Post your response to either the two episodes of Drag Race or the essay, “You Better Work” here for class discussion on Thursday 9/26.
Post your response to either the two episodes of Drag Race or the essay, “You Better Work” here for class discussion on Thursday 9/26.
In response to Rupaul’s Drag Race: I was very hesitant to watch this show at first, because I thought it was going to be very boring and stupid, but I found that this show was hilarious and very well done. At first I thought it appropriate to try and compare it to a show like America’s Next Top Model or America’s Got Talent, but the scale of this show compared to those two is almost laughable. This is not necessarily a bad thing, it just reflects the TV stations they come from and how large an audience they attract. To be honest, I thought that despite the lesser budget and far less grand scale of the show, I thought it was absolutely hilarious. Now this may be due to the fact that I come from a less than impartial standpoint (RuPaul’s my cousin), but I genuinely thought that the jokes they made towards each other and during their standup routines in “Ru Ha Ha” were quite funny. Another thing I find amazing about the show is its ability to make me forget that it is about drag queens. As I watch the show I see the people more as individuals than anything, and the fact that they use their stage names as opposed to birth names definitely helps me to forget as well. I loved watching the ladies group up against each other, because it reminded me of so many other reality TV shows that I used to watch (like Flavor of Love). It is quite apparent that it is trying to follow the same style and flow of the better known reality shows, but it accomplishes something special that the other shows do not, because it seems like these people are really following their dreams in trying to become the world’s next top drag queen. Overall, I thought the show was quite funny and I will definitely be watching it again.
After reading Will’s comments I’m going to feel bad about unleashing my own thoughts on the show. Although I strongly agree with the point Will made that the differences between RuPaul’s Drag Race and America’s Got Talent is what makes TV so special. What I think we are both trying to nail in is the point that TV has everything and can appeal to literally anyone in the world. We have the reality TV shows that broadcast to the little girls of the world that have Justin Bieber like boys singing and dancing on stage (which I’m not a fan of), and we have the shows like this that appeal to a completely different crowd. It really is something amazing that we have an endless amount of media to watch and everyone can truly be happy.
However, I strongly disagree with the content of the show. Okay, I laughed a few times, but throughout the majority of the show I felt very uncomfortable. I think these drag queens play too much into their stereotypical roles in the world. I honestly believe they were being way to over the top womanly. Maybe, thats who they are, but honestly? I mean one of the ladies started shooting her boobs like they were guns. Who does that in real life? This show seems really fake to me. This show honestly is just trying to fulfill the stereotype that drag queens are so OUT THERE and are overly touchy and make people feel uncomfortable.
I really hope I’m not offending anyone with this post but I just strongly agree that this show seems like its feeding into the hatred that a lot of people have out in the world towards drag queens. However, I’m not saying I personally dislike them i just know why people are uncomfortable with them and this show gives into those reasons.
I think what I’m trying to get at is I wish these ladies acted like they actually are. I wish I was watching a TV show where drag queens were being normal not like the way the world has painted them to be like.
I hope this post makes sense…
I can definitely agree with Kurt in regards to the drag queens being completely over the top. I thought this program just showed how these drag queens are completely over dramatic, full of themselves, and definitely do not give off any good vibes to people watching. I felt uncomfortable watching it because these drag queens are shown as fake and dramatic. I could not even get into the whole idea of the show because it all just seemed like cheesy acting. I completely understand that there are plenty of people out there who love watching this show because it’s different and unlike mostly any other show on television, but honestly, the drag queens just seemed really fake to me. It seemed like the producers were going for more over the top/dramatic style as to get more laughs and views. In the end, this show seems like it would spark up a lot of interest and publicity with the public, but the fact that it isn’t on a higher end network and getting more support makes me think that others think it is way too over the top as well.
Being completely ignorant of drag queens before watching the show, you can imagine how caught off guard I was when I realized what RuPaul’s Drag Race was actually a show about. However much to my surprise as I progressed further into the show and the reading, I enjoyed the concept and production of the show in general. While this type of programming is obviously subject to a certain audience, I do encourage everyone to at least familiarize themselves with how RuPaul displays gay men in his show. Without question each one of these contestants need a lot of talent and courage to compete on while being projected to the world. I agree with Will’s point when he says that this show is comparable to reality shows like Flavor of Love, however it obviously is a trailblazing program like nothing we’ve ever seen before. Luckily in our generation we are able to give these young men a voice through television without their lifestyles being censured to fit the “norm” of reality T.V. Not only are gay men being represented in this show though, also the Latino culture is portrayed. While some may think that RuPaul is bringing disgrace to his multicultural roots I contend that he reveals his own societal group in a positive light through the use of comedy and the obvious hard work that is put into every show. Although this program may not be at the same over the top production value as an America’s Got Talent, it makes it by through uniqueness and an attention to detail that gives RuPaul much respect from me and most likely other viewers not ready to become a full time watcher of the show. While I may not watch another episode of RuPaul’s Drag Race I now understand how difficult it must be to put on this low budget show through the immense controversy surrounding it.
Ru Paul’s drag race was by far my favorite homework of the semester so far. I had seen clips of the show on E! network’s “The Soup” being made fun of but I had never seen a full episode. It was clear that this show had a much lower budget than America’s Got Talent. The stage was a small runway. There were no laser beam lights, light up floors, or big “X”‘s above the contestants. Honestly, I found Ru Paul’s drag race much more personal than America’s Got Talent. While watching the show, I almost began to feel as though I was peeking in on a group of drag queen best friends and I got to witness their fun times together. I read the essay before watching the episodes and I am glad I did it in this order. The reason I say this is, it allowed be to gain background information on the show as well as understand an opinion before I made one for myself. It is very clear that Ru Paul’s Drag Race is a show for the minorities. Gay, Puerto Rican, African American, obese, etc. All of these categories were represented on the show and then some. But the thing I found unique was that fact that all these men came together for a common reason. They all loved to be fierce divas in drag. The fact that something so outrageous can bring a group of people from all different cultures and backgrounds together, is very interesting and cool.(I was also quite impressed at how beautiful these ladies were when they were in full drag. The transformation was incredible!)
After hearing about this show, I honestly didn’t expect the show to be this entertaining. I was stunned to how entertained I was after watching the episodes. One of the main reasons to why I find this show entertaining is because not only is it hilarious but it is also interesting. In a way, it is very interesting to see how each contestant has different traits that bring a different color to the show. The show is full of expressions that make it more entertaining for the audience watching this show. From the episodes, it is obvious that there are differences between this show and shows like America’s Got Talent. The set up of the stage is less prestige and the lighting also isn’t that glamorous. Indeed this shows the difference of how much money is put into each show. Even when there is a live audience, there aren’t that many that are watching (compared to America’s Got Talent). However, the fact that Ru Paul’s Drag race has less money invested in it didn’t lessen the entertainment value to it at all. The show successfully combined all these men coming from different cultural backgrounds to make such a different and unique show. I feel that with contestants coming from different backgrounds, it gives some kind of message to the audience that this show isn’t weird in anyway. It shows that anyone coming from different cultures are allowed to express themselves freely no matter what; and in this specific show, becoming a drag queen.
RuPaul’s drag race is a very eccentric show to say the least. It appears to me as a lower-status duplication of America’s Next Top Model and Project Runway. The challenges involve slightly less upscale tasks, to the extent to which is appears as more humorous than a suspenseful competition. Its low-budget is obvious, as the quality of the picture isn’t that great, the set is minimal, and the graphic effects aren’t impressive.
Personally, I found it quite difficult to watch the show with its poor production effects. The show does although function properly for it’s purpose of being a drag queen show. I saw the “throwing shade” mini challenge especially interesting, as it depicts the extreme characteristics that drag queens are usually thought to have. Every contestant thrived on the opportunity to “throw shade” at each other and highlight their own sass. Contrary to shows like America’s Next Top Model, something like this would never be encouraged. The show’s overall completely risqué content appears to have no boundaries, as provocative content is frequently presented.
It is interesting to see the contestants transformation from their every day looks to their drag queen apparel. The referral to each constant as a “she” with their drag queen name continued the idea that they are drag queens, in which their “every-day” looks aren’t their usual looks. Each time a contestant was called “she” I was reminded that they are drag queens, in which I found that I was forgetting their entire purpose for being on the show. Regarding the contestants, RuPaul’s Drag Race highly differs from other American reality TV competition shows as for a majority of the show the contestants are not perfectly presented due to a hair/makeup team and a stylist. They are portrayed in their purest form, in which the entire show emulates the idea of accepting people for who they are.
Just by watching the music video in class I felt like i knew exactly the kind of show RuPauls Drag race was like. Judging by the two camera angle, the tiny set, and not so appealing grand prizes the viewers can definitely tell that this is one loooow budget show. Right from the sequence one can tell that with such simple animations and not to much creativity in the catchy theme song, RuPauls drag races’ expectations are not to high. Though the show seemed more personal than the X factor, i did feel like all of it was scripted. I guess i didn’t feel “real” to me. I honestly felt like the show was making fun of the contestants. I know its suppose to be entertaining but I couldnt find that fine line that separated the entertainment quality of it and the seriousness. I really couldn’t take the competition aspect of it seriously because i felt like there was an attempt to make it seem super intimidating and funny at the same time. The only time I felt the “reality” of it was when the girls/guys talked about their connection to their country/war and how people they know have been affected by it. I did think that the racial issues it presented were pretty interesting. It not only brings a group of people who share that same identity but individuals from different cultures in a sense. I think that for viewers who cant relate to their situations as gay men or drag queens, they can relate to them through their ethnicity/background. I definitely thought the show was well put together considering its low budget qualities. RuPaul definitely has my respect for stretching out “the norm” circle and making room for himself and his fellow drag queens through his hard work.
I did not really know what to expect when I first started RuPaul’s Drag Race. I was confused because these men kept being called women. While the ambiguity of gender was unsettling at times, I thought the show was very funny. One thing that I did not like about RuPaul’s Drag Race is the portrayal of gay men. Obviously the men on this show are the extremity of homosexuality. However, I thought it was an unfair representation of gay men around the world. It made me very uncomfortable and I thought it was horrible that they tried to make these men (literally) into women. As a result, the contestants in RuPaul’s Drag Race lost their individuality and their sexual identity. I also noticed the low scale perks of the show. Compared to America’s Got Talent, RuPaul’s Drag Race looked cheap, rundown, and ultimately pathetic. While I am just spoiled by watching shows such as the X Factor, America’s Got Talent, and American Idol, I believe that the lack of ambiance in the show, takes away from the artistic talent and glamour that the contestants display. The events seemed stage and the emotions seemed fake. While I laughed, this show presented a implausible “storyline” that deviated from reality. All in all, I think that this show is highly offensive, awkward, and downright absurd.
Alike many of the comments above, I really didn’t know what to expect or what I was getting into with Ru Paul’s Drag Race. I can certainly say that I was very surprised. Having four sisters, I’m pretty familiar with America’s Next Top Model and shows of that nature, however this took a new spin on it. I never cared for the shows, but they’re obviously not directed anywhere near my demographic, so I can’t be upset. The drag queen aspect of it wasn’t uncomfortable but it was a little weird, I had difficulty interpreting what was joking and serious. From the two episodes I watched, I couldn’t tell exactly what was the contestants’ goal or what it takes to be a drag queen.
The show was clearly low budget, but that is expected considering that the viewers it receives are much lower than that of Next Top Model or Project Runway. I felt that they did well with what they had, but should not make the structure of the show so similar to the others of its kind. In my opinion, Drag Race should stand out more considering how different it is than the rest of its genre. Overall, it was interesting to be exposed to Ru Paul’s Drag Race, however I think I’m going to take what I got and move on.
