Killer Queens

When drag goes bad

Tonight's blog is not about blood-thirsty monarchs, but the other type of queen - draaaaaaaaag, darling.

Twas just yesterday I was visiting my friend's fashion blog (FOURTY FOUR SUNSETS - check it out!) and came across a photo of James Franco kitted out in his finest female clobber, complete with more eye-shadow than Pat Butcher at Christmas and more lipstick and lashes that Girls Aloud combined (so roughly a metric tonne).

The result is quite shocking.

He simultaneously looks pretty and masculine, and altogether quite bizarre. I choose "bizarre" as I can't quite make up my mind about this: on one hand he is undoubtedly a tarted up man, but on the other he most definitely has more striking features than most of the beasts spotted roaming Paisley on a Saturday night.

And even though I can't shake the idea that he looks like a Muppet version of Barbara Streisand - something about the eyes - I think the main thing to take away from this is that he owns it. Now I don't know if he has done this shoot to reflect his committment to the role or to display his diversity as an actor (coz let's face it no-one got "diverse" from Spider-Man).

But as Tyra Banks would say, it is FIERCE!


This got me to thinking about other men in film that make beautiful women.

Without doubt the first that sprang to mind was Mexican actor Gael Garcia Bernal. Most renowned for Che Guevara biopic The Motorcycle Diaries and sex-fuelled-teen-exploration Y Tu Mama Tambien, it's his role in Pedro Almodóvar's Bad Education that shows him in a more feminine light.

Front runner for the remake of Pretty Woman

I say more feminine - i mean raging queen. This story of murder, betrayal, catholicism and transexuality allows Bernal to play both male and female roles, powerfully conveying various perspectives and sexual ideologies.

And by god, does he make one pretty woman. In fact, if they were to remake "Pretty Woman" I genuinely think he'd be in with a shout. Sorry Julia, there's a new girl in town...


Queens that didn't make the cut:
- Tony Curtis in Some Like It Hot
- Roger Taylor in Queen's I Want To Break Free


I'm signing off with another two examples of actors who have donned frocks and slap for their art (and let's face it - just to prove that they can pull it off)
The clues are in the captions - answers on a postcard!

Not being Cilli-an, but she is one hot mama!

Hey Jude! I thought you were a dude...