On Point With: Yvie Oddly

She may be “RuPaul’s Drag Race’s” 11th season winner, but the spooky season is always and forever this unique queen’s time to shine. And with “Zombieland” in East Rutherford on October 30th, we’ve finally got the maximum venue for Yvie Oddly’s edgy brand of horror-beauty!

Thotyssey: Thank you for talking to us Yvie, we stan! Very important, seasonal first question: do you enjoy pumpkin spice?

Yvie Oddly: Pumpkin spice tastes like mold and feels like suburbia, so it’s a no for me. Apple cider is way more my fall vibe.

As someone who’s made so many spectacular looks with occasionally unconventional materials, what did you think about this year’s array of Met Gala looks?

I mean, there were some definite wins for me. I lived for the Lil Nas X’s triple reveal, I loved the artistry behind Dan Levy’s outfit, and Iman looked like a literal goddess…but there was also an unsurprising amount of “meh” on display. It’s a byproduct of expecting other people to have a fashion sense for you.

Speaking of Lil Nas X, are you delighted by his success and achievements with his new hit album and status as a POC gay music icon?

Completely and totally! He’s the kind of subversive, queer, POC artist I personally never thought I would see reaching such heights in my lifetime! And he does it all his own way! All hail Lil Nas X!

Your pink jellyfish look from your Drag Race season is still one of my all-time favorite visuals from the show: edgy, but so joyful! Does she ever come out to play anymore, or is she put away for good?

I still have the umbrella hanging in my living room, but the original “garment” was just strips of shredded trash bags that I taped to my body. Needless to say it went where all trash bags go, but I occasionally make replicas.

Given that you won your season on a small budget and a lot of creativity, does it kind of blow your mind that so many queens who come on the show spend so much money on their lewks?

Not in the least. While my budget may not have been the biggest it was the most money I had ever spent on drag—literally every cent to my name and more. So I’m not surprised what people will spend to follow their dreams. Now… how it is typically spent is another answer entirely.

I can’t believe it’s been a whole year since you returned to Drag Race as a lip sync assassin for All Stars 5! Was that a fun experience, and a thousand times less stressful than being a contestant?

You know… it shouldn’t have been that stressful, but at the time I felt like a lot was riding on it. I was the first ever lip sync assassin to be introduced, so I wanted to live up to the title. But it ended up being so much fun!

Are you still in touch with some of your Season 11 sisters when off-duty, or queens from other seasons?

I still talk to almost everyone from my season time to time, and touring has given me the chance to work with so many queens from other seasons, too. In fairness I’m always working… so the only down time I’ve had was being shut in my apartment for a year. But I look forward to just chilling with the girls someday.

On one hand, Drag Race contestants and winners have become more diverse, and more people in the world have been exposed to and educated by many different “types” of queer people. On the other hand, new seasons of the franchise have aired with almost no break between them since the pandemic began. What are your thoughts on the current state and future of the franchise?

At this point it is what it is, and what it is is constant. There are so many seasons of drag race airing at any given time that you can just pick and choose what you want to watch. Still… I’ll always fondly remember going to small Monday night viewing parties at my local bar, so there is a part of me that misses the intimate sense of community watching Drag Race used to bring. Now I’m honestly more curious about if/how the art form itself will find a place in pop culture outside of the show.

As a person with a pre-existing condition, were you doubly worried about Covid… or even getting the vaccine?

Nope. My condition doesn’t affect my immune system, so I was really only worried about accidentally killing my grandma by being irresponsible or something.

You dropped an often fun, but also hard-hitting and truth-telling album in 2020: Drag Trap. How did you enjoy the recording process, and might we be hearing more music from you?

I loved it. Putting together a song is like trying to piece together a puzzle with an image only you can see. I never knew I was capable of channeling my artistic voice that way, but now I’m hooked. There’s definitely more to come!

Halloween is nearly upon us! Does that season still inspire or excite you, or does drag mean every day is Halloween?

I love Halloween! The kind of fantasy / horror drag that I really enjoy doing isn’t feasible for me to do all the time because of the amount of time it takes to present one specific vision. So getting a whole month (or two) to focus on that one night is always a joy for me, but in general I try not to limit what my drag is or isn’t by the changing of the season.

On October 30th you’ll be near us—specifically the American Dream mall in East Rutherford, NJ—for a Jake Resnicow and Voss Events-produced event, “Zombieland!” Your Drag Race winning predecessor Aquaria will also be on site. What can you tell us about this event?

I can say that it’s going to be wild! An indoor theme park with good music, awesome performances, and NO CHILDREN!? I’m dying of excitement!

Anything else coming up for you that we should be on the lookout for?

I might be working on a few new projects… but until they’re ready, you can catch me five nights a week at The Flamingo in Las Vegas for RuPaul’s Drag Race Live.

And finally… is there a specific horror movie monster or killer that you find strangely sexy?

The Xenomorphs from the Aliens movies are so sexy to me. Like they literally impregnate you and use your body as a host until they’re ready to burst free to become the slickest armored apex predator in all the universe! That is hot! Plus, we all know what those mouths do…

Happy Halloween, Yvie!