Ru Paul's Drag Race FOI request?

[WineIsMyCarb]

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).

Why don’t they do straight men doing gay men impersonations and ‘tasks’?

How about straight women dressing up as grotesque caricatures of gay men - thinking along the lines of Village People.
The BBC could bombard everyone with adverts of women taking the piss out of men and effortlessly being ‘more’ gay than gay men. The message from the BBC would then be : women can be anyone they want to be whilst men can be openly ridiculed by all.

@SpicyRibs
“If anything, these Drag Queens idolise women. They don't hate them.”
I don’t draw the same conclusion. You see idolising and I see fetishising and othering.

If anything, these Drag Queens idolise women

ah yes, men idolising women - that always goes well, doesn't it

I know this is a bit left field, but how about men neither idolising women, nor holding them in contempt, but simply seeing them as people?

Are they complicit in enabling misogyny?

yes. plenty of women are

@Etinox

I'm sorry you see it that way. I've watched many of the US seasons as well and never once have I felt it negative in that way. The overwhelming message I've got from the show is about inclusivity and acceptance.

YMMV (and clearly it does).

If anything, these Drag Queens idolise women. They don't hate them

Yes, most gay men love a diva: over-blown, over-the top, very entertaining......but there is no love in these gross distortions and offensive stereotypes, though.They are simply offensive.

Idolising something or someone tends to mean you have very little sympathy with the real flesh and blood 'specimen', though.

And yet, Cheryl Hole's sister (a genuine real life Essex girl!) appeared to be so proud of her brother and his act. In fact, all the relatives who came on the show (mums and sisters) seemed to be very proud of their son/brother.
This is a very deliberate on the part of the show makers. For the same reason that Howard Stern's show always had a female sidekick, to indicate to the women that what's going on is OK, just a bit of harmless fun. Why didn't they bring the dads and brothers on? Why is it always the women's job to show they're supportive and not men? I'm glad their sisters and mothers support them, but it all felt quite manipulative to have them paraded round - to be used in arguments like yours, in fact, when women object.

The overwhelming message I've got from the show is about inclusivity and acceptance

Inclusivity in what?

acceptance of what? It looks like men aping women and making crass jokes about women's genitals. Is it acceptance of that?

Various female judges as well. They seem to love the acts. Are they complicit in enabling misogyny?

Absolutely! Most of us have been there ourselves in one form or other......and then we realised.......

Spicy , seems we all see things differently as I see the highly offensive word c*t in your post at 23.04 last night.
I also saw plenty of:
Charisma
Uniqueness
Nerve
Talent

My feeling is that many gay men are possessed of some kind of negative/shadow anima figure:

Anima The inner feminine side of a man.
The anima is both a personal complex and an archetypal image of woman in the male psyche. It is an unconscious factor incarnated anew in every male child, and is responsible for the mechanism of projection. Initially identified with the personal mother, the anima is later experienced not only in other women but as a pervasive influence in a man’s life.

I'm sorry you see it that way. I've watched many of the US seasons as well and never once have I felt it negative in that way. The overwhelming message I've got from the show is about inclusivity and acceptance

Didn't ru Paul fall foul of the Trans brigade for being exclusive, though?

I know this is a bit left field, but how about men neither idolising women, nor holding them in contempt, but simply seeing them as people?

When it comes to their family members, they clearly adore them.

When it comes to icons (Cher for example) of course they are going to idolise (and emulate) them.

it would be super if the BBC promotional strategy was influenced by not being women hating woke acolytes of Queer Theory. Think you can swing it hangonamo ?

Hmm probably safe to say they don't see it like that, given that it has been recommissioned. It's more simple - it does well in USA, they tried it here, it did well by whatever measure they are concerned about, maybe total viewing figures, maybe good for a particular age range, it got recommissioned.

Why didn't they bring the dads and brothers on? Why is it always the women's job to show they're supportive and not men? I'm glad their sisters and mothers support them, but it all felt quite manipulative to have them paraded round - to be used in arguments like yours, in fact, when women object.

Because it seems to me, in a lot of the cases the fathers were not accepting, originally of their homosexuality and especially not of drag.

Inclusivity in what?

acceptance of what? It looks like men aping women and making crass jokes about women's genitals. Is it acceptance of that?

Being gay. Doing drag.

The contestant from (N?) Ireland was particularly vocal about this.

all drag queens adore all their female family members? is that what we're saying?

I'm happy that they have a happy family life, but in the wider scheme of things, so what? Bernard Manning was married for 30 years. He was still an unpleasant sexist that I wouldn't want to see on TV.

God knows why the BBC is spending licence money on this sexist tosh.

Spicy , seems we all see things differently as I see the highly offensive word c*t in your post at 23.04 last night.

It's a show reference.

When it comes to icons (Cher for example) of course they are going to idolise (and emulate) them

What exactly is it that is being emulated, though? Big voice, big hair....?Being beaten up by Sonny Bono?

Idols are symbols...that resonate with something inside. This idolisation doesn't recognise the very real person, though - which is why our idols most often disappoint us; and there can no worse critic or hater than someone let down and disappointed.

When you idolise someone - you make of them an object.

Hmm probably safe to say they don't see it like that, given that it has been recommissioned. It's more simple - it does well in USA, they tried it here, it did well by whatever measure they are concerned about, maybe total viewing figures, maybe good for a particular age range, it got recommissioned.

RuPaul's Drag Race is big out there. Up to 10 seasons iirc (+ All Stars).

I note RuPaul also makes an appearance in Taylor Swifts "You Need to Calm Down" music video.

[acceptance of]..Doing drag

I think it's fairly clear that I'm pretty about why this would ever be a good thing

as mentioned upthread, should we be getting teary eyed about acceptance of straight men mincing around doing camped up 'impersonations' of the way they perceive gay men? It's the same thing in my view.

It's a show reference

fuck me. I rest my case

RuPaul's Drag Race is big out there

So's Donald Trump

It's a show reference.

Doesn’t make it any less offensive.

Hmm probably safe to say they don't see it like that, given that it has been recommissioned. It's more simple - it does well in USA, they tried it here, it did well by whatever measure they are concerned about, maybe total viewing figures, maybe good for a particular age range, it got recommissioned

Maybe, but the debate is growing.....it is no longer going to be so uncontroversial..also not entirely sure that drag should be promoted on prime time TV when young children might be viewing.

Certainly wouldn't want my granddaughter exposed to it.

Always slightly disturbed as a child, myself, by pantomime dames.

Because it seems to me, in a lot of the cases the fathers were not accepting, originally of their homosexuality and especially not of drag

Well, yes! Being seen as girly or in any way overtly feminine is a big no, no for many men.......that is why gay men do drag, isn't it? To reclaim that; to empower themselves, and not deny that.....The thing is - the depictions of femininity and womanhood are often ugly and offensive.

From what I can gather most gay men have a very high level of " yuck factor" about female bodies...more so than women about male bodies. I'm not sure they idolise female bodies as they are in reality.