Film
Here's the Backflipping Voguer From Teyana Taylor's New Documentary
You already know him as "Super Bitch!"
February 20 2020 3:45 PM EST
February 19 2020 10:46 PM EST
MikelleStreet
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You already know him as "Super Bitch!"
When you go to a Teyana Taylor production, you're at a Teyana Taylor production. That's the point the the star's new documentary, Assembly Required: Teyana Taylor's House of Petunia documentary is looking to make. Chronicling the creation of Taylor's House of Petunia concert that happened during the Red Bull Music Festival in New York last year -- they also did it in Atlanta -- the doc shows just how involved Taylor is with every aspect of persona as an artist. At one point she becomes upset because a former employee stole the cameras that she bought as an investment into her own business. She's committed.
But while so many parts of the performance (dancers, cameos, lighting, styling) get a deep dive, one part that is left out is one of our favorites: the voguing.
Though the name House of Petunia is ostensibly based off of the ballroom scene, ballroom is largely missing from Assembly Required. The omission is a little weird given Taylor's longstanding support of the community and could have gone a way in giving context for the name of the show. The only inclusion comes in the form of Dremon Cooper, known in the ballroom scene as Destiny West.
Cooper's appearance comes some 58 minutes into the film, once things actually turn to concert footage. And while Teyana doesn't explain why they are included, or how they met, or anything really, fans of ballroom and true fans of the singer know that her track "WTP" is based off of a popular ballroom classic "Work This Pussy."
"Super Bitch, let's go," Taylor says at a pause during the concert. The headliner referred to a character Cooper created on Instagram named Super Bitch. In skits, Super Bitch pops up to save the day in more than a few sticky situations, wearing his trademark over the knee boots. In fact, the character made such an impression that Lee Daniels said he is working to bring Super Bitch to bigger screens.
\u201cDestiny West AKA Super Bitch\nVoguing at Teyana Taylor's House of Petunia concert during the Red Bull Music Festival (May 2019, NYC)\nClip pulled from the documentary Assembly Required: House of Petunia https://t.co/5UgicgHCw7\u201d— dont follow (@dont follow) 1582221383
In Taylor's concert and documentary, Cooper serves up the high flying flips he's become known for after catwalking down the runway.
"You're one of the voguing divas," Taylor chants. "You're making it H-O-T, you're making it hot for me." And just like that, in 45 seconds it's over.
Watch the full Assembly Required: Teyana Taylor's House of Petunia below. See Cooper's part at 58:10.
RELATED | Megan Thee Stallion, Law Roach to Judge New Voguing Competition Show
Mikelle is the former editorial director of digital for PrideMedia, guiding digital editorial and social across Out, The Advocate, Pride.com, Out Traveler, and Plus. After starting as a freelancer for Out in 2013, he joined the staff as Senior Editor working across print and digital in 2018. In early 2021 he became Out's digital director, marking a pivot to content that centered queer and trans stories and figures, exclusively. In September 2021, he was promoted to editorial director of PrideMedia. He has written cover stories on Ricky Martin, Miss Fame, Nyle DiMarco, Jeremy O. Harris, Law Roach, and Symone.
Mikelle is the former editorial director of digital for PrideMedia, guiding digital editorial and social across Out, The Advocate, Pride.com, Out Traveler, and Plus. After starting as a freelancer for Out in 2013, he joined the staff as Senior Editor working across print and digital in 2018. In early 2021 he became Out's digital director, marking a pivot to content that centered queer and trans stories and figures, exclusively. In September 2021, he was promoted to editorial director of PrideMedia. He has written cover stories on Ricky Martin, Miss Fame, Nyle DiMarco, Jeremy O. Harris, Law Roach, and Symone.