The Business of Drag with Alaska Thunderf*ck (RuPaul's Drag Race)

Summary

Money Rehab with Nicole Lapin: The Business of Drag with Alaska Thunderf*ck (RuPaul's Drag Race) Release Date: December 19, 2024

Hosted by Morgan Lavoy in Nicole Lapin’s absence, this episode delves into the intricate business side of drag through the experiences of one of the most iconic drag queens, Alaska Thunderfck.*

---

Introduction to Alaska Thunderf*ck

The episode kicks off with host Morgan Lavoy introducing Alaska Thunderf*ck, highlighting her impressive career trajectory:

• Background: Alaska hails from Erie, Pennsylvania, and gained fame as a runner-up on Season Five of RuPaul's Drag Race. She further cemented her legacy by winning RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars Season Two.
• Achievements: Beyond the show, Alaska boasts a massive following with 1.8 million Instagram followers. She engages in diverse ventures including her memoir "My Name's Yours", the rewatch podcast Race Chasers, music production, touring, a fragrance line, and her groundbreaking show Drag the Musical in New York City.

---

Alaska’s Journey into Drag

Early Experiences and Inspiration

• First Drag Influence (04:27): Alaska recounts her first encounter with drag, which took place in a bar, possibly in West Virginia, where she saw a performer named Amanda Love lip-syncing. This sparked her curiosity, though initially, she felt she couldn’t embody such glamour herself.

  • Alaska Thunderfck:* “I just wanted to get drunk, you know.” (05:23)

• Realization and Commitment (07:00): It wasn't until Alaska attended a Duran Duran drag show in San Francisco on her 22nd birthday that she realized she wanted to pursue drag professionally. The performance broke her preconceived notions of drag, blending rules and pushing boundaries.

  • Alaska Thunderfck:* “I want to do that, I want to do this.” (07:00)

First Performance and Branding

• Debut as Alaska (08:16): Alaska decided on her drag persona immediately upon encountering the name "Alaska," which coincided with a weed strain. This branding was pivotal in establishing her unique identity.
  • Alaska Thunderfck:* “It was like a lightning bolt. It was like instant.” (08:16)

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Financial Dynamics of Drag

Revenue Streams and Challenges (12:06)

• Primary Income: Performing remains the main source of income for many drag queens. However, Alaska points out that performing is both lucrative and costly due to expenses related to costumes, makeup, and accessories.

  • Alaska Thunderfck:* “Eyelashes, hair, makeup is expensive. Clothes, shoes, all of it is so costly.” (15:29)

• Supplementary Income: To offset these costs, Alaska explored additional revenue streams such as selling T-shirts, producing shows and parties, and creating music. Initially, merchandise sales were slow, but these efforts diversified her income.

  • Alaska Thunderfck:* “When I was first starting out... no one was buying it.” (14:46)

Cost Management

• Budgeting (12:12): Alaska emphasizes the importance of managing expenses to ensure that income from performances surpasses spending on drag necessities.
  • Alaska Thunderfck:* “I have to make sure I'm not spending more than that to get there.” (12:13)

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Drag the Musical: Creation and Impact

Development and Themes (21:07)

• Genesis: Alaska collaborated with friends Tomas and Ash to create Drag the Musical, dedicating nearly eight years to its development.

  • Alaska Thunderfck:* “It was very difficult, but we did it.” (21:43)

• Storyline: The musical explores the dynamics of two rival drag houses with underlying family themes. It addresses issues like financial struggles, familial relationships, and the intersection of biological and chosen families.

  • Alaska Thunderfck:* “It's about all of those things. There's a lot of, like, family elements to it, whether it's your biological family or your chosen family.” (23:12)

Cultural Relevance and Reception

• Political Climate: Alaska discusses how the musical intersects with current political debates surrounding drag, especially concerning children’s exposure to drag culture.

  • Alaska Thunderfck:* “Children being in proximity to drag is now, like, a hot button political issue.” (24:29)

• Audience Connection: The reception has been overwhelmingly positive, with audiences resonating deeply, including families witnessing the show together.

  • Alaska Thunderfck:* “A couple has seen the show 16 times as of today.” (25:56)

---

Personal Insights and Redefining Success

Financial Struggles Pre-Drag Race (19:43)

• Alaska shares her financial hardships before gaining fame on Drag Race, highlighting the precarious nature of making a living through drag.

