Why I Stopped Watching RuPaul's Drag Race 

I agree with this so much. While I certainly wouldn't take the positives of mainstream drag for granted, I think the way capitalism prioritizes the very specific image of drag highlighted on Drag Race is what actually made me hesitant to get into drag myself for so long. It wasn't until I actually did my research and sought out independent drag artists that I was able to recognize the punk nature of the art form and how it's one of the most counterculture ways of self expression out there. The way Drag Race is able to make the general public more educated about drag is so important, but it also comes with the downside that people can assume they already know everything about what drag can be. Actually, your channel was one of the many things that got me more interested in independent drag creators so I'm very grateful that you're continuing to post videos. Also this look is absolutely iconic as always!

As an old gay man , I don't understand why it's so taboo that every gay person doesn't know it's history. They are still learning. We all have been there.

Drag Race has started to feel more like the Met Gala. Seeing beautiful people wear very expensive couture pieces just isn't my thing, and that's the kind of drag that gets featured, especially this recent AS season. It feels like the price of Plastique and Gottmik's wardrobe could be the budget for the earlier seasons, and yet I'm constantly rewatching highlights from those seasons where sometimes they're wearing jeans from the department store. The fanciest it got was Willam's Jimmy Choo shoes. Another reason I can't get into the newer seasons is every queen is very aware of social media when they're filming. They have to tread lightly and be inoffensive because the fandom is very unkind, especially to queens that don't fit a certain aesthetic. Side note, I'm also so tired of the term "old school" being used as a pejorative to describe older queens who aren't trying to look like a high fashion model.

The fact you had to preface the video with 2min of “this is only my opinion, don’t attack me” is a good testament to the toxicity of the RPDR fandom.

I stopped watching it because of the fanbase and the fanbases toxicity changed the way the contestants act and changed the way the show is judged

My biggest criticism of drag race as a viewer, drag show producer, drag performer, and fiancé of an old school drag queen is all the drama and nastiness. A lot of the younger queens have this idea that drag is about being as cruel as possible to the other queens and seeing them as nothing other than competition as opposed to fellow members of a small, specialized community. It’s increased the amount of toxic competitiveness in even the smallest local scenes we’re a part of. It makes me sad to see fellow queers attack each other for no reason other than they think that’s what the dynamic is supposed to be. Our community is meant to be about uniting a marginalized community, not creating all this poisonous infighting.

My biggest issue with Drag Race US in particular is that it's basically become the very thing it was originally satirising. Obviously the show was created to give drag more attention since it was at the time, a dying art form. But as far as the competition aspect was concerned, it was meant to be a parody of shows like ANTM and Project Runway. Now it's become the thing it mocked. That along with the classism what with the sheer amount of money the queens feel that they have to spend on runway looks, Drag Race US just doesn't quite feel as 'accesible' as it used to, if that makes sense?

I think everyone should try watching dragula honestly, the top 4 always get promos and get to go on a world tour and drac and swan also go out and support all of their contestants whether it's going out or just reposting on social media❤

i wish drag kings could get mainstream attention too. i don’t understand why rupaul won’t do a drag king season or even a special episode

This video has aged amazingly after All Stars 9 premiered, which is the most tax-write off corporate snooze fest in the franchise so far.

At this point, drag race has completely changed the image of drag. Obviously it’s amazing that RPDR has helped to make drag globally accepted and recognised, but drag race has become so polished and “perfect” that it’s less about the counterculture and political messaging that drag should be about, and it’s more about how good of a reality TV star you are. That’s why comments from fans like “this drama is such good tv” piss me off a bit, because drag race basically tells the world that to be a drag queen you have to be dramatic and shady (e.g. plane jane constantly throwing shade) and basically a flawless model. A lot of drag in drag race seems to forget that it is an art form and a form of rebellion

Honestly i really really felt this in AS9. There was so much money visible on screen and at some point it made you feel so detached from the art of drag and its revolutionary nature. I don't think owning expensive articles of clothing to furthen your art is necessarily a bad thing but artists like Mik or Plastique ( whom i love ) having couture pieces kind of made me feel detached from them, especially when drag is a political art form. It feels capitalist.

