Anyone who’s ever been to a Miss Exotic Oregon competition knows that there’s something wildly special about each winner. As we watch these ladies compete on stage and as all of the creativeness and hard work that goes into the performance unfolds, it’s clear that winning the crown doesn’t come without hours of hard work and tedious planning.
We may think we understand the woman wearing the crown as an entertainer, but I’d like to uncover more about 2017’s Miss Exotic Oregon, Shelli Stark.
We all have a story to tell—one that’s unique to ourselves and that explains our journey into the sex industry spotlight— as a fellow entertainer who is well acquainted with some of the previous Miss Exotic Oregon winners, I can see a common thread that connects each of them.
Let’s take a journey inside the head of Miss Exotic Oregon and learn a little bit about the woman behind the masterpiece, who we all witnessed on stage during the last competition.
Okay Shelli, you must be pretty overwhelmed with all of the excitement from winning the competition, yes? During your performance, was there one singular thought that was going through your head at the time—one that identified exactly what you were doing—that might have brought you to win the title?
Wow! Yes, it’s crazy. I actually had no ideas in my head about winning or even placing, but as I followed the qualifying rounds, I was excited to be in the same show as many of the performers I’ve been following over the years. In the end, I just thought "fuck it," pounded some tequila and had fun with it.
It was very obvious that you had a lot of love and support from your fans and friends who were there that night. As we know, in this community, that type of support is a valuable part of our drive to continue what we’re doing. After your win, I went and congratulated not only you but every person who was on stage with you. Each one of them said, "It was all Shelli. This was all her work." Can you tell me something about your creative process and how you come to choose the themes and performances you do?
Oh man, that’s sweet of them to say, but it couldn’t have been done without them! I relayed the general idea to everyone, but without having those creative, crazy motherfuckers in my group bouncing ideas off of each other, it wouldn’t have gone anywhere. They LITERALLY held me up! As far as how I choose themes, I guess I have a stranger idea of what is sexy to me and it’s fun trying to bring that to life.
After seeing you perform on stage a couple times, I’m noticing that you like the darker side of the arts. And, by that, I mean your costumes are more grotesque and horror-related. I think it’s really incredible that you can break down the walls of strippers always having to be "pretty" all the time and show a different side of things. Do you have a fascination with horror films?
Yes, absolutely. I grew up watching horror films instead of cartoons and learned to draw and paint, copying the movie covers. I didn’t start being more comfortable on stage until I let that side come through and it makes me feel more genuine with my performances. And, of course, fake blood is just FUN!
Okay, so now I want to go a little further into who you are off stage. What’s an average day like for you?
Not very exciting, actually! Get up late, procrastinate doing anything important and hang out with my dog mostly. Someone just introduced me to snowboarding, though, so I think that will be getting me off my ass a bit more.
If you went back ten years and told yourself that you’d be rocking it on stage, entertaining the masses and eventually win Miss Exotic Oregon, would you believe it?
I doubt it!!! I was working for the railroad, in Texas, back then and thought I always would be. Crazy how life changes!
Can you please tell us how winning the title has changed your work? I mean, this is a pretty big win for you!
Well, it’s still early on, but I am excited for the opportunity to be in feature performances and explore more of the Portland strip club scene. I had no idea I could win this, so I’m still processing, honestly. This gives me a reason to bring some of the ideas I’ve had for bigger stage pieces to life! I will never be able to leave my family at Spyce, but I will definitely be venturing out to learn from all of the amazing performers we have here.
Well, I certainly want to see more of you in the upcoming year and I’m sure your fans do, too! Are there any upcoming events you’ll be doing for 2017 or places in the industry you’d like to explore?
(I love this question, but I’ll have to skip it because I’m still learning about what events and things happen here).
Thank you, Shelli, for letting us peek into your world. Once again, congratulations on your win and I look forward to seeing you on stage again soon!
— Ivizia