  • Alaska Thunderfck:* “Are we going to keep the lights on? Are we going to keep the heat on?” (19:43)

• Reinvention: Post-cast, Alaska learned to redefine success beyond mere fame, focusing on personal happiness and self-worth.

  • Alaska Thunderfck:* “I had to make it work because I wasn't good at anything else.” (16:16)

Lessons Learned (18:41)

• Value Beyond Career: Alaska emphasizes the importance of valuing aspects of life outside of one's career to ensure stability and fulfillment.
  • Alaska Thunderfck:* “You have to have something beyond that, because if that evaporates or slows down or goes away, like, that can't be your whole existence.” (18:41)

---

Interactive Segment: Never Have I Ever - Money Edition

Host Morgan Lavoy engages Alaska in a fun, money-themed game of "Never Have I Ever," revealing personal financial anecdotes:

• Credit Card Debt: Alaska admits to maxing out a credit card. (27:02)
• Cash Prizes and Lotteries: She shares experiences of winning cash prizes and playing scratchers. (27:24, 28:09)
• Job Experiences: Recounts being fired for staying at Burning Man beyond her work obligations. (28:19)

---

Money Tip: Embrace Rewearing Clothing

In the closing segment, Alaska offers a practical financial tip:

• Sustainable Fashion: Alaska advocates for rewearing outfits, especially costumes, to save money and benefit the environment.

  • Alaska Thunderfck:* “Don't be afraid to rewear stuff. It's good for the environment, but it also saves you money.” (29:00)

• Cultural Shift: Encourages normalizing the practice of reusing clothing to foster cultural change and promote financial prudence.

  • Alaska Thunderfck:* “Normalize that. Why not? We should culturally do that.” (29:31)

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Conclusion

The episode wraps up with Alaska’s heartfelt appreciation for the support she has received and her commitment to continuing her creative endeavors. Listeners are left with actionable financial advice and an inspiring look into the resilience and business acumen required in the drag industry.

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Notable Quotes:

• Alaska Thunderfck (07:00):* “I want to do that, I want to do this.”
• Alaska Thunderfck (12:13):* “I have to make sure I'm not spending more than that to get there.”
• Alaska Thunderfck (29:00):* “Don't be afraid to rewear stuff. It's good for the environment, but it also saves you money.”

---

Connect with Money Rehab:

• Email: [e-mail]
• Social Media: Follow on Instagram and TikTok at Money News Network for exclusive content.

Produced by Money News Network with executive production by Morgan Lavoy and research by Emily Holmes.

Transcript

[Nicole Lapin]

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[Morgan Lavoy]

Rehab.

[Morgan]

Hi Money Rehabbers, it's Morgan, the.

[Morgan Lavoy]

EP of the show.

[Morgan]

Guest hosting Money Rehab this week while Nicole is on maternity leave. Today I'm going to be talking about the business of drag. This is an episode I've wanted to do for so long because one, I'm just a big fan of drag, but also because it's one of those jobs where I've just always wondered how people actually make money doing it. Today I'm talking to one of the most iconic drag queens ever, Alaska. She goes by Alaska or Alaska Thunderfuck. And so today I'm just gonna stick with Alaska because I don't know how many times I can say Thunderfuck without the show getting canceled to already feels like I'm kind of pushing it. Alaska grew up in Erie, Pennsylvania and worked in Pittsburgh NLA before getting cast on the Olympics of Drag. The show RuPaul's Drag Race. Alaska was a runner up on season five and then went on to win RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars season two. If you don't know Alaska, you just simply have to her memoir My Name's Yours, what's Alaska is a good place to start. She has a huge fan base, 1.8 million followers on Instagram alone. And she just does a zillion different things from performing to her Drag Race rewatch podcast, Race Chasers. She makes music, she tours, she has a fragrance, and now she has a show in New York City. Alaska co wrote and stars in Drag the Musical, which if you're in New York, you definitely should see. And she tells me a little bit more about it in this conversation. Today we talk about the business of drag through her story from how she got started to redefining success after Drag Race, how she kept going when she had no money, and yes, how drag queens actually make money. Here's Alaska.

[Morgan Lavoy]

Alaska. Welcome to Money Rehab.

[Alaska Thunderfuck]

Thank you so much. My pleasure.

[Morgan Lavoy]

It's the pleasure is all ours. I'm so excited to talk to you about the business of drag, really through your story. So let's start with you. Do you remember the first drag performance you ever saw?