I have a similar story to you, finding drag race as a baby lesbian in season 1 was so powerful and validating. It was like top model but political with raw, real discussion of gay experiences in a way nothing else on TV captured. It was like the televised equivalent of a safe space. But I feel since moving to VH1 it's become less and less about showcasing a nuanced queerness for a queer audience, and more shallow, produced performative gayness for a straight audience. The depth is missing and the conversations forced by production looking to capitalize on queen's trauma rather than authentic moments. The depth is missing and it makes the drag and lived experiences of these queens feel more like a punchline to straight audiences then a touchstone for queer ones. And I guess a visible, popular presence is better than nothing at all, but it still feels like something special has been appropriated for a superficial and straight audience.

I’ve always felt that despite saying she respects all drag art, ru doesn’t seem to try to understand or grow in their appreciation of more alternative styles. If the young queens are expected to know their history, I think it’s only fair for the judges to expand their knowledge as well. And I’ve never loved how long it took them to accept drag that wasn’t hyper fem, or even just allowing non amab or male presenting contestants on the show. This is one of the reasons I prefer dragula, because they’re more open and accepting of forms of drag that they might not be as familiar with. I also appreciate that some contestants can win challenges by using basic supplies like tape and cardboard if their concepts and execution is good enough. How is someone like that supposed to compete in the current age of rpdr? It seems like most people have to spend a fortune just to be on the show.

It’s great to see that this video holds up so well. I went from loving rupaul to despise him. The interview where he said: „a drag queen?!?!? I’m the MOTHER of drag“ was so out of touch. Girl you’re the capitalist of drag! Get your shit together.

18:00 as a kiwi, it really annoyed me that RuPaul / Michelle were the main judges because their understanding of Aus and NZ was so minimal. I remember the 3 kiwi queens doing their first look to represent their city, one was an All Black (very generic), one was a sheep (very generic), and the third did a look that represented the original Māori name for Auckland, which is Tāmaki Makaurau, and her look was ripped by the judges because they "didn't get the concept". Very annoying.

Drag Race is far too critical and catty. I havent seen a single "bad" drag look on that show. Everyone is soooo creative, yet i feel like Ru Paul continues to push drag queens into a box.

I hate how rupaul/the producers choose one queen to praise for no reason because of their "potential" every season, sending home/not recognising other queens who are actually doing well. It feels like the storytelling gets so much in the way of a genuine competition

Ive been a fan of drag race and hell watching shows like that and Drag Duel is what pushed me as of last month to start doing male cosplay drag but its so annoying that theres only one type of drag that seems to be celebrated on drag race (looking at you UK 3) and the fact that theres no drag kings yet? After how many years? Cmon WoW

Education eradicates ignorance which leads to understanding and understanding leads to acceptance. 💕

Everything you said about DR Down Under is so true. If you think it was cringe, imagine how kiwi and aussie viewers felt. We were so stoked to see drag in our part of the world be showcased and learn more about our own drag culture, only to be presented with that steaming pile. The first mistake was having Ru and Michelle involved. They should have gone the DR Canada route and had a local queen hosting. Someone who actually knows the cultural references and makes the effort to do more than just say "Aussie Aussie Aussie" or "kia ora" once an episode and assume they've done their bit. Season 2 was marginally better, but not by much.

Let it be known, RuPaul is not supportive of trans queens like myself, now people will say oh hes changed or what about sasha colby, understand that wow is in charge before Ru and Ru made those coments about the trans community

I was curious about this video because I dropped off of Drag Race around the middle of season 10. After watching this, I have no regrets, as much as I do miss seeing the queens. What I started to miss the most were the creative challenges where the queens were given materials and had to make drag with what they had. I loved seeing what they came up with. Over time, as Drag Race's production value grew, I noticed that the queens were also expected to simply show up with more and more extravagant drag. How is a queen just starting out at a lower budget supposed to keep up? I feel like, in the earlier seasons, they had more of a chance, but everyone has to be polished and with a certain amount of wealth before they even set foot in the Werkroom. It's been sad to see as a fan of the show since season 2.

The indigenous queens being sent home so lightly was so uncomfortable i stopped watching.

For me, I stopped because it felt like whatever authenticity it had has been drained completely. And it was trying to challenge social media in proliferation.

Me as an aussie queen hearing an american queen talk about the lack of down under culture in the down under franchise really gives me hope. Edit OMG and you understand how we work! THANK YOU!!

