Kings of Joy Podcast interview with Jim Junkie: Vision Boards, Dolphins & Performative Masculinity

Jim Junkie  0:00  
Alright, listen up legends!

Danica Lani  0:04  
Jim is in the house. Jim is in the Bandstand.

Jim Junkie  0:10  
Ready to work out.

Danica Lani  0:12  
Hello and welcome to the Kings of Joy Podcast Show Live at the Bandstand by Qtopia Sydney! We are gathered here today on Aboriginal land. I'd like to acknowledge the ancestors of the Gadigal people, the traditional custodians of the land where we're gathered today and acknowledge that sovereignty was never seated. No treaty has ever been signed. And this always was and always will be Aboriginal land.

Danica Lani  0:51  
Please welcome today our guest Jim Junkie. My name is Danica Lani. I am the King coach and I have coached choreographed and produced 98 first-time Drag Kings since December 2020. And guess who was the first ... Jim Junkie! Number one!

Jim Junkie  1:26  
Number one, bro. 

Danica Lani  1:30  
What was that like? How did you find out about it to start with Kings of Joy?

Jim Junkie  1:35  
It was through Chris. We work out together.  I honestly, had not heard of Drag before. And when they first told me about it, I was like, Well, this sounds like a really great workout. And that's what it is. That's what it is. And here I am.

Danica Lani  1:54  
Amazing.

Jim Junkie  1:56  
You get your coach. 

Danica Lani  1:57  
Yeah, you need a coach.

Jim Junkie  1:58  
You've got your bros that you work out with.  You get your heart rate up. It's good for the endorphins, you know, really releases a lot of chemicals in the brain. Which I hear - releases the olphins. So it's really, really good for the environment.

Danica Lani  2:12  
I'm sorry, did you say releases the dolphins? 

Jim Junkie  2:14 
Dolphins, yeah.

Danica Lani  2:14  
The dolphins. Okay. Great. 

Jim Junkie  2:16  
So when I'm push-pressing, I think about Greta. 

Danica Lani  2:20
Who's Greta? 

Jim Junkie  2:21  
Greta, the climate activist.

Danica Lani  2:24
Oh Greta, yes! 

Jim Junkie  2:26  
Shout out for Greta

Danica Lani  2:27
Snaps for Greta?

Danica Lani  2:29  
Amazing. Okay, so that's how you first came across drag. Drag Kings.  Where were you in a gym or something? You were working out?

Jim Junkie  2:39  
Yeah. I was in a gym. But Chris wasn't there. You never come. I don't know - anyway. So yeah, I was in the gym doing, you know, just warming up a bit. Getting ready for a very hard session of aqua aerobics.  I was kind of getting the mindset of it. And that's when I got the call. Actually, it was Chris. That's why you weren't there because you were calling me.

Danica Lani  3:00  
Ok, it's coming back. 

Jim Junkie  3:00 
Yeah, it's coming back. I got the call and was asked to join this group of first-time Drag Kings to be performing at the Red Rattler. I thought, You know what? I was actually in a really hard time at that time.

Danica Lani  3:15  
Were you JIm? Tell us.

Jim Junkie  3:17  
Yeah, Dad said that I don't have the balls to be a receptionist at his business. Yeah, it was pretty hard. I was looking for some like-minded individuals that I could work out with... 

Danica Lani  3:28  
And you found them.

Jim Junkie  3:28  
Found them. Yeah.

Danica Lani  3:30  
Wow. Amazing. And what was your Drag King group and performance about? (Sorry, not performance - workout)

Jim Junkie  3:36  
Yeah, yeah, we did work out to Everybody by Michael Buble.

Danica Lani  3:40  
Oh, very good. Michael?

Jim Junkie  3:43  
Yeah. Was it Everybody?

Danica Lani  3:45 
Nope No.  

Danica Lani  3:46
Feeling Good! 

Jim Junkie  3:47  
It was Feeling Good. I've done a lot of workouts and I've combined the two. Feeling Good by Michael Buble. I knew it was a Buble song.