[Alaska Thunderfuck]

Yes. I think her name was Amanda Love. Amanda Love or Amanda Hug and kiss, I can't remember. But we walked into, like a bar and was like one of the first gay bars ever that I went into. And. And she was like, lip syncing and doing a number and I. And I was like, why. Why isn't she singing? I don't understand. I had only seen, like, the Birdcage and like, Starina, like, with the microphone, you know, So I was like, I didn't understand what drag was.

[Morgan Lavoy]

Do you remember what she sang and what she was wearing?

[Alaska Thunderfuck]

No idea what she was doing, but she was huge and just, like, gorgeous and. Yeah.

[Morgan Lavoy]

And so this was in Pittsburgh.

[Alaska Thunderfuck]

I feel like it was in, like, I feel, I wanna say, like, West Virginia or something like that. Like, I don't.

[Morgan Lavoy]

That's a plot twist. That is not what I thought.

[Nicole Lapin]

West Virginia.

[Alaska Thunderfuck]

Okay. Yeah.

[Morgan Lavoy]

And so when you saw that, did you think, I wanna do that immediately?

[Alaska Thunderfuck]

No, no, no. Cause I was like, I can't do that. I can't be that gorgeous and glamorous and beautiful. Stunned. I just wanted to get drunk, you know.

[Morgan Lavoy]

And did you?

[Alaska Thunderfuck]

Yeah, well, yeah.

[Morgan Lavoy]

And so this. This happened in West Virginia? Maybe it did not happen in Erie, where you grew up. Not a lot of drag representation in Erie.

[Alaska Thunderfuck]

Well, there is. I just didn't know about it. And I think we went to West Virginia because I was under 21 and it was like, you could get into bars there. I don't know. My memory's full of holes.

[Morgan Lavoy]

Happens.

[Alaska Thunderfuck]

Yeah.

[Morgan Lavoy]

But even though you felt at the time that could never be me, you had an early interest in style. I read in your memoir that you would make Catwoman suits out of trash bags and you would dye your contacts with food coloring.

[Alaska Thunderfuck]

I definitely did the contacts thing, yes. Just. Cause I liked, like, changing my appearance. I thought it was fun. And I always wanted to have dark eyes. Like, I still do.

[Morgan Lavoy]

So when then did you for the first time think, like, I, I can do that, Like, I, I could do drag?

[Alaska Thunderfuck]

It was San Francisco that did that for me. I went to the stud on my 22nd birthday and there was a show there and it was Duran Duran night, and it was a drag show and it was. And Duran Duran is a bunch of guys. And so just that in and of itself was, like, way, like sort of all the rules of what I thought drag was did not apply. And it was. It was scary and it was funny and it was sexy and it was gross and like messy. And I just, I was like, I want to do that, I want to do this. So I went back to Pittsburgh and I was like, I'm gonna do drag now because of that.

[Morgan Lavoy]

And so how long after that did you perform as Alaska for the first time?

[Alaska Thunderfuck]

It wasn't too long after that. And I picked up a flyer at. At Pegasus and it was like a, A contest. A Chichi Larue contest.

[Morgan Lavoy]

The Fishbowl?

[Alaska Thunderfuck]

Yeah, the Fishbowl contest. And I was like, I'm gonna do that and I'm gonna win that.

[Morgan Lavoy]

And you did well.

[Alaska Thunderfuck]

Well, I don't like to brag and.

[Morgan Lavoy]

So I, I love that you knew what your name would be as soon as you encountered it, which was a weed strain, right? Yeah, love that. And so there was never another contender. You were like, this is him.

[Alaska Thunderfuck]

No, no, that was it. It was like a lightning bolt. It was like instant.

[Morgan Lavoy]

So tell me about the Fishbowl performance.

[Alaska Thunderfuck]

Yeah, all the queens in, in town showed up because it was like $250 or $200 and that was like, I mean, that basically, like with inflation, that's like $1 million now. And so we were like, you know, everyone came out and so I was very nervous. But I had a bunch of tricks and gags planned. In case I didn't know the song, I would still have something to do. So I like put, put all this stuff up my skirt and I would pull it out as the number went on and then the skirt would tear away and it would be a G that said I love Chichi Larue. So you know, sucking up to the host. Stunts and gags, distractions, those are the key to performance in drag, I think. And yeah, and I, I pulled. Because you had to choose your song out of the Fishbowl. You didn't know what you were going to do. And I pulled how many licks by Lil Kim and I happened to know every word of that. And so we did it.

