When a drag club dies in San Francisco, a classy cocktail joint is born.

October 25, 2014 4:44 PM

Queens vs. the Machine - a look at nearly two centuries of drag culture in San Francisco and how it survives in today's tech economy.
posted by psoas (5 comments total)

Wow! That article really good and well-written. Thank you!
posted by trip and a half at 8:07 PM on October 25, 2014 [1 favorite]

Corporate drag events? That sounds fuckin' awesome!
posted by oceanjesse at 9:11 PM on October 25, 2014

Every Linda Lavin look-alike contest or Valley of the Dolls tribute was really a critique of gender and pop culture, done in a way that even a drunken audience could appreciate.

Sometimes a Linda Lavin look-alike contest is just a Linda Lavin look-alike contest.

(But seriously, RIP Marlena's. That place was one of a kind.)
posted by roger ackroyd at 10:32 PM on October 25, 2014

I saw Mahlae MC and perform recently, and I totally agree that her work ethic is both obvious and impressive. She was wearing a completely new outfit every time she got on stage, she kept the crowd energized, she stepped in to improvise when there were technical difficulties...
posted by en forme de poire at 12:32 AM on October 26, 2014

I was once at a Microsoft sponsored event that was held in an S&M club in Amsterdam. Load bearing rings on the wall (every six inches or so), beds everywhere, very pixelated porn on the ceiling mounted LCDs, dope being smoked everywhere.

The best part was the bathrooms; there were portholes looking into them from the hallway and were labeled "Hetero" and "Homo".

Microsoft UK employees complained to the press about the event; thanks a lot guys - it was the best corporate event I've ever been to.
posted by el io at 1:10 AM on October 27, 2014 [1 favorite]