Monét X Change Dishes on New Podcast with Lady Bunny

Drag royalty Lady Bunny and All Stars 4 champion Monét X Change have been causing quite a stir with their fabulous new podcast, Ebony and Irony.

Not a typical drag podcast, Bunny and Monét do not discuss the runway looks or which queen got eliminated on RuPaul’s Drag Race. Instead, they dissect the latest news in pop culture, politics, and scandals and touch on themes like cancel culture, COVID, and cultural appropriation. They dig in deep and interview guests who are experts in their fields.

Additionally, the show features light-hearted segments like Definitely Not the News where Bunny and Monét comb the internet for the latest fads and throw more shade than a solar eclipse. The pair do not always agree, which makes for more interesting discussions.

Monét took some time to chat more about Ebony and Irony with OFM, as well as teaming up with Bunny, her time on Drag Race, and upcoming projects.

Hi, Monet! Thank you for taking some time to chat with me about your new podcast with Lady Bunny, Ebony and Irony. Can you tell us more about it and what listeners can expect?
The podcast came about because Bunny and I are friends. Traveling together, touring together, and I love Bunny’s perspective and takes on a lot of things. I think they are always so funny, but sometimes a little interesting because they can be very pointed. Bunny is not one for her mentality. She is very earnest in what she thinks and believes, and she stays very true to that. Also, I love her perspective as someone coming from an older generation. With me being someone who is very much younger than her, it is nice to have these two contrasting opinions. Even though we are both gay, queer drag queens, there is still so much that we juggle and do not agree on. So, it is a very interesting podcast in that regard.

Who initially came up with the idea for Ebony and Irony?
It was me. I called Bunny one day in September 2020, and I was like, ‘Bunny, we should do a podcast.’ She’s like, ‘Well, girl, what’s a podcast?’ I was like, ‘Well, a podcast is all digital and audio.’ Bunny does not like to do anything visually unless she is in drag. I said, ‘You do not have to get in drag, and we just chat once a week.’ We took time to massage exactly what we wanted it to be. We did not want to do another Drag Race review or something that was too Drag Race heavy. So, I was calling her and bringing up the idea, and she was interested. Bunny sometimes likes to think things over, she never just dives into something. She was like, ‘Let me take a few days to think about it.’ She thought about it, called me, and was like, ‘Let’s do it.’ I just had to take a few more months to explain what a podcast is, and here we are.

Some may think that you and Bunny are an odd pairing. What is it like to work with her?
Working with Bunny is very interesting. There was one episode where we finished our bit together and then ended the live. You have to end the live, so you are not just talking, and everyone is hearing your conversation after your live is over. She stayed on it for, like, 20 minutes not even knowing she was on it. She is definitely not the best with technology. So, a lot of it is me teaching Bunny how to navigate technology, but there is also a funny part watching this bitch try to navigate all this stuff. It may be frustrating, but it is also very fun.

How has Ebony and Irony been received by listeners?
It has been received very well. People are really into it, and I think that is because we are talking about things that people are really interested in hearing our thoughts and opinions on. Like, cancel culture, which is such a big thing. Everyone wants to cancel everyone for everything these days. So, how is that affecting comedy? You know, Bunny is a very respected comedian, but some of her comedy is very straightforward, and she goes deep. She strikes really hot. So, we have talked about things like that, and also some other things like the Sherry Pie situation, which a lot of people were afraid to cover.

We got one of Sherry’s victims on here, and it was such a gaggy interview to hear how manipulative and how crazy the whole situation is. We have all heard about the Sherry Pie thing and her doing Tamara Hall, but we wanted to hear a victim’s perspective. It is so crazy and realizing the mental gymnastics that were involved in grooming someone to do these things. So, we talk about some very serious stuff, but injecting it with some of our humor and making it a little bit more digestible.

What do you hope listeners take away from the show?
I hope listeners take away from this podcast that it is a mix of old- and new-school. That is a big thing, too. We have had people like Jayne County on, who is an iconic trans rocker from the 60s and 70s. We have had Linda Simpson, an iconic photographer and capturer of New York City nightlife from back in the 60s and 70s. We have had Michael Musto and all these older, gay icons who did things way before I was even thought of. It is really interesting to hear these older perspectives.