I'm grateful for drag race indirectly leading me into checking out my own local drag community and eventually getting into drag myself, but also the distance between the show and drag in the real world has become so big that they're basically two different things. I think the best illustration is one of the queens on the Holland franchise being critiqued by one of the judges for wearing a cheap knockoff shoe instead of a real brand name shoe like... I'm sorry to break it to you but nothing at a drag show is real and that's kinda the entire point. Also, I find that drag on TV and drag in person have a totally different emotional effect. I can see a drag queen on tv with an extremely expensive outfit doing a good number and still respond with "meh, I've seen better". Drag artists in person are these larger than life superstar creatures, and tv just doesn't quite capture that.

This video sums up exactly why I also stopped watching. This really needs way more views than it has. Thank you so much for laying it all out so eloquently!

I’m a woman who does drag as a drag king mostly as a hobby. I love the show but some of my favorite performers are kings I have seen at my local gay bar. Kings in general aren’t given nearly as much flowers for their time and effort they put in their craft and they are a lot of the time better than some of the queens I’ve seen. I also love the Boulet Brothers Dragula which has amazing drag that showcases not anti drag race drag but alternative drag as a art form. They also give critique where they say “we are not critiquing your drag. Drag is art and art is subjective. We are merely critiquing your drag as it relates to the challenges in this competition.” Which I love as someone still figuring out my drag. I’m not saying this is a necessarily better show to watch but I am saying that different perspectives of drag are important in your enjoyment of queer and drag culture.

I do miss the storylines but one thing that I question is do we really need the drama? With the fashion and comedy, the show is good enough as it is. Why do we need fabricated arguments for the show to be interesting?

Drag Race has desperately needed a competing show for about 8 or 9 years. Dragula never had the money or backing, and I never got into Fear Factor and hate watching people eat raw organs. I still watch, season 16 was actually great, but yeah, its kinda hit a wall, and RuPaul is a bit too worried about the money.

Also not about Drag Race but about the RuPaul universe: I don't like that Willam got thrown out from DragCon. Drag queens used to be rebels and very expressive on bullshit, but now modern Drag Race and Ru seem to want the girls to be simply sweet, "funny", and well-behaved. Queens are being adapted to the Drag Race universe like dogs

I stoped watching that show after I find out how many of the candidates still support Jeffree Star. Pretty hypocritical. I spend good money that If Jeff was a straight republican they would not support what he saying and do.

My disappointment with the show is that it seems to inadvertently promote the idea that Drag and being Trans are completely separate things: ie Drag is for cis gay men, transition is for trans people. but there’s a lot overlap and there always has been. I think Ru has always been clear about the fact that he feels most comfortable around cis gay queens (on his show specifically) and since it’s his show it will cater to the art he prefers, but it’s annoying when they want to be all cute and make trans/shemale jokes but overwhelmingly continue to invite cis gay men/ask its contestants to present themselves as cis men. Obviously trans people HAVE been on the show and that’s great, but I’m talking about the general overall vibe of the show And I think this prioritization of cis male performers who dress like cis women and specifically extremely rich cis women is what makes it feel stale and unrelatable to the wider queer community which I HOPE is moving in a more open and free direction BUT! Those are all just my own personal thoughts too (: and I don’t begrudge ANYONE for doing drag I just think RPDR needs to loosen up a little.

I really enjoyed this video! Drag race was my introduction to drag but I do agree that your love for the art form should go beyond a hyper curated TV show made by millionaires, especially knowing how so many forms of drag (drag kings, alt drag performers, etc) are left out of the show.

Watching girls get tipped down 50s and 100 at Ru gigs just to come to the same bar on the weekend and leave with that from the entire gig is infuriating. It’s not their fault but it’s still feels awful to never see those “|drag fans” at the local shows

I can’t stop just because I need to support the queens but I definitely hope they slow it down a bit and listen to the fandom. It really seems like it’s on track to burn out and I really hope it doesn’t because we need it lowkey. Like as a society

As an Australian, I couldn’t agree more with your insightful comments! Down under, we found the show a missed opportunity of honouring our humour. Ps just found this channel and I an so glad I did! ❤

I don't know if this will translate but I grew up on comics. I love those stories and characters. Eventually in 90s comics went mainstream. Cut to the MCU, I told people it WILL inevitably turn to crap because of money. Stories are what brings ALL humans together because we are ALL human beings. We all deserve better Stories and treatment of the artists who tell them. Love you Francis, excellent video.

