This gorgeous Jersey girl won a Madonna look-alike contest at the age of 16, and soon after shuffled into NYC to pursue a career that has kept her around for over two decades.

Before Michelle Visage hit it big with the pop trio ‘Seduction’, she was the first ‘biological’ girl to walk vogue in a ballroom, having entered a dance scene previously exclusive to drag queens. Funnily enough, the Queen of Pop would end up ‘vogueing‘ her way into the 90’s while Michelle made her dreams come true with ‘Seduction’ and the S.O.U.L.S.Y.S.T.E.M.

After several hit songs, including a track for the best-selling movie soundtrack of all time, ‘The Bodyguard’, Michelle sashayed away from the stage to re-invent herself as a prestigious radio and TV personality. Being pop culture savvy makes her an A-list eminence in the entertainment industry and yet she oozes a down-to-earth vibe that combined with her snarky sass landed her a well-deserved job on ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’.

Alongside her best friend and reigning Drag superstar RuPaul, Michelle delivers showbiz longevity realness and spicy snippets of her wild mind. Keep reading and let the iconic Michelle Visage show you what you can learn from a bunch of dudes dressed-up in drag couture. Regardless of your gender, sexuality, age and wig of choice, you’d better tune in!

Toonari Post (TP): You scored big hits with both Seduction and The S.O.U.L.S.Y.S.T.E.M. Besides royalties, what’s left of the young R&B sensation in you?

Michelle Visage (MV): Too bad the royalties never existed with seduction. We never saw a penny, it was one of the worst deals in history. Everything is left! I’m still the same little 20-year-old girl from south Plainfield, New Jersey with stars in her eyes…

TP: You left New Jersey and moved to NYC at a very early age to pursue your career. Tell us about your inspirations, where did your drive come from?

MV: I’m a Virgo. I was born in overdrive. Thank God for me, I had two parents that supported my dreams of becoming an entertainer at a very young age.

They paid for classes, trips to NYC to audition… Mind you, they both had regular jobs (mom was a realtor, dad owned a trophy shop) so they gave up everything to see me realize my dream. As far as inspiration, it all started on Broadway for me. ‘The Sound Of Music’ and ‘West Side Story’ were the musicals that made me want to perform.

TP: You took part in one of the most extraordinary underground movements in the history of pop culture. Tell us about the Vogueing scene in NYC.

MV: Vogueing was amazing in the late 80′s. When I moved to NYC I was instantly welcomed into the gay scene and I became completely immersed in it. I didn’t know anything about it, but I knew that was where I belonged. they loved me for all the freaky things I represented and it just felt like home.

I started to vogue in 1987 at a club called “the underground” and from there I was nurtured and taught by the legends Willi Ninja and Cesar Valentin and I was the first real girl to walk vogue in a ballroom. I snatched. WERK!

TP: Back in the day it was reported that Madonna’s label had warned you to stop copying her style. How did that come about?

MV: I was told when we were at the heartbeat video shoot that Madonna’s label had contacted ‘Seductions’ label which was Vendetta/A&M records and said: “please have Michelle Visage stop copying Madonna’s look to avoid confusion. and if she has the need to continue to do so, at the very least, couldn’t she do it better?”

By the way, that was the highest compliment that Madge was threatened by little ol’ me!

TP: Take us back to the mid 90’s when you were the co-host of ‘The RuPaul Show’. Was America ready for its ground-breaking premise?

MV: America was ready, corporate America was not. It was an amazing show, way before its time and should be revisited.

TP: You’ve continuously reinvented yourself as a stellar radio personality. What is it about radio that you love so much?

MV: Thank you. Well, radio is a passion. it always has been. I remember as a kid staying home on new years eve so I could listen to Z100 in NYC to write down the top 100 songs as they played them and when I missed some, I knew they just kept playing the countdown on a loop so I would wait. I used to listen to the top 10 countdown on WABC when they played music on AM.

It’s just something I was always destined to be involved in and I am blessed that I have spent the last 17 years as a morning show host in NYC, LA, Miami and West Palm. It’s the best, still free, form of mass communication and what’s better than starting your day with great music and a girlfriend on the radio that makes you laugh on your way to work or to drop off the kids?

TP: You and RuPaul have been besties for quite a long time. What do you guys do together?

MV: We do everything everyone else does together; get waxed, cruise, shop… Ru is the best friend a person could have. When we have our “talks,” I come away from it energized and ready to take on the world.

TP: Having you on RuPaul’s Drag Race is just like having another fierce queen on screen. Why did you wait until season 3 to join the show?

MV: OMG that’s the best compliment EVER! well, it’s like this, Ru will tell you the show was conceived with me as a judge originally but I had a boss at the time (in radio) that was a homophobe (unbeknownst to me) and wouldn’t let me have the time off to shoot. Therefore, they hired Merle. She did a great job, I’m very different in the way I approach Queendom.

