book on this and be like, of course you did. Yeah, that's literally Shane. Thank you. I think there's a correct answer to this one as well. You have a plus one to a wedding. Who are you taking? Yeah, I'm... Amanda, you want to come to a wedding with me? Period.

Yes, of course. I know you love talking about weddings. You're going to look so... I know. My wedding colors. You're going to look so much better than me, but yes, I will be there. We're both going in drag. Okay.

Oh, my God. Me in drag? Excellent. And also in, like, platform heels, you would be, like, 10 feet tall. Oh, I know. I've put on platform heels. People are like, oh. Imagine you in, like, the disco era.

You would have been like. People would have been like, everyone would have been like, mommy, daddy. I would be like, come to me. Oh yeah, I could see it. I thought you were quoting Barbarian there. I was. Mama, mama. I love that movie when it's like, mama.

Yeah, if you're coming to a wedding with me, we're both going in drag. Oh my God. Actually, you can get in drag and you can come with too. Okay. I would love to watch. Shane in a dress is the most amazing thing I've ever seen because he's so buff. Yeah, exactly.

Boom. No, literally, Shane walked by this morning in the office when he first got in, and I didn't see his face, but I saw the walk. He literally is breaking pavement every time he walks. I saw the walk, and I was like, there's space between the torso and the biceps. Yep. Boom, boom, boom. Speaking of biceps,

the most, this that you've recently did? Oh, I forget what I did. Oh yeah, I was like in a games video or something, right? Where I won something and I just started doing that. I can't. I can't believe I'm seeing this live. I literally had to pause the video and rewind because I was like, he's so dainty. I've never seen someone so muscular, so delicate.

And the face you made just like in pure bliss. Oh, my God. I'm like, I do that sometimes. And I'm like, no one gets the reference. I'm here laughing. It's like, yeah. It's so cute okay you somehow landed in jail

who's your one phone call? Gay prison you're in gay prison who's your one phone call? this is to get to help you get out I would assume I assume you're in jail I'm like who has more money to bail me out? I'm like, please.

What did I get in jail for? That's on you. I'm going to call Amanda. I feel like a little mom friend would definitely. I'd probably beat some guards up to get you out of jail. I respect that. You can take her. Just take her.

And I'm like, no, I'm going to fight you guys. I'm like, she's ready to go. I'm calling Amanda. Thank you. This one's good. You get to Freaky Friday with one of us. Who are you choosing? Whoa. Okay. Okay, wait. I need to think

about this. Freaky Friday with someone. It would be two completely different lives. Maybe not. Not only our bodies, but our lives is also here. This might be a crazy answer. Okay. Shane, I want to switch with you so that I can hang out with Courtney.

That's, I, at first I was like, you're going to say Amanda, but then I was like, oh, but then you get to hang out with Courtney. Yeah. And then you get to be in that body. Just stomping pavement. Breaking. I get to do that in that body. Breaking the floor. You get to be in this body and be like, oh, it hurts.

I just want to like yell in testosterone. Screaming in, asterisk, screaming in testosterone. You try to put on all your clothes, you're like,

oh my god, it doesn't fit. No, if I was in your body, I would get myself in drag and just be like. But then you wouldn't be able to do, you wouldn't be able

to do the splits. Gravity, remember? You would break every muscle in his thigh. But it's not my body. That's so true. I wake up the next day just like, Aurora, what the fuck did you do? Oh my God.

I just wake up in the hospital. That's so funny. Okay. You're in a pickup basketball game. Who's on your team? Amanda. I'm taller. Obviously.

Although I'm not good at basketball. That's okay. I don't know. I could try again. I'm not good either. We can be bad at it together. Okay, great. Thank you.

This is interesting. You're lip syncing for your life. Who are you going against? Who would you rather go against? Yeah, who would you rather go against? Who would you rather win against? That's also an easy answer. Who you rather that's also an easy that's also an easy answer i feel like go against well if i wanted to win yeah shame yeah i don't know the lyrics to songs i do love i am so bad at it but i feel like if it depends on the song really because like you could lip sync to like a monologue yeah you just

have to sell it lip sync to a funny comedy number and i honestly i think both of you guys would do really well with that okay as long as you learn the words yeah you have to learn the words i'd have to really practice and and if you forget the words what do you do do you still move your mouth or you just go like you you just vibe there there are two ways that i go if i'm committing to the, I'll just try to fake it till I make it. Like you just got to get to the, at least as long as you get the end of each sentence, it kind of hides the rest of it.

