Kween Kong - RUPAUL'S DRAG RACE: DOWN UNDER - Performer

It's in the news today, but it was actually on TV Reload, the podcast.

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Welcome back guys to TV Reload. As you may know, my name is Benjamin Norris and this is your podcast to get all the inside goss all the popular TV shows you may be watching from around the world. Undeniably, our TV set's are a major part of our home entertainment, and yet very little is known about how our favorite

Names in Australian television.

I want to thank you for downloading all subscribing to this podcast however you've found me. I love hearing your feedback, so make sure you leave a review or a comment on your chosen podcast platform. This chat, I'm joined by RuPaul's Drag Race down Under season two runner up Queen Kong, fresh from her logis nomination for the Graham Kennedy Award Most Popular New Talent. We are lucky enough to get some piping hot tea from her experiences at the Australian

Australia.

Queen Kong is the stage name of one of New Zealand's most prolific drag performers who now calls Australia home. They are based in Adelaide and also they managed to win the Drag Nation Australia Award. Kong is of Samoen and Tong and descent and has been an amazing ambassador talking about people of color and the importance of their

Like, Queen Kong, how are.

You hey, I'm good? Thanks? Any Well, I didn't want a LOGI.

Or a Crown, but hey, I'm one of the bookings.

I'm one of the bookings, so suck on that, Amy Shark.

I thought it was really amazing that you got this LOGI nomination. But I also was talking about this amongst my friends. Is it a little strange that you get the LOGI nomination when you weren't the winner? Or do you think it has a lot to do with the fact that you're from Australia or that you've done a lot more with your time?

What do you think the rationale is?

Oh? Well, I think my work speaks for itself. The past year, I.

Think, out of all the girls, like I've kind of streamlined like a loss until winning everything. I think outside of the show, and I mean that in the most

But also it's so great to see drag.

I was the only drag queen on that red carpet and in that room, so you could have missed me because I'm seven foot five beasts, So I'm happy that we could be there represent Do.

We know if RuPaul was invited to the logis and could you imagine if Rue had gone.

Oh my god, I I would imagine that they would have definitely invited a Roue and Michelle definitely she wouldn't have come. She busy they're doing like a hundred seasons of drag Race, like in five weeks.

I I don't actually love it.

So they're in Bangladesh right now.

Yeah yeah, literally, soon they're going to be drag Race. It'll be like drag Race suburbs soon, like the big thoughts still the country, that'll be like drag Race Banks to.

Well, you know, I was this is how I knew how you'd penetrated with the Australian audience was when I was driving past my bus stop over the last twelve months. From a large part of the year, you were on the billboard. You were the bustle on the billboards.

So well, that's spitting.

It's part of my brand because I was a struggle bus for my season and since the show, I'm now just the bus.

So makes sense.

Can we talk about the logis in this sense of was it a fun night? Like you know, you would have had a huge expectation of what it was going to be, but then what was the reality?

Oh, I actually had no expectations. Because the thing is, it's like, and I said this on Susan, I was like in your press, I was just like, I actually had no idea what the logis were before I was nominated because AI am from New Zealand originally, but also with streaming sites and everything, I don't necessarily watch TV anymore, and so this has been such a crash sort of course in New Zealand means in Australian media.

So yeah, I.

Think this whole experience has been wild being there on the night, like I didn't necessarily know how big it was and like how big of a deal it was until sort of seeing that I needed a pass to get onto the red carpet. I was like, I'm Queen Congo was nominated. They're like, no, you need to pass, and I was like, oh, this is legit period. I'll be right back.

I'm going to get my path.

Bitches getting dressed up like this for no reason, let me onto the red carpet without.

The Oh well, look, I think we both saw this stuff about Susan Mattessi's.

The shade is real. Do you know what is so?

Do you know what really makes me sad is that I don't didn't know who she was before she was on the Challenge. Then I watched on the Challenge, I was like, you know, you're great on the show, but then ever since then, I watched her dough Facebook lives and she's supposed to have like a million followers, but only three people turn up for her lives.

