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.

you can act 'feminine' without parodying women by taking aspects that society often sees as negative and exaggerating them to the max

People can dress how they like it’s the impersonation, parody and distortion that is the issue

This.

If drag were about challenging gender stereotypes, why is it a gross exaggeration of 'femininity'?

Wear whatever you like. Genuinely. Just don't denigrate an oppressed section of society in doing so.

Man - never wear a dress, skirt etc as it's woman face to do so, you must stick to trousers, shirts, some kind of conservative manly dress. As it's manly enough just if you're a gay man, you can be gay but has to be man clothes.

No, you are not listening.

Look at all the male artists in the 70s and 80s who wore makeup and more 'feminine' clothes? Were they parodying women? No.

For a more recent example, look up John Maclean or what about Billy Porter and his Oscars outfit? A flamboyant 'feminine' skirt, juxtaposed with a perhaps more 'masculine' top, playing with gender stereotypes, but no exaggerated versions of women anywhere as far as I can see.

Yes, they can "act feminine" by virtue of being a man, why shouldn't they be able to wear what they like too though?
Why do they always have to dress masculine?
It's an entertainment act. As a pp said your local am dram wouldn't go round Tescos dressed as the pantomime horse or Hamlet or whatever would they.

Why do they always have to dress masculine?

They don't. They just don't have to grossly parody women/their perceived (by men) negative traits for entertainment.

Do you not understand the difference?

“Why do they always have to dress masculine?

If they enjoy dressing in that way and the majority of the population aren’t offended and it’s deemed not offensive enough to warrant banning, why do the feelings and wishes of those who do object trump everyone else’s?

Sorry.
“Why do they always have to dress masculine?”

They don’t. They can wear whatever they like. They just shouldn’t mock, belittle or parody women. Just as nobody should mock, belittle or parody any other group of people.

Me too

This is a screen shot from an entertainment act at a wedding in Mad Men

Good that popular trend passed

Do you mean like high heels, lots of make up, big hair, plunging dresses, dancing seductively type thing?
If so, why are they negative?

Have you never heard a woman being slagged off because she is showing to much cleavage? Wearing too much makeup? Have you never heard of a woman dressing or dancing seductively and then being told that she was 'asking for it' if she gets raped? Have you never heard people calling women bitchy or naggy or desperate? You know that women have to always tread a fine line between looking good at all times, but not too good, otherwise then they are just asking for trouble?

Women do these things just living their lives, and they get shit for it. Men parody it, do it and wildly exagerrate it (comedy tits, ridiculous makeup, wigs, massively bitchy personality) and it's 'self expression' and something to be 'celebrated', even a 'celebration of women'.

And this posted earlier

If they enjoy dressing in that way and the majority of the population aren’t offended and it’s deemed not offensive enough to warrant banning, why do the feelings and wishes of those who do object trump everyone else’s?*

I know right?! It's just silly women trying to get in the way of men and their 'self expression'. The very nerve of it...

Propertyofhood You may want to avoid most Northern cities on a Saturday night because you are likely to see thousands of women dressed to the nines and dancing. They are mainly having a great time, doing no harm to others and having no harm done to them.

Lots of women have no objection to drag. Only a small minority.

You may want to avoid most Northern cities on a Saturday night because you are likely to see thousands of women dressed to the nines and dancing. They are mainly having a great time, doing no harm to others and having no harm done to them.

Ah yes, and there are absolutely no negative stereotypes around Northern women and how they dress and act, are there?

Lots of women have no objection to drag. Only a small minority. well I won’t say that. Besides only a teensy weensy minority of people actually believe that a man can have a ‘woman brain’ and therefore be a woman, or that it is literal violence /murder to say a male sex person shouldn’t be allowed into woman only spaces but hey ho, here we are.

Robin Williams looked convincing as a woman imo

They also masquerade behind a grotesque parody of womanhood in their actions, gestures and words. They use us as their human shields.

Yes, there is this isn't there?

Like they are saying it's OK for them to be bitchy, vulgar, nasty, even slightly racist from some things I've seen (although maybe its in jokes, I dunno) etc when they are doing drag, because they are parodying womanhood and it's an 'act'.

Well my question has been answered.
They do it to take the piss.
Nothing more nothing less.
It's not "who they are."
So no different what so ever to Bernard Manning, who's act included talking about Pakis. Lots and lots of people found him funny. He made a career about Paki jokes. He might also have talked about 'Chinkies' too, I'm not sure.
No difference what so ever then.
Not one poster has said drags are like their persona all the time, neither was Bernard Manning. He was a comedian with a certain comedy routine which made fun of a section of society.
Chubby Brown make racist jokes too yet again very very popular and arguably a very funny man.
You can't tell one section of society that they are over reacting yet laugh along whilst another section of society is parodied to such revolting depths.

And stop saying women show their bodies off etc. So what? So Do do men!!!Do

It's like justifying jokes about Paki shops, yes lots of shopkeepers are Pakistanis, it does not justify the piss taking though does it?

NottonightJosepheen wrote
Be creative, be flamboyant, wear makeup, wear a dress. Don't parody women. Don't call yourself 'girl', 'bitch', 'aunty' etc. Our biology and identity are not yours for the taking. Be a man. Ffs. Take ownership of that. Be proud of it. It's your birthright. Leave ours alone

10 minutes later followed by
howwudufeel writing

So men have to act manly, even though they don’t want to

Is someone completely misreading, or is it derailing?
FWIW, I agree with NottonightJosepheen