Drag performers take on the look and mannerisms of their opposite gender as a way to entertain and inform their audiences of social issues that can be addressed with humor. Fortunately for the drag community, there has been a recent increase in the popularity of drag queens since the TV show, “RuPaul’s Drag Race” won an Emmy in 2015. However, the female equivalent, drag kings, are given little media attention, thus casting them into obscurity. I argue that the lack of positive media coverage of drag kings in television, advertising, and social media, further isolates drag kings from potential viewers and their fellow LGBTQA community, causing strife for individual performers and their respective performing groups, and furthermore, depriving …show more content…
These negative affects come in the form of both external discrimination taken from outdated social norms and internal struggles within the drag community for equal power and recognition. Colleen Ayoup and Julie Podmore’s article, “Making Kings,” depicts one negative affect drag kings experience as being referred to as the female version of drag queens, thus reducing what could be a self-sufficient subculture to a mere extension of a pre-existing subculture and by devaluing the differences drag kings bring to their community, (64). Some of this isolation comes from an internal divide within the drag community between gay drag queens and lesbian drag kings. As mentioned earlier, companies like World of Wonder feature gay drag kings over drag kings of any sexual orientation. This is due in part to a pre-existing divide between the two genders, with female drag kings seen as a threat to the power possessed by male drag queens, as defined in Steven Schacht’s article, “Lesbian Drag Kings And The Feminine Embodiment Of The Masculine” (82). The outcasting power dynamic between drag kings and drag kings is only made worse by the weak bond between heterosexual and lesbian drag …show more content…
Despite gaining a recent presence on Youtube, lesbian drag kings suffer the most from this exclusion, facing adversity from overly dominant drag queens and their heterosexual drag king counterparts. However, that does not deter these performers from challenging tough issues such as race identity and hyper-masculinity with humor. Inclusion of these comical yet thought-provoking acts is needed in this male dominant society, as they inspire healing for the audience and performer
Everyone knows a woman that dresses feminine—in long, flowy dresses, bright pink lipstick, and towering high heels. Personally, my usual attire is composed of a flower headband and a pastel yellow sundress. People typically expect straight women to uphold a certain feministic standard and anticipate that lesbian women appear masculine. Lesbians are stereotyped to have short hair, wear striped flannels and boyfriend jeans, and not wear makeup. Masculine-appearing women are assumed to be gay; however, there is a group of lesbian women who dress femininely. Lipstick lesbians, or LLs, are a part of the feminine lesbian community. The LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender) community has built up recently and an abundance of stereotypes as well. Contrary to popular belief, lesbians are not bound to one appearance. We as humans should have the opportunity to express ourselves in whichever way we desire. Similar to everyone else, lesbians’ appearances do not have to be strictly based off of who they are attracted to. Lipstick lesbians positively influence lesbian stereotypes because they defy masculine appearance and are unafraid to express themselves. By recognizing that lesbians who dress femininely are still lesbians, individuals can avoid awkward and uncomfortable situations by being respectful and acknowledging their boundaries.
The representation of the LGBT community in the film industry has long been a topic of much debate. In her article, “It Ain’t Easy Being Bisexual on TV,” Amy Zimmerman addresses this topic with specific interest on bisexual representation. By appealing to the logic of her audience, using an informal tone, and referring to relatable content, Zimmerman constructs an argument which persuades readers of The Daily Beast that the film industry is unfairly and inaccurately representing bisexuals. However, her argument holds little influence over those who are not movie fans or The Daily Beast readers.
I consider magazines, television shows, films, news media, gossip media, Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, and other Internet sources to be the number one target for negative gender discrimination, stereotypes, inequality, and hatred. For example, Playboy featured its first transgender playmate on a magazine cover which is a positive change in gender role today. However, for some individuals, there was mixed reactions and emotions about a transgender featured on the Playboy cover. To the point where Ms. Ines was receiving negative comments on social media, but she said stated in a recent New York Times Interview, “I would have never thought about people being so transphobic. I knew we still had a lot of work to do to get to a point where people see trans women as women, but I would have never thought of
However, this show has recently taken over social media and has changed the way society views drag as well as what it stands for. Being able to get a first hand look at these men’s personal stories as well as being able to see their identity and what it means to them has given society a clearer and deeper understanding as to what drag really is.