[Morgan Lavoy]

So was that actually your first time performing as Alaska?

[Alaska Thunderfuck]

Officially?

[Morgan Lavoy]

Yes, officially. And so how did it feel?

[Alaska Thunderfuck]

It felt great. I was bit by the bug and that was that.

[Morgan Lavoy]

And so then you decide to move to la?

[Alaska Thunderfuck]

Uh huh.

[Morgan Lavoy]

But you decide at the time that you're not gonna do drag there. You pack your wigs and then you go through security at the airport and. And then you take your wigs out because you're like, I'm not doing drag.

[Alaska Thunderfuck]

You did all your research on this. Like usually I have to explain all of this on podcasts and you know, everything I'm so glad.

[Morgan Lavoy]

No, I got you.

[Alaska Thunderfuck]

Yes. I was like, I'm going to be a serious actor. I studied theater arts and I'm going to be a serious actor and I'm going to give up all this drag shit. And then I was like, being a serious actor is hard, and I. I lacked the discipline and the skills to do it. And I was like, I had to, like, have normal looking hair and I had to take my piercings out and like, I, like, I'd wear like normal clothes. I was like, none of that appealed to me and it didn't make any sense to me. And so I was like, I can't do that. So I didn't know what I was doing. And so I did drag for fun. Just to like, keep my. Keep myself sane.

[Unnamed Guest]

Yeah.

[Alaska Thunderfuck]

And I ended up getting a job just from, like, going out in drag and looking crazy.

[Unnamed Guest]

Yeah.

[Morgan Lavoy]

And well, thank God that you did.

[Alaska Thunderfuck]

What a gift.

[Morgan Lavoy]

What a gift. So at some point you're like, okay, I'm doing drag for fun, now I have to make money doing it. And I read that you sort of like, looked around and you're like, what? How are other drag queens making money? And so you saw somebody sell T shirts online. So you're like, I'll sell T shirts online.

[Alaska Thunderfuck]

Yeah.

[Morgan Lavoy]

You saw people promoting and producing shows and parties.

[Morgan]

So you're like, I'll try that.

[Alaska Thunderfuck]

Yeah.

[Morgan Lavoy]

And then also making their own music. And so. Well, first of all, do you have any of those old T shirts still? Because I want one. I do.

[Alaska Thunderfuck]

You know, I must. They must be somewhere. They're like the og and it was like a, like a face, the eyes, nose, mouth on a white T shirt and just like blue eyeshadow. And that was it. And. And then it was like, we did a yellow eyeshadow edition and like, that's it. There are very few of those out there, but those are og. I don't even know if I have any.

[Morgan Lavoy]

Okay, well, if you find one, let me know. I want one. But when I was reading that, I was surprised because I figured that sort of the big money maker is performing. Is that right?

[Alaska Thunderfuck]

Yes. But the problem there is that it also takes all your money to do that. So it's.

[Morgan Lavoy]

Tell me about that.

[Alaska Thunderfuck]

So drag is like a conundrum because it. It costs a lot of money. Like, we have a song in the musical called Drag is Expensive because it fucking is. And it. So you have to ride the line of like, okay, when I was first starting out, it was like, I'm getting paid you know, a hundred dollars to do this. So that means I have to make sure I'm not spending more than that to get there.

[Unnamed Guest]

Yeah.

[Alaska Thunderfuck]

To wear the. All the things that I'm required to wear to do drag. Luckily, I wore a bunch of garbage. So that's the business savvy, that we're here, keeping costs low.

[Nicole Lapin]

Yes.

[Morgan Lavoy]

No, Perfect. And so when. So you said you were getting paid, like, a hundred bucks, maybe. So is that normally the structure? It's like you'll get a fee and then tips.

[Alaska Thunderfuck]

Yeah.

[Morgan Lavoy]

So how much? Like, say, the Blue Moon, where. You know, bar in Pittsburgh where you're a big part of the legacy there. How much would somebody make in tips a night there?

[Alaska Thunderfuck]

Well, the Blue Moon was special. And I've never had a. Like a. A show structured like this. Andy, who was the owner and the manager, believed in us and wanted the bar to not have a cover charge ever. So he gave us a chunk of $500, which we could use as we saw fit. There were three of us, usually four of us, but sometimes three of us. And so we would take that, and then we would, like, hire a guest to do it. We'd each get, like, $100 or $125, which was amazing. No cover charge. So all our friends could come, they'd get drunk on four Lokos, and we could do whatever we wanted. I've never had a show like this ever since where it was structured like that. And I'm so grateful for that because it was such freedom creatively.

