If you were walking through Sexton Dining during the evening of Nov. 4 with a look of peculiarity, you clearly weren’t a part of the raucously over-capacity crowd gathered next door at Br. Willie’s Pub to watch the 1.5th edition of PRiSM’s Gender Bender Drag Show.
Yes, BWP bore a stunning resemblance to a Sunday night at the Saloon bar in Minneapolis, with significantly less exposed skin. On a night when the Office T.V. show reigns supreme (or at least it used to), hundreds flocked to cheer on fellow classmates (and a couple outrageously talented professional drag queens) as they defied the rules of masculinity and femininity and brought the house down to musical selections ranging from Gaga to Luke Bryan with a lil’ Britney sandwiched in.
With an emcee (Mr. Michael Sorenson, secretary of PRiSM) who had every girl in the building saying “damn, why can’t I look that good in a pencil skirt?” and a flamboyantly friendly guest “queen” bringing up a lucky few to award PRISM T-shirts (yours truly included), the event proved a sensational success.
Hello, hello, hyper masculinity you called? I can’t hear a thing, I’m far too amused watching the AKS girls strut like kings.
“It’s just great entertainment, Ana Seivert, education liason for PRiSM, said. “Once people see what it is they’re a lot more accepting. It’s not threatening, it’s just good (clean) fun.”
Seivert herself took the stage along with fellow PRiSM member and president, Jennie Anderson, as they donned their best Biebs impressions, welcoming dollar bills aplenty for their undoubtedly “royal” performance.
Skeptical at first myself in attending the event, I found much more enrichment out of it than my usual Thursday tradition of intramural basketball and stumbling ten steps from my house down to Sal’s for all-you- can-drink (which I still managed to work into my schedule of course). But as I looked across the Pub from my birds-eye view atop the 21+ balcony, I couldn’t help but observe the strikingly limited number of men on hand for the show.
“It’s sad more Johnnies aren’t involved,” echoed both Seivert and Sorenson.
No discredit to all who were in attendance, but you’re really missing out fellas. If getting some culture, straying from the average and supporting your GLBT friends and classmates aren’t really for you, then you should at least add up the facts from what I’ve accounted so far: hundreds gathered … handful of men … need I say more?
“If Johnnies are looking to meet girls they should come to a PRiSM event, it’s all straight women and me,” Sorenson said.
Spoken like a true Casanova, Mike. As a straight man who’s been to a few PRiSM events, I can certainly vouch for that. Attending a PRiSM event and/or being an ally does not make you less of a man. Gender’s just a social construct after all, right? Right, it is. In fact, being a drag performer doesn’t even imply any particular sexual orientation.
So Johnnies, drop the hyper masculine persona because it’s clearly not attracting the good wholesome Bennies anyway. Be a man and check out a PRiSM event, it’s probably your highest statistical opportunity to meet women anywhere at CSB/SJU.
If you missed the Gender Bender, don’t fret, PRiSM’s showing the Rocky Horror Picture Show today at 8 p.m. in the Pellegrene Auditorium at 8 p.m. Toss on some fishnets, deep red lipstick and your best Tim Curry get-up (entirely optional).
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