Terraformin’ Drag
“Recycle, reuse, and reduce. And rein-in carbon on the loose. Pack your bags just in case. Prepare to go to outerspace!” While the health of our planet is concerning, inequities continue to pervade society today. In trying to build a world where all life can thrive, music, performance, and drag can serve as mediums through which systemic change can occur.
In this episode, “Terraformin’ Drag,” Chris Goodrich (who performs in drag as Analee Fisher, @analeefisher), tells a story about his parody song “Terraformin’ Mars,” and how the political energy of drag can be important to environmental advocacy. Goodrich, in conversation with Cacophony Daniels (“The Belty Broad from Broadway,” @cacophonydaniels), discusses the history of drag, its current political spotlight, and the ways that queer voices and perspectives are crucial to shaping a better future.
All proceeds from this episode will be donated to Housing Works, a healing community of people living with and affected by HIV/AIDS who are dedicated to ending the dual crises of homelessness and AIDS through relentless advocacy, the provision of lifesaving services, and supporting entrepreneurs.
Further Resources
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[The voices of all the storytellers from Season One of The Sonocene begin to overlap and blend together in a single, collective gesture.]
Listen.
Listen to my voice.
To spoken words and ambient sounds.
[Audience applause. An orchestral introduction ensues. A drag queen addresses a late night audience.]
Together they tell the story about people and place; about plants and animals; about the ecological relationships within New York City during a time of rapid change. And the way they all resonate as an interwoven network of vibrations.
[Voices and sounds crescendo, and then hard cut to silence. All the storytellers from Season One exclaim in unison:]
Welcome to The Sonocene—
[The voice of “Terraformin’ Drag” episode storyteller, Chris Goodrich, replies.]
ecological stories told through sound.
[Muted strokes on a guitar designate a tempo, and then begin to strum an ostinato rhythm. Analee Fisher, a drag queen based out of New York City with Nashville roots, starts to sing a parody song. Eventually, electric bass and lead guitar join the country music texture.]
[00:44] If there's one thing you can learn from a drag queen: it's not that hard to make a few changes.
I don’t use straws when I sip my cold brew coffee
And when I’m done I make sure to use the cup
I volunteered at a garden siftin' compost
But that’s nothin’ next to corporations warmin’ this world up
Word got around that the truth is inconvenient
We struck accords all the way in Paris, France
But look at us now sayin' “well we didn’t mean it”
We didn’t save the planet, now we may just lose our chance
[1:24] Blame the corporations
Not your reputation
As some "eco savior"
Always watching your behavior
How ‘bout legislation
To improve our nation
If we don’t grab the handlebars,
Then we’ll be terraformin' Mars
[The ostinato of the rhythm guitar continues to strum in your background.]
[1:47] Being proactive about the health of the planet is ecological by nature, like taking steps to improve it. But a community that's had to be very proactive about their own health is LGBTQ plus. And so that consciousness and realizing that, like little intentional steps, planning and awareness can be huge as far as making people safer, happier and their lives better. It's these concrete actions, again, I think could inspire people to feel less of that hopelessness, to feel like I can take steps towards a goal. We can make progress as one.
[2:24] Today's storytellers are..
My name is Chris Goodrich and I perform in drag as Analee Fisher. You can find me on Instagram at Analee Fisher, A-N-A-L-E-E Fisher.
My name's Cacophony Daniels. I am a drag queen. I am the Belty Broad from Broadway.
[2:47] The original song is called Mama's Broken Heart, and it's performed by Miranda Lambert. When people are writing songs in like a musical sense, they can either start with the lyrics and then write music that fits those lyrics, or they can write all the music and then write lyrics to fit that. Well, when it's a parody, the music's already done for you, and they've even written out lyrics that syllabically work great with that music. So, one way I could do ii was by coming up with a title or an idea and then looking for a song that fit its title in the same number of syllables. Ma-ma's-Bro-ken-Heart. Ter-ra-for-min' Mars. And so I thought, "This could work." And I should get started at the beginning and change each line to be slightly different. And it all ended up making sense together!
