Drag performance is an ever-changing art that is dependent on societal ideas surrounding gender, parody, and performance. Drag has been seen as gender expression and gender subversion, but ultimately, drag is a transformative process. There is differing opinion on what drag is, if every aspect of self-expression or gender performance is a form of drag, or if drag is only drag if it is a purposeful subversion of cultural stereotypes. Through study of gender theory surrounding drag’s inherent characteristics, this paper will examine how RuPaul’s drag race uses exaggerated and glamorized aspects of drag culture as a ‘drag’ of the drag community through the genre of reality TV.
Background and HERstory of Drag
Historically, the term “drag queen” first was prominently used in 1941, with the term “drag” being in reference to the trailing costumes male theater performers wore when playing female characters (Tyler). However, crossdressing practices have been in our cultural consciousness since early history, usually as part of ritual or ceremony but also used by early non-binary or trans people (Schacht and Underwood 4). Men and women have used crossdressing for various reasons throughout history, women primarily used crossdressing to access privileges men had, such as serving in armies or economic freedom, whereas men crossdressers were seen as, “undertaking the behavior for erotic purposes (an early form of the contemporary transvestite) and/or losing status for doing so” (Schacht and Underwood 4).
Drag as it is now, a key staple in gay communities, fully began to shape in the early twentieth century (Tylee). Crossdressing was illegal throughout this time period, which added to the stigmatization of drag and forced drag performers to be on the fringe of society (Tyler). Underground drag balls emerged as safe spaces for many drag performers, especially poorer queens and queens of color (Tyler). Marginalized queens at this time, especially after the AIDS epidemic faced an extraordinary amount of homophobia, racism, and general xenophobia, which was depicted in the seminal documentary Paris is Burning (Feldman and Hakim). Paris is Burning gave an inside look into drag culture, showcasing important aspects of Drag such as voguing, popular lexicon such as “throwing shade”, explaining drag “mothers” and drag “houses”, and exploration and acceptance of queer identity and queer people (Feldman and Hakim). All of which are seen in today’s popular drag media.
Drag Today
Drag has transformed from once underground and not seen as a viable career to being seen as a legitimate, lucrative industry (Feldman and Hakim). However, it is important to note that this does not apply to every queen, and differences in race and socioeconomic levels and privilege still affect and disadvantage many queens unfairly. On a broader cultural scale though, drag queens and the drag industry today have become mainstream. Much of this has to do with the success of RuPaul and the advent of RuPaul’s Drag Race, or RDR. RuPaul’s success as a drag queen, model, musical artist, and radio host skyrocketed the visibility of the drag community as a whole, it is nearly impossible to talk about the evolution and history of drag without recognizing the work RuPaul did for the community (Moore). RDR is a reality TV show that uses all the conventions of the reality TV competition genre such as talking head style interviews interspersed through the episodes, eliminations, specific challenges (such as the Snatch Game which occurs in every season), continued story lines, and produced/dramatized conflicts between the queens (Moore). RDR currently has 13 seasons, and notable spin offs such as Drag Race Allstars, Drag Race UK, Drag Race Canada, and Untucked (“RuPauls’s”). This is not even to mention the famous queens that have come out of RDR such as Trixie Mattel, Shangela, Bob the Drag Queen, Alyssa Edwards, Bianca Del Rio, and Katya Zamolodchikova to just name some of the most famous queens (“RuPaul’s”); many of whom found massive success and fame outside of RDR, such as the case of Shangela who has gone on to be in multiple TV shows and movies including A Star is Born (“RuPaul’s”). Additionally, RDR has a huge impact on culture, with its queens producing memorable one-liners and memes that are reposted and shared in remixed forms daily.
So What is Drag?
Despite the long history of drag and its current media success, there is still debate and discussion over what constitutes drag and how it fits into theories of gender performance and expression. It is important to note that while this paper is referring to male to female drag queens, not all men who dress as women are drag queens, “other categories include transvestites or cross-dressers, generally straight men who wear women’s clothing for erotic reasons; preoperative male-to-female transsexuals; and transgendered people who display and embrace a gender identity at odds with their biological sex” (Schacht and Underwood 114). There are certain levels of performance and theater in drag that signify a transformative element that is not present in these examples.
