What's the obsession with drag?

[allusernamesaretakennow]

Why the obsession with men in dresses? I don't find them entertaining so wouldn't go to a drag show but I have friends who think the shows are really entertaining and have been to them.

I think they are poor quality and had their day. To be popped in the box alongside thinks such as the B&W minstrels, Love They neighbour (racist shows of the past) since they are just IMO men in women's face. AIBU?

YANBU - they are a relic of the past and we don't need to have men in women's face now

YABU - they are great fun.

"Old School" drag - including the likes of Lily Savage, pantomime dames, Cupid Stunt - was great. Clever, funny, bawdy and great.

'Modern' drag where the "womanface" make-up is just a hideous piss-take of women and reinforcing gender stereotypes, where a man 'passing' as a woman is described as 'fishy' (a reference to tropes about what women smell like) and the misogyny just drips from it all...no thanks. That's before we get to the open fetish aspects and the fact that it's often presented in family/child-friendly places in an effort to be 'progressive' and 'cool', which is ragingly inappropriate - drag is inherently sexualised and has absolutely no place near a child.

It seems to be everywhere now as a way for events and venues to signal their inclusive virtue

Why are ypu asking? You've already made your mind up

This is the second drag thread in about as many days. I take it it's drag's turn to get a bashing again? It's been a while.

Also, Edna took the piss out of men mainly.

There is already a long thread running in AIBU on Drag …that one was only started a couple of days back, and very active, so easily found.

The upshot is..…..

some people find it funny, some don’t
some like “lily savage” and “Danny La rue”, but not the newer ones
some find it grossly offensive (cue the black face / woman face argument)

and that’s about it.

I know La Voix, great person, not misogynistic, feel safer with them than most men, hard worker .. hope they do really well, more importantly hope I get tickets.

It was once harmless, semi traditional fun. Danny LaRue and Pantomime Dames offended no one, but it's a lot more sinister these days, and the drag culture, to quite a large extent, has been weaponised by the Left and the LGBTQ+ activists

Lily Savage and Dame Edna Everage were genuinely hilarious comedians. Comedians. It’s a talent. Just dressing up in drag doesn’t make you a comedian. Something the BBC could learn.

There’s a big difference between them and the winner of the comedy award at the
Edinburgh festival who seemed to win it for being trans as nothing she said was remotely funny. Or Rosie Jones, who is always on TV as a disabled comedian but is also deeply unfunny.

There’s a big difference between them and the winner of the comedy award at the Edinburgh festival who seemed to win it for being trans as nothing she said was remotely funny.

The winner of the Edinburgh award is a man. A biological male, much as he posted a picture on Twitter of himself sitting in the women's loos with his middle finger raised as a "fuck you" to all the women who don't want men in women only spaces.

This was a story I'd read before but couldn't find. Yes linking with small children sounds very pervert like.

It's interesting to see if my view of it having 'had it's day', the best have gone and the more sinister turn that some people describe is a common thinking or just me. Appears on MN by this thread it's a bit past it now. You might think differently, as you're entitled to.

Is it, didn't realise. Many topics do the rounds, you don't have to waste your time on answering if not interest to you though, it is a chat forum and I imagine you won't be interested in all the topics so could just scroll on by.......

I find it odd and wouldn’t go to watch it. I found it weird when I was a child (seeing it on tv) but then that’s just me. If people like it then that’s fine…as long as they don’t try and force me to go and watch it.

I find the idea that it can’t be dismissed because it has a long history really odd. Bear baiting had a long history. So did dressing up as people from other races. And lots of other things that we don’t think are ok anymore just because they’ve been around for a long time. It’s longevity is not evidence of it’s acceptability.

Do you know, I thought of the bear baiting argument as soon as I posted! So, you make an absolutely fair point.

I suppose then it comes down to offence, ie the level of offence of ‘blackface’ is ensuring its demise (hopefully).

I suppose just not enough people (especially women) are offended enough to turn it into something worth fighting against?

I also don’t find them entertaining, most don’t even sing. Just lip sing and I don’t find that entertaining or talented

If, in the 1970s and 1980s, you said Dick Emery in drag really identified as female, you'd have been sat down and given a hot, sweet drink. He was funny because we knew he was male, he knew he was male, and the joke was on the male and female audience and on Dick Emery. No horrible names for female genitalia. No sexualised outfits. Just funny.

God only knows why they’ve suddenly become accepted entertainers for young children

What was that email you received and why did you receive it? Have you signed up to some right-wing propaganda machine that churns this stuff out?

I don’t think for one minute that the bbc has an obsession with drag, beyond that they produce and show a programme about it. By the same token your email could complain the BBC was obsessed with gardening, cooking or house makeovers, or any of the other things it broadcasts.

I hope you don’t believe everything you read, but I’m worried that you felt compelled to start this thread to try and stir things up.

Good drag is comedy theatre
A lot of poor ones out there too sadly

Lip sing 😂😂😂

I don’t particularly care either way about drag but there’s some unhinged comments on here. The one underneath yours saying about it being considered entertainment for children is batshit. It’s not for children any more than anything else is. Have people lost their minds?

Drag has become a way for some misogynistic blokes to parade their deep misogyny whilst simultaneously being applauded for how stunning, brave, and inclusive they are.

I've always found them a little creepy, especially as a child - i was terrified of them!

It's ok for people to like drag and it's ok for people to not like it. But I think it's a stretch to compare it to a black and white minstrels show...

Are they wannabe transwomen or what? Or the embodiment of how transwomen (i.e. biological men) want to look, and think drag queens look like the women they envisage?

All a bit sordid if you ask me. What the F is wrong with biological women in OTT make up and a wig anyway? If there's a difference, better tell the transwomen out there so.

I generally enjoy Drag but it's a very broad term and there are very different acts. But like any entertainment there is good quality and bad quality drag. Most very much only suited for adult audiences.

La Voix is generally tamer, old school type drag, sequin/showgirl dress and old school make up - impersonation of singers e.g. Shirely Bassey or Judy Garland. The man behind the character seems genuinely lovely too.