There’s a warm nostalgia baked into the idea of holiday traditions, but just because it’s a tradition, that doesn’t mean it’s a good thing. With this in mind, superstar drag queens BenDeLaCreme and Jinkx Monsoon have spent the past few holiday seasons touring the country with riotous live shows (To Jesus, Thanks for Everything in ‘18 and All I Want for Christmas Is Attention in ‘19) aimed at letting everyone in on the spirit: “Doing these holidays specials by and for queer performers—for the queer community—is all about... imparting the message that tradition can be what we want it to be,” says BenDeLaCreme. With their shows well on their way to becoming new seasonal staples, the Drag Race alum weren’t about to let COVID-19 put things on ice; in lieu of a stage tour this year, the magic can be beamed right into your home via The Jinkx & DeLa Holiday Special. Directed by BenDeLaCreme, the special recaptures the hilarious joy of their live shows, deconstructing holiday traditions with a little camp, a pair of chainsaws, and a whole lot of wigs. Just before BenDeLaCreme and Jinkx dashed off to the drive-in premiere of Happiest Season (which features a delightful cameo from the pair), they logged on for a festive Zoom with The A.V. Club to discuss how they hope the special can help reclaim a sense of warmth and joy this year. Then, in the spirit of making the yuletide gay, we challenged the queens with our holiday quiz, asking them to decide which seasonal icons “belong to the queers.” So, is it Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer or Hermey The Elf? Tinsel or garland? Mariah Carey’s “All I Want For Christmas Is You” or Wham!’s “Last Christmas”? Watch the video above for some highlights from BenDeLaCreme and Jinkx’s holly-jolly debate, and then head to our YouTube channel for even more holiday hi-Jinkx. The Jinkx & DeLa Holiday Special is available now on Jinkx and BenDeLaCreme’s website, with a companion holiday album set to drop on December 11.
