Why is drag so popular now?

[Nothingcomesforfree]

Genuine question. I have seen lots of posts on a Facebook this morning about attending some drag queen event. Mostly women and several bringing their teens ( both sexes)

It seems really popular but I have no idea why or what people going get out of it? Is it comedic or fashion or something else.

Your celebration of a woman’s right not to be nice seems to be limited to men pretending to be women, so not actually women at all, and does not include actual women on here telling you that they find drag offensive.

And even if we make the massive mental leap that somehow a man dressing up is about women being able to do what they want, women dressing up in the ultimate caricature of male fantasy, all big tits and makeup, is not exactly breaking the mould, is it? It’s conforming to exactly what society expects of women (and the worst of women) - all bitchy superficial makeup and vitriol.

Drag is about men doing what they want, and they don’t like being told that actually, it’s offensive as fuck.

I am all for women doing as they damn well please. Want to be a rocket scientist in Louboutins and a full face of makeup? Crack on, ill happily fight anyone who judges you because of what you wear or how you look. Want to knit kittens and raise cakes looking like a lumberjack? No problem. But a man in a frock, fake tits and slap is achieving none of this, is not celebrating women or female empowerment, it’s celebrating yet another man doing whatever the fuck they want, and if women don’t like it then they should sit down and shut up.

God, the trope of the 'strong, badly behaved woman who is giving a fuck you to the world' being the one who dresses up in a tight dress, sky high heels and a face full of heavy make up, is just such a fucking tired sexist cliche.

How does a man dressing up as a caricature of stereotyped femininity empower anyone? Man or woman?

Gay men don’t traditionally come from a position of power. To be openly gay was to be mocked, assaulted and discriminated against

Mocked? A bit like a gay man in a sparkly leotard and frightwig did to my daughter until she was in tears, as per my previous post?

I would suggest that that particular drag 'artist', being a white male, comes from a place of far greater power that my daughter, being a lesbian as well as female. He certainly made her feel that way.

And there are plenty of brilliant, non-conformist women who inspire me more than any grotesque parody of a woman ever could. Mary Beard, Patti Smith, Megan Rapinoe, Helen Mirren, Donna Tartt... And hundreds more.

Also, what's all this rubbish about 'female misbehaviour'? As defined by whom? Oh yeah, men. The ones who are trowelling on the make-up and dressing like an explosion in a pantomime dressing room. I suppose we should take it as compliment, a tribute.

We should be grateful.

For men, feminine misbehaviour is always sexual.

Maybe in the fifties but I agree a very weird mindset - so in order to rebel against lexpectations and be ourselves we need to be caked make up tight clothes and heels? Not sure which planet you living on but a different one to mine that’s for sure

I am all for women doing as they damn well please. Want to be a rocket scientist in Louboutins and a full face of makeup? Crack on, ill happily fight anyone who judges you because of what you wear or how you look.

That's good then, but a thread on here a while back showed that a lot of regulars on here wouldn't agree with you there (the wearing nails one)
If you liked getting your nails done, it was done because you didn't know any better and were only doing it because the patriarchy told you and had instilled into you that that was the way you should look.
It's the same vein with this thread.
As in women who don't agree that drag is offensive "must be a bit dim"
Women can think and like things for themselves, whether it be drag or high heels or nails.
Not because they don't know any better.
I'm not fussed either way about drag for those asking why I like it, not really my thing but I really don't find it offensive either.

We should be grateful.

Yes, that is the subtext here isn't it?

That we, as women, should be oh so thankful that men are complimenting our femininity, our strength, our ability to misbehave in this way.

They are celebrating us doncha know.

Celebrating us- so we should laugh heartily at the fish jokes. I know I sound obsessed by fish jokes. But they just epitomise how much men hate women.

Oookayy.... who's said you should be grateful?
Missed that bit, just scrolled back and can't see it.
Nobody's said you "should be grateful" at all.
You're perfectly entitled not to like it/be offended by it.
Other people obviously do though, or if they're not fussed either way like me aren't offended by it.

I really am trying to get my head round this. Is there anyone who would, for example, be happy for their daughter to take a drag queen as a role model? Because if they really are celebrating transgressive women, then they are obviously fantastic role models.....

Oookayy.... who's said you should be grateful?
Missed that bit, just scrolled back and can't see it.

No one. That's why I said it was a 'subtext'. Which I read from the explanations (in response to women saying they don't like it) about drag being about 'celebrating women' blah blah blah. As if we should be happy that men are 'celebrating' us in this way.

It does seem to have got popular lately. I think the sense of celebrating people who are different to the norm, is what people need sometimes.
Would be a boring world if we all liked the same thing. I often wonder who goes to the opera

@RosesAndRaindrops whether you are not fussed by it/like it/find it inoffensive is by the by.

The fact remains: Drag is misogynistic, it does not 'celebrate femininity', it is not a positive thing for women.

Lots of people like unpleasant things, or find them inoffensive. It doesn't make them good, or right.

We go to the opera. So do lots of other people. What’s funny about that?

You're saying it as fact "the fact remains" but failing to see that not everyone sees it as mysognistic.
It's misoginistic to you.
Others see it as people not conforming, celebrating being themselves.
Not misogynistic.

Yeah, I'm still waiting for an explanation of how drag is positive for women?

Can I ask if all those championing drag also think that eight year old drag queens are fantastic, too? Little boys dressed as grotesque hyper-sexualised twerking parodies of adult women? Are these children also just expressing themselves/celebrating women?

We go to the opera. So do lots of other people. What’s funny about that?

I'm assuming the poster was pointing out that we all have different tastes and all like different things, would be boring if we were all the same.
Didn't see the poster saying anything about the opera being funny.

Not disliking drag doesn’t mean I think drag queens are role models. They are just people doing the thing they love for people who are happy to watch them.
On the point of young boys dressing as drag queens I object to the sexualisation of all children, boys and girls alike, so I don’t condone that.

It’s not about whether it’s misogynistic or not. It’s about the fact that, after many, many women have pointed out that they find it offensive and why they find it offensive, that others take an attitude that it doesn’t offend them so obviously it’s completely fine, and the reasons for it being offensive are completely invalid. That’s the problem right now (on top of the drag issue itself).

On the point of young boys dressing as drag queens I object to the sexualisation of all children, boys and girls alike, so I don’t condone that
Same, I don't like it in either young boys or girls.

On the point of young boys dressing as drag queens I object to the sexualisation of all children, boys and girls alike, so I don’t condone that.*

But you don't mind the exaggerated sexualisation of women by men?

But you don't mind the exaggerated sexualisation of women by men?

No

No I don’t mind it. It’s just a dressing up act.