In the latest episode of Trixie and Katya’s podcast, The Bald and the Beautiful, the drag queens dive deep into an unlikely topic: the Marcoses.
The duo starts on the subject after Trixie recounts going to see Here Lies Love, the Imelda Marcos-centric Broadway musical created by David Byrne and Fatboy Slim (which in itself is a crazy crossover, but that’s a story for another time). The David Byrne musical follows the life of the then-First Lady and her family’s rise to power.
Or, as Trixie describes it, Here Lies Love is about the former First Lady “being pretty and hot, [getting] turned down by this guy for being too tall… then [moving] to Manila and then [marrying] this guy who becomes the president.”
Katya listens (as usual) as Trixie discusses the Philippines’ martial law era and how it was, in fact, not the best time in the country’s history. “It was so fascistic,” said Trixie of the play’s portrayal of the regime. “So there’s this disco ball and Imelda doing poppers with drag queens… and then cut to the news and it’s an activist being like, ‘We need to take these people down.’”
The segment ended with the two drag queens talking about President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. (or “Marco Marcos,” according to Katya) and the parallels between the first Marcos regime and Donald Trump’s presidency.
“[The Marcos regime] was ultimately about banning free press,” added Trixie, “and the family is widely known to have bled the country’s money into their own bank accounts… but set that to a disco musical!”
After watching Here Lies Love, Trixie noted how the play left her with a feeling of dissonance about the state of affairs in her own country. “It’s chilling because we’re in a second term presidency,” she said, “and… I’ve never been to the Philippines, but… the internal [corruption], [and the] financial, political warfare is so shocking, and the disco and the glitz of [Here Lies Love] made it more sickening and absurd.”
Frequently Asked Questions
Here Lies Love is a Broadway musical created by David Byrne and Fatboy Slim that follows former Philippine First Lady Imelda Marcos and her family’s rise to power, set to a disco score.
Trixie brought up the topic after seeing Here Lies Love, prompting a discussion with Katya on The Bald and the Beautiful about the Philippines’ martial law era and the Marcos family’s legacy.
Trixie compared the first Marcos regime’s suppression of free press and alleged financial corruption to concerns she has about a second Trump presidency in the United States.
Trixie described the era depicted in Here Lies Love as fascistic, citing the musical’s juxtaposition of Imelda Marcos partying with drag queens against footage of activists opposing the regime.
Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. is the current president of the Philippines and the son of former president Ferdinand Marcos Sr. and Imelda Marcos, referenced by Trixie and Katya in the episode.
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