“Amp up your camp” is a phrase you’ll hear a lot on my new reality show “Camp Wannakiki” now playing on YouTube. (Check out the “Camp Wannakiki” page and subscribe so you never miss a zany episode.)
With the world in a crazy and stressful and confusing state (in and out of the White House), it’s time for everyone to amp up their camp! Go crazy, get silly, be a nut! Smile and make those around you smile. Amp up your camp and the world camps it up with you. Trust me, damnit! Read on and see.
Dear Ruthie,
I hate my job. Getting up every morning and going to that hell hole factory is awful. Any advice on how to improve my life ASAP?
Help!
Gloomy Girl
Dear Girlie Girl,
Amp up your camp! Wear something nutty to work, slap on a ton of lipstick or walk around handing out cheese curds. Discover how fun it is to be funny.
Dear Ruthie,
My boyfriend is so boring. All he wants to do is come home from work, eat, watch CNN and go to bed. What’s a horny girl to do?
—Lonely Lindsey
Dear Lindsey,
Amp up your camp! Parade around in a sexy maid’s outfit. (Hell, you can even dress like Alice from “The Brady Bunch.”) Plan a build-your-own-pizza night only using kooky ingredients, create an adult scavenger hunt around the house, or kidnap him as he’s leaving work for a night of campy, unexpected fun.
Dear Ruthie,
My teenage daughter hates me. She rolls her eyes at just about everything I do and thinks I’m as lame as they come. Do you have any ideas on how I can encourage some mother-daughter bonding?
Thanks,
Mom in Need
Dear Mommie Dearest,
She’s a teenager. You’re screwed.
RUTHIE’S SOCIAL CALENDAR:
Aug. 9: LGBTQ Progress Awards at 1451 Renaissance Place (1451 N. Prospect Ave.): Join the Cream City Foundation and Shepherd Express as we honor eight of the movers and shakers in the LGBTQ community who have truly made a difference in Milwaukee. I’m fortunate enough to host this rewarding evening once again, this time alongside Brett Blomme. Join us for cocktails at 5:30 p.m., followed by dinner and awards presentation at 6:15 p.m. Visit shepherdtickets.com for tickets, starting at $50. See you there!
Aug. 9: Boy George and Culture Club at The Riverside Theater (116 W. Wisconsin Ave.): Spend the evening with this LGBTQ icon, campy ’80s diva and all-around glam master—Boy George! Don your best red, gold and green and let the intoxicating sounds of Culture Club shake up your soul and lead you to the church of the poison mind. Visit pabsttheater.org for tickets to the 8 p.m. show that run $49.50 and higher.
Aug. 10: TLC with En Vogue at the Wisconsin State Fair (640 S. 84th St.): Two powerhouse girl groups take over the main stage at the fair during this 8 p.m. concert. TLC has sold more than 85 million records, and these two sensational acts promise to heat up your summer and create the sort of musical memories you’ll never forget. Tickets start at $29 and can be purchased via wistatefair.com.
Aug. 10: ‘Whose Drag Is It Anyway?’ at D.I.X. (739 S. First St.): Talk about amping up your camp! Celebrate the one-year anniversary of this comedy drag show with the team at D.I.X. Hosts Sylvia Nyx and Dixie Kuppe welcome some of the city’s wackiest guests (including me!) for a show sure to tickle your funny bone. A DJ, dancing, Jack Daniels drink specials and more make the 10 p.m. party a silly soiree that kicks off the weekend like few others. Stop by, and party with me!
Aug. 12: Flex-at-the-Fair Finales at Wisconsin State Fair (640 S. 84th St.): Get your muscle on (or watch the hotties that do) with this popular State Fair attraction that poses the state’s best bodies against one another. Here, the contenders of the fair’s previous body building competitions hit the Associated Bank Amphitheater at 6:30 p.m. for this free best-of-the-best showdown.
Aug. 13: Bi Café at Anodyne Coffee Roasting Co. (224 W. Bruce St.): Mingle from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. during a mixer for the city’s bi community. You’ll find lots of friendly faces, laughs, smiles and maybe even a few games to help break the ice.
Don’t miss Ruthie’s new reality show, “Camp Wannakiki” on YouTube. Want to share an event with Ruthie? Email DearRuthie@Shepex.com and follow her on Instagram @ruthiekeester and Facebook at Dear Ruthie.