TP: I was floored by the level of expertise and talent the queens delivered last season. Tell us about the fourth generation of queens. Can they outdo their predecessors?

MV: These queens do not eff around. People laugh when they watch the show, but what everyone has to remember is that this is their lives. They live this every single day; this is not just a TV show, this is a chance at changing their lives forever.

This season is very different in many ways from any other. It’s not a matter of outdoing, they are different so of course, the show will be different but I know no one will be disappointed!

TP: You stay in touch daily with your fans through Twitter. What is the outcome of exposing yourself to all kinds of feedback?

MV: The outcome is that I get to talk to thousands of people that I wouldn’t normally be able to go back and forth with. It’s an amazing thing, Twitter. Of course I have the haters, but what they think of me is none of my business. If they care to share it, then what can I do? I answer them back and it is what it is. I have never been one to hide or lie about anything, I have been honest about everything in my life but it’s the way I exist. life is too short for that.

SHOUT OUT TO MY GLITTERAZZI CHILDREN, MAMA LOVES YOU! @michellevisage #HAUSOFVISAGE

TP: For those out there thinking they have nothing to do with a bunch of Drag Queens lip-synching for their life, what can kids, biological women and straight men learn from RuPaul‘s Drag Race?

MV: Such a brilliantly worded question. RuPaul’s Drag Race is so much more than queens lip synching for their lives. It’s about freedom to be who you are and be accepted for who you are 100%. On that main stage they know they are being loved, admired and appreciated. Though the judging is harsh, it makes them better at what they do, therefore earning a better living and learning to love themselves more.

Most of these queens have struggled in their personal lives, fighting to be accepted in their own communities or just to survive, and RuPauls Drag Race gives them the courage they need to say: “I LOVE MYSELF FOR WHO I AM AND DAMMIT, I AM BEAUTIFUL!”

Catch “RuPaul’s Drag Race” every Monday at 9/8 central on Logo TV and join the #HAUSOFVISAGE  to get more info on Michelle Visage! You can also enjoy our exclusive interviews with fierce “RuPaul’s Drag Race”contestants Pandora Boxx and Manila Luzon.

The article Michelle Visage: Interview With Pop Culture Eminence. appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

RuPaul’s Drag Race season 4 is only a few days away, and while the world awaits the glitter explosion, we wanted to catch up with a visionary queen from season 2.

Not only is she a professional lip-syncher and a hilarious performer, but her artistry also oozes a certain mix of old-school sass and futuristic camp. With a zillion facets to her talent, Pandora Boxx has proven her uniqueness goes beyond a wig and a pair of stilettos.

After taking over Twitter, the music industry, and even the Huffington Post…what’s next for the blonde femme fatale?

Toonari Post (TP): You were crowned ‘Miss Congeniality’ on ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’ season 2 as well as voted MPV on ‘RuPaul’s Drag U’ two times in a row. What’s about Pandora Boxx that makes her a total crowd favorite?

Pandora Boxx (PB): I did promise to make out with anyone who voted for me. Could that be it?  Honestly, it probably lost me some votes! I think getting kicked off of RuPaul’s Drag Race at the time I did really, really annoyed people.  That’s what really got people behind me even more.  I’m so thankful to have such an amazingly supportive, loving, and wonderful fan base.

TP: When and how did you create Pandora Boxx?

PB: Honey, she opened that box up, jumped out, and said, “World I am here! Look out!” I get my inspirations from all over. I admire strong women and especially strong funny woman like Lucille Ball, Carol Burnett, Lily Tomlin, Goldie Hawn, Madeline Kahn and the list can go on and on.

TP: Why do you think drag queens don’t get as much recognition as actors, singers, or dancers when they are actually all of those rolled into one?

PB: I think it’s just that we aren’t taken seriously. It’s kind of like we are playing dress up, and of course we generally work in nightclubs with drunken customers. Sometimes the acting community can be kind of snobby, it’s like get over yourselves! You pretend to be other people to make your living, and that’s the bottom line. Drag encompasses so many things, and thankfully with shows like RuPaul’s Drag Race, people can really see that.

TP: You perform tons of shows every month. What’s the craziest thing that has happened to you at a show?

PB: There are so many crazy things that happen. I’ve had people cry when they meet me which is very flattering, but I don’t know what to do. I just tell them, “I’m just a dude in a dress!” You just never really know how much you impact people, even by being on a reality television competition show where you were forced to eat fried bull testicles.

Oh and one time this guy said to me, “I loved you on that Tyler Perry show!” If you’ve ever seen any of Tyler Perry’s shows, you know there aren’t any white people in them, one; and two, the only drag queen I believe is Madea. I’d like to think he didn’t think I was her. Stuff like that keeps you grounded though because all you can do is laugh.

