Thoughts on "Karaoke Queen" by Dominic Lim
Moods: adventurous emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective sad medium-paced
Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
“But pain is part of drag,” I say. “Not just in the uncomfortable clothes and shoes. It’s in the ache that comes out of us when we perform. The hurt that we transform into art. It’s in the way we pay tribute to queens who’ve inspired us, who’ve suffered just for existing. Like you. Without people like you and everything you’ve gone through, there would be no Regina Moon Dee.” (282)
I loved this achillean romance and coming-of-age narrative about Rex, who has left his love for drag behind, to make his dad happy and to avoid the violence he endured previously while participating in drag. He agrees to help his former college sweetheart Aaron to save his karaoke bar, and gets to know the KJ (karaoke jockey), Paolo in the meantime. This is such a tender illustration of re-discovering the things you love and the parts of yourself that you have hidden away to try to fit in.
I didn’t blame Rex for the reasoning he left drag behind, because it’s not a secret that in this world, (yes even in the SF Bay Area where this book is based), it can be dangerous to visibly/openly be any of the identities that Rex holds: Filipino, a gay man, a drag queen, and on top of that, imagine him being loudly and proudly himself. So, when he forces himself into a smaller, quieter version of himself, I wasn’t yelling at him to say, “get UP! Be yourself! Fuck those people!” because everyone is on their own journey, and sometimes, it really isn’t that simple or that safe.
And who the fuck am I to tell someone to be braver when I’ve never had that lived experience? I can’t ignore the privilege I have in being a small, unassuming, cisgender Chinese & Filipina woman. The cishet men of the world generally haven't seen me as a threat and when they see me, I’m not pushing on their collective bruise of toxic masculinity, patriarchy, and not feeling “man enough.” Their insecurities are brought to the forefront, and they make them everyone else’s problem. Heteronormativity, homophobia, and transphobia can all have dire consequences, as we’ve seen again & again, even in seemingly progressive spaces. All this to say, I really appreciate how Dominic Lim illustrated this very valid and heartbreaking fear that drag queens, the trans community, and gay men experience, simply for existing. It was a beautiful road to Rex’s re-entry to his drag era, and how he confronted his dad and Tito Melboy along the way.
Side note about the romance: I LOVE when the main character realizes, 'Ohhhhh, you're not the love interest. YOU'RE the love interest!' It is so reminiscent of 90s/00s romcoms, where the main character has been pining over the wrong person, and then has a realization of, 'OMG, I actually have someone BETTER who has been right under my nose this whole time!' Chef's kiss!!!!
I highly recommend this book, as it’s a celebration of queer love and drag, as well as an ode to the SF Bay Area Asian community. I love everything Dominic Lim does, and he’s a rad human, so check out this book asap!
Karaoke and drag. Most people see drag as playing dress-up. Being something that you’re not. Similarly, people think that karaoke is just singing someone else’s song. A sad attempt at re-creating the original.
But they’re wrong.
Karaoke is taking something familiar and making it your own. You don’t have to sound like anyone else. You can sing to the music however you want. It doesn’t matter how you sound, or even how good you sound. All that matters is how good you feel when you do it.
And drag is more than just wigs and makeup. It’s an escape from the restrictions that other people put on you. It’s a way of telling the world what you feel inside, of sharing your truth. (326)
Content To Note: Cursing, Homophobia, Violence, Alcohol
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