Jamie Tritschler Fem-Fatale She sits at the cherry oak vanity table ...
Jamie Tritschler Fem-Fatale She sits at the cherry oak vanity table ...
Jamie Tritschler Fem-Fatale She sits at the cherry oak vanity table ...
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<strong>Jamie</strong> <strong>Tritschler</strong><br />
<strong>Fem</strong>-<strong>F<strong>at</strong>ale</strong><br />
<strong>She</strong> <strong>sits</strong> <strong>at</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>cherry</strong> <strong>oak</strong> <strong>vanity</strong> <strong>table</strong>, red s<strong>at</strong>in dress drawn tight against her<br />
bronze skin, glittering in <strong>the</strong> soft light coming from <strong>the</strong> side <strong>table</strong> lamp. Her dirty<br />
blonde hair is drawn up in short curls th<strong>at</strong> gently bounce with every movement of her<br />
body. <strong>She</strong> dips <strong>the</strong> tip of her makeup brush into <strong>the</strong> powder and sweeps a blanket of<br />
midnight black across each eye into a smoky perfection. <strong>She</strong> follows th<strong>at</strong> with a layer<br />
of eyeliner across <strong>the</strong> lid, pulling <strong>the</strong> liquid to <strong>the</strong> corners of each eye and <strong>the</strong>n up<br />
slightly to form c<strong>at</strong> eyes. <strong>She</strong> <strong>the</strong>n applies a generous amount of <strong>cherry</strong> red lipstick<br />
and rolls her top and bottom lip toge<strong>the</strong>r as a finishing touch.<br />
The gorgeous Marilyn Monroe look alike stands up in front of <strong>the</strong> <strong>vanity</strong> <strong>table</strong><br />
chooses a pair of sexy stiletto heels from <strong>the</strong> closet and straps <strong>the</strong>m on. <strong>She</strong> checks<br />
her outfit in <strong>the</strong> full-length mirror, and s<strong>at</strong>isfied with her appearance leaves for a night<br />
on <strong>the</strong> town.<br />
The bass of DJ Wrekford’s amplifier rips through <strong>the</strong> tiny house on Hudson<br />
Street. The clock strikes midnight as A<strong>the</strong>na Merlot walks through <strong>the</strong> door and is<br />
welcomed with a wave of high-pitched screams. <strong>She</strong> makes her rounds throughout<br />
<strong>the</strong> house; welcomed with hugs and kisses, squeals of delight and drunken laughter.<br />
A kiss on <strong>the</strong> bartender’s cheek starts <strong>the</strong> night off right, and with a cranberry vodka<br />
in her hand A<strong>the</strong>na becomes <strong>the</strong> epitome of pure beauty, with movements so<br />
elegant and smooth it’s as though she is walking on air.<br />
Tonight, <strong>the</strong> gorgeous woman whose beauty has intoxic<strong>at</strong>ed partygoers with<br />
every stolen glance is named A<strong>the</strong>na Merlot.
