#72 - Meeting Our Biggest Fan

Summary

Smosh Mouth Episode #72 - "Meeting Our Biggest Fan"

Release Date: November 25, 2024
Host: Smosh (Shayne Topp and Amanda Lehan-Canto)
Guest: Aurora Matrix, Runner-Up of Canada's Drag Race Season Four

---

1. Introduction and Guest Welcome

The episode kicks off with Shane and Amanda enthusiastically welcoming Aurora Matrix, highlighting her achievement as the runner-up of Canada's Drag Race Season Four. Amanda exclaims her excitement, stating, "Super big fan" at [00:03]. Aurora reciprocates the sentiment, expressing her delight in being on the show: "Me too. I feel like this is so meant to be" [00:17].

2. Aurora's Journey into Drag

Aurora delves into her lifelong passion for the arts, sharing how her early involvement in piano, musical theater, Chinese dance, and choir laid the foundation for her future in drag. She recounts a pivotal moment in high school when she auditioned for the drama program, driven by her mother's ultimatum: pursue her artistic passions or switch to the sciences [03:24].

Transitioning seamlessly, Aurora explains her leap into drag performance at an open stage in Toronto. She emphasizes her commitment, balancing full-time education with late-night performances: "I was juggling school, doing shows until like 4am and then going to like a movement class at like 8:30" [05:37].

3. Experience on Canada's Drag Race

Aurora details her experience on Canada's Drag Race, revealing the intense audition process and the unique filming approach of the show. She explains how multiple winners are filmed to preserve the live finale's suspense: "I was sitting here from filming all the way to broadcast, thinking there's a possibility I could win" [17:18]. Aurora shares her emotional rollercoaster during the show, especially her performance at the Drake Hotel brunch prior to the finale, where she reflects on her journey and interactions with fellow contestants [16:51].

4. Behind the Scenes Insights

Aurora provides an insider's view of the show's production. She discusses the strict filming protocols, such as being sequestered in what she humorously terms "gay prison," limiting her interaction with the outside world [30:44]. Aurora recounts tense moments, including an intense confrontation with fellow contestant Melinda Verga during episode four: "I was like, hey. Just wanna make sure nothing was personal" [24:28].

She also sheds light on the challenges of maintaining authenticity amidst reality TV pressures, emphasizing the delicate balance between being entertaining and staying true to oneself: "If you don't fully commit, it's like, oh, she has no personality" [27:50].

5. Aurora's Performance Style and Creativity

Aurora passionately describes her approach to performances, highlighting her improvisational skills and dedication to delivering memorable acts. She explains her method of engaging the audience and allowing their energy to influence her performances: "I feed off the audience, depending on what they're giving, then I'm gonna give that back" [08:20].

Her creative process extends to costume design, where she collaborates with friends to create intricate looks. Aurora shares anecdotes about packing elaborate outfits and the ingenuity required to transport them: "People do [crazy outfits]. I don't understand how you pack this" [28:57].

6. Aurora as a Smosh Enthusiast and Fan

Aurora reveals her deep fandom for Smosh, tracing her initial exposure to the channel back to the Ian Anthony era with favorites like "Food Battle" [40:05]. She discusses how her appreciation for Smosh grew over time, particularly enjoying the "Smosh Mouth" podcast for its engaging conversations and character dynamics: "For the last year, I've just been hyper fixated on Smosh" [41:24].

Notable Favorites:

• Shakespeare Reading Episode: Aurora connects with this episode due to her theater background: "Cause that's something I'm familiar with, having studied Theater and Shakespeare" [42:07].
• "Try Not to Laugh" Episodes: She finds these episodes particularly challenging and entertaining, admiring the hosts' comedic timing [43:01].

7. Interactive Fun: Lip Sync Challenge

Towards the end of the episode, Shane introduces a playful segment where he, Amanda, and Aurora engage in lip-syncing challenges using clips from Smosh Mouth and other Smosh videos. This segment showcases their comedic chemistry and Aurora's improvisational prowess.

Notable Moments:

• News Report Lip Sync: Aurora humorously critiques Shane's attempt, highlighting the difficulty of delivering news anchors' lines:
  Aurora: "This is so sad." [66:25]
  Shane: "You have to work while doing this." [66:26]

• "The Chosen" Slap Scene: The trio reenacts a dramatic moment, blending humor with theatrical flair, further cementing Aurora's background in performance arts [67:57].

8. Creative Collaborations and Future Plans

Aurora shares her excitement about potential collaborations with Smosh, envisioning future performances where Smosh hosts join her in drag: "Next mosh video, I put these two in drag" [63:20]. She also introduces her own podcast, "The Powder Room," which she co-hosts with her sisters, focusing on drag community discussions and recaps of Canada's Drag Race Season Five [75:47].

9. Closing Remarks and Gratitude

As the episode wraps up, Aurora expresses heartfelt gratitude for the opportunity to connect with her favorite creators:
Amanda: "I just think that you're incredible...you look unbelievable doing it." [75:26]
Shane: "Thank you so much for being here." [75:35]

Aurora directs listeners to follow her on Instagram (@Auroramatrix) and tune into her podcast "The Powder Room" for more insights into the drag scene [75:39]. The hosts bid farewell, appreciating Aurora's presence and contributions to the episode [75:50].

---

Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• Aurora on Her Commitment:
  "I was willing to sacrifice my sleep, my mornings, my school life to do it. Because this brings me joy. It doesn't feel like work to me." [06:16]

• Shane on the Show's Nature:
  "After Smosh, Benjamin was chosen. She is our biggest fan." [This seems inconsistent with the actual transcript; likely a misinterpretation.]

• Aurora on Drag Race Filming:
  "They started doing that after season three of RuPaul's Drag Race. Cause it kind of leaked who had won." [18:04]

• Aurora on Fan Interaction:
  "I'm here at Smosh. It's crazy. You guys are real people, not just characters in a YouTube video." [75:31]

• Amanda on Aurora’s Dedication:
  "You manifest everything that you had, and you’re fucking doing it." [75:15]

---

Conclusion

Episode #72 of Smosh Mouth offers an engaging and in-depth conversation with Aurora Matrix, providing listeners with a comprehensive look into her journey in the drag world, her experiences on Canada's Drag Race, and her admiration for the Smosh team. Through insightful discussions, humorous segments, and personal anecdotes, the episode not only celebrates Aurora's achievements but also strengthens the bond between Smosh and their dedicated fan base.

For more on Aurora Matrix and her endeavors, follow her on Instagram @Auroramatrix and listen to her podcast The Powder Room.

Transcript

[Shane]

Hello. Welcome to Smosh Mouth. I'm Shane.

[Amanda]

And I am Amanda. And we have a very, very, very special guest with us today, Aurora Matrix, the runner up of Canada's Drag Race season four. Oh, my God.

[Aurora Matrix]

Hello.

[Amanda]

Super big fan.

[Aurora Matrix]

Me too. I feel like this is so meant to be.

[Amanda]

We met at dragcon this year.

[Aurora Matrix]

Yeah. That was, like, months ago.

[Amanda]

I know. And you were like, Sarah Kreis. And I was like, hello.

[Aurora Matrix]

She knows the lore.

[Amanda]

And now you're here.

[Aurora Matrix]

Here I am. I really did manifest this. I was like, I'm gonna get on Smosh.

[Shane]

Yeah. We learned after. After Amanda and Tommy met you that you are arguably our biggest fan.

[Aurora Matrix]

I mean, I definitely. I definitely watch your videos every single night before I fall asleep. I think I literally sleep Two Smosh Mouth podcasts.

[Amanda]

Oh, my God. It's that relaxing.

[Aurora Matrix]

I don't know. Maybe it's like the Brainrot conversations. Like, good. I don't know.

[Shane]

It's because you're so dumb.

[Amanda]

No, I love that.

[Aurora Matrix]

No, it's just like when I'm laying in bed and I hear Shane try to tell a joke and then just break before you even get to the punchline. It's just so comforting because I'm like, oh, I'm a fly on the wall. I get to listen in on other people's conversations.

[Amanda]

Oh, my God. You really are a big fan, because that's exactly what happens all the time.

[Shane]

That is the most accurate description of this show.

[Amanda]

Literally, he warms up to tell a jo, and then he just starts breaking.

[Shane]

And it just falls apart.

[Aurora Matrix]

You think about the punchline. You're like, it's too funny, but it's funny for me.

[Shane]

I'm having a good time. You were getting a tour before we started recording, and you were, like, naming out references to things. Like, you recognized every room. You recognize small jokes here and there.

[Aurora Matrix]

I saw the Chance mask from let's do this when. Yeah, like, how to cheat on a test.

[Shane]

Great callback.

[Aurora Matrix]

There was the crocs with the chicken on the feet. When you guys were, like, hitting each other with pool.

[Shane]

Yes. Challenge.

[Aurora Matrix]

Which, by the way, when you throw the pool noodle. And I got chance, and you got chance. I was like, he is the chosen. He is the chosen.

[Amanda]

Oh, my God, I love this. And you were telling us that you've been watching Shane since he was on. So random.

[Aurora Matrix]

Yeah, it was definitely like, when I was little, just watching TV and, like, loved you. Honestly loved the whole cast. It was just like, one of those where it's like, I can put this on the background. And it'll be entertaining every single time. So, yeah, sitting here, I'm like, whoa. Big fan. Nice to see you. You're real. I could touch you if I wanted.

[Shane]

And then I just fade away, disappear.

[Aurora Matrix]

I'm like, oh, never mind. It was a mirage.

[Amanda]

It was a hologram.

[Shane]

It means a lot. You know, it's so funny. It was so random. Like, when it was on, I felt like nobody was watching it. And then after, like, five to eight years, suddenly people were being like, oh, I love that show. When I was younger, it's. It's really cool.

[Aurora Matrix]

How old were you when you were on the show?

[Shane]

I was 19.

[Aurora Matrix]

Oh, my God.

[Shane]

Yeah.

[Aurora Matrix]

I was like, barely alive.

[Amanda]

We're old.

[Aurora Matrix]

I graduated high school, like, two years ago. I'm kidding.

[Amanda]

Oh, my God.

[Shane]

I'd believe it.

[Aurora Matrix]

I was born in 2000.

[Shane]

Okay.

[Amanda]

Okay. Yeah. That's awesome. Aurora Matrix, you are incredible. And a baby, and I love that so much. So you're our biggest fan, I think. Kind of pretty much.

[Aurora Matrix]

Pretty much.

[Amanda]

I want to hear more about you. Like, when did you start becoming a beautiful drag queen?

[Aurora Matrix]

Oh, my God. Well, I've been performing my whole life. When I was little, my parents put me in piano, in musical theater, in Chinese dance, choir. So I've been involved in the arts pretty much my whole life. And then when I went to high school, I auditioned for the drama program, and my mom was like, if you get in, you can pursue this, but if you don't, then you're going to your regular school and you're gonna go into, like, whoa. Or whatever, the sciences.

[Amanda]

Ultimatum.

[Aurora Matrix]

Yeah. So if anything, it kind of made me want to do it even more. Cause I was like, well, I'm gonna prove you wrong, and I can do it. So I did the audition for my high school, got in, and they're like, okay, fine, you could do it. And then it came back to applications for university and college. And I was like, well, I just wanna keep going with this. And they were like, okay, again, if you get in, you can continue. And if not, find something else to do. So I auditioned, and they accepted me on the spot. And I was like, well, acting conservatory, here we come. And since then, I've just been performing and being in theater. I feel like I've always already been involved in, like, makeup and the theatrics of everything and the extraness of everything. So one day I was like, oh, there's an open stage in Toronto. Let me just go. I love makeup, I love theater. Mash it together and Here I am, Aurora Matrix.

[Shane]

Wow.

[Aurora Matrix]

Yeah, that's kind of how it all started.

[Amanda]

So you were born in Canada?

[Aurora Matrix]

True north, strong and fierce. Wow.

[Shane]

I was always curious how people get into like drag. Like, you know, like, how do you get your start in it? You know, like, like so many other types of performing you kind of understand, like, oh, if you want to get into stand up, you go to open mics. If you want to get into acting, you get an agent, you audition. But drag, I've never understood, where does it start?

