We are talking to Willam Belli from RuPaul’s Drag Race and we are taking your questions. Willam got kicked off the show seemingly out of nowhere- He wasn’t even up for elimination when RuPaul announced he was off the show for “breaking too many of the rules.”

Ask Willam anything in the comments below!

Yep! We’re talking to Sharon Needles, the spooky, kooky breakout star of RuPaul’s Drag Race, season 4 for a second time.

Sharon hails from Pittsburgh and has won over viewers with her sassy sense of humor and haunted look. Many expect her to win the coveted title of America’s Next Drag Superstar.

Ask her anything! Say anything. The best questions and comments will be read on the show.

Subscribe to Feast of Fun Plus+ and be the first to listen to the in-depth interview!

Come join some of the biggest names in queer online culture at a fabulous soiree to kick of SXSW, the film, interactive and music festivals and conference that takes place every spring in Austin, Texas.

Network with other queer/LGBT bloggers, filmmakers and musicians including Fausto Fernós and Marc Felion from the Feast of Fun podcast.

Feast of Fun SXSW Queer Meetup
Friday, March 9 at 7pm-9pm
Oilcan Harry’s
Facebook Link | Special hookup for SXSW Attendees (bring your badge) or
folks who follow @oilcanharrys on Twitter. (Bring your smartphone for proof)
Light food and refreshments served.

Every year, thousands of internet and filmmaking rock stars and rock-star-rock-stars gather in Austin, Texas for South by Southwest, the interactive, film, and music conference that originally began as a music festival in the late 80s. Today it’s a big deal, bringing the biggest names in the industry together with everyday people for a mixing of the minds– a delicious burrito full of culture and fun.

As a way to say thanks to all the fabulous people who are here for the conference, we’re throwing a party on Friday, March 9 at 7-9pm at Oil Can Harry’s -the- hottest gay bar with the cutest guys and gals.

Come meet me, Fausto Fernós, Marc Felion and a bunch of internet rock stars having a great time knocking down the drinks.

Bring a camera and your iPhone, these things usually get wild.

Sharon hails from Pittsburgh and has won over viewers with her sassy sense of humor and haunted look. Many expect her to be in the top three for the coveted title of America’s Next Drag Superstar.

Who knew there was a cute, handsome guy underneath all that makeup?

Ask her anything! Say anything. The best questions and comments will be read on the show.

Subscribe to Feast of Fun Plus+ and be the first to listen to the in-depth interview!

A lot has happened since then, Randy is busy cultivating a following as a video blogger and been covering the topics of tolerance, identity, food and fitness. It seems Randy is looking and doing great.

Ask him anything!

Post your questions below, the best ones will be asked to Randy on the show.

– The podcast will be available tomorrow for premium subscribers. To listen for free for the first month, use the coupon code “GLITTER” when updating your Feast of Fun account.

BEFORE COMING OUT

COMING OUT TO DAD

WORK OUT VIDEO

Here I am on the cover of Nightspots, posing at a gay bar with one of the guys from Chicago Mirth and Girth, a group that grew into what people call Bears today. The photo was taken by Sukie Delacroix.

To celebrate their 21 year anniversary, Nightspots, a local gay bar magazine is reposting their classic covers. I asked their editor Kirk Williamson if he had the cover I was on, and ULP- here it is!

The look I was sporting was my attempt to being a harajuku drag queen inspired by Julie Taymor’s Lion King. I loved those yellow and black striped jeans.

The fifth one is on its way!

Fausto and I can’t more grateful and this award is a testament to everyone at Feast of Fun- including every guest on the show, the dedicated listeners that give us so much support and our sponsors who value our message. We thank you because we couldn’t have done it with out you!

Back when we joined the podcasting revolution in February 2005 with our daily comedy talk show, the Feast of Fun, formerly know as Feast of Fools, we didn’t quite imagine that we’d still be covering social news, conducting in-depth interviews and producing live music sessions this many years later.

We’ve had our ups and downs over the years and we’re happy that so may of you stuck with us and that so many new people discover us everyday.

We’d also like to thank the fine folks over at Podcast Connect Inc. who have been running the People’s Choice Podcast Awards since 2005.

