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A
Audio for sleep by hatch. Hi there, I'm Wills.
B
And I'm Josh. Welcome to the nightly from Hatch, where your late night thoughts go to rest.
A
Well, tonight we have joining us, the great Bob the Drag Queen. And let's just say he is not the type of person who likes to keep things to himself. So things today are going to get a little bit more spicy, a little bit more activated maybe than, than a normal episode. So if you're not looking for that tonight, maybe skip to the next step of your routine tonight and just come back tomorrow for a usual relaxing, unwinding fair. But I personally think you should listen. That's what I was going to say too.
B
It is a really, we're going to have a really fun time with Bob the Drag Queen. And I know that I had said previously that I wasn't going to be able to be around for this interview, but my plans shifted around a little bit and I'm so excited that I didn't miss talking to Bob. So we hope you enjoy the conversation. I certainly did.
A
Maybe just listen to it. Listen to this and then another one after.
B
Yeah. He is an extremely talented and wonderful performer, a RuPaul's Drag Race champion. A performer I have seen in person perform standup comedy in Brooklyn, New York, and he's about to go on tour on the Now Clapp Tour. Please welcome to the nightly listeners and welcome into your ears and into your evenings, Bob the Drag Queen.
C
Hi.
A
Hello.
C
Where did you see me in Brooklyn, Josh?
B
At Union Hall? I saw the show that you did with Sidney and Christy. It was really a wonderful show.
C
Oh, thank you. Yeah, it was Sydney Washington, DJ 2Face and Christy Summers.
B
A really wonderful show. Yeah.
A
Do you have any shows in Brooklyn coming up? I want to, I want to catch you live too.
C
You know, I don't. But I did do about 64 shows on Broadway.
A
Yeah. Yeah. Wait, you were in Moulin Rouge, right?
C
Yeah. You missed 64 shows, Will.
B
Brutal.
A
I know. And it's like, where was I, Girls Inside. Well, I've actually seen the funny thing about Moulin Rouge is that I actually saw it in Boston like years and years of years ago when they were, when they were previews first putting it on. Yeah. And it was, it was phenomenal. But I'm sure it was even more phenomenal with you in it.
C
I mean, maybe, I don't know, I didn't see the original, so I can't really vouch for how much better I was. And it's all opinion based, so maybe it was in theory. Yes. It was. In theory. It was probably much worse. In theory was probably much better.
B
How was your experience of Doing 64, a 64 show run on Broadway?
A
Yeah. That's crazy.
C
I actually did 62 shows. I missed two shows. You know, I got to tell you, I'm honestly not good with questions like, how was your blank with blank? Unless it was like, how was that meal? But when the question is, how. How was like three months. I mean, it was a lot of stuff. It was. It was. It's kind of when someone's like, how was working with Madonna? I'm like, it was. It was two years. It was a lot of stuff. You know what I mean?
B
Yeah.
C
Oh, wait, we saw.
B
We saw you on that door too, in Brooklyn.
A
Oh, my God, Josh, you're like. You're like number one fan status right now.
C
And Wills, you are really far behind.
A
I know. I'm like, you are making me look bad.
B
Not like 62 on Broadway, plus missed both the shows that I saw.
A
Well, okay, whatever. You know what? Whatever.
C
So, I mean, the truth is. I mean, how much time do you have?
B
We got time, like the truth, until the listeners fall asleep.
C
If I give you the truth, it might be the only thing we talk about this episode. The Broadway schedule is not humane.
A
Yeah. It's not. It's really not.
C
Six times a week in six days, you're at the theater six nights a week. You perform in essentially hell, sleet and snow. Because they got to make that money back.
B
Yeah.
C
But I also was having the time of my life. It was truly a dream come true. Like, that's not even a bit. It was actually like something I've dreamed of since I was a kid. And I was sad when I left. And there were also times where it was so cold, we couldn't even sign at the door. Not in the building. The building was never cold at stage door. Yeah. They had to shut down the stage door. And then I kept thinking, my God, these people are waiting outside to get inside. And like, it's so cold outside. It's like in the single digit degrees, so. And you know, I watch a lot of actors who you want to be there so badly because everyone tells you that to be on Broadway is the gold standard. And it still is, by the way, for what it means to be an actor on stage. It really, really is. You really want to be on Broadway. And I want to do it again. But it is crazy. It is grueling, and I do it again.
