Creature Feature: Jezebel Jet’s Bad Kid Origins

Since moving from Maryland to Utah almost two years ago, Jezebel has been fascinated with the thriving alternative subculture in Salt Lake. “Before I moved here, a lot of people would joke around with me,” she says, mostly regarding stereotypes of LDS culture. “It’s interesting to see how strong the counterculture is Downtown. I’ve never been accosted by anyone who is Mormon, but the conservative politics here are just a bit much. It’s harming people.” The alternative scene here has been positive for Jezebel. “There’s something strange about Salt Lake,” she says. “It’s a well-known city, but it still has a small-town vibe. A lot of my social circles overlap a lot. I feel like I’ve grown into a better person since being here, too.”

Jezebel explains that moving to Salt Lake allowed her to reinvent herself. “I like to say that when I moved here, I turned into my alter ego,” she says. When Jezebel, who goes by Nicole during the “daytime,” talks alter-ego, it isn’t cliché—she’s a keen comic book reader and, having worked at Night Flight Comics in the Library Square and Murray locations, she’s tuned into Utah’s thriving comic culture. She often extends the aesthetic into day-to-day outfits, including faithful recreations of classic costumes: “Rule 63” Nightwing during last year’s Comic Con, Miss Martian for a free comic day, Black Cat, Catwoman. “Batgirl will always be one of my favorites,” she declares.

Though she says the superhero aesthetic doesn’t influence her performance, per se, Nicole found her stage name in a kindred character—Batman seductress/villain Jezebel Jet (from Grant Morrison–penned Batman: The Black Glove and Batman: RIP). “She’s a redheaded supermodel/villain,” she says. “She’s super confident, seduced Bruce Wayne and tried to take down Batman—that’s a pretty big thing to do.” Acknowledging that male-dominated representation of females in comics (scantily clad and too-perfectly proportioned) is problematic, Jezebel’s approach is akin to a “lipstick” feminist’s: “ I like being scantily-clad—I think it’s empowering,” she says.

Often Jezebel collaborates with other Bad Kids for performances. “I’ve been fortunate enough to do a lot of group performances with people like Klaus and The Bearded Femme, who are great at making their own mixes,” she says. Jezebel is grateful for the Bad Kids: “It’s such a community where everyone is open to sharing what they have, sharing their advice and their tips and also teaching you things,” she says. About her own performance style, Jezebel is modest: “I’m a Mall Queen,” she says, as opposed to a DIY Queen. “I’ve been working retail for seven years. I spend most of my waking hours at the mall—I am always shopping—it’s my downfall.”

Perhaps Jezebel’s favorite performance, she tells me, was a tribute to AIDS victims and those that cared for them, during a Bad Kids revue at the 2013 Utah Pride Festival, where she joined Klaus in a ritualistic “cleansing” of fellow performer, Odge. “A lot of people weren’t sure if was going to work out,” she explains. “It ended up being highly successful—it was a really powerful performance. I’m really really glad that I got to be a part of that. It was moving, even to be onstage.” A balance between risk and crowd-pleasing is always key during such performances. “You have to keep in mind things like that—who you’re performing for,” she concludes.

Jezebel welcomes anyone interested in or curious about the Bad Kids to approach them. She says, “Cartel is a really sweet person and is open to talking to people and taking them under our wing and showing them how we do what we do—your own creativity can take over from there. We’re not intimidating if we look intimidating—come say hi.”

As for Jezebel Jet, she’ll continue counting herself among the constellation of Salt Lake’s performance culture. “I really like this place, so I’m gonna stick around a bit,” she says.

The Bad Kids are hosting preliminaries for their second annual pageant, themed “Ghouls and Dolls” on Thursday, March 13 at Metro—an event you don’t want to miss. Follow the Bad Kids on Facebook at facebook.com/badkidsslc.