Danica Lani  3:54  
Yeah. And so I remember that you went on a bit of a journey as a group. 

Jim Junkie  3:59  
Yeah. Well, it was like discovering ourselves. And then I think it was that we'd like almost landed in our own music video. Was that right? Yeah, a pretty solid journey, if I'm honest. Got the heart rate up really high. We kind of got there and we were figuring out what's going on before we found each other. 

Danica Lani  4:22  
There was a lot of helping each other up the mountain.

Jim Junkie  4:25  
Supporting. Yeah, like a good spotter. You know?

Danica Lani  4:27  
Like a good spotter. I remember early on one of the, I guess - what would you call it, workouts or WODs? - was to study male movement. 

Jim Junkie  4:41  
Yeah, yeah. So I was looking at a lot of like-minded bros out there. And like, I realized that as I was moving through spaces, I tend to move my body around a bit. Like I make way for other people. Now, if that's people that I want to make way for, that's great, but I tend to be making it for a lot of CIS bros, which is not always the kind of people that you want to be making space for. And so then I was like, why am I moving my body when they could be moving theirs?  You know?

Danica Lani  5:12  
That's deep.

Jim Junkie  5:13  
Yeah, a bit like that. So as I was like moving through the shopping center, I was approaching a CIS-BRO and... I didn't move my body. And do you know what happened? We collided. The shock that I did not move my body for another CIS-BRO... was quite apparent on the face. 

Danica Lani  5:40  
Really?

Jim Junkie  5:41  
Yeah, yeah, really taken aback being like *makes face*. You know? I know you probably can't tell. But like I'm quite... quite small. And so again, why am I moving to make space? I don't take up a lot of space. You know? So I thought I'd take up space.

Danica Lani  5:57  
Wow. What a radical act.

Jim Junkie  6:02  
Yeah. So I implore all of you to take up space. 

Danica Lani  6:07  
That's great. What did you notice particularly in the gym environment?

Jim Junkie  6:16  
So you and I work out together a lot, right? And we know that there is often a particular type of person that likes to go to the gym. I saw this a lot in my gym, where there would be a particular type of Bro, and they'd come to the gym, and they're all kitted up. Now, I love a good kit. As you can see. (Sorry you can't see - podcast). So they're all kitted up, in their brand new gear, ready to spot. Now I love a good spotter. And that's really important as part of the gym environment. But I think what makes a really good spotter is someone that also lifts. But these bros weren't lifting!

Danica Lani  6:52  
Really?

Jim Junkie  6:52  
No, they weren't. They were doing any push presses, squats, thrusters, dumbbell presses, none of that. Instead, they were supporting and they were quite performative in it, you know? And then I realised that they were there for a couple of weeks, and then they'd disappear. You never see them again. 

Jim Junkie  7:10  
And then it would repeat. You get another bro another fresh kit. Supporting, not lifting. And then I realised that these bros are actually there just to look for friends... *audience: awws* They are there to look for friends. And I was like, why is it that we have to be so performative in our masculinity in a gym space when you are meant to feel safe?

Danica Lani  7:34  
And I've heard that you've been studying PT yourself. 

Jim Junkie  7:38  
I have. I'm doing a Certificate III in Personal Training and Wellness at Petersham TAFE 

Danica Lani  7:45  
Amazing. Do you have a vision for creating a kind of new gym? 

Jim Junkie  7:49  
Yeah, the dream I have is to have like, Jim's Gym. Yeah, yeah, but I thought I'd start out just small, setting up like a little PT business with my bro Tyson. He's my best friend. Works at Lewisham Fitness First-  shout out Tyson! I don't think he's here tonight...  that's all right. So I thought I'd start out with a bit of a PT business, in a bit of a van, maybe going around - DMs are always open, so... 

Danica Lani  8:16  
Great. So how did you meet Tyson? 

Jim Junkie  8:19  
At Lewisham Fitness First. He signed me up for my first gym membership and he gave me a free PT session and I've been texting him ever since. 

Danica Lani  8:26 
Really? 

Jim Junkie  8:26  
Yeah.

