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Original poster

Ru Paul's Drag Race FOI request?

299 replies

WineIsMyCarb · 15/11/2019 20:54

Given that the BBC does not allow 3rd party advertisers, is an FOI request the right way to go about finding out if the headline slot on BBC iPlayer for RuPaul's Drag Race is paid for? Have had wine, am cross. Sick of the fucking sight of him. (Follows previous thread about iplayer not having an algorithm and others' about drag being misogynistic in large parts).

OP posts:
OhHolyJesus · 15/11/2019 20:58

I'd report to BBC Complaints but only as I'm not sure if BBC respond to FOIs.

I'm sick of it too, seems to be there to taunt me...

LordProfFekkoThePenguinPhD · 15/11/2019 21:00

The as popped up on our tv and ‘someone’ (not me) said ‘why is there a Barbie doll on tv?’.

FredaFox · 15/11/2019 21:01
Hmm
Inebriati · 15/11/2019 21:07

The BBC do respond to FOI's, there's a not very clear list here;
www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2000/36/schedule/1

www.gov.uk/make-a-freedom-of-information-request/how-to-make-an-foi-request

AutumnRose1 · 15/11/2019 21:12

It’s funny, content is supposed to be tailored but everyone I know gets this big promo on iplayer and it’s been that way for weeks.

theflushedzebra · 15/11/2019 21:12

I hear ya, OP!

Bloody sick of IPlayer pushing this on me. I don't want to watch it. I watched half of one episode, just to see what all the fuss was about, and it made me mad.

Misogynistic tripe which is derogatory to women.

MotherofKitKats · 15/11/2019 21:13

Or they are trying to encourage a younger audience onto their platforms in a disrupted market where they're struggling to compete and feel this show is attractive to that audience .... you may not be the target market Hmm

LordProfFekkoThePenguinPhD · 15/11/2019 21:17

Why is the ad always on here then?

Original poster
WineIsMyCarb · 15/11/2019 21:21

I am 100% not their target market @MotherofKitKats! But at 33 I'm unlikely to die of old age anytime soon... in fact, I believe I qualify as a millennial. Pass the avocado.
I don't want to see men dressed up as a pastiche of a northern (/Essex/Glaswegian/Welsh take your pick) working class woman who subscribed to the 'glamourous' look.

Even if we put the misogyny of the pastiche aside, I think licence fee payers should know about other streams of income the BBC is afforded.

My first eyebrow raise @FredaFox! Made my day. Do tell...!

OP posts:
Justhadathought · 15/11/2019 22:10

I'd report to BBC Complaints but only as I'm not sure if BBC respond to FOIs

I made a complaint about the adverts for 'Drag Race' a few days ago. They are pushing it very heavily at peak viewing time - just before the 6pm news. I not only complained about the ad - featuring a " cow" with a cattle ring through his nose ( & cow horns) - but also about the misogynistic content of the actual programming.

A good time to complain right now - as they are pushing it so heavily.

Justhadathought · 15/11/2019 22:12

Or they are trying to encourage a younger audience onto their platforms in a disrupted market where they're struggling to compete and feel this show is attractive to that audience .... you may not be the target market hmm

Well, yes, this is what they are attempting...but younger audience or not, the content is misogynistic.

HandsOffMyRights · 15/11/2019 22:15

It's been on there for WEEKS now. Before that Pose was the headline ad for WEEKS.

Call me jaded, but anyone would think the BBC had an agenda.

zanahoria · 15/11/2019 22:16

They are always plugging this show but its not even shown on their actual tv channels, why all the palava for an internet show?

HalfBrick · 15/11/2019 22:20

Ha, yes, I turned the TV on and I thought one of the kids had been watching it (highly unlikely given their ages) but DH pointed out it was just the home screen. I thought it was a bit of an 'adult' choice to have on there considering my kids are the only ones that use iplayer in this house.

thefluffysideofgrey · 15/11/2019 22:20

I think it's great. Half the office are addicted to it.

Nowt wrong with a laugh (northern working class woman here)

It's funny. Anything is better than the current feted comedy ie fleabag.

HandsOffMyRights · 15/11/2019 22:23

Ru Paul is 58 though, hardly cutting edge for a younger audience I would have thought, but maybe this is viewed as risque, even though Dick Emery was parading round in women's knickers 40 years ago.