Feast of Fun is available for free through the iTunes Music store and you can subscribe to our premium Plus+ podcast at feastoffun.com/plus

These awards are considered the top prize for podcasting and we’re jumping with joy at the nominations. This really makes a tremendous difference in helping us to continue our programming, maintain the website and secure guests and sponsorships.

From the bottom of our hearts and on behalf of all our wonderful guests we thank you so much for your nominations and we hope you can vote for us everyday from Oct 12- 27th in the two categories- People’s Choice and Best GLBT.

Vote Here

Here’s a handy reminder to add to your calendar to remind you to vote-

Thank you!

If you would like to listen to today’s show and all of our future premium content shows, please sign up for a Feast of Fun Plus+. You’ll be glad you did!

Many extraordinary things have happened over the years since we started this podcast.

Podcasts, videos, blogs, New media, social media and gaming technology have radically change the lives of LGBT people and their friends for the better.

People are involved in activism like never before, there are viral campaigns in support of marriage equality, health care ruh-form, the repeal of anti-gay laws and to finally putting a stop to bullying in schools. Gay folks are managing to find new ways to connect with one another for sex and friendship and online gaming technology holds a promising new future that may soon lead to a cure for AIDS.

Change is happening. We are also swept up in the wave that is moving people online in mass numbers. The podcast and site now reach over a quarter of a million downloads and over two million hits every month. And our bills have never been higher than ever before.

We reached out to you the listeners to save the podcast, and your response was nothing short of miraculous. You really pulled us back from the brink.

So today we’re taking Feast of Fun into a bold new future, as we announce Feast of Fun Plus+ our new premium content podcast and site, chock full of unique fabulous stuff you won’t find anywhere else.

What is Feast of Fun Plus+ exactly? And can I get my dessert in a to-go container?

Join us as we walk down memory lane on some of the most extraordinary, moving and hilarious moments of the show over the past seven years and give you a glimpse of what is to come.

And of course all the hot news.

Featured Music:
Young Debutantes II – Don Juan Dracula – Take Me Home: iTunes
Velocifero – Ladytron – Runway: iTunes

Inspired by the bizarre comments by Michele and Marcus Bachmann that gay people are like “barbarians who need to be civilized.” We thought why not show the world how fabulously sexy and appealing barbarians really are?

Get your “Barbarians Do It Better” t-shirt now and help support your favorite podcast, Feast of Fun.

Makes a great back to school t-shirt cause it looks like some funky college sports team. Click here to see the design up close.

We’ve been working hard on launching some new exciting things on the site for you, and to announce it all we’re going to have a special live video podcast, streaming on the site on Wednesday 8 PM Central time.

Can you guess what it is?

UPDATE: We updated the time to 8pm Wednesday September 21 since we are going up to the Great Lakes Naval Station on Tuesday to celebrate the repeal of DADT which takes effect at noon that day! No joke.

The Elvira Collection

Elvira, the gal in the wig whose talents are big offers a unique opportunity to bid on her very own iconic wig that she’s actually worn on television and live appearances.

Along with the wig she’s including other Elvira collectibles- an “Elvira’s Movie Macabre” t shirt, plus a signed DVD and a signed vinyl record.

Cassandra Peterson has generously donated these items for auctions to benefit Feast of Fun podcast. As a bonus, the winner of the auction will receive a phone call from Elvira’s drag queen impersonator and personal assistant Casandra Fever and she’ll answer all your Elvira questions!

Thank you so much Elvira and Cassandra Fever!

Visit the eBay auction

Here’s more photos-

Mo’Nique is probably one of the most fabulous, sassiest women ever to win an Academy Award for her intense role in the film Precious: Based on the Novel “Push” by Sapphire.

She’s the author of the best-selling book Skinny Women Are Evil: Notes of a Big Girl in a Small-Minded World.

And she’s quickly become one of the most popular comedians on the LGBT circuit, with her die-hard support of marriage equality and her loving testmonial of the LGBT folks in her family.

Ask her anything! The best questions will make it on the show.

LifeLube, Association of Latin Men for Action, Chicago Black Gay Men’s Caucus, Communities of Color Collaborative, Project CRYSP, and Feast of Fun are teaming up to present a free podcast forum exploring what HIV prevention looks like now.