[Unnamed Guest]

Yeah.

[Alaska Thunderfuck]

We weren't worried about, oh, we've gotta sell tickets. We have to do something that grabs people and gets them to buy tickets. It's like, no, it's free. Just come watch us do a show called the Bible. And it's, you know, I'm dressed up like Jesus with a laser blaster riding on my friend like a minotaur. Like, that's what we did. Tips. We'd get tips. I don't know. How much? $20? 40? Something like that?

[Morgan Lavoy]

Something like that.

[Alaska Thunderfuck]

Yeah. And so all the other stuff, I mean, selling T shirts and making music and, you know, all of those things like that, no one was buying it.

[Morgan Lavoy]

Yeah.

[Alaska Thunderfuck]

When I was first starting out, because no. No one bought a shirt.

[Morgan Lavoy]

No one bought a shirt.

[Alaska Thunderfuck]

No one bought a shirt. But I wanted to have it there.

[Morgan Lavoy]

Yeah.

[Alaska Thunderfuck]

To do it. Because I saw someone like Jackie B. Who is a brilliant, you know, drag artist, the queen of fucking Los Angeles, and I was like, I want to emulate what she's doing even if no one's buying it, I want to have it.

[Unnamed Guest]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Morgan Lavoy]

And so what are the.

[Alaska Thunderfuck]

What.

[Morgan Lavoy]

What are the costs? How does it get so expensive?

[Alaska Thunderfuck]

Eyelashes, hair.

[Unnamed Guest]

Yeah.

[Alaska Thunderfuck]

Makeup is expensive. Clothes, shoes, all of it is so costly. And there's so many steps just to, like, get out the door.

[Unnamed Guest]

Yeah, yeah.

[Morgan Lavoy]

And do you think. Because I was thinking about it, and not every job has such startup costs like that.

[Alaska Thunderfuck]

Yeah.

[Morgan Lavoy]

And so you really have to be willing to invest in yourself.

[Alaska Thunderfuck]

Yeah.

[Morgan Lavoy]

And so did that make you feel differently, do you think, than if you had a job where, like, you could have just jumped into it? Like, do you feel like you were more confident because you're investing? Or did you feel like, I got to make this work because I'm, like, putting my money into it.

[Alaska Thunderfuck]

I had to make it work because I wasn't good at anything else. Like, it was like, drag chose me and it's my destiny because every other job, like, it was like, it just wasn't working.

[Morgan Lavoy]

Just wasn't.

[Alaska Thunderfuck]

Couldn't do it.

[Unnamed Guest]

Yeah.

[Alaska Thunderfuck]

So I had to make it work.

[Morgan Lavoy]

So. But pre Drag Race, it sounds like you were not making enough money from drag that you could live on. You were, like, working in coffee shops, doing other things.

[Alaska Thunderfuck]

Yeah.

[Morgan Lavoy]

Is that right? And then when you were in la, you got a shitty apartment so that you could save for a second audition tape for Drag Race. Right.

[Alaska Thunderfuck]

I mean, I guess that's how we tell the story. I don't know. I think I was Dr. I was driving my friend Jeremy nuts, and he was, like, studying in grad school, and I was being an unhinged drag queen pothead, so I got my own place and it seemed like a great idea until it was, like, infested with roaches and it was just, like. It was, like, stalled. It was like. It just, like a dead end. I was like, I don't know if I can do this out here.

[Morgan Lavoy]

So you did your audition tape for season two. You auditioned every year until season five?

[Alaska Thunderfuck]

I did.

[Morgan Lavoy]

And so I also read it in your memoir that you said that early on you were like, I'm going to be famous, and when I'm famous, all my problems are going to go away. And so when.

[Alaska Thunderfuck]

Folly of youth.

[Morgan Lavoy]

The folly of youth. And so when you did get cast, did you think, this is it, I'm going to be famous and all of my problems are going to go away?

[Alaska Thunderfuck]

I mean, that is what you think. Yes, that is what you think. And then it was like. Then I got, you know, we wrapped filming and, you know, Sharon, who I was dating at the time. The first phone call we had was like, the cat ran away, the house burned down. Like. Like, it was just like, everything had. Was a disaster. So, no, it. Getting on Drag Race doesn't make all your problems go away. Shocking.

