The Cultural Impact of RuPaul's Drag Race: Why Are We All Gagging?

The Cultural Impact of RuPauls Drag Race is a collection of original material that examines the profound effect that the show has had on the cultures that surround it, including audience cultures, economics, branding, queer politics, and more. The book includes contributions from scholars based in the UK, US, Canada, and South Africa and explores the wider cultural impacts of RuPaul's Drag Race, including its effect on local, live cultures, fan cultures, queer representation, and the fabric of drag as an art form in popular cultural consciousness.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 240 pages
Publication date: 15 March 2022
Publisher: Intellect Books

Insightful, provocative, and now available in paperback, The Cultural Impact of RuPaul's Drag Race delves into a comprehensive examination of the profound influence that this groundbreaking show has had on the cultures that surround it. This collection of original material goes beyond a mere analysis of the show and explores the far-reaching effects of RuPaul's Drag Race on various aspects of society, including audience cultures, economics, branding, queer politics, and more.

Once considered a cult show primarily targeted at gay men, RuPaul's Drag Race has garnered both praise and criticism for its remarkable ability to appeal to a broader, straighter, and increasingly younger audience. The show's portrayal of drag as both a celebrated form of entertainment and a potential career path has sparked an unprecedented surge of aspiring queens, transforming drag into a thriving art form and a lucrative career option.

Contributors to this insightful book come from diverse backgrounds, spanning the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, and South Africa. Their contributions are interdisciplinary, drawing from fields such as theatre and performance studies, English literature, cultural anthropology, media studies, linguistics, sociology, and marketing. The editor sought submissions from scholars who specialize in these areas, aiming to explore the broader cultural impacts of RuPaul's Drag Race.

What he envisioned was an examination of how the show has affected local, live cultures, fan cultures, queer representation, and the very essence of drag as an art form in the popular cultural consciousness. What he received was a rich and diverse engagement with the question of how Drag Race has impacted various aspects of society, creating a profound impact on the lives of individuals and communities.

This original collection offers a critical appraisal of RuPaul's Drag Race at a crucial juncture in its journey, as well as the growing industries surrounding the show, including DragCon and the post-show careers of drag queens in both the online and offline realms. With its wide range of topics and approaches, the book provides valuable insights into the cultural significance of RuPaul's Drag Race and its impact on society as a whole.

While primarily of interest to students and scholars, this book is a must-read for anyone who wants to understand the profound influence of RuPaul's Drag Race on the world we live in today.

Weight: 452g
Dimension: 170 x 245 x 20 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781789385663
Edition number: New ed