Drag Queen on Strictly

[HelenaWaiting]

I didn't see a thread on this, and it seems to have been slipped out quietly. I'm assuming this man in woman-face will be taking the place of a female?

https://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/2025/strictly-come-dancing-la-voix#:~:text=A%20powerhouse%20of%20charisma%2C%20comedy,no%20stranger%20to%20national%20television.

Drag has been a part of British culture for centuries and the drag artist taking part in strictly is old school drag. I don’t see an issue.

Misogyny being part of 'British culture' 'for centuries' does not make it right. 'old school drag' is just as misogynistic as current drag. It's all womanface and hateful and misogynistic and offensive. That you are so desensitised to misogyny that you don't see the issue, is the issue.

I assumed that the Strictly Christmas special was warming us up for a drag artist in the forthcoming series. I'm not a fan of drag, but I expect I'll watch and be interested.

Hello, outraged denizens of Mumsnet. Strictly Come Dancing is a highly theatrical, camp, TV dance competition. Drag artists are highly theatrical, camp, gay men (but not always gay men) who dress up as parodies of women in order to entertain their audience.

Some people hate clowns. Some hate poetry and especially "performance poetry". And the outraged denizens of mumsnet hate anybody who disagrees with them. They are outraged, therefore they are right (username "ImoutragedthereforeIwin".)

I find it offensive (and annoying) when people make comparisons and parallels between blackface and womanface. They are completely different areas of disguise. So called "womanface" is about pretending to be a woman in everyday life. It's not confined to the theatre or to any other form of entertainment. "Blackface" is a highly discredited theatrical device making fun of black and brown people.

Theatre has been censored on and off for hundreds of years. Not wanting to see a drag performer performing in a dance competition full of sequins and high heels and make up and wig and cleavages and masculine stereotypes is fine - it's a theatrical show, not for everyone. As for misogyny, our entire culture is steeped in misogyny. We breathe it in with our first breath and continue to absorb it as we grow. I do not think we will get rid of misogyny by insisting that a drag queen can't perform in SCD.

Theatre is often outrageous and provocative, although I don't think you can actually say that about Strictly Come Dancing. It operates between very narrow and well defined parameters.

I will admit I don't care for SCD much. If I'm going to watch something formulaic and mildly thrilling I might watch drag race instead.

Strictly has had same sex partnerships in the last few years: Nicola and Katya, John and Johannes, Jayde and Karen, Richie and Gio, Layton and Nikita.
They did not have one last year.
Chris is gay. Whether you like it or not, drag is part of the gay subculture for some.
He isn't stealing someone's place.
He is representing for the gay community.
We have 15 couples.
Hopefully 7 women, 7 men and then Chris, who I think may dance with JoJo or Carlos, both of whom are proud to be out on a mainstream show.

La Voix is also bloody talented - more a female impersonator of the Danny La Rue/Dame Edna/Lily Savage style. They can do Shirley Bassey or Lisa Minelli and have a brilliant voice - reached the semis of BGT a few years ago.

I am happy to see Chris dance both in and out of drag. I suspect he will dance in drag for the main and a couple of routines as himself.

You don't need to watch but don't do the guy down just because you are not acquainted with his work or talent.

Hello enabler, misogyny is misogyny, whether it is 'camp' or 'threatrical' or not. It makes NO DIFFERENCE. It's still misogyny. And if you can't see how womanface is EXACTLY like blackface, you have issues recognising reality and how programmed and desensitised you are.

The bit I’m struggling with is that the other actors / entertainers don’t bring their character to Strictly - they dance as themselves. But presumably he will be dancing ‘in character’? That might be really hard for some dances that don’t particularly lend themselves to the highly styled Drag Queen character - I’m thinking the super classy ballroom could look very bizarre!?

What do you mean by "recognising reality"? Could you be a bit clearer?

Are you so angry because of some personal experience you've had? Can you please not project it onto me.

If the BBC can do this and get away with it, and the drag queen remains scandal free (unlikely!), then they'll teach a whole generation of kids to accept men in womenface as normal and to accept the ugly face of women who are portrayed as clowns.

I'm not a fan of drag and get a bit fed up of the BBC pushing it, but I would much rather see a drag artist on Strictly than a mtf trans person who everyone would have to pretend is actually a woman. Everyone knows that drag is a performance.
I know some feminists find drag insulting, but I think that position is really a minority one.

So drag is "gay men (but not always gay men) who dress up as parodies of women in order to entertain their audience."

And "our entire culture is steeped in misogyny"

But we are drama lamas to talk about this misogynistic parody on a feminists board?

Yes that’s what I’m wondering - is it the gay man who does drag who’s on strictly, or the drag “character’? Because if it’s the character that’s weird - like having a pantomime horse as a contestant, or Alan Partridge.

Drag artists are highly theatrical, camp, gay men (but not always gay men) who dress up as parodies of women in order to entertain their audience.

Parody.

From the Greek 'parodē' - a form of poetry that imitated and mocked the style of famous poets. Synonyms: mockery, travesty, lampoon, send up.

Couldn't agree more!

This thread is disgusting.

Drag acts mock women and not in a good way.
The ridiculous, exaggerated make up, eye lashes, large false breasts, the overemphasising of women’s movements and voices.
It’s misogyny, pure and simple.

I don't know this person's act, but I wouldn't necessarily mind a camp act on a camp show (disclosure: I couldn't be induced to watch it). Performance drag can be good comedy, it all depends on how it's done. I like Cissy and Ada, Hinge & Bracket, Lily Savage, Dame Edna and quite a few of the old comedians. They are well-written and performed characters, and if the performer respects women, basing his character on those women, I can enjoy that.

Gay drag from the clubs though has a very mixed reputation, some performers have come good, but many acts were and are crude, sexual caricatures of women, unfunny to me.

The RuPaul 'runway' type of American drag show isn't really an acting performance, it's men indulging in costume and 'female' alter egos, wanting to be 'she' and have a personal journey. The men who pose are pretty unaware of what they're appropriating.

This character on SCD wouldn't bother me if the male performer was being a talented and fun but respectful act. If he wants to be taken seriously as 'she' then nah.

So if he did appear as himself he'd be a gay man so might get paired with a man anyway

Why is it? It’s a discussion on the feminist board about men mocking women via the medium of drag.

So you do agree there is a new kind of drag then? A new aggressive sort of drag that purposefully demeans women in abhorrent ways?

What is disgusting is the hateful misogyny by misogynists and their enablers.

They're literally all unkind. They're taking the piss out of women.

It's exactly the same. Why do you think it's offensive to say so?

I mean I doubt it seeing as it’s a man. Do you know what drag is? This is why the anti trans movement has become poisonous and dangerous. You people have ruined feminism.

NO THEY ARE NOT