[Morgan Lavoy]

And so how have you had to think about redefining success for yourself so that you can feel like it's not tied to fame, but it's tied to maybe something that is self worth, happiness?

[Alaska Thunderfuck]

Yeah. I mean, that took a really long time. Yeah, it took a really long time to value my life outside of drag as it relates to Drag Race. It took a very long time. And that's really important. Yeah, I. I think that's important with any career. It's like, you have to have something beyond that, because if that evaporates or slows down or goes away, like, that can't be your whole existence. Yeah, it's like the movie the Substance.

[Morgan Lavoy]

It's exactly like the movie the Substance.

[Nicole Lapin]

Hold onto your wallets. Money rehab will be right back. And now for some more money rehab.

[Morgan Lavoy]

Before you got that call saying that you were on Drag Race, were you stressed about money?

[Alaska Thunderfuck]

Yes. Oh, yeah. We were very, very poor. Oh, it. Yes, it was a disaster. It was like, are we going to keep the lights on? Are we going to keep the heat on?

[Unnamed Guest]

Yeah.

[Morgan Lavoy]

And so do you think if you hadn't have gotten on Drag Race, would you have kept doing drag?

[Alaska Thunderfuck]

Yes.

[Morgan Lavoy]

Yeah.

[Alaska Thunderfuck]

Because I can't do anything else. That was it.

[Unnamed Guest]

Yeah.

[Alaska Thunderfuck]

So, yeah.

[Morgan Lavoy]

When I first moved to New York after college, it took me a long time to get a job. And my. I did the thing where I, like, sold my car to move here and moved with one suitcase and was like, this is the total amount of money that I have in my life. And I just watched it go down while I was trying to get a job. And when I finally got a job at iHeartRadio, I didn't have enough money in my bank account to pay for subway fare, so I walked to work every morning.

[Unnamed Guest]

Yeah.

[Morgan Lavoy]

Thank you. Do you have any stories like that where you're like, I just gotta fucking make it work?

[Alaska Thunderfuck]

I ride my bike a lot, but also when I was in la, I was like. I would ride my bike to gigs sometimes, like, in drag. So in, like, you know, 2007, if you saw a drag queen on a bicycle going down Santa Monica Boulevard, it was probably me.

[Morgan Lavoy]

Can you tell me about Drag the Musical?

[Alaska Thunderfuck]

Yeah.

[Morgan Lavoy]

Let's start with where did this idea come from? How long have you been working on it?

[Alaska Thunderfuck]

Well, it's been almost eight years at this point.

[Morgan Lavoy]

My God.

[Alaska Thunderfuck]

And I had been making music with my friends Tomas and Ash, and Ash is an amazing songwriter, and Tomas is an amazing song producer. So, like, all my music was done with them. And so we had that relationship. And at a certain point, Tomas was like, so, I'm thinking of doing a musical. Do you want to write it with us? And so I was like, sure, that'll be easy. It was not easy. Yeah.

[Morgan Lavoy]

How hard could it be?

[Alaska Thunderfuck]

It was very difficult, but we did it.

[Morgan Lavoy]

Yeah, you did it, and people love it. And so you didn't just write it, you also star in it. Can you tell us a little bit about what the show's about?

[Alaska Thunderfuck]

Yes. The initial, like, kernel of what it is. I like the idea of it being two rival drag houses. So it's like, originally it was like, this is the singing house and this is the dancing house. But it turned into just like, we're kind of the same, but we hate each other sort of thing, which is, you know, that's how. That's how it goes in life sometimes.

[Unnamed Guest]

Yeah.

[Alaska Thunderfuck]

And then we wanted to have, like, a family element to it. So one of the drag queens has to call her brother, who she hasn't talked to in five years. They don't get along at all. And then her brother comes into town because he can. He can possibly help them get out of financial trouble. He brings along his son, who's 10 years old and who just. His father doesn't know what to do with him because he's like. He wants to wear his mom's glasses, and he. He doesn't. He isn't connecting. And then he discovers drag and is like, oh, wait, like, this is kind of sickening. I love this, you know?

[Unnamed Guest]

Yeah.

[Alaska Thunderfuck]

And so there. It's. It's about all of those things. There's a lot of, like, family elements to it, whether it's your biological family or your chosen family.

[Unnamed Guest]

Yeah.