A
I'm going to say something that I feel like people have probably said to you before, but I feel like we need Bob the Drag Queen as Mary Todd Lincoln.
C
You know, I don't think they want that, so it's fine. Wow.
A
Why not? Why do you think they don't want that?
C
If they wanted, they would have reached out, right? It's fine.
A
Okay. I'm like, that was a sore subject.
C
No, it's not a sore subject. It's not a sore subject. No, no. See, the truth is I am not as upbeat a positive person as people think I am. I'm kind of just like, I'm a realist. I'm not a nihilist, but I'm like in the neighborhood, you know what I mean? But also, you know, I've got neighbor where I've gotten in my life by being myself, and I'm just going to keep doing that. I'm just going to keep being myself and being honest and being true to who I am.
A
Yeah.
C
So I would love to be an Omari. I don't think it's ever going to happen.
A
I feel like it might, but you might.
C
You might be right. What do I know? What do I know? I don't know. I got to tell you, I have no concerns and the stakes are really low for me. I'm not going to lie to you.
A
Perfect. No, I think that's. I think that's true. You aren't.
B
You aren't worried that this is going to make or break your continued career in the industry?
C
To be honest, I'm kind of not worried anything's going to make or break my career.
A
Like, yeah, that's real.
C
It will or it won't. You know what I mean? Like, I'm just gonna be myself and whatever ends up happening ends up happening.
B
So, okay, coming off this, like, truly grueling Broadway experience that was also very thrilling. What are you, like, most looking forward to? About, like, okay, I'm going on the road. I'm doing my own shows in the fall.
C
I love telling jokes. I mean, stand up comedy is like my first reciprocal love when it comes to the arts. I just. I've been doing stand up for maybe like, my God, 17, 18 years now. I just love telling jokes. So getting opportun opportunity to 1. I love attention, so getting opportunity to stand in front of people and everyone listen to what I'm saying, and I'm standing in the lights and everyone's sitting in the shadows and listening to me. This is my fantasy.
A
You're like, this is exactly how it's meant to be. This is how I. This is how I always pictured it.
C
Exactly.
A
Wait, I also something I'm curious about because Josh and I recently were talking about how, well, Josh informed me something amazing that I didn't know about Cat Williams.
C
What's that?
A
Which is that Katt Williams basically like starts his tour as like a work in progress and then like it becomes more polished over the course of it. Do you go, are you going into this with like your show that you already know and you have down pat, or are you like looking to like work some stuff out as well?
C
Well, so what a lot of comedians do is they'll do club dates or local spots and wherever they're from, they'll do pop ins at comedy clubs and then they'll build up the material from there. And, and then by the, in theory, by the time they hit the stage, they will have a whole new hour of material. And that's how a lot of comedians do it. That's how I do it. So like I'm doing these club dates right now where I am essentially pushing out all of my old material while ushering in new material. And in theory, when I'm done with all these club dates, by the time October 3rd rolls around, all the, it'll, it'll be like maybe 95% new and 5% old. And then after the first like 2 or 3 shows, I will have 100% brand new material.
A
Amazing.
C
Yeah.
B
Do you, what is your. This is like truly just like comics. Do you have like a favorite part along that arc of like, I'm going up with nothing to push up the new stuff or okay, the new show is like 100% done?
A
That's a good question.
C
I really like when I figure out how to end my shows. You know, I'm really, I'm really proud to say that, you know, I have four specials out there and I'm really proud to say that like I have figured out some really great ways to end my shows over the years. I'm genuinely, incredibly proud of how I've ended my shows. My final joke, you know what I mean? I think they're really clever and well thought out and I'm waiting for the new one to come to me. I don't know what it is yet, but I'm sure one day it'll land in my lap. I just haven't figured it out yet.
B
I'm sure that's exciting.
A
I find like the hardest part for me whenever I'm doing like longer sets is like figuring out a way to not only end, but just like Weave everything together in a way that is, like, makes sense and is somewhat linear or. Yeah, sensical, I guess.
B
Yeah, completely zagging. Because we don't interview a lot of people. We mostly just talk to each other about, like, oh, like, what? Have you had any train delays lately?
