Aibu to not like drag Queens?

[Draggedalong1]

And why don’t I? To me there is something intimidating and scary in the make up, and harsh glamour, parodied until it’s ugly and I think, aggressive. I remember going to drag shows long again in the 90s and they seemed to be a bit of fun and almost innocent compared to whatever it is about ru Paul et al. Nothing wrong with a bit of dame Edna from what I remember as a kid. What’s the reasoning behind this new style I wonder, and aibu?

The poll.

(not if it's an urgh, boy dressing in girls clothes and makeup! reaction though which is the usual reaction on drag threads)

I haven’t seen a single reaction along these lines on this thread.

86% of posters say OP is NBU and vast majority of comments have agreed that they don't like it. I'm guessing most posters are women.

@ArabellaScott

86% of posters say OP is NBU and vast majority of comments have agreed that they don't like it. I'm guessing most posters are women.

But 1500 MN posters are representative of 'women' in general

Drag is only getting more and more popular, it's categorically not true that the majority of women don't like it

The majority of 1500 people on mumsnet don't like it, there is a big difference

MN is very much a different world sometimes and this proves it.

Standard, though, jellyfrizz. Women eloquently articulating their reservations and objections to the misogyny inherent in drag acts are painted as 'ew pearlclutching shrivelled stupid old hags with no sense of humour'. As you'd expect, really, given the content of much drag. The script practically writes itself.

Drag is only getting more and more popular, it's categorically not true that the majority of women don't like it

Well, what are you basing this on? To me, it seems that programme makers are pushing it hard. I'm not convinced this reflects popularity.

Bluntly, I think people are sick of it, and it's already tired and hackneyed.

@ArabellaScott

86% of posters say OP is NBU and vast majority of comments have agreed that they don't like it. I'm guessing most posters are women.

But the question wasn't "do you like drag?"

There are people on the thread who like drag themselves who nevertheless voted YANBU because they think that the OP is entitled to like or dislike whatever she wants.

Millions of people, many of them women, watch and enjoy the Ru Paul shows.

@ArabellaScott

Drag is only getting more and more popular, it's categorically not true that the majority of women don't like it

Well, what are you basing this on? To me, it seems that programme makers are pushing it hard. I'm not convinced this reflects popularity.

On the fact drag race itself is now running multiple seasons a year, across the world.

You think people make TV shows for the fun of it? And if viewership was going down they'd keep getting renewed?

In fact due to how popular Drag race UK was the BBC decided to return BBC3 to linear television after season 2. It was one of the most requested BBC3 programs (just behind killing eve!)

The UK tours sell out in moments.

And that's just drag race itself. Across the country drag is becoming more mainstream and popular, so much so there has even been a study into how this change in attitude is improving earning potential for UK drag artists.

Your opinion doesn't align with what's happening in the real world, and I can understand when participating in a bit of an echo chamber you can start to believe your view is the predominant one - but it's not

@ArabellaScott

Bluntly, I think people are sick of it, and it's already tired and hackneyed.

You are sick of it

Not everyone

@ArabellaScott

Drag is only getting more and more popular, it's categorically not true that the majority of women don't like it

Well, what are you basing this on? To me, it seems that programme makers are pushing it hard. I'm not convinced this reflects popularity.

The first series of Drag Race UK got 12 million views. That does reflect popularity. As does the fact that the BBC gave the latest series a slot on BBC One.

The fact that the 1st season got 12 million views has been mentioned quite a lot on this thread. How many views has the current/most recent season received?

I find that many people will enjoy drag until they start realising the misogyny that lies beneath.

It was when I started hearing the ‘fish’ terms being used that I finally registered it.

Just because a show is ‘popular’ doesn’t mean those who see it as being problematic to women are not correct. It just means there are a lot of people out there who are not thinking about it. Who may not want to be thought of as ‘phobic’.

@Waitwhat23

The fact that the 1st season got 12 million views has been mentioned quite a lot on this thread. How many views has the current/most recent season received?

Yes, in response to PPs asserting that women don't like it - they do. The series 1 figures are the only ones that come up on a quick google. I can have a dig around for the others when I'm at work later.

@Helleofabore

I find that many people will enjoy drag until they start realising the misogyny that lies beneath.

It was when I started hearing the ‘fish’ terms being used that I finally registered it.

Just because a show is ‘popular’ doesn’t mean those who see it as being problematic to women are not correct. It just means there are a lot of people out there who are not thinking about it. Who may not want to be thought of as ‘phobic’.

Might not show those anti drag are incorrect, but it certainly shows they're not the majority

Which is what some posters are claiming

I also find the ‘drag kids’ very problematic when they are put into sexualised situations.

Desmond seems a very vulnerable child much of the time I have seen them in interviews.

'We’re in the dark about exact viewing figures (Netflix keep all their audience numbers under lock and key), but we do know UK-based Google searches for RuPaul’s Drag Race have increased 96% since the first season was broadcast (and soon cancelled) on E4 in 2009.'

an article from 2019.

www.radiotimes.com/tv/entertainment/reality-tv/are-straight-people-stealing-rupauls-drag-race/

"Oh. My. Gaga!" (Episode 1, aired March 24, 2017) 987 000 views
'"Grand Finale" (Episode 16, aired April 16, 2021) 772 000 views

www.statista.com/statistics/977761/rupauls-drag-race-viewers/

No idea how reliable those numbers are.

I was referring to the poll and this thread, Swimming. As I made clear.

It just means there are a lot of people out there who are not thinking about it. Who may not want to be thought of as ‘phobic’.

No, it means people enjoy it. People do not tend to watch tv programmes in order to prove they are not 'phobic'

There are many good points made on this thread. "people (women) don't like drag" is not one of them.

@ArabellaScott

I was referring to the poll and this thread, Swimming. As I made clear.

Yep

And I'm making it clear that this poll and thread isn't representative of the population as a whole.

If the claim is that 'drag is only getting more and more popular' then the oft stated figures given for season 1 of Drag Race UK should be considered alongside the current viewing figures. I believe Drag Race UK is about to go into its 4th season so presumably the figures for the 3rd season will be higher than for the 1st season? Interesting that the reviews for season 3 are generally poor though.

And how many people recognise deeply ingrained misogyny when it is tied up with the inclusive LGBT branding? Will the majority recognise it.

If the majority doesn’t recognise it until someone starts to make them analyze it, does that still mean it is ‘all good’ and worthy of that popularity?

Shall we go through many of the show and genres that were once considered popular and look at them in the light of current knowledge about oppression?

Why are you arguing the toss about popularity?

Is it or is it not about the male interpretation of what it is to be a woman? When is that appropriate?

Women say #nothankyou

No thank you.