The It Girl Podcast with Britney Shields

Britney Shields
  • 5.0 (6)
  • Comedy Interviews

Los Angeles drag diva Britney Shields chats to up-and-coming local drag queens, kings and the shes, theys and gays you know and love about the “it girls” of the moment, the “it girls” who got away, and what’s popping off in niche pop culture this week. Produced by Britney Shields and Twenty Beach Productions

  1. Aug 12

    The Dolls Are Not Real, Giant Junk Drawers, and Butttootking with Sweet Pickles and King Phantom

    It’s the season 4 finale of the It Girl podcast and I’m joined by drag king legend King Phantom and viral sensation Sweet Pickles for a conversation that spans the online and the underground drag scenes. With King Phantom we discuss his start in drag in 2008 and how he’s been able to navigate the Southern California drag scene over the past two decades. He shares whether there has been any forward momentum for drag kings and what his dream for the drag king community would be. Pickles, as a more recent transplant on the other hand, discusses her move out to Los Angeles from Virginia and how she’s been able to parlay her social media skills into a successful drag career. She elaborates on the importance of marrying an online presence with live stage appearances in order to garner a fulfilling life as a performer and the muscle it took to get there.  Both acknowledge the competitive nature of the greater Los Angeles drag ecosystem and we marvel at how many entertainers the city holds without enough spaces to showcase them all. With so many it girls, how do you stand out from the pack while also standing in community? Then we get into the It Girls of the Week: (Spoilers ahead!) ·      Miley Cyrus and her mass appeal and wide vocal talent ·      Mitch McConell still missing in action and the growing calls to find the body ·      Abdul El-Sayed winning the Michigan democratic primary and our hearts ·      Perez Hilton harming himself on TikTok live and the life cycle of his inner ethos ·      Jools LeBron and Kendra Wilkinson struggling in the current economy Niche Girls: ·      Gina, a social media creator who knows that her DOLLS ARE NOT REAL but cares for them as if they were ·      Giant Junk Drawers and their appeal to the drag community ·      Butttootking – Lydia Butthole Collins, Suzie Toot, and Kori King’s viral campaign tour that has everyone posting to be selected to open for their show It Girls Who Got Away: ·      Donna Summer – a founding mother of pop music that never receives enough flowers ·      Alanis Morisette – the source material for feminine rage that we can never get enough of ·      Los Angeles – an amazing city that is struggling to survive as the entertainment industry threatens to leave the city for good amongst the greed of its billionaire stockholders Summer It Girl WINNERS We announce the WINNERS for the summer it girl categories. Thank you so much to everyone who voted! And for another fantastic season of the It Girl Podcast!!! ·      Song of the Summer ·      Brand of the Summer ·      It Girl of the Summer ·      NDA (Niche Drag Artist of the Summer) It was the Slam Pig Summer we’ll never forget! We made it through the slop even when we had our moments covered in mud.

    The Dolls Are Not Real, Giant Junk Drawers, and Butttootking with Sweet Pickles and King Phantom

  2. Aug 5

    Top Freak Daddy, Nneka Ogwumike, and Mary Beth Barone w/ Mister IHardlyknowher and Chase Lounge

    This week on the podcast we have two drag king icons Chase Lounge and Mister IHardlyknowher for a discussion about gender f*****y and fighting for space within the LA drag scene. Chase Lounge opens up about his journey after one year of being on testosterone and two years of running an all sapphic and trans drag show called the Pink Pony Club, one of the most consistent spaces for drag king performers in LA. We discuss the origin of Chase and Mister’s friendship and how they both operate as anti-capitalists within a capitalist system while learning how to define their worth as an artist. I ask Mister about their podcast 5 O’clock shadow where they similarly platform members of the community and explore conversations around sexuality and gender identity. I ask them about their experiences with gender dysphoria and how they’re able to navigate within an otherwise binary world. Chase elaborates on self-identifying as “trans masc” and how that feels more comfortable than simply a nonbinary identity. Both Chase and Mister share what they love about performing as fabulous men onstage, elaborating on the healing power of finding the comedy and joy in masculinity. Then we get into the It Girls of the Week: (Spoilers ahead!) ·      Ariana Grande stepping back from the spotlight over scrutiny over her physical appearance in the newly released “Petal” music video which prompted widespread concern for the singer’s health ·      Avril Lavigne stealing Simone Biles’ sunglasses at Taylor Swift’s wedding who’s side are you on? How did they get invited? And is the real Avril Lavigne still alive? Niche Girls: ·      @TopFreakDaddy a Berlin based musician and very hot trans man who is so beautiful that he’s dominating our timelines ·      Nneka Ogwumike a player on the WNBA Los Angeles Sparks who is often referred to as Madame president for turning the franchise into what it is today.  ·      Mary Beth Barone and her new Netflix special being pushed to our own little cool kid group. It Girls Who Got Away: ·      The 11 Like Count on Instagram and how social media conglomerates are trying to capitalize on our gluttonous need for more public validation ·      Prunes the natural fruit that helps your body’s digestive system ·      Courtney Love the rebellious girl with the most cake that we need back on the airwaves. Summer It Girl Nominations We announce the nominees for the summer it girl categories. Voting is open from today 8/5- Saturday 8/8 at 11:59 PM. https://forms.gle/KMZoVWMkRL4UJ5ev8 ·      Song of the Summer ·      Brand of the Summer ·      It Girl of the Summer ·      NDA (Niche Drag Artist of the Summer) It’s an episode full of masculine madness that will have you screaming for more, more, more, more, MORE!