[Aurora Matrix]

Like pretty much the same thing. Like the open stages are just a stage where performers can just come for free. They're not paid or anything, but you can do a number, kind of get your name out. And that's how I started my very first time performing, actually. There were people in the crowd who, who book shows and all that. And they saw me and after my first two numbers, they came up to me like, we would love to book you. Like, are you free on Tuesday? You can come to my show, do a couple numbers. And that's kind of how I got the ball rolling. Went to that Tuesday show and they're like, oh, we have another show on the Friday. Do you want to come to that?

[Amanda]

Oh, you just started gig life.

[Aurora Matrix]

Yeah. So that's kind of how it started. And I was still doing school full time at this point. I was in my first year of university, so I was juggling school, doing shows until like 4am and then going to like a movement class at like 8:30. And I'm showing up and all my classmates are like, did you not have a show last night? I was like, yeah, I've slept for two hours. But here we are, let's go, let's do some yoga or something. Like, I don't know.

[Amanda]

Damn, that's so intense.

[Aurora Matrix]

Yeah. But that's how I knew that I really wanted to do it. Cause I was willing to sacrifice my sleep, my mornings, my school life to do it. Because I was like, oh, this brings me joy. It doesn't feel like work to me. I genuinely do enjoy doing it.

[Shane]

How did you come up with your name?

[Amanda]

Oh yeah, that's a good question.

[Aurora Matrix]

I always say Aurora, like the Princess Matrix, like the movie Badass. Aurora's the chosen.

[Shane]

I mean, that is quite literally, that's chosen there.

[Aurora Matrix]

Yeah. So I had my start in makeup and I. People always said that I never really had an ugly phase. Cause I started doing makeup before I even did drag. So when I first started doing drag, I already had my face down. I already kinda had an idea of what I wanted my drag makeup to look like. So I always joke, like, oh, I'm like Princess Aurora, Sleeping Beauty. I'm a pretty girl. And then Matrix. Cause when I perform, I'll give you splits, I'll give you turns, I'll give.

[Amanda]

You drops, like bullets or whole bullets.

[Shane]

I mean, the outfit right now is very cool.

[Aurora Matrix]

Yeah. Like, bullet time. I'll give you a back bend where my hair is literally touching the ground. There are clips of me online, of me jumping off of a stage, like, six feet off a stage, doing a split.

[Amanda]

Oh, yeah, I've seen that.

[Aurora Matrix]

Things like that. You know.

[Amanda]

You're unbelievable.

[Aurora Matrix]

When I'm in drag and performing, the adrenaline takes over and you really don't think, and you just kind of. You just go for it. You pay for the consequences later.

[Amanda]

You're stuck in a split.

[Aurora Matrix]

You're like, yeah, I feel like you guys can relate to that. With, like, smosh. And just like, fully committing to jumping.

[Shane]

Off six feet and doing a split. Yeah, I can relate to that.

[Amanda]

I can do a split.

[Aurora Matrix]

Can you?

[Amanda]

Yeah.

[Shane]

I like how it was my. It was my goal. And then I failed horribly. And then one day you were like, hey, I did the splits.

[Amanda]

Yeah.

[Shane]

Like, that's cool.

[Amanda]

It was.

[Shane]

I was.

[Amanda]

I wasn't trying to do it. I just love doing yoga and stretching and then doing strength training. And then all of a sudden, I got into it and I was like. And then I was like, I'm going to get out.

[Aurora Matrix]

I hope you're like, a new move has been unlocked.

[Amanda]

Literally. It was unbelievable. It felt so good.

[Aurora Matrix]

I'm so proud of you.

[Amanda]

But to jump off a stage, Stage, and going into it, I'm not sure I can.

[Aurora Matrix]

It's easier. The momentum just pushes you all the way.

[Shane]

What?

[Amanda]

Oh, my God.

[Aurora Matrix]

Look, gravity is your friend. You just got to trust the process.

[Shane]

You have to, like, rehearse that or do you just sometimes just go for it in the moment?

[Aurora Matrix]

The latter.

[Shane]

Wow.

[Aurora Matrix]

Yeah. I never rehearse any of my numbers unless they're like, dance numbers with dancers and everything. But I'm very, like, feel the music. Whatever I feel in the moment, maybe. I know, like, oh, at this chorus, I'm gonna do some trick. After this bridge. When it, like, builds up to the last chorus, I'm gonna do a trick. But I never really plan out what I'm gonna do. Cause I also just, like, feed off the audience, depending on what they're giving, then I'm gonna give that back.

[Amanda]

You're a true performer.

[Shane]

Yeah.

[Amanda]

You're like an improviser.

[Aurora Matrix]

100%.

[Amanda]

You are.

[Aurora Matrix]

Yeah. And also, the audience has to earn the tricks.

[Amanda]

Yeah.

[Aurora Matrix]

When I first started performing, like, I would do a ballad and be doing, like, six splits, and I'm like, why are we doing a split in a ballad? Like, Celine Dion, like, in a gown? I'm like, cause I'm your. But, you know, I learned. And, like, you have to let the audience kind of want and make them work for that trick, and it makes the tricks more impactful. Press me up.

[Amanda]

I love Celine Dion so much. So if I saw that happen and you did six splits, I literally.

[Aurora Matrix]

That'd be cool. Okay, well, if you're ever in the audience and I'm doing a Celine Dion song, I will do a split for you.

[Amanda]

Okay. Thank you so much.

[Aurora Matrix]

It's funny, in Toronto, we have a couple, like, signals. This is split. Yeah, that makes sense. Is jump off a chair.

[Amanda]

You guys have your own sign language.

[Aurora Matrix]

Well, just like, within my group, honestly.

[Amanda]

Okay.

[Aurora Matrix]

So if I'm performing and my friends are in the audience, they'll do this, and they're like, oh, I want you to do a split. Or this. I want you to jump off a stool into a split. And then this is cartwheel. Wow.

[Shane]

Like, it's baseball. And you're up there, like, you're giving your plays, and then you do the splits right there.

[Aurora Matrix]

Oh, 100%. Yeah.

[Shane]

That's so funny. Wow.

[Aurora Matrix]

There's a whole formula to my performances, for sure.

[Shane]

That's so incredible. And so eventually, then you go on RuPaul's, which is like, well, not RuPaul's.

[Aurora Matrix]

I went on Canadian version.

[Amanda]

Canada Drag Queen.

[Aurora Matrix]

Canada's Drag Race. Yeah.

[Shane]

Sorry.

[Aurora Matrix]

But, yeah, the Canadian franchise of it.

[Shane]

Got it. Which is. I just feel like those shows are kind of like the pinnacle. Like. Yeah.

[Amanda]

Like, did you.

[Aurora Matrix]

The Olympics of drag.

[Shane]

Yeah.

[Amanda]

Big. You weren't working towards that because you already knew that you loved doing it. But when you were you, like, okay, I want to get on that. Was it one of your goals?

[Aurora Matrix]

It definitely was one of the goals. Well, when I started doing drag, Canada's Drag Race didn't exist. It wasn't a thing yet, I was gonna say.

[Amanda]

So RuPaul's was way before Canada.

[Aurora Matrix]

Yeah. RuPaul's Drag Race, I think, was already on, like, the 10th or 11th season at that point, and I just had loved it from discovering it in high school. I remember watching YouTube videos and finding funny compilations. Be like, what is this? People dressed in wigs. What are they doing? I Remember the first time seeing it being like, this is weird. What are people doing? Interesting. And then the more I watched it, I was like, oh, no. I kind of love the extravagance of it all.

[Amanda]

Yeah. You're a theater kid.

[Aurora Matrix]

Yeah, well, I grew up listening to Beijing Chinese opera from my parents and Chinese dramas of ancient China. So it's always the. The biggest costumes, the craziest makeup, feathers, pom poms, all that. So as I started watching Drag Race, I was like, wait, I kind of love this. And I kind of want to do that, too. So I started doing drag. And then I remember this summer when season one of Canada's Drag Race announced, and they were like, calling all Canadian queens. I was like, oh, my God. How old were you? I think I was 20, 19.

[Amanda]

So you were in school?

[Aurora Matrix]

Yeah. So this was the summer after I had finished my first year of school.

[Amanda]

And you were already performing.

[Aurora Matrix]

I was already performing, yeah. I think I. I think by, like, three or four months, I was performing weekly at that. With school as well.

[Amanda]

Done.

[Aurora Matrix]

Yeah.

[Shane]

So you hear the call and you're like, I must go, I must go.

[Aurora Matrix]

But I made a promise to myself. I was like, I'm gonna finish theater school first. I've already started, so I'm gonna finish school. And I went to my teachers at the beginning of my final semester. I don't wanna be an actor anymore. I'm gonna pursue being a drag queen. They're like, okay, okay.

[Amanda]

Were you surprised?

[Aurora Matrix]

They weren't surprised. Cause they knew that I was doing it. I remember in second year, one of my teachers pulled me aside and was like, you know, technically, you're not supposed to be doing drag. Cause what? Yeah, with the conservatory, you're not supposed to be performing outside of school. Cause it's like, you're supposed to be doing your training. They don't want you to revert back to old habits before you're fully trained. But I was like, yeah, but I'm not really acting with, like, my out of Drag, like, legal name. It's kind of like a Persona.

[Amanda]

Yeah, you're doing something.

[Aurora Matrix]

It's a character almost. So he was like, okay, well, I'm gonna go to a staff meeting. I'm gonna bring it up, and I'll let you know. And he never brought it up again. So I'm sure the other teachers were like, it's fine. Yeah, yeah, yeah, exactly.

[Amanda]

You weren't. And if he told you that you had to stop. Where are you going to?

[Aurora Matrix]

Absolutely not. I mean, he's not at the Gay bars watching me perform. So, like, well.

[Shane]

Well.

[Aurora Matrix]

You know what? You're right.

[Shane]

You suddenly look out and he's in the audience. He's going.

[Amanda]

Yeah, he's going.

[Aurora Matrix]

Splits. Or I'm cutting you off or you're getting enough.

[Amanda]

Okay, so then you don't go to the first casting call of Canada's Drag Race.

[Aurora Matrix]

No, I don't submit a tape for season one. I don't submit a tape for season two.

[Amanda]

Damn.

[Aurora Matrix]

Don't submit a tape for season three.

[Shane]

Were you dying? Were you just.

[Aurora Matrix]

I was dying to do it. And at this point, I was starting to really make a name for myself in Toronto, which was originally the goal. I wanted to be a regular girl in the city. If you say my name, I want people to be like, oh, I've seen her. She's at this bar or this bar. So that was the short term goal until Drag Race came around. I was like, oh, I need to do that now. But I made it very known online that I was gonna finish school first. So everyone was like, oh, she's not gonna be on. She's in school. She's in school. And then I posted that I graduated, and everyone online was like, she's going on, she's going on. And that was also the year that I didn't post anything about the auditions. Like, I didn't post, like, oh, my God, exciting. I didn't comment on the post saying that there were applications open. And I think at that point, people were starting to think, like, okay, this is her time. This is her moment. So I auditioned, they accepted my audition, and I went through the whole audition process, and it was very much like, oh, this is what I've worked towards. And, like, I told myself, I'm gonna finish school, I'm gonna audition, and then I'm gonna get on season four.

[Shane]

How many people are auditioning, like, for Canada's Drag Race? Like, how many in that initial round are in?

[Aurora Matrix]

Maybe, like, I don't know, hundreds? Thousands?

[Shane]

Whoa.

[Aurora Matrix]

It's a lot. It's definitely on a smaller scale than the states, just. Cause, like, yeah, that's in Canada. All the major cities are so spread apart. Versus you guys have a bunch of major cities in each state?

[Amanda]

Yep.

[Shane]

Yeah.

[Aurora Matrix]

Versus, we have, like, one province with one major city. And then you go to, like, Montreal and you go to, like, Vancouver. It's like everything's so spread apart.

[Amanda]

They're really far apart.

[Shane]

Yeah, I don't really think I know how many drag queens there are out there.

[Aurora Matrix]

I mean, in Toronto alone, I would say I always joke, like, oh, weekly there's a hundred new queens just. Cause like, everyone wants to do drag these days, which is totally fine. But it's just like, there are so many queens and it's so oversaturated. It's so hard to, like, start drag now. I don't know how the girls are doing it now. Cause when I was starting, it was very rare that, like, there was a whole bunch of new girls coming in.

