JD Cargill spent two decades chasing celebrity stories as an entertainment news producer/reporter for KTLA in Los Angeles and CNN. But it wasn’t until the pandemic, and a perfectly timed April Fool’s prank, that he finally met his true star: Anita Doll. Born in a Pasadena basement and now dazzling tourists from the windows of a custom-built tour bus in Palm Springs, Anita is more than a drag persona. She’s a mission, a message, and a movement.
In this candid Q&A, JD as Anita shares with Jason Ball how drag filled a spiritual void, why Palm Springs is ready to become the drag capital of the world, and what it takes to turn heartbreak, faith, and glitter into a thriving business.
Jason: You were a news producer, an entertainment news producer. How did you get into that line of work?
Anita: Like so many of us queer kids, I thought television was going to make me whole. All I cared about growing up was getting really good grades so I could go to school, so I could go to Hollywood and be a famous whatever. Because fame was what I was seeking. That eventually led me into entertainment news at KTLA.
I actually started at KEYT in Santa Barbara, my first job. I was an intern when I was 19. I was running the teleprompter at 4 AM and going through the AP feeds. This was around ‘97 or ‘98. I remember this awful plane crash story came through and I was reading the victims’ names and crying. I thought, this isn’t for me. So, I left news. I still graduated with a communications degree from UCSB, then moved to Hollywood and gave acting a shot, but I was terrible at it. I was too bossy and had no experience. But I quickly realized, I’m a producer.
Then one day I was watching Jules Asner on Wild On. Remember that? I was sitting on my balcony on North Alta Vista, drinking a Corona, and I thought, wait, she’s like a reporter, but she doesn’t have to cover bloody crashes. What is she? Oh, she’s doing entertainment. And I didn’t even know that was a beat you could specialize in.
So, I decided I’d be the male Jules Asner. I used my contacts to get my foot in the door at KTLA, and within months I was filling in for an entertainment news producer and writing segments for this gorgeous reporter. I got into news trying to fill a void. I wasn’t loving myself yet, hadn’t watched enough RuPaul.
You spent four years at KTLA, then moved to CNN?
Yep. From 2004 to 2014, I was at CNN. I started in a hybrid role as an entertainment producer and on-camera celebrity interviewer for the network’s digital platform, CNN.com Live. I became their primary celebrity interviewer/reporter.
It was fun… until it wasn’t. It’s the same thing every day. Rope, trope, recycled statements. I was caught in the promotional machine. I did stories with heart, like wounded soldiers becoming stand-up comedians on one leg, but by the end, entertainment had been pushed into full-on gossip. That wasn’t for me.
You knew early on you didn’t want to do hard news?
Exactly. That was never the goal.
So then you left CNN and went out on your own. What was that transition like?
It was one of the most meaningful transitions. In 2014, I started Mid-Century Media. I went from being surrounded by fascinating people every day to just me and one editor. He’s brilliant, but it was a huge shift. I had also bought a house and started Airbnb-ing a guest house. It was lucrative. So, I leaned into that… and started drinking a lot.
When did the shift happen?
The pandemic. I was still in Pasadena, and it was March 2020. I was supposed to fly to New York to interview the cast of A Quiet Place 2; and they canceled out of caution. That was the last time I was supposed to do a celebrity interview. I couldn’t be happier.
What happened next?
I opened a video podcast studio in my basement. That’s where I fell in love with being queer. That’s where I started doing drag.
Was there an epiphany moment?
You’d think so, but no, it was more gradual. It was scary to show this side of myself, but it became the most liberating, empowering thing. During the pandemic, like many, I lost the old me. Like Taylor Swift’s answer to why she can’t come to the phone right now, “cause she’s dead.” I finally understood that. I was raised in Barstow, deep Baptist roots. I was taught so many damaging things. But none of the things I chased filled what was missing. Drag filled that.
How did Anita Doll come about?