Tomorrow, he’ll wake up, shower and wash off <strong>the</strong> remainders of his night,<br />
pull on a pair of black skinny jeans, a tight black t-shirt and resume his true identity:<br />
Robbie Brown.<br />
* * *<br />
Drag, is a lifestyle; a choice to put aside <strong>the</strong> gender barriers and expect<strong>at</strong>ions;<br />
a chance to embrace ano<strong>the</strong>r life. Drag is <strong>the</strong> manipul<strong>at</strong>ion of traditional gender roles<br />
and <strong>the</strong> freedom to break <strong>the</strong> line between man and woman and take on a<br />
personality, an appearance, and a life in ano<strong>the</strong>r realm. Whe<strong>the</strong>r it be for a moment,<br />
a night, a year, or a lifetime, drag is an art. For Robbie Brown, drag is an alter ego, a<br />
chance to portray one of <strong>the</strong> many strong women he admires.<br />
The icy cold of S<strong>at</strong>urday’s snowstorm encouraged everyone to huddle in<br />
Starbucks on Seneca Street in Ithaca, New York. Robbie enters <strong>the</strong> coffee shop,<br />
skin bitten from <strong>the</strong> icy wind outside. He orders a coffee before hopping onto <strong>the</strong><br />
stool next to me.<br />
“It’s really fricken cold out!” He says as he runs his fingers quickly through his<br />
highlighted blonde hair, flicking bits of snow and ice all over. He unzips his jacket to<br />
reveal a tight black t-shirt th<strong>at</strong> m<strong>at</strong>ches his black skinny jeans. Marilyn Monroe’s face<br />
t<strong>at</strong>tooed onto his upper right arm peeks out below <strong>the</strong> sleeve, and his eyebrow ring<br />
occasionally c<strong>at</strong>ches <strong>the</strong> light and glitters brightly.<br />
begins.<br />
His coffee arrives a moment l<strong>at</strong>er. He sips it carefully, takes a bre<strong>at</strong>h, and<br />
“Four years ago I was in college and I met a guy in Syracuse who gave me a<br />
job as a go-go dancer.” He laughs a bit after saying this, almost as though it’s a<br />
ridiculous thought th<strong>at</strong> he once danced around a club in scandalous outfits.
“Every Thursday night <strong>the</strong>y would host a drag show and I became good<br />
friends with everyone <strong>at</strong> <strong>the</strong> club. One of <strong>the</strong> performers, Ruby Sky became my drag<br />
mom, and she approached me one night and said, you would do really well with<br />
drag.” Robbie raises his coffee as if to take a sip but instead breaks into <strong>the</strong> laughter<br />
he’d been holding back. “I said no I would not look good as a woman.”<br />
After much persuasion, Robbie allowed Ruby Sky to paint his face in brilliant<br />
array of eye shadows, glossy lips, and a shimmery bronzer. <strong>She</strong> dressed him up for<br />
a night of adventure, and for <strong>the</strong> first time in his life Robbie Brown stepped out as a<br />
woman.<br />
“It was like I was a completely different person,” Robbie said. “I liked <strong>the</strong><br />
<strong>at</strong>tention of it.”<br />
Becoming comfor<strong>table</strong> in his new skin came n<strong>at</strong>ural to Robbie, however he<br />
did not take to <strong>the</strong> stage right away. It was completely different feeling and<br />
phenomena to get up on stage dressed as a man than it was to get up <strong>the</strong>re dressed<br />
as a woman. As soon as <strong>the</strong> club hosted Am<strong>at</strong>eur Drag night, Robbie was given <strong>the</strong><br />
push he needed to don his dress, complete with wig and stilettos. He bravely took<br />
his first steps onto <strong>the</strong> stage as a Britney Spears look-a-like.<br />
“It was awful. My wig fell off.” He recalls with a laugh. “Which was kind of<br />
perfect because I was doing a Britney song, and it was almost a year since she had<br />
shaved her head. And I was wearing this hair net th<strong>at</strong> was skin colored so it looked<br />
like I was bald.”<br />
Despite a rocky beginning, Robbie continued to progress and make his way<br />
into becoming an experienced drag queen. At <strong>the</strong> club he was expected to carry a<br />
specific <strong>at</strong>titude, a fierce, c<strong>at</strong>ty, almost bitchy n<strong>at</strong>ure - one th<strong>at</strong> was intensified by <strong>the</strong><br />
amount of drama th<strong>at</strong> clouded <strong>the</strong> drag scene.
