Drag, blackface and cultural appropriation

submitted by cutenoobies from self.GenderCritical

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[–]jjdub7Gay Male Guest Commentator 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (2 children)

Drag is theater and comedy based on, and steeped in, misogyny.

I'll preface this by saying I've never been a fan of drag (or most of the rest of mainstream gay culture). But I'm not so sure its a dominance display or even a caricature in the sense that its intended to mock women/womanhood.

In a sense, drag performers assume a female persona and use it to project confidence, competence, and an embodiment of creative spirit - all with a side of camp. It's doing an impression for sure, but not in a way that's really used to denigrate women/womanhood, and certainly not in the way that e.g. minstrel shows mocked blackness as inherently inferior. There's definitely context in the act, and while some "queens" are definitely just "womanface" (because some men just have no talent; i.e. essentially the same schtick as AGPs, just sans the fetishism), those aren't the types of acts that are generally applauded by the community at large.

Again, personal opinion? Drag is tacky. Utter deal-breaker if a potential date does it, even on the side. Huge turn-off on a multitude of levels.

[–]MarkTwainiac 5 insightful - 1 fun5 insightful - 0 fun6 insightful - 1 fun -  (1 child)

I'll preface this by saying I've never been a fan of drag (or most of the rest of mainstream gay culture). But I'm not so sure its a dominance display or even a caricature in the sense that its intended to mock women/womanhood.

So how much drag have you seen? Over what period of time? In what contexts (nightclubs, theaters, TV, movies)?

In a sense, drag performers assume a female persona and use it to project confidence, competence, and an embodiment of creative spirit - all with a side of camp. It's doing an impression for sure, but not in a way that's really used to denigrate women/womanhood, and certainly not in the way that is used to denigrate women/womanhood...

Says you, a man. As a woman who has seen a lot of gay drag since the 1970s, who has known a number of gay male drag performers and "ball scene" men personally, and who has been in their dressing rooms and other places (such as their hospital and hospice rooms during the AIDS crisis) where such men have freely spoken their minds and expressed their true feelings, I have come - reluctantly - to a very different conclusion. Gay men who do drag are putting on a theatrical display meant to be seen by other men in which the male performers "assume a female persona to project confidence, competence and an embodiment of creative spirit" by showing that even thought as gay men they are considered lowly, inferior men by most of society, they are still vastly superior to and nothing like the vile creatures that are women.

And they also do it for money. Mocking women via drag is a very lucrative gig for some gay men who otherwise don't have many job options.

[–]jjdub7Gay Male Guest Commentator 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

And they also do it for money. Mocking women via drag is a very lucrative gig for some gay men who otherwise don't have many job options.

Yuh, mostly this though, agreed. I understand that different people have different perspectives, and there is definitely just some trashy womanface going on out there.

That being said, what's your take on drag kings?