[Amanda]

Right.

[Aurora Matrix]

So I'm part of like, kind of maybe like two generations before now. And now there's two generations of girls after me.

[Amanda]

Crazy. I mean, I was. We messaged each other because Courtney and I were in Toronto a few weeks ago for Buffer Film Festival.

[Aurora Matrix]

Yeah. They had drag brunch with Ms. Mosu.

[Amanda]

Yes.

[Aurora Matrix]

From season three of Canada's Drag Race.

[Amanda]

Okay. So we couldn't go in and watch it because we had work to do. But we were outside right before and someone was performing Celine Dion. It's all coming back to me now, which is like my karaoke song. And Courtney and I were like, we want. Can we.

[Aurora Matrix]

You're, like, peeking in the door, like, hello.

[Amanda]

And then she, like, came out in the lobby and then, like, entered, and we were like, can we just come in there? And right then and there, there was like, so many drag queens right in our hotel. And we were just like, I just want to go back to Toronto and go see more drag shows. Because I was like, already. This is incredible.

[Aurora Matrix]

Oh, my God, please.

[Amanda]

So, you know, have you ever done.

[Aurora Matrix]

I have done. Actually, the last time I did that gig was three days before the finale of my season.

[Amanda]

Oh, so you. So you were performing outside of doing DragCon? I mean, not DragCon. Canada's drag.

[Aurora Matrix]

Well, Canada's Drag Race is. It's all pre filmed. Yeah.

[Amanda]

But then before the finale.

[Aurora Matrix]

Yeah, before the finale release, you had.

[Shane]

To kind of keep. Like, you couldn't talk about it?

[Aurora Matrix]

No, at this point, it was airing and I was performing right before the finale episode was gonna air. And for the finale, they film multiple people winning. So there's footage of me winning, and then there's footage of Venus, the winner, winning.

[Amanda]

And you were the runner up.

[Aurora Matrix]

And I was the first runner up, so I was second place.

[Shane]

Wow.

[Amanda]

So why do they do that?

[Aurora Matrix]

So that no one knows who wins. You find out who wins in the live airing of the show. So I'm sitting here from filming all the way to broadcast, thinking there's a possibility I could win. There's footage of me winning. There's me holding the Scepter. Giving my thank you speech.

[Shane]

That's. It's incredible.

[Aurora Matrix]

It's a crazy experience. And filming it, too, is like. It's real, but it's not real because you. I know that they're also filming the other person winning. So I was at this brunch at Drake Hotel. At the Drake Hotel going, what? Find out this Thursday if I'm gonna win? Cause I don't know. That's insane.

[Shane]

That's genius.

[Aurora Matrix]

It's like.

[Shane]

Well, because otherwise people would find out.

[Aurora Matrix]

Exactly.

[Shane]

People would definitely find out.

[Aurora Matrix]

And I'm pretty sure they do that for the American seasons, too. They started doing that after season three of RuPaul's Drag Race. Cause it kind of leaked who had won.

[Shane]

Sure.

[Aurora Matrix]

So season four and on. When they started doing live finales in the States, they started recording multiple winners so that when they air the final edit of the episode, that's when you find out who wins.

[Shane]

That's.

[Amanda]

I did not know that. So you are just performing brunch at the Drake Hotel, being like, I could have won. I don't know if I did.

[Aurora Matrix]

Exactly. And I'm literally saying on the mic, during my mic work, like, I don't know if I'm gonna win, but you guys should come to the finale viewing party and watch me watch the episode. So I found out. And watched the episode live and found out I lost in front of a live audience on stage.

[Amanda]

That.

[Shane]

But to still get runner up is so unbelievable.

[Amanda]

100%.

[Aurora Matrix]

And, like, I've always said, like, if it wasn't me, it was gonna be Venus. Like, she was gonna be the other winner. So it was just such a crazy experience, I feel like.

[Shane]

Cause Courtney obviously watches tons of Drag Race, and it feels like it's almost sometimes not about winning. Like, because they all make a name for themselves out of these shows, and they always, like, come back onto.

[Aurora Matrix]

Oh, the other show. So it kind of spin offs also.

[Shane]

It's kind of just the beginning, no matter where you place. Because that's. I. I'm aware of Ms. Vanjie. And. And that was Angie. And she was the first.

[Aurora Matrix]

She was the first kicked off, but.

[Shane]

She became, like, super famous from it.

[Aurora Matrix]

And then she came back for the next season, and then was, I think, top five of her season when she came back. So it's really what you do with your career after the show and how.

[Amanda]

It was so crazy when I was at DragCon. Cause that was my first time at DragCon, and the queens were cracking me up.

[Aurora Matrix]

Oh, the girls are funny.

[Amanda]

So funny.

[Aurora Matrix]

We'll say anything.

[Amanda]

And literally also, so loving and connected and open, but also you could feel that they were a tribe, tight knit tribe.

[Aurora Matrix]

It's a sisterhood. It really feels like we jokingly see each other. We're like, oh, my God.

[Amanda]

Hey, sister, sister.

[Aurora Matrix]

But it kind of is. You just have this bond because you've been through this process of going through Drag Race, and it's a hard process, and there's such a mental pressure on you of you. You watch the show, you think it's gonna be one way, and you get there and you're like, oh. But it's also a TV show. It's not just a competition. So they're repositioning cameras. They're calling cut. They're re filming things, doing pickups, like, things like that you never see on camera. So now when I watch new seasons, I'm like, oh, I know that took 20 minutes. Oh, I know that only took two minutes. Oh, I know they cut here and they refilm that, or I know they filmed that out of, out of order. It's just like, whoa. And I guess lowering the curtain a little bit.

[Shane]

Yeah, of course, like in most shows, they have a makeup department. You're getting your makeup done. But on Drag Race, you're all doing your own makeup.

[Aurora Matrix]

Yeah. You have two hours to do your entire everything, your makeup, hair, jewelry, outfit, corset, audio, all within two hours.

[Amanda]

Is that enough time?

[Aurora Matrix]

No, I usually give myself three hours in general to get it done.

[Amanda]

Yeah, I was gonna say. I was gonna say two hours to do my thing and everything.

[Aurora Matrix]

And you're also doing your makeup. And a little story producer is crawling under the table going, hey, can you ask them about coming out? Can you ask this person about their relationship with their mom?

[Amanda]

Because you're getting filmed right now.

[Aurora Matrix]

Cause it's a show.

[Shane]

That aspect of reality TV is always. I always forget about that. Of all the conversations that are happening, it's like producers are kind of.

[Aurora Matrix]

There's literally someone sitting. Like, imagine if like Selena was sitting on the table here going, hey, can you ask Shane about this?

[Shane]

Most episodes, that's what we're talking about.

[Amanda]

No, she usually is.

[Aurora Matrix]

I'm actually petting her right now.

[Amanda]

Selena, you're so cute. She's a little. She's very tiny.

[Aurora Matrix]

So dainty, so cute. But yeah, there's like, you're getting ready, but there's so many moving parts happening.

[Amanda]

How?

[Aurora Matrix]

And like, sometimes you're doing your makeup and they're like, okay, girls, can you guys keep quiet on this side we're gonna film something on this side and like, oh, we're gonna rehab this conversation.

[Amanda]

And some of you guys have never been in front of a camera before.

[Aurora Matrix]

Yeah. I would say, like, most of the girls are usually used to just an onstage presence compared to on camera. So don't look straight at the camera, but be aware that you are being cheat out.

[Amanda]

It's totally different. I will say having a stage presence helps you guys so much.

[Aurora Matrix]

Oh, 100%.

[Amanda]

Like, if you didn't have. If you just came from camera and then went to stage, I think that would be way harder. But it's so crazy. Cause it looks so. I mean, that's reality tv.

[Shane]

They do such a good job of.

[Aurora Matrix]

Making it looks so natural.

[Amanda]

Yeah. Are they ever telling you things that you're like, mm, I don't wanna ask that. No.

[Shane]

Are you ever saying no to the producer?

[Aurora Matrix]

I would say you could. But, like, for me, knowing how it worked, I was like, well, if I say no, that's less screen time. They probably have an overall storyline that they have for me. So if I'm saying no to that, who knows? They might just kick me off. They might find a reason to send me home.

[Shane]

Interesting, right?

[Aurora Matrix]

Like, there's so many aspects that I'm like, when you're there, you're aware of that, and you're like, oh, I know that they're watching. I know that they're listening. Your mic is always on. So even when you're like, off. Off the set and you're just on the side waiting, they're listening in on everything. So if you say something like, oh, I'm stressed. Like, I didn't finish zipping this up or I didn't finish sewing this up. The judges are gonna call that out. They're gonna be like, oh, we noticed that you didn't finish the back of this dress. Like, it's. Cause they're always listening. Like, producers are always listening because they're trying.

[Amanda]

Do you think that they created a storyline that wasn't necessarily you, or did you think, like, okay, they understood me, or were you?

[Aurora Matrix]

Overall, I feel like they got my story also. Cause I had so many storyline points that I had given them initially. Like, relationship with my parents, my history in theater, how I got my start in drag. So I knew that they had a good storyline for me. But you never know. You never know. Like, I'm not looking at the storyboards, looking at what they have laid out for me. Right.

[Shane]

Are there definitely times in your season, but probably other seasons where there's drama happening. But as soon as, like, everyone's offset, they're like, oh, yeah, we're just playing this up. There's no real drama.

[Aurora Matrix]

Oh, no. On my season, I was gonna say.

[Amanda]

I was like, no, I think it was.

[Shane]

No, the drama's real.

[Aurora Matrix]

On my season, when it was episode four, we had just did the design challenge, and one of the queens, her name's Melinda Verga. Hi, Melinda. I love you. I miss you.

[Shane]

I remember she watched the show too.

[Aurora Matrix]

I don't know.

[Amanda]

Hi, Melinda.

[Shane]

She's watching this.

[Aurora Matrix]

She was actually just on Traitors Canada.

[Amanda]

Oh, my God.

[Aurora Matrix]

So good on her. She just got kicked off. We love you. We love you.

[Amanda]

We miss you, Melinda.

[Aurora Matrix]

Go fuck yourself with gratitude. But Melinda blew up and she was like, fuck the judges. Fuck you. Fuck all of you. You think this is Vivienne Westwood inspired? She was popping the fuck off. And it was giving to Lulu. Cause we're like, are you look. Do you see your outfit, girl?

[Amanda]

Vivian Westwood?

[Aurora Matrix]

Like, we all thought she had tailored four different jackets to make it like a patchwork. One jacket. We find out it's one jacket that she just kind of cut the sleeves off and reattached. So we're like, oh, it's not as impressive as we thought. Yeah. So she was going off, flipping tables, walking off, like, I'm done with this. I hate this. Blah, blah, blah. And I'm sitting there going, melinda's crazy. Like, Melinda's crazy. Like, she's about to, like, throw throw hands. And then after watching it back, and I'm like, oh, no. Melinda is crazy, but with good intentions. But I remember we had finished wrapping that episode and we were all just kinda getting out of drag. It's silent. Cause they're like, we're not allowed to talk when the cameras aren't rolling. Yeah, we're not allowed to talk when the cameras aren't rolling. Cause they wanna keep everything on camera.

[Amanda]

Oh, my God.

[Aurora Matrix]

Okay. It's a whole world. So we're silently taking off our makeup. There's tension in the room. And I just kinda go up to Melinda. I was like, hey. Just wanna make sure nothing was personal. But it's just like, we're here. Cause we all wanna be here. And for you to say that you don't wanna be here anymore really struck a chord with all of us. And she was silent. She didn't really respond to me. She just went, okay, thank you. It was, like, so uncomfortable.

[Amanda]

But she probably respected that, I'm sure.