Oh my goodness, that's true. It's so tricky because it's like, oh my god, like just just I don't know if you heard what happened with the logis, but like the partner, she had run onto the red carpet without that invitation after buying a general admission ticket allegedly and and a storm to.

Take a photo.

And it's so trigging because there's that side of the industry. But I'm just starting to understand because for me, it's like all of it's new, like you know what I mean, Like, and I think I'm always going to stay humble in the regard that I just don't take myself seriously and don't think like, no, I don't like ego, so that there was a lot of egos there on the night, and I just ignored the egos that I could see.

It's nice to be on the side where you're invited and you're not the crazy person who has not just on the red carpet. It happened to me with my series of Big Brother. One of the other girls that came in the top three, she wasn't invited, and she got a press organized. She turned up the logis and the thing was, they only invite the winner of back in those days. And then it happened that this girl, Laila, who came second, she was on a celebrity apprentice, so

Harbet, holy crap. That would I would? I would, but also I would die, But also I would. I just wouldn't go if I wasn't, you know what I mean, I because you know Hannah and Spanky, I would would have.

They're both my best friends, and obviously we're the top three.

They're my best friends in the whole world, and we all wanted to be there, and so they obviously couldn't come because they couldn't get an inby because it's so limited in this capacity. So they were there in spirit, and me and Hannah did a massive drinks in my hotel room, had the start before I went down to the red carpet. So, yeah, it was so tricky seeing that side of the industryhere people just trying to get in front of the camera and being in the front.

You know, I'm kind of learning that.

You know, there's a there's a strategy to it, but it's also just like very My soul dies every time I hear things like that, running into a red carp and being discorded.

What is the magic though, between the three of you, because Hannah and Spanky and yourself, I mean, individually you're all fierce queens and you're so at the top of your game, and normally when you find people in a position like that, there'd be some competitiveness or you would have fallen out by now. But we all know that the three of you have this real sisterhood. What's the magic behind that?

Oh, you know, I think above above the trauma bond that we sort of tiloped on drag Race, I think, you know, aside from the riot fate, it was so fair. But I think aside from that, like we all just genuinely aside from love, you know, I think it's easy to love people. Like for the most part, we have such a like an utmost respect for each other. You know, we know who we are individually. We've also been around,

So like when we're around each other, you know, I was just with.

Such a Colby like a couple of weeks ago, and like she's like my soul sister. We're both from the from the spacific, you know, and we just like get each other. But she said it to me perfectly, She says, Goddess sees Goddess, you know, like you understand each other. You know that you're different. And I don't ever feel threatened by anyone that's talented in their regard because I don't think they're talent Trump's mind, and I think the three of us really kind of believe in those values

What I keep thinking of is I remember when they were gossiping about who was going to be in season two of down Under and your name came up a few times. And obviously I've been in your audience before you're on drag you know, you had been around for a while, and I just remember everyone who was in the industry, your industry, saying how lovely you were, and I was like, it's a hard thing to stay humble in such a competitive industry, but you have that integrity somehow maintained.

I don't know how you're doing it. I'd be I.

Think, you know, like, I think that the trick is and I think this is like really good text for the season three girls, and I've been trying to help them whenever they needed things. I think, you know, the trick is to keep your circle very tight because you know, all kinds of people are going to come out of the woodworks and want to jump on the success train, especially if you do well. Just be weary of like

A shit who I am.

She's like, yeah, do the ditchers or like I've got a decent a nephew, and it's like nappies, you know, Like I'm literally not the celebrity in my house.

I'm just like Mom, I don't leave here anymore.

I know literally, I'm not just chaking cooked in out.

Like you know what I mean.

So I think all that kind of stuff really like helps, But also I just think naturally, like I don't check myself like that seriously outside of drag.

I think I take my drags.

Seriously, but I don't really take myself seriously because I'm just a kad like to be honest.

Sometimes want to tell people though when you when you're winning in life, you want to tell everyone to get in the boat. You know, you get this boat, And what people don't realize is that the boat is actually really flimsy. It looks beautiful and it's very trucking. So you want to like tell everyone to get in the boat, but the boat will sink if you.

Absolutely people, you know.

So true. I love that.

