Aieta Buffet is another fabulous queen I met through auditioning for Rupaul's Drag Race. After reading her profile on that site I was laughing hysterically and knew that I loved her! Not only is she an incredibly funny queen, she is also an absolute sweetheart! I am so thrilled to be featuring her as this weeks Queen of the Week!
Age: 41
Location: Columbia, Missouri
What is your drag style like? I am the show hostess and I make it my mission to make sure everyone has a good laugh or two throughout the evening. Comedy is my passion (second only to Kentucky Fried Chicken) and nothing is off limits when it's in the name of fun.
How long does it take you to get ready in drag? It takes me an hour and a half to get ready, from the time I haul my fat behind out of the shower til the lady walks to the garage to get into her car.
Do you have a favorite number you perform? My favorite number to perform is a medley of numbers from 'Queens Of Comedy'. I'm most known, however, for my weekly "Suck & Blow" number that I perform to 'Lick It' and throw out Blow Pops.
Where can we see you perform? SoCo Club in Columbia, Missouri
How did you first get into drag? The first time I performed in drag was 1998 and I did it for a benefit. I was the bar's dj and everyone knew me, so I was a shoe in to rake in the cash for the cause. I continued to perform a couple of times a year for the next few years, but only in benefits. I began hosting my weekly show in 2002 and I've never looked back.
Who have been your biggest inspirations? Petrina Marie, who hosted the shows at FACES in East St. Louis, was one of my dearest friends and my biggest inspiration. Her twisted sense of humor and taste for colorful jokes kept us in stitches until her untimely passing. The fabulous Flo, from Kansas City, taught me that the gift of gab is often times better than performing a number. The three of us only performed together a handful of times, but when we did, it was magic.
What would be your three biggest tips for a new drag queen?
1) Pick a name that you like and stick with it. If you want to build a name for yourself, you can't be changing your name or no one will ever know who you are or where you came from.
2) Take note of all the other queens who are performing regularly and dare to be different from any of them. Find a niche that isn't being filled and make that your trademark.
3) If you go out in drag, even if you're not performing in a show, take the time to check your makeup and hair throughout the night. The last impression you leave with people is the way you looked the last time they saw you.
If you could perform anywhere in the world where would it be and why? I've been lucky enough to perform in St. Louis and Kansas City but there's just no place like home. It's truely a gift to be invited to perform out of town but I'm happy where I am and prefer to keep it local. I'm fat and I'd eat my way thru every drive thru on my way out of town, anyway.
What makeup items could you not live without? My Tangerine lip gloss and my suntone pan stick.
Do you design any of your clothes, create any of your wigs, etc? As most fat chicks know, it's no big deal to rip the sheets off the bed and sew up a new muumuu, but that's generally about as creative as I get. I once considered fightin' the pleather off a couch at the Factory Furniture Outlet, but it would have only made me a mini skirt and the thought of arrest wasn't worth it. As far as hair, I can pin two wigs together like nobody's business, but when it comes to stylin' them, I wash them in Dawn and Murphy's Oil Soap and hang them upside down to dry. If it doesn't look right on my head after that, I stick a few bobby pins in it drink a glass of gravy to make myself feel better.
What has been your all time greatest moment in drag? Four years ago, I was surprised to find that my two great aunts (ages 78 and 82) were in the audience along with a slew of my cousins. I was overwhelmed with the greatest sense of peace because I felt that I'd somehow been blessed with acceptance thru many generations of my family.
What else should we know about you? I weigh 347 pounds and am currently The State Of Missouri's Largest Living Indoor Attraction. I can eat an entire chicken at one sitting, though that's probably not something I should have shared. I tend to see shades of gray instead of black and white and always understand that there are several perspectives to any given situation, therefore, I often play the role of mediator. My greatest irritation is that there are two and a half servings in a can of vienna sausages. What the #%!@???
To find out more about Aieta check out her myspace page .