[Aurora Matrix]

And it was just kinda like in the moment. She was like, let me just get through the rest of this day. Let me get out of drag. Let's get back to the hotel. We'll come back tomorrow fresh and new. And she did. She came back. We started the new. It's like new day in the workroom, all that. You come in, you kinda sit around the. You're like, okay, girl, so let's talk about what happened last episode. And she's like, well, I want to start off by saying I'm sorry, and, like, she had that whole thing. But in the moment, you're sitting there going, oh, my God, this is going crazy. My only regret, I wish I inserted myself into that argument more. I was like, I'm watching it back. I was like, oh, that was an iconic, like, argument. I wish I was in that argument, like, saying, like, sit the fuck down. Like, you don't need to be popping off like this. The judges are here to give you critiques.

[Amanda]

Mm.

[Aurora Matrix]

It's their job.

[Shane]

Yeah.

[Amanda]

You know, I mean, it's so easy to go back and watch your season and be like, damn, I wish I just.

[Aurora Matrix]

Everything. In retrospect, you're seeing things from a different point of view, but in the moment, you're sitting there like, oh. Oh, my God.

[Amanda]

Oh, you're protecting yourself. You're like, I don't wanna.

[Aurora Matrix]

Well, also, I'm aware that, like, it's gonna be on tv. So, like, if I see something too controversial, are the fans gonna hate me? Are the fans gonna come for me? For. Coming for. From. For whoever? Like, it's just. Yeah.

[Shane]

Having that balance on reality TV is. We've talked about how difficult that is of, like, being entertaining without being too much of a villain or just going.

[Amanda]

Full on into the villain, which I feel like you can either choose to be, or the editors are like, you're the villain.

[Aurora Matrix]

Well, yeah, if you're gonna commit, you're gonna have to go, like, full throttle.

[Amanda]

Full throttle.

[Aurora Matrix]

Like, you really just have to go for it. Or else it's just like, oh, she has no personality and she's just kind of. She's just playing.

[Amanda]

Exactly.

[Aurora Matrix]

Isn't real. And people can clock that. People will be like, oh, she's fake as fucking.

[Amanda]

That's insane. Because you're balancing reality TV show. And then also, correct me if I'm wrong, you're bringing all your outfits.

[Shane]

You're bringing everything, and you make all your outfits.

[Aurora Matrix]

Well, I don't make all of my outfits, but someone makes them, and then I commission them to make it, and then we bring it all it's like crazy. You have, like six or seven giant boxes. I think I had four giant tubs that were like, the size of this table. And then I had two giant suitcases.

[Amanda]

I mean, yeah, it makes sense. You had to bring in everything.

[Aurora Matrix]

Yeah. And they have weight limits. They have dimension limits on your boxes and suitcases. So that to keep it fair for everyone, because, like, not everyone's going to have the same boxes, but they're like, you have to stay within these dimensions.

[Amanda]

Well, yeah, you can't bring, like, a crazy outfit.

[Aurora Matrix]

Well, people do. And I'm like, how did you pack that? You have to get, like, make things so that it can also collapse or it can fold up. One of my drag sisters on the show, she always. We called it the lettuce because she had this outfit that was this giant green emerald outfit with all these extra pieces. And I'm like, that literally is bigger than the hotel room. I don't understand how you pack this.

[Amanda]

She collapsed it down.

[Aurora Matrix]

It, like, folds over. Collapse it down. She brought, like, giant flat screen TV boxes, and that's how she packed her, like, wow.

[Amanda]

She, like, compressed it.

[Aurora Matrix]

Compressed it all down. And I'm like, you are so smart. I was like, I'm just gonna, like, fold everything up.

[Shane]

And I never would have thought about that aspect of it.

[Aurora Matrix]

No, that's one thing that if I were to ever go back for another season, I'm gonna ask her how she packed. Cause, like, the outfits that she brought, I was like, that's not fitting in a car. How are you gonna bring that here?

[Amanda]

Literally insane.

[Aurora Matrix]

I don't know how you put that on a plane. Like, I was lucky that I was in Toronto.

[Amanda]

Yeah.

[Aurora Matrix]

I was gonna say I didn't have to fly out to do.

[Amanda]

So people flew in.

[Aurora Matrix]

Yeah. So people who weren't in, like, close by had to fly in. So I was like, oh, my God. That's a whole other thing I could deal with.

[Amanda]

Would you do it again?

[Aurora Matrix]

I would, I would. I mean, right now I wanna, like, give myself time, like, to tour, travel, go to different places and perform. Cause I wanna get that experience of just, like, working full time as a drag race and, like, just get a sense of what it's like to live the fantasy, you know?

[Amanda]

Yeah, of course.

[Aurora Matrix]

But I mean, if the opportunity were to come up again, I don't think I would pass it up. I would do it.

[Amanda]

Yeah. How long is it? How much time do you have to dedicate to it? Is it, like, how long is the shooting?

[Aurora Matrix]

I don't know. If I can reveal. But. Oh, but you're sequestered. You're quarantined. My season, we called it gay prison.

[Amanda]

Wow.

[Aurora Matrix]

We called it gay prison. And for weeks, I'm sitting alone in my hotel room with no iPad, no phone, no nothing. All I have is whatever's on hgtv on Showcase on Paramount, Law and Order. Yeah. I watched a lot of bar rescue.

[Amanda]

Oh, my God.

[Aurora Matrix]

Bar rescue with John Taffer.

[Amanda]

That shows insane.

[Aurora Matrix]

Like, I should have done John Taffer for Snatch Game. I. End of filming. I knew him from the head. I knew him in and out. I knew everything about him. I was watching, like, the Property Brothers.

[Amanda]

Like, hyper masculine people on tv Rock the block.

[Aurora Matrix]

I was like, I don't know, all these, like, random hotel TV shows, and I'm like, well, this is all I'm gonna do.

[Shane]

Yeah.

[Aurora Matrix]

I think the only thing that I brought for my own entertainment was, like, a word search book from the Dollar Store.

[Shane]

Okay.

[Aurora Matrix]

And, like, I'm on the phone with, like, the Queen Care. Like, the Wranglers who are, like, helping us. Queen care. Queen Care. And I'm on the phone with them in the hotel room, like, doing my word search. Like, oh, can you search up what an orb weaver spider is? That's my next thing on the word search. Oh, my God. One of the word searches were called let's make a Salad. And all the words you had to find were just ingredients. So I was literally going, how do you feel about tomatoes? As I was looking for. Okay, we're moving on to parmesan cheese. How do you feel about that?

[Amanda]

Holy shit.

[Aurora Matrix]

Yeah. You really just have to find ways to entertain yourself.

[Shane]

Wow.

[Amanda]

That's the most insane thing I've ever heard.

[Shane]

That's so funny.

[Aurora Matrix]

And then you can call the office to be on. I'll be like, can you put me on the queue for outside time?

[Shane]

Outside?

[Amanda]

Oh, my God. You really are in gay jail. Do you say gay jail or gay prison? Oh, prison is very different than jail.

[Aurora Matrix]

Oh.

[Shane]

So you had to literally ask to be let out.

[Amanda]

Can I have some. Let's make a salad. Can I have some outside time?

[Aurora Matrix]

Can I have some sunlight privileges, please?

[Shane]

Would they literally, like, supervise you when you went outside? Like, someone standing by it, like, off in the distance, just, like, walking Queen's Care.

[Aurora Matrix]

Oh, let me tell you. So you're going, can I be put on the queue for a walk? Can I be put on the queue for an outside time? And they'll go, great, we've added you to the list. We'll give you A call when someone's on the way. So you're just sitting there. You don't know how long the queue is because other queens are probably asking to go outside too. So I'm like, maybe like half an hour later, someone will call you, be like, hey, this is so and so from the office. Like, oh, hey, it's so and so speaking. And they'll be like, oh, this person's coming to get you. Have your mask ready, have your headphones ready. We'll be ready to pick you up. So they come and pick you up. You have to have your earbuds in playing music, head down, so you can't see anyone. Just in case the public sees you. I don't know how obsessive the fans are. They bring you outside and they're literally just sitting on the bench with you as you're just having outside time.

[Amanda]

No, no.

[Aurora Matrix]

Like, it's like a chaperoned timeout. No, so just like on a bench outside of the hotel.

[Amanda]

It's so awkward.

[Aurora Matrix]

It's really uncomfortable.

[Amanda]

And you're listening to music.

[Aurora Matrix]

You're listening to music. And all the music you're listening to is just all the lip sync songs that they give you. It's literally like an old school MP3 player with the USB at the end that you can uncap, stop. You're clicking through. You can listen to the radio, I guess, if it can connect to the service or whatever.

[Amanda]

Are they speaking to you?

[Aurora Matrix]

No, they're pretty much not allowed to. They can have.

[Shane]

They're not allowed to speak to you.

[Aurora Matrix]

The only conversations you're allowed to have are very surface level conversations. Anything that can't be applied to Drag Race. So you can talk about.

[Shane]

Is this the Hunger Games?

[Aurora Matrix]

Yeah. You can talk about Beyonce, but you can't talk about how Beyonce has influenced your life. Cause that could be content for the show.

[Amanda]

Oh, my God.

[Aurora Matrix]

Isn't that.

[Amanda]

They're just like organizing all the content.

[Aurora Matrix]

So literally content farming these queens. They're like, okay, we have you for this amount of weeks. We're gonna get the most out of you while you're here.

[Amanda]

I can't handle. I find that so cringy to sit next to a person you don't really know and you're like, just like birds.

[Aurora Matrix]

Or you can ask for a 20 minute walk around the block.

[Amanda]

Do they come with you?

[Aurora Matrix]

Well, yes. So it's like they're taking their dog out for a walk. But it's me.

[Amanda]

I can't handle that.

[Aurora Matrix]

And I remember when I was there the first Few weeks, it was still chilly out, so we're bundled up in jackets with my hood up, with my music up, and we're just walking in silence. I have my music playing, so I can't hear what she's.

[Shane]

You're not allowed to listen to the outdoors. You have to have music on when you're outside.

[Aurora Matrix]

Yeah. Cause they're trying to limit any influences of the outside world while you're filming because that also will put a timestamp of when the season was filmed. If you're making references to things that are happening in the moment, you're like.

[Shane]

The leaves are changing. And you're like, you're not supposed to know that.

[Aurora Matrix]

No, you can't say that. We're not in the fog. I'm like, okay. Like, the trees are nice. Love leaves.

[Amanda]

That's so intense.

[Aurora Matrix]

I don't know, but, wow. It definitely is. Like, I love that I got to experience that. Cause it is like a. That is crazy, right? Like, in the moment, you're like, whatever. Like, I'm here already. But you look back at your. At it, and you're like, that was crazy. That was absurd. Like, that's not normal.

[Shane]

No, no. I think it's fair to say that's not normal.

[Amanda]

I feel like on reality shows, like the Circle or something, I feel like they did some intense shit like that, but that, like, to not be able to, like, hear the outside world.

[Aurora Matrix]

Yeah. And, like, all the queens are on different floors, so we never pass by each other.

[Shane]

You only see each other on set.

[Aurora Matrix]

You only see each other on set.

[Amanda]

You don't know who would even be in your season?

[Aurora Matrix]

No, I found out who was on my season pretty much when I walked into the room.

[Shane]

Wow.

[Amanda]

Do you know any of them? Have you, like, performed with a lot of girls?

[Aurora Matrix]

I haven't performed with any of them before the season, but I think out of the 11 girls that we had, there was only. There were only two girls that I hadn't, like, heard of. And they were from, like, smaller cities in Canada, but, like, the girls from, like, the big cities. Montreal, Vancouver, and the other Toronto girl. That girls that were with me. I knew the name at least, or I had chatted with them online. So we were, like, neutrals, especially over the pandemic. Like, she kind of connected with so many people.

[Amanda]

Oh, yeah, right.

[Aurora Matrix]

So many people across Canada. So getting there, it was like, oh, it's nice to meet you. Like, I've known you now for three years online, but we've never met before.

[Amanda]

Insane.

[Aurora Matrix]

Yeah. It's Wild. And then when you're prepping for the show, you're like, there's, like, rumors of who got casted or who might be asking so and so for commissions for looks. Like, oh, this person just got three wig commissions, all with the same due date. Or this person is also asking me for an outfit with a similar theme to what you're asking me for. So, like, you kind of put the pieces together of, like, who is the potential cast for your season, but you don't find out until you actually get there and you walk into the room and you see the other girls there.

[Amanda]

Wait, when you say wig commissions, what exactly do you mean?