Oh my god, such a great analogy. And it's and it's also true.

I think.

I think, I think like with something like reality TV or like something like yeah, it is very like it's quick, you know what I mean, Like you do this definitely get your fifteen minutes of fame. And I think with some of the girls somehow season and also the previous season, I think most of them were kind of bidding on drag race to bring things in for them. And with the reality is it's like you've got the public eye on you. Now you have to work ten times harder.

Attest to this? That's why we're still friends. Up to the local.

Nomination, you know, because I was thanking been like that you last I wipe the ground spanky goes you know what I mean, like spank you seeing me work like an absolute slave, like you know, and sees that like everything that I that I've wanted, like I'm not letting anyone are waiting on anyone to bring it to me. And I think that comes down to being a queen of color in Australia and always having to create my

Mentally and emotionally, like you can go really fine. I did, I do. I did well for the most part.

But I think, you know, my version of where I was at at the time was just like I was so in my head, like there was a lot of.

Things going on for.

Me personally and mentally before I'd even gone into the show. And then they put us in isolation for two weeks, which killed me. And that's why me, me and many were fucking nuts because like sitting in our fucking little room like of isolation before going into drag Race, like Spanky walked in happy because that bitch didn't have to sit there and look at a box and get.

Custofied two going so like I think for me, like I was so.

Proud of spanking pointing because before all of us and Hannah, Hannah won two.

The three of us were equally deserving.

But Spanky did so well on the show, and I think her like seeing someone like her when Drag Race at the time when she won, Like you know, up until then, it's just always been about how much money you spend, how many designers you were, you know, how many like how amazing your wigs are. Like Spanky literally walked in the trash bags and like from day one, episode one, people were like, what the fuck is there? And then like by episode two, RuPaul got it and

So yeah, it does sort of happen though, like in a lot of reality shows, you know when someone might win, but it's like if you come second or third, you have more fire.

In your belly.

I think I think, you know, I'm going to try, and you know, I think it was a missed opportunity. But I'm going to get away from the logis, but I just want to say it was a real missed opportunity to not have the three of you perform. I would have preferred that over Amy Shark, and I felt so bad. And this is no shade to Amy. I've interviewed her a number of times and she's an incredible person.

But it's a beautiful person, a beautiful person. But that before Romans.

Yeah, look, look.

It just wasn't It's not a spanky Hannah queen performance.

Like, well, look like if they had us, I was like, apparently, like new talents these days, there's six arias and a few albums.

So look great for that. If I knew that, I was like.

Well, listen, give me a couple more years because we're definitely developing new music. But I think also too with with with missing out on like just being there obviously to represent not only the drag community, but the queer community, especially in a political time like this when drag is being so like fucking drug through the mud with so many people just attaching all of this propaganda, and it is coming from you know, the governments, like and this is like definitely.

A cup and copy of what's happening in the US.

You know, all of the fearmong green drag queens agreements and drag queens this, and it's like, you know, the last thing we want to do is groomy kids like spanking Billy wants to groomers out. How the fuck are we going to do that, you know what I mean? But so I think, you know, like just being there, I think.

From the logi's perspective, it was good that they.

Acknowledged like me and acknowledged my community, and you know.

They're seeing us as artists.

But I think it would be ridiculous dumb of them not che acknologust because we're not going anywhere and my plans, you know, at one point we're going to be back there winning a LOGI and the people that didn't want to start, Yeah, Gold, they will be wanting to come.

Yeah it's yours, queen class.

I would just dress as a Gold Logi.

But it was Nonetheless, it was amazing and Amy Shark did a great job, and she has.

Been around for a while, so she deserved to she's.

Been around for a while. That's right.

She doesn't deserve a new new talent get out of a category, mate, Like I know.

I was like, wow, look that is what it is.

And bless her and her little the sil LOGI and I'm sure to look nice next to this areas.

That's all she got to shelf for it. Yeah, exactly right, there you go.

