I love drag and I've been to several drag shows. I don't necessarily think of it as a mockery, it's just comedic impersonation, the same as going to a pantomine! Drag is more appriecative though, and they come out with a better understand of what it is like to be a women (stereotyped to need to be pretty, sexualised by men in clubs, price difference in men/female products, sizing issues in stores), Yes it sometimes can be sexualised, but so is everything you hear on the radio, see on TV and even the clothes you see on stores. I don't think its fair to target a TV show not even on a main channel (yes even though it's on BBC it's not exactly prime time) and drag events are usually held in nightclubs. I think anything that brings joy to other people, whether it's the shy often bullied in school men that end up doing drag for confidence, or the people in the auidence that get a laugh, it's a good thing.
Although the makeup and padding is done to look like women, after that most of the drag acts don't revolve around female mockery, it's usually singing/dancing/stand up. I know another commenter said it's often straight men, but this is actually very rare. Drag acts were until the past few years only seen in gay bars because of the abuse they got from gay men, even though drag orginates from shakesphere and I wonder if you would be against you kids learning about shakesphere plays in school?
If you look online though, 'bio-queens' and 'drag kings' are everywhere now, which are females who do drag. Do you think this is wrong?
Kids will grow up to experience people who are different, whether you want them too or not. If you think they see someone in a library dressed as a women and immediate sexualise it, I think that's wrong. The same way they don't sexualise cartoon characters even though most of them aren't fully clothed! (I'm looking at you TMNT and Mickey & Friends). They see the bright colours as fun and probably just see it like a clown. I wouldn't take my little boy to a drag show, but if he wants to dress up like Elsa, I wouldn't tell him no.
It's a bit of fun, and I am a sucker for a bit of fun. Kathryn Ryan is my absolute favourite, and her jokes and sexualised and often about gender and you'll see her on tv more commonly than you would a drag queen. Some female comedians jokes go back to women being sex objects or baby makers whereas drag isn't about making jokes at womens expense, but just making jokes dressed as one since it gives them confidence. I don't blame them. When I get a new dress and some red lippy I feel great and I don't know why we're so against sharing that feeling with men. Telling men they can't have a bit of makeup and be more feminine makes me as uncomfortable as people telling little boys that crying is weak does.
I am not going to judge because drag can be like marmite, but I don't know if your issue is that you feel like it's sexist (whereas aside from the appearance - it's usually not about gender) or if it's internalised homophobia, or maybe just not used to female impression being something to be proud of, which it is!
Women used to be refined to housewives, now people want to dress up like us! Yes sometimes they get reduced to being pretty, but if you actually watch that show - you'll see that almost every person on it has overcome great struggles in their life, and has worked incredibly hard to become a better person with a good skill set. Whenever the LGBT community do anything, it's met with hate (I'm not gay but my sister is and I've seen it first hand) and unless you can tell me why men putting on lipstick is anymore exploitative than anything said on 8 out of 10 cats does countdown on TV or people dressing up in costumes for halloween, then I don't think it's about the exploitation but the stopping of gay people having fun.