Amanda Lepore is pretty. Really pretty. And she has no qualms about pouting her lips or pouring out her cleavage enough times so you know it.
The "My Pussy" singer's been plasticized into something of a caricature – she'd probably be the first to tell you, she modeled herself after Jessica Rabbit – which is one of the reasons the model/actress/nightlife queen's been dubbed "World's Most Famous Transsexual." Breaking from packing for Switzerland, Lepore chatted with BTL about that title, the "I … Amanda Lepore" album due July 7, and what it takes to look as good as her (and it's not plastic surgery).
How are you, Amanda?
Good.
And your pussy?
It's good. Famous (laughs).
It's early though, it must be tired?
(Laughs)
"I … Amanda Lepore" doesn't drop until next month, but what can we expect from it?
Different styles of music. It isn't just club music. There's slow songs; there's all different styles.
Will you be exploiting your private parts on any of the tracks?
Um, let me think … no, I don't think so (laughs).
(Laughs) That's OK. They've gotten enough attention, right?
(Laughs)
You're obviously known for your transformation, including a synthetic vagina. Watching a sex change procedure being done on TV inspired you, right?
Well, I heard that it was obtainable – you know what I mean? – but I always wanted to be a girl. There was no question about it. I mean, that TV show didn't put that in my mind; it just kind of gave me direction to where you could go to get it (laughs).
How old were you then?
I think 12.
How did you envision yourself at that age?
I just wanted to be a girl. For a long time, I didn't really (care about) anything except for wanting to be a pretty girl (laughs). I think all through Limelight (a string of nightclubs Lepore performed at), I really was just so happy dressing up and being a glamorous girl and being an "it" girl that I really didn't have any motivation to be anything else (laughs).
Do you feel like a role model to other transgender people?
Definitely. Nobody at the time wanted to call themselves the No. 1 Transsexual in the World. It was something they didn't want to be known as (laughs). Ten years ago, transsexuals (wanted) to blend in; there were more who wanted to blend in on the streets than wanted to be on the cover of Vogue. They would really go out of their way to not do anything too flashy; it was more about meeting a straight man and getting married. I know transsexuals that get a husband or something and go as far as getting married and never tell them. I think it was sort of a goal for transsexuals – for the guys not to know. It's like a game, kind of.
I was the opposite and just said, "Hi, I'm the No. 1 Transsexual in the World," and I probably got that title because nobody wants it (laughs). I think that it really opened the door for transsexuals on TV. I went to a college one time in Ohio and there were girls becoming boys and they had hair on their legs, and they were going to college. When I went to school I had to have a tutor, like I couldn't even go because people just couldn't deal.
Dolly Parton has called herself a cartoon because of all the plastic surgery she's had. So how does being made into a totally different person on the outside change your perception of yourself?
I always got attention even before I did any plastic surgery at all. I was just really striking. People think I did a lot more plastic surgery than I really did; I mean, for a transsexual I don't think I did so much. A lot of transsexuals had way more plastic surgery than me. At least double.
What's real then?
People think that my bone structure is (fake), but I only had one nose job. Everything else is just natural – that's what made me striking was the bone structure, more than anything else. And that's natural.
Lucky you!
(Laughs)
You've said that you wanted to look as close to Jessica Rabbit as possible.
Well, the blond bombshell, too. But I liked Jessica Rabbit too, because that was even curvier and prettier.
How do you feel about aging?
It doesn't bother me only because I seem to get prettier. I'm one of those people who look better when they're older, so it doesn't really bother me. I definitely look softer and prettier now than I did in the '90s.
Good genes or plastic surgery?
I don't know. I probably take care of myself better, I think. I go to the gym. I'm just smarter. I just look better. And probably experimenting with hairdos and everything. Like, I always studied pictures (to) know what works on me and what doesn't. You could look better if you have that knowledge. I don't really need any stylists or hairdressers or anything, I could really do it myself.
You put your own makeup on?
Yeah, sometimes people do it for me, but most of the time I do it.
Wow. So no glam entourage for Amanda Lepore, huh?
Well, I'm one of those people that – like when I did photos with, like, David LaChapelle, I'd always ask, "So, what did you do? What did you do?" I like doing myself, and I'd always ask a million questions. Someone like Pamela Anderson doesn't even do their own makeup; they're really dependent on somebody doing them, where I could look as bombshell as could be … right now (laughs).
What do you think or feel when you look through old photos of you, before you underwent the plastic surgery?
I'm just fascinated that I look better. It's fascinating, but it happens. I see some women that I know that are older and that look incredible. I went to a Louis Vuitton party once and I saw Iman – David Bowie's wife – and I know that she's been around longer than me, but she looks better now.
When you were younger did you ever pretend that you had them by, maybe, stuffing your shirt with socks?
Nah, not really. I kind of liked that look – that model-y look – at the time. I didn't really want big ones. I associated them with "big mamas," and I just didn't have that body type. I was really tiny. It just looked right at that time to have little ones.
Tell me about the breasts you have now, because you've got some of the perkiest ones I've ever seen.
I got them done three times. I started off really skinny, so I went small. I wasn't one of those girls that gets giant breasts; I wanted them to be soft and pretty, so I went really small my first time. And, actually, I had my sex change before I even had breast implants, like I had little breasts and I looked good like that at the time. I had like Angie Harmon breasts, very Kate Moss type, and it looked good. Then I wanted more of a sexy look, so I started getting the lips, and wanted bigger breasts. It's a proportion thing, too – you do one thing, then you do something else. So for a while I had the bigger lips and maybe C breasts, but they looked really big. It was more stripper-y because I didn't have a really curvy body. I wanted more curves, (so I did) my hips and behind. Then, the breasts looked small, so I got bigger breasts to balance it – and then it was done. And I'm perfect now (laughs).
Amanda Lepore
Doors 5:30 p.m. June 7
Majestic Theater
4120 Woodward Ave., Detroit
$15-$25
http://www.majesticdetroit.com
