Paradise Lost

New Jersey. WTF happened?! You were winning me over with your insane charm but today...WHAT THE FUCK?!

Here's the deal - I researched the "hottest drag show" in all of New Jersey and came up with a place in Asbury Park called Paradise. I mean, if Raja (from RuPaul's Drag Race) is performing there, it HAS to be good, right?
Ummmm...define your definition of "good", New Jersey, please, because I don't think I understand.

The drag show at Paradise was good BUT the hostess, Juliza Alezae, said it was going to be a "long show with a bunch of performers". Now, in Atlanta, "a bunch of performers" is the amazing lineup at Tijuana Garage or those badass ladies at Blake's but in New Jersey, "a bunch of performers" means 4. Yep, only 4.

Oh, and don't let me forget the HATERS. Holy shit, I've NEVER seen so many haters in my life! But apparently, Jersey is full of haters. People here don't like to mingle, from what I've seen and been told. People show up in cliques and stay there. There's no interaction whatsoever and people just do NOT talk to others outside their groups and that really pisses me off. I had totally hyped up this drag show to Cassie - based on my experiences in Atlanta - and it was totally NOT the same. We sat next to these guys that were talking shit about me because I was *gasp* actually interacting with the show! What?! Who the fuck am I??? Yes, I was yelling and encouraging the hostess (Juliza Alezae) with her jokes and banter and the guys next to me were NOT having it at all. Boo on them (and I was so happy when they finally left). And people were just not into it like I was. I was yelling my support for ALL the performers (although there was one performer, Octavia, that should TOTALLY perform in Atlanta). But it felt like people were just really cliquey and not having it at all. For once on this trip, I felt like the tourist for having a good time and engaging with the show.
Wow. Seriously. I feel like I have been taking my experiences in Atlanta for granted now. Shit, even my awesome gay bar/club experiences in New York - all those have been taken for granted because here in Jersey, it's so not even like that at all and that hurts my heart.
It could be because I'm still a little tipsy right now but I don't know. I felt like the performers needed more audience participation but the audience was too cool or too snobby to give it to them.
Shit, even on the fucking dance floor I felt the cold shoulder.
What's up with that, Jersey?! I've been loving you so hard so far and the gay scene is, like, not even what I expected at all. I was hoping for more love but I guess everyone was too busy eye-fucking themselves in any reflective surface, too busy hating on the performers to spread the love and too busy hating in general to spread the love on the dance floor. That makes me sad.
We'll see what other treats I have to look forward to...and let's hope they're filled with more love and less hating...

Katzi
S.L.Y.A.D.S.I.

PS - if ANY of those performers from the drag show tonight performed in Atlanta, I bet you they would get all the love and recognition they totally deserve because all those ladies were AMAZING tonight and I'm just really sad and upset that the show wasn't longer