Once I discovered the Boulet Brothers, my fandom preference was cemented! I cannot get enough of Dragula and the niche audience it attracts. Refuse to believe it wasn’t a top hit when it was on Netflix! I bought a shudder subscription just for the show ❤ ⚰️ 💀

I'm still watching the show, but you're absolutely right on so many fronts. Seasons 2-6 were SO perfect.

For me i stopped watching drag race and switched to dragula i just find it way more fun plus I see it as pushing drag forward i also love that they include drag kings too

Not only did DR Down Under fail to incorporate Down Under culture, the judges actively shat on indigenous culture that the queens tried to bring to the runway. For example, they referred to the handmade Māori Korowai (feather cloak) which was loaned to Elektra by her Drag Mother, as a rainbow bath mat. The least they could have done was to ask about it, rather than dismissing it. The saddest part is that there WERE New Zealand and Australian Producers working on DRDU but it still came out the way it did.

This video got recommended to me so late but I'm so glad it was!! I loved everything you had to say and all your points are going to carry on with Drag Race probably until the show ends. It's important to share the good AND the bad from the show because the culture that surrounds it is so complex. I will be supporting a queer artist by subscribing

I feel as though the contestants have to have a $20,000 wardrobe now. Which was definitely not the goal of the show in the first place, They even did an episode where the challenge was to make an entire outfit using only items at the thrift store. It's was about the contestants drag personas and performances more than solely there looks even though outfits have always been an aspect of drag it wasn't everything and it didn't have to be expensive.

I agree so much with this!! I've also stopped watching it. Maybe I'll catch an episode here and there, but I haven't watched an entire season in a while. I think my breaking point was the All Stars season with Valentina, and when the producers saw that she was going to get kicked off regardless of who won the lipsync, Ru, all of the sudden, decided to hold eliminations (totally unprompted by a producer *wink*) and Valentina lived another day. I was like, eff this.

14:30 I'm pretty sure there were even lots of older gays who didn't know who El Debarge is. Back when he was famous, the musical landscape was still very much segregated. El Debarge was a famous R&B singer during a time when the average white gay would *probably* not know about him.

I'm a Kiwi and watching the first season of Drag Race Down Under was so painful bc how was the Australian host the only one who understood most of the queens' jokes?? Did the producers not even put together a quick powerpoint of key points in Australasian culture??? Luckily DRDU season 2 was ~slightly~ better, but the only Drag Race series I'll continue to watch is Spain's since the host is so much nicer, fresher, and actually understands her queens' references!! 💀

I once loved Rue Paul! But...ever since i watched Pearl's interview, I saw Rue in a different light. You remember Pearl right? "Do i have something on my face?" Yeah..THAT Pearl. She said when she wanted to talk with Rue about being told she had "No personality". It hurt her deeply. She'd been a fan of Rue's her entire life and wanted a short moment of Rue's time. Rue turned to her and said, "If that camera's not running, nothing you say matters!"...😮 that changed how i saw Rue's Paul.

Loved this video all so true.. i just came to double check? Im pretty sure latrice was doing drag BEFORE she got locked up. I recall on as4 alexis knight said when she got out they held a fundraiser and sat for hours and hours to make her costumes so she can get RIGHT back in it. The way you said just made it sound like her fellow inmates encouraged her to START, but i think they just encouraged her to CONTINUE! Love the vid tho love🫶🏾

Keep in mind that Drag Race is a CABLE show, and therefore, "Success" on a network like that is a VERY low bar. The main reason is because it's so insanely cheap to produce. It's just a glorified game show. You'll never see Drag Race in the top 20 of the Neilsen ratings, matter of fact, Drag Race pulls the same ratings that All My Children was getting when it was cancelled. The difference being that All My Children cost much more, because of the writers and actors had to be paid. But when Drag Race gives 9 grown MEN 60 bucks to eat dinner on (And one of them being Latrice!) , you know they aren't spending diddly squat. It IS a success for what it is, but it's also a big fish in a small pond. Even game shows routinely give away 10,000$ or more per episode... Drag race never does that. Also, television as a whole is INCREIBLY fractured, and diluted, and no show gets the ratings they used to. In the glory days of TV, when we only had 3 networks... a successful show would have between 20-30% of the country watching it. Drag race gets about 1/2 of 1 % of the country watching it.