“If you don’t have this thick skin or personality you won’t make it in <strong>the</strong> drag<br />
world. In <strong>the</strong> beginning I was tossed around and molded into one of <strong>the</strong>m. I think th<strong>at</strong><br />
by staying grounded as who I am and putting it into A<strong>the</strong>na makes me stand out<br />
more than any o<strong>the</strong>r performer which gives me confidence.”<br />
Drag, or more commonly referred to as “cross-dressing” is not a recent<br />
discovery within <strong>the</strong> gay community. The concept of cross-dressing d<strong>at</strong>es back to<br />
Shakespeare in <strong>the</strong> 1500’s. At <strong>the</strong> time women were not allowed in <strong>the</strong> <strong>the</strong><strong>at</strong>re, and<br />
<strong>the</strong>refore men had to take on those roles. It was not uncommon for male performers<br />
to wear a dress and wig to play <strong>the</strong>ir female counterparts. More recently, <strong>the</strong> act of<br />
drag has morphed away from <strong>the</strong> stage and become incorpor<strong>at</strong>ed into <strong>the</strong> gay<br />
culture and is now accepted as a lifestyle. For Robbie, his drag alter ego A<strong>the</strong>na<br />
Merlot is a symbolic represent<strong>at</strong>ion of a woman he hopes will inspire o<strong>the</strong>rs.<br />
* * *<br />
The chaos th<strong>at</strong> had been Starbuck’s coffee shop has finally quieted down.<br />
Loud ch<strong>at</strong>ter has been replaced with intim<strong>at</strong>e whispers, angry hissing from <strong>the</strong><br />
cappuccino machine has subdued to a gentle hum and <strong>the</strong> baristas have retre<strong>at</strong>ed<br />
through <strong>the</strong> forbidden doors th<strong>at</strong> lead to a priv<strong>at</strong>e area in <strong>the</strong> back of <strong>the</strong> shop.<br />
“There were a lot of things I can rel<strong>at</strong>e to with her [Marilyn Monroe].<br />
Similarities in our childhood.” Robbie says as he picks <strong>at</strong> <strong>the</strong> corner of his cardboard<br />
coffee cup. “I never knew my f<strong>at</strong>her,” he confesses. “And nei<strong>the</strong>r did she. Th<strong>at</strong>’s why<br />
I have a special place for her. It’s not just <strong>the</strong> Marilyn Monroe <strong>the</strong> glamour, <strong>the</strong> sexy.<br />
It’s like a friendship.”<br />
Parallel’s run between Robbie and Marilyn Monroe’s childhood. Both shared<br />
in <strong>the</strong> absence of <strong>at</strong> least one parental figure. More importantly, <strong>the</strong>y share <strong>the</strong><br />
acquisition of a new name and identity. Marilyn Monroe was born Norma Jean Baker
and spend most of her childhood being moved from one foster home to <strong>the</strong> next. <strong>She</strong><br />
began her illustrious career as a model and eventually made her way into <strong>the</strong> film<br />
scene. <strong>She</strong> ultim<strong>at</strong>ely proved th<strong>at</strong> through hard work and determin<strong>at</strong>ion from a young<br />
age, anything is possible no m<strong>at</strong>ter where you come from. Robbie also saw Marilyn’s<br />
strength in his mo<strong>the</strong>r, who successfully raised four children on her own. He, like<br />
Marilyn, became fascin<strong>at</strong>ed with <strong>the</strong> world of glamour <strong>at</strong> a young age. In his<br />
adulthood he would take on a second name just as Marilyn Monroe had. He’d<br />
become A<strong>the</strong>na Merlot and prove th<strong>at</strong> with hard work and determin<strong>at</strong>ion he could be<br />
just as successful. A<strong>the</strong>na Merlot is now established within <strong>the</strong> Ithaca as a prominent<br />
and inspir<strong>at</strong>ional figure in <strong>the</strong> gay community.<br />
Not only did Monroe’s childhood share similarities with Robbie’s, her <strong>at</strong>titude<br />
and strength through hardships gre<strong>at</strong>ly impacted <strong>the</strong> character and personality of<br />
A<strong>the</strong>na.<br />
“I think th<strong>at</strong>’s kind of where I wanted A<strong>the</strong>na to be. I wanted her to be a strong<br />