[3:36] I wish that I could be a little less dramatic just like,
Hillary when the White House went to sh*t
We put the keys in that clunker we call Congress
Now the scientists can all agree but the government is split
Can’t pass a law without some right to left consensus
But compromise can be such a bitter pill
We can’t rely on those who can’t perform a census
While the oil lobby wants to wreck the Arctic with a drill
[4:09] Blame the corporations
Not your reputation
As some "eco savior"
Always watching your behavior
How ‘bout legislation
To improve our nation
If we don’t grab the handlebars,
Then we’ll be terraformin' Mars
[4:31] That's a great starting point, is that it's going to work logistically. But the other one is the feeling of the song and the feeling that the music can give you. Like righteous anger was what fueled a lot of this frustration. This sense that nothing can be done and rejecting that and fighting back. The feeling that you can't do anything to change the world or to change this country is crushing. It's difficult to accept thinking, "I'm so small, there's really nothing I can do." And sometimes that makes you decide to do nothing. There's a lot of emotions with the environmental debate, and especially now that we've known for a long time the problem and we've known possible solutions. And then there's all this resistance from every level. There's frustration and for some people, a bit of guilt or a feeling of hopelessness or shame. And I think the antidote to that feeling of negativity dragging you down can be something light, something funny, something colorful. And drag just might be a good prescription. People are tired of hearing the same old debate or the same call to action about the environment, if I can say it in the way that makes someone laugh, then they're thrown off a little bit and they're not defensive. They're not thinking around this conversation they've already had.
[5:52] Recycle, reuse, and reduce
And rein in carbon on the loose
Or pack your bags just in case, prepare to go to outer space
[Analee Fisher hangs on the final lyric, elongating the word “space.” The tune fades to silence, as the sounds of a street soundscape enter your foreground. Feet fall against the concrete making their “click-clacks” reverberate off the tall buildings nearby. People converse and whistle down the street, and a door hinge “squeaks” as someone walks into a bar. The street calm is replaced by audience applause and dialogue from performers.]
[6:24] Yeah, so good though. Pride—going to be here before you know it. Oh God, Pride! Who loves Pride out there? Make some noise if you love Pride! I hope it's not crazy... I mean I hope it's good crazy this year. Oh no, it's going to be good crazy, I think. It's good crazy. The places where we can actually still f***ing do it... Yeah ... are going to be amazing. Yes, it's going to be great. And all those people who are able, if you're watching online and you're in a place where you can't do drive, come to New York City and do Pride with us. We will treat you right. Don't we treat everyone right? Yes. It is so fun…
[The dialogue continues but fades into your background. The words from the performers become almost indiscernible.]
[6:51] I came to New York wanting to be involved in theater and performance, wanting to perform or saying or use what I learned some in school. And I didn't know how that would look. And not knowing where that's going is exciting. It can be fertile ground for something interesting to happen. Drag was a great way.
[7:13] Around 2019, I did my first show in a bar. It was in Queens, a bar called Albatross Astoria, and a drag queen named Cacophony Daniels,
[The voice of Cacophony Daniels enters your foreground briefly: “My name's Cacophony Daniels.”]
I think every year gives people an opportunity to do their first performance in front of an audience.
[The dialogue returns to your foreground momentarily as you hear the performers say, “... lime green wig. I know me! ...walk around drunk and they think they're in costume. I know... Hey Queen! Yeah! Hi, Honey! Hi!” Then, the voice of Cacophony Daniels enters your foreground. It’s clear, but not as cleanly recorded as the previous storyteller narrative. The acoustics of the space are different.]
[7:36] We are backstage at Hush Bar on a Monday night for Musical Mondays.
[The dialogue from the performers briefly returns to your foreground, as you hear Cacophony Daniels (from on stage) exclaim: “Well, everyone welcome to Musical Mondays!” The audience applauds. Then, the acoustics from backstage return and an interview-like dialogue begins between storytellers Chris Goodrich and Cacophony Daniels.]
[7:46] Chris Goodrich (CG): Well, we had met before actually. At Albatross, once.
Cacophony Daniels (CD): Yes!
CG: But after I recall back to 2019.
CD: Oh, my gosh. Pre-pandemic!
CG: Yes! You were so gracious to do a debut show for whoever wanted to sign up.
CD:Yes! Yes! Oh, I love the Drag Debutant Show!
CG: It was such a fun evening. And I'm still in contact with some of the people I met that night.
CD: Oh, amazing!
CG: But it makes me think of someone who didn't get that opportunity, if they weren't allowed to do that. And there was like aching inside of them, wondering "what if," how painful that can be.
CD: Yeah.
CG: But like, what would you say to someone today?
CD: Yeah?
CG: Who's going through that? Who doesn't get to be themselves in that way?
CD: Right.
CG: To do drag?
[The ambient sounds from backstage, alongside the sounds of the performance continues in your background. Dialogue, music, and audience blend as a single soundscape.]
