Interview: Honey Mahogany Is Sticky And Sweet

Honey Mahogany may have been booted from the ever growing in popularity RuPaul's Drag Race, but she certainly isn't letting that get her down. She still has extensive touring to do, music to write, and a little interview to give this blogger right here. Check out my chat with Honey, getting the deets on her music, TV experience, and of course, finding out what she meant by notorious San Francisco comment.

 

Was this your first time auditioning for RuPaul's Drag Race?

Yes, this was my first time.

How did it feel to finally walk through the doors to the work room after all that buildup?

It was kind of insane. They had us get ready at four in the morning. It was nerve wracking. I remember I messed up my eye makeup, and it had me so stressed out. But when I finally got in the work room, it was very surreal. Television itself is surreal.  It was almost like a dream. Meeting the other girls, the first thing I thought was "Oh my god they are all so pretty", but when I got settled in and into the mix, I was like "I belong here."

Were there any faces you were surprised or excited to see when you got to the show?

The only one that I was familiar with was Detox. It was nice to see a familiar face, but all the rest I had never seen before.

That's right. You are the first queen from San Fransisco to make it on the show. Do you feel you represented what San Fransisco is all about?

San Fransisco has a lot of different types of drag, and I think that I am a queen who has been able to infiltrate all the different scenes. However, I don't think that my drag is exactly what people think of when they think San Fransisco drag. A lot of times people think of things like bearded ladies, which I appreciate and admire, but it's not what I do. I've received very positive support from the community. They are all very positive that I was the first and felt I was a good representation.

In your final appearance in Untucked, there was a phrase that shocked a lot of queens. The look of San Fransisco queens is not important. What did you really mean by this?

This was a soundbite that was taken out of context. It wasn't even my complete sentence. People were talking about my look and telling me I should use my best drag, and I finally told how many of them were from the pageant system where the aesthetic is the primary focus. Where I'm from we focus more on the performance aspect. In San Francisco, I told them,  "The look isn't as important as the performance". It was more in context of the challenge being a dancing challenge. That was the direction I was angling the comment.

Speaking of you talking to the other queens, we didn't see you interact much with the others. Who were you closest to in the work room?

I got along with everyone, to be honest. Ivy was my neighbor in the workroom, so she and I got to spend a lot of time together. Vivienne was another girl I grew close to. I got along very well with Monica, Detox, and Jinkx. Sadly, I was there for the period of time where we were all still getting to know each other, so I don't think I was able to make a best friend.

A fan question for you: Twitter follower Jordan White (@Sidepocket) heard you say you were single on Untucked and wants to know if you have had any men come knocking on your door since.

Well, I'm still single. I did have someone invite me to go out with them the other day. Does that count? [laughs]

The episode where you got eliminated has got to be one of the most controversial of the show's entire run. How does it feel knowing that you got sent home, but will be part of Drag Race history forever?

It's a double edged sword. In one hand, you get eliminated from the show in a crazy way, but at the same time, it's kind of cool that it's a moment people will never forget. I don't know if that's a negative thing or a positive thing. I can only say I wish I'd left that impression in a more positive way -- like not being eliminated.

The judges were really harsh on your look, but when we saw the video for "It's Honey", we saw not only Campy Honey, but Sexy Honey. Was this video a response to their critiques?

It's funny because I didn't think of it that way. That is who I am. What is really ironic about the whole thing is that when I spoke recently with my designer who makes many of my outfits, he was like "how the hell did that happen when all I make you are little swimsuit superhero outfits?" For me, the way I was dressing was per runway challenge. We had a pink challenge, so I wore my pink outift. We had a diva glam challenge, so I wore something Dianna Ross would wear. It wasn't me trying to say "this is all I wear", it was more "this is what I think would be best for this runway". I wrote the song way before I got on Drag Race and it as a fun, campy way to talk about myself. The concept for the video was to just show all the different types of Honey. I wish I'd got to show some of those sides on the show

In the video, you featured two of Drag Race's top queens. (Probably) all time fan favorite Jujubee and season three winner Raja. How did you wrangle these two to be a part of your video?

To be honest, it was just a happy coincidence. They are both among my favorite drag performers, and they are both two of the sweetest people you'll ever meet. We all happened to be in San Fransisco, and we were all scheduled to do a photo shoot with Jose A Guzman Colon, a big photographer for drag queens, and I just asked them if they wanted to be in the video. They were happy to do so. We are all sisters, and we are going to do what we can for each other. 

Another fan question from Big Joy (@BigJoyProject) asks if you are planning on releasing a full album?

I am definitely continuing with the music. I am currently working on an EP. I don't know if I'd be able to fund a full album, but I have a lot of songs written, a few of which I've already recorded. It's definitely in the works. The goal is to have new music out by the end of the season.

Drag Race has affected the queens it features in many different ways. What has your life been like post Drag Race?

A lot of people know who I am now. [Laughs]. But that's really what it is. The show gets you a lot of exposure. People know who you are, and that leads to you getting more bookings and getting to work with all different kinds of people. It's kept me busy, depraved me of sleep, and not given me a day off, but I'm living a dream now. It has been a life changer and a dream granter.

You can download Honey's single "It's Honey" on iTunes. Want your question featured in an upcoming Taking Over The Universe interview? Follow me on Facebook and Twitter for updates for your chance to get those burning questions for both music and TV stars answered!