Drama, Drama, Drama – A Stereotypical Portrayal of Reality TV (with a twist)

I’ve never seen a drag show, and I thought that this was a fantastic way of experiencing one for the first time. However, I was a little disappointed. While an entertaining show, I found RuPaul’s Drag Race to be incredibly shallow and likely not an actual portrayal of the experience of going to an real drag show. Rather than being focused on the competition itself, the show amplifies the relationships between the various drag queens. This is a theme that is prevalent in many reality televisions series, and for me it makes the show a bit less interesting.

I found it fascinating when they would show the drag queens dressed both in drag and their regular attire. The scene concerning Shangela’s “big mouth,” which is seen from 5:50-6:48, shows the argument with Shangela dressed both in drag, as well as in “normal” attire from her reflections in an interview. Here is the link:

http://www.logotv.com/video/untucked-episode-7-more-from-face-face-face-of-cakes/1658510/playlist.jhtml

When I see a drag queen, it’s difficult for me to imagine them not wearing drag – this juxtaposition of drag and non-drag humanized the queens for me. It helped me realize that these people, after they take off their outfits, are just like everyone else.

It’s also interesting to note that the narrator refers to the drag queens as “she” at all times. While they are biologically male, they aren’t defined as masculine, even when not in drag. This is a great portrayal of breaking down gender identity as something that is based solely on biological sex.

While it wasn’t for me, the show definitely opened my eyes to a new form of entertainment. I never knew that a show like this even existed. I see it as a testament to how the gay community is slowly becoming even more visible.