John Lamparski 2022
Forward of subsequent week's premiere of RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars Season 7, the franchise's very first all-winners season, the competing queens of the solid have kicked off a whirlwind promo tour. Their first cease? Ringing the opening bell at NASDAQ—a tried and true queer pastime. Lastly, somebody has discovered an avenue the place drag and exorbitantly ugly financial wealth can intersect. Raven, now we have not been on the lookout for that!
After a fast cease in Instances Sq. to do day drag beneath the unforgiving mild of the morning, it was off to Hudson Yards, particularly The Vessel, New York Metropolis’s preeminent monstrosity of a vacationer lure that’s now going through everlasting closure after a number of suicides onsite. There’s one thing significantly horrific about seeing the phrase “SLAY” on a large jumbotron in entrance of The Vessel whereas the Drag Race queens flash the ultra-white veneers that the unique flood of prize cash from the present afforded them.
Nevertheless it's ineffective accountable the artists simply doing their contractually-obligated promotion after we might as a substitute be RuPaul and Paramount International, the media conglomerate that owns VH1, the place Drag Race airs in America. The partnership between the Supermodel of the World and a number one tv company has reworked Drag Race from one thing gratifying, significant, and endlessly enjoyable right into a cash pit that, whereas nonetheless a vital thread within the material of queer media, is a hole husk of what it as soon as was.
RuPaul has made it clear time and time once more that he’ll do absolutely anything for a verify. It’s why there are at least 17,000 Drag Race spinoff franchises airing at anybody time in RuPaul’s Multiverse of Mama’dness. It’s why he’ll reduce the worst Charli XCX knockoff you possibly can ever think about. It’s why he’ll lease his Wyoming ranch to turn out to be America’s Subsequent Frack Famous person. Your identify doesn't turn out to be synonymous with an artwork kind in 2022 until you’re keen to signal it on a dotted line with out hesitation.
However in his quest to construct his international empire, RuPaul has frequently allowed the legacy of his subversive landmark actuality present to be slowly chipped away at. The commercialization of drag beneath RuPaul’s information is a sticky factor. On one hand, it’s a vital a part of bringing empowering inclusivity to the forefront of mainstream tradition, the place it may be accessible to all who may have it. On the opposite, it invitations the ire of its personal ever-growing poisonous fanbase and contributes to multimillion-dollar firms revving the engines of their Satisfaction parade floats for an exhausting present of rainbow capitalism each summer season. Possibly that’s the character of the beast: one can’t exist with out the opposite.
However absolutely there needs to be some method to mitigate the wearying commodification of Drag Race. Paramount couldn’t cough up $60,000 to ship Raja and Shea Couleé to slay The Met Gala final week? Hell, in the event that they’re attempting to stay COVID-safe with out of doors occasions for followers, Manhattan has a Little Island now, why not use their amphitheater as a substitute of cramming eight wigs, 16 butt pads, and 80 acrylic nails in a single sprinter van to cart these queens via absolutely the worst elements of New York for lamest promotional stops ever.
It’s as if these bookings have been scheduled by synthetic intelligence that watched each episode of Drag Race ever made and thought it understood how the present works. The NASDAQ shares are not what these queens are referring to once they discuss “commerce!”
Possibly there’s no use complaining. There are at the least 30 totally different seasons of Drag Race and its many spin offs which have already aired world wide. Asking RuPaul and the tv overlords that make this present a actuality to have a lick of integrity in the case of extreme promotion occasions is like asking RuPaul to face as much as present you the sweatpants he’s sporting on the underside half of his physique when seated on the choose's panel: he simply gained’t do it.
And, on the finish of the day, an all-winners season of All Stars is at all times going to be an embarrassing celebration of riches. We would as nicely sit again and revel in it via Satisfaction month earlier than Goal throws all the rainbow-patterned merchandise that didn’t promote into the Burn Pile once more.