“Do you want to see me go off? Because I think you want to see me .” These are the 18 words spoken by Emmy-winning drag queen Delta Work near the beginning of every new episode of her popular talk show, “ .” The lead-in to her monologues have low-key become an inspiration to me, a person who works in food media.
“I still don’t understand: What’s the difference between mild and medium salsa?” Work at the start of her 95th episode. Each week features interviews and opinions with fellow “RuPaul’s Drag Race” alums, , and other personalities. Work always has things to say before she dives into the guest interviews, and for nearly 10 minutes on June 10, she waxed poetic about fast-food burritos and salsa, how spicy food is masochistic (as well as it being a form of braggadociousness), good guacamole, friends who try to gift her thin-skinned-avocados, bad guacamole, the flavorless-ness of avocado toast, that but not of broccoli, healthy eating and, finally, back to salsa.
She takes short pauses in-between statements, but for the most part Work speaks without breaks. It’s a truly impressive feat of talkativeness, and a big reason moments from her show regularly go viral. Her episode-opening thoughts have run the gamut from customer service to social norms.
I find myself quoting her words on , , , , and to friends and loved ones, some who aren’t yet familiar with her brand of chat. Work has been able to perceptively articulate food phenomena that I’ve never.