For a lot of younger kids, they are like, I will never know about this stuff, I don’t know what questions to ask, or they are too afraid to ask questions because they do not want to see like an ignorant, younger, gay, or queer kid. I have been called ignorant, and I do not mind people calling me ignorant. I am going to ask questions that I think a lot of people my age and younger would want to ask. It is nice to talk to these trailblazers in queerness and here about their journeys and these great stories.

Since the show is unscripted, do you think that helps the chemistry between you, Bunny, and your guests?
Being unscripted is very important. I think a lot of us are realizing that scripted shit just seems so disingenuous. Sometimes, that is nice to watch and listen to, but it is also nice having a podcast with two people who are not afraid to be unfiltered. I may have a question that you want to cancel me for, and good for you. That is not something that I am fearful of anymore. When I first go on Drag Race, I was so afraid of not saying the right thing, and I did not want people to get mad at me, but the fact is, if I misspeak, ask a question you don’t like, or say something that is not the best, that is honestly me as human being.

I think that people know that Bunny and I are not coming from places of malice and we are good people. Sometimes, good people ask the wrong questions or may say the wrong thing. Where we shine, I suppose, we are not afraid to apologize for it. I think that is a reason why people will latch onto the podcast. Our ability to ask real questions that all of us sitting behind our computers want to ask but are too afraid to do so.

You are also a host of the podcast, Sibling Rivalry, which you do with your drag sister, Bob the Drag Queen. How has that been going?
Oh my gosh, Sibling Rivalry has been going great. Bob and I started the podcast three years ago, and time has flown by. The podcast has grown immensely, and we have a really large listenership. People love that podcast as well. I love to talk, so anytime I get to share my views about stuff or chat with friends, it is nice to have those personal conversations out there for other people to listen to and digest.

Obviously, the world knows you by competing on RuPaul’s Drag Race and winning All Stars 4. How would you say the show has changed your life?
The show has changed my life immensely because I have been able to travel the world and do things like podcasts that people are interested in listening to. It has let me debut on the West End, and it has let me do things beyond my wildest dreams. Touring and selling out arenas and theatre. Without Drag Race, would I be able to accomplish all these things? Yes, I believe I would, but Drag Race has allowed these opportunities to come faster, and the show has allowed me to be in the room where those opportunities are offered.

What did it mean to you to be the first Black All Stars winner?
It meant a lot. Bob and I actually talked about this on a recent episode of Sibling Rivalry where there is a thing going on with the melanin dynasty of Drag Race. Obviously, before that, Drag Race was a pretty diverse landscape of winners, but since my win on All Stars 4, it has been all winners of color, and I am super grateful to be part of this celebration of people of color through Drag Race. Let’s keep it going, girl!

If asked to compete again, would you?
Would I compete again? What else is there to compete for? [Laughs]

Hey, there may be an all-winners season. You never know!
I don’t think Drag Race is trying to give away a million dollars! If there is a winner season, that needs to be the cash prize. We are still at $100,000, so we have $900,000 to go before we get there.

Do you have any music projects in the works?
Yes! I am currently working on my album, and this will be my first full-length album. It is a lot of hard work, and I think we are nearing the end of it. I am excited, and it will come out sometime this year. Whether that will be at the end of summer or mid-fall, it is coming. It is definitely a labor of love. People say that sounds like an overused phrase, but it really is. I really enjoy working on it, but it is a lot of work.

What more do you hope to accomplish with your platform?
The sky’s the limit. Before, there were so many limits put on drag. I was a little queen being like, my goal in life is to just at least get like four shows a week, then I ended up working six times a week. Every night except Friday. Then after that, I was like, ‘When I get on Drag Race, I just hope I can debut my one-woman show and people will come see it.’ I ended up selling out, and I toured around America, Australia, and the U.K. So, I don’t want to put any more limits on what my drag is and what my journey will be. Everything that I can imagine, I believe it is tangible and attainable with my platform and my career. The sky’s the limit. There are a lot of things I want to do.

Before we wrap up, are there any other upcoming projects or anything else you would like to mention or plug?
Not yet. Besides Ebony and Irony, Sibling Rivalry, and all my music coming out. There are some other things for TV coming out, but they will have their day in the sun later. Right now, it is about Ebony and Irony, Sibling Rivalry, and my music.

Follow Monét on Twitter and Instagram to stay up-to-date, and Ebony and Irony is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and all other streaming platforms. New episodes launch every Friday.

Photos Courtesy of Steven Simione