BBC drops Drag Race UK

Have you switched off your sarcasm sensor or do you need a signpost whenever there is a sarcastic post?

Only because of lack of budget. They are simply moving to WOW (RuPaul’s streaming service). Drag Race UK is continuing but only those with a subscription will be able to see it. Rupaul has done that with most versions of his show as it makes him more money.

Comparing it to minstrel shows displays a shocking lack of history knowledge (of both drag as an art form and minstrelsy). You may as well say British Pantomime and Black and White Minstrels are the same.

Every time you’re involved in making a tv programme, you’re invited to fill in a ‘diamond diversity’ survey. However, as I recall, you can only put how you choose to identify, not whether you’re male or female.

Interesting comment by Equity, I'm not sure the LGB are overrepresented, are they? It would be hard to tell anyway, as unless they're the kind of person who announces their sexuality, it's not relevant information.

Saw an interesting tweet about the reaction to the drag race cancellation which talked about the over representation of LGBTQ people in entertainment when compared to the representation in the general public, the Diamond report or something?

So it doesn't hold that they're under represented on TV, not at all. That's not the story here. The story is that using women and women's bodily functions to punch down on while wrapping it up in the gaudy tinsel of drag costumery didn't mean that we didn't notice the rampant misogyny. We did notice, and we didn't like it.

As an aside, the diamond report shows stats like 'LGBTQ representation in senior roles'. Categories such as gay men and lesbian women make it clear that men are in fact, much more likely to be in senior roles than lesbian women. Plus ca change...

Equity have been disproportionately obsessed with their lgbt+ members for years now. Does my head in. Also constantly telling all their members how upset we should all be about the Supreme Court ruling. I can tell you many actors are GC but really can’t speak up if we want to work.

coded notice excluding non-British people, quickly removed, but mostly because they hosted drag nights

No surprise. Trans/drag misogyny usually go hand in hand with racism, in my actual personal experience.

gay man telling the straight establishment that they can be vile to women too but in their own way.

Also a very good point. Like they're after approval of straight men but picking on their target in common - women. Kind of like kids in the school playground wanting to blend in and seek approval of the class bully by joining in the bully, to give themselves 'cover'.

I went to a drag show on holiday a few years ago. I didn't particularly want to go, but the people I was with were keen and it was described as "family friendly" and heavily promoted at our resort, so I thought it might be okay.

No, it was not and I don't know how they had the nerve to call it family friendly, it makes me wonder what the rest can be like. There was a lot of very sexualised "humour" and insulting of women - sometimes individual women - in the audience in ways that were not funny at all (though of course people howled with laughter). I remember one "Dolly Parton" skit where the entire joke was a humongous pair of fake breasts.

I suppose they were good performers in the sense of being skilled at what they did, but the whole thing left me deeply uncomfortable.

Equity. This "will have a direct impact on the work opportunities for drag performers"

There are a lot of struggling actors out there, well worth fighting for. This is just virtue signalling isn't it?

If it's a protest, why are women the punchline?

ITA! And therein is the issue. Women are the punchline for gay men being beaten up/oppressed by macho men.

Drag is a celebration of hateful misogyny. It celebrates the mocking and oppression of women. And you know it.

And as a woman of colour, I can assure you that it is identical the the Ministrels. And we all know that.

They can do that WITHOUT mocking women and suggesting we are promiscuous 'fishy' whores and dumb bimbos with massive tits. Women don't exist to boost gay men up. They could choose to dress up as macho men and take the piss out of the macho homophobic men that oppress them, but no.... That would be too risky. Better punching down on those who can't fight back - women, than risk a beating by macho men.

Yeah, drag names like Anna Bortion, Miss Carriage, Molestia Child and calling women 'fishy' are not suggesting women are promiscuous. Sure.....

Like the minstrel shows, drag is performed by the ruling oppressor class and mock the oppressed. It is the same thing and you know it, you can't deny it. I know the truth hurts your agenda, but it is what it is, just own what you support and defend.

Oh dear, how very sad

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c86x4pd720xo

Or have big boobs

Apparently her daughter lists training by Mermaids on her cv https://x.com/JournalistJill/status/2093952562407870813

This is my stance too Alcove 👍🏽

Vanessa Feltz has gone on a rant about it m.youtube.com/watch?v=RQ4Ou9gHpOc

Drag race was on last night and I watched 20 mins before bed.

but it was actually the whole time the men doing some quiz “whose slept with a fellow queen” etc and then a fashion challenge to make a new outfit. They were all shown as men throughout.

so maybe they are updating it to be far more “we are male performers and don’t believe we are women at all”. Still not my cup of tea but overall it was just men enjoying dressing up fabulously.

Actually Lenny Henry did a stint in The Black and White Minstrels. Strange but true!

I mean, if this is offensive, surely drag is offensive. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/us/my-gender-isnt-your-costume-only-fans-models-accused-of-mocking-transgenders/articleshow/113016116.cms

Weren’t there an attempt to cancel some women who called themselves “transwomen” on only fans as apparently the trans community thought it was offensive to TIM. So if women parodying TIM is offensive, surely men parodying women is more offensive, as women are an oppressed group and men are not?