Danica Lani  8:28
Like as your...?

Jim Junkie  8:29  
Just as a bro! Like I let him know when I'm up every morning. What my goals are for the day. We're kind of like accountability partners.

Danica Lani  8:35 
Yeah. Very cool.

Jim Junkie  8:37  
Yeah, he doesn't text back... But that's alright. You know, we check in. You know, you don't need to text back because I know that he's there. He's received that message and that I'm sticking to my goals. 

Danica Lani  8:50 
Amazing. Go you! Sticking to your goals!  I believe you also went on a recreational journey, on a holiday trip, one time with Tyson...

Jim Junkie  9:03  
Oh, yeah we went to Bali - I got a tramp stamp. Yeah, I won't show you. It's a bit embarrassing. I got a tattoo. We got really drunk and yeah - it was just wild. So um... Tyson couldn't come but he'll be there next time. 

Danica Lani  9:22  
Oh ok, awesome. So an amazing bros weekend. 

Jim Junkie  9:26  
Bros weekend. Yeah, you been to Bali?

Danica Lani  9:31  
No.

Jim Junkie  9:31  
Oh! We should go.

Danica Lani  9:33  
Ok. Yeah, 

Jim Junkie  9:34  
Great! Do a bit of a Fitness Workout holiday, if you will. 

Danica Lani  9:37  
Yeah, I will. 

Jim Junkie  9:39  
Great, love that. Put it in the calendar.

Danica Lani  9:41  
Ok! Well, you are someone who is quite goal-oriented, right? Talk us through, what would you recommend for goal setting and that kind of thing.

Jim Junkie  9:52  
Ah, vision board.  Love a vision board. Yeah, I like to write in my bullet journal every day as well.

Danica Lani  9:59  
Ok. What's on your vision board? 

Jim Junkie  10:03  
Jim's Gym. Obviously. I've got a lot of very exciting workouts coming up. Yeah, one on the 28th Oct. One tomorrow night. 

Danica Lani  10:11  
Yeah, where's that? 

Jim Junkie  10:13  
Tomorrow night we're going to be at Miss Wolf's, Marrickville. That's right. I'm actually a bit of a hype man myself and I'm going to be hyping up the fabulous Randy Rootrat. 

Danica Lani  10:22  
Yeah, Randy Rootrat!

Jim Junkie  10:24  
Then on the 28th I'm working out at one of my favorite gyms, The Working Kind Collective, doing a top surgery fundraiser, for my pal Jonnie.

Danica Lani  10:34  
Amazing! Sounds like you've met quite a few bros during this journey.  

Jim Junkie  10:38  
So many bros. I feel like I'm taking on the world a bit. Like yeah, I've been to Canberra. I went to Newcastle last weekend. It's pretty cool!

Danica Lani  10:47  
What were you doing there? 

Jim Junkie  10:48  
I was doing a workout. Yeah!

Danica Lani  10:51  
So tell me about these workouts. You kind of just like clear the space and then you...?

Jim Junkie  10:54  
You clear the space. I like to lock eyes with people that I know are also into working out. And then you just work out and they tend to join you- it's all about the tune. If you play really good tune then they'll definitely be on with you. 

Danica Lani  11:08  
Really? Ok and what are some of the most favorite workouts that you've done? 

Jim Junkie  11:12  
Oh, God... Jump for My Love would definitely be up there. Of course, Everybody - that's a group number. We do an odd number or two, don't we? 

Danica Lani  11:23
Yeah, we have.

Jim Junkie  11:27  
Recently we did a Christmas special. That was not at Christmas, but...

Danica Lani  11:30  
It's coming up to Christmas.

Jim Junkie  11:31  
We're getting ready. We're getting ready. 

Danica Lani  11:32  
Yeah, we peaked a little early, but that's ok. 

Jim Junkie  11:36
Vision Board. 

Danica Lani  11:37
Vision Board it.

Jim Junkie  11:38
Vision board it.

Danica Lani  11:40  
So my Drag King persona's name is Dario di Bello. 