[Alaska Thunderfuck]

And. Yeah.

[Morgan Lavoy]

What would seeing something like that have meant to you when you were 10?

[Alaska Thunderfuck]

I can't imagine. I don't know. I think that it would be great, probably because it's like, when you have shame as a young person, which there was a lot regarding being feminine or. Or dressing in flamboyant clothes or whatever, when those things are completely not allowed, then it becomes, like, shame, and then you have to, like, spend a lot of time unlearning that and reintegrating that into your self. And so I guess there would have just been, like, less time having to unlearn Stuff.

[Unnamed Guest]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Morgan Lavoy]

One of the parts of your memoir that really made me feel for Little Alaska was when your mom was like, don't play like a girl.

[Alaska Thunderfuck]

Yeah.

[Unnamed Guest]

Yeah.

[Morgan Lavoy]

That's really hard. That's really hard. And then you're also. It struck me that you're also doing this show, and then the election happens. So do you feel like the stakes are higher now somehow, or do you try to keep it in its own creative bubble?

[Alaska Thunderfuck]

Well, and just a side note, my mom is now the biggest fan of. Of Alaska. Of me. My biggest supporter. Yes. She told me, don't play like a girl because she was trying to protect her child. You know what I mean?

[Morgan Lavoy]

Yes.

[Alaska Thunderfuck]

That's how it was. But, yeah, I mean, the fact that, like, children being in proximity to drag is now, like, a hot button political issue. We started this eight years ago. That was not even on the table.

[Unnamed Guest]

Yeah.

[Alaska Thunderfuck]

So it's a little preposterous that our musical is literally that.

[Unnamed Guest]

Yeah.

[Alaska Thunderfuck]

But it's also, like, wonderful. I mean, we're. You know, I mean, when. When it's our turn on the chopping block, which it is sometimes with the. With politics, we know what to do. This isn't a new story.

[Unnamed Guest]

Yeah.

[Alaska Thunderfuck]

And we know how to fight back, and we know how to organize that. We know how to lean on each other. And so that's what. That's what we're gonna do. And the musical's part of that.

[Morgan Lavoy]

I was reading the comments of some of the posts on the Drag the Musical Instagram account, and just so many people being like, hi, from Minnesota. Like, I took my kids when we were visiting New York. It meant so much to them, and it's amazing. It must feel so good to hear stories like that and see how it's. How it's resonating. Cause it is such a light right now when it's like, that's exactly what we need.

[Alaska Thunderfuck]

Yeah. And people come back so many times.

[Unnamed Guest]

Ugh.

[Alaska Thunderfuck]

There. There's a couple who has seen the show 16 times as of today.

[Morgan Lavoy]

Oh, my God. So will you write another musical?

[Alaska Thunderfuck]

Oh, God. When? I. Yes. I mean, maybe. I don't know. Yes.

[Morgan Lavoy]

Yes.

[Alaska Thunderfuck]

Yeah. Why not?

[Morgan Lavoy]

I love it. Right here, right now. Another musical. Will there be a Drag the musical? The movie?

[Alaska Thunderfuck]

That'd be great.

[Morgan Lavoy]

I would love that.

[Alaska Thunderfuck]

I would love that, too.

[Unnamed Guest]

Yeah.

[Morgan Lavoy]

Cause again, it's like, more people need to see it.

[Alaska Thunderfuck]

Yeah.

[Morgan Lavoy]

Before I let you go, I would love to play a game with you.

[Alaska Thunderfuck]

Ooh. Okay.

[Morgan Lavoy]

It's never have I Ever. But money themed.

[Alaska Thunderfuck]

Okay.

[Morgan Lavoy]

And we're not drinking. So we'll just put our hands up.

[Alaska Thunderfuck]

Okay.

[Morgan Lavoy]

And so if you have done something, you put a finger down.

[Alaska Thunderfuck]

Oh, okay.

[Morgan Lavoy]

And if you haven't, you keep it up.

[Alaska Thunderfuck]

Okay.

[Morgan Lavoy]

So never have I ever split the check on a first date. If you have done it, put your finger down.

[Alaska Thunderfuck]

I have done it. I don't think I've done that.

[Morgan Lavoy]

You don't think?

[Alaska Thunderfuck]

I don't know. Again, brain full of holes. But no, I was. No, I was always dating older guys so they would buy stuff for me.

[Morgan Lavoy]

Never have I ever maxed out a credit card. I don't think I've done that.