I want to talk about season three because it's in full screen, and you know, is it weird when a new season starts. I remember with Big Brother there was a season started after mine and I was still on the ride, so I wasn't upset about it. I was like, great, bring more people in. But then when I knew that the and the series after me was full of assholes by then, the third time the series that came up after that, I was really nervous. I was like, oh God, what are these new fuckers going to do now?

Right?

But for you, when.

It started, did you feel any jealousy or did you feel excited? But the emotions going through your mind?

Well, that's the thing, Like, I definitely didn't feel jealousy. I think most of the other girls in my season were like I think the ones that quite a little bit threatened the ones that posted it's been the year since I walked on the work, and I was like, give it up.

Let the girls have their time.

Like I was so excited to see another group of girls, but also just excited that we getting more drag race and I hope we get more because you know what we're trying to do now, and me and Hannah's had this conversation you know, a lot recently. It's like, I think every step that we're taking, every set that I'm taking, definitely like being the first in these spaces.

It's like creating.

We're creating the infrastructure for us here in Australia that America is like fifteen seasons ahead of. And so you know what I mean, Like it's our responsibility to build the respect of the industry for drag and also to create a career pathway that goes beyond just performing in clubs.

I feel like though it's coming, and that is that. I mean, have you ever heard anything, because I feel like with all these All Stars versions that they do, now, surely one of the Australian queens, you know, the down Under queens, I should say, so New Zealand are going to get asked to be in one of these American All Stars versions.

Is that going to happen? Do we know if that's closer happening?

Oh?

Look, potential, Okay, that's not an nswer.

There's people out there pasting those American All Stars versions. We that's season two down Under and granted we haven't really seen enough of season three yet, but that season two is just gold.

Oh.

I feel like the show, the show, like even I haven't watched it back because I just don't want to

It's part of my process.

And I think, you know, all of the conversations that I had through all the conversations that's banking and me and Hannah had like those kinds of things really like helped me. And the thing about me too is that I don't make the same mistake twice. And so when I do go back into the work room, like at some stage, I hope that which is already because I'm not going to lose again.

I'm going to go I want to be the villain next time. I'm just kidding a lot of.

Pressure though, because if you think about Art Simone, Art Simone in Australia was like underneath cordeyact like is in everyone's life. She was such a recognizable name. You know, we kind of imagine the pressure of what Artsimo must have gone through being in that season one and not winning. I mean she's done great things afterwards, of course, yes, yes, but I mean the.

Definitely I think the Blo pressure is definitely massive.

But I also think, like, you know, when you're signing up with drag Race, there was like and this is not against art but it is definitely against like queens that have gone in with the big name. Like it's like, I think the thing about drag Race, regardless of what you've done outside the show, like you.

Are not at square one, but you're like.

On level playing field with queens that have been doing it for about five minutes in comparison to your you know, ten year And so I think there was like for me knowing that I was walking in with people having like this attachment to who they expect I am, like rather than actually knowing who I am, I had to just go boil myself.

Down and go, look, there is a potential.

For to be eliminated, and if it does happen, I want to handle it with grace, and I don't want to, you know, I don't want to eliminate anyone else's experience and also downplay who these other queens are.

So I think definitely it's hard when you're when you're.

Feeling the expectations, but I also think like there's definitely space to go. All Right, I know who I am, and I'm just going to be who I am. If I don't make it, I don't make it. It doesn't mean I'm a shit dragqueen. It just means I wasn't good on this episode. So I feel like it's it's tricky. It's tricky to navigant, and especially when you're not worth people or not surrounded by people that you love, but you can't talk to people that you talk to when you're in a bad hit space. But I think it

So yeah, that's a tricky thing.

It is a tricky thing. I want to quickly talk to you about the season three that's been going on.

Are you up to dates? What are you up to? You watch an episode one and two?

Yeah, I've seen episode one and I haven't seen episode two yet, so I'm waiting for it to air.

Oh my gosh, this is crazy. I feel like, you know, top three of the previous season should just be sent the whole season in advance, right, like this seems.

Look, I'm such like a like A, I'm really bad at holding secrets. And then B I was also like I just want to watch it in real time and see what's happening. And even last night I was talking to one of the queens from season three and she was like, oh, am I going to go because I made it to a Twitter just to stir up some shit because I was like, I wonder which dry hetero anthem they're going to be unperforming for today's I think.