Jim Junkie  11:44  
One of my favorite bros. 

Danica Lani  11:46  
Dario The Beautiful. He named himself.

Jim Junkie  11:48  
Isn't he bi-gender? 

Danica Lani  11:50  
Yes, that's right. He does the half-half. At times. So half male, half female. Yeah, absolutely. But that Christmas Gift Show is really special. 

Jim Junkie  12:06  
It is pretty special. 

Danica Lani  12:07  
You know, I think we've got a gift to share with people.

Jim Junkie  12:10  
And for each other.

Danica Lani  12:11  
Yes for each other. *Holds hands*

Danica Lani  12:23
What's next for Jim? Because there have been quite a few achievements. I think Jim's underselling himself a little bit.

Jim Junkie  12:30
Oh, don't! Don't!

Danica Lani  12:32  
Let me fill in some of the gaps. 

Jim Junkie  12:34  
Alright, go on then.

Danica Lani  12:35  
So when Jim did Kings of Joy in December 2020. He came to me and he said, Coach, King coach, Coach, I'm hooked. I'm hooked.

Jim Junkie  12:47  
I was.

Danica Lani  12:47  
I want to do this. Let's do this. Let's keep going. Right?

Jim Junkie  12:51  
And we did. 

Danica Lani  12:52  
And we did. And one of the things we did was a massive competition. It was one of those pro events. It was held at what's that place called- Max's...? 

Jim Junkie  13:06  
I want to say Max Black, but that's a different...

Danica Lani  13:09  
I like where you're thinking from. 

Jim Junkie  13:11  
It was around Fox studios. One of those. 

Danica Lani  13:15
That's the one. 

Jim Junkie  13:16
Yeah. 

Danica Lani  13:20  
[To audience suggestion] No.

Jim Junkie  13:39  
But good suggestion. 

Danica Lani  13:21  
Near the Horden Pavilion, exactly. So there we were at a massive comp run by Heaps Gay. Remember that? And this competition had three levels to it. Emerging, was it?

Jim Junkie  13:42  
First-time

Danica Lani  13:46
First timers? 

Jim Junkie  13:48  
Baby Kings, which was if you've been working out for a year or less. And then there was like, established. We're talking about some of the pros. Guy Alias was there, Honi Boy, Malcolm XY, Daddy Annie, George Dykel.

Danica Lani  14:07  
Yeah. Some of these big names.

Jim Junkie  14:11  
King Woody! Yeah. All those epic Kings. 

Danica Lani  14:15  
And there was a judging panel. Right? Full judging panel. And what happened that night, Jim? Tell us.

Jim Junkie  14:22  
It was pretty nerve-wracking, and I did it. 

Danica Lani  14:25  
Your first solo performance.

Jim Junkie  14:27  
First solo performance! Yeah, and I went in to lift a weight and it didn't quite go according to plan, but that's fine. That's, you know, and these things happen. They are not always going to be on your vision board, you just got to take it full on and I won the division! Then we had an audience vote of the King of Kings, and I won that!

Danica Lani  14:50
That's right. Jim Junkie, King of Kings. So shot right out of the gate, really. Then you continued on and not only did you do your workout performance as a solo, you then developed it into a one-hour workout journey.

Jim Junkie  15:08  
I did, it was one of the toughest workouts. 

Danica Lani  15:10  
It's a tough workout. It was a tough workout. You know, working on that show together. I mean that event together. That was tough. 

Jim Junkie  15:19  
It was tough. 

Danica Lani  15:20  
Where was that held?

Jim Junkie  15:22  
It was across the street at Brand X. I want to give a big shout-out to them as well. Super supportive. 

Danica Lani  15:28  
And a lot of people showed up night after night for that one-hour workout that you did. 

Jim Junkie  15:34  
I know. Yeah. Crazy. 

Danica Lani  15:36  
What were some of the highlights and some of the highlight conversations from that journey?

Jim Junkie  15:40  
Look, honestly, just people are knowing that people showed up, you know. Because I didn't think I was someone that people would show up for. But they did.

