It Ain't Easy Being a 'Bad-Assed' Woman Who Calls Herself That B-Word
Bitch Source: Jim Frohna

It Ain't Easy Being a 'Bad-Assed' Woman Who Calls Herself That B-Word

Nicholas Dussault READ TIME: 11 MIN.

When I met Bitch, she had neon green bangs, bright green eye shadow that perfectly complemented her hair, eyes that sparkled, a warm smile, and huge earrings that shook every time she laughed the most contagious laugh I've ever heard. Hardly what I was expecting from a queer music icon with a name like that!

Turns out she hasn't always been like this. Over the course of a conversation about her music career, her ninth album, "Bitchcraft," and her upcoming autobiographical play "B*ITCHCRAFT: A Musical Play," the queer icon revealed little factoids sure to make you want to know more. She was a tap dancer, a theater major, and never thought that her first music duo, Bitch and Animal, was a band. And she's had some struggles.

When pressed for more information about her struggles, her answer is an enthusiastic one that would make one of her heroes, Joan Rivers, proud: "You have to come see the play!" The Off-Broadway play promises songs and stories about the life of a young Bitch who overcame some major obstacles to become the best Bitch ever. And, yes, she promises some tap dancing; not necessarily good tap dancing, but she will dance.

Recently EDGE had the chance to chat, and laugh, with Bitch as she prepares for her Off-Broadway debut in "B*TCHCRAFT: A Musical Play," which opens February 7 and runs through March 1 at the Wild Project, 195 East 3rd Street, New York, New York. For further information, follow this link.


Watch the video for "Easy Target" from Bitch's album "Bitchcraft."

EDGE: Does your mother call you Bitch?

Bitch: (Laughs) No. She does though when we're at shows. She knows how to code switch. For years joked I was 10&1/2 pounds when I was born so I came by my name honestly. The irony is that my parents named me Karen. So there you go, I'm ahead of my time and now I've got to reclaim the Karen too. It's exhausting.

EDGE: It can't be easy being Bitch.

Bitch: No, not 24/7.

EDGE: So how did you end up being Bitch?

Bitch: I met Animal, my first band mate, in college. And while in a mushroom-induced feminist revelation we decided to take on these names. I was just coming into my own, feminist awakenings, total rage and rebellion as we all do in our young 20s. Bitch is like reclaiming this word that's generally used to insult powerful, badass women who take up space. I was all for wearing that like a costume. And it stuck.

EDGE: Do your friends call you Bitch?

Bitch: Animal and I moved to New York in '96 and all of my friends there call me Bitch. Some people call me B because they can't do the Bitch thing. But the only people who still call me Karen are people from high school, elementary school, that kind of thing. For a really long time I hid my secret identity from Wikipedia, Facebook and all of them. They didn't know my legal name, but eventually it got exposed through a Facebook kerfuffle.


by Nicholas Dussault

Read These Next