I saw that, you know, I think that's amazing.

Well, I think, okay, Well I'll ask you a sea, I'll ask you a few quick questions. So, yes, did you think Amil deserved to go home in the first episode?

Ah?

Look, I don't think this is my my general opinion, I'll say, like the general opinions that about her, I think generally speaking, I feel like episode one, no one should go home, Like I think it's it's great for like the TV aspect, but I think you literally just get to know you don't even really get to know somebody.

And I think someone like Amil, like I know Amil personally.

And I think strength outside her Obviously her strength isn't performing and she knows that she said this, but like she is one of the funniest queens, and her humor is really like dry kind of dark.

Humor that I think RU would have loved.

It's obviously why she what got her there, because her orders would have been hilarious. So I think, you know, I think Amial definitely needs a bit more time to cook. In that regard, I do feel bad for her, But also I think the performance challenge in general is a little bit like Blackluster. They only had about what two lines to deliver in that song, so they're like.

We need to know who you are, what your dragon is about?

Everything within two lines Hollywood and nold it in the in the arts. But I think, you know, Aimal kind of struggled and didn't really necessarily give me.

You've only got two lines.

You need to be so impact that need to like that, I need to explode every word in a two line.

Yeah, who's favorite so far?

Oh? So cooky?

Only what one?

So I know that the queens will come for your online, but that's that's a part of the magic of this crime.

Yeah, they won't come for me, but if they do. I think Episode one definitely, like I think looking at it, Hollywood for sure is my favorite because I think she's bringing something to down on the drag that hasn't been seen before. She's definitely got the African American sort of background, and also like that's what really feels her pro boys. But there's a confidence in her that can be read as arrogance, like as I'm hearing from most people that

So that's loving the fact that you gave me an answer. So many people come on the podcast and I give them that kind of a question and they're like, how can I get around it? And say everybody right, it feels like this season has shifted gears, and I feel like it would be remissive me not to talk to you about this. And I'm not being shady to say it's good or bad, and I'm sure you're not going to go into that either. But I wondered whether or not you heard from insiders about the way in which

I definitely felt that to watching the I'm gonna be honest, the tone and the pacing of the of the show feels really like dragged out and kind of dry and a little bit boring, to be honest, Like I was trying to find it, like they made drama out of Ashley Madison's nipples be joking and the mortal words of fucking Courtney Kardashian people are dying, Kim nipples be joking

The deal with She's I've become friends with Minnie Cooper after the series, and I love Mini and I loved on the show, but he behind the scenes because I heard so many different things.

About it, like was really yeah, I just heard that she.

Was she wild or something in between, like what we was, what we saw, what happened or was there more?

Oh look, no, look like if there's one queen that I love, I love Mini Cooper and I'll always be on her side and stand her. I think people definitely like to exaggerate and say, oh, she was a nightmare

Last night on her Instagram at about one thirty in the morning, it was late. Let me tell you, it was who crap, And for some reason I left my phone on and he notification went off, and so I was like, what the hell is going on? I was like, well, I need to watch this video because this could be the result, this could be oh wow, No, it was nothing. She was basically turned it off. Turned after three seconds.

No one wants to see that.

I love it.

I'm disappointed that you haven't seen this, and I'm going to go with you live. Yeah, I'm going to do something. So at the end of episode two, we have an incident.

So this is when I passes out.

Yes, okay, great, so you know this. So have you seen the footage yet?

No? No, tell me what happens.

So it kind of to me looks like it's a genuine faint, and I believe that. I just think, are people going to come for her about whether or not it's real? And what's the what's the conversation at the moment amongst the Rue girls about this faint? Are we believing the faint? Is the consensus real? I mean, what's going on?

Oh?

Look for me?

Like I think, you know, if I refriended she painted like obviously from episode one she was in a tricky place, like mentally, I definitely know what it feels like.

I never wanted to faint.

I wanted to make other people faint for sure, watch episode five or six.

But I think for the most part, I do think it's real.