I must say I had a hard time finishing the two episodes (maybe the commercials had something to do with it…), and I found it to be rather dull and disengaging most of the time. This show is a big difference from the glamour of America’s Got Talent. The lights weren’t too fancy, the runway set was very small, and the cameras didn’t seem to catch everything that was happening. I feel like the only thing the show had that worked was RuPaul’s catch phrases and songs. It was something to listen for which means keeping at least a little engaged to what was going on. All in all, I think I kept watching because it was just way out of norm for what I usually watch. I definitely respect where these people are coming from, but I feel as if they aren’t really portraying their true selves in the show. A background script is obviously being used and it makes the whole thing feel fake. This show almost makes these people into jokes, which I find sad. A lot of serious effort has gone into fighting for gay rights and freedom of expression rights and this show just kind of shoots all that down with silliness. I agree with Sam in that this show is truly absurd and uncalled for. These people can express themselves without a show that blows up fake personalities and racial concerns.
To be quite honest I really did not like this show at all. I felt as though I could not even sit through the episodes it was that boring. It seems like a knock-off version of America’s Next Top Model. RuPaul even looks like Tyra. I could definitely tell that this was more of a low-budget show, it had no extravagant lighting or settings like America’s Got Talent. But it is probably also not fair to compare the two. Each of the contestants and the competition as a whole seemed very over the top and almost unreal. There was definitely no shame in the things being discussed–but I really liked the fact that they were all so open about who they were. I am not quite sure what the fan base of this show would be, because it was painful getting through the episodes. The challenges did not really appeal to me but I liked the fact that they incorporated more than just the modeling aspect of entertainment. They had to make their own outfits, model, and have an over the top personality whilst doing so. The show is interesting but definitely not something I would be willing to watch again.
Prior to watching this show, I interrogated all of the girls on my floor about Rupaul. To my surprise they all knew who he was. After answering several questions as to why I asked the question they all wanted to watch the show with me. I did not quite understand why, however once I watched the show I quickly realized it was entertaining. It was actually really helpful to have female minds in the room because I had my questions answered such as why they were always referred to ladies even though they were men. The response I got was because they want to be ladies and it is a compliment. This makes sense however to the first time viewer it was confusing. I enjoyed the comedic humor of making the contestants fight on the show by making them sing. This was entertaining because of how hard they try. It is the drag queen version of Americas next top model.
Right away I noticed how similar RuPaul’s Drag Race is to America’s Next Top Model. The camera angles, quick cuts and overall editing made the two shows seem like they were following an identical pattern. The themes are also the same but to a point where it becomes boring. It was obvious that Drag Race was way lower budget than ANTM. Drag Race focuses more on the characters as people where as antm focuses more on the characters as professionals and models. I had never seen RuPaul or actually seen a drag queen in person so watching this show felt like a culture shock. I was constantly confused as to when to call the people men or women. It was also strange how mean they all are to each other. They made a game out of putting each other down when historically gay men and drag queens are put down by society. I would think they would want to support each other. The show was over the top. It took stereotypes to the extreme like in the lip-synch final challenge. Overall it’s pretty funny but the drag queens make it funny by over exaggerating themselves and putting their friends and other drag queens down.
I disagree that they should necessarily want to support each other. Straight men and women put each other down all the time; why should drag queens behave any differently? Frankly, I like the cattiness between the competitors. It humanizes them and shows that they are people with personalities, not just the stereotypical concept of a drag queen. It’s a competition show, of course they’re going to act competitive; all people sometimes act that way, gay or straight, male or female.
I also liked how most of the time the men are not actually in their drag outfits. They look like anyone you could meet at school, work, etc. This further shows that these people are multi-faceted, as is everyone, and should not be treated like some sort of strange creature the mass media always wants to make them out to be. Overall, I think Rupaul’s Drag Race is significantly more entertaining than other shows like it. The drag queens have much more personality and sense of showmanship than anyone on America’s Next Top Model, despite the obviously low budget.
