The intention of this research is to clearly define the roles that drag performers fill in our society. With that objective, the key issues that must be clarified include offering what the distinction of a drag performer is compared to other individuals that may be mislabeled or misrepresented by such a title, and what education is lacking by those who challenge the concept of drag. In society it is a common theme to fear or demonize an idea we feel is taboo, even when we have a very weak understanding of what we fear. This research seeks to ease fears surrounding drag, and allow cautious individuals to approach the topic without feeling threatened. The further fear and apprehension is reduced, the more open to honest fact and interpretation people will become, which will lead to a more comfortable and open exchange of ideas regarding drag. Ultimately, this will allow for a stronger platform for drag queens themselves to utilize as ambassadors of their cherished art form. To accomplish the described goals, we explore multiple avenues of research that will serve to answer the various questions and address the multiple aspects of drag. Comparing peer reviewed articles has allowed my research to explore several concepts within drag and have the backing of information that has been scrutinized by the world of academia. Direct observation of the performance of drag is a critical aspect that I have participated in, offering a direct comparison to the prior mentioned articles which have been examined. My life experience as a homosexual allows me to have a more personal understanding of the material that I am reviewing, which allows me the opportunity to ask and answer questions from a perspective that can be a beneficial br... ... middle of paper ... ...s undesirable, or wrong ways. More recently drag performers have been a prominent focus at the same events they were once criticized for participating in. Throughout this research, we have reviewed pertinent information needed to understand drag performers and their vibrant culture. Exploration of definitions, the diverse culture, and the positive and negative views in society associated with drag performers has brought us to this point, hopefully much more educated and understanding of the individuals involved in this fascinating world. By the nature of its performance, drag will continually evolve and never fit neatly into a rigid definition. Continuous research such as this will be needed more than ever as our society continues to diversify, allowing us to stay proactive and understanding of the world developing around us. In this case, that world is drag.
In the article, “The Fashion Industry: Free to Be an Individual” by Hanna Berry, Berry discusses how for decades women have been told to use certain products and that if they used those products they would be beautiful. Women over the years have believed this idea and would purchase items that promised to make them prettier, thinner, smarter and even more loved. However, in reality it was never what they wore on their bodies that helped them be any of those things; but what it did help with was to empower women to become fearless and bold by what they chose to wear on their bodies as a form of expression.
Goth teems drenched in black become teeny-bopper darlings in pink dresses and platform sneakers. Male couch potatoes in flannel shirts become debonair gentlemen in tuxedos. Scantily clad women popping out of halter tops and leather mini-skirts become responsible women in business suits and subtle make-up. The make-over is a popular talk show tool used by everyone from Oprah to Jenny Jones. These transformations embody Lancaster's argument in "Guto's Performance" by demonstrating how we are all participating in one big drag show, presenting our gender through our dress, our play. We construct our genders, moment by moment, through our performance, fluidly moving from one to the next. On "Oprah," an over-worked single mom in sweat pants who devotes all her time to working outside the home and raising her children (in a combination of constructed masculine and feminine gender roles) sits slumped in her chair. Soon, lipstick and sequins transform her into a confident, sensual woman, strutting across the stage ready to take the arm of the handsome, well-dressed man chosen to take her out for an evening on the town (she now takes on a different, more feminine, gender role).
Young girls and women symbolize femininity with being a ballerina. Kelso comments that in the shadows of the spotlight lurks an abusive world of eating disorders, verbal harassment, fierce competition, injuries, fatigued, and malnourished dancers (Kelso, 2003). In today’s world of ballet, dancers suffer from always being in pain, worrying their body image is not the right look they need to have to get lead roles resulting in the development of eating disorders, and male ballet dancers are stereotyped as being homosexual when most of the male dancers are in fact heterosexual.
Some of the disgusting features of a drag music videos are makeup, costumes, acting and the interpretation of the artist which all work together and if done wrong it can make an okay or worst drag performance but if done right it could make for a really great and even an amazing performance. The makeup has to be expertly finished, wigs have to be on point, costumes have to be fashionable and suit to the build of the person and the acting of a female has to be so good that you can fool a person with your voice and body
Dancers often times have many pressures put on them, which can lead to physical and emotional damage. These damages occur through the pressures from the media, parents, teammates, and the stereotype that society has placed on dancers. One of the hardest pressures that dancers have to overcome is the pressure from the media. The media places harsh, rigid, and false ideas of dancers on to the mass public. Constantly bombarded by commercials, magazine ads, posters, etc., the idea of being thin and beautiful is what the society thinks of as the “norm”.
Funnily drag did not n’t start out as a form of expression but as a necessity. In Ancient Greece, women could not n’t perform in plays because it was considered deemed “too dangerous”(Conger). In the middle ages, Europe’s Christian church continued the ban
“Just as musicians have their instruments, dancers have their bodies” (Price and Pettijohn 991). The body is the only tool in which a dancer has to create art and express themselves. For this reason, there is a constant focus on the body. This constant focus, and constant pressure, can cause the dancers to develop concerns and a negative body image. The term body image can be defined as “the way in which people see themselves in the mirror everyday: the values, judgments, and ideas that they attach to their appearance” (Kelso 1). From childhood people perceive themselves in a certain way. They learn of how to feel about their ...