Danica Lani  15:46  
Aww, Jim, yeah. I know you had a few sponsors that night as well.

Jim Junkie  15:52  
My sponsors, yeah. So I've become a bit of a social media kind of person. I'm working on my brand, you know. Yeah. You got to work on your brand. Yeah. So, Enmore Floorboards. They are exceptional. You will be floored by their prices. So want to give a huge shout-out to them. And Marrickville Drapes, which are sponsored by us tonight... so... again, get down to them. And I hear they're expanding into awnings as well.

Danica Lani  16:30  
Ok, if you need some awnings you know where to go. Very cool. Good. And so there you go, you've gone, Canberra, Newcastle, all around Sydney.

Jim Junkie  16:44  
Hoping to hit Naarm next year which will be exciting.

Danica Lani  16:47  
Great for Midsumma? 

Jim Junkie  16:48  
Yeah. Hopefully. Fingers crossed. Yeah. Yeah.

Danica Lani  16:50  
So what else is next for Jim?

Jim Junkie  16:52  
Yeah, so gonna hit up Naarm. Yeah. And then just continuing to work out with some bros. We had WorldPride, which is really exciting. I met some amazing Kings. There are some really cool new Kings coming up that we've seen that I'm really excited to connect with them, but just continuing to work out and focus on that vision board.

Danica Lani  17:11  
Amazing. And how do you feel now that you, you know, you were the first King of nearly 100 Kings of Joy, who have gone through and become first-time Drag Kings. How do you feel as an Elder, a King?

Jim Junkie  17:31  
I mean, I didn't expect that at 17 and a half, but... I would say, you know what, I'm just excited for the journey that we're all on. And I think we're only just beginning.

Danica Lani  17:46  
We are only just beginning. And I will just say too that, I think you've proven something now. I know your dad didn't think you had the balls to be a receptionist in the family business.

Jim Junkie  17:59  
The Junkie Hairdressing Service, yup.

Danica Lani  18:01  
But here you are, contributing to this Kings of Joy community. Helping grow it. Helping and supporting new Kings as they come through. I think you've proven that you are the King of Kings.

Danica Lani  18:16  
So will you Jim, take us out with just a little, give us a few little warm-ups or stretches or something that we can take away with this and practice at home?

Jim Junkie  18:36  
Of course legends. And I must say that if anyone out there does want to join Drag Kings, I would highly recommend it. Kings of Joy. There's a lot of love. And there's a lot of protein. 

Jim Junkie  18:48  
Shall we do a bit of a warm-up? Alright. So we're just going to do a bit of stretching like this. Like that. And you gotta get your knees up. You gotta really do some of the thrusters as I was doing this morning. And then you want to finish nice on a pose, alright? You right? So you got your pose ready? And boom. **Poses**

Danica Lani  19:25  
Well done. Jim Junkie everybody! Our loveable Fitness Influencer. Please follow them on Instagram.

Jim Junkie  19:28  
@king_jimjunkie and DMs are always open.

Danica Lani  19:35  
Thank you very much. 

Jim Junkie  19:36  
Thanks legends.

Xx

Danica Lani

The King Coach

P.S. If you’d like to see Jim Junkie perform, grab your ticket to Drag Kingdom, Thurs 16 Nov, at 7 pm at The Red Rattler. A reunion of over 30 of the Kings of Joy community this will be a night not to be missed. Plus, 10% of all proceeds go to our LGBTQIA+ refugee friends living in Kakuma, Kenya at Block 13. Let’s make a difference together.

P.S. Wanna be a Drag King? Click here to join the waiting list for Kings of Joy

Hello handsome, 🌈 I'm Danica Lani, also known as The King Coach, here to empower you in your exploration of gender, sexuality, and performance. I have proudly mentored, choreographed, and produced 89 first-time Drag Kings since December 2020. Welcome to the joyous community of Kings of Joy, where we uplift and celebrate each other every step of the way! 🎉🤩 Let's embark on this Drag King journey together, embracing our true selves and cheering each other on! 🤗💖 #KingsOfJoy