To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar: Difference between revisions

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Female impersonators and close friends Vida Bohemme (the late [[Patrick Swayze]]) and Noxeema Jackson ([[Wesley Snipes]]... yes, [[Blade|that Wesley Snipes]]) tie for a state-level drag pageant and win a trip to Hollywood to compete in the national. On their way backstage, they run into competitor Chi-Chi Rodriguez ([[John Leguizamo]]), distraught that she lost. Seeing a diamond in the rough, charitable Vida manages to convince Noxie to take Chi-Chi with them to Hollywood while teaching her the ways of drag. To pay Chi-Chi's way, the girls sell their plane tickets (something else that doesn't thrill Noxie) for an old but stylish convertible and embark on their 2,000-mile journey.

 

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** It's possible the in-universe explanation is that Chi-Chi often ''claims'' to know something when really she has no clue, so it's Noxie's way of bringing her down a peg through patronizing.

* [[Attempted Rape]]: First attempted with Vida (or at least a molestation), and later with Chi-Chi vs. some roughnecks.

* [[Avengers Assemble]]: The various drag queens getting ready for the pageant in the movie's opening credits.

* [[Awesome Moment of Crowning]]: {{spoiler|Chi-Chi winning the pageant at the end}}.

* [[Badass Boast]]: Chi Chi delivers two at once:

{{quote|'''Chi Chi:''' I'm the Latina [[Marilyn Monroe]]. I got more legs than a bucket of chicken!}}

* [[Blithe Spirit]]: The girls serve as this to the people of Snydersville.

* [[The Cameo]]: Rupaul, Naomi Campbell, [[Robin Williams]], and Ms. Newmar herself.

* [[Cerebus Syndrome]]: When the plot started to focus on hotel owner Carol Ann and her abusive husband Virgil.

* [[Chronic Hero Syndrome]]: Vida suffers from this contrasting with Noxie's [[Somebody Else's Problem|insensitivity]]. [[Lampshaded]] by Noxie herself.

* [[Directionless Driver]]: For a drag queen, Vida has a decidedly macho distaste for interstate maps.

* [[Down on the Farm]]: Much of the movie takes place in a Midwestern rural hick town where the girls are stranded.

* [[Dude Looks Like a Lady]]: John "Chi-Chi" Leguizamo stands out for really looking like an attractive girl. He spent much of his stand up career impersonating his Latina relatives, so the script played to his strengths.

* [[Everything's Better with Princesses]]: In an attempt to keep Chi-Chi from running away after being deemed a "boy in a dress", Vida says that she's not quite a Drag Queen...she's a Drag Princess.

* [[Fan Service]]: The very first scene shows [[Mr. Fanservice|Patrick Swayze]] coming out of the [[Shower Scene|shower]]. Oh yeah!

* [[Pimped-Out Dress]]: The two pageant scenes. This would apply to any drag show, but it goes double here, as they were purposely strutting their stuff for the prize.

* [[Sassy Black Woman]]: Noxie.

{{quote|'''Vida:''' Girls, sometimes it just takes a fairy.}}

* [[Somebody Else's Problem]]: Noxie contrasted with Vida's [[Chronic Hero Syndrome|"foolish" compassion]].

'''Vida:''' We have to help her!

* [[Spicy Latina]]: Chi Chi.

* [[Strawberry Shorthand]]: The town's distinguishing tradition (and one of the things that perks the trio up) is their Strawberry Social -- "We all bake strawberry pies and bring them to the center of town, then we eat the pies...[[Anticlimax|and then we go home]]." The queens convince them to go all out and try and range of strawberry themes and dress in glorious bright red.

* [[Stupid Sexy Flanders]]: John Leguizamo in drag.

* [[Tap on the Head]]: It's worse than that. Vida simply ''shoves'' Sheriff Dollard, and he's out like a light.

* [[Teeth-Clenched Teamwork]]: Chi Chi and Noxeema don't exactly hit it off. Before long, Chi Chi has stirred up bad blood with Vida, also.

* [[Title Drop]]: The movie's title comes from an autograph Vida swipes from a ritzy Chinese bistro. We never find out who Wong Foo is, but he and Ms. Newmar are given a totemic reverence throughout the movie.

* [[Token Trio]]: White Vida, black Noxeema, and Hispanic Chi-Chi. The movie tries to counter Vida being the leader (though she's the only one who ever drives the car) by giving the other girls' plots ample screentime and Wesley Snipes top billing, but the implication is still there.

* [[Twofer Token Minority]]: Noxie and Chi-Chi as gay men of color.

* [[Unsettling Gender Reveal]]: Sheriff Dullard reacts in the worst possible way when he finds out Vida is a man, but the townsfolk...not so much. They're fooled but eventually figure it out on their own, and accept the girls all the same.

* [[World of Ham]]

* [[Wrench Wench]]: Carol Ann fixes the girls' [[Cool Car|Cadillac]] showing that she's not just a [[Housewife]].

 

{{reflist}}

[[Category:Films of the 1990s]]

[[Category:Film]]