The uprising of gay and lesbian entertainment in shows such as “Will & Grace,” Showtime series “Queer As Folk” and “The L Word,” has overthrown the former cookie cutter husband and wife TV series. Gay and lesbian affairs in the media emerged quickly after the coming out of Ellen Degeneres in her hit sitcom, “Ellen.” The comedian now has her own daytime talk show, achieving mainstream popularity for obvious reasons: she’s funny, down-to-earth, and openly gay. In earlier decades homosexuality was previously limited to a closet of taboos, where no one knew about it, and no one admitted to it. Primetime programming would never house a show in which gay men and lesbian women openly discussed their sex lives and sexual preferences, nor a show that based its entire plotline on gay and lesbian couples.
This book’s major argument is how women are shown by contemporary media and popular culture in mixed messages. Douglas focuses on the ways women are portrayed in popular music, such as dancers wearing barely any clothes and doing inappropriate things in rap videos; to the empowered women warriors in television, such as Xena: Warrior Princess, Dark Angel and Buffy the Vampire Slayer; to the female players, such as Sarah Palin and Hilary Clinton. Her arguments and points are very valid, I personally think. “Since the 1990s the mass media has increasingly reported that women have “made it,” that they achieved gender equality. On television women occupy important jobs like doctors,
In several cases, the desire to kill the queer self also occurs when it seems impossible to move forward without fully accepting and presenting oneself as queer. When this idea is seen on television it is presented in both the interpersonal and introspective forms. For example, the characters that attempt suicide, such as the eight queer women characters between 2001 and 2016, are illustrating the introspective act of assassinating the queer self by killing themselves. In contrast the interpersonal aspect derives from the idea of identity as zero-sum and therefore the queer characters who do not cover present a threat to the stability and validity of gay characters on screen. This paper will specifically investigate how the interpersonal side of "assassinating the queer selves" plays out on screen as a way to reinforce the importance of
What dictates the social roles, the individual responsibility everyone has in society, and stereotypes, an overgeneralized and oversimplified belief of a particular person or group, in America’s 21st century society? Can rationale and critical thinking be held accountable for the establishment of ethical beliefs involving people and their sex, gender related value systems? The following readings covered in this essay are both found within the textbook, Signs of Life in the U.S.A.: Readings on Popular Culture for Writers; the Introduction: Popular Signs written by coauthors Sonia Maasik, a writing programs lecturer at the University of California, Los Angeles, and Jack Solomon, an English Professor at California State University, and located within the second chapter of the textbook, the brief article, Dove’s “Real Beauty” backlash, written by Jennifer L. Pozner, the executive director of Women In Media & News (“Sonia Maasik”)(“Jack Solomon”)(194). Mass entertainment culture, the popular interests of the majority broadcasted in the media, can be attributed for constituting and sustaining the potentially hindering culture myths, a fictitious but widely accepted belief of a certain culture, regarding all genders. These cultural myths are not exclusive to men and women as they also involve transgender individuals and others who identify as another gender not classified under ‘cisgender.’ An extensive analysis of mass entertainment culture and
In this paper, I will examine how women of color who deal with the lack of acceptance growing up because of their lesbianism help shape and/or will shape them to be future role models for LGBT people around the world. I will be using the coming of age drama, Pariah, directed and written by Dee Rees, as a primary source in order to argue how the cinematography in this film portrays Alike being the epitome of embracing one 's sexuality. I chose this film because it reminded me of a similar story that touched me in the form of a book written by Audre Lorde called Zami: A New Spelling of My Name. Standing up in what Alike believed in and taking a stand by fighting back against so many in the community deal with on a everyday basis is the driving force I will use to show how she took a big giant step