[Alaska Thunderfuck]

Oh, I have. Wait, I have.

[Morgan Lavoy]

Okay.

[Alaska Thunderfuck]

Yeah.

[Morgan Lavoy]

Never have I ever won a cash prize.

[Alaska Thunderfuck]

I have.

[Morgan Lavoy]

You've done that.

[Alaska Thunderfuck]

I have.

[Morgan Lavoy]

So you put a finger down.

[Alaska Thunderfuck]

Okay.

[Morgan Lavoy]

Never have I ever invested in the stock market. I haven't. You haven't. We gotta get you in there.

[Alaska Thunderfuck]

Okay.

[Morgan Lavoy]

We're gonna make you rich.

[Alaska Thunderfuck]

Okay, great.

[Morgan Lavoy]

Never have I ever given a big gift to a friend or family member.

[Alaska Thunderfuck]

I have done that.

[Morgan Lavoy]

Yeah. Okay. Put that finger down. Never have I ever had credit card debt.

[Alaska Thunderfuck]

I feel like I never got credit cards. I've had debt before, but not credit card debt.

[Morgan Lavoy]

Yeah. What kind of debt have you had?

[Alaska Thunderfuck]

Like, student loans.

[Morgan Lavoy]

Yeah. Yeah. I don't think I've had credit card debt either.

[Alaska Thunderfuck]

Yeah.

[Morgan Lavoy]

Never have I ever played the lottery. I have.

[Alaska Thunderfuck]

I mean, I. I think I have. I think I got, like. Do scratchers count?

[Morgan Lavoy]

Scratchers absolutely count.

[Alaska Thunderfuck]

Okay, great. So I have.

[Morgan Lavoy]

Okay, perfect. Never have I ever been fired from a job. I haven't.

[Alaska Thunderfuck]

I have.

[Morgan Lavoy]

What's that story?

[Alaska Thunderfuck]

Yeah, I went to Burning man and I was supposed to come back after three days, and I was like, I'm not leaving. So I stayed, and so they fired my ass because I was supposed to be back at work.

[Morgan Lavoy]

You were like, fair enough.

[Alaska Thunderfuck]

Oh, what an idiot.

[Morgan Lavoy]

I mean, was it worth it?

[Alaska Thunderfuck]

Yes.

[Nicole Lapin]

Okay, good.

[Morgan Lavoy]

All right. We end all of our episodes by asking our guests for a money tip that listeners can take straight to the bank. And so it can be anything about something, a lesson that you've learned, something that you use to save, negotiate, make money, shop, anything.

[Alaska Thunderfuck]

Well, and I. I want to address this to drag queens or really anyone. I think it's okay to re. Wear stuff all the time. I think. I think it's great to rewear costumes or dresses or. So I. Because I think there's too much clo. Too many clothes in the world. So it's good for the environment, but it also is, like, it saves you money. And like, if you spend a lot of money on a garment, you should wear it all the time.

[Unnamed Guest]

Yeah.

[Alaska Thunderfuck]

So don't be afraid to rewear stuff.

[Morgan Lavoy]

It's like when Tiffany haddish rewore a dress that she wore to an award show and she was hosting snl, she was like, I need to get my money's worth, please.

[Alaska Thunderfuck]

Right. Like, normalize that. Because why not? I think that we should culturally do that.

[Morgan Lavoy]

I love that.

[Alaska Thunderfuck]

And it saves money.

[Morgan Lavoy]

And it saves money. Good for the environment. I'm sold.

[Unnamed Guest]

Foreign.

[Nicole Lapin]

Rehab is a production of Money News Network. I'm your host, Nicole Lapin. Money Rehab's executive producer is Morgan Lavoy. Our researcher is Emily Holmes. Do you need some money Rehab? And let's be honest, we all do. So email us your money questions moneyrehaboneynewsnetwork.com to potentially have your questions answered on the show or even have a one on one intervention with me. And follow us on Instagram at Money News and tiktokoneynewsnetwork for exclusive video content. And lastly, thank you. No, seriously, thank you. Thank you for listening and for investing in yourself. Which is this episode is brought to you by Progressive Insurance. Fiscally responsible financial geniuses, monetary magicians. These are things people say about drivers who switch their car insurance to progressive and save hundreds. Visit progressive.com to see if you can save Progressive Casualty Insurance Company and affiliates. Potential savings will vary. Not available in all states or situations.