A
Like, it's me and Josh in a padded room.
C
Yep. I have not. I've not had any train delays lately. I haven't. I don't really take the train here in la.
B
Fair enough. So hosting the Traitors podcast with Boston Robb after having appeared on the Traitors as a faithful who I think gone too soon, frankly.
A
Of course.
B
But did you. When you were doing the podcast and watching the subsequent season, was there anything where you were like, I wish I could have played it differently, or are you just, like, they didn't get on board with me. Screw them.
C
I mean, no, not really. I mean, I really was. I mean, I wish I could say it lasted longer and I'm pretty, but I'm proud of. I actually don't think I did anything wrong. I mean, boss, that's the thing. If you, like, really do a lot of follow up with the stuff. Boston Rob pretty much admits that he shouldn't have gone for me when he did and that he was pretty intimidated by me, which is why he chose to get me out, because he knew I was gonna try to get him out eventually. So the only thing I could have done was be meek, and I don't wanna do that. I have no desire to be meek just to stay on the show longer. Like I said, I'd rather go somewhere and be myself and do what I wanna do and have fun than do a shifted version of myself just so that I could last more episodes. That wouldn't have felt good to me.
A
Totally.
B
No, Totally understood. And it's like, I mean, I think that is what appeals to your performance with people.
C
Right.
B
Like, you were really yourself on Drag Race and really yourself on Traitors. It feels like. And people really were. Are galvanized by the, like, authenticity of your performance?
C
Well, it also repels a lot of people, Josh. Not everyone loves me. It repels a lot of people. I have a pretty prickly personality, apparently. I didn't know this until, like, got on tv, because people in my life really like me, but apparently there's folks on the Internet who really do not like me, which is, you know, which is valid. That's their business.
A
That's. That's their business. Certainly none of yours.
B
Was that, like, a hard thing to see happen or were you just Kind of like, this is part of the business.
C
Well, I think that being a public figure is a bit of a culture shock, you know, Again, I don't have media training.
B
Yeah.
C
Except for what I've gleaned over the years. Having a lot of people share a lot of opinions about you at the same time is something, you know, a lot of folks like, well, you were going on tv. You know what you're getting yourself into. You don't. You don't know until you do.
A
Yeah, I agree.
C
But I can also understand people being like, no, you knew. Because some people will literally never know. And I can't expect you to possibly know what it's like. Cause you could literally never know. There's no way you could ever know until it happens to you. I imagine it's like parenthood, you know? Me and my ex used to get in this conversation all the time about how he would swear but he was gonna be a good dad. And I'm like, you don't know that. Like, you don't know you're gonna be a good dad.
A
You just don't know.
C
He'd be like, I know. I said you don't know. You have no clue that if you're gonna be a good dad or not. You can suspect. And by the way, you might be right. But the truth is, not only do you not get to decide if you're gonna be a good dad, you don't even get to decide if you were a good dad. I think your kid gets to grow up and they get to decide if you were a good dad to them. You know what I mean? And. But that's with every situation in life, right? People are like, well, you should have known. There's no way you can know unless you were going through it. So I can't really get too mad at people for not really knowing what it's like to have so much scrutiny against you. Because a lot of people just don't have that much scrutiny against them.
B
Totally.
A
Yeah.
B
I mean, I also think, like, you'll see it happen, right? Where, like, a. A person who's not a public figure will, like, post, like, something sweet and fun on TikTok and it blows up. And then, like, the attention focused on them for, like, a week is enough to drive a person completely insane.
A
Well, completely. That's how I feel. Like, literally posting online. I'm like, I couldn't imagine being on tv. It's like, it's already too much to post, like, a TikTok and receive, like, somewhat negative feedback. I'M like, I just. I hate it.
C
Like, I just recently had this. So I hired this company out to make my. Make my. My ads for my tour. And then I was sent the assets, and I was like, oh, this looks good. I like this. This looks great. This is pretty much exactly what I described. I wanted to be, like, kind of comic book style. I wanted. You have the name of the tour. You have the dates. I like how you did this. Great. Post it. So we posted it, and then someone clocked that the hands. These hands in it were AI. I didn't clock it because I didn't. I didn't count the fingers.
