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The Curious Case Of The Miami Drag Queen, The Flamboyant Sports Star And The Communist Dictator
Page Six has taken the already Kafkaesque story of Dennis Rodman and his perceived geopolitical influence and added a Miami drag queen cherry on top. There’s intrigue, redemption, high stakes and even higher eyebrows. Seriously, what’s not to love?
If this doesn’t get made into a movie at some point, it should at the very least be a sketch on SNL. Wood Harrelson is hosting this weekend. Galaxia, just sayin’.
Our story begins in February 2013, when Rodman made his first of what would become regular visits to North Korea. The whole thing was captured by Vice, and it is seriously worth a watch. In 30 minutes you’ll walk away with an improved understanding of North Korea, and you’ll witness the birth of one of the truly bizarre relationships of all-time: Dennis Rodman and Supreme Leader Kim Jong-Un. Words can’t describe.
Flash forward to April 2013. Dennis’ new bestie Kim sentences Korean-American Evangelical Missionary Kenneth Bae to a 15 year prison sentence for “planning to overthrow the North Korean government, including setting up bases in China for the purpose of toppling the North Korean government.” Or in other words, things Bae wasn’t doing.
Rodman promised he’d go to North Korea to rescue Bae. It was a promise he could not deliver on.
Or could he?
Cut to present day. Bae has finally been released from prison, and not only is Rodman trying to soak up the credit, but his friend and Miami drag queen Elaine Lancaster is nudging her way into the spotlight, apparently as his foreign policy advisor.
She explained to Page Six that she met with Rodman over lunch before his second trip to North Korea:
“I told Dennis, ‘Don’t let these trips be in vain,’ and asked him if he knew about the gulags and the detention camps. He said no, so I explained it to him. I said, ‘try to do what you can, but don’t get yourself killed.’ It looks as if it may have paid off for a few imprisoned Americans.”
Kudos to Lancaster for apparently schooling Rodman on gulags and detention camps (he’s been going over there for almost two years and he’s just now getting this info?), except Bae’s release lines up with President Obama sending U.S. Director of National Intelligence James Clapper to North Korea to broker Bae’s and another American’s release.
But hey, details. Right?
In Rodman’s words:
“No doubt, our trips helped influence Kenneth Bae’s release and I’m happy he is coming home safely.”
Sigh.
Dan Tracer
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