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.

I thing drag has been ticking along without any problems for a long time

It was unpleasant in the 80s, I don't remember any further back, lesbians and other women being abused and ridiculed in gay clubs.

I remember the 70s.

• It is the exact same thing. Hope that helps

In YOUR opinion
HTH

Can you explain how it!’s different?

No, not in my opinion. It literally IS the same thing.

I felt really uncomfortable with all the men dressed as women for a laugh that were in TV in the late 70s and early 80s, when I was growing up.

Feminist critique of drag has been around for yonks. Obviously. For all the reasons mentioned on this thread.

Arguments for seem to be

It's just a bit of fun
It's really positive for women (more so than anything any actual women do)
It's been around for years
People who don't like it are middle class so no one should listen
People who don't like it are women who are likely to be feminist and or lesbian so no one should listen
People who don't like it are really just anti trans so no one should listen

Etc

Interestingly after years of feminists saying it was taking the piss out of women,
Some trans women have found it 'problematic' and have got much more airtime...

Only if you get offended at drag.
Think they're taking the piss out of women.
I don't, so in MY opinion, it isn't the same.
In the slightest.
Makes me laugh how some try to speak for all.
It is only offensive if you deem it so, and in MY opinion it isn't the same and it's ridiculous to get worked up over.
MY opinion
Doesn't have to be the same as everyone else.

Black face performers weren't taking the piss out of black people either. Just mimicking them and acting in a very stereotypical way playing up to people's inherent bias.

Sound familiar?

I don’t get offended.

Can you explain how drag is not caricaturing women? What is it if it isn’t caricature??

MY opinion is that it's not taking the piss out of women though.
Not comparable at ALL to blackface, to take the piss out of black people is racism.
It'd only be comparable if you're of the opinion that all women everywhere are oppressed, put upon little victims and I don't.
HTH

“MY opinion is that it's not taking the piss out of women though.”

So what is is doing then?

“It'd only be comparable if you're of the opinion that all women everywhere are oppressed, put upon little victims“
Do you think all black people are oppressed put upon little victims?

No, of course not, because we're on about drag which I do NOT see as the same.

You can be of the opinion of seeing it as being put upon, everyone taking the piss out of me, they all hate me, I'm a victim

or

of the opinion that it's just dressing up as women, being feminine, expressing individuality

I'm the latter.

It'd only be comparable if you're of the opinion that all women everywhere are oppressed, put upon little victims and I don't

Well as long as you don't think that that's fine.

I wonder if women who are victims of DV/sexual harassment/FGM/the gender pay gap/cuts to services, including women's refuges/forced marriage/honour killings/draconian reproductive laws etc etc would agree with you?

“No, of course not, because we're on about drag which I do NOT see as the same.”

But you said it would only be comparable if that’s how we thought about women. Suggesting that that is how you think about black people..

@EverardDigby she's definitely more 'fuck you' now when she encounters this sort of thing (thank you for asking! ). Which unfortunately she does, all too often.

I'm bisexual and I remember similar ugliness from the 80s/90s, too. I don't think it's ever gone away. It's may sound massive generalisation to people with no experience of it but there is a LOT of misogyny on the gay scene. Always was, always is. Comments from the likes of Owen Jones (about how lesbians are 'transphobic' etc) illustrate this in the public arena.

of the opinion that it's just dressing up as women, being feminine, expressing individuality

Pretty narrow range of individuality. Why do they never wear jeans and trainers?

wonder if women who are victims of DV/sexual harassment/FGM/the gender pay gap/cuts to services, including women's refuges/forced marriage/honour killings/draconian reproductive laws etc etc would agree with you?

Which is why I said what I did,all women everywhere, as I knew someone would come back with something like "that means you don't care about DV or FGM or something.
Of course I do.
Not every woman, everywhere, is oppressed just because the fact they're women. It's speaking for us all as one great lump.
We're all different.
I don't take offence at people wanting to be feminine.
Clearly some do, fair enough but I don't share that opinion.

It does rather sound as if you’ve never seen a drag act.......

“I don't take offence at people wanting to be feminine.”

Neither do I.

But you said it would only be comparable if that’s how we thought about women. Suggesting that that is how you think about black people.

You're twisting my words as I said that was towards black people and is racism and should not be tolerated.
It'd be only comparable if you see women as a minority group who are all oppressed
I don't see every single woman as oppressed minority just because they're a woman.
If you do though, it makes sense why you'd see blackface as being comparable.

“I don't see every single woman as oppressed minority just because they're a woman.”

Well neither do I. But I don’t see every single black person as an oppressed minority either.

I don’t understand your point.

LordProfFekkoThePenguinPhD

Those characters have never offended me.

Oh dear. You are a rare Scot then.