woman. I wanted her to be a woman th<strong>at</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r girls could look up to. I think it’s<br />
important to know th<strong>at</strong> no m<strong>at</strong>ter wh<strong>at</strong> kind of background you come from, it really is<br />
possible to do anything and not lose yourself in it.”<br />
Off <strong>the</strong> stage, family is just as important and has had a lasting impact on <strong>the</strong><br />
person he has become, as both Robbie and A<strong>the</strong>na.<br />
“My sister and I, when we were kids, my mom got us a book on Greek<br />
mythology and we used to act out <strong>the</strong> different stories with <strong>the</strong> gods and goddesses.<br />
And we had a lot of fun with th<strong>at</strong> book. A<strong>the</strong>na was one of my favorites, because in<br />
some ways she reminded me of my mom. <strong>She</strong> was such a strong woman. At one<br />
point she raised 4 kids on her own. I saw a lot of her in A<strong>the</strong>na and it was kind of
without realizing it, almost a connection with A<strong>the</strong>na. Because I’ve only ever known<br />
strong women. Smart women. Because of my mom.”<br />
A<strong>the</strong>na came to him in his childhood as a Greek Goddess, and <strong>the</strong>n again<br />
one night <strong>at</strong> Ruby Sky’s apartment. He noticed a Greek mythology book on her shelf<br />
and began to flip through it. The decision to take A<strong>the</strong>na’s name as his stage name<br />
was only n<strong>at</strong>ural. The second name, Merlot comes from his favorite wine.<br />
“I love wine and I love merlot. And A<strong>the</strong>na Merlot has a nice ring to it, and so<br />
far I don’t know any o<strong>the</strong>r drag queens with <strong>the</strong> name A<strong>the</strong>na.”<br />
Four years have passed since Robbie and his alter ego A<strong>the</strong>na Merlot<br />
performed <strong>the</strong>ir first dance toge<strong>the</strong>r for <strong>the</strong> drag community. The duo has made a<br />
lasting impact in <strong>the</strong> gay community of Ithaca, New York. In December of 2010,<br />
Moonshadow Tavern, known to locals and college students alike as “Moonies”<br />
allowed Robbie to test <strong>the</strong> w<strong>at</strong>ers and host <strong>the</strong> first drag even <strong>the</strong> gay community<br />
had seen in years. The event was able to rally a crowd of about fifty people. A vast<br />
majority were friends, family and coworkers; a higher number than expected for a<br />
Sunday night. After th<strong>at</strong> first show, <strong>the</strong> owner of Delilah’s, ano<strong>the</strong>r local club in<br />
downtown Ithaca approached Robbie about starting a monthly pride dance party.<br />
“He came to me and said I want to start a monthly pride dance party. I saw<br />
your show <strong>at</strong> Moonies, would you like to MC <strong>the</strong> events? I wasn’t really into it, I said<br />
‘Ugh’ after th<strong>at</strong> first show. It was so much work, so much drama from out of town<br />
performers. I said let me look around and try to put something toge<strong>the</strong>r and if I come<br />
up with a lineup I’ll get back to you.”<br />
Two months l<strong>at</strong>er A<strong>the</strong>na Merlot, along with o<strong>the</strong>r drag queens from <strong>the</strong> Ithaca<br />
area performed a drag show so powerful th<strong>at</strong> <strong>the</strong> turnout was gre<strong>at</strong>er than expected;
people had to be turned away <strong>at</strong> <strong>the</strong> door. Not only did th<strong>at</strong> night symbolize <strong>the</strong><br />
beginning of monthly pride dance parties and an expanding gay community in Ithaca,<br />
but also a momentous step in American culture. The first Ithaca gay pride party<br />
occurred on <strong>the</strong> same night th<strong>at</strong> gay marriage was legalized in New York St<strong>at</strong>e.<br />
“I wasn’t expecting it to become a big thing. And for people to actually<br />
remember, I was so surprised to hear people talk about it. It’s nice to be a part of<br />
th<strong>at</strong>. I was able to give something back. And if I leave Ithaca it’ll be my legacy. It’s<br />
something I’m leaving behind.”