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AIBU?

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AIBU to find drag on mainstream TV disrespectful to women?

213 replies

sanctuaryyi · 12/05/2026 11:20

AIBU to think that drag is derogative woman face and unacceptable.

Women are oppressed by men, for example;

  • 1 in 4 women will be raped by a man in their lifetime.
  • Men generally hold most of the power and wealth, 90% of the ultra-wealthy in the world are men.
  • Men are less likely to experience sexual harassment and often have more freedom of movement without fear of violence.
  • Men are generally free from unpaid caring roles
  • Women are more likely to be objectified by men and valued for their body and youth whereas men are not and this creates a power imbalance.

With this in mind AIBU to think drag on main stream TV such as this 'artist' is totally unacceptable.

He has made fun and a jokes about lactation in grotesque fashion, squeezing cream out of his huge fake tits into a cup and has made fun of pregnancy and wears comedy size 'tits' and 'arse'.

The portrayal of any group's body or bodily functions in a grotesque manner for humour should surely be considered unacceptable, particularly when it mirrors historical patterns of oppression. Shouldn't it?

The link is twitter
Drag Race

For those that don't have twitter I have added some screen shots.

AIBU to find drag on mainstream TV disrespectful to women?
AIBU to find drag on mainstream TV disrespectful to women?
AIBU to find drag on mainstream TV disrespectful to women?
AIBU to find drag on mainstream TV disrespectful to women?
AIBU to find drag on mainstream TV disrespectful to women?
OP posts:
Thread gallery
7
NFLsHomeGirl · 12/05/2026 13:21

We had a Drag Artiste come to the library for a storytelling session. Talk about conditioning children to accept this as normal from an early age
No one went by the way

Millymollymandy4 · 12/05/2026 13:18

YankSplaining · 12/05/2026 13:17

That’s like asking, “Why do actors need audiences? Why don’t they just put on plays in their homes with no one watching?”

Because they are trying to communicate something with a story for the audience

OtterlyAstounding · 12/05/2026 13:17

YankSplaining · 12/05/2026 13:11

The particular drag act you mention is grotesque and derogatory towards women, but I don’t think all drag acts are. Sometimes drag queens are just gay men having fun with a type of glamour that they aren’t “allowed” to have in their day-to-day lives, and other times, drag acts are tribute acts to female celebrities. My SIL saw one with a guy who dressed up like Avril Lavigne circa 2002 and lip-synced a couple of her songs on stage. It wasn’t mocking or derogatory, just him having fun pretending to be someone else.

I wonder if there’s often difference between comedy drag acts and musical drag acts. A lot of the comedy ones do seem to center around stereotypes of women.

If it's about glamour, then why not dress like a more flamboyant David Bowie? Or an even wilder Harry Styles?

Why the need for fake breasts, the emulation of exaggerated female characteristics, or the need to take on female pronouns and a feminine name?

It's clearly about becoming a caricature of a woman.

YankSplaining · 12/05/2026 13:17

Millymollymandy4 · 12/05/2026 13:14

If it’s about him just having fun pretending to be someone else why would it need to be done publically?

That’s like asking, “Why do actors need audiences? Why don’t they just put on plays in their homes with no one watching?”

sanctuaryyi · 12/05/2026 13:15

QuintadosMalvados · 12/05/2026 13:01

Your point seems to be that somehow the oppressive class - men are influenced by this new, harsher drag.
How can that be if they're not even watching it?

The black and white minstrel show didn't make people racist.
People were already racist that's why the show was aired.
It appealed to many of the white population at the time because they were racist.
As racism started to be called out it was dropped from air and nowadays people can see what the vast majority of white people couldn't see at the time. It was offensive.

If you can't see that the pictures of the drag artist I pasted in the OP are offensive then perhaps your children's children will in the future.

OP posts:
Millymollymandy4 · 12/05/2026 13:14

YankSplaining · 12/05/2026 13:11

The particular drag act you mention is grotesque and derogatory towards women, but I don’t think all drag acts are. Sometimes drag queens are just gay men having fun with a type of glamour that they aren’t “allowed” to have in their day-to-day lives, and other times, drag acts are tribute acts to female celebrities. My SIL saw one with a guy who dressed up like Avril Lavigne circa 2002 and lip-synced a couple of her songs on stage. It wasn’t mocking or derogatory, just him having fun pretending to be someone else.

I wonder if there’s often difference between comedy drag acts and musical drag acts. A lot of the comedy ones do seem to center around stereotypes of women.

If it’s about him just having fun pretending to be someone else why would it need to be done publically?

DilettanteRedRagger · 12/05/2026 13:13

sanctuaryyi · 12/05/2026 12:58

sorry Dilettanteredragger, my fault for misunderstanding.
reading too quickly,

No worries! I know these threads move fast and there are a shitload of posts. AND I fucking ramble on!!! 😬
edit: typo

Millymollymandy4 · 12/05/2026 13:12

sanctuaryyi · 12/05/2026 12:56

Women also fought against the suffragettes.
Women also blame rape victims for wearing the wrong clothes or taking the wrong route home.
Women also have internalised misogyny.

That's not new news.

Yes - aligning with oppressor class

YankSplaining · 12/05/2026 13:11

The particular drag act you mention is grotesque and derogatory towards women, but I don’t think all drag acts are. Sometimes drag queens are just gay men having fun with a type of glamour that they aren’t “allowed” to have in their day-to-day lives, and other times, drag acts are tribute acts to female celebrities. My SIL saw one with a guy who dressed up like Avril Lavigne circa 2002 and lip-synced a couple of her songs on stage. It wasn’t mocking or derogatory, just him having fun pretending to be someone else.