B
Sure, yeah.
C
So then it woke up being like, sorry, I could be like, bob, pay someone. I was like, I did one. I did pay someone. I did pay someone to do this. And, you know, there was. There was a bit of AI And I was so. So kept being like. And imagine an artist who doesn't want to pay artists. I'm like, I. Okay, guys. And I remember thinking myself, this is so crazy. Like, it's to the point where it's almost comical to me. And I do understand your concerns about AI that being said, I just didn't clock it. And they're like, apologize. So now I'm on the defense. I was like, hey, guys, I was not aware. I did not make this ad. I was not. I say, this may shock you. I did not make my own ads, but I found the person who was responsible, and I will have them publicly executed. Yeah.
A
And that's actually what we're gonna do on the end of the episode.
B
Yeah. This is gonna be incredible.
C
Then, of course, the Internet was like, wow, no accountability. And I was like, I'm so over you guys. Like, I hate it. I hate it.
B
No accountability.
C
And I was like, I told you I will have the person murdered.
A
You're like, if this is an accountability, I just don't know what is.
B
You should pay an artist to murder you. That's what they want.
A
That's what they want. You should pay an artist to make a huge AI hand with six fingers. That comes crashing down on you.
C
I'm not saying to go out and use AI. To be honest, I'm not as staunchly anti AI as some people are. I've had AI still from me. I've seen people. There are people who are constantly using me in creating AI with my words and my podcast and my art all the time, all over the Internet. I see it all the time. I'm tagged in it all the time. But it is Much easier to target each other because we'll respond to each other. Right?
B
People yell at who's in front of them. Yeah, I feel like we need to go back to that 80 year old person thing of I'm writing a letter to Mark Zuckerberg and I'm finding his office address and I'm making sure the letter gets delivered to his desk by a human.
C
But I do think that yelling is important. Like my drag started activism, you know what I mean? So, like, I actually do jiggly think that yelling and screaming and making your voice heard is genuinely incredibly important. So for sure, as someone who's yelled at tons of people in my day, I reckon it's just my turn to get a little. Get a little noisy, yelled at me.
A
This is payback.
B
That's an extremely gracious way to take that in stride.
A
Literally.
C
I don't really take it all too personally because, like, people's feelings really don't have anything to do with me. I may be the catalyst for your feelings, but I actually don't have anything to do with them.
A
I mean, especially with people online.
C
I am people online. Like, people online is me. I am the one who also goes and yells into the void. You know what I mean?
A
Yeah, yeah. Yelling into the void. I really, I have conflicting feelings about it for myself. I feel like the last time I quote, unquote, yell into the void, I was actually like, in the positive way, which is when I express my gratitude on my Instagram story. But it feels similarly, like, kind of silly to do that. However, I am like, this will come back to me tenfold.
C
Oh, you. Do you believe in karma?
A
No, not. No, That's a good question. It's like, I don't believe in karma as much as I believe, like, when someone is like, mean or, or like evil, for example, like to my friends. And I'm gonna do like a more micro example, I guess. Like, if someone that I know is like, interpersonally, in my opinion, like, not really like a good person, I. It's not karma as much as I kind of believe. Like, listen, like, you're. You live in hell already and that is the karma. But I don't know, I don't know if I believe in karma. I do kind of believe in karma in that I'm like, I do think, like, people who do really bad things, bad things will happen to them in this life or the next.
C
I think that sometimes bad things happen to people who I would consider really good. First of all. Oh, of course I don't think Things are actually good and bad. Like, I think they're. They're good or bad, depending on how you view them. So I don't believe that things are inherently bad and that things are inherently good. Even if on the surface, to you, it looks obviously like a good thing or obviously like a bad thing. Someone else may find a completely different viewpoint of something that you find extremely good or extremely bad. I think because the universe does not have point systems for how good, bad, or neutral something is. Things are just truly randomly happening to people. And sometimes something bad just happened to you and it didn't teach you a lesson. No one else learned anything from it. You don't have to process it and do anything with it. Something bad just happened to you.
A
Yeah, I don't really think of things in terms of karma often, but I also am a believer of, like, whatever framework helps you exist is, like, just use it. And so I have all these frameworks where I'm like. I don't actually know if that's, like, literally true in terms of, like, the universe, but if it helps me get through the day, I'm happy to. I'm happy to live in my little, like, framework or belief system.