    Top Freak Daddy, Nneka Ogwumike, and Mary Beth Barone w/ Mister IHardlyknowher and Chase Lounge

  3. Jul 29

    Quiet on the Creek and Trinity Tatum with Karen Beaches and Amber Crane

    This week we’re chatting with two of the staples of the Los Angeles drag community, Karen Beaches and Amber Crane with audience submitted questions through Instagram. They share their tips and tricks of the trade including how to transition from an independently booked queen to an in house regular, maintaining your love and endurance for drag, and how to live your best soft girl era. We dive into the beginning of their careers from first moving to Los Angeles to competing in local competitions and what sets the city apart from other cultural epicenters. Karen and Amber open up about their close friendship and what it means to have a drag sister that fully loves and supports what you do. They also expand on the types of relationships a drag artist should nurture within their network to maintain a balanced lifestyle with emotional stability. This week I went a little more Super Soul with my questions, but how could I not with two of the most well-respected matriarchs within our community. Then we get into the It Girls of the Week: (Spoilers ahead!) ·      Zendaya dominating red carpets left and right and how she’s been able to maintain her It Girl status with appropriate boundaries AND continue the legacy of a Movie Star ·      Dylan Mulvaney living rent free in Republicans minds and how she’s been able to maintain her peace despite constant attacks ·      Salina Estitties maximizing her Big Brother screen time with a villain arc that might not play with the rest of America Niche Girls: ·      “Quiet on the Creek” by Saucy Santana and his ability to pivot on a dime to capitalize on his virality and the widespread DL culture that permeates our culture ·      Trinity Tatum gaining even more momentum post Love Island and captivating America with her charisma and authenticity It Girls Who Got Away: ·      Britney Spears’s scrapped “Make Me” Music Video directed by David LaChapelle ten years ago and the hidden themes that kept it from being released ·      Local Girls and how we redefine success to appreciate true artistry ·      Laurieann Gibson the choreographer and reality TV personality that packaged some of our most iconic stars Summer It Girl Nominations Viewers and listeners can also nominate as many summer it girls for the following 4 categories through my Instagram stories this week. You can nominate as many it girls as you want for each category but you cannot nominate yourself. The top 4 nominees for each category will be announced on next week’s pod episode. ·      Song of the Summer ·      Brand of the Summer ·      It Girl of the Summer ·      NDA (Niche Drag Artist) of the Summer School is in session for those seeking a masterclass in living your best Soft Girl Summer.

    Quiet on the Creek and Trinity Tatum with Karen Beaches and Amber Crane

  4. Jul 22

    Water Main Breaks and Domestic Raccoons Turning Me Evil Tomorrow w/ Chase Rosenberg and Tulida Pepsi

    This week we’re leaving the West Hollywood bubble and traveling on down to Melrose where Main Company Groundlings members Chase Rosenberg and Tulida Pepsi (Gaby Sandoval) have created a bimonthly drag variety show called LIPSMACK. They tell me about the inception of the show and how they’ve been able to create their unique brand of queer comedy and humor within the Groundlings framework. You know the Groundlings as one of the feeder theatres for SNL which has produced mainstream it girls such as Kristin Wiig, Melissa McCarthy, and Kathy Griffin. Chase and Tulida tell me about their early days going through the school’s rigorous training together and making it through the trenches to become the first nonbinary and first Latina in the main company. Chase shares the background behind exploring their nonbinary identity while going through the program and playing various characters of all genders. Tulida joins in with her love of genderbending but also how playing a full out feminine diva led her to discover her heightened drag identity. The conversation continues with the importance of creating spaces that blend the Los Angeles drag and comedy scenes while providing more opportunities for queer performers rather than gatekeeping the stage to themselves. True it girl behavior. Then we get into the It Girls of the Week: (Spoilers ahead!) ·      Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey and reintroducing the children to a thing called literature ·      Anne Hathaway’s pregnancy watch and we speculate who will be reincarnated as her baby ·      Spain Wins the World Cup and the underwhelming halftime show that had us asking “Who was this for?” ·      “Obsession” and whether horror will receive the critical acclaim it rightfully deserves Niche Girls: ·      The Weho Water Main Leak that flooded Holloway and Palm. Does anyone know how to fix this? Genuinely asking. ·      “They’re Turning Me Evil Tomorrow” and the girlypop memes replacing our therapists ·      The Men Are Unwell – not new but still relevant. And how we have started domesticating raccoons rather than make any additional attempts at love. ·      Timothy Skylar – the West Hollywood bar back making bops It Girls Who Got Away: ·      P90X– the home work out that’s still better than ever 20 years later ·      Trimming your eyebrows and the overgrown trend that needs to end ·      The payphone because romance isn’t dead ·      Ashley Padilla and how her Emmy snub could pave the road for a comeback It’s all the it girls flooding your feeds and a discussion that will make your pipes burst so proceed with caution.

