They Will Survive: Cher & Darcelle XV

[September 10th, 2003] Sometimes it's what on top that counts. The look you sport--soccer mom, office worker or leatherman--is a uniform that helps define your place in the world. It's your drag outfit, and everybody does drag.

But what if your livelihood depended on living life as a drag performer? Would you ever be recognized for anything more than a stunning ability to accessorize?

Those burning questions crossed my mind after watching two of my favorite semi-lip-synchers, Cher and Darcelle, at work. Below the surface, an internationally adored pop diva and a locally revered drag queen may not have much in common. But I keep thinking about how much these two old broads look, and even act, alike.

Cher pops into Portland tonight for what is labeled her "final appearance." That's how her previous concert was billed, too, so who knows if this is actually the final time she'll play here. Last time I watched Cher perform I was floored by how much the 57-year-old songbird had morphed into our own local diva, the 72-year-old Darcelle XV. The white hair, the glittery eyes, the face-lifts that have erased any sign of aging. It's all a little freaky.

After bearing witness to Darcelle at her annual Labor Day weekend fete known as the La Femme Magnifique International Beauty Pageant, I see why nearly 500 people paid 30 bucks each to see what is basically a low-tech version of the Cher show. Part of it is that, in their own special way, both of these gals are true originals. And, at the same time, true fakes. This grand fakery is part of Cher's real appeal to gay men and why Darcelle has so many straight fans.

They both give their audiences a peek into a world few outsiders can see. For example, what gay man doesn't love the way the deep-throated Cher looks like a woman dressed up to look like man who is trying to pass himself off as a woman? Likewise, for local straight Oregonians, it's a rite of passage to stick a dollar in Darcelle's butt as she sings "Rhinestone Cowboy." It makes them all feel so, well...gay.

Even though the world has passed each of them by: Straights stopped caring about Cher around the time she did that movie with a boy and his enormous head. While she might never admit it, Darcelle's significance faded right about the time that every queer decided to come out of the closet. Yes, there was a time when what Darcelle did shocked the local authorities, but today the powers that be would more likely give her the keys to the city than lock her in a jail cell.

But that doesn't mean these performers haven't been able to change with our changing times. It's not easy being Cher. Or Darcelle. But dammit, they are survivors. And they are not about to let you forget it. They are also spouses, parents, businesspeople and leaders in their communities.

And, dare we say it, underneath all the paint, puffery and other put-ons, they are icons for our times. We salute them.