Drag queen shows and the modern crossdresser

[IamWren]

I recently finished the 4th season of RuPaul's Drag Race and a couple of months ago binge watched a season of Drag Race All Stars as well as Drag Race Untucked.

As a relative newbie to CDing, I'm still learning quite a bit about myself as well as about CDing and the subcultures within it. So drag shows and these tv shows are a curiosity to me.

Drag Race and its spinoffs are fun to watch as it follows the typical reality challenge/winner/loser format. It does a fair job of highlighting the participants and developing the characters but the most obvious aspect is there are men impersonating women.

I find it a curious culture particularly because so many of the drag queens are gay and the editing of the show makes them out be real big, self-centered jerks. There is a strong emphasis on sex and wow are they foul mouthed.

I was wondering if any of you have been to or participated in a drag show. If so, how did it impact your dressing? Have you seen any of the Drag Race episodes and what do you think of them?

For me I'm amazed at how many of the queens can transform so closely to that of the image of a woman. There makeup skills are at times amazing the way they can "sculpt" there face toward the feminine. Their female mannerisms appear effortless. I think I could learn a lot from the drag queens.

[Barbara Black]

I'm also interested in responses to this post. I'm curious if real life encounters differ from those TV shows making them 'real big, self-centered jerks'. Especially since the common thought is that gay men don't like or understand the idea of crossdressing, but do drag...

[Linda E. Woodworth]

Yes, I've been to a drag show and had a "sister" who performed in a few in her day.

I've also taken makeup lessons from a drag queen which taught me a few tricks to use.

Regarding the shows you mention, I've never seen any of them and don't have a desire to.

The drag show I went to, the climax of a girls weekend out, was a disappointment. I don't question the skill of the performers in their makeup or mannerisms but I didn't get much if anything out of it.

[Jodi]

I've seen a number of drag shows, both amateur and professional. Just my opinion--if you've seen one drag show, you've seen them all.

jodi

[Amy Fakley]

Heh yeah. At first I couldn't stand Drag Race, but season 6 hooked me. Starting with that season, they changed the tone slightly, not that they cut it out entirely, but there's is more positivity and less self centered bitchiness in the later seasons than in the earlier ones.

The whole drag scene slipped under my radar for most of my life until I watched that season. I have to admit, I'm curious and I'd love to go see a drag show now.

I get that it's reality TV, and it's all about capturing drama for the camera, and building flamboyant personas for the participants. In some ways that's a turn off, but honestly as far as TV goes these days ... that's pretty much the current style. It's either that, or huge budget dramas like game of thrones, etc. So I can kind of see past it.

I think the show's popularity with the cis-public is actually a good thing, because in spite of all the over the top drag queen stuff, they do put the humanity of people who switch between genders in the spotlight (granted in a very specific show-biz context). That's a good thing. It's also become a guilty pleasure my daughter and I share.

Also ... I've learned so much about makeup from watching that show OMG! Also almost every one of those queens has a youtube channel with makeup tutorials. Check out Ms. Fame's channel for instance. Even of you don't want to do a drag look, the techniques these queens use are very applicable to making passable looks for a crossdresser.

[Mylie Taylor]

I remember being bummed out when I saw my first live drag show. I thought they were going to sing but lipsynced instead, I was super disappointed. Now I see it for what it is not what I thought it would be and really enjoy the campy outrageousness of it all.

[flatlander_48]

I find it a curious culture particularly because so many of the drag queens are gay and the editing of the show makes them out be real big, self-centered jerks. There is a strong emphasis on sex and wow are they foul mouthed.

I think all that is an attempt to hype the show a bit of the Jerry Springer mentality. I view it as show business B/S.

I was wondering if any of you have been to or participated in a drag show. If so, how did it impact your dressing? Have you seen any of the Drag Race episodes and what do you think of them?

I do watch the show sometimes. When I do, it might be 2 or 3 shows in succession, but it's been several months since the last time. I've never performed in one, but it looks like it would be fun. I've been to shows in Key West, Ithaca, NY and Palm Springs. The first 2 were before I dressed. For the last one, I wouldn't say that it changed my dressing. More than anything, it was a data point regarding external acceptance. I went out, I looked nice, I had a good time and received a compliment or 2, but there was no big change.

