This is the third time I've tried writing this post T_T
I started watching Drag Race because in my early 20s I liked watching America's Next Top Model and Project Runway. I enjoyed the behind-the-curtain look at the fashion industry and the concepts of the photoshoot challenges on ANTM, and as a seamstress I loved watching PR for other talented sewers work with themes and unusual materials. Both of these shows eventually went downhill and became gimmicky and stale.
When Drag Race started, it was a straight up parody of both ANTM and PR with contestants known for playing larger-than-life characters. The producers realized halfway through the season that there were some genuinely compelling human moments to be had when a contestant who had won a challenge involving a HIV charity campaign broke down on stage and revealed that she was HIV positive herself. There was another moment when a contestant who had been openly standoffish and bitchy revealed that she had opened her home to multiple young people who had been kicked out and disowned after they came out. The show is still a parody in many ways but there are moments like these in every season where the personas are peeled back and the real humanity shows through. Sometimes it's handled in a way that feels forced but it varies from season to season.
It's always been a showcase to display some very talented people, if a contestant has a particular skill they will always find a way to use it. Two contestants are classically trained opera singers, one is a concerto violinist, there are multiple stand up comedians, ballet dancers and fashion designers. It's also the only reality show I can think of that has had multiple winners with life-limiting disabilities. One contestant who was battling cancer was given a free pass to rejoin the competition when she felt ready for it, at least two that were injured over the course of the contest were given the same grace.
A lot of the misogynistic language involved in drag culture are holdovers from the ball scene which was largely populated by poverty-stricken young men cast out of their families and often involved in prostitution (someone above mentioned Paris is Burning, see also The Queen for a glimpse into this world) and it is being phased out gradually. Recently a bio queen (as in biologically female) had a frank discussion about the term 'fishy' with another queen on camera and it was for the most part well received (the other queen was quite young and didn't seem to realize what the term really meant). Speaking of bio queens, there have been three in the franchise as a whole (Victoria Scone on DRUK, Clover Bish on DR Espana and Pandora Nox on DR Germany) who have had a great reception from the fans and all did well on their respective seasons. However, there was some anger from the fans of DR Espana when it seemed like Clover Bish was being subjected to harsher criticism from the judges and misogyny was thought to be the reason, the general consensus is that we want to see Clover on an international All Stars season so that a different set of judges can give her the respect she deserves.
(Clover was one of the queens I met at Drag Con along with her fellow competitor Visa, they were absolutely delightful.)
Throughout the show, many queens have been open about their love and respect for the women in their lives and the women who inspired their drag personas. There have been women brought on the show to take part in makeover challenges (the queens have to create a family resemblance between themselves and the people assigned to them), sometimes relatives and sometimes strangers, and for the most part they have been treated very well. (With the exception of one queen who had a fractious relationship with the relative brought on to do the challenge with her...) This includes butch lesbians, superfans of the show, the female cast of another reality show that all had dwarfism, teenagers and mothers or sisters. There are also challenges that celebrate particular iconic female stars (Diana Ross, Madonna, Lady Gaga, Queen Elizabeth, Celine Dion to name a few...) and a number of women from old Hollywood actresses to up-and-coming pop singers have served on the judging panel. One particular episode had a drag queen performing in front of the pop star that she had based her entire persona and look off of.
I understand the misogyny concerns, I really do, and I'm as hardcore feminist as they come. (Read the SCUM Manifesto many times...) There are times during the show that I roll my eyes at something stupid or reductive being said, and there are definitely some queens that have a warped idea of what womanhood is. My own pet theory regarding the oversexualized drag personas is that these are men trying to emulate what they think straight men want in a woman, or outright parodying this expectation of femininity until it becomes grotesque.
In conclusion, I don't think anyone can write off the show without at least watching a little of it and giving it a chance. It's definitely not perfect and it's not going to be everyone's cup of tea but I do think there's something in it for anyone to enjoy.