Mo’ Betta, who described his look as an international spy with a London clip, walked away with the title of Mr. Philadelphia Drag King 2016, after a two-hour competition Saturday night at William Way LGBT Community Center.
The hosts of the evening — Rough RydeHer and Arielle — joked that he outdid another famous British agent, reducing James Bond to “Double-oh-something.”
Mo’ Betta won $200 and will perform at the Philadelphia Dyke March June 11 at Kahn Park in the Gayborhood and on a float in the Pride parade the next day. About 100 people attended the show, which raised money for the Dyke March.
Eli Harvester, who rocked a lumberjack look, took second place, and Travis Tea, who came out in a shirt made to look bloody for “women who are tired of misogyny,” got third.
Mr. Roy A. Ramming, who had a cowboy persona, and Mr. Dan Mac, wearing a big fur coat and chains, also competed.
Donald Trump came up several times during the evening, from a knockout performance by Mr. Philadelphia Drag King 2015 Manny Tucker Lovett to the question-and-answer session for the current competitors.
Donning an ill-fitting blonde wig, Lovett performed choreography that featured marching and saluting reminiscent of Nazi Germany. The rap track “You’re a Jerk” was spliced with things Trump has said on the campaign trail for the Republican nomination for president, like, “Those are powerful hands. Those hands can hit a golf ball 285 yards.”
The crowd roared when Lovett spun around in a circle throwing water from a plastic bottle like Trump mocking the sweating of former Republican presidential contender Marco Rubio.
Travis Tea said if he could ask Trump a question, it would be, “Where’s that taco bowl from, though?” in reference to Trump’s Cinco de Mayo tweet claiming he loves “Hispanics,” despite calling Mexican immigrants rapists and criminals early in his campaign.
Other highlights from the competition included Eli Harvester gyrating through the audience to the tune of Justin Bieber’s “What Do You Mean?”
“I love drag so much I would keep doing it until my legs fall off and it’s just my arms flailing around,” Harvester said, noting he would continue with drag even if he didn’t win the 2016 title.
Mr. Philadelphia Drag King 2014 Jimmy Two Fingas also performed a medley tribute to Prince, zipping through five costume changes and songs like, “I Would Die 4 U,” “When Doves Cry” and “Purple Rain.”
The judges for the competition were Lovett; Nellie Fitzpatrick, director of the Philadelphia Office of LGBT Affairs; Franny Price, executive director of Philly Pride Presents; and Tara Lessard, who founded Freedom G Photography.
Lessard, who is undergoing treatment for ovarian cancer, received a full minute of applause and whistles.