[8:26] CD: Yeah. I mean, for the people out there who can't go out and perform in drag in front of people. I would say. I mean, first of all, on your own in your room is a great way to do it. Right. Live your fantasy, like, literally as a fantasy. But then I would say too, you know... Drag started as something that people did covertly. They did in their living rooms. They did at a party. They would throw a party and they would have it. It was a house party that no one knew about, and you'd black out the windows and you have that kind of party, right? The LGBTQ+ community, the Queer Community, has survived and thrived that way for literally centuries. It's sad that there are people who might have to go back to that at this point. But we will always be here. Even if you have to be slightly undercover, we will always be here. And I think what's most important is that people know that they are not alone, that there is always a community of people just like them, sometimes just around the corner and you wouldn't even know it.
[The soundscape from the performance returns to your foreground briefly as you hear more dialogue: “Thanks for coming out tonight. There's just nothing like live. I got asked from a host of Pride is happening, you know, there's still letting us performer for her. Yeah. So Pride, and they said, ‘Oh, you've done…’” Slowly, this dialogue fades into your background, as the original storyteller audio mix returns.]
[9:35] I'm from Nashville. Analee Fisher, that's my drag name. And I thought she would be inspired a lot by Broadway Divas, but also by Country Divas. Been really vocal recently about the problems in communities that celebrate country music on the one hand, but then are very exclusionary on the other. And so that contradiction doesn't have to exist, but it just does for a lot of people. I think the more we fight against that, the better that can be for a young person who's, you know, going to be confused, looking for a community. They'll see someone out there who is like them, even if they're in a small community of Tennessee and don't feel like that's in their immediate surrounding. It's out there somewhere. So hopefully that, for them, inspires hope and belonging.
[Your soundscape returns backstage at Hush bar on a Monday night. The interview-like dialogue between Chris Goodrich and Cacophony Daniels continues.]
[10:25] CG: I know for a fact that queen's in Nashville are going to keep going and keep performing.
CD: Absolutely. Absolutely. Not just Nashville, but, you know, Kentucky or wherever else it's happening. Right? Florida. All of those places have vibrant communities. Nashville has a vibrant gay community. There are so many queens there who are amazing, talented, storied queens who have been there for literal decades. Those people aren't going anywhere. Our community is not going anywhere. Drag is happening all over the world and in places where it can't happen. Where it's not allowed to happen. And if that has to be the way we do it for a while then that's what it'll be. But we're always here. I think protecting our brothers and sisters and non-binary family is all about being vocal, being present and being seen. If all of us are willing to speak up in a situation that might be uncomfortable to protect someone like that, who is, you know, always seen, who cannot "pass" as they walk around in society every day, I think that's the most important thing that we can do. Especially those of us who do pass, who can walk through society every day and not be clocked, right? It's important for us to stand up and say, you know, if someone is being bullied or abused or whatever, that whatever they're doing is not right and that we're here for them.
[The performance soundscape returns to your foreground briefly, as you hear Cacophony Daniels exclaim, “We do not care. Because we love you and you know that you are alive. So thank you so much.” Then, this soundscape fades into your background and the storyteller narrative audio mix continues.]
[11:49] A drag queen is asked to perform gender. That's usually the main goal, to poke fun at gender, sort of tear it apart in a way. We've seen how challenging it is for certain parts of the country to accept the gender norms are less rigid, less relevant today than maybe they used to be. And that's in every sector. And so breaking out of that rigid binary, that structure is so challenging for a lot of people. It shakes their foundation. It challenges their worldview and it makes them angry, or it makes them lash out. And so that's where a lot of the political fighting comes when it comes to drag, is that by wearing a dress, being born a man, I could be offending someone to their core without having said anything. They might not know anything about me, but that very act is shocking or challenging. The other thing about drag is that it's inherently political and radical and transgressive.
[The soundscape and dialogue from backstage return to your foreground.]
[12:49] CG: Is your drag political?
CD: All drag is political. I mean, especially now, right? Especially now, all drag is political. As much as I don't want to admit it, the temperature has changed even in New York.
CG: Normally, drag queens are called loud.
CD: Right? Especially me!
[Loud and raucous laughter ensues.]
[13:07] CG: But that's an asset, I'd say.
CD: Absolutely. And we have to be. We have to be loud. You know, drag queens and trans people have always been at the forefront of the queer movement because we are the most visible, right? Because we're the ones who pass the least. And so we have no choice but to be loud, but to speak up, but to be the squeaky wheel because we're out there anyway. So...