I wonder if there’s often difference between comedy drag acts and musical drag acts. A lot of the comedy ones do seem to center around stereotypes of women.

Millymollymandy4 · 12/05/2026 13:11

I believe drag also got a spring board across the “working man’s” clubs of Britain - loads of men love it

Millymollymandy4 · 12/05/2026 13:10

QuintadosMalvados · 12/05/2026 12:53

I also think that it's women who enjoy things like drag race not heterosexual men.
So what's OP got to say about that? Cause I don't know a single man who watches it. Not even gay men.

I'm very gender critical for what it's worth.

As long as when the clothes and make-up come off the performer and he's NOT claiming to be a woman, I'm OK with drag.

Maybe it’s the internalised mysogeny

Annie202 · 12/05/2026 13:09

Yes. It is no different to white men in blackface.

Millymollymandy4 · 12/05/2026 13:08

@Dollymylove “just switch it off”

its not about us seeing it - it’s about society seeing it and we can’t switch it off for them by just switching it off ourselves

sanctuaryyi · 12/05/2026 13:07

QuintadosMalvados · 12/05/2026 13:01

Your point seems to be that somehow the oppressive class - men are influenced by this new, harsher drag.
How can that be if they're not even watching it?

Your understanding seems to be limited on this subject.

Drag doesn't cause the male sex class to oppress, rape and objectify women.
BUT because the male sex class does rape, assault and objectify women, a man dressing up as a stereotype of a women from a male perspective becomes extremely offensive to many women. 76% on this thread alone.

OP posts:
OtterlyAstounding · 12/05/2026 13:06

QuintadosMalvados · 12/05/2026 13:01

Your point seems to be that somehow the oppressive class - men are influenced by this new, harsher drag.
How can that be if they're not even watching it?

The issue is not that men are influenced by drag. It's that drag is a mockery of an oppressed class by an oppressor class.

Many black people in the American South used to enjoy the very old travelling minstrel shows, and some minstrel shows even had black members in the troupe (or all black troupes, rarely) - does that mean that minstrel shows aren't racist?

Why is it not okay to showcase casual racism, but it is okay to showcase casual sexism?

BoredandAnnoyed · 12/05/2026 13:06

QuintadosMalvados · 12/05/2026 13:01

Your point seems to be that somehow the oppressive class - men are influenced by this new, harsher drag.
How can that be if they're not even watching it?

I don't watch it, but I've seen various bits and pieces of it because it's so ubiquitous in the media. The BBC went through a phase of reporting on all things drag all the time a while ago. You don't actually have to watch these shows to be influenced by them.

Millymollymandy4 · 12/05/2026 13:06

Doggodoggo · 12/05/2026 13:04

Do you think its ok to show racist content on TV because people can just turn the TV off?

Well said

Millymollymandy4 · 12/05/2026 13:05

OtterlyAstounding · 12/05/2026 12:50

People from the oppressor class dressing up as caricatures of the class that is currently being discriminated against and has historically been oppressed, and aping their stereotyped behaviour - whether through a negative or positive lens - is distasteful and inappropriate.

It's as simple as that, really.

this was explained really well a few posts op

oppressor class degrading women
women have less value
experience more violence from oppressor class

QuintadosMalvados · 12/05/2026 13:04

sanctuaryyi · 12/05/2026 12:49

Then you don't understand what the term sex class means then, or basic comprehension because no one on this thread has blamed an individual for anything.

I know what sex class means. I just think that you're wrong.

Doggodoggo · 12/05/2026 13:04

Dollymylove · 12/05/2026 12:24

Drag shows are very popular entertainment. The proper professional Drag queen's arent pretending be women, they are playing a part.
If you dont want to see it on TV there is an off button to switch it off

Do you think its ok to show racist content on TV because people can just turn the TV off?

QuintadosMalvados · 12/05/2026 13:01

sanctuaryyi · 12/05/2026 12:56

Women also fought against the suffragettes.
Women also blame rape victims for wearing the wrong clothes or taking the wrong route home.
Women also have internalised misogyny.

That's not new news.

Your point seems to be that somehow the oppressive class - men are influenced by this new, harsher drag.
How can that be if they're not even watching it?

EmeraldShamrock000 · 12/05/2026 13:01

I didn’t have a problem with Drag, until a recent holiday when the drag queen was wearing g string of jewels with his penis tucked in, nipple tassels with half of a skirt. Extremely sexualised unlike the Christmas panto actors.

sanctuaryyi · 12/05/2026 12:58

DilettanteRedRagger · 12/05/2026 12:53

I also got easily confused as the OP seemed to drastically misunderstand me, so I thought you had as well. OP, I can’t answer a question about an opinion that isn’t even mine. You’d have to directly ask the people who have that opinion. 👍

sorry Dilettanteredragger, my fault for misunderstanding.
reading too quickly,

OP posts:
Northermcharn · 12/05/2026 12:57

Totally agree. All of it - misogynistic crap. I hate anything to do with drag or men pretending to be women for laughs or being 'serious'. It's wrong. Its yet more evidence of the patriarchal society in which we live. Makes me feel a bit sick. I loved Paul O'Grady, he never had a misogynistic bone in his body - he was a very good man. But times have changed and he stopped it with the drag in the end. Les Dawson probably the same. They are not comparable to the likes of the OP.

Upstartled · 12/05/2026 12:56

Dollymylove · 12/05/2026 12:55

Again an irrelevant question. It was taken off air years ago because of the racist connotations. I was only a kid when it was broadcast and I had no interest in it at all

So, racism is bad but misogyny is entertainment?