‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’ Blends Art and Politics in a Potent Pop Stew That Continues to Draw Viewers

Category is: “Political or entertainment?”

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Ever since its humble beginnings on Logo TV in 2009, “RuPaul’s Drag Race” has gone from the little engine that could to one of the highest rated shows on TV and scooping up awards and high-profile fans along the way. More importantly, during these fractured times, “RuPaul’s Drag Race” has provided a safe and happy space for the queer and transgender community.

Yes, there are sickening lewks, backflips and battling lip-syncs, and yes, the show is led by the mother of all drag queens, RuPaul. But as states across the country seek to pass anti-LGBTQ+ legislation and restrict drag performances, the show has become a place of identity and community. And because RuPaul has always described drag as a political act, the show is very much ingrained in politics without being a political show.

Mainstay judge, producer and host of the upcoming “Drag Race Down Under,” Michelle Visage, says the show never set out to be political but that “for us, drag is political. It’s the statement. It’s the F-U to society.”

Behind the scenes, with more anti-LGBTQ+ legislation being passed in the country, World of Wonder, the production company behind the franchise, partnered with the ACLU to set up the Drag Defense Fund. The fund allows people to donate to and support the ACLU’s fight for LGBTQ+ rights. It doesn’t end there; at the end of each episode, the queens remind audiences to register to vote. Guest judges have included now retired house speaker Nancy Pelosi and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Vice President Kamala Harris’ recent appearance on the “All Stars” finale encouraging viewers to register to vote left everyone gagged. She ended up announcing her presidential candidacy the
week that her episode aired. The timing was perfect.

And music always features in several of the series’ challenges, but in Season 16, it got a political twist when the queens were tasked with singing “Power,” written by guest judge Leland; the lyrics emphasized the power of voting and empowerment.

Choreographer Jamal Sims translated Leland’s music and lyrics into movement: “The message was about energizing people to go out and vote, and how do you do that through dance, song and music?”

With the tight turnaround of the show, Sims had limited time on camera to teach the queens the choreography. “I get each queen for 15 minutes to give them their solo performance, and then the group performance,” he explains. Time is not on his side with the production’s fast turnout, but it’s a skill he’s fine-tuned. “I’m able to make decisions quickly and get information out really quickly. I know
how to work fast.”

When it came to elevating the queens and their performance, he catered to each skill level. “Some dance, some have no dance background, some people catch on to choreography and some can’t,” he says. As Sims made moving pieces work, his end goal was to ensure he captured both the power of the song and elevated the dance. “I want to make sure the message of the music is being served through the movement,” he says.

Underneath the wigs, the glam looks, the lip-synching and maxi-challenges, every season is unique thanks to the new batch of queens. With that, Visage says, “You get new stories and people that someone can relate to. You get new people that someone can understand and see themselves represented on TV.”

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This season was no different.

Season 16 added a powerhouse of queens to the franchise, including the eventual winner Nymphia Wind . Wind landed in the history books by becoming the first East Asian queen. Her triumph provided a global platform for her to “represent the kids in Taiwan or just Asians everywhere,” Wind said. “Growing up, I never had representation in Western media.”

And the magic all begins in casting. Goloka Bolte and her team pore over the countless audition tapes — yes, they watch every single one — to find the new queens.

“We’re looking for those talented queens that continue to come up and surprise us with their fresh take on the art of drag,” says Bolte. And while fresh styles are everything, “we’re making sure we’re putting together a cast that feels diverse and that it represents different elements from the world of drag.”

That diversity helps. The discussions of homophobia, body shaming, HIV, conversion therapy, rejection, mental health, abuse and gender identity not only helps kids learn about and understand the struggles, but the show also helps educate parents in how to have meaningful conversations.

Visage, who has been with the show since Season 3, has learned a valuable lesson from the show and the queens. As the parent of a queer child, Visage confesses the show has given her a better understanding of many things. “My mind has been opened, but I owe that to the show, to the queens, but also my children, for opening and sustaining conversations about things,” she says. “My parents and I had zero conversations about anything, let alone anything of a sexual nature.”

Production designer Gianna Costa has been with the show for 12 seasons and has seen the country
change, and not for the best. But the show brings people together across the country, especially in cities where the community is targeted, so that when the show airs, crowds gather to watch the episodes. “It’s nice that there’s a show that people can watch, can hear other people’s stories that might resonate with them, but also takes them out of the negative that they’re hearing all day long,”
Costa says.

Drag isn’t just an artform, it is a powerful tool of self-expression. Week after week, the queens bring
that into homes. Their stories are relatable and always of hope. “Drag Race” has infiltrated the world
and mainstream culture in more ways than can be listed. As it continues to make Emmy history with its wins and historic nominations, the show remains one of the most essential shows on TV.

“Drag Race” does what few can do. Visage says, “It’s a place for everybody to feel like they belong.”

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