I am so glad this popped up on my youtube front page when I signed on this morning. I saw the title and it piqued my interest and I will admit, I am really glad I did. Major KUDOS to you how you made this video. I am a 53 year old gay former Navy journalist who came out of the closet while still on active duty at the age of 21 on September 30th, 1992. I met RuPaul in Seattle that November when a few of us gay sailors from the two Naval bases in Western Washington we served at. Granted, this was when "Supermodel" was the IT thing and when I met RuPaul later for the meet and greet and she heard about my story she said "I am so fucking proud of you and I wish more young gay men and women had the same courage you did." I celebrated when RPDR first aired in 2009 and yes, I did cry when RuPaul won that first Emmy. When I first saw that "reference" that Valentina made as Eartha Kitt during Snatch Game on AS4 - "Pull the level Cronk!" and RuPaul just looked at her and went "huh?" Valentina repeated the line and RuPaul said "what do you mean pull the level?" But expects all the young queens to know every line quoted on any episode of "Golden Girls" or "Mommie Dearest" but failed to acknowledge Eartha's greatest voice over role of her life that actually introduced her to younger generations is where we have all seen it before. A person becomes extremely successful, rich and earns some power, but starts to forget the long road they had to walk when they were young and hopefully trying to make it in what I believe is a very difficult arena, unless you can paint for the gods, beat your mug, know how to perform AND know the words to whatever you are performing. I only did drag a handful of times because A. I couldn't put make up on to save my life B. I refused to shave my very hairy blonde body and C. Having my drag mother cinch me in a corset so tight that people thought I was a real women because to small amount of body fat I had back then was pushed up to give me "breasts" and I wore a scarf around my neck out that night, but when we took it off, on my back I had literally 1/2 inch marks into my skin on my back, how tight it was.

Thank you for your comments about DRDU. For us Aussies and Kiwis its considered embarassing. We all genuinely felt it should have always been an entirely Australian production and Courtney Act had been hosting the whole time. The production always felt so cheap and often it had to be produced in a way so thay American audiences would understand rather than be made by Australians and Kiwis for Australians and Kiwis. How is it that we had Samsung as a sponsor with a cheap ass set while Drag Race Philippines has the most amazing runway backdrop with the monitor wall changing to the theme of the category.

2:52 I’m Gen Z (born in 2000) and I grew up with ANTM (and have come to grips with how problematic it was years ago). Most of us aren’t as young as you think lmao.

A quick note on DRDU (as an Aussie). I looked up the writers and producers and they were mostly from New Zealand unfortunately (some US or Aus), but they also had basically no credits to their names. I think choosing not to hire on talent, but rather on price, was a big mistake. An additional piece to the puzzle was the timing. The filming started shortly after the pandemic hit, and the initial plan to film in Sydney got scrapped due to a decision by the (at the time) conservative government, meaning they were disorganised, had eaten through the budget, and working with a smaller, less experienced team anyway. The choice to keep the same team likely came out of realising NZ has really bad (malleable) film and TV labour laws and wanting to keep production there, and not wanting to fly out a new team from Australia. Or at least, that's my take

Agree with all your points. I’ll add to that social media algorithms facilitate echo chambers. If you watch RPDR then you’re bombarded with RPDR content. The fandom is actually quite small, it’s not like sports or K-pop where the offer is diversified and there’s always something new, so you basically get recommended the same content in a loop. It really amplifies meaningless drama, someone will say something that can be interpreted in some way and suddenly the entire fandom is aware of it and it looks like that strawman is actually a big deal, like a storm in a water glass (as we say in French). IMO that’s why so much fans get “burn out” from RPDR: less the fact we’re enticed to watch all the licenses but more so there’s drag race everywhere.

They are pumping so much new seasons and new Queens I can barely remember 10% of the new seasons girls... so unfair for the new queens.

I don't usally comment, but I wanted to let you know that I love the way that you approche topics and the grace and open attitude that you come with. It a special thing to still be optimistic and open in this world and you inspire me to think the same way!

New Zealander here. One of the main producers from down under is 100% kiwi. Kita and Anita actually hosted their own drag competition show called “House of Drag” before appearing on drag race DU. That show had the same producer. Some of your complaints about DU are also prevalent on HoD. It’s actually spooky. Also Ru can not pronounce “kia ora.” It’s a very common indigenous greeting here, so for Ru to butcher it reeks of disrespect and entitlement. Especially when ALL the other queens say it back to her correctly.

I don’t like how rpdr has changed the mainstream definition of drag into rupaul’s ideal vision. it’s so restrictive and gets repetitive after a while.