I know no people are going to come for her because they're going to think it's a stunt. And if it is a stunt, well plaid, bitch, capitalize, capital live, you look at an extra episode, you get an extrapisode.

B we love you.

It's got you know, like sometimes when there's Oscar buzz for someone because they've got a really good performance, but it wasn't a good performance.

For the whole movie, but they had the Oscar moment, right, was that the Oscar moment there's an oscar.

It does look like maybe, but then there's there is a clip there's a split second of it which you can't fake. And I think people need to just say that it is what it is and yeah, yeah, go with that.

That's mine.

Oh look, I totally agree with that. Like that's the other thing too. It's like it is reality TV. Like people the fans, like the Drag Race fans are ridiculous, like they were literally say, oh my god, the things that they come to you. And I actually wrote to Ivy this week saying to her because she was making responses and I think some of the other girls are too. And it comes down to age. This is really where

Will they are literally going to come for her. Do you know what, I'm the biggest hypocrite of all time. I say to people all the time, do not troll people,

Oh my god.

Well that's the thing too, Like I totally agree that there are days where I can where I can be Michelle Obama and writes a bar. But then there are days where I wake up and I si a comment and I'll be like, don't you know what Auntie's got time today? You're going to get it. So I'll open

We need a Queen cond T shirt.

When they go high, I go no, what is it? When they go low? I go high? But tomorrow is the difference.

There's my Real Housewives of Sydney into Flames amazing.

Well, look, I'm just running out of time, so I got one last question for you, which is, actually, have you noticed? This is actually? And I'm going to tell you that offline because people are going to come for me. I was just actually, I'll say it now because people be like, you can't say something like this. But is Raven who does RuPaul's makeup and travels with RuPaul? Am I saying that right?

Raven?

Oh?

Yeah? Yeah? Rape?

Is Raven turning into Thorgy thor like, have you noticed that I have?

Well, is she like, has she got some bad work timee?

It's not yeah, yeah no, because it sounds like yeah, so yes, maybe I don't know. Look I don't.

I love Thorgy thor as well, so it's fine, it's fine for me. But I just was like, people who have watched episode two, well understand what I'm saying.

I'm pretty sure. I'm sure it's a think.

But before you go, the last question I have for you is, what is something from behind the scenes of the LOGI something that we didn't see that we won't see from your time.

And you know, the first.

Drag queen representing Australia representing the world at the logis like, I want.

You on something. Oh my god. Okay, So like when we were I was sending.

To Reese and Tan Hennessy and so we were at the standtable and I think, you know, they obviously feed you as much alcohol as you want. And I think the tricky thing about that is like when you're really really drunk and they've got a camera in your face waiting for your reaction, I literally like under the table was squeezing and pinching recently so that I could keep a smile on my face because and they were like Amy Shark, I was like.

I want the way mother.

I wanted to like in my brain, I was like I was I was like replaying like my reality TV moment of standing up and throwing the table and dorming out and it's like absolutely cussing Amy park out, but in camera in the face, I was smiling, going, yes, yes, community congeniality, Fitch.

It's do you know what I think it's safe to say. And I'm not saying this because you're here, and I think it's safe to say from any that I've read online, a lot of people were extremely disappointed. Oh, we have that result and you are the people's Loki's choice for that for sure.

Oh I appreciate that only thank you. Well, look, I campaigned like a motherfucker. And also it was just it was actually just really nice to be there in the night and also be there on the drag queen there, which was really odd.

I had a couple of people of the Junker that they got.

You could definitely see what where people voted and what people will be voting for the referendum.

I'll tell you that.

I won't name names, but there were definitely half half of the room from the major networks.

You do the mouth, we'll say.

That Quen Kong. I am obsessed with you.

You are so funny, you are so smart, and it will be in your audience. Australia is going to be in your audience for an extremely long time. So anyway, thank you, thanks for talking to me.

No, I can't wait to see episode two now, but I think it's out tonight at five pm, so I might missage. Susan Be like, can you said to me now, I need to watch it.

I want to see poorg for.

And then we'll talk about it offline.

Okay, amazing, Thank you so much. Be I took you soon. Bye. Yeah