Feminism: chat
Flamglimglubberty · 14/09/2021 14:57
It's not really anyone elses place to decide how you should feel about it, you need to make your own decision.
This thread seems quite goady, but I'm taking it on good faith you're not a troll just trying to capture some screenshots.
Some women are offended by drag due to the overtly sexual nature and regressive stereotypes employed by most performers. It can make women uncomfortable that someone is using all the worst tropes about womanhood to further put down and degrade women.
Others will tell you that it's harmless and point out comedians put down disabled people, people of colour, gay people in the name of comedy so therefore what makes drag any different?
Offence lies solely in the hands of the offended. Only you can decide what offends you.
LobsterNapkin · 14/09/2021 23:10
Different people feel differently.
They also define it differently - I think drag is quite specific, and doesn't include regular actors dressing as women, even in comedy, or panto. Others feel it applies to any instance of men presenting as women in a theatrical way.
Quaggars · 15/09/2021 00:28
Can someone enlighten me?
About what?
Nobody can tell you how to feel about them.
I personally have no problem with drag, and love watching Drag Race UK for example.
Others don't like it as they feel it's mocking them (which I don't feel at all, the way I personally see it is I'm happy and secure in the knowledge I'm a woman and people dressing up as one in drag doesn't bother me at all, I say each to their own)
I know not everyone feels that way though.
Don't mess with my panto!"
Ha, yes that as well! 
Love going to the panto every year and the panto dames
LaetitiaASD · 22/11/2021 14:25
Can I just ask... to what extent is this relevant.
1960 - gay men are persecuted for being gay and effeminate, and their sexual orientation is a literal crime. They get together in small, underground (literally and metaphorically) clubs to perform drag. Women generally do not see it, kid's don;t see it, and the only one's who do are a tiny minority of gay men who are ZERO threat to women.
2021 - gay men are not persecuted for being gay and effeminate, and their sexual orientation is in many ways celebrated as more colourful and diverse than boring old heterosexuality. They get together in large mainstream venues to perform drag to men, women and kids.
1960 - gay men punching up at people who barely know that drag exists.
2021 - gay and straight men punching down at women and setting a misogynistic example to the mainstream, to men women and children.
ChubbyMorticia · 22/11/2021 14:34
One of my kids is a Drag King. IME, Drag Queens and Kings work incredibly hard, a lot of them make their own costumes/props on top of creating their own routines (at least two different ones a show around here), putting a chunk of time, money and effort into it, for dismal pay, at least on the starting rungs of things. That's not including shows that want performers to travel but don't pay any of the expenses.
It's a theatre performance, imo.
LaetitiaASD · 22/11/2021 15:04
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rampitup · 22/11/2021 16:00
@hamadryad
I think there's an element of cultural appropriation niggling in the background which makes me feel slightly uncomfortable. As an art form I find it interesting and appreciate the hard work which goes into it.
Cagedbirdsinging · 22/11/2021 20:15
Pantomime dames are one thing ... there are well known theatrical traditions regarding male actors portraying women on stage but I don't like this modern day drag 'movement' at all ; it gives me the willies .
I feel that many drag artists are mocking women - caricaturing our behaviour , clothing and biological reality in cruel , ugly and unnecessary ways . Even the stage names some choose for themselves are vile , viz: Ms Carriage , Ana Bortion .
Old-school stage 'female impersonators' , e.g. Danny la Rue , Dame Edna , Les Dawson , the Pythons seemed different somehow , less vindictive , less spiteful . FWIW , Mrs Doubtfire bothered me ; I think it was the element of subterfuge involving unsuspecting women and children that grated .
I don't even want to think about the dragkink performances at public libraries' children's storytelling sessions and Pride events where the audience members are children and families with different ideas on what constitutes acceptable public behaviour and dress .
Pawprintpaper · 25/11/2021 14:54
Adult entertainment - not my cup of tea but each to their own.
Wearing outfits that would be obscene for a woman to wear, with names like flo-job twerking to children in a library. No.
Also bring positioned under the “trans umbrella” by the stonewall definition - so they can claim women’s rights simply by performing exaggerated stereotypes. This is even seems offensive to genuine trans women to me.
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