It’s your chance to hear from real guys who are taking “the pill” to prevent getting infected with HIV and ask the tough questions about costs and risks.

Why can’t people just wear condoms? How far would you go to protect yourself? Is it really safe?

Wednesday, June 15 at the Center on Halsted. Click for more info and to RSVP.

Click to download the flyer you see below. Please share.

Also on the show, author of “Peering into the Dark: A Look at Depression in Black Gay Men” and producer of the documentary “Your Are Not Alone” Antoine B. Craigwell talks about his research and the social dynamics that contribute to depression and suicide among the black gay male population.  Patrick Battani returns with more updates about illuMENate and the LGBTQI Health Summit.  Featured musical artist is Irish indie pop punk band “Very Angry Girls.”  Musical selections are “Safety Pin Grin” and the title cut from their newly released cd “Red Balloon.”  BloomingOUT also features the latest in national and international queer headline news and a community calendar highlighting local and regional events of interest to the queer community and our allies.

From Wikipedia.org:  BloomingOUT is an LGBTQI radio show broadcast on WFHB in Bloomington, Indiana.  It is dedicated to the LGBTQI life, its history, current issues, news, culture, and a variety of queer topics. The show airs every Thursday at 6:00 p.m, Eastern Time and has podcasts available.

There is a transgender emergence happening in Chicago. After generations of struggle, transgender men and women are becoming more visible, integrated and finding new admirers gay, straight and everywhere in between. And yet the struggle continues.

What are the positive and negative repercussions of increased trans visibility and integration? How and why do different bodies and identities provoke the fear, violence and injustice this community continues to face in the midst of progress? What can the LGBT and allied communities do to change the story?

Featured panelists include Alexandra Billings, performer and community leader, Jamison Green, PhD, University of California, San Francisco Center of Excellence for Transgender Health, and Lara Brooks, manager of the Broadway Youth Center. Moderated by Fausto Fernos and Marc Felion of the Feast of Fun.

This event is being sponsored by the University of Illinois – Chicago Institute for Policy and Civic Engagement. Please join LifeLube, Project CRYSP, and the Feast of Fun for an invigorating, LIVE, podcast forum.

Thursday May 19, 2011

Doors open at 6 p.m. for light nibbles and schmoozing. Taping begins at 7 p.m.

RSVP at Lifelube.org

Are you right now in Texas?

Come join some of the biggest names in queer online culture at a fabulous soiree to kick of SXSW, the film, interactive and music festivals and conference that takes place every spring in Austin, Texas. This year’s featured panelist is Paul Reubens, best known for being Pee Wee Herman. Yeah, it’s our kind of conference.

Network with other queer/LGBT bloggers, filmmakers and musicians including Fausto Fernós and Marc Felion from the Feast of Fun podcast.

Feast of Fun SXSW Queer Meetup
Friday, March 11 at 7pm-9pm
Oil Can Harry’s
Facebook Link | Special hookup for SXSW Attendees (bring your badge) or
folks who follow @oilcanharrys on Twitter. (Bring your smartphone or proof)
Light food and refreshments served.

Photos from last year’s SXSW 2010 Party.

Every year in the spring, thousands of internet and filmmaking rock stars (and rock-star-rock-stars) gather in Austin, Texas for South by Southwest, the interactive, film, and music conference that originally began as a music festival in the late 80s. Today it’s a big deal, bringing the biggest names in the industry together with everyday people in a mixing of the minds– a delicious burrito full of culture and fun.

As a way to say thanks to all the fabulous people who are here for the conference, we’re throwing a party on Friday, March 11 at 7-9pm at Oil Can Harry’s -the- hottest gay bar with the cutest guys and gals.

Come meet me (Fausto Fernós), Marc Felion and a bunch of internet rock stars knocking down the drinks and having a great time.

Bring a camera and your iPhone, these things usually get wild.

This year, I decided to draw Marc and Fausto for Valentine’s Day.

Fausto was nice enough to suggest I post it here

To borrow Oprah’s quote talking about Gayle King–

Marc Felion is the father I was never really close with. He is the brother everybody would want. He is the friend that everybody deserves. I don’t know a better person. He is my lover, always. I could not imagine doing this podcast or this group blog with anyone else. Thank you Marc.

