Drag queen Miss Petty will put on quite a show tonight on Talent. The boy from a religious family posed on the cover of LUI and might even win the Nightingale!
Miss Petty, civilian name David Daniel, is a twenty-six-year-old talented artist who one day decided to come out of his shell, not only in front of his family and loved ones, but also in front of the whole world. He opened himself up to make-up, women's dresses, extravagance and performance. And he's really good at what he does. Even the jury of the TV competition "Czech Slovakia's Got Talent" appreciated him. Jakub Prachař did not spare any praise for the fact that this queen does not impersonate anyone. The song she performed was composed by herself. Even according to the biggest executioner of the jury, Jar Slávik, David succeeded and the presented song was described by the otherwise often demanding evaluator as a huge hit! In the end, the young extravagant musician advanced with all four YES's and can look forward to the second round. And what did Miss Petty reveal about herself to our editors?
David, or Miss Petty - what should I call you?
"He", as in David.
Okay, David, then: You've done a talent show, which by definition is not exactly common. How was it?
I would definitely do it again. It was enjoyable. Even though I wasn't sure how I was going to be received and I was nervous that I might stand out, the people backstage were very nice to me. For example, when I found out my false eyelashes were too long, someone from the production didn't hesitate to get me a pair of scissors. They were very accommodating and I enjoyed the day.
So it was an entirely positive experience?
I guess the only thing to complain about was the horrible heat. It was filmed in the summer on a tropical day and I don't know how they have air conditioning in the Incheba Arena, but for me, who had glued on eyebrows and really heavy makeup, it was a challenge. I was there from 7am and didn't get my turn until around 11pm. In the meantime, I had to fix my makeup three times because it just melted. But that was probably out of the organizers' control.
But you advanced...
I did. I surprised the jury. They were really nice. Even Jaro Slávik praised me, which I didn't expect. I'd like to point out that the team that works on the show is really good.
The episode has already aired in Slovakia. Do you have any feedback from viewers?
I have, and it's not entirely nice. However, I was expecting a lot of criticism. I used to perform mainly on drag shows where I was sure that everyone knew what to expect from me. It was such a safe environment, a comfort zone - a place where people accept you for who you are. Going to a different stage is more difficult. I knew there were going to be a lot of nasty comments, I prepared for it and I was right. Especially on the Slovakian side, it didn't really surprise me. People there are still pretty homophobic.
Did you read the mean comments?
I originally told myself I wouldn't read them. Eventually, though, I didn't bother and I went through them. And I have to say, it affected me less than I would have expected. I guess the way I prepared myself mentally for it, I now feel like it doesn't even affect me. I figure that if anyone out there is significantly gay, they'll get the same charge as me. Plus, people are mean in the comments in general. Look at the moderator - Jasmin Alagic. She's a very beautiful woman and she's likeable too. Yet when it was announced that she was going to be the presenter of Slovakia's Got Talent, there was a wave of criticism about how unsympathetic and perhaps even ugly she is. That got to me and made me realise that you can be a totally gorgeous, attractive, young, pleasant woman and there will still be those who will write nasty things to you. That's just the way it is, even when it's sad.
Do you get acceptance from those closest to you?
Yes, I do. They support me. Of course it was hard when I came out, coming out, being gay, plus I figured I'd enjoy being a drag queen. I come from a village, from a religious family, so there were complications. But after a few days, my mom and I sat down and talked about it. My family likes me, so they accepted it. (laughs) And my friends? The ones I had before I became Miss Petty, they knew what I was like a long time ago. Nothing's changed about that.
Adjusting to drag queen is not an easy process. How did you learn to, like, create the perfect makeup look?
I wouldn't say I learned how to do it, or that I do it perfectly. I'm still working on it. The first year was critical and it's gotten better, that's true, but in general I'm still pushing myself.
Obviously, performing in front of people is not a problem for you - and you have quite a large fan base as well. Since you make your own music, you can even be voted for in the Czech Nightingale...
Yes, I'm used to performing. I used to do classic shows where you perform other people's songs. But in the end I decided to do my own work. As for the Nightingale, yes, I found myself on the list of artists to vote for. I'm in the hip hop & rap category.
Drag shows are your livelihood now?
In the summer, I guess you could say that for the first time in my life, I was making a living. Of course, the lockdown and all the coronavirus stuff has affected me as well. I performed the song "I'm Fat" in front of an audience for the first time just on TV because there was no place to perform it before, given the situation. I've done various jobs in the past, but I always ended up preferring to do what I love, so I lost those jobs again. I was also at the Job Centre for a while. I'm used to having little money, and sometimes I have trouble making it from month to month and paying the rent, but I don't mind. The freedom I have is more valuable to me. I do what I enjoy.