DeeAnn

[Fiona123]

I have no interest in the drag queen culture. But if a girl wants to go there I can comletely respect that.🌺

[JamieG]

I am a fan of Drag Race (although I somehow missed the last season), have attended drag shows, and have performed in (charity) drag shows. I get the sense that a lot of the diva-ness is the portrayal of a character, and not their actual personality. Although, I'm sure some queens are just pure b*tchy, I get the sense that most of them aren't. I attended a drag show at a Pride Festival a few years back (some of Ru's queens even performed in it). I was amazed at the positivity. Many people had brought children and the queens were so sweet with the kids. It was really eye-opening. I've also had the opportunity to perform in a few drag shows to raise money for LGBT charities. Most of the other performers were also amateurs, but a few professionals were brought in to be highlights of the show. The queen who was the emcee was super-nice, and seemed genuinely touched that my wife and eye would perform in drag for the cause. If you do go see a drag show, I recommend to try one that is part of a Pride Festival first.

[Tracii G]

Those TV reality type shows aren't reality everything is planned for a reason.
TV is a waste of time anyway IMO.
I have been to one drag show and I can see where they would all seem the same after a while.

[AllieSF]

I have been to a very professional and long running (not now though) drag show called Finocchio in the North beach area of San Francisco. They were professionals who were dressed and made up very flamboyantly for the performance aspects. They were good lip syncher's and good singers. Their comedic timing was very good. That is one side of a dying profession and show. The other side are what many of us see when we go to a bar or club that has shows. From my experience these were no where near the professional quality of the older more traditional versions. I am sure there are some very good ones out there, but believe that those are few and far between all the others, amateur hour like performances.

They did not affect my desire nor how I dress in any way except to try to avoid at all costs that "drag queen" style look. I have never participated in one and have no desire to do so. I have no problem with anyone else doing that and enjoying it.

[Alice Torn]

Just is not interesting to me.

[Rachael Leigh]

Went to my first and only drag show last year in Vegas, it was ok and yes they lip sinc.
I went to the show en fem which was great fun but yeah the show wasn't great but fun

[I Am Paula]

The pre requisite characteristic of the queens is bitchyness. If your interest continues, go meet some queens. Theyre fun, and you realize the bitchiness is part of the personna. Google- bitchy drag queens, there's some cool stuff from the 70's heyday of New York queens.
Many years ago my dream was to become a queen, but as the plan developed, I realized it went much deeper, and just wasn't me.

[IamWren]

Also ... I've learned so much about makeup from watching that show OMG! Also almost every one of those queens has a youtube channel with makeup tutorials. Check out Ms. Fame's channel for instance. Even of you don't want to do a drag look, the techniques these queens use are very applicable to making passable looks for a crossdresser.

Ha! You and me both. There are a handful of drag queen youtube vids I've watched and tried to commit to memory. Really good info in those tutorials.

Now I see it for what it is not what I thought it would be and really enjoy the campy outrageousness of it all.

I normally don't like campy humor but there is a wittiness to their performing at times. I love it.

The pre requisite characteristic of the queens is bitchyness. If your interest continues, go meet some queens. Theyre fun, and you realize the bitchiness is part of the personna.

I was hoping that was true Paula and that it's the persona that is bitchy and not the performer behind the makeup and outrageous costumes.

Thanks for the responses everyone.

[flatlander_48]

Theyre fun, and you realize the bitchiness is part of the personna.

Evidently the yung'uns don't know about Throwing Shade.

DeeAnn

[BettyMorgan]

I belong to a CD Social club that meets once a month (located in Aberta, Canada). Many of of us attend a drag show at a bar following our meeting. Most of the shows I attend are presented by "The Imperial Sovereign Court of the Wild Rose", a nonprofit society. The shows are entertaining in their own way (some people are talented dancers and entertainers but all lyipsynch). HOWEVER, one of the main purposes for their weekly shows is to raise thousands of dollars for charities. Every year the "Court" chooses charities to support. The money goes to our local Pride Centre, as well as a youth shelter for kids who have no home to go to (many kids are kicked out of their homes for being gay or trans), and an organization supporting trans youth.

I understand the reality tv aspect and the stereotype of the drag queen, but the ones I know spend a lot of their own money on costuming, rehearsals and volunteering for great causes. Some may be bitchy, but the majority have big hearts and are really nice people.

[docrobbysherry]

First off, don't confuse drag queens with female impersonators. Like Frank Marino's show in Vegas or Finichio's in Frisco. I saw Finochio's in the 60's and Marino's recently.

Impersonators tend to look incredibly fem and I find many attractive. In Frank's show they do their own singing. Some more fem sounding than others. I consider myself in the "impersonator" class.

The drag queens shows I've seen in Cal., Vegas, and Minneapolis all featured over the top, huge, unattractive and unconvincing males. Altho some have pretty faces, they seem to favor odd makeup like Kabuki characters in Japan wear.