TP: You wrote, produced, and starred in the hit play ‘The Lipstick Massacre.’ Are you brainstorming ideas for another play, a TV Show maybe?

PB: In this business, you always have to think of the next step, so I am definitely thinking of other projects. I’m working on putting together a new one ‘woman’ show called “Out of the Boxx” which is my views on life, my experiences, and probably some dirty jokes. It’s based a little around my blog on the Huffington Post which has the same name.

My ultimate goal is for a television show, but there is so much work that goes into that even before anyone sees it… so fingers crossed.

TP: On Drag Race not only did you deliver real fierceness, but you also brought us to tears when you opened up about how you’d overcome self-hatred. Now that Pandora Boxx is a prominent role model, what message would you like to give everyone reading this?

PB: Well, thank you. I think what some people don’t realize is that depression is an ongoing battle. I don’t know if it ever goes away, it certainly hasn’t for me.  I just try to always focus on the good things in my life and create things that I want to do. Even with all that has happened, sometimes I still feel like I’m just not good enough.

It’s a tough battle. People who are feeling the same just have to realize that they are not alone. So many feel the same way. I don’t know why us human beings are wired for self-hate, but we seem to be.

TP: One of the multiple creative layers to the glitzy Pandora Boxx is her incredibly witty and entertaining sense of journalism. Tell us about being a Huffington Post contributor.

PB: Thank you again! I’m really excited about writing for the Huffington Post. It really gives me such a great creative outlet. I also feel like it gives me a voice to say whatever I want. Writing is at the core of who I am. There was a time I was so painfully shy that I was afraid to speak and writing was the only way I could express what was going on inside my head.

TP: A couple of weeks ago you reviewed the controversial TV Show ‘Work It’, in the wake of the criticism, anticipating its low ratings. How much homophobia and defamatory content airs on TV, movies and music nowadays?

PB: Honestly, I didn’t think that show was anti-gay or anything like that. It’s trying to be a goofball sitcom and just failing. There are, however, tinges of homophobia everywhere in television. Like when someone is disgusted by gay people on a show or has to make a point to say they aren’t gay.

Gay jokes are in every “straight guy” movie too. Part of television and movies is to reflect what’s going on in the world and, unfortunately, there is still a lot of homophobia. I will say though that there are so many positive gay role models in the entertainment industry than ever before, and just so many more gay characters and such.

Gay people are [often] relegated to the “sissy” role or the “butch” lesbian. We’ve made some progress but it’s always a case of one step forward, two steps back. It also doesn’t help when you have people vying for the presidency spewing out hateful things about the LGBT community.

TP: When Pandora is locked up in her box, what’s left of her in you?

PB: Pandora is exhausting! She leaves behind a tired, couch-bound guy after she’s done with me. I think Pandora is really just an extension of me. Pandora is the person I wanted to be. Bold, funny and fabulous. There’s always a little bit of her in me all the time.

TP: Your fans are still raving about your first single ‘Cooter’. Is ‘Cooter’ just a temporary stint or the beginning of another side of Pandora Boxx?

PB: “Cooter!” was just this ridiculous idea I had stemming from my childhood dream of being a rock star.  Thankfully, a lot of people really liked it and I’m happy for that. I’m certainly no Mariah Carey by any means, but I really would like to make some more music. I just want to have fun with it and hopefully people will enjoy it too. I’m definitely working on songs to put in my one “woman” show.

TP: RuPaul‘s Drag Race season 4 is about to kick off next Jan 30. What can we expect from the queens this time around?

PB: The best thing about the popularity of Drag Race is that it enables the show to be the best it can be.  A bigger budget means bigger and better challenges! By now anyone going on the show knows what they are getting into. The contestants are more savvy since Season 2 because they’ve seen all the season before.  I’m sure we can expect tears, jeers and cheers.

TP: Thank you so much for squeezing us into your busy schedule. Is there anything you would like to say to your wonderful fans, the loyal fan-doras?

PB: Thank you for asking me to do this interview. I certainly appreciate that. What I’d like to say to all the wonderful Fandoras is that you are just that, wonderful. You give me the strength to keep doing what I’m doing, and I hope I can continue to entertain you and make you laugh for a long, long time.

You can follow Pandora Boxx on Twitter,  Facebook and YouTube. RuPaul’s Drag Race: Season Four premieres on Logo on January 30 at 9pm.

You can also read Manila Luzon’s interview at www.toonaripost.com

Image Courtesy of   https://www.facebook.com/thepandoraboxx Photo Credit: Adelle Charles

The article Pandora Boxx: Interview With RuPaul’s Funniest Girl appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.