Anita is my mom’s name. She’s my hero. I do drag in part as homage to her and to women. “Anita Doll” sounded like “I need it all,” which felt perfect. I had a big epiphany moment where I had to choose between the teachings of broken religion and something that made me feel whole. I chose drag.
What was Anita’s first appearance?
April Fool’s Day 2021. My makeup artist said, “Let’s play a joke on the engineer.” She put me in drag, and when I turned around, I saw my mom. Then I saw how beautiful I looked. Like J.Lo. It was wild. That’s when Anita was born.
What’s the biggest difference between JD and Anita?
Closets! Anita’s closet is fabulous. JD’s is boring. But really, Anita is my superhero. She’s confident. She says what she means. Drag is my cape. And now that I trust myself, I trust her.
Did you know you wanted to turn drag into a career?
It was terrifying. I was running out of money. I started a queer-focused video podcast called Gals, Gays, and Theys; and fell deeper in love with drag. I knew I wasn’t young enough to go the RuPaul’s Drag Race route. But I had the spark. I call myself a dragapreneur.
And that led to Drag and Fly Tours?
Eventually. I wanted others to feel the magic I felt turning around in that makeup chair. At first, I thought I’d do a retail drag experience. But the market research said there wasn’t enough demand. So, I pivoted. I realized that tour guides and journalists have similar skills, storytelling, energy, engagement. Then I saw Bella DaBall on a double-decker bus during Modernism Week and couldn’t get a ticket. I said, “There need to be more drag queen-hosted sightseeing tours”; And Drag and Fly was born.
You built your own vehicle. How?
Thanks to AI. I told it: put a movie theater inside a shuttle bus. What came out inspired the design. I worked with fabricators. I researched engineering. I learned about steel, frames, and sideways seating. We had 90 days to build it. It debuted at the Palm Springs Pride Parade in November 2024.
What was that like?
Honestly, scary. I thought we’d sell out. We didn’t. Only five seats sold. But by Thanksgiving, we had a paying show. By February, we were selling out 16 shows a weekend. And we never looked back.
The bus really does turn heads.
That’s the magic. I never anticipated the joy people on the sidewalk would radiate, and how that joy would affect those on board. That’s the magic sauce. It’s about spreading joy through this joyful art form.
Tell us about the different shows.
Our daytime show is PS I Need It All, a play on Anita Doll. Palm Springs has so much to offer. I need it all! This summer we launched PS Meet Me After Dark. Same vibe, different flavor. You said you want to make Palm Springs the drag capital of the world. What does that mean? Palm Springs already has the roots. But I see it becoming an epicenter, a cultural and artistic hub for drag. That’s where our future plans come in: the Tea Garden, the Dollhouse, the Flight Club.
What are those?
The Tea Garden is for cocktails and conversation. The Dollhouse is our boarding and disembarking experience, like a glam pre-show. It’ll have makeup stations, drag dolls you can build, and a pop-up vibe. The Flight Club is a private place for gender play, safe, joyful, and affirming. The first rule of Flight Club is everybody is gonna be talking about it. The second rule of Flight Club is you can be whoever you wanna be.
Do you want to expand with more buses?
People ask that a lot. But my dream is to license the business model. I want every city to have a drag queen on wheels, sparking joy and conversations.
What did you learn starting your own business?
I learned I can’t do everything. I’ve hired out payroll, taxes, everything that drains me. That freed me up to produce a second show ahead of schedule.
Any last thoughts?
This is what I was meant to do. Drag saved my life, not from dying, but from not living. I was square peg in a round hole. Now I feel flow. And I say this every day: be the river, not the rock. And also? Dolly Parton isn’t organizing her own receipts. Neither am I.
Jason Ball is former television news executive. Most recently, he was News Director at KTLA in Los Angeles. He hosts the podcast Life After News and publishes the Palm Springs lifestyle newsletter Desert Dispatch.
Jason and his husband, Troy, live in Palm Springs where they own and operate Old Ranch Inn in the Historic Tennis Club neighborhood.
If you like to like to watch or listen to Jason’s entire interview with Anita click here: www.LifeAfterNews.com