But of course drag still occurs in the same racialized and socio-economic contexts alongside the commercialized, "accepted" kind. I remember seeing this documentary - it was very well made and put an eye on things most people don't ever see.
Oh, true, definitely, and Drag Race suggests this as well through the videos of the contestants some of which come from small towns looking to make it. So it's not completely absent. As I watched it I noticed a lot of parallels to hip hop culture and how it went from subculture to a more mainstream version of itself although of course there are many other factors at play.
Some of the contestants on RuPaul are vicious but in a lot you can see the small-town boy, or the unwanted son. It's a hugely male phenom though- what do women who prefer masculine identities have as a way out?
That's a really interesting observation about the dynamics and coping mechanisms. I was thinking DR has had its share of prickly personalities and clashes, but even with the drama I could never really dislike the contestants. I remember feeling that Shannel and Raven sometimes came off mean-spirited or how Tyra always seemed aloof, but the show always showed moments of vulnerability that fleshed them out instead of turning them into clear antagonists. In the end I couldn't hold ill will against anyone.
Interesting... I'll have to see this. RuPaul's clearly drawn a lot of phases and concepts presented in Drag Race from his experience within the drag culture of the '80s and '90s - in bringing them to the mainstream, the ideas became sanitized somewhat. As others have said, a lot of the show's contestants come from humble origins or have been marginalized, and seem to dream of making it better.
I think Drag U might be a worse offender for commercializing drag, with the former contestants assigned to help "biological" women improve their lives. With
But hey, you can't keep subcultures from being absorbed into culture. Happens eventually, every time.
Oh, I hope I'm not coming across as being too harsh on DR. I think it's presence in the mainstream has both good and bad aspects. On the one hand, I like its visibility, its diversity, its involvement in its community (for instance Ongina with the ad comes to mind). I think the show has lots and lots of heart.
On the other hand, like you said inevitably mainstreaming is sanitizing. It erases aspects that might make the (presumed) middle-class audience uncomfy (like say class issues, which are so central in PiB). Paris is Burning shows those aspects and contextualizes them in a way that connects them to a specific history of glbt, which is why I found it insightful even with all the critiques that the doc has gotten.
I never saw DragU, the concept seemed a little uncomfy to me, I think I read some critique on how harsh the comments were to the contestants. But in any case, it didn't seem like my cup of tea.
Oh no! It's clear you're a fan of DR and I agree it's a heartfelt show.
This article from The Boston Globe first got me thinking critically about Drag U. I still watched all the episodes (only 8 of them) because I enjoyed seeing the former contestants again, but they didn't seem to have much to do.
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I found some of the stories really heartbreaking.
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I think Drag U might be a worse offender for commercializing drag, with the former contestants assigned to help "biological" women improve their lives. With
But hey, you can't keep subcultures from being absorbed into culture. Happens eventually, every time.
Reply
On the other hand, like you said inevitably mainstreaming is sanitizing. It erases aspects that might make the (presumed) middle-class audience uncomfy (like say class issues, which are so central in PiB). Paris is Burning shows those aspects and contextualizes them in a way that connects them to a specific history of glbt, which is why I found it insightful even with all the critiques that the doc has gotten.
I never saw DragU, the concept seemed a little uncomfy to me, I think I read some critique on how harsh the comments were to the contestants. But in any case, it didn't seem like my cup of tea.
Reply
This article from The Boston Globe first got me thinking critically about Drag U. I still watched all the episodes (only 8 of them) because I enjoyed seeing the former contestants again, but they didn't seem to have much to do.
Reply
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