The SyFy Channel’s reality television show Heroes of Cosplay follows a predominately female cast of cosplayers as they participate in several competitions on the fan convention circuit (Brady et al, 2013). Suzanne Scott notes that, in the show, men are shown as the “invisible laborers” whose work is confined to domestic spaces, while their partners, the female cosplayers, move freely through and work in the “public sphere” by participating in conventions (Scott, 2015, p. 152). This can be seen as a direct gender role reversal from traditional gender roles. Traditional gender roles say that women should be mothers and place family over potential careers (). While men should, according to traditional gender roles, be the worker in the outside world and be “bread winners”(). Additionally, traditional gender roles leave the work women do in the home under appreciated whereas in the show it is seen that the women take the bulk of the acknowledgement regardless of the male participation in constructing the costumes (Scott, 2015, p. 152). Heroes of Cosplay has been criticized in some instances for verifying what Suzanne Scott says is the “inherent masculinity of material fan labor” (Scott, 2015, p.153). The show has also been criticized for downplaying the women’s work on their costumes implying that the men actually do the bulk of the work while the women are just objects whose purpose is to display these works (Scott,
Performance artist Patty Chang creates pieces that deal with scopophilia or voyeurism, best described as “the love of looking”, a topic that goes hand in hand with the issues of gender roles in society that Chang also represents in her work. Chang particularly addresses issues of gender roles through her confrontation of female representation in art, film and popular culture as a whole. In Chang’s video clip entitled, “Shaved (At a Loss)”, she sits herself on a chair in front of her audience, hikes up her dress to expose her vagina and then proceeds to, very roughly, shave off her pubic hair. The entire duration of “Shaved (At a Loss), Chang is blindfolded. In this piece Chang presents consumer culture’s fetishization of the ”flawless” female figure, which is outlined by the unattainable body ideals that are portrayed not only in most mainstream pornography, but also in almost all media connected to our society’s popular culture sphere.
It is very reasonable to conclude that research on depression of those who identify as gay, lesbian or transsexual is not accurate; there is an underreporting of people who identify as these sexual orientations because of the fear of being different. It is understood that those apart of the LGBTQ community actively hide their identity in hopes to avoid being rejected or abused (Bird, 2013). Once the reporting issue of having a smaller percentage of the actual representation of the LGBTQ population is put aside, there is evidence that highly suggests that lesbians and gay men are at higher risk for psychiatric disorders than heterosexuals (Cochran, 2001). Even after underreporting, there is still enough information to conclude that sexual discrimination can have harmful effects on the quality of life. Common factors that have been observed in lesbians and gays that can potentially increase depression during Cochran's study are anxiety and mood disorders and decreased self esteem. Cochran and her partner also noted that dissatisfaction with how one is treated beca...
“The unprecedented growth of the gay community in recent history has transformed our culture and consciousness, creating radically new possibilities for people to ‘come out’ and live more openly as homosexuals”(Herdt 2). Before the 1969 Stonewall riot in New York, homosexuality was a taboo subject. Research concerning homosexuality emphasized the etiology, treatment, and psychological adjustment of homosexuals. Times have changed since 1969. Homosexuals have gained great attention in arts, entertainment, media, and politics. Yesterday’s research on homosexuality has expanded to include trying to understand the different experiences and situations of homosexuals (Ben-Ari 89-90).
Naturally, young girls love to dress-up as their mothers and wear their make-up, clothing, and heels. Children’s imagination and inclination to pretend characterizes childhood. However, in the world of pageantry, there is a blur between little girls’ imagination and transforming into a fake “persona.” Although some parents believe beauty pageants are healthy competition for children, beauty pageants exploit young girls by glamorizing perfection, unrealistically portraying girls as “Barbies,” and by setting a superficial expectation in which self-esteem ties to attractiveness.
Exact Beauty: Exploring Women's Body Projects and Problems in the 21st Century. Mandell, Nancy (5th ed.). Feminist Issues: Race, Class, and Sexuality (131-160). Toronto: Pearson Canada, Inc. Schulenberg, Jennifer, L. (2006).
To conclude, the use of body for Feminist and Performance artists in the 1960s-1970s was significant in confronting the way women were viewed as artists in a male dominated art world. It was a vital element in raising consciousness and showing action towards the ideas of feminism. (Holt.J, 2009) Feminine nudity was a controversial problem, which female artists wanted to provoke in order to gain equality. The body became a form of expression to transform social stereotypes, and used as a primary medium, which reasserted aspects of a women’s figure that had been traditionally ignored or repressed by the male majority. (Holt.J, 2009) The body had just become one platform used by feminism and performance artists such as, Cindy Sherman, Carolee Schneemann and Hannah Wilke to rebel and promote their ideas, in order to gain equal rights.
I thought there would be a lot more information on drag culture, but it was difficult to find much of anything. While scrolling through articles I found one explaining the difference between someone who identifies as transgender and someone who preforms as a drag queen or king. It was while reading this article; I realized how much people were lacking in knowledge. This is how I landed on the topic of gender non-conforming, because it was an umbrella term both of the two groups are categorized with. I enjoyed learning about the creation of Katya, and how Brain was able to use her persona in his recovery process. I had never heard of drag being used as a form of healing. I also learned from this paper, that there are many areas of improvement and misunderstandings still in popular opinion in