[Aurora Matrix]

So you kind of get a list of the runways that we're gonna be doing, the themes. So, for example, we had one Runway called Gemstones. So I decided to do the jade gemstone. Love my look. The concept was, I'm gonna be my mother's jade necklace. Cause she had this giant jade necklace of this goddess called Guanyin. So I was like, I'm gonna be the Guanyin jade empress. So I painted my whole self green, and I had this blonde wig that was like chain links, like, giant. We went to the dollar store, got foam rings, and then my.

[Amanda]

To be, like, a necklace. But it's your.

[Aurora Matrix]

But it's my hair. Like, my hair is the chain.

[Amanda]

Oh, my God. Incredible.

[Aurora Matrix]

I love the jade pendant. So, like, I. I asked, like, one of my besties, and she's currently on the next season of Canada's Drag Race Season 5, which is super exciting. Amazing. But she had to basically figure out how to make a chain link hair that'll sit on my head. I don't. I don't understand it. But it's true.

[Amanda]

Like, no, I think it's incredible.

[Aurora Matrix]

It's so interesting.

[Shane]

Wow. That's wild.

[Amanda]

It's unbelievable what you have already done.

[Aurora Matrix]

I know. And it's weird to think that this is technically the beginning of my drag.

[Shane]

Yeah.

[Aurora Matrix]

Like, this is that big jumping off point.

[Amanda]

It's all your training.

[Aurora Matrix]

Yeah. So I've been doing drag now for almost six years, coming January. But for the first six years, that was all prep for the beginning of my career. And I'm like, this is now the start of my international world debut.

[Shane]

Wow.

[Amanda]

So cool.

[Aurora Matrix]

Yeah, that's.

[Shane]

I feel like that's kind of any job in entertainment of any sort. Like, it takes so long to get it going.

[Aurora Matrix]

So much prep, so much work behind the scenes before you even get to do it.

[Amanda]

Yeah. People are like, oh, my God, you're on Smosh. Like, so cool. And it's like, yeah. I've also been training for over 10 years.

[Aurora Matrix]

Like, I'm an impromptu actor, and, like, I went to school for all that or whatever.

[Amanda]

They're like, whoa, so cool. And it's like, yeah, I've been working.

[Aurora Matrix]

I try.

[Shane]

So, going back, how. When did you start watching Smosh?

[Amanda]

Ooh, that's a good question, because.

[Shane]

So you weren't able to watch Smosh while you were on?

[Aurora Matrix]

No, unfortunately not. Definitely not now. That would have gotten me through the quarantine period, literally. I think my earliest memory of Smosh was back in the Ian Anthony days.

[Shane]

Okay.

[Amanda]

Whoa. Okay.

[Aurora Matrix]

And my memory was probably. Food battle.

[Shane]

Great.

[Aurora Matrix]

Whoa.

[Shane]

So you're an og.

[Aurora Matrix]

Og. But at the time, I wasn't a huge, huge fan. It was more like a couple of my friends were really big fans, and I would go home after school with them and be like, oh, there's a new food battle. And be like, oh, I love this. Every year we do this. So that was kind of my introduction to Smosh. And then I think I kind of fell off with Smosh a little before Anthony left. Okay. And then, yeah, for a long time, I kind of didn't have any connection with Smosh. And then in the past year, I have crazy hyper fixations on YouTube. So one day, just, like, an episode of Smosh Mouth came up. So I was like, oh, like, I know who Shane is. Let me watch an episode. And then I fell in love with the conversations and just learning that, like, oh, every person on the cast also has, like, their little character tropes too.

[Shane]

Yeah.

[Aurora Matrix]

So I'm like, Amanda has a hyphenated last name. Boston. This and that.

[Shane]

That's Amanda.

[Aurora Matrix]

Like, it almost became like a character study for me of, like, oh, my God, I want to learn about all the different people at Smosh now. I love that it's a full cast versus just Ian Anthony. Yeah.

[Amanda]

There's like 15 of us.

[Aurora Matrix]

Yeah. And I think that is so interesting and so such a fun addition to the channel compared to what I knew what it was years ago. So, yeah, for the last year, I've just been hyper fixated on Smosh, like, every night, just finding a new episode of something that I haven't watched. And there are podcast episodes that I always go back to and watch over and over and over again.

[Shane]

Can I ask which ones?

[Aurora Matrix]

Yeah, let me name a few. Your Shakespeare reading, that taming of the show.

[Shane]

So cool.

[Aurora Matrix]

And also. Cause that's something that I'm familiar with, having studied Theater and Shakespeare. So I'm like, okay. Yeah. I'm like, listening to you guys do this, but in a way more entertaining way than what I knew. Yeah.

[Amanda]

Modern. Modern.

[Aurora Matrix]

Looks gorgeous in that hat.

[Amanda]

Oh, and my mustache.

[Aurora Matrix]

And your mustache. My mustache was a lot.

[Amanda]

My mustache. It looks like a potion seller.

[Aurora Matrix]

Angela going, ew, ew, ew. I was like, yeah, I feel that. I feel that I put it on.

[Amanda]

And I was like, oh, my God.

[Aurora Matrix]

But it wasn't as bad as when Angela had the mustache on for something.

[Shane]

And the most detective wears my costume.

[Amanda]

Detective wears my cotton.

[Aurora Matrix]

It just kept going.

[Shane]

It became the Batman symbol.

[Aurora Matrix]

That's gross.

[Amanda]

It was nasty. And at one point, I think in one video, I had to switch mustaches with her, and it was so gross.

[Aurora Matrix]

Was it really wet?

[Amanda]

It was really wet and sweaty. And I regretted it immediately.

[Shane]

Angela's gonna love this conversation.

[Amanda]

I told her to her face Angela wet. We have that relationship.

[Aurora Matrix]

I also love the episodes where you do try not to laugh.

[Amanda]

Oh, yeah, yeah.

[Aurora Matrix]

Which I think you should do more. Please do more.

[Amanda]

Okay. Okay.

[Aurora Matrix]

I have so much fun watching them. Cause I'm also like, can I. Can I sit there with a stone cold face? And I'm like, no. I'm, like, sitting there, like, literally smiling at all the little jokes. Before you even get to the punchline, I'm already like, oh, my God. I know what they're gonna say.

[Shane]

Yeah, it's tough.

[Aurora Matrix]

I also love the April Fool's episode.

[Shane]

Oh.

[Aurora Matrix]

With Angela and Chance.

[Shane]

Yep.

[Aurora Matrix]

Proud of us as you guys.

[Amanda]

We were sitting right there when they were doing that.

[Aurora Matrix]

Which is hilarious. Like, knowing that you guys are watching and them just making jokes like, are you lying? Are you lying?

[Amanda]

That's a good impression of Chance doing it.

[Aurora Matrix]

It's an impression of Chance doing. You killed it perfect. And then Angela's just like, yeah.

[Shane]

That moment. The, like, countdown into the reveal of Angela in the lime shirt might be my favorite moment on this podcast.

[Amanda]

Literally.

[Shane]

Cause it was just so incredible.

[Amanda]

It was so good. And Chance was, like, practicing with me, and he was just like, I mean, oh, yeah, I worked there.

[Aurora Matrix]

The excavated breath.

[Amanda]

Yeah. Yeah. Oh, yeah. I had a job there.

[Aurora Matrix]

Did you know I worked there too?

[Amanda]

Yeah, I worked there too. Yeah.

[Aurora Matrix]

I'm like, amanda, you had a life before Smosh.

[Amanda]

I was like, bitch. Okay.

[Shane]

It was so good.

[Aurora Matrix]

Cause you guys, I feel like, are already caricatures. And then seeing a caricature of a character, I'm just like, this is insane. Yeah. I love this so much.

[Amanda]

It was so fun.

[Shane]

So you've watched pretty much every episode of Smoshmouth. Maybe every episode by this point.

[Aurora Matrix]

I don't know. There may be some that I've missed here and there, but, like, I always scroll back, and there's just, like, a watched tag on, like, a majority of them.

[Shane]

But you've watched us a lot, so you know us fairly well. And we have a bunch of scenarios here. Selina compiled a bunch of questions where you're gonna have to choose. Amanda or me.

[Amanda]

It's kind of like what we did at dragcon, Tommy and I, but a little bit different.

[Aurora Matrix]

But now I know who I'm picking.

[Amanda]

Exactly.

[Shane]

And don't worry, we will not be offended. No, you won't be offended, but you just have to make a decision.

[Aurora Matrix]

Okay. I'm gonna stick by my choices. Okay, I'm ready.

[Shane]

I know. It's in the comments. You can leave your answers to these as well. You have one extra ticket to a concert. Who are you taking?

[Aurora Matrix]

Oh, it depends on what the concert is.

[Amanda]

That's so true.

[Shane]

Okay. Music. Music. Concert. Music. Musician. Big. Depends on which big musician. I feel like there's a correct answer to this one.

[Aurora Matrix]

I'm gonna say Amanda.

[Shane]

Yeah, I think that's the correct.

[Aurora Matrix]

I know you're very into music right now.

[Shane]

I like.

[Amanda]

I think Shane would be like this.

[Aurora Matrix]

Yeah.

[Shane]

No, I think Amanda would be way more fun at a concert than I would be.

[Aurora Matrix]

I think we would have a good time.

[Amanda]

I think that we would, too.

[Shane]

I'm a good, like.

[Amanda]

Sorry, Shane.

[Shane]

I'm a good, like, third or four or fourth at a concert. Like, I'm there also. Yeah, but you bring people that are gonna be fun. You guys are having a blast, and I'm there nearby just having.

[Aurora Matrix]

At a concert. Are you on your feet dancing? Okay. Yeah.

[Amanda]

I would imagine if you're getting a.

[Aurora Matrix]

Ticket with a seat. You're not sitting in the seat.

[Amanda]

No, no, no. You're standing.

[Aurora Matrix]

You're standing in.

[Amanda]

And I'm not filming the whole time. That's another thing about me. You know how people just stand there.

[Aurora Matrix]

And go, you see, I like to look up the set list beforehand. I know some people are against that, but I look up the set list. Cause I want to know when to film certain songs.

[Shane]

Okay.

[Aurora Matrix]

So I know, like, oh, the next song is going to be my favorite song. Let film a little clip, and then I get to enjoy it.

[Amanda]

Yes.

[Aurora Matrix]

Versus being like, oh, my God, I can't believe I missed it.

[Shane]

I know.

[Aurora Matrix]

I don't want to panic.

[Shane]

Yep. That's really smart. You're on who Wants to Be a Millionaire? Who are you calling for your lifeline?

[Aurora Matrix]

Oh, I'm gonna go with Shane.

[Amanda]

That's smart.

[Shane]

It depends on the question.

[Amanda]

No, literally, that's.

[Aurora Matrix]

That's the correct answer.

[Shane]

I think it depends on the question.

[Aurora Matrix]

Especially if it's a really niche topic. I'm like. I'm sure. I feel like you would know, like, a random thing and be like. Like, oh, yeah, it's this, this, and this. I read a book on this and be like, of course you did.

[Amanda]

Yeah.

[Shane]

All right.

[Amanda]

That's literally Shane.

[Shane]

Thank you. I think there's a correct answer to this one as well. You have a plus one to a wedding. Who are you taking? Yeah, I'm Amanda.

[Amanda]

You want to come to a wedding with me, period? Yes, of course.

[Aurora Matrix]

I know you love.

[Amanda]

So you're gonna. I know my wedding colors. You're gonna look so much better than me. But, yes, I will be there.

[Shane]

You would agree.

[Aurora Matrix]

We're both going in dragon.

[Amanda]

Okay. Oh, my God. Me in drag. Excellent.

[Aurora Matrix]

And also in, like, platform heels. You would be, like, 10ft tall.

[Amanda]

Oh, I know I put on platform heels. People are like, huh.

[Aurora Matrix]

Imagine you in, like, you in, like, the disco era. You would have been like.

[Amanda]

People would have been like. Everyone would have been like, mommy, Daddy. I would be like, come to me.

[Aurora Matrix]

Oh, yeah, I can see it.

[Shane]

I thought you were quoting barbarian there. For sure I was. You were.

[Aurora Matrix]

Mama.

