Good One: A Podcast About Jokes

Episode: After 'Oh, Mary!' Jinkx Monsoon Wants to Play Mystique in the MCU
Host: Jesse David Fox (Vulture)
Guest: Jinkx Monsoon
Date: August 28, 2025

Overview

This episode features Tony-winning drag icon and comedian Jinkx Monsoon, currently starring in the Broadway comedy Oh, Mary!. Host Jesse David Fox dives deep with Jinkx about their approach to drag, comedy as an artform and survival tool, the evolution of drag’s place in culture, and the complex joys of crafting and landing a good joke. The conversation spans from backstage encounters with Katy Perry and Charlie Day, to manifesting a role as Mystique in the MCU, and to dissecting the craft and ethics of roast comedy on RuPaul’s Drag Race.

The episode is a candid, playful, and often profound dive into identity, creativity, performance, and the ever-blurring line between drag, theater, and personhood.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Backstage Celebrity Encounters

• Katy Perry at "Oh, Mary!" (03:00–09:00)

  • Jinkx recounts the surreal experience of performing for and then meeting Katy Perry at a recent show, including the pressure to say "the funniest thing possible."
  • Notable Moment: Jinkx locks eyes with Katy mid-performance while delivering the line: “great big ball sacks. And I delivered it right to her, you know?” (02:48)
  • Post-show, Jinkx overthinks a funny greeting for Katy Perry but ultimately opens with, "So now you're back from out of space?" referencing "I Will Survive". Katy doesn't laugh but says it was funny.
  • The story spirals into a meditation on fame, community, and the isolation of being globally recognized:

    “Frankly, I hope I never have to figure that out for myself. Because my favorite thing about my life right now is all the community that I get out of it. And if I ever lost touch with that, I'd lose touch with why I’m doing this.” (06:15)

• Meeting Charlie Day, Comedy Club Hierarchies (09:30–12:00)

  • Jinkx talks about the stratified worlds of comedy and the thrill of having idols, like Charlie Day and members of the "alt Comedy club," enjoy her work.

2. Broadway, Drag, and Community

• Oh, Mary! & The Power of Diverse Casting (12:40–14:00)
  • The show’s cast draws a wide, intersectional audience, and the presence of multiple communities in one space feels meaningful.
  • Paula Pell’s kindness—donating clothes to young queer performers—also gets a shoutout.

3. The Evolution of Drag and Comedy’s Purpose

• Comedy as Divine Service (14:40–17:41)

  • On moving from seeing comedy as “frivolous” to seeing it as vital, healing work:

    “I thought comedy was frivolous. It’s not. It’s divine...There’s a reason why the comedy mask is right there with the tragedy mask. It takes both.” (15:31)

  • Performing has become "service to our community," especially in dark times.

• Drag & Mainstreaming (17:42–18:45)

  • Jinkx describes how drag shifted from being “too much” for mainstream audiences to being powerful, relevant, and vital:

    "Drag queens are not too much these days." (18:45)

4. What Counts as Drag? Spectrum, Performance, and Transition

• All Theater as Drag (18:51–21:59)

  • Jinkx asserts that “all theater is drag,” noting the commonality in artifice, transformation, and intention across all performers, regardless of gender.

    “…We all do it. We just do it at different levels. Drag queens take the dial for that and go and break the dial off.” (21:35)

• Navigating Gender, Stage Names, and Identity (22:20–24:12)

  • Drag is a spectrum; everyone moderates their self-presentation, but drag turns the dial to the max.

  • Jinkx discusses ongoing personal self-discovery following transition and how others—cis, trans, performer or not—use the same “affirmations” in life and on stage.

    “If you have changed your appearance, then you’ve transitioned a little bit. …We all use the same things to affirm ourselves that trans people use.” (24:12)

• Pharmaceuticals, Gender Norms & Hypocrisy (27:29–28:06)

  • Jinkx makes pointed observations about the hypocrisy of straight men “taking testosterone” while pushing to ban trans healthcare:

    “Imagine being a trans person watching straight men, the same straight men who want to ban our right to the hormones they’re taking.” (27:51)

  • Her approach: double down on truth, not get stuck in anger, and let the stage be a platform for honesty.

5. Approach to "Oh, Mary!" and Character Development

• Identifying with the Material (29:11–35:36)

  • Jinkx discusses her instant connection with Cole Escola’s play, the layers of genius in the script, and the universality of good writing:

    “If the text is good, you don’t need to bring a bunch of party tricks to it. You just need to do it.” (34:09)

  • She explores crafting difference from Cole’s original portrayal—her own “Mary” is shaped by honesty and higher emotional stakes.

• Bringing Realness to Absurdity (35:36–38:15)

  • She sought to strip away tired stereotypes from her character in “Pirates of Penzance,” focusing on human motivations and dignity:

    “Let’s strip away all the sexuality and just really play what her circumstances are.” (36:00)

• Stage Makeup as Character Development (38:15–40:15)

  • The ritual of applying makeup is part of getting into character; details, like smudgy eyeliner and extra blush to cover rosacea, are considered and meaningful.

