http://www.edgeunitedstat...&id=101227

If there is a God - and if God has a plan - could he have crafted a more regal source of sass, satire and truth telling than the glamorous star that emerges when a dude tucks in his junk, dons a wig and a dress, artfully applies makeup and adopts a heightened feminine persona?

What emerges after that process is a singing, dancing, joke-telling, trash-talking entertainer who dispenses insight cloaked in insults - and mines humor from acknowledging any given situation’s hypocrisy or absurdity.

In other words, the drag queen: nature’s perfect entertainer.

Like a piñata at a child’s birthday party, no top shelf gay event is complete without a drag performer.

But they’re not just for breakfast anymore. Drag queens have been embraced by the mainstream - and it’s about time. Those girls have toiled endlessly in the gay ghetto by hosting shows for meager wages that, shoplifting efforts included, barely pay for their extravagant costumes, makeup and motivational pharmaceuticals.

It used to be that drag queens simply imitated females from stage and screen. Today, stars such as Lady Gaga are imitating drag queens. You can see the influence in everything from costumes to dance to attitude and stage persona.

To get to the bottom of how drag queens ascended from the sidelines of gay subculture to sit atop the throne of mainstream acceptance, EDGE spoke with one certifiable drag legend, a soon-to-be drag superstar, and a few pants-wearing pundits.

Being big and outrageous

The ears of any self respecting gay will surely perk up when they hear the name "Lady Bunny." The venerable drag performer (visit her website) identifies herself as "founder of Wigstock, Worst of the Week commentator for Star Magazine, and retarded hag." She’s also an Edge columnist. Look for her sassy blog on the home page of any of our fine portals.

Bunny is uniquely qualified to comment on how pop stars are embracing the drag aesthetic - having achieved fame by virtue of her own carefully crafted persona.

She observes: "When I was growing up, the celebrities drag queens impersonated were very recognizable; Cher, Patti Labelle with that crazy fanned out 80s hairdo and log nails; Tina Turner with her mini dresses. Nowadays, with the top pop singers, there’s not much to imitate. Britney and Beyonce, they’re giving you bare midriff and a weave. But what is recognizably beyond that? Nothing."

One thing that is recognizable? A performance style that echoes and imitates what you see in a drag show. Poised to become a national name, Shangela (visit her website) will be featured on Season #2 of RuPaul’s Drag Race (visit the show’s website).

Shangela says that, in the performances of many top pop stars, "I see a huge influence from the drag culture. Drag is all about being big and outrageous - and that’s what a lot of performers want to exhibit to their audience."

Asked to cite an example that connects the dots instead of merely tracing the lineage, Shangela offers: "Janet Jackson. I’m aware of her attending huge gay functions where there were drag performances, and I think she’s clearly taken cues from that. Also, with Beyonce, it’s arguable that the wow factor of her performance is influenced by the drag community. She’ll run across the stage, and roll; and that will get an emotion from the audience and send energy through the room."

Shangela herself employs that technique herself by doing "the Death Drop, a dance move in which you throw your body to the ground; but it comes out of nowhere. I Death Drop not just for an ooh and an aah, but for an emotional response form the audience." Such dramatic drag dance moves, she asserts, are also used by female pop divas who must employ dramatic and unexpected physical maneuvers that resonate all the way to the back of a cavernous venue.

Going mainstream

Dave Mace, head of original programming for LOGO (and the guy who greenlighted RuPaul’s Drag Race), thinks he knows why mainstream America has come to accept and embrace drag as a relevant, desirable part of the entertainment culture.

More than simply the inevitable result of LGBTs becoming increasingly visible in the mass media, Mace notes: "People love the over the top and glamour aspect of drag, and the biting humor it represents. They admire the art of transforming into something that everybody secretly wishes they could. "

Bunny says we can thank, or blame, Reality TV for mainstream acknowledgment of gay men and drag performers: "The whole country is makeover crazy, and there’s always been this perception that gays, like the guys from Queer Eye, hold the key to successful makeovers for everything; wardrobe, makeup, hair. Don’t give them the right to marry, but let them make you over, honey!"

Ironic, then, that a man who recasts himself as female should be looked up to by straight women as a source of authenticity. Still, Bunny will take the compliment: "It’s recognizing their clear abilities. If you start off with the raw ingredients of a man and turn him into a glamorous woman, then you know some tricks. So there’s this notion that gay men and drag queens are clued in to ways for females to look better."

you can read the rest on their page, but i have to agree with alot of their points.

Bugs bunny was surely one of the first to do it mainstream?

drag queens

This guy here is a true revolutionary, very daring, a true diva and rebel and very, very bold, never afraid to speak up and say what´s on his/her mind.

http://en.wikipedia.org/w...lent_Ersoy

http://www.youtube.com/wa...NBcN4RdXtI

(at 1.30, she resembles Prince as ToraTora a bit..and at 2.28, she gets all passionate)
Here he is with the same song but before he became a drag queen and transvestite:
http://www.youtube.com/wa...re=related

He resembles that pianist dude from Sesame Street a bit, but the song is cool

And he/she did a lot for the acceptance of other drag queens.