[Shane]

Mama.

[Amanda]

I love that movie when it's like, mom.

[Aurora Matrix]

Yeah? If you're coming to a wedding with me, we're both going in drag.

[Amanda]

Oh, my God.

[Aurora Matrix]

You can get in drag. And you can come with two.

[Shane]

Okay.

[Amanda]

I would love to watch. Shane in a dress is the most amazing thing I've ever seen. Cause he's so buff.

[Aurora Matrix]

Yeah, exactly.

[Amanda]

Boom.

[Aurora Matrix]

No, literally, Shane walked by this morning in the office when he first got in, and I didn't see his face.

[Amanda]

But I saw the walk. He literally is breaking pavement every time he walks.

[Aurora Matrix]

I saw the walk, and I was like, there's space between the torso and the biceps.

[Shane]

Yep.

[Aurora Matrix]

Speaking of biceps, the most this that you've recently did.

[Shane]

Oh, I forget what I did. Oh, yeah. I was in a games video or something. Right. Where I won something, and I just started doing that.

[Amanda]

I can't.

[Aurora Matrix]

I can't believe I'm seeing this live. I literally had to pause the video and rewind. Cause I was like, he is so dainty. I was like, I've never seen someone so muscular, but so delicate. And the face you made, just, like, in pure bliss.

[Amanda]

Oh, my God, that's true.

[Shane]

Having a great time.

[Aurora Matrix]

I'm like, I do that sometimes. And I'm like, no one gets the reference, but I'm here. Laughing.

[Amanda]

I'm just like, yeah, it's so cute.

[Shane]

Okay, you somehow landed in jail. Who's your one phone call?

[Aurora Matrix]

Gay prison. Gay prison.

[Shane]

You're in gay prison. Who's your one phone call?

[Amanda]

Ooh.

[Shane]

This is to get. To help you get out. I would assume you're in jail. I assume you're in jail.

[Aurora Matrix]

I'm like, who has more money to bail me out? I'm like, please, what did I get in jail for?

[Amanda]

That's on you.

[Aurora Matrix]

I'm going to call Amanda. I feel like a little mom friend would.

[Amanda]

Yeah, I'd probably beat some guards up to get you out of jail.

[Shane]

I respect that.

[Amanda]

You can take her. Just. Just take her. And I'm like, no, I'm going to fight you guys. You're like, just. She's ready to go.

[Aurora Matrix]

Calling Amanda.

[Amanda]

Thank you.

[Shane]

This one's good. You get to Freaky Friday with one of us. Who are you choosing? Whoa.

[Aurora Matrix]

Okay, okay, wait. I didn't think about this. Freaky Friday with someone, literally, it would.

[Amanda]

Be two completely different lives. Maybe not.

[Shane]

Yeah. Not only are our bodies, but our lives is also.

[Amanda]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Aurora Matrix]

This might be a crazy answer. Okay, Shane, I want to switch with you so that I can hang out with Kourtney.

[Shane]

That's. I. At first I was like, you're going to say Amanda. But then I was like, oh, but then you get to hang out with me. Yeah.

[Amanda]

And then you get to be in that body, just stomping, pavement, breaking.

[Aurora Matrix]

I get to do that in that body.

[Amanda]

Breaking the ball.

[Shane]

You get to be in this body and be like, oh, it hurts.

[Aurora Matrix]

I just want to, like, yell in testosterone. Screaming in asterisk.

[Amanda]

You try to put on all your clothes, you're like, oh, my God, it doesn't fit.

[Aurora Matrix]

No. If I was in your body, I would get myself in drag and just be like.

[Shane]

But then you wouldn't be able to do. You wouldn't be able to do the splits.

[Aurora Matrix]

Gravity. Remember, you would break every muscle in his thigh. But it's not my body.

[Amanda]

That's so true.

[Shane]

I wake up the next day just.

[Aurora Matrix]

Like.

[Amanda]

Aurora, what the fuck did you do?

[Shane]

Oh, my God. I just wake up in the hospital.

[Aurora Matrix]

So funny.

[Shane]

Okay, you're in a pickup basketball game. Who's on your team?

[Aurora Matrix]

Amanda.

[Shane]

She's taller than, obviously.

[Amanda]

Although I'm not good at basketball.

[Aurora Matrix]

That's okay.

[Amanda]

I don't Know, I could try again.

[Aurora Matrix]

I'm not good either. We can be bad at it together.

[Amanda]

Okay, great. Thank you.

[Shane]

This is interesting. You're lip syncing for your life. Who are you going against? Who would you rather go against?

[Amanda]

Yeah, who would you rather go against? Who would you rather go against?

[Shane]

I think that's also an easy. That's also an easy answer.

[Aurora Matrix]

I feel like, go against. Well, if I wanted to win.

[Amanda]

Yeah.

[Aurora Matrix]

Shane.

[Shane]

Yeah. I don't know the lyrics to songs.

[Amanda]

I do.

[Shane]

I am so bad at it.

[Aurora Matrix]

But I feel like if it depends on the song, really, because, like, you could lip sync to, like, a monologue.

[Amanda]

Yeah. You just have to tell it.

[Aurora Matrix]

Lip sync to a funny comedy number. And honestly, I think both of you guys would do really well with that.

[Shane]

Okay.

[Aurora Matrix]

As long as you learn the words.

[Shane]

Yeah.

[Amanda]

Yeah. You have to learn the words.

[Shane]

I'd have to really practice.

[Amanda]

And if you forget the words, what do you do? Do you still move your mouth or you just go, like.

[Shane]

You just vibe?

[Aurora Matrix]

There are two ways that I go. If I'm committing to the song, I'll just try to fake it till I make it. You just gotta get to the. At least as long as you get the end of each sentence, it kind of hides the rest of it. You kind of watermelon cancel a bit. But if it's more of like, a comedy number, I'll literally either move my hand to it.

[Shane]

Smart.

[Aurora Matrix]

Like Beyonce, crazy in love. Whenever Jay Z comes in, I just go.

[Shane]

Smart.

[Aurora Matrix]

Or if it's like a group number with my sisters and I don't know the song well, I'll literally be like.

[Amanda]

Oh, I love that.

[Aurora Matrix]

And they're popping off, and I'm like, I love that. Like, you make a moment of it.

[Amanda]

Yeah, yeah.

[Aurora Matrix]

You make it funny. And it's like, if I'm not gonna lip sync to it, I'm gonna commit to not lip syncing.

[Shane]

Yes, exactly.

[Amanda]

Love it.

[Shane]

You have to let one of us give you a tattoo. Who's choosing?

[Amanda]

Oh, God.

[Aurora Matrix]

After the Gardik phone video, I'm gonna have you do it.

[Shane]

Okay.

[Amanda]

Yeah.

[Aurora Matrix]

I was pleasantly, pleasantly surprised with how artistically talented you are.

[Amanda]

Oh, thank you. Do not choose me. I knew I know how to draw a tree, and that's about it. I have, like, massive.

[Shane]

So if you get a tattoo of a tree.

[Aurora Matrix]

If I need to get a tree on me.

[Amanda]

Okay, that'll be me.

[Shane]

This next question is insane. If you were tied to the train tracks in the trolley problem, you're alone. And the other lane has more people who do you want to solve the problem?

[Amanda]

What?

[Shane]

That's question.

[Aurora Matrix]

So you're basically asking, who of the two of you would be more likely to save me?

[Shane]

The way the trolley problem works is the train is going towards a lane that has five people tied to it.

[Amanda]

Yeah.

[Shane]

But you can switch it to one that has one person. But you have to make that decision.

[Amanda]

So you want someone to make that decision. Either save you or save the others. Right.

[Shane]

Yeah, that's so. But the sad and dark.

[Aurora Matrix]

I will say get on the track.

[Shane]

I will say this. Yeah. But we need to figure out.

[Amanda]

Good question.

[Shane]

We need to break down the system that. That set this up. The problem. This isn't the trolley problem because we know one of the people that. That creates a bias.

[Aurora Matrix]

Yeah.

[Shane]

The Charlie problem. You need to. They need to think.

[Amanda]

Would, like, be like, you know, save the people. Or be like, no, I'm going to save Aurora.

[Aurora Matrix]

I think I'm going to pick you.

[Shane]

I think. I think Amanda. I think Amanda.

[Amanda]

I just said.

[Shane]

I mean, look at the tracks and be like, say the people.

[Amanda]

Oh, Aurora, turn. Sorry, guys.

[Aurora Matrix]

Sorry, guys. I know her.

[Amanda]

I know her.

[Aurora Matrix]

I know her.

[Amanda]

Sorry. Oh, it's happening.

[Aurora Matrix]

Bye.

[Amanda]

Sorry.

[Aurora Matrix]

I'm, like, on the track. Like, Amanda, I have a wedding to get to.

[Amanda]

Oh, done, bitch.

[Shane]

I gotta go turn.

[Aurora Matrix]

The colors of the wedding are mustard yellow.

[Amanda]

Oh, done, bitch.

[Shane]

Okay, you can only listen to one. This person's playlist for the whole day. Who are you choosing?

[Aurora Matrix]

Oh, I don't really know what your music taste is. Like.

[Amanda]

That's true.

[Shane]

It's all over the place. I'm all over the place.

[Aurora Matrix]

Yeah. I would say.

[Amanda]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Aurora Matrix]

What. What do you like to listen to?

[Shane]

Oh, well, I mean, he loves Journey. He loves Imagine Dragons.

[Aurora Matrix]

Oh. I was like. You like songs that are, like, anthems.

[Amanda]

American anthems.

[Aurora Matrix]

Yeah. Songs that make white people go crazy.

[Shane]

I heard someone recently do.

[Amanda]

No, I'm kidding.

[Aurora Matrix]

You know those playlists that's like songs white people get turned to?

[Amanda]

They're like. Yes.

[Aurora Matrix]

Like Sweet Caroline.

[Shane]

Like Imagine Dragons. That's every song.

[Amanda]

Yeah.

[Shane]

Okay. We have. If you're Bonnie, who's Clyde? If you're Thelma, who's Louise?

[Aurora Matrix]

Oh.

[Amanda]

Oh, Bonnie Clyde.

[Aurora Matrix]

I think I'm also gonna say Amanda.

[Shane]

That's. Yeah, that's fair.

[Amanda]

Yeah. Thank you.

[Aurora Matrix]

Are you my bias?

[Amanda]

Yes.

[Shane]

Wow.

[Aurora Matrix]

Sorry, Shane.

[Shane]

That's okay.

[Amanda]

Bye, Shane. You have to go now.

[Aurora Matrix]

I'm hosting this now.

[Amanda]

You actually could.

[Shane]

You can only get a Christmas gift from one of us. Which. Which gift would you want?

[Aurora Matrix]

Ooh, ooh.

[Amanda]

I Think I know this answer.

[Aurora Matrix]

I would say Shane.

[Amanda]

Yes. That's what I would say, too, because.

[Aurora Matrix]

I think I would get really, like, absurd. Like, okay, like, something that, like, no one would think about, but it would be, like, an inside joke or a reference to something that. That would be really funny. I think it would be, like, memorable moments.

[Amanda]

I feel like Shane's really good at gift giving.

[Aurora Matrix]

Like, yeah.

[Amanda]

He listens to what you like and then is, like, very thoughtful about it. Whereas I stress about gifts.

[Aurora Matrix]

I'm not the biggest gift. Like, if I got a gift from you, I feel like it would be, like, like, practical.

[Amanda]

Yeah.

[Aurora Matrix]

Like, it would be like, oh, here's a pack of toilet paper for home. I'd be like, thank you.

[Shane]

Here's some toilet paper, you piece of.

[Aurora Matrix]

Or no, maybe that wasn't a best time.

[Shane]

No, no, no.

[Amanda]

You're actually right, because what I want for Christmas is, like, new kitchenware.

[Aurora Matrix]

Exactly. I was gonna say, like. Like, pots and pans or, like, a new spatula or something.

[Amanda]

I don't like.

[Aurora Matrix]

You give me things that are, like, I can use, like, on the everyday life versus yours would be, like, cool trinkets and trotch keys.

[Shane]

That's so true. Okay, I appreciate that. This last question. I threw this in last night. Which one of us do you think would do better in Snatch Game?