But I would be interested to know who watches this, a younger audience or Mrs Brown's Boys fans?

WotchaTalkinBoutWillis · 15/11/2019 22:29

I think it's great. Nowt wrong with a laugh (northern working class woman here)

Same, first time I've watched it (got a friend who loves it and said I should watch it, (me - meh, not my thing) then been seeing the threads on here about drag and so thought I'd watch it to see what all the fuss was about.
Now hooked Blush Grin

But I would be interested to know who watches this
Well I for one am 40 something and female.

AutumnRose1 · 15/11/2019 22:32

@zanahoria. It is on their TV channel?

I saw a lot of publicity for Pose and yes of course the BBC has an agenda on this. The cow ad sounds grim.

AutumnRose1 · 15/11/2019 22:33

As for audience, I know 20 - 50 ages watching it. I don’t think they’re targeting an age group but trying to expand on the figures generally.

Mumdiva99 · 15/11/2019 22:33

@handsoffmyrights I have watched previous series of Drag race. I am neither younger nor. Mrs Brown's Boys audience. I like reality shows, am bored with cooking stuff, like the threatre and like being reminded of a time when I actually went to clubs that had drag acts in them...rather than just being sat at home watching on TV. I like theatre and performing arts. I haven't yet got into this series as they don't show the guys making the clothes or really get into how they are doing their make up There is just a lot of chatter. No doubt at some point over the ironing I'll watch some more.

NaviSprite · 15/11/2019 22:37

It’s there as a blanket marketing ploy and probably gets a lot of plugging because it has become a very lucrative show in America. It’s pulled together a lot of competition based reality concepts that have been popular and add the comedy concept of Drag onto it (America’s Next Top Model - Photo Shoots and Marketing Challenges, Project Catwalk - Sewing and Modelling their own outfits and so on.)

As a movement Drag was very important in America for the liberation of Gay Rights, so I like it for that, I think the characters are a bit annoying, sometimes, but Drag as a form of entertainment has a bit more to it for me than it just being misogynistic - not saying there aren’t elements of misogyny in the characterisations, but I think there’s a bit more history to it than that.

I prefer Dragula though, it’s on Amazon Prime and is geared towards the gothic/monster type drag, lots of excellent use of acting, makeup, prosthetics and not so overproduced Grin

KayakingOnDown · 15/11/2019 22:40

There is definitely a BBC agenda. It's been the promoted programme on my Iplayer homepage for weeks.

Lowhum · 15/11/2019 23:02

They have probably just spent an absolute tonne of money on it so they don’t want it to fail. The people I know who watch it are female, in their 30s and very heavily invested in all things drag.

They are advertising auditions for series 2 so it’s not going away any time soon!

2Rebecca · 15/11/2019 23:13

At least Ru Paul shows you can dress in "women's" clothing and still be male and not pretend to have changed sex with your costume. I dislike a lot of drag but am enjoying this. They objectify men as much as women. I find the Brit Crew in their pants the creepiest part of it. Ru Paul's story would be interesting. He grew up with no father or male sibs from what he said in the last episode. I wonder if a lack of or poor male role models led to him becoming a drag queen. He's a good performer and has amazing presence and self confidence. He looked great in his suit yesterday, much better than when pretending to be a sexualised woman. I suspect for some of them it is more about a love of sequins and make up applied with a trowel than anything to do with women and femininity.
They haven't been as disparaging about women as I expected.

NaviSprite · 15/11/2019 23:31

@2Rebecca there are segments on YouTube about Rupauls career path but I think a lot of it came from having a very strong mother, who he speaks of with nothing but reverence and a lot of strong female role models in his sisters - so you might be right in that not having a present father influenced him in the direction of Drag, that and being homosexual and black, which brought him a lot of trouble given the era he was born in.

I didn’t watch it until my youngest sister became hugely invested in it, my Mum and Stepdad were worried because it’s very outside of their sphere of comfort, so I watched it to see what the hype was and I have to say it’s become a guilty pleasure.

It’s of course, heavily edited and is a TV show at the end of the day, but there have been moments where important and sensitive topics have been discussed by the cast who have struggled with them (HIV, eating disorders, discrimination by sexuality and race, being a survivor of sexual assault, bullying, abusive childhoods etc.) I think for that reason, it’s not such a bad show.

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