“The “I was born in the wrong body” rhetoric favored by other Tran’s people doesn’t work any better and is just as offensive, reducing us to our collective breasts and vaginas. Imagine the reaction if a young white man suddenly declared that he was trapped in the wrong body and, after using chemicals to change his skin pigmentation and crocheting his hair into twists, expected to be embraced by the black community.” Burkett addresses an issue with the way women are being projected by Tran’s genders by giving an example of an equally offensive stereotype. Stereotypes have been defining women in such a negative light by people everywhere and nowadays, it’s becoming acceptable. “…the prelude to a new photo spread and interview in Vanity Fair that offered us a glimpse into Caitlyn Jenner’s idea of a woman: a cleavage-boosting corset, sultry poses, thick mascara and the prospect of regular “girls’ nights” of banter about hair and makeup. Ms. Jenner was greeted with even more thunderous applause.” Burkett gives countless examples of how women are degraded to their stereotypes that aren’t a fair or equal
One of the main reasons the media industries need to become more diversified is positive representation. Growing up watching shows and films, I don’t feel like I had adequate representation and positive role models to look up to. Even now, when I look at the images of Black women in media, I don’t find many of them to be positive – however, the positivity is growing thanks to the presence of people like Shonda Rhimes and Ava DuVernay. The problem with the lack of diversity in the media industries, particularly behind the scenes, is the fact that when it comes to creating content that targets and includes marginalized groups, a lot of it is derived from stereotyped stigmas that the White majority perpetuates via their predominate role. This
Gender roles play a big part of that misconception. In the journal “Drag Queen as Angel” they are seen as a care givers and someone that will watch over you. Like angels, the drag queens serve as messengers, defenders, and miracle workers to the earthly humans with whom they come into contact. In our society being nurturing, kind, and enticing are traits of a woman and being strong and unemotional are traits of a man. Also in our society clothes, makeup, and wigs are all things for women. Some people might think why would a masculine straight man want to be perceived as things
Drag queens demand attention, from their over the top makeup, to the towering wigs they wear, when they enter on stage, they have all the attention in the room. That attention has changed from horror, to disgust, to appreciation in the past 200 years but the culture of drag queens has always stayed true to being a community for men who do not fit into the mold of what is deemed normal. It has been a safe haven and a family for those who do not have anywhere else. Through this culture we see strength, art and acceptance stemming from adversity. Some key aspects of this culture, that help us understand it, are the role drag queens play in the LGBTQ community, the language they use, their history, the reason why gay men are attracted to this community and what they gain from it.
Media and its representation of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transsexual (LGBT) themes has been prevalent throughout time. According to the collections of studies and stories by Meem, Mitchell and Jonathan (2010) concerning LGBT individuals, it is important to represent such themes because it is able to enlighten people on how our society as a whole, has become dynamic. The Media can be seen as a “central source” where negative perceptions can be created. As a result, stereotypes can be either created or perpetuated about this group, negative or otherwise. Media as a medium, therefore, is an extremely powerful tool in our society, and can be used to change or create people 's perceptions about this particular segment of our world (LGBT).
Now this is where I destroy the idea that only queer men do drag. Drag is extremely inclusive and anyone can join in on the fun. For example we have drag kings, bio queens, even young aspiring queens like 8 year old Lactacia are welcome. Drag kings can be defined as women and dressed as men for performance and entertainment. Performers like Landon Cider, Robin Heartz, and Spikey Van Dykey. Bio queens on the other hand are women dressed as an exaggerated idea of being female. Women such as Tayla Macdonald, the girls of Drag Coven Aka Courtney Conquer and Ja’mie Queen West, and Lucy Garland are well known in the community. As for Lactacia, the 8 year old drag queen the young queen have recently blown up in the media and the world of drag. Lactacia and their mother recently did an interview with Elle Magazine where they were asked how the 8 year old got into drag, like many others including myself it all started with a little show called Rupaul’s Drag Race. Drag Race is a reality competition show where they find the next drag superstar. Much like Americas Next Top Model, but with much more charisma, uniqueness, nerve, and talent. Through the growing popularity of the show it is spreading the art of drag and the magic behind it. Not only has casted a spell on Lactacia and I, but millions of others as well.