    Water Main Breaks and Domestic Raccoons Turning Me Evil Tomorrow w/ Chase Rosenberg and Tulida Pepsi

  5. Jul 8

    God of War, Odious Ari, and I am Furious, but I am Sailing with Annie Biotixx and Blaque Tea

    It’s the interview you’ve all been waiting for… this week on the it girl podcast we sit down with Annie Biotixx and Blaque Tea following the final show of Free Clinic that we hosted together after the announcement of its cancellation at Mattie’s. Annie spills the tea on how it all went down, from receiving the news to the messy aftermath of having to cancel the bookings of over 60 drag artists (during the month of pride no less). It’s been a strange pride month indeed, and even stranger following the 4th of July when faith in our country is at an all-time low. But it’s not all drama and sadness! Blaque Tea shares her joy of performing, singing, and even cooking and reflects on how finding joy even in the most difficult of times can be the greatest rebellion. She talks about working with Annie back at an old downtown bar called Redline and the importance of non-competitive spaces like Free Clinic within the fierce West Hollywood community. Blaque Tea elaborates on participating in more of the Indie drag scene and collaborating with the artists within that space. Some of those performers are the same activists working behind Drag Performers United in an effort to create better working conditions so situations like Annie’s don’t happen again. Then we get into the It Girls of the Week: (Spoilers ahead!) ·      Madonna releasing her best album in 20 years with Confessions II ·      Demi Lovato and her gender identity journey ·      The Empire State Building Couple and the proposal that could have gone terribly wrong ·      JUST&T MARRIED – Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce officially tie the knot in New York Niche Girls: ·      God of War – announcing its new female protagonist that has the incels infuritated ·      Tilly Norwood – the AI actress stealing our jobs ·      Odious Ari – the mysterious drag laureate representing West Hollywood for the next three years that we have yet to meet ·      I am Furious, but I am Sailing – the new iconic Patti Lupone quote that just dropped ·      Fab Five Fallout – the toxically positive reality TV gays that actually hate each other IRL ·      Tyra Banks and her lawsuit against Netflix for the same cutting room crimes she committed It Girls Who Got Away: ·      Girl Talk – a pioneer in music mashup culture ·      Pinning your events and the importance of communicating your event details clearly  ·      Alanna Ubach and the unrecognized star power of character actresses It’s a full on tea spilling session with two queens who know how to serve it up hot!

    God of War, Odious Ari, and I am Furious, but I am Sailing with Annie Biotixx and Blaque Tea

  6. Jul 1

    The Last Free Clinic, Pickles, and Rhode Island with Virgo and Barbra Please

    This week, it girl apparent Virgo Please is joined by her mother Barbra Please following her win of the Hunty Games Season 2. We talk about the competition and the best criticism she received (which was basically just praise). Virgo talks about how she leaned on Barbra for support and as a sounding board for her ideas and elaborates on the kind of mother she is, even while Barbra was busy on the road with a drag version of the Eras Tour. Famous on the West Hollywood streets for both their mugs and their hair, they discuss their shared obsession with perfection and aiming for the highest standards. Having started in the same Battle Babies competition with Barbra, I ask Barbra how she quickly went on to create and host one of West Hollywood’s most popular drag shows, Beachin’ Mondayz which has become a hot spot for local it girls. With Virgo’s new show “Virgo’s Groove” launching the same week as this podcast, the Pleases have officially become the dominant drag family on Monday nights. Then we get into the It Girls of the Week: (Spoilers ahead!) ·      The Love Island Girls banding together after a scandalous Casa Amor ·      Raven being announced as a contestant on Drag Race Down Under ·      Democratic Socialists backed by Zohran Mamdani winning big in New York Niche Girls: ·      The Last Free Clinic – the abrupt cancellation of a local show that has the girls spiraling ·      Pickles – and the crazy recipes dominating Virgo’s feed ·      Rhode Island – the smallest state having its biggest year ·      Gabriel Gonzalez – the West Hollywood hottie taking over our feeds It Girls Who Got Away: ·      Indigo – the color of the rainbow that is too often forgotten ·      The Education system and the lack of reverence for intellect  ·      Stop! That! Train!, and how the drag community could be riding harder for mother RuPaul It’s a mother daughter duo more clinically insane than Joan and Christina finally getting the televised therapy they desperately needed. Did it work? That’s for the academy to decide.