CG: I think that makes you a role model to a lot of young people, potentially.
CD: Thank you.
CG: And I think that's a good natural thing and part of the culture now. People look up to drag queens.
[13:42] CD: Yeah! You know, most drag shows happen in bars and happen late at night. So, you know, kids should A) be in bed and B) can't get in, 'cause it's a bar! right?! And that's what it's all about, right? So if you see a drag queen, tell a dirty joke or say an inappropriate thing, 99 times out of 100, it's going to be at a bar late at night where there are no kids because they're not allowed to legally be in there. Right? If a drag queen is hosting a drag queen story hour or is performing at a brunch in broad daylight on a Sunday at noon or whatever, then she's behaving very differently than a drag queen in a bar on a Saturday night at 11 p.m. or 1 a.m. or whatever that is. Just as everyone acts differently in different spaces, drag queens do too. We can read a room. Hello! We have to know how to read a room, that's how we survive. So we know when it's appropriate to say certain things and act certain ways and all of that kind of stuff. And then, of course, all of this B.S. about drag queens and transpeople and all of that is just a tactic.
CG: There are real things to be worried about.
CD: Absolutely!
CG: Real issues.
[14:44] CD: Yes, absolutely. Gun violence. Hello!? Banks collapsing. Hello!? And that's just, like, the things that happen today. There are so many more... the planet!? Hi! The planet that we're all living on!? Like that's all so much more important than whether or not there's a man walking around in a dress or a woman walking around with a, you know, mustache drawn on. Or a trans person using a bathroom, for God's sake. Like, none of that is important. None of that is a real issue. It's just a tactic to distract people from the real issues.
[The guitar from the parody song returns with its ostinato strumming. Both the soundscape of the performance and guitar strumming blend together in your background. Then, the storyteller narrative audio mix returns.]
[5:15] So I think that is a natural lead into how it can be ecological, environmental, because that's something we need. Is this political energy, this punk that drag brings up.
[The guitar strumming continues, but the backstage soundscape returns briefly. Cacophony Daniels passionately states:]
[15:28] Fuck yes, I'm political. Because it's important that our voices are heard. It's important that everyone in the country realize that the people who are making this noise about trans people, about drag, those people are the minuscule, minuscule minority, the hateful minority. But their hate is not what most people feel.
[The guitar strumming continues in the background as the storyteller narrative audio mix returns one, final time.]
[15:50] Being proactive about the health of the planet is ecological by nature, like taking steps to improve it. But a community that's had to be very proactive about their own health is LGBTQ+. And so that consciousness and realizing that like little intentional steps, planning and awareness can be huge as far as making people safer, happier and their lives better. It's these concrete actions, again, I think could inspire people to feel less that hopelessness. I feel like I can take steps towards a goal. We can make progress as one.
[The guitar fades into your foreground. A lead guitar strums an elongated chord. Analee Fisher begins to sing.]
[16:30] Recycle, reuse, and reduce
And rein in carbon on the loose
Or pack your bags just in case, prepare to go to outer space
[16:42] Blame the corporations
Not your reputation
As some "eco savior"
Always watching your behavior
How ‘bout legislation
To improve our nation
If we don’t grab the handlebars,
Then we’ll be terraformin' Mars
[The country band plays the final chords of the song and then fades to silence.]
[A simple electronic melody, alongside a resonant percussive groove elicits a feeling of earnest contemplation. This is the outro music, composed by UCC Harlo.]
[17:19] I think there's something inherent to humanity, to groups of people, that they want to come together in that way and affirm each other's beliefs and feel united. But definitely an important part of political discussion today is having a bit of an open mind when we come into a discussion. Are you ready?
[17:38] The Sonocene is supported by Humanities New York, the NYU Center for the Humanities, and the NYU Graduate School of Arts and Science Music Department. Our production team is a collective of environmental humanities scholars and artists, including Elizabeth Fickey, Bailey Hilgren, Konstantine Vlasis. Original Music by Annie Garlid, a.k.a. UCC Harlo. Sound Design and Mixing by Yi-Wen Lai-Tremewan. And voiceover by me, Elizabeth Geist. All proceeds from today's episode will be donated to Housing Works. If you'd like to support this podcast, have an ecological story you'd like to share, or would like to learn more about the topics of today's episode, please visit our website at www.thesonoscene.com or check out our social media pages @thesonocene. Thanks for listening.