That Ru insists on hosting international versions of the show without doing any research on local cultural touchstones makes snatch game a real cringefest. That said, despite all the issues the show has, I still enjoy watching the queens showcase their talents.

That Yvie Oddly twitter thread is everything! 22:21

I just got back into watching drag content (mostly trixie and katya) I literally gave up on drag race bc it was too much content and so many shows I just couldnt keep up

This video captures so many of the reasons why I stopped watching the show after S15. Like you, I discovered Drag Race in 2009-I was a college student downloading episodes on iTunes 😂 And I have probably watched 90% of the available seasons including many of the international ones. I love drag, I love doing drag, and I love that drag is more visible and embraced than it once was. But seeing the show turn mainstream drag into this race for who has the most expensive looks/biggest following/most iconic drama etc. has me feeling down. I want every queen to win in her own way and WOW really doesn’t care to give each contestant their due deference or even each winner to bask in their win. The cycle just continues and WOW just prints their money. Nowadays, I stick to supporting my local LA and Long Beach queens and kings (we have Landon Cider!!) and other than RU-vid, I stay off social media and thus stay out of the loop of most drama. Anyway, thanks for listening to my long ass rant. Your channel is amazing and I’m sooo happy to have discovered it. 💞 😘

After watching this I am proud to Subscribe! RPDR hasn't had any creativity since Season 6. It's been disappointing to watch RU abandon the Art of Drag. I'm almost as old as him and have watched him be an activist to a millionaire. That is not punk.😠. He's either in denial or just greedy.....ugh.

it's pretty interesting how quite a lot of the worlds problems come from capitalism, i think we should get rid of it

I watch some of the "smaller" international seasons nowadays. The last US season I watched fully was 12 (I think). Germany and Brazil were both enjoyable to me (and tbh Germany was the first time I was fully invested in the competition in a LONG time). Like they all still know that they're starring in a major show, but the culture and dynamics are a little different.

Phenomenal video!! Thank you for summing up what I was feeling but struggled to express! Extremely articulate and spot on.

Honestly I just felt like the show became too many skinny white queens doing singing and dancing challenges every week, it became exhausting to watch

I don’t care, I’ve always loved season 7 dude. I don’t get why there is so much hate on it. I started on season 4 and have watched ever since. 7 isn’t the worst or the downfall of the show really. At least in my opinion

I'm healing from a broken foot, but I forced my foot into my favorite leopard print kitten heels to step on the Like button.

I'm not stopping completely but I'm going to just watch the English and french speaking seasons (the 2 languages i can actually speak ) unless I hear about an exceptional cast member or something. For me it's partly overwhelm with how much content is being produced and partly eye fatigue from reading subtitles. I definitely hear what you're saying, but I can't not watch my favorite show.

I agree that the past drag race seasons have become very boring, predictable, and the material standard for the queens is too high. I wish Drag Race would be as punk and exciting the art of drag really is, but Ru seems to know mainstream fans prefer expensive stand-still classic beauty

Your videos are always so well crafted. Your ability to creatively and engagingly express your thoughts and feelings is unmatched. It doesn't feel like being preached to or having someone feed you lines. It feels honest and most importantly, it's funny. Thanks again 👍

i've also kind of stopped actively following it. i'll still watch occasionally, but the show just doesn't have the same raw energy as it used to. every queen is trying to push catch phrases, get attention, but be politically correct and not seem unreasonable so the fandom doesn't hate them. and i don't blame them for it at all, i'd probably do the same if i were in their place. but it makes for a bad show and production has failed to make it more than the sum of its parts. it used to feel cool and underground and now it's just another tv show, in a way. which as you said, it's a good thing that a high budget drag show can exist on tv and be successful. but it's just never going to be as magical any more as the first ones, no matter how much glitter spaghetti and money they through at the walls.

As an older gay male, I remember the first time I saw a drag show (Parliament House 1977 [RIP]), and how intrigued I was by the illusion the queens brought. When RPDR first debuted in 2009, I was excited to see the art of drag once again and on TV in the privacy of my home. Season one and the God awful filter they used makes it difficult to rewatch at any level. But thereafter, each season seemed to improve with content and filming quality. IMO, the best seasons last to maybe 9 or 10 and from there it seemed to decline, especially with all the twists added (like the chocolate 🍫 bars). After that era, I could only recall a few of the queens by name as so many were not that memorable. Have never been much on All Stars as the format IMO, is very unfair, although I do feel #7 with all winners was well worth it and Jinxx totally deserved the win 🏆. As far as the versions in other countries, UK and Down Under are okay but those in countries with other languages, it’s just too too much to keep up with the subtitles. Stepping back and looking at the entire picture, it feels like just too much drag is being given to us. But I guess when it comes to money and greed, there’s never enough. 😢 PS. I will continue to watch, that is until I just can’t handle it anymore….