RuPaul’s Drag Race is not a show that I will continue watching past these two episodes. I’m sure it would have been easier to watch if the advertisements weren’t so long. However, drag races are not something I am particularly interested in, so I was almost turned off from it immediately. The first thing I noticed was the show’s scale. It is no where as big and bright as shows like American Idol and America’s Got Talent. I am not a fan of those shows, but at least with the bright lights and stage I had something to look at. Unlike those shows, this one did not go deep into the back story of the contestants. This gave the show more time for the competition, but it was difficult to connect to any of the contestants. Like Sam, I also thought that much of the show just seemed fake, almost like it was staged. It seemed like that mostly because of how the contestants acted. Everything they did seemed forced. Also, if the show actually is staged, then the way the contestants are portrayed is wrong. I feel like the makers of the show feel that the way these gay men act is funny so they try and exploit that behavior. The show also tries to force the audience to like certain contestants by showing the camera on certain contestants at certain times. I could easily tell which contestant was going to end up going home just based on the reactions of the audience that the camera showed. However, there actually were certain parts where my first thought wasn’t to walk away from my laptop. I thought the competition in “Ru Ha Ha” was interesting. The stand up acts were not that funny, but I thought the contestants were impressive because of what they came up with in such little time. I also thought RuPaul was a great host just because she has such a presence in any room or on stage. I might not be interested in this show, but I can tell why any person who is into drag races would be.
To be honest it would have been a good show because I used to watch America’s Next Top Model but throughout the show I just felt very uncomfortable. Like Vanessa, I feel like the show was a low budget version of America’s Next Top Model. The show did not have extravagant lights or stage production so that portion of the show did not capture my attention. I simply believe I have super high expectations for stage production after watching shows such as X FActor, American Idol, and America’s Got Talent. Although it was interesting to see the different personalities portrayed through the contestants, I still had a very uneasy feeling while viewing. The show wasn’t The show was pretty funny though especially episode 8 where they had the “library” component. During this portion the contestants talked trash about one another and some of the jokes did make me laugh. Although show had interesting portions, it isn’t a show I would go out my way to watch. I feel like I wouldn’t be able to enjoy it because of the uneasy feeling I receive while watching. Overall the show appeals to a different crowd and I happen to be one of the people that isn’t to into it although it may be an awesome show to others.
Before watching the two episodes of RuPaul’s Drag Race, I read the “You Better Work” essay which set up the show nicely for me, and gave me things to look for specifically. I had heard of RuPaul’s Drag Race years back, but had never put much thought into it at all. Watching the two episodes after reading the essay made me pay attention to things I may have never noticed before, such as the camp present in the episodes. Although this show may seem boring, dull, or strange, I think it does really have an underlying meaning that makes it very interesting, such as going against the society norms. I surprisingly found it very entertaining. I wouldn’t necessarily watch more than these two episodes, but it was an enjoyable assignment. The funding of the show is obviously a lot less than that of America’s Got Talent which is present in the size of the audience in the comedy skit scene, the filmography, website, and even just the intro to the episodes. This show is definitely unlike any I have seen before. It was cool to see homosexual males presented in this way and be able to express their true personalities and interests. Overall, I am not entirely opposed to the show, more like fascinated by it. It was very funny at times and a little strange at others, but I believe it ultimately all contributed to the intention of the show all together.
As someone who frequently watched America’s Next Top Model, I immediately picked up on the parallels between the two shows. The one that stood out the most was the judging of the contestants, with RuPaul standing by himself at the front of the room. Some others were the individual interviews where one of the contestants talked a little bit about their own thoughts and feelings about what was happening in the competition.
I felt that everything was very exaggerated in this reality show. In a way, it was a low-budget and lower quality version of America’s Next Top Model. I found myself very uncomfortable at times simply with the way they were talking and acting. I understand that all of the contestants are “drag queens” but it seemed to portray gay men/transgender women in a very negative light. It was a very unfair representation of that population in my opinion.
In the end this is simply not my type of show. I had a difficult time getting through these two episodes so I will probably not be watching any additional ones.