Analyzing RuPaul’s Drag Race from the perspective of a superfan
I fell in love with watching drag when I saw a video where YouTube comedy video producers, The Try Guys, tried doing drag for the first time. It was mesmerizing. Something about drag queens’ expertise in makeup and fashion-forward ideas really wrapped me up in the drag world. When I stumbled upon seasons eight and nine of RuPaul’s Drag Race on Netflix in my first year of university, I was dragged into a hole (pun intended) of binge watching my current favourite show.
RuPaul’s Drag Race (RPDR) is a reality show competition featuring professional drag queens, beginning with around 13 contestants and ending with a winner chosen out of the top three or four, who is crowned “America’s next drag superstar.” It consists of challenges which are to be completed over two days and presented to a panel of judges including mainstays RuPaul and Michelle Visage (RuPaul’s best friend and former pop musician). The challenges fit under an array of diverse categories, such as sewing and costume design, acting and comedy, or singing and dancing, as well as lip syncing. Certain episodes combine any number of these themes and often pose the added pressure of performing live.
Not only does RPDR provide the drama of reality TV, but it also provides opportunities for up-and-coming performers to showcase their talent and kickstart their careers.
If you’re not a fan of RPDR, you probably aren’t familiar with Alyssa Edwards, but in the world of drag, she is the equivalent of a Hollywood A-List celebrity — even though she did not win the competition when she first appeared in season five. In fact, Edwards was eliminated before the show’s finale. She then appeared on RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars season two, where she competed against other famous runners-up and still failed to gain a spot in the finale. After her appearances on the show, fans and promoters fell in love with her unique style, dance moves, and sense of humour. Now, on top of owning and operating a dance studio in Texas, Edwards tours the world for drag performances and has her own Netflix series, Dancing Queen, which is about her double life as a drag queen and artistic director at her dance company.
The career takeoff the queens experience after leaving the show — win or lose — is nothing short of remarkable. This is in large part due to the role Netflix and YouTube have played in the show’s relevance.
“The good thing about it is now these queens can create viable show business,” local drag queen Athena McQueen explained in an interview with The Ontarion. “Even queens who go home episode one… have a good following. You’re not a loser no matter what happens on that show.”
McQueen, a trans woman who is the resident drag queen of Guelph’s eBar, hosts a weekly viewing party for RPDR at the eBar. She has noticed the significant impact these media platforms have had on drag culture on a local level.
“My viewing parties doubled or tripled once the show went on Netflix,” said McQueen. “It’s been so consistent to the point where I don’t try to over-promote it.
“Social media and expansion of it has allowed me to have a group of people who come hang out with me every week.”
On a broader level, McQueen noted that “the drag universe has really expanded.” Drag entertainment has always been an industry, but now more than ever it is creating jobs for queens and attracting business to gay bars around the world, and a lot of it is owed to the success of RPDR. Drag queens have gained more and more influence on social media thanks to Drag Race, and tons of fans are flocking to their profiles every day.”
McQueen feels RPDR has inspired her and many other performers to elevate their craft. She said that drag has taught her a lot about herself, and “the more I just choose to be myself, the more successful I am. I think that’s the point of drag.”
You can follow Athena McQueen on Instagram at @athenamcqueen
____________________________________________________________________________________
Feature photo courtesy of Netflix
Editor’s note: This article was originally titled “Local drag queen Athena McQueen explores the growing obsession with drag.” The content of this article has since been revised and republished online on March 12, 2019.