C
Yeah, for sure. You know, when my mom passed away, I allowed myself to believe stuff that I didn't really believe that I don't really believe. But it helped me in the moment.
A
Yeah.
B
Yeah.
A
What about you, Josh? Do you believe in karma?
B
I don't think so. I think I'm, like, kind of close to where Bob is. I live next to nihilism as a philosophical description, but I do feel like it's kind of what you make of it. Right. It's like, the world can be a really hard place, but it's the job of people to try to make it easier and healthier and safer on each other. And that's like, the stuff. Not like, oh, the universe will provide, because, I don't know. Sometimes the universe lets things slip through
A
the cracks a lot of the time, actually.
C
No, the universe is even more ambivalent than that. Like, it just doesn't think anything. It might as well be. We might as well be the wind blowing to the universe, you know what I mean? In some obscene number of years, like, some. I think it's a number of years that I can't even, like, quantify. Like a Google of years. The. The sun's gonna explode and eat the whole Earth. So, like, none of it really mattered, you being like.
A
And period. My optimism is, though, is that it's like we create Meaning within our own lives in like the context of. Yeah, you know what I mean? It's not gonna matter, I guess, in the grand scheme, but we all create meaning and decide what matters to us.
B
Yeah. I actually think that's like a beautiful place to end. Just the cold, uncaring darkness of the universe.
C
I know you're supposed to go help you wind down at night. I don't know. Again, I don't know if I help with that. I don't know if I'm a great guest.
A
I'm sure that you did.
B
You were a great guest, Bob. It's been so wonderful to have you here with us, listeners. Check out Bob's tour in the fall, the Now Clap Tour. Very exciting.
C
You can go to seethedragqueen.com to get your tickets.
A
Perfect.
B
Seethedragqueen.com for tickets. We always end the show by saying good night to someone out there, whether they're listening or not. Just like a little good night to each other and then to someone out there in the world. So I'm going to say goodnight to you, Wills and Bob, and also good night to the sun. We don't know how many nights you have left, so you're going to be gone eventually.
A
Okay, I'm gonna say goodnight to Josh and I'm gonna say goodnight to Bob and I'm gonna say goodnight to. I really wanna say goodnight to the person, the AI artist who made the fingers on your poster.
C
That's fine. Also a shout out. By the way, we have some new posters coming with hands drawn by people. So go check out my website now. The poster now has real hands on it.
B
Good night to all those extra six fingers.
C
And I wanna remind you all that when Will says goodnight, he's not kidding. That person is dead. I killed them.
A
Yeah, exactly.
B
Good night for. That's the long good night.
A
Yeah, it's the definitive good night,
C
Sa. Sa. Sam. To learn more about our phone free light and audio experience, head to Hatch Co. You can also follow us at Hatch Podcasts.
Date: May 31, 2026
Host: Hatch Podcasts (Wills & Josh)
Guest: Bob The Drag Queen
This episode of The Nightly takes a playful, honest detour from its usual soothing bedtime fare, welcoming the charismatic and candid Bob the Drag Queen. Bob joins hosts Wills and Josh for a lively conversation that dives into Broadway grind, the comedy life cycle, the reality of online scrutiny, authenticity in public life, and existential takes on meaning (and karma). It’s a bracing, funny, and sincere late-night chat—perfect for both winding down and activating your mind.
(12:49–14:27)
(14:54–15:37) Bob on noise, criticism, and activism:
On the grind and joy of Broadway:
On stand-up and attention:
On TV and being yourself:
On online criticism:
On the AI poster incident:
On meaning and the randomness of the universe:
Warm but unfiltered; comedic with philosophical tangents. Bob’s presence brings quick wit, candor, and a grounded sense of self. The hosts offer support and playful banter, balancing the episode’s more existential detours.
This episode is a must-listen for fans of sharp humor, real talk about life under scrutiny, and creative journeys in comedy and theater. Bob the Drag Queen’s voice is equal parts grounding and galvanizing—a vibrant conversation to drift off to, or wake your mind up.
Find Bob's tour dates: seethedragqueen.com
Subscribe to The Nightly for more cozy late-night conversations.