You kind of watermelon can't slope it. But if it's like more of like a comedy number, I'll literally either move my hand to it. Smart. Like Beyonce crazy in love. Whenever Jay-Z comes in, I just go. Smart. Like Beyonce, Crazy in Love, whenever Jay-Z comes in, I just go, uh-huh,

uh-huh. Smart. Or if it's like a group number with like my sisters and like I don't know the song well, I'll literally be like, funny. Oh, I love that.

And like they're popping off and I'm like, I love that. Like you make a moment of it. Yeah, yeah, yeah. You make it funny and it's like, if I'm not gonna lip sync to it,

I'm gonna commit to not lip syncing to it. Yes, exactly. Love it. You you make a moment of it. Yeah, yeah, yeah. You make it funny. And it's like, if I'm not going to lip sync to it, I'm going to commit to not lip syncing to it. Yes, exactly. Love it. You have to let one of us give you a tattoo. Oh, God. After the Gardic phone video, I'm going to have you do it. Okay. Yeah.

I was pleasantly surprised with how artistically talented you are. Oh, thank you. Yeah. Do not choose me. I know how to draw a tree, and that's you are. Oh, thank you. Yeah, do not choose me. I know how to draw a tree, and that's about it. I have, like, mastered a tree. So if you get a tattoo of a tree... Well, if I need to get a tree on me, then I'll come to you. Okay, that'll be me. This next question

is insane. If you were tied to the train tracks in the trolley problem, you're alone and the other lane has more people. Who do you want to solve the problem? What? It's a psychotic question. So you're basically asking who of the two of you would be more likely to save me.

The way the trolley problem works is the train is going towards a lane that has five people tied to it. Yeah. But you can switch it to one that has one person. But you have to make that decision. So you want someone to make that decision, either save you or save the others. Right? Yeah.

It's so sad and dark. How did I get on the trolley? I will say this. Yeah. We need to figure out. Good question. We need to figure out. Good question. We need to break down the system that set this up. This isn't the trolley problem because we know one of the people.

That creates a bias. Yeah. The trolley problem, they need to all be strangers. Who do you think would be like, save the people? Or be like, no, I'm going to save Aurora. I think you should pick. I'm going to pick you. I think Amanda's going to look at the tracks and be like, save the people. Or save Aurora. Oh save Aurora. I think you should pick. I'm gonna pick you. I think Amanda, I think Amanda's gonna, The way I just said that,

I'm gonna save the people. Amanda's gonna look at the tracks and be like, Save the people, save Aurora. Oh, Aurora. Sorry, guys. Sorry, guys.

I know her. I know her. I know her. So sorry. Oh, it's happening. Bye. Sorry. I'm like on the track like,

Amanda, I have a wedding to get to. Oh, done, bitch. Oh, yeah, I gotta go. Turn, turn. The colors of the wedding are mustard yellow. Oh, done, bitch. I gotta go. Ting, ting. The colors of the wedding are mustard yellow. Oh, done, bitch. Done.

Yeah. Okay, you can only listen to this person's playlist for the whole day. Who are you choosing? Oh, I don't really know what your music taste is like. That's true. It's all over the place. I'm all over the place. Probably me.

Yeah, I would say you. Probably me, yeah. What do you like to listen to Probably me. Yeah, I would say you. Probably me. What do you like to listen to? He loves Journey. He loves Imagine Dragons. I don't like Journey or Imagine Dragons. Oh, I was like, you like songs that are like anthems. American anthems. Yeah.

Songs that make white people go crazy. I heard someone recently do a fuck. No, I'm kidding. You know those playlists that's like songs white people get turned to they're like yeah like sweet caroline bum bum bum like imagine dragons that's every song yeah okay uh uh we have um if you're bonnie who's clyde If you're Thelma, who's Louise? Oh. Oh. Bonnie, Clyde.

I think I'm also going to say Amanda. That's fair. That's fair. Yeah. Thank you. Are you my bias? Yes. Wow.

I'm so sorry, Shane. Bye, Shane. You have to go now. I'm hosting this now. You actually could. You can only get a Christmas gift from one of us. Which gift would you want? Ooh.

Ooh. I think I know this answer. I would say Shane. Yes. Really? That's what I would say, too. Because I think I would get really, like, absurd, like, gifts. Okay.

Like, something that, like, no one would think about, but it would be, like, an inside joke or a reference to something that would be really funny. I think it would be memorable moments. I feel like Shane's really good at gift giving. He listens to what you like and then is very thoughtful about it. Whereas I stress about gifts. I'm not the biggest

gift. If I got a gift from you, I feel like it would be practical. It would be like, oh, here's a pack of toilet paper for home. I'd be like, thank you. Here's of toilet paper for home i'd be like thank you here's some toilet paper you piece of shit or no maybe that wasn't a best time no no you're actually right because what i want for christmas is like new kitchenware exactly i was gonna say like like pots and pans or like a new spatula or something yeah i don't like you give me things

that are like i could use like on the everyday life versus yours would be like cool trinkets and trotskis. That's so true. Okay. I appreciate that. This last question, I threw this in last night. Which one of us do you think would do better in Snatch Game? Oh, that's a tough one because you both really just like commit to your characters. Yeah. I guess the question too is which characters, which Smosh characters, it doesn't have to just be Amanda and I, which Smosh characters do you think would do best in Snatch? I want a Krungle.

A Krungle. Oh, my God. Krungle is full on crushing it. Krungle. Yeah. And just, like, so horny. So horny. Like, would be flirting with the other contestants, with the celebrity guys. You'd have to hope someone else does like an old celebrity,

like an older reference. So that Pringle's all in on it. Oh, for sure. But then it would have to be like one that's very like conservative, very whatever, so that you can be the opposite of that. That's a good one. Maybe we need to get, oh, what's his name?

The Wizard. Oh, Dumpster Wizard. Maybe we need to get them too. Pringle and Dumpster Wizard, they've been together before. We've established that there's history there. We don't know if it's good history or bad history. They've definitely kind of dated, but I think it was

extremely fucked up and messy. It was a weird time. Neither of them were sober for the entirety of it. The building almost went down. I would also like to see Kourtney's Sabrina Carpenterenter really yes just so aloof just yeah yes and then um spencer's uh fred darts fred darts would actually be really

the fan base that fred darts has on the internet is crazy, man. I love this. People apparently, like, some people didn't know that Fred Durst was a real person. No, it's... They only know Fred Darts. It's insane to me. It's like, what did you think he was? Insane to me. No, an original character. Yeah. No, people dressed up as Fred Darts for Halloween, but what's funny is you see their

costume, and it's like, you're just dressed up as Fred Darts. No, you're Fred Durst, right? You know that's all you are. What? No, I'm Fred Darts. You're like, no, you did it all for the you're just dressed up as Fred Durst. No, you're Fred Durst, right? You know that's all you are. What? No, I'm Fred Durst. You're like, no, you did it all for the nookie. You're Fred Durst. And they're like, I don't know what that is.

Yeah, exactly. Well, also, I'm assuming like a lot of your fan base is also quite young. Yes. So they're learning about references that they only know from you. That's true. That is true. Right? Yeah.

Something that we discussed beforehand, and it sounds like you prepared this. I put thought into this because I was like, oh, I don't want to just give you any name. Yeah, we've been discussing like, oh, what would our drag names be? And so you've thought about this now. I have. So going into this, my criteria for you was I really wanted to play off of your last name, Top. Such a good last name. Gay people love Tops.

And then for you, the highlight was it needs to be a 1-2-3 name because you always say how you have a two last name. Yep. So the names are. Okay. Oh my God, I'm so excited. Anita Top. I need a top. Oh my God.

That's brilliant. That's awesome. We have Anita Top with two Ps, of course. And then we have Shirley a Bottom. Or Shirley A Bottom. Stop. The most powerful duo in los angeles of course i'm a bottom i think we both are in this situation i need a top surely a bottom controversial yet brave take surely a bottom oh my god i It's like I want to perform.

It's like I want to get ready. And when you have punny names, it almost opens up the opportunity for you to do stupid numbers and like comedy numbers where it's like a song, a song, a song. And then a phone rings and you're like, hello?

It's like a monologue from something like, I'm going to kill you. They're like, no. And then it's another song. I could totally see you guys doing that. And no. And then it's another song. Like, I could totally see you guys doing that. And also, I want to see duo numbers from you two.

Oh my God. You're pretty cool. Dude, Shirley Abottom is the best name ever. Shirley Abottom. I want it like, in a plaque behind me. Shirley A. Bottom. I need a top.

I need a top. I need a top. This is so brilliant. I'm glad y'all liked it. It's so good. I was racking my brain. I also have a name for Krungle. Oh, okay.

Tell me. Auntie Lynn Chastity. Auntie Lynn Chastity. Chastity. Auntie Lynn Chastity. Auntie Lynn Chastity. It's also the same initial as your name. It's so fucking good.

ALC. ALC. Auntie Lynn Chastity it's also the same initial as your name it's so fucking good ALC Auntie Lynn Chastity except Chastity is Chastity belt she would never wear in her life but that's the prop

that she always has yes and it's off that's the running joke it's like I have it but I'll never wear it wait that is so good

and then the chosen would be Slaytana badass and then at the and then at the end of all your numbers it just goes Wait, that is so good. And then the chosen would be Slaytana. Badass. And then at the end of all your numbers, it just goes, Slaytana wins. Yeah. And then it goes, shing.

Flawless victory. Flawless victory. And that's the end of your number. I love this so much. Dude. I want to see the chosen in heels, like six inch heels. Thinking that he's like, it's like, he's like,

he thinks that he has perfect poise and balance, but he's just falling. All you hear is just clomping. He's like holding onto his like sword as a staff. I'm going to walk in heels now. They both have knives as the stilettos. I was born for this moment. That's fucking amazing.

Slaytana? Slaytana. Wow. How long did it take you to come up with all this? Yeah. Is it just like... Literally too long. I was like, they have to be perfect.

They are perfect. They literally are perfect. And also I was like, it needs to be a pun because I know you guys would appreciate like a funny joke. And also I wanted something that compliments each other for the podcast. So Anita Top and Shirley a Bottom. It's so

perfect. It's so perfect. The comments are going to be calling those out forever. Ever. It's so perfect. That's awesome. Thank you. You're so welcome. I'm glad you like that. I literally want to perform. Maybe. Do it. Okay. Next Sm video. I put these two in drag. That would be brilliant. I joke about it now, but it could be a good idea.

Actually, that would be freaking brilliant. That could be cool. I feel like that'd be Courtney's dream. Oh my God. Yeah, I know. She would want to be here. Got to figure out Courtney's drag name. Okay. I'll start thinking. Okay, start thinking on it. That's my next assignment. Yeah, that's your next assignment, among other things. Among many things. So you mentioned lip syncing earlier. It's a big part of drag. And we have some clips here.

Now, we couldn't do music because we'll get copyright struck. Of course. But we have some clips from smosh mouth and just other smosh videos that we're going to try to lip sync over right now so if you're just listening to this you just get to listen to this clip and imagine us lip syncing it perfectly yeah but you could also go on youtube and watch this part yeah it's probably gonna be ridiculous so one we have uh aurora i think you and i are going to attempt this. This is Amanda's resume reel. Who's going to be who?

Both of you are going to go at the same time? I think we can go one at a time. We can go back and forth until one of us nails it. And I just get to watch. We can do a couple takes of it. I get to watch it cringe. For those who maybe didn't see this episode, this was you. You recorded this.

This is fake. These are real news stories. These are real news stories. So you are recounting real news stories as a field reporter. Because very similar to you, Aurora, my mom was like, instead of giving me the option, she was like, you can't go to theater school. What are you talking about? You're going to go and do a real job.

And I was like, okay. So I was prepping to be a news reporter for a while. And this is a reel that I had to make. So it's like 4 a.m. So I'm just like subbing in my story into these real news stories. And this reel, when I showed my friends and family, they're like, this is funny. And I was like, that's not supposed to be funny. No, this was not serious.

So it's Cringe City. And here we go. Okay. Let's listen to it first. Okay. Let's listen to it first. Okay, let's listen to it. Great. The victims inside this house say the two suspects came in, tied them up, held them at gunpoint, and then used their walkie-talkies to signal the getaway car.

That worker fell halfway down a 20-foot shaft while working on this tunnel over here. His foot was pinned between a pipe and the ladder that he fell off of. This is so sad. This is the saddest shit that you guys are going to live through. Sorry to laugh at it, but you gotta work while doing this. Yeah, you do. Okay.

Do you want me to attempt it first? Do you want to try to attempt it? Are we doing it back to back? As it goes to the next clip, you just go right into the next clip? I feel like you just go into the next clip. Yeah, why not? I feel like it's... Yeah. I feel like that's... Okay, I'll see, I'll watch you do it first. Okay, okay. Let me, this is gonna be bad, but let me

attempt this. The victims inside this house say the two suspects came in, tied them up, held them at gunpoint, and then used their walkie-talkies to signal the getaway car. That worker fell halfway down a 20-foot shaft while working on this tunnel over here. His foot was pinned between a pipe and the ladder that he fell off.