My personal favorite and probably more fascinating, yet more tragic figure is this gentleman here...looks like a Liberace copycat but he is much much more than that....in fact, except for the attire, they didn´t have much in common.
One of my heroes, the one and only Zeki Müren:
http://en.wikipedia.org/w...M%C3%BCren

What I find funny (or fascinating) about him is how he, despite his whole diva attitude and drag costumes, still did his military services and became the beloved darling of the military, even though his stage persona (which was actually part of his real life persona as well) was very gay, divaesque and over the top.It takes balls to do what he did in the 60s and 70s in Turkey, of all places.
What I also admire about him is how his talent transcends sexual, cultural,ethnic and religious boundaries, and how he is loved by Turks, Arabs, Greeks and Persians despite the differences that these peoples have had sometimes, and still have at times.
Clip:
http://www.youtube.com/wa...re=related

This song here is also a classic but I don´t like the cheesy beat of the remix:
http://www.youtube.com/wa...re=related

One of my favorite songs is this one, a gem from the 70s:
http://www.youtube.com/wa...re=related
Full of sadness, sorrow, passion and yearning.


[Edited 1/18/10 17:46pm]

They say Lady Gaga and other stars are imitating drag queens, but who are the drag queens imitating?



In Asia, the ones here are passably female, and are often pre-transition transgender males (ladyboys). Only a small percentage are 'showmen' and many work normal jobs at restaurants, coffee shops--even cleaning staff.

The ones in the West often aren't looking to be 'passably' female (it would be impossible for a 6'1 man in pumps to be passably female), but are going for a 'look'. So, what are they aiming for? I'm sure there has to be something that influenced them the way they influence certain pop icons.



I remember, I used to call Carmen Electra and Pamela's Anderson's makeup "drag queenish"

TheVoid said:

you tell me who they are imitating. you have selected as your avatar a photo of Mistress Midori from the Sisters 28th Anniversary Indulgence in the Park Easter of the Living Zombies

people like Hedda Lettuce, Lady Bunny, Varla Jean Merman, Coco Peru, Evie Harris, Cashetta the World's Most Famous Drag Magician, Jackie Beat the Sisters, Sister ROMA!, and could go on and on. aren't imitating anyone but taking on personas to entertain and make social commentary.

My world's biggest untouchable crush is a drag queen.

Rebecca Glasscock

ehuffnsd said:

Everybody immitates SOMEBODY. I'm guess some of the ones I've seen in Tampa were imitating Flo' from Mel's diner.

TheVoid said:

the good ones may reference a few people in their look.

for instance Varla Jean Merman.

Jeffrey likes the movie Faster Pussy Cat Kill Kill the main character is Varla

Jean makes it sound southern

Merman comes from the back story of Varla Jean is she is the love child of Ethel Merman and Ernest Borgnine. in Ethel's autobiographer the chapter on their marriage is just a blank page. so he created the story. The character of Varla is just some southern belle trying to make it in the world, and her look is this very retro 60s kinda thing. not really imitating anyone but pulling bits and pieces from here to and their to create a persona... much like the article talks about.

for Sister Iona Dubble-Wyde i try to keep my style references to hookers and peg bundy but my demeanor and everything is very much think like my great aunt who is a nun.
[Edited 1/18/10 22:12pm]

ehuffnsd said:

You can memorize all of this, but you won't even open my gamma-ray burst threads from time to time?

TheVoid said:

lol i've never seen one of your gamma ray burst thread.s

Acrylic said:

I only know her from RuPauls drag race and though she was beautiful, her make-up and styling could still use alot of work. She's kind of lazy drag. I'd love to get my hands on her.

Ongina and Bebe and Nina Flowers were all amessing.

mynameisnotsusan said:

I dunno, I love the way she does her makeup. She is a naturally beautiful girl, and without makeup a feminine looking man, so to me, less is more.

And you keep your hands off... she's MINE.

TheVoid said:

My guess is it started going “over the top” as in order for a man to create the illusion of femininity you not only had to get rid of all the male traits but really exaggerate the female traits. For those that think a drag queen looks exactly like a woman on stage in the evening, get her out in the daylight in the afternoon. Totally different look. It’s like looking behind the curtain. The look is all make up and lighting and costumes. It’s all about creating the illusion in a certain setting.

And then some of the drag queens DID start coming out into the daylight. And it’s no longer *just* about trying to look female. It’s evolved over the years to be glam and camp and all kinds of fun.

TheVoid said:

I can only speak for myself. Here's what I was aiming for:

CarrieMpls said:

OMG, you are sooooo gay.

i bought a bright red velvet pants set last weekend. i'm not sure why, except, i had to do it. the color is so bright it's almost eye-shattering, and yet, i really love it. it's basically red velvet pants and a zip-up plush red sweater. did i mention, bright red? really bright? should i only wear this in the privacy of my home? out and about? to work? i think this thread might be a good place to find people who will understand...

thanks for listening as you were.

I've never understood Drag Queens, I just don't get it! I'm a gay guy but I couldn't imagine dressing up as in drag, not that I'm afraid of what people think because my style of dress has always been quite head turning... but I just don't see the appeal!

MyNameIsCally said:

Can you think of it in terms of acting and its appeal?
I was a theatre major. To me it was no different hitting the stage under that persona than being in a play for the evening. Just playing a role and entertaining folk.


And getting paid.