A reference from The International Encyclopedia of Human Sexuality states that drag queens are, “gay men who cross‐dress as women, who may adopt a feminine voice and mannerisms, with various effects: glamorous, burlesque, or—when in combination with signs of masculinity—gender queer or androgynous” (Tyler). However, this definition overlooks trans, bio, and non-binary queens, so in that way it is too limiting. Other definitions work in a more theoretical way such as Ramy Moore’s idea that drag is, “a performative act which attempts to re-inscribe new, altered, transgressive, or, most importantly, parodie gender identities within the context of performance” (Moore 19). This theory draws on prominent gender theorist Judith Butler’s ideas of drag, which is essentially that gender is a form of stylized acts, so all forms of gender expression are in some way a version of drag (Butler). This is in line with the reasoning behind RDR, which promotes the credo that one is, “born naked and the rest is drag” (Moore 15).
For the purposes of this paper, when comparing the reality TV “drag” that RDR is of actual drag culture, the main components that will constitute drag are it being firstly transformative in nature, secondly it being an exaggerated or parodied version of whatever the original is, and third it being a performative act that alters/expresses/or otherwise is rooted in gendered ideas. This is more of a guideline than a finite or fully recognized definition of drag, as a complete definition of drag does not truly exist since there is no consensus among scholars and drag is constantly evolving with changing gender norms and societal expectations, as well as the general diversity in thought each queen has surrounding drag. These three criteria, however, produce an inclusive vision of drag that is able to satisfy many of the requirements theory has suggested, while allowing for growth and further theory to expand upon it as these elements are explored and challenged in this paper.
It is also prudent to say that in this paper, drag will be used as a noun, adjective, and verb. Drag as a noun refers to the concept of drag, for example you could tell a queen her drag is amazing, here it works as a thing rather than a descriptor. Drag is also used to describe performance, for example a drag show, within the phrase “drag show” drag is describing the type of performance. Additionally, when a person “drags” they are getting into drag, this can be transcribed to non-tangible or non-human things as well. This paper will use all three of these connotations.
Drag as Subversion
Drag has been simultaneously praised and criticized for its use of gender. While some see drag as subverting gender expectations and gender norms, others see drag as an upholding of binary gender or a sexist perpetuation of stereotypically ‘feminine’ qualities (Tyler). There is merit on both sides of the argument, and both sides are present when analyzing RDR. On one hand, drag does conflate aspects of male and female stereotyped gender norms to create a parody of gender, “…the notion of an original or primary gender identity is often parodied within the cultural practices of drag… it gives us a clue to the way in which the relationship between primary identification—that is, the original meanings accorded to gender—and subsequent gender experience might be reframed.” (Butler 187). And since male queens use female pronouns while performing, drag ultimately supports Butler’s notion that gender emerges from a set of stylized acts, “…gender… [is] an identity instituted through a stylized repetition of acts [it]…must be understood as the mundane way in which bodily gestures, movements, and enactments of various kinds constitute the illusion of an abiding gendered self” (Butler 519). This idea expresses that a person becomes a woman, rather than is born a woman, that sentiment is continued through RuPaul’s statements that one is born naked, and everything else (in this case gender) is drag. Ru frequently refers to the queens in and out of drag as his “girls”, and contestants regularly use feminine pronouns when referring to themselves or other queens (“RuPaul’s”). Additionally, the queens often open up about their experiences as gay men, which in of itself is a subversion of typically heteronormative ideas of gender expression. In this way RDR subverts gender.
However, drag is not inherently subversive, and many scholars find issue with the idea that just because drag interacts with gender, it should also work to completely subvert it as well. In Reframing Drag: Beyond Subversions and the Status Quo, author Kayte Stokoe challenges this prominent idea, “while drag engages with, and can transgress normative ideas and expectations, it does not pose a sustained challenge to systemic norms. It is unrealistic to expect that the art and lives of drag performers and/or of trans people constantly challenge oppressive ideas and systems” (Stokoe 17). Additionally, drag can reinforce gender binaries by its exclusion of trans and bio queens as well as its denouncing of boy drag. This is especially prevalent in RDR, as Rupaul and the judges consistently admonish queens whose drag is more androgynous, typically giving feedback that they look too much like a “boy”, or in the case of Milk on season 6 getting initially criticized for doing boy drag on the “Night of a Thousand Ru’s” runway (“RuPaul’s”). This was criticized by her fellow queens, and typically it is always shown as a risk on the show when a queen decides to do a boy drag. Additionally, RDR has had many claims of transphobia, as the first openly trans queen contestant did not appear on the show until this past year with season 13’s Gottmik (“FIRST”).