Oh my god, Shane, I'm unsure. It was like... Okay, your hand did more lifting than your mouth. It felt like a bad video game where it was like it was like ah See we're showing how hard this is There I remembered certain words, but you're talking so fast. You did a good job. I had to because it's a news story It's live. It's live news a man got pinned. No, but good on you. You went first. Yeah, well done tried Do you want to attempt I try okay? Okay? Hi camera. I'm ready good on you. You went first. Yeah, well done. I tried. Do you want to attempt it? Shall I try? Okay. Okay. Hi, camera. I'm ready. Alright, here we go.

The victims inside this house say the two suspects came in, tied them up, held them at gunpoint, and then used their walkie talkies to signal the getaway car. That worker fell halfway down a 20-foot shaft while working on this tunnel over here. His foot

was pinned between a pipe and the ladder that he fell off of. I thought you were going to go like this. Okay. Yeah. You did it way better than me. And you killed it because you ended all the last words. It's the last words. It's the last words where you go.

You also added a physicality as opposed to me over here. Just like. I feel like you were flirting with the camera. I didn't know what I was doing. I was desperate. I was the broken country bear at Disneyland. All I remember is use their walkie talkies to signal the getaway car. The getaway car.

Come get me. That was so good. Do you guys want to attempt the. This one's a little easier. This is the chosen getting slapped. Yeah, let's hear it. Okay. This is a lot easier, I think.

Let's hear it and maybe see it. So, you actually showed up. Gotta be honest, I wasn't positive you would. All right. Well, it's time for your first challenge. I want you to try to hit me. But here's, oh! Okay, I wasn't ready yet.

Got it. All right. Which one of you wants to go? I can go first. You can go first? Okay. I mean, I'm gonna do terrible after I just made fun of you forever. Here we go. So, you actually showed up.

Got to be honest, I wasn't positive you would. All right. Well, it's time for your first challenge. I want you to try to hit me. But here's... Oh! Oh! Oh! I want you to try to hit me, but here's the thought.

Okay, I wasn't ready yet. Oh my God, nailed the facials. Oh my God. I was like, and you did what I love about lip syncing is when you get close to an audience member when you're lip syncing, you hear the mouth noises. So when you're like grabbing a tip from someone and you're like really lip syncing, you just hear the. I bet that's so awkward. So even during just like the.

They give you the tip and they're just like, oh. And you're like. A lot of mouth noises. That is so hilarious. Watermelon, cantaloupe, watermelon, cantaloupe. Cantaloupe, watermelon. Okay, let's give this a try. Okay, your turn.

Okay, okay, here we go. The Chosen. So, you actually showed up. Gotta be honest, I wasn't positive you would Well, it's time for your first challenge I want you to try to hit me I wasn't ready yet. Oh my God. Nailed that. Was that okay?

No, you were so good. I feel like I showed more emotion than the chosen usually would. Yeah. Yeah, but it was your moment. That was chosen internally. That was chosen in drag. Yeah. That was chosen in drag.

Oh my God, that was so, you're so good at like the emotion and the timing where you're like right back to the camera. I was like in drag. Oh my God, you're so good at the emotion and the timing where you're like right back to the camera. I was like, okay, I gotta pull. I was ready for that. Man. Okay, so our last clip we're gonna attempt is the famous Harambe clip. It's a long one.

Okay. So we're really gonna have to pull it together for this. And this one's full dialogue. This is full dialogue. And I'm you. And we're gonna swap it all. So you're gonna be me. I'm gonna be dialogue. This is full dialogue. And I'm you. And we're going to swap it all. So you're going to be me. I'm going to be you.

You'll be Trevor. I'll be Trevor. Trevor was, I think we're about the same age. Yeah. Yeah. 17? Yeah, 17 years old.

We were like quite young when this happened. And just like, this was the talk of the town. Oh my God. Everybody was talking about it. Everyone was talking about it, honestly. Listen. Everybody in this building was like, Amanda, the talk of the town. Oh my God. Everybody was talking about it. Everyone was talking about it, honestly. Everybody in this building was like,

Amanda, you're crazy. Amanda, everyone was talking about it. People from home were like, what is wrong with you? I remember that. But hey, we've now learned that Angela also didn't know about Harambe. Exactly. And she got off.

Two truths, one lie. Angela completely got away with that. She exposed herself. I think the 9-11, 2011 thing is still... I think people let Harambe slide for her. Where were you during 9-11? Okay.