    The Last Free Clinic, Pickles, and Rhode Island with Virgo and Barbra Please

  7. Jun 24

    X-Men '97, House of the Dragon, and Alaska's "Revolution" with Kit D. Crooks and Marci Morningstar

    This week on the It Girl Podcast, we dive into the creative and kooky minds of Kit D Crooks and Marci Morningstar who’s love for everything fantastical bonded them together. Marci shares her background of being a tattoo artist, dressing in cosplay, and how being an artist originating from Sin City informs her drag. Kit D Crooks comes from the military and jokes about how most of her army pals knew she was a drag queen before she did. She talks about doubling down on wearing her elf ears and how she maintains her joy and infectious positivity that she is known for in the West Hollywood scene. Marci delves into the background of her name as an homage to both her comic book sensibilities as well as her love for her mom who always knows how to have a good time. She talks about how nice it is to have other queer people in her family, even if they may caution her with being so out there as to not paint a target on herself. Both of these queens are chronically online and hysterically witty, which is why I knew they would be perfect for the podcast. Then we get into the It Girls of the Week: (Spoilers ahead!) ·      Kit D Crooks getting to perform for KATSEYE and the theories behind Manon’s absence ·      Zohran Mamdani’s political winning streak that continues to give us hope in dark times ·      The Love Island bromance between Zach and Bryce heating up that has all of us screaming “Girth check!” Niche Girls: ·      X-Men ’97 Season 2 – and the stories that resonate even more powerfully today ·      House of Dragons Season 3 – and the upcoming stories about to devastate our timelines ·      Alaska’s new song “Revolution” – and culture’s hunger for a revolutionary figure It Girls Who Got Away: ·      Tinashe, fighting for her space in the music industry tooth and nail ·      The Baby Black Pegasus, from 1940’s Fantasia who needs a full franchise now ·      Girlicious, from the Mastermind of the Pussycat Dolls Robin Antin In this pod, we go down every wormhole imaginable. It’s comic books, it’s pop divas, it’s fantasy franchises all with an underlying political message worthy of conversation.

    X-Men '97, House of the Dragon, and Alaska's "Revolution" with Kit D. Crooks and Marci Morningstar

  8. Jun 18

    Dyke Day, Mattie Meow's Bob, and Tin Canned Fish Reviews with Maureen SanDiego and Fred Henson

    This week on the It Girl Podcast, we have Precinct Award Winning improvisers from Alaska Thunderfuck’s Drag Show 5000, Maureen San Diego and Fred Henson. Both are multi hyphenates dominating the performance art scene here in LA. Fred just released a country single “Ride Out” and shares his journey on his return to music, fundraising money for the last ever AIDS lifecycle (we solved it), and dabbling in drag. Maureen is the pod’s first female female impersonator and delves into the booming bioqueen scene and the importance for women to be just as bad at drag as the rest of us. She talks about the conception of her upcoming show “A Star is Aborted,” where she plays a fetus impregnated in Alan Cumming’s ass. We discuss creating the show in a post Roe v. Wade world and how gay men can be showing up more for their female counterparts.  Then we get into the It Girls of the Week: (Spoilers ahead!) ·      Los Angeles’ brand new D train and why everyone should Ride the D ·      Nithya Raman v Karen Bass and how we hope they’ll make each other better candidates ·      The Nicks winning the big game/championship/tournament Niche Girls: ·      Tin Canned Fish Reviews – truly a recession indicator ·      Dyke Day ·      Mattie Meow’s bob – the local queen starts a new trend with her iconic look It Girls Who Got Away: ·      Nadia Oh, a hyperpop diva ahead of her time ·      Patra’s Charbroiled Burgers, another affordable LA restaurant bites the dust ·      Maureen SanDiego’s lovelife, listen she’s bipolar so it’s like a two for one It’s a conversation that is equal parts compelling as it is chaotic – it’s all over the place and we go there.

    Dyke Day, Mattie Meow's Bob, and Tin Canned Fish Reviews with Maureen SanDiego and Fred Henson
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
6 Ratings

About

Los Angeles drag diva Britney Shields chats to up-and-coming local drag queens, kings and the shes, theys and gays you know and love about the “it girls” of the moment, the “it girls” who got away, and what’s popping off in niche pop culture this week. Produced by Britney Shields and Twenty Beach Productions

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