6. Working with Kumail Nanjiani (40:19–44:09)

• Kumail’s transition from screen to stage is highlighted—his utter joy at live theater is contagious for the whole cast.
• Jinkx explains the difference between “sharing a stage” (collaborative, ego-less) and scene-stealing on camera:

  “When you share a stage with someone, it’s about knowing that it’s not about being the funniest, best thing on the stage at all moments. It’s about pushing your ego aside…” (43:29)

7. Manifesting Roles & Queer Representation in the MCU (44:09–46:09)

• Jinkx’s Dream Role: Mystique (44:19–46:09)
  • Jinkx openly campaigns to play Mystique in Marvel’s X-Men—citing her deep resonance for trans viewers.

    “She’s my favorite Marvel character of all time...she’s not accepted in her original form, so she has to transition to even walk around people.” (44:37)

  • Also pitches herself for Agatha All Along and lists her dream recasts for Oh, Mary!, including Kate McKinnon and Melissa McCarthy.

8. Drag Race, Roasts, and Joke Ethics (48:18–49:42, 52:35–55:20, 57:36–69:36)

• Resonance of Judy Garland Snatch Game (48:18–49:42)

  • On why Judy Garland and figures like Mary become queer icons—juxtaposition of fabulousness and tragedy.

    “What makes a queer icon is equal parts fabulousness and tragedy. ‘Cause we turn our tragedy into fabulousness.” (49:42)

• Roast Comedy: Intent, Impact & Ethics (52:35–55:20)

  • Jinkx learned roasting through Drag Race, stressing that the best roasts are loving and connect people rather than tearing them down.

    “When done well, it brings you closer to the person. Some of those girls I’ve become so close with because we have already said all the worst things we could possibly say to each other, and we know we still like each other.” (54:09)

  • Criticism for those who miss the mark by “punching down”:

    “I’m so bored with comedy that punches down. Like, in this moment, if you’re choosing to punch down, who the hell read the room?” (55:20)

• Writing, Borrowing, and Originality in Joke-Telling (63:09–69:36)

  • Jinkx admits to accidentally recycling a Sarah Silverman joke after years of absorbing comedic material and discusses the particular pressures and ethics in drag and roast culture.

  • On the inevitability of “brain mush”:

    “Comedy is a science. The people who are like, ‘you told that joke before,’ I’m like, oh my God, did Beyoncé sing that song before? Part of it is you come to hear the hits.” (69:36)

  • Favorite original roast joke (Trinity):

    “She’s very considerate. When she broke up with her last boyfriend, she said, let’s just be cousins.” (68:25)

9. Representation, Legacy, and Being of Service (71:53–75:05)

• Meeting queer youth fans and understanding the importance of representation in her career and for the community:

  “When you see other people’s stories, you can't hate them as much. And when you see yourself on tv, you can't hate yourself as much.” (73:09)

• On stage, Jinkx finds clarity and purpose, even as the outside world remains chaotic.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the Universality of Drag:

  "We all do it. We just do it at different levels. Drag queens take the dial for that and go and break the dial off." (21:35)

• On Comedy’s Role:

  “I thought comedy was frivolous. It’s not. It’s divine. There’s a reason why the comedy mask is right there with the tragedy mask.” (15:31)

• On Roasting:

  “When done well, it brings you closer to the person. We have already said all the worst things we could possibly say to each other, and we know we still like each other…” (54:09)

• On Mystique as a Trans Icon:

  “She’s not accepted in her original form, so she has to transition to even walk around people.” (44:37)

• On Toxic Masculinity:

  “Their spectrum of expression is this big. …they are jealous as fuck. They are jealous that the underlings have found a way to be happy without money.” (51:00)

• On Artistic Integrity:

  “If you hire me for my world famous pizza sauce, don't try to fuck with the recipe.” (60:41)

Notable Segments & Timestamps

• 03:00 – 09:00: Katy Perry backstage story, reflections on fame
• 14:40 – 17:41: Rediscovering comedy’s communal importance post-mainstreaming
• 18:51 – 24:12: Drag as spectrum, identity, and societal parallels
• 27:29 – 28:06: Pointed take on testosterone and hypocrisy in gender politics
• 44:19 – 46:09: Manifesting Mystique, reading trans themes in X-Men
• 52:31 – 69:36: Roast writing, joke attribution, and punch-up vs punch-down dynamics
• 71:53 – 75:05: Fan encounters, representation, and performance as service
• 75:18 – 79:19: Lightning round—favorite jokes (“Rim it”), Joan Rivers anecdote, bombing stories

Lightning/Laughing Round Highlights

• Favorite Joke:
  Jinkx: "What did one gay frog say to the other? Rim it, rim it." (75:19)

• Joan Rivers Encounter:
  “Oh, you’re the drag queen who got the room painted.” (76:06)

• Worst Gig:
  Hot, strange club in Mobile, Alabama (“turn on the AC for Jinkx” = someone points a leaf blower at her). Later discovered her performance had a profound impact on a local queer kid. (77:10–78:30)

• Bombing Story:
  Singing the “King of Queens” theme song in Queens to utter silence; stuck with the bit regardless. (79:27–81:07)

• Joke the Audience Never Appreciated:
  Recurring bit about John Paul Sartre that never landed but refused to give up on it. (81:18)

Overall Tone and Takeaways

The episode is a perfect blend of heart, wit, and wisdom. Jinkx Monsoon’s language throughout is simultaneously camp, insightful, and vulnerable. The conversation illuminates the labor and love in comedy, the spectrum of drag, and the deep importance of being seen—for both the performer and their community.

For anyone interested in drag, comedy, queer art, or the power of performance to heal and connect, this is an unmissable conversation.