The Bald and the Beautiful with Trixie and Katya

Episode: "A Paranormal New Year's Eve with Trixie and Katya"

Date: December 30, 2025
Hosts: Mary (Trixie Mattel) & Katya Zamolodchikova

Overview: New Year, Paranormal Fears, and Family Frenzy

In this festive episode, Trixie and Katya dive into their holiday experiences and recount Trixie’s harrowing encounter at the stage adaptation of "Paranormal Activity." The queens riff on haunted houses, family holidays, terrifying theatre, dog names, and why live singing isn’t always necessary for a good time. The mood is a spirited, campy cocktail: equal parts hilarious overshare, cult horror obsession, and homespun familial nonsense.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Trixie's "Paranormal Activity" Stage Fright Adventure

[05:26 - 15:22]

• Trixie shares her experience attending the stage version of "Paranormal Activity" in Los Angeles.
• She describes the play as "the most scared I’ve ever been in my life" ([11:24], Mary).
• Detailed moments of supernatural stagecraft, like doubled actors, terrifying FaceTime twists, and "peekaboo" eyeball scenes, had her (and the audience) on edge.
• “The sound design was so low. Rumbling. When things like that happened. Big musical stings with blackouts that were so scary.” ([11:25], Mary)
• Katya expresses intense FOMO, joking she would have been "jerking it with both hands" if she’d attended ([16:01], Katya).
• They praise the play’s commitment to atmospheric, psychological terror rather than cheap jump scares.

2. The Scariest Movies (and Why)

[21:50 - 25:25]

• Katya confesses that "Freddy Krueger really, really, really got me" as a kid, due to an unfiltered diet of HBO horror ([21:57], Katya).
• They critique modern horror for relying on jump scares, preferring the slow-burn dread of films like "Candyman," "Paranormal Activity," and "The Visit."
• Trixie: "Paranormal Activity, the stage show, almost no jump scares. Real built momentum scares.” ([24:41], Mary)

3. Holiday Food & Family Gatherings

[26:01 - 39:16]

• The hosts trade stories about family holiday gatherings and the chaos of being around nieces, nephews, and children’s toys.
• Both admit to loving their families, but only in short, manageable doses.
• Trixie: “I come over, and [my mom] just sets up a TV tray with cheese and crackers. It’s like, that's all I need. I love that.” ([37:15], Mary)
• Katya shares her Atlanta trip for Thanksgiving, reuniting with friends, and the surprise joy of reclining airplane seats ([29:09], Katya).

4. Living with Ghosts & Real-Life Hauntings

[15:22 - 16:33]

• Brief updates on Trixie’s haunted house: Roz the ghost hunter contacts her about a “bearded guy that you keep seeing in your house,” possibly the ghost of a guitar tech named Evans who died tragically ([16:05], Mary).

5. Pop Culture: Lip Syncing, TV Themes, and Covers

[44:02 - 47:00]

• The duo discuss the art of covers, with Katya wishing Lana Del Rey would do an album of classic rock.
• Trixie shares her work remixing pop songs and floats the idea of a disco TV theme covers album.
• Katya: “That is so fierce. I had when I was like 16 … goth remixes of exactly that, theme songs like Charles in Charge.” ([43:35], Katya)

6. Dog Names, Cousins, and the Culture of Naming

[52:03 - 54:27]

• The most popular dog names by state, with “Luna” and “Bella” emerging as the winners—much to the queens’ horror at their basic-ness.
• Trixie’s made-up dog names: “Teacup, Cindy Sweeney, Simpy Sweepy." ([53:16], Mary)
• Katya: “I love like regular people’s names. Linda, Jeffrey, and Curtis. No abbreviations. No, no.” ([54:04], Katya)

7. Holidays in the Drag Queen Universe & Reflections

[47:00 - 49:01]

• Thanksgiving Day Parade chatter: viewers' outrage over "woke" performances, Cynthia Erivo’s transcendent vocals, and the history of the parade.
• Trixie and Katya agree—singing live at the parade isn’t necessary. “I think we all need to like, like the Britney fans have never really cared if she sings. The Britney fans have it figured out. Who cares?” ([50:24], Mary)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the Play’s Biggest Scare:
  "He’s talking from the second level. She’s in the kitchen …. From the second level, you see her pop her head out and go, 'Babe, who are you talking to?'” ([11:07], Katya)
  “It was the most scared I’ve ever been in my life." ([15:22], Mary)

• On Family:
  Katya: “I want to put [my nephew] in the oven, right? On 450, right? And just broil him and eat him, right?" ([34:45], Katya)
  Mary: “There’s this great age where babies look like old men, love that age.” ([35:28], Mary)

• On Dog Show Fashion:
  Katya: “These are beautiful dogs being led by the worst dressed mannequins you’ve ever… camel capris three sizes too big.” ([51:27], Katya)
  Mary: "She was dressed like a branchless tree. It was so crazy.” ([51:41], Mary)

• On Name Trends:
  “You can't name your baby Macaroni, but you can name your dog." ([55:05], Mary)

Important Timestamps

• 02:38 — Opening banter post-ads about having a “town hall” sets the episode’s loose, conversational mood.
• 05:26 — Start of Trixie’s Paranormal Activity play account.
• 11:07 — Play’s first major scare (“Who are you talking to?”)
• 15:22 — Trixie’s haunted house update.
• 21:50 — Discussion about the scariest movies from childhood.
• 29:09 — Katya’s Atlanta Thanksgiving adventure and plane seat revelations.
• 37:15 — Trixie on comfort food at home.
• 44:02 — Remixes, TV themes, and goth covers.
• 47:00 — Thanksgiving Parade, lip syncing, and why authenticity is overrated.
• 52:03 — National Dog Show, dog names, “Luna” and “Bella” debate.
• 55:05 — Segment on dog and people names.

Tone & Atmosphere

The episode is classic Bald and the Beautiful: raucous, irreverent, and intimate. Trixie and Katya seamlessly blend sharp cultural commentary with lowbrow humor and heartfelt anecdotes, all delivered in their signature deadpan and comedic exaggeration. There’s camp, there’s critique, and there’s real affection—both for each other and for their messy, scary, beautiful world.

For New Listeners

This episode is a prime example of what makes Trixie and Katya’s podcast so addictive: offbeat storytelling, a gift for tangents, and an ability to make everyday (and otherworldly) experiences riotously funny. Whether dissecting paranormal plays, riffing on family, or roasting midwestern dog names, their chemistry reigns supreme. You’ll laugh, you’ll cringe, and you’ll leave wanting to name your dog Simpy Sweepy.