Please take a moment if you can and wish him a Happy Birthday, and talk about your favorite moment he’s helped make happen on the show.

Today bright, colored hair is much more common, but just around 10 years ago, walking around in Chicago or even Puerto Rico, I would get funny looks from people who didn’t approve of my colorful locks.

In 2005 when people started to become famous for doing stuff online and we had just started podcasting, I had just transitioned out of wearing blue wigs myself and dying my own hair blue to make it easier to dress up in drag. And then I just ditched the drag and wore the blue hair, and more recently I ditched the blue hair look, or as Madonna likes to say “reinvented myself.”

I wasn’t alone. I’m not sure if these podcasters dyed their hair blue in response to mine, or it all seemed like a good idea at the time. Here’s three podcasters at the 2nd Podcast Awards: Greg Patterson Podfun and Dawn Micelli The Dawn and Drew Show and me, from that show y’all listen to.

For a while even a lot of our listeners dyed their own hair blue and sending in photos of themselves.

Just as I had stopped dying my hair blue, a rising celebrity blogger who was becoming a celebrity himself, Mario Lavandeirda (better known as Perez Hilton) started branding himself by dying his own hair pink orange and blue. Here’s Jeffree Star, Lenora Claire with Perez Hilton in 2007.

Today everyone’s gone back to earth tones and I heard that Dawn Micelli and her husband Drew have moved to Costa Rica, of all places.

On Feb. 8, we’ll be celebrating six years of podcasting. Amazing isn’t it? If you ever wanted to know what your hair color says about you, check out Flavorwire’s excellent blog entry. They say that blue haired people are “free, independent thinkers, and probably super goofy.”

Now I’m scared. Ever dye your hair a bold, colorful color? Post your picture in the comments below.

For folks who have already ordered theirs, you should expect them by the end of the week, if Miss Vernon at the USPS has her way.

Get them while they're hot.

The Chicago Gay Mens Hockey Association is stepping up to help Howard Brown Health Center raise needed funds to keep their doors open by having a pub crawl. Join these hot guys and their athletic supporters as they go from bar to bar on Halsted for a good cause on Saturday Dec. 18th.

We’ll be ducking out of the pub crawl for a bit to see Mimi Imfurst of RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 3 perform at Hydrate at 9PM for her Christmas Show which earned her the title of “Second Worst Catholic in America!”

We talked to Mimi in October when she participated in our Haunted Halsted Pub Crawl and we are so glad she’s coming back to the Windy City to delight us with her unconventional Nativity tale.

Here’s the full schedule for the pub crawl- hit it all or just part and don’t forget to show your support by buying something at Howard Brown’s Thrift Stores- The Brown Elephant.

Fausto Fernós and Marc Felion holding a bunny cake they made.

The photo on the left is me, Fausto Fernós posing with a bunny cake I made in 1982 for a newspaper article on child cooks for the newspaper “El Nuevo Dia.” On the right is my partner Marc Felion posing with a bunny cake he made in 1999, on the day we met.

Is this bunny cake following us through time?

Here’s some outtakes from filming “Cooking with Drag Queens: How to Make Tostones.” I bet you’ve never seen someone wield a cha-cha heel with such precision.

If you enjoy the plantain crushing, you may also like cake-sitting.

These awards are considered the top prize for podcasting and we’re jumping with joy at the nominations. This really makes a tremendous difference in helping us to continue our programming, maintain the website and secure guests and sponsorships.

From the bottom of our hearts and on behalf of all our wonderful guests we thank you so much for your nominations and we hope you can vote for us everyday from Dec 1-15th in the two categories- People’s Choice and Best GLBT.

Here’s a handy reminder to add to your calendar to remind you to vote- iCal or-

Hello Carol Channing- For over five decades, Carol Channing has delighted audiences with her bubbly personality and unique voice to become one of the most beloved entertainers of all time.

Today we’re delighted to talk to Carol Channing about arts education, why everyone loves to imitate her, especially drag queens, the Carol Channing Ventriloquist doll, and which President had her on his enemies list.