This one starts off quick. So we're going. We're just going to go. Yeah, let's just go. I'm going to do really bad at this. I'm going to do really bad. You can't watch it. I'm just sitting here just watching it. Yeah, that would be so unfair. I'm just going to hold it up. I'm not going really bad. You can't watch it. I'm just sitting here just watching it Hold it up. I'm not gonna look at it. Okay, here we go right off the bat. Have you ever heard of Harambee now? You've never heard of Harambee

He was at the Cincinnati Zoo, it's okay, it's okay. Are you lying? I'm not lying to you I'm telling you a true story. I'm telling you a true story. You lie a lot. I'm telling you a true story. Okay, okay, okay. I believe it was the Cincinnati Zoo. And a boy somehow snuck in and fell into the gorilla pit. Okay. Harambe comes up. He's curious.

He's looking at the kid. He's just kind of looking at him, whatever. They then shot Harambe. It's sad. They shot Harambe and they killed him. Why are we laughing? I'm laughing because this is an insane story

that I've processed years ago. Why would they shoot him? He didn't want to do anything. He was probably talking to him. You're now dealing with the trauma that everyone else dealt with. Harambe deserved to live. I know.

Isn't there a protest that I could go to? How old is that kid now? I will find him Wow that was hard Wait that was so strange Because I kept looking at Shane When you were talking but then it was

I know me too I was like waiting to do my lines I couldn't decide which person to look at But I feel like that was Trevor He was just laughing. My heart died in that moment. I just relived that. I actually felt what you were experiencing there. But you really did make such a valid point of like,

we've already processed all of this. I was like, why are you laughing? And Amanda in that moment was like, what? What is happening? That's really hard to process something so way later when it's like, we already did this. Yeah, it's not shocking to us. Yeah, we closed the door on this.

We got closure somehow. And I didn't. So I had to relive that for months after that. But now you're fully aware of the whole situation. Yeah, I've made closure. You've done all your research on it. Yeah, I found him. It's taken care of.

You did the ending of Zodiac where you just knocked on his door. He opens up and you're just like, that's all I needed to see. He's the Creekside Killer. He's the Creekside Killer. Yes. The little boy. We found him. The Creekside Killer.

You tap into this other register in your voice. It's kind of my mom when she's angry. Does your mom really sound like that? Oh, yeah. She's like, girls, get out of here! Oh my god, Mama Canto is scary. Mama Canto is, yeah, yeah.

If you step on her foot, she's like, my body, that hurts! Everything is talked through a groan. Exactly. It's that and also like every detective ever, but a lot of it's my mom when she's very angry. Wow.

So I can jump right into that. Pretty cool. This has been incredible. I know. It's like, I feel like I only learned like 20% of you and I just want to know everything. So this, I don't know. We covered a good range. I feel like we sprinkled a little bit of every aspect of my life. Yeah. Absolutely. It was, I just think that you're incredible.

And like you manifested everything that you had and you just, everyone was like, okay, well if you do this, you can't do this. And you're like, this is what I want to do. I think it's such a gift to know what you want to do.

And you're, you're fucking doing it and you look unbelievable doing it. Thank you. I appreciate that. Yeah. I'm like, it's going to take me a long time to process like, oh, I actually did this.

Yeah. As our biggest fan. I'm here at Smosh. It's crazy. You guys are real people and not just characters in a YouTube video. Yeah, well, we're going to disappear when you leave here.

We all cut and you just, we fade to mist. Yeah, well, we're going to disappear when you leave here. We all cut and you just... We fade to mist. And fade to black. Well, thank you so much for being here. This was really so cool. Where can people find you? Do you have social platforms? Yeah, you can find me on Instagram

at Aurora Matrix. Aurora like the princess. Matrix like the movie. I also have my own podcast with my two sisters. It's called The Powder Room featuring the Powder Puff Girls. Yes.

And what I love about the podcast is it's kind of just like a fly on the wall listening in on three besties talking our shit, talking about the drag scenes, talking about, honestly honestly everything and anything so check that out

we're on our season 2 now so we're going to be recapping the new season of Canada's Drag Race season 5 weekly yes so get our hot takes on a brand new episode of Drag Race every week and your friend's on season 5 and my friend is on season 5 so we get to hear her

your friend who's on the podcast is also on season five and she did all of my wigs on my season oh okay there's so much to get into so yeah check out the powder room check out my instagram at aurora matrix and you can always just find where i'm gonna be performing on my instagram very cool this is amazing thank you so much thank you for having me of course Of course. All right. Thank you for watching. Thank you for listening. And we'll see you next week. Bye. Bye.