I stopped watching because everything is repetitive. It’s the same challenges, same themes, same drama. The queens are pressured to be so polished that they end up looking like refined copies of queens in earlier seasons. It’s boring. Same reason I’ve stopped going to hamburger Mary’s! The target audience is not queer. Being in the mainstream has created a standard that is Boring.

this analysis is so on point! i just cancelled my subscription to WOW presents plus, and i've been an avid fan since season 1. i do think the global proliferation of the franchise is in the start of a slow down at the moment, despite the new global all stars. like, we had way too many different international franchises last year, a few which were not renewed. there are so so many seasons that the show is beginning to feel more and more watered down and formulaic, especially when they introduce an unpredictable plot twist.

How funny that yt suggested this now! Instantly subbed btw! The newest all stars season is the PERFECT example of everything you touched on. It makes me sad that so many people associate drag as drag race only! I actually prefer Dragula if im going to watch drag tv!

As someone who grew up with drag race being that it was it was the only openly queer show I saw where extremely feminine men (at the time) were seen as icons instead of the joke and as a boy who was exceptionally feminine myself I felt seen. But overtime it’s just became saturated Love that there is so many different seasons for different countries and representations now that’s fantastic the denim is is starting to become stale they don’t want to add drag kings , it’s took them just about until UK SEASON 3 to cast a AFAB queen , and as I got older funny thing about it the sex jokes gets tired I get it we’re gay “we like dicks” but jeez can you make another joke other than something about penises please

I watched RPDR from the get go and loved it! I couldn’t wait to see every season, it was my happy place. I haven’t watched it in years now. I remember one season 1 of UK drag race when Ru said ‘I don’t want to see no H&M dress!’ And that was it for me. When drag race started it was incredible to watch queens create these amazing outfits from nothing. I still enjoyed the more extravagant outfits but I also loved the more simple, creative ones. Now there seems to be no chance for people who aren’t heavily funded. It really made the magic fall away for me.

I agree with so much of it, and honestly it’s also just a less interesting television product at this point. It used to have this special spark and now every season feels the same They used to trust their cast and their fans a lot more, and now ts becoming less and less about the competition and more and more like just a drag showcase, slowly losing all of the dna of what makes a reality show what it is. Couple that with how disgusting the fans are, and the fact that there’s no real drama anymore because the fans are so vile to anyone who steps out of line, and so we have manufactured boring ‘drama’ now Not to mention the effect it’s had on the industry which okay it’s core is good, but it’s now becoming frustrating because you aren’t allowed to deviate in ANY WAY from the rugirl formula, and the bar of entry for drag is so high now

On top of the whole fracking thing, RuPaul is just…not really looking for hard visual camp anymore in his competition, just overly polished queens that look like the next one

I worked for the wow office for a few months last year (they let me go lolll) and it was Not Great :) they literally worked me like a dog and expected me to do so many things that weren't in my job description lol it really is wack

Engagement, engagement, engagement! Making a comment for Coke Francis’ engagement! And have seen RuPauls house on Architectural Digest as of late? I don’t think RuPaul is struggling to pay rent….or pay for medication….or food….or basic need for human decency…

I absolutely adore the early seasons because they were created when drag wasn’t mainstream the way it is now so majority og the pieces were make shift and there wasn’t insane expectation. It felt much more organic. I love fashion and I love how complex the runways are now but im noticing that a lot of the pieces are made by designers outside of the show and this is becoming much more common place, which kinda sucks because the hand crafted aspect of the show is what made is so great to me

I still enjoy it very much. I get that it has lost that "underground" quality and when the producers get too involved they turn out the worst episodes and the worst decisions, but honestly, there's still a lot of wonderful moments and I've been introduced to amazing queens I follow and root for. I've never been of the "it got famous so it sucks now" mentality, and reality TV has ALWAYS been scripted, ALWAYS been exploitative, and ALWAYS been sleazy. Even since before Drag Race existed. This one just got big enough for those frayed hems to show. There's plenