Others draw on or glue hair to indicate facial growth, manly eyebrows or chest hair. Some drag kings “strap and pack” (binding their breasts to give the appearance of a flat chest and wearing a dildo or other similarly shaped object to give the impression of male genitalia). Masculinity is perceived as more natural or ingrained than femininity, so drag kings can’t simply dress up but have to rely on other performance techniques. Performing masculinity, as drag kings do, is arguably more difficult. This in effect draws attention to what the 18th century French philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau referred to as the “artifice of femininity”, or the excessive ornamentation and self-display of women. We immediately think of drag queens with big hair and overdone make-up, and body language that conforms to stereotypical “female” behaviour (though not all drag queens do perform this type of exaggerated femininity). Traditionally, drag queens are seen as parodying the characteristics associated with women. The word “drag” most like comes from 19th century theatrical cross-dressing, and is now commonly associated with gay or camp comedy. While both performance styles come under the umbrella term of “drag”, kings and queens have different origins and have evolved in different ways. But recently, there’s been a resurgence of more inclusive forms of drag culture in Australia, and new kings are taking the stage. The reasons behind this are many, including the fact that the debate around gender is evolving, and drag is seen by some as increasingly problematic. In recent years drag king performances globally have declined in popularity and were in danger of fading from our cultural view. This meant that drag king events were often associated with “safe spaces” and formed the basis of thriving social scenes. Events featuring drag king performances were an important part of queer culture: the performances often were seen as ways to explore gender and sexuality, and they commonly took place in gay- and lesbian-friendly venues. Likewise a “drag king” can be loosely described as an individual (usually a woman, but also people who identify as other genders) who consciously performs masculinity.ĭrag kings became a significant part of lesbian and queer women’s lives globally from the late 1980s. But perhaps fewer have heard of their corollary, drag kings.Ī “drag queen” refers to a man, usually gay, dressed as a woman for the purposes of entertainment. OPINION: Those with only a passing interest in gay culture will no doubt have heard of drag queens, aided by the meteoric rise of US reality TV show RuPaul’s Drag Race, which recently finished its ninth season. RuPaul’s Drag Race is produced by World of Wonder Productions and RuPaul’s King Race is produced by absolutely nobody. “Representation matters,” Viacom exec Barnie Barney said in a speech to the company later that day, “that’s why it’s so exciting that four people heard that one intern suggest an idea for a women-dressed-as-men show that will never happen.” “I was really looking forward to Ru saying ‘Gentleman, start your engines, and may the best king go on to medial success, if anything,’” tweeted dykelyfe69, “that would’ve been huge for the community.” Keeping with Drag Race tradition, there will be no trans people on King Race, because there will be zero people on the show at all. ![]() However, this show will take things in a slightly different direction than Drag Race in that it will never be made or air or exist. Much like the original show, RuPaul’s King Race would’ve showcased the charisma, nerve, and talent of top-notch Drag Kings. “I was so ready to talk manliness with these kings,” said Johnson in a front-facing Twitter video over the weekend, “I ate 3 pounds of cod yesterday instead of my regular 2 in anticipation.” RuPaul was to serve as a judge alongside ever-random yet omnipresent Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. “It’s an honor to be ignored not only at gay bars, but on a national level,” reiterated Los Angeles-based king Billie Ray Eilish. “Dreams really do come true,” said Brooklyn-based Drag King Adam Sapple, “Never in my life did I think I’d be mentioned in a VH1 pitch that was immediately killed in the room.” ![]() Television history was made on Friday as VH1 became the first network to kind of hear an intern whisper “What about a Drag King show?” during an afternoon development meeting.ĭrag kings slotted to compete-in the intern’s head-included Billie Ray Eilish, Adam Sapple, Uhaul N. Drag King” will debut on the Never11th of Notember at Nope p.m. In a long-awaited announcement, Viacom has decided that its reality competition to “find The Next U.S.
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