Animaniacs steal the moon: QPOC drag show channels nostalgia through animated favorites

Scenes from Smiling Friends, Steven Universe, Adventure Time and other beloved animated shows lit up the Harris Center on April 10, encapsulating the nostalgic energy that the performers in Queer People of Color (QPOC) drag show aimed for. The theme of Animaniacs, derived from the cartoons of the 1990s, centered on remembering the fun and innocence of childhood with a twist of pride and queerness.

The night commenced with an energetic performance from student band Partial Marxist. Once the audience was given a warning that there would be flashing lights, strong themes and partial and full nudity — the last of which received a roar from the crowd — the curtain lifted, and drag was on. The show began, as always, with a group number from QPOC members, showing off some of the outfits the audience would see later on stage. 

Kenya Taylor `28, also known as Ms. Morale, described the goal of this show as somewhat of a departure from explicit political messaging but more of a return to the joy that drag is founded on. “We all know drag can make a message, but is the message what we want to do and what we want to say about queer joy while making sure we, as the performer, still have fun?” he said.

Taylor’s performance drew upon some of his favorite cultural references, taking inspiration from Storm, one of his favorite Marvel characters. “I’m doing “I’ll Be Your Baby Tonight” by Whitney Houston,” he said, partially due to the song and partially due to the similarities with the animated series X-Men `97. 

Performers drew direct inspiration from animated movies, television shows and video games. Bethany Haas `27, also known as Grisette — taken from the Latin word for a type of mushroom — stood out as one of the few performers with live vocals, delivering a performance of “Bohemian Rhapsody” by Queen as Toad, the mushroom character from the Super Mario universe. “I can’t sing, but I can do a Toad voice. I’ve been told it’s very good from many people,” they said. 

Fun was the overarching goal, even for seniors performing on the Harris Center stage for the last time. Kiera Rennick `26, also known as Finnish Him, used “Sugarboy” by St. Vincent in his act. Rennick said all he has ever wanted from the drag show is to have fun, perform with friends and raise money. He chose the name out of his love for the Cartoon Network show Adventure Time, which he had just finished a year-long rewatch of, and its protagonist Finn, with whom Rennick felt a shared identity. 

“Being trans masculine, even when I was really young and just sort of perceived myself as kind of like a tomboy, I always related to Finn’s young, spontaneous, boyish — and, very respectfully to the earlier seasons, kind of dumb — energy,” Rennick said. 

Raising money, as Rennick mentioned, is a staple of the drag shows. Even with a constantly changing theme, one feature remains in every show — financial contribution to funds and charities that support marginalized groups. This year, all tips for performers and crowd contributions were forwarded to the Prairielands Freedom Fund, which is dedicated to paying bonds for people detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

Following a brief intermission, the annual Golden Barbie awards were handed out to the seniors who participated in drag. After the ceremony, Jadyn Al-Fatah `27, also known as J Lust, took the stage, marking their return to Grinnell drag after a semester abroad. Al-Fatah took inspiration from the show Steven Universe, embodying the character of Garnet, who is made up of two gems, Sapphire and Ruby. The performance was split into two sections, the first representing Sapphire, to “Gemstone” by Don Toliver, and the second representing Ruby, to “Wet Vagina” by Doja Cat. 

“I feel like with this one, it’s a little bit more lighthearted, it’s a lot more fun. We can be a little bit more silly and goofy with this one, and so I’m excited to just be funny and be happy and have just some gay fun,” Al-Fatah said. “I’m really hoping that the seniors will really enjoy themselves on that stage and really put everything out there on that last one.” After their performance, chants of “J Lust” took over the audience.

One senior putting a twist on animated characters was QPOC president Dayana Garcia `26, who exemplified the fun the show aimed for. “All the minions are queer,” Garcia said at a rehearsal, referring to the yellow sidekicks from the “Despicable Me” franchise. “Like, canonically. I’m making that canonical.” Garcia’s performance as Gru Paul — a combination of “Despicable Me” protagonist Gru and drag queen RuPaul — came at the close of the show, where they were joined by three minions, Kevin, Bob and Stuart. Their performance to “Midnight Sun” by Zara Larsson brought the crowd on its feet, especially as Garcia took flight, hoisted by their three yellow shirt- and overalls-clad assistants. 

“This semester, we were really going for nostalgic characters that we love and give us childhood joy that we had when we were little. When we first thought about doing this, I was like, either I’m a minion or I’m Gru. We have to do minion drag,” Garcia said.

Taylor, Al-Fatah, Garcia, Haas and Rennick all agreed that drag is still a political act, despite this show having less of a political overtone. “It has been politicized by people who are seeking to use it as a way to marginalize and oppress queer and trans people,” Rennick said. “I think that any type of movement towards banning drag is a movement towards the oppression of people and the control of personal expression.”

Garcia cited Tricia Hershey’s “Rest Is Resistance” as a defining principle of drag, especially given the show’s allusion to cartoons. “When you were a kid and skipped school and were scrolling through all the channels on TV, as much as you probably should have gone to school, you needed to rest and that was you resisting capitalism,” they said. “Even though you were like six, you didn’t even know it.”

“What this show means to me is showing that you can express yourself, queer resistance, uplifting communities that you’re part of,” Haas said, “but also communities you’re not part of, like Queer People of Color, because since I’ve been at this college, they’ve hosted incredible events.”

Taylor said a rise in right-wing language and sentiment on Grinnell’s campus is a cause for concern, but drag serves as a direct rebuttal. “I see the return of conservatism here at Grinnell, which is a little worrisome for me, but also these events are keeping that at bay,” he said. “I feel like us doing the drag show is, honestly, a big fuck you to a lot of that energy,” Al-Fatah said. Still, Al-Fatah said the main goal of the show is for everyone to enjoy. “I hope everybody has a little sense of nostalgia throughout it,” they said. “I really hope that everyone stepped their pussies up.”

Editor’s Note: Nicole Rueda `27, a video editor for The S&B, performed in the drag show and is also a QPOC cabinet member. Rueda was not involved in the writing or editing of this article.