RuPaul’s Drag Race was a pseudo-psychedelic experience for me; it expanded my state of consciousness and brought unimaginable levels of colour and effervescence into my life. Today’s blog will be in celebration of this sensational show. Before we start, here are a few lines for the uninitiated:
- Who is RuPaul?
RuPaul Andre Charles, known as ‘RuPaul’, is an American drag queen (or, as he would say ‘The Queen of Drag’), actor, model, singer, television personality, and author. He produces and hosts the reality competition series, RuPaul’s Drag Race.
- What is Drag Race?
Drag Race is RuPaul’s search for the “next drag superstar”. RuPaul plays the role of host, mentor, and head judge, as contestants are given different challenges each week – including team challenges, lip-syncing battles, runway looks, etc. It’s like X-Factor / Britain’s Got Talent on steroids, and in stilettos. RuPaul’s Drag Race started in the US but now has multiple international spinoffs and specials.
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My RuPaul’s Drag Race awakening happened amidst a global pandemic, heartbreak and a season of transition post-University. It was the perfect storm in desperate need of some balance. A feel-good, light entertainment show was in order, and it immediately came to mind that RuPaul’s Drag Race could fit the bill.
I’d often overhear people raving about RuPaul and Drag Race, exchanging coded references and bizarre phrases that I could not understand. Admittedly, I did not feel the need to understand, dismissing it altogether as something that wasn’t made for me. But during this time of immense overwhelm, I would think on these groups of people who seemed so captivated and inspired by the show, and so, I decided “What the hell, I’ll give it a go”.
I approached some of my queer friends and announced that I was planning to start Drag Race, and have already opened up Netflix at Episode 1, Season 1. They were aghast – not because I had started to watch it, but because I started at the beginning. “No, no, no – you should start at Season 5. Each series is self-contained, and Season 5 is where it truly takes off.”, they would insist. I respected their advice and so, one evening, armed with a packet of Minstrels and a forgotten cup of tea, my journey had truly begun.
It didn’t take but a few minutes in and I had already opened up a new tab and searched for ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race phrases explained’. Here is the near-complete fandom dictionary, if you are interested. Even words that I was familiar with, such as “Read”, “Sickening”, “Fish”, “Beat”, “Seafood Platter”, took on totally new meanings in this Drag Universe. I felt like an outsider but by the end of Episode 1, I remembered that I was watching, and joining a community of outsiders, and felt at once at home.
It was the confidence and resilience of these Queens that enticed me back to watch Episode 2. Their energy and authenticity is simply infectious. Before long, I would be starting my mornings with a rambunctious dance around my room to ‘Cover Girl’ and would later find myself strutting to the corner shop to pick up a pint of milk with an exorbitant coat and unmerciful sunglasses. I was ‘sissying that walk’, and what’s more, it didn’t matter who saw me – I felt I was doing this for me.
I watched an episode of Drag Race each evening, scrupulously, and before I knew it, I had finished Season 5. More surprisingly to me than watching a whole season of Drag Race was what came immediately after it: the all-encompassing obsession with RuPaul. I listened to his podcast with Michelle Visage (a permanent presenter on RuPaul’s Drag Race, and long time friend of RuPaul), “What’s the Tee?” every lunchtime, I watched RuPaul interview clips on YouTube each evening, and thought about and discussed Drag with anyone who would have the time (and patience) to listen. I gathered copious RuPaul quotes into my Notes app, and wrote some out next to my laptop so that whenever I was in a boring meeting, I could whisper (on mute) “I’m serving Young Professional Realness”. It gave me the confidence boost I needed.
Drag Race was my renaissance of the mind – it truly had the effect of turning everything I thought I knew upside down. It reframed, reshaped, and reimagined my understanding of self-expression, makeup, campness, performance, gender and sexuality. In a nutshell, Drag Race is a fabulous parade and subversion of gender expression. It has a perfect balance of drama (production-induced or otherwise…) and sweetness. It is about empowerment and acceptance.
The show is both light entertainment and deep and meaningful; it is unapologetically glorious, camp and cut-throat as well as providing a space for the Queens to share their stories (often of hardship, abuse, and alienation) and support each other.
From The Spokesman Review,
“Drag is an opportunity to escape into a character where you can feel like a superhero, be the best version of yourself, forget your inhibitions and be strong and confident. It is OK to be gay, transgender, Muslim, Persian, from a small town, survivors of abuse, different, skinny, in between and fat…”
Drag can be enjoyed by anyone, and in my experience, is especially enjoyed by those who think that it is ‘not for them’. It will continue to be a long-lasting companion of mine (there are dozens of seasons, after all), and I really encourage you to watch it too.
Observing, reviewing and storytelling 