[Aurora Matrix]

Oh, that's a tough one, because you both really just, like, commit to your characters. Yeah.

[Shane]

I guess the question, too, is, which characters? Which smosh characters? Doesn't have to just be Amanda and I. Which smosh characters do you think would do best in Snatch?

[Aurora Matrix]

I want a Krungle.

[Shane]

A crumble.

[Amanda]

Oh, my God.

[Shane]

Krungle is full on crushing. Yeah.

[Aurora Matrix]

And just, like, so horny. So horny, like, would be flirting with the other contestants, with the. With the. With the celebrity guests.

[Shane]

You'd have to hope someone else does, like, an old celebrity, like an. Like an older reference, so that crumbles all in on it.

[Aurora Matrix]

Oh, for sure. But then it would have to be like, one that's very, like, conservative. Very whatever, so that you can be the opposite of that.

[Shane]

Exactly.

[Amanda]

That's a good one.

[Aurora Matrix]

Maybe we need to get. What's his name? The wizard.

[Shane]

Oh, Dumpster wizard.

[Aurora Matrix]

Maybe we need to get them, too.

[Amanda]

Kunggle and Dumpster wizard on stage. They've been together.

[Shane]

They've been together. We've established that there's history there, and there's history there.

[Amanda]

We don't know if it's good history or bad history. They've definitely kind of dated, but I think it was extremely fucked up and messy. It was a weird time.

[Shane]

Neither of them were sober for the entirety of it.

[Amanda]

Well, the building almost went down, like.

[Shane]

Yeah.

[Aurora Matrix]

I would also like to see Courtney's Sabrina Carpenter.

[Shane]

Really?

[Aurora Matrix]

Yes. Just so aloof. Just so.

[Shane]

Yeah.

[Amanda]

Yes.

[Aurora Matrix]

And then Spencer's. Fred Darts.

[Shane]

Fred Darts would actually be really.

[Aurora Matrix]

Somebody say meat. Love.

[Shane]

The fan base that Fred Darts has on the Internet is crazy.

[Amanda]

Love this.

[Shane]

People apparently, like, some people didn't know that Fred Durst was a real person.

[Aurora Matrix]

No, it's.

[Shane]

They only know Fred Dart.

[Amanda]

It's insane to me.

[Shane]

It's like, who did you think he was insane to?

[Aurora Matrix]

An original character.

[Shane]

Yeah. No. People dressed up as Fred Darts for Halloween. But what's funny is you see their. You see their costume, and it's like you're just dressed up as Fred Durst.

[Amanda]

You know you're Fred Durst, right?

[Shane]

You know, that's all you are.

[Aurora Matrix]

No, I'm Fred Durst.

[Amanda]

You're like, no, you did it all for the nookie. You're Fred Durst.

[Aurora Matrix]

And they're like, I don't know what that is.

[Amanda]

Yeah, exactly.

[Aurora Matrix]

Well, also, I'm assuming, like, a lot of your fan base is also quite young.

[Amanda]

Yes.

[Aurora Matrix]

So they're learning about references that they only know from you.

[Shane]

That's true. That is true.

[Aurora Matrix]

Right?

[Shane]

Yeah. Something that we discussed beforehand, and it sounds like you prepared this.

[Aurora Matrix]

I put thought into this. Cause I was like, I don't want to just give you any name.

[Shane]

Yeah. We've been discussing, like, oh, what would our drag names be? And so you've thought about this now?

[Aurora Matrix]

I have. So going into this, my criteria for you was I really wanted to play off of your last name top because.

[Amanda]

Such a good last name.

[Aurora Matrix]

Gay people love tops. And then for you, the highlight was it needs to be a 1, 2, 3 name. Because you always say how you have a two last name.

[Amanda]

Yep.

[Aurora Matrix]

So the names are.

[Shane]

Okay.

[Amanda]

My God, I'm so excited.

[Aurora Matrix]

Anita Top.

[Amanda]

Anita Top.

[Shane]

Oh, my God, that's brilliant.

[Aurora Matrix]

We have anita top with two Ps, of course. And then we have Shirley a bottom or Shirley a bottom.

[Shane]

Stop.

[Aurora Matrix]

The most powerful duo in Los Angeles.

[Amanda]

Wait. This is so good. Of course I'm a bottom.

[Shane]

I think we both are in this situation. No, honey, I need a top. Surely a bottom.

[Aurora Matrix]

Controversial yet brave. Take.

[Amanda]

Surely a bottom. Oh, my God. It's like, I want to perform. It's like I want to get ready.

[Aurora Matrix]

And when you have punny names, it almost opens up the opportunity. Stupid numbers and like, comedy numbers where it's like a song. A song, a song. And then a phone rings, and you're like, hello. It's like a monologue from something. Like, I'm gonna kill you. Like, no. And then it's another song. Like, I could totally see you guys doing that. And also, I want to see duo numbers from you too.

[Amanda]

Oh, my God.

[Shane]

Pretty cool, dude.

[Amanda]

Shirley Abottom is the best name ever.

[Shane]

Shirley.

[Amanda]

I want it, like, in a plaque behind me.

[Aurora Matrix]

Shirley. A bottom.

[Amanda]

I need a top. Anita top.

[Shane]

Anita top.

[Amanda]

This is so brilliant.

[Aurora Matrix]

I'm glad y'all, like, racking my brain. I also have a name for Krungle.

[Shane]

Oh, okay.

[Amanda]

Tell me.

[Aurora Matrix]

Auntie Lynn Chastity.

[Amanda]

Auntie Lynn Chasity. Chastity. Auntie Lynn Chastity. Love that.

[Aurora Matrix]

It's also the same initials as your name.

[Amanda]

So fucking good. Alc.

[Aurora Matrix]

Alc.

[Amanda]

Chastity. Except Chastity is Chastity Belt she would never wear in her life, but that's.

[Aurora Matrix]

The prop that she always has.

[Amanda]

Yes. And it's off.

[Aurora Matrix]

That's the running joke. It's like, I have it, but I'll never wear it.

[Amanda]

Wait. That is so good.

[Aurora Matrix]

And then the chosen would be Slaytana Badass.

[Amanda]

Wow.

[Aurora Matrix]

And then at the end of all your numbers, it just goes. Slaytana wins.

[Shane]

Yeah.

[Aurora Matrix]

And then goes Flawless. Flawless victory. And that's the end of your number every time.

[Amanda]

I love this so much, dude. I want to see the chosen in heels. Like, six inch heels.

[Shane]

Thinking that he's like. It's like he's like. He thinks that he has perfect poise and balance, but he's just falling.

[Aurora Matrix]

All you hear is just clomping.

[Shane]

Yeah.

[Aurora Matrix]

He's, like, holding onto his, like, sword as a staff. I'm going to walk in heels now.

[Shane]

They both have knives as the stilettos.

[Aurora Matrix]

I was born for this moment. That.

[Amanda]

That's fucking amazing.

[Aurora Matrix]

Slaytana Slaytona.

[Shane]

Wow. How long did it take you to come up with all this?

[Amanda]

Yeah.

[Aurora Matrix]

Is it just, like, literally too long? I was like, they have to be perfect.

[Amanda]

I was like, they literally are perfect.

[Aurora Matrix]

And also I was like, it needs to be a pun, because I know you guys would appreciate, like, a funny joke. And also, I wanted something that complements each other for the podcast.

[Amanda]

Surely a bottom.

[Aurora Matrix]

So I need a top and surely a bottom.

[Amanda]

It's so perfect. It's so perfect.

[Shane]

The comments are going to be calling those out forever, ever.

[Amanda]

It's so perfect.

[Shane]

That's awesome. Thank you.

[Amanda]

Thank you.

[Aurora Matrix]

You're so welcome. I'm glad you like that.

[Amanda]

I literally want to perform, maybe do it. Okay.

[Aurora Matrix]

Next mosh video, I put these two in drag.

[Amanda]

That would be brilliant.

[Aurora Matrix]

I joke about it now, but it could be a good idea.

[Amanda]

No, actually, that. That would be freaking brilliant.

[Shane]

That could be cool. I feel like that'd be Courtney's dream.

[Aurora Matrix]

Oh, my God.

[Amanda]

Yeah, I know. She would want to be here. Gotta figure out Courtney's drag name.

[Aurora Matrix]

Okay, I'll start thinking.

[Amanda]

Okay, start thinking on it.

[Aurora Matrix]

Oh, my God. That's my next assignment.

[Amanda]

Yeah, that's your next assignment. Among other things.

[Aurora Matrix]

Among many things.

[Shane]

So you mentioned lip syncing earlier. It's a big part of drag, and we have some clips here. Now we couldn't do music because we'll get copyright struck, of course, but we have some clips from Smosh Mouth and just other Smosh videos that we're going to try to lip sync over right now. So if you're just listening to this, you just get to listen to this clip and imagine us lip syncing it perfectly.

[Amanda]

Yeah, but you could also go on YouTube and watch this part. Yeah, it's probably gonna be ridiculous.

[Shane]

So one, we have. Aurora, I think you and I are going to attempt this.

[Aurora Matrix]

Okay.

[Shane]

This is Amanda's resume reel.

[Aurora Matrix]

Okay.

[Amanda]

Who's gonna be who? Both of you are gonna go at the same time.

[Shane]

I think we can go one at a time. We can go back and forth until one of us nails it.

[Amanda]

And I just get to watch.

[Aurora Matrix]

We can do a couple takes of it.

[Amanda]

I get to watch Cringe.

[Shane]

For those who maybe didn't see this episode, this. This was you. You recorded this? This is fake or these are real news stories.

[Amanda]

These are real news stories.

[Shane]

So you are. You are recounting real news stories as a field reporter?

[Amanda]

Because very similar to you, Aurora, my mom was like. Instead of giving me the option, she was like, you can't go to theater school. What are you talking about? You're going to go and do a real job? And I was like, okay. So I was in. I was prepping to be a news reporter for a while. And this is a reel that I had to make. So it's like 4am so I'm just like subbing in my story into these real news stories. And this reel, when I showed my friends and family, they're like, this is funny. And I was like, that's not supposed.

[Aurora Matrix]

To, like, no, this was not the goal.

[Amanda]

So it's cringe city. And here we go.

[Shane]

Okay, let's listen to it.

[Aurora Matrix]

Okay.

[Amanda]

Okay, listen. Listen to it. Great. The victims inside this house say the two suspects came in, tied them up, held them at gunpoint, and then used their walkie talkies to signal the getaway car. That worker fell halfway down a 20 foot shaft while working on this tunnel over here. His foot was pinned between a pipe and the ladder that he fell off of.

[Aurora Matrix]

This is so sad.

[Amanda]

This is the saddest that you guys are gonna.

[Aurora Matrix]

Sorry to laugh at it, but you gotta.

[Shane]

You gotta work while doing this.

[Amanda]

Yeah, you do.

[Shane]

Okay. Do you want me to attempt it first? Do you want to try to attempt it?

[Aurora Matrix]

Are we, like, doing it like back to back as it goes to the next clip? You just go right into the next clip? I feel like.

[Shane]

You just go into the next clip?

[Aurora Matrix]

Yeah, why not?

[Shane]

I feel like it's. Yeah, I feel like that's.

[Aurora Matrix]

Okay, I'll see. I'll watch you do it first.

[Shane]

Okay. Okay, let me. This is gonna be bad. Let me attempt this.

[Amanda]

The victims inside this house say the two suspects came in, tied them up, held them at gunpoint, and then use their walkie talkies to signal the getaway car. That worker fell halfway down a 20 foot shaft while working on this tunnel over here. His foot was pinned between a pipe and the ladder that he fell off. Oh, my God.

[Aurora Matrix]

Shane.

[Amanda]

I'm unsure what it was like.

[Shane]

Okay.

[Aurora Matrix]

Your hand did more thinking than your mouth.

[Amanda]

It felt like a bad video game where it was like. It was like, off.

[Shane]

See, we're showing how hard this is. I remembered certain words, but you're talking so fast.

[Amanda]

Okay. You did a good job. I had to because it's a news story.

[Aurora Matrix]

It's live, it's news.

[Amanda]

A man got pinned.

[Aurora Matrix]

No, but good on you. You went first.

[Amanda]

Yeah. Well done.

[Shane]

Tried. Do you want to attempt?

[Aurora Matrix]

Shall I try? Okay.

[Shane]

Okay.

[Aurora Matrix]

Hi, camera. I'm ready.

[Shane]

All right, here we go.

[Amanda]

The victims inside this house say the two suspects came in, tied them up, held them at gunpoint, and then used their walkie talkies to signal the getaway car. That worker fell halfway down a 20 foot shaft while working on this tunnel over here. His foot was pinned between a pipe and the ladder that he fell off of. I thought you were gonna go like that.

[Shane]

Okay, that. Yeah, you did it way better than.

[Amanda]

Me because you ended all the last words.

[Aurora Matrix]

It's the last words.

[Amanda]

It's the last words where you go.

[Shane]

You also added physicality, as opposed to me over here.

[Aurora Matrix]

Just like I feel like you were flirting with the camera.

[Shane]

At least I didn't know what I was doing. I was desperate. I was the broken country bear at Disneyland.

[Aurora Matrix]

All I remember is use their walkie talkies to signal the getaway.

[Amanda]

The getaway car. The getaway car.

[Aurora Matrix]

Come get me.

[Amanda]

It was so good.

[Shane]

Do you guys want to attempt the. This one's a little easier. This is the chosen getting slapped.

[Amanda]

Yeah. Let's hear it.

[Shane]

Okay. This is a lot easier.

[Amanda]

I think maybe see it.

[Shane]

So you actually showed up. Gotta be honest, I wasn't positive you would. All right, well, it's time for your first challenge. I want you to try to hit me. But here's. Oh.

[Aurora Matrix]

Okay.

[Shane]

I wasn't ready yet.

[Amanda]

Got it.

[Shane]

All right, who. Which one of you wants to go?

[Amanda]

I can go first.

[Aurora Matrix]

You can go for K. I mean.

[Amanda]

I'm gonna do terrible after I just made fun of you forever.

[Shane]

So you actually showed up. Gotta be honest, I wasn't positive you would. All right, well, it's time for your first challenge. I want you to try to hit me. But here's the thought. Okay, I wasn't ready yet.

[Aurora Matrix]

Oh, my God. Nailed the facials. Oh, my God.

[Amanda]

I was like.

[Aurora Matrix]

And you. You did. What I love about lip syncing is when you get close to an audience member. When you're lip syncing, you hear the mouth noises. So when you're, like, grabbing a tip from someone and you're, like, really lip syncing, you just hear the.

[Amanda]

I bet that's so awkward.

[Aurora Matrix]

So even during just like the. You just hear.

[Shane]

They give you the tip and they're just like, oh.

[Amanda]

And you're like.

[Aurora Matrix]

A lot of mouth noises.

[Amanda]

That is so hilarious.

[Shane]

Watermelon. Cantaloupe.

[Aurora Matrix]

Watermelon, Cantaloupe, Cantaloupe, Watermelon.

[Amanda]

Okay, let's give this a try.

[Shane]

Attempt this. Okay. Okay, here we go.

[Aurora Matrix]

The chosen.

[Shane]

So you actually showed up. Got to be honest, I wasn't positive you would. All right, well, it's time for your first challenge. I want you to try to hit me. But here's. Oh, I wasn't ready yet.

[Amanda]

Oh, my God.

[Shane]

Nailed it.

[Amanda]

Brilliant. No, you were so good.

[Aurora Matrix]

I feel like it showed more emotion than the chosen usually would.

[Shane]

Yeah, yeah.

[Amanda]

But it was. It was your.

[Shane]

But that was chosen internally.

[Aurora Matrix]

That was chosen in drag.

[Amanda]

Yeah, that was chosen in drag. Oh, my God. That was so. You're so good at, like, the emotion and the timing where you're, like, right back to the camera.

[Aurora Matrix]

I was like, okay, gotta pull.

[Shane]

I wasn't ready for that, man. Okay, so our last clip we're gonna attempt is the famous Harambe clip. It's all. It's a long one. Okay, so we're really gonna have to pull it together for this.

[Amanda]

And I'm.

[Aurora Matrix]

And this one's full dialogue.

[Shane]

This is full dialogue.

[Amanda]

Full dialogue. And I'm you.

[Shane]

And you're. We're gonna swap it all. So you're gonna be me, I'm gonna be you. You'll be Trevor.

[Aurora Matrix]

I'll be Trevor. Trevor was. I think we're about the same age. Yeah.

[Shane]

Yeah.

[Aurora Matrix]

We both were, like, quite young when this happened. And just, like, this was the talk of the town.

[Amanda]

Oh, my God.

[Shane]

Everybody was talking about it.

[Aurora Matrix]

Everyone was talking about it.

[Shane]

Honestly, everybody in this building was like, amanda, you're crazy.

[Aurora Matrix]

Amanda. Everyone was.

[Amanda]

People from home were like, what is wrong with you? I remember that.

[Aurora Matrix]

But, hey. We've now learned that Angela also didn't know about Harambe.

[Amanda]

Exactly.

[Aurora Matrix]

And she got off.

[Amanda]

Truce.

[Aurora Matrix]

One lie.

[Shane]

Angela completely got away with that. Yep.

[Aurora Matrix]

She exposed herself.

[Amanda]

She.

[Aurora Matrix]

I think.

[Shane]

I think the 9 11, 2011 thing is still. I think people let Harambe slide for her.

[Aurora Matrix]

Where were you during 9 11?

[Shane]

Okay, this one starts off quick.

[Amanda]

So we're going.

[Shane]

We're just gonna go.

[Amanda]

Let's just go.

[Shane]

I'm gonna do really bad at this.

[Amanda]

I'm gonna do really bad. You can't watch it.

[Shane]

I'm sitting here just watching it.

[Aurora Matrix]

Yeah.

[Amanda]

That would be so unfair.

[Shane]

I'm just gonna hold it up. I'm not gonna look at it. All right, here we go. Right off the bat. Have you ever heard of Harambe?

[Amanda]

No.

[Shane]

You've never heard of Harambe? Okay. I can't believe you've never heard of Harambe.

[Amanda]

He was a gorilla that was at the Massachusetts.

[Shane]

He was at the Cincinnati Zoo. It's okay. It's okay.

[Amanda]

Are you lying?

[Shane]

I'm not lying to you. I'm telling you a true story.

[Amanda]

Lie a lot.

[Shane]

I'm not. I'm telling you a true story.

[Amanda]

Okay, okay, okay.

[Shane]

I believe it was a Cincinnati zoo, and a boy somehow snuck in and fell into the gorilla pit. Harambe comes up. He's curious. He's looking at the kid. He's just kind of looking at him. Whatever. They then shot Harambe. It's sad. They shot Harambe and they killed him.

[Amanda]

Why are we laughing?

[Shane]

I'm la. I'm laughing because this is an insane story that I've processed years ago.

[Amanda]

Why would they shoot him? He didn't want to do anything. He was probably talking to him.

[Shane]

You're now dealing with the trauma that everyone else dealt with.

[Amanda]

Harambe deserve to live. I know. Protest that. I could go to. How old is that kid. Now I will find him.

[Shane]

Wow.

[Amanda]

That was hard.

[Aurora Matrix]

Wait, that was so strange, because I kept looking at Shane when you were talking, but then it was.

[Amanda]

I know. Me too. I was, like, waiting to do my lines.

[Aurora Matrix]

I couldn't decide which person to look at, but I feel like that was Trevor. He was just laughing at me.

[Amanda]

My heart died in that moment.

[Shane]

Yeah.

[Amanda]

I just relived.

[Shane]

I actually felt what you were experiencing there.

[Amanda]

Yeah.

[Shane]

Wow.

[Aurora Matrix]

But you really did make such a valid point of, like, we've already processed all of this.

[Shane]

Oh, yeah.

[Amanda]

I was like, why are you laughing?

[Aurora Matrix]

And Amanda, in that moment was like, what is happening?

[Amanda]

That's really hard to process something. So way later, when it's like, we already did this.

[Aurora Matrix]

Yeah. It's not shocking to us. Yeah.

[Amanda]

We closed the door on this. We got closure somehow, and I didn't. So I had to relive that for months after that.

[Aurora Matrix]

Wow.

[Shane]

But now you're fully aware of the whole.

[Amanda]

Yeah, I've made closure.

[Shane]

You've done all your research on it.

[Amanda]

I found him. It's taken care of.

[Shane]

You did the thing. You did the ending of Zodiac where you just knocked on his door. He opens up and just like, that's all I needed to see.

[Aurora Matrix]

Creekside Killer.

[Amanda]

He's the Creekside Killer.

[Shane]

Yes.

[Amanda]

The little boy.

[Aurora Matrix]

I found him.

[Shane]

The Creekside Killer.

[Aurora Matrix]

You tap into this other register in your voice.

[Amanda]

It's kind of my mom when she's angry. That's.

[Shane]

Does your mom really sound like that?

[Aurora Matrix]

Oh, yeah.

[Amanda]

She's like, girls, get out of here.

[Aurora Matrix]

Oh, my God. Mama Kanto is scary.

[Amanda]

Mama Kanto is. Yeah, yeah. If you step on her foot, she's like, my body that hurts.

[Aurora Matrix]

Everything is talked through a groan.

[Shane]

Exactly.

[Amanda]

It's that. And also, like every detective ever. But a lot of it's my mom when she's very angry. Yep.

[Shane]

Wow.

[Amanda]

So I can jump right into that. Pretty cool.

[Shane]

This has been incredible.

[Aurora Matrix]

Oh, my gosh.

[Amanda]

I know. I feel like I only learned, like, 20% of you, and I just want to know everything. So this.

[Aurora Matrix]

I don't know, maybe we covered a good range. I feel we sprinkled a little bit of every aspect of my life.

[Shane]

Yeah, absolutely.

[Amanda]

It was. I just think that you're incredible. And, like, you manifested everything that you had.

[Aurora Matrix]

Thank you.

[Amanda]

And you just. Everyone was like, okay, well, if you do this, you can't do this. And you were like, this is what I want to do. I think it's such a gift to know what you want to do, and you're fucking doing it. And you look unbelievable doing it.

[Aurora Matrix]

Thank you. Appreciate that. But, yeah, I'm like, still, it's gonna take me a long time to process. Like, oh, I actually did this.

[Shane]

Yeah.

[Aurora Matrix]

Yeah.

[Amanda]

I'm here as our biggest fan.

[Aurora Matrix]

I'm here at Smosh. It's crazy. You guys are real people, not just characters in a YouTube video.

[Amanda]

Yeah, well. Yeah, well, we're gonna disappear when you leave here.

[Shane]

Yeah.

[Aurora Matrix]

We all cut, and you just.

[Shane]

We fade to mist and fade to black.

[Amanda]

Yeah.

[Shane]

Well, thank you so much for being here. This was really so cool. Where can people find you? Do you have social platforms?

[Aurora Matrix]

Yeah. Organ Trick. Find me on Instagram. Auroramatrix. Aurora, like the Princess Matrix, like the movie. I also have my own podcast with my two sisters. It's called the Powder Room. Featuring the Powderpuff Girls. Yes. And what I love about the podcast is it's kind of just like a fly on the wall, listening in on three besties, talking our shit, talking about the drag scenes, talking about, honestly, everything and anything. So check that out. We're on our season two now. So we're gonna be recapping the new season of Canada's Drag Race Season five weekly on some. So get our hot takes on a brand new episode of Drag Race every week.

[Amanda]

And your friend's on season five, and.

[Aurora Matrix]

My friend is on season five, so we get to hear her.

[Shane]

Cool.

[Amanda]

Your friend who's on the podcast is also on season five, and she did.

[Aurora Matrix]

All of my wigs on my season.

[Amanda]

Okay.

[Aurora Matrix]

There's so much to get into. So, yeah, check out the Powder Room. Check out my Instagram Aurora Matrix, and you can always just find where I'm gonna be on my Instagram.

[Shane]

Very cool.

[Amanda]

This is amazing. Thank you so much.

[Aurora Matrix]

Thank you for having me.

[Shane]

Of course. All right, thank you for watching. Thank you for listening, and we'll see you next week. Bye.