The Real Realness: Commodifying Culture from the Ballroom to RuPaul's Drag Race

Commodification and Capitalism

• Main Issue: RuPaul's Drag Race (RPDR) as a mainstream queer entertainment form has led to the commodification of queer culture, especially that of Black and Brown communities.
• Commodification: This process turns culture into products and images for easy consumption, often using stereotypes to create consumable lifestyles.
  • Impact on Language and Style: Elements like language and style, originally from Black and Brown queer communities, are now widely spread and consumed by the larger society, especially by white audiences.

Cultural Appropriation

• Bell Hooks’ Perspective: Discussed in her essay on Paris is Burning, the cultural commodification benefits white consumers, allowing them to appropriate Black culture without addressing issues of race and privilege.
• Language as Example: Terms such as "YAAASSS QUEEN SLAY" have deep roots in ballroom culture, specifically in the context of "reading," defined by Dorian Corey as an entertaining insult exchange within the gay community.
  • Co-optation: These phrases have been co-opted by cis-het individuals due to the parasocial relationships formed through RPDR.

Economic and Marketing Strategies

• Audience Targeting: Logo, RPDR's production company, targets a "culturally elite" audience comprising savvy gay trendsetters and a straight audience eager for trends.
• Capitalism Influence: RPDR uses commodification to channel money into RuPaul's and drag queens' hands, highlighting a capitalist motive behind its productions.

RuPaul's Motivations

• "Supermodel (You Better Work)": RuPaul's 1992 song highlights working hard and performing well, reflecting a dual meaning related to ballroom scene language and economic success.
• Monetary Gain: RuPaul's actions suggest motivations possibly aligned more with economic gain than purely celebrating drag culture.
  • Brand Development: Many RPDR winners create their own brands, further supporting the notion of queerness being repackaged for consumption.

Critical Questions

• What is the primary purpose of RPDR?
  • Is it truly celebrating drag and ballroom culture, or is it about repackaging queerness into something marketable?

Sources

• Goldmark, M. (2015). National Drag: The Language of Inclusion in RuPaul's Drag Race.
• Hooks, B. (2014). Black Looks: Race and Representation.
• Livingston, J. (1990). Paris Is Burning.
• Yaksich, M. J. (2005). Consuming Queer: The Commodification of Culture and its Effects on Social Acceptance.

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Authored by Ryn Cranon, a nonbinary, lesbian student about to graduate in Women and Gender Studies from Cal State LA. Ryn has a passion for writing and collecting physical media.