Suzanne Westenhoefer Loves Her Fiestaware- As a stand-up comedian, there was never a time when Suzanne Westenhoefer wasn’t out and proud on stage. For 20 over years she has boldly entertained audiences with her hilarious outlook on life and culture.

Listen as Suzanne shares with us hilarious stories of working as a young comedian in Provincetown, the Dina Shore Classic and the changing face of gay and lesbian humor.

Nellie Oleson Saved My Life- Alison Arngrim is loved and feared by people all over the world for playing the mean little rich girl Nellie Oleson on Little House on the Prairie. Alison credits the role with saving her sanity.

Today Alison joins us to talk about her funny memoir, “Confessions of a Prairie Bitch” about her time on Little House, growing up in a crazy Hollywood, and her work on behalf of HIV/AIDS charities and victims of sexual abuse.

Marga Gomez’s Rainbow Road to Hell – Comedian Marga Gomez is sharpening her cougar claws and heading off to the legendary Michigan Womyn’s Music Festival.

Listen as Marga Gomez shares with us her experiences at the music festival over the years, including her fear of porta potties and the time when bondage loving lesbians dropped pamphlets over the crowds from an airplane to gain acceptance at the woodland event.

Deven Green Had Me at Hello- ith the success of her parody videos on 80s soap opera stars and her recent re-dubbing of Lionel Ritchie’s ridiculous video “Hello,” Deven Green practically owns the word “Hello” on the internet.

Today Deven Green and her hunky husband Joel Bryant join us today to give us a sneak peek at their upcoming projects which include a cooking reality TV show , a vampire/zombie web series and a song written on the ukulele just for us.

Queen of the Apes- Comedian Kristen Studard believes that many of the objects in your home lead secret lives: your lamp, you computer, your iPad, the wall clock and even a half-empty can of diet cola all pass judgment as you do those dirty things you do.

Listen as Kristen joins us to talk about her new show “Small Victories,” where her characters take us to silly places while giving voice to irrational fears and sexual confessions.

Heather Gold Is Gay for the Internet-Today we kick off our series of interviews from deep in the heart of Texas in Austin during SXSW with comedian Heather Gold.

Listen as Heather talks with us about her talk show Tummelvision, the queering of this year’s SXSW conference, how Sarah Palin works the internet and why entertainers need social media to keep their audience.

Baptism by Steam Heat- Cameron Esposito recently performed for us at our live show a Steamworks Bath House. Yes, cameroon delivered some seriously funny stan up in fornt of a bunch of men in towels.

Join us as Cameron talks about performing for a group of the semi-naked men and the mouthwash drinking fountain. Plus, Cameron just released her first comedy album.

Viva La Coacha- In the past year La Coacha has exploded in popularity with her hilarious music parody videos and red carpet interviews. She wields her Spanglish sense of humor like the tip of Zorro’s gay blade.

Listen as we talk with the lovable La Coacha about her wild adventures in Hollywood, her thoughts on Lady Gaga, being banned by Oprah and if she will star in the Real Latina Housewives.

I Love Carole Cook-Actress Carole Cook comedic skills impressed that Lucille Ball so much that she took her under her wing. It was the start of a lifelong friendship and working relationship between the two, with Carole appearing in many of Lucielle Ball’s TV shows including The Lucy Show and Here’s Lucy.

Today we talk to the legendary Carole Cook about her work and friendships with many of comedy’s leading ladies and her behind the scenes apperances in such cult films as Sixteen Candles and TV dramas like Dynasty.

BONUS- because you deserve it:
Jessica Halem Likes You- Comedian Jessica Halem joins us to talk about living in New Orleans after the devastation of hurricane Katrina and the impact of the BP Ecological disaster. Jessica is touring through out the country with her hilarious one woman show. Catch it if you can!

Listen as we talk with Jessica about life in New Orleans, Michigan Womyn’s Fest and all the hot hews.

If you like what we do and you’d like to see the show continue and do well, please nominate us for the Podcast Awards in two categories- Peoples Choice and GLBT. We like to think of this nomination and award as a thank you from the listeners for the quality programming we’ve provided free and uninterrupted for the last year.

You only have to nominate once. Thank you!