Ball Queens?

[kapvik.livejournal.com]

 I was just wondering, is Mariah the only contestant on the show who comes from (for lack of a better word) the proper ball scene, i.e. part of a house and having presumably walked drag balls a la Paris Is Burning? I want to say yes, because I know Shangela and Alexis have said they've competed in pageants, but do not hail from actual ballwalking houses the way Mariah does. IIRC, Alexis wasn't even familiar with the concept until she asked Mariah about her background. 

So does anyone know if Mariah is the first, or have any of the queens in seasons past also come from ball culture?

Comments

[anansie-s.livejournal.com]

No idea -- but it was strange that Alexis didn't seem familiar (although that conversation was likely just a narrative device) with it, given all the things larger drag culture has absorbed from ball culture. Certainly others have had drag families that are tight-knit, sometimes seeming to replace bio families (but I don't know if they work like 'houses' outside the ball circuit) -- I'm thinking of things Sahara and Tyra said about their drag mothers. And there's still the tradition of taking on the last names of drag mothers/mentors (eg Morgan taking on Chad Michael's name, and Carmen's drag mother ... Angela Carrera maybe?)

[kapvik.livejournal.com]

Actually that brings up some other musings I've been having (bear with me, it's a combo of boredom and waiting for the finale) about the various queens' drag mothers. Since I don't do extensive research on the queens' backgrounds, I sometimes imagine who their drag mothers might be and what they might be like.

For example, I've grown attached to the notion that Tyra's drag mother is "Dirrtée Sanchez", the world's greatest Christina Aguilera impersonator. And that Pandora's drag mother is a drag circus clown named "Jacquinda Boxx". And that Nicole. Paige. Brooks' drag mother Shawna Brooks is actually just Lil' Kim doing a Garth Brooks/Chris Gaines thing, judging by NPB's description of her.

More currently, I imagine that Raja's drag mother is a drag psychic named "Miss Cleo Gemini" with her own astrology hotline.

[anansie-s.livejournal.com]

Hee, those all sound pretty cute especially Jacquinda Boxx (OK, that took actually typing it for me to get the joke!)

I'd picture Manila's drag mother as Jessica Rabbit.

[kapvik.livejournal.com]

I know, right? And if nothing else, we've given at least three new drag queens their names.

Given Manila's penchant for color (manila and fuchsia are both colors, which is the best common thread I can come up with), perhaps her drag mother would be "Cinnamon Luzon." Which is a lot better than my original idea, "Pancit Luzon."

[anansie-s.livejournal.com]

HAHAHA nice one.

[keeper-of-stars.livejournal.com]

Hmmmm, I'm pretty sure that Mariah is the only queen who has even mentioned the ball scene on the show thus far. I can't remember it being talked about on any of the season.

[bigbranch.livejournal.com]

sorry but what is a drag ball? lol

[(Anonymous)]

All your answers are here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ball_culture