Ultimately, RDR paints any deviation from a typical feminine form as a disadvantage in the race, rather than a celebration of subverted gender norms. In this way, the show reflects drag, because while it simultaneously praises subverted gender norms, it also can fall into the category of upholding harmful gender stereotypes. RDR is a “drag” of the larger problems and definitions that are visible in drag culture, as it exaggerates and sometimes perpetuates the line between gender subversion and gender traditionalism in a performative manner, through television.
Drag as transformative
In most text surrounding drag, the idea of transformation is present and primary. This idea is obviously part of the drag community, as queens transform into their (typically female) drag personas. Through exaggerating these transformations and normalizing the transposing of queens in and out of drag, RDR “drags” the essential, somewhat mundane process of transformation in the drag community into a more glamorized performance, while also playing around with the presentation of gender in the show. There are many ways the show does this, the first of which is the regular shots of queens getting in and out of drag as in the show there is a “clearly directed aspect…where the camera is allowed to linger on partially dressed bodies. This focus on the methods of transformation, the tucking of male external genitals, the padding of the body to resemble ‘feminine’ curves, the tricks of make-up…all serve to indicate a preoccupation with the technologies of drag” (Moore 22-23). Queens getting ready or unready (which is traditionally non performative in drag culture) becomes performative in nature on RDR; many of the episode’s climaxes happen while the queens are getting into drag, such as Alyssa Edward’s famous, “you look orange bitch” to Coco Montrese or Jinx’s season 5 confession to having a crush on Ivy Winters (“RuPaul’s”). Additionally, the RDR spinoff Untucked follows the queens after each episode’s runway and creates a performance and source of entertainment by prominently featuring queens getting partially out of drag. This makes performance out of what would traditionally be a non-performance and features half-male half-female gendered bodies, playing around with gendered appearances and identity (“RuPaul’s”).
RDR actively parodies the idea of drag as an illusion by showing the queen prominently out of drag, as well as RuPaul himself, which breaks that illusion in an exaggerated way. The “intercutting of commentary interviews with the ‘drag racers’… are conducted with the ‘racers’ out of drag’ (Moore 20), which serves to comically examine the difference between a queen in and out of drag, thereby parodying the transformative nature of drag itself and bringing in an extra reminder of gender transformation and subversion.
The drag transformation is a normal part of drag, and in the traditional drag world it is something that audiences and viewers of a drag show would not see. RDR “drags” this aspect of drag culture by exaggerating the transformative aspect of drag into a performance of its own, which follows the guidelines set forth earlier in this paper, as drag being both transformative, performative, and exaggerated as well as interacting with ideas and expectations of gendered appearances.
Drag in the Structure of RuPaul’s Drag Race
Aspects of drag culture at large are used in RDR, however these are “dragged” through exaggeration and layers of performance. The reality TV genre in of itself is a performance of “reality” in an often staged/overly exaggerated way; simple miscommunications become season arching fights, houses become stages, and regular interactions become somewhat scripted versions of communication. These elements as they are used on RDR create a more glamorized, exaggerated version of drag culture. For example, RDR takes concepts from drag culture such as lip syncing, female impersonation, outfits/fashion, and comedy and turns them into an exaggerated parody for the sake of television entertainment.
Lip syncing has been a staple in the drag community for so long that the origins of it are relatively unknown, 1960s drag culture found safety in the lip-sync, as it was a way for, “people living furthest from respectable (i.e., straight) society to make money and feel glamorous” (Pasulka). RDR takes this idea and turns lip-syncing into the infamous, “lip-sync for your life”, which is where two queens face off in a lip-sync battle to determine which queen is eliminated (“sashay away”) and which one stays (“Shantay you stay”) (“RuPaul’s”). This brings in a level of performance and exaggeration into lip-syncing that turn it into a campy drag of the stereotypical lip-sync. In a lip sync for your life, queens are over the top, often breaking out multiple death drops, splits, and outfit reveals to try and cement their place in the competition.
This is not the only way RDR utilizes drag culture concepts and amplifies them to create further performance for reality TV; female impersonation is a typical aspect of drag (Tyler), and this is taken to an extreme in the Snatch Game. The Snatch Game is a parody of the Match Game, where queens must do an impersonation of a famous celebrity and try to match guest judge’s answers to questions (Andrews). This level of female impersonation, however, is extremely involved, “the game requires competitors to impersonate celebrities and answer outrageous questions in-character. The hyperbolic nature of these impersonations, consistent with the culture and affective resonance of drag and camp, invites us to read them as performed caricatures” (Andrews 1). Thereby exaggerating the typical idea of female impersonation to a more made-for-TV level of production and perfection.
The language of the show is also in its own way drag of typical drag culture slang. Puns and parodies are part of the show’s catchphrases, such as the line, “in the tradition of Paris is burning, the library is open” which starts every reading challenge (“RuPaul’s”). This is simultaneously a pun of iconic cultural landmark Paris is Burning, and also uses the drag concept of the read, which is throwing shade. Both of these slangs emerged from drag culture, and RDR has adopted these terms and commercialized as well as mainstreamed them. In this way, there had been a level of transformation that constitutes RDR’s use of typical drag linguistics as drag. Other phrases that are part of the drag community that are also seen on RDR are phrases such as “pageant queens”, “comedy queens”, “spilling the tea”, “realness”, “eleganza”, and “kiki” which were once used only in drag culture but have now been exaggerated through television to become a drag version of these once more underground words (Pandell). This reality TV “dragging” of these phrases has also given them a new identity, much like drag personas do for performers. “Spilling the tea” for example has cultural implications and usage that have become entirely detached from the drag world, with the phrase proliferating through every age group and social media outlet.
Additionally, even the phrases themselves can be drag, such as Ru’s iconic, “gentlemen start your engines and may the best…woman win” (“RuPaul’s”) the intention of the phrase is a comical pun, however:
Within this phrase is a microcosm of the show itself, making visible both the biological ‘reality’ of the performer, a transformation into a ‘woman,’ and yet at the same time there is an inflected slippage that occurs at the site of womanhood. The slight pause and altered inflection that accompanies the word woman clues in even the least attentive viewer that there is something different about these women (Moore 21)
In this case, the language itself is a drag parody of the meanings of the words in the phrase. The way Ru pauses before woman indicates a level of performance, that these are not “real” women while also showing the transformative property of drag in a sentence. The subject changes from gentlemen to women, indicating that by the end of each competition, there will be a transformation that occurs, which in and of itself is drag.
The implications of RuPaul’s Drag Race
Previously, the Paris is Burning documentary was discussed as a cultural landmark for drag. In many ways Paris is Burning represents the reality of drag, whereas drag race represents a reality TV “drag” of drag. The Harlem drag balls prominently featured in Paris is Burning were a reflection of the drag community, which was widely anti-capitalistic due to the Reagan administration’s attack on society safety nets (Feldman and Hakim,). A cornerstone for drag at this time was anti-capitalistic thought and focus on the collective (Feldman and Hakim). Even the drag balls themselves, which, “emulate[d] the aesthetics of America’s luxury consumer culture…are essentially play-acting… aesthetics of wealth are recreated with stolen, found, handmade and second-hand goods” (Feldman and Hakim 391).
This was the reality behind drag until RDR came around and achieved mainstream success, which then took the aesthetic play acting of wealth drag culture used and instead transformed that into real, actual wealth in an almost ironic way. This is what the “dragged” version of drag RDR has become, an actualized version of what was once just an illusion for drag communities. Essentially, RDR has taken the drag community and created a new drag persona for it, one that uses key cultural aspects of the traditional drag culture and glamorizes and commercializes it for mass consumption. Unfortunately, one of the transformative aspects RDR has brought to drag culture is a focus on commercialism, “the early seasons of RPDR feature queens who are rough around the edges…in their makeup application, hair and wig skills, fashion acumen and padding. But as the show progresses, we see fewer unpolished queens” (Feldman and Hakim 396). Here, unpolished can be synonymous for poorer queens, since it costs extreme amounts of money to acquire all the looks needed to be on a full run of RDR. In this sense, RDR’s “drag” of originally anti-capitalistic drag has exaggerated the material aspects inherent in drag to a level that surpasses some of the original ideology behind the drag community.
Conclusions
When discussing RDR it is important to recognize some of the net positives it did for the visibility, celebration, and legitimization of drag. Through RDR’s use of parody, exaggeration, and transformation it has become in and of itself a “drag” of drag culture. This level of drag is seen on multiple layers in RDR, from the language used to the challenges it portrays on screen, RDR demonstrates the ever evolving and changing nature of drag, as well as the intangible nature of defining it. Drag is full of contradictions, full of controversy, and full of rhetorical debate, but at the heart of drag is an essential truth that drag in some ways is in everything. The language we use are transformative exaggerations of previous original words and thoughts, our identities are shaped by constantly transforming and subverting societal ideas of what is and is not socially acceptable. Overall, RDR is the epitome of an ultimate form of drag, as it has been able to apply the process of drag to an inanimate abstract concept; the concept of drag culture itself.
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Rachel Loring 