By Bebe Zahara Benet
As I travel all around the country to promote my new single, so many people have told me that this season's Jessica Wild reminds them of me. I told my "mija" this during our interview this week, and she was as excited by the comparison as I was. "That makes me feel like a queen," Jessica told me, exhibiting her charm and positive attitude, which were two of the many things I loved about watching her on "RuPaul's Drag Race."
Jessica explained that she got her first name by borrowing it from a girl she was close to in school. Wild came from the character's personality.
"I am a shy guy and I am wild on stage," she said. "I love to dance, I love to perform, I love the make-up, so I put together everything in just one thing, and that thing is Jessica."
When she saw last season, Jessica realized "Drag Race" could be a huge opportunity for her. She applied to this season's online casting contest and ended up winning by a landslide. "I never thought that was going to be the path to the show," she admitted. "I was like, Oh my God, I'm here!"
Unlike a lot of the other girls, Jessica stayed out of the catfights. "It's my reality to be polite," Jessica explained. "I don't like cat fights in my life, so I don't like it on the show, too. I think the girls had a lot of problems that to me were stupid things. Some think Tatianna is too girly, but it's her character. Maybe Raven is too strong, but that's her character."
Even though performing in English was a challenge for Jessica, I respected how much she would not let any language barrier get in her way. "Maybe with my language, people would think I'm not ready to be a drag performer," she said. "But I learned I didn't need to be afraid. I'm so proud of myself!"
Native speaker or not, Jessica wasn't the only girl who had trouble saying "Absolut Berri Acai" (pronounced ah-sah-eee) during the video interview competition. Jessica admitted she wrote the vodka's name on her hand so she wouldn't forget. "In the workroom, all the girls and I were practicing; we were saying, 'acai, acai, acai!'" But Jessica said the most difficult speaking for her was when she dressed up as a chicken for the TV commercial competition. "It's more hard to say 'cockle-doodle-doo' than acai," she revealed.
So what's next for Jessica? She is going to perform live shows with a rock band, and she hopes to travel so she can meet her fans. "I've been given a gift and I'm making the best out of it," Jessica said. "I'm so happy to meet all these new people in my life."
What a positive spirit! Catch "RuPaul's Drag Race" every Monday night at 9 p.m. (ET/PT) on Logo and visit http://www.LOGOonline.com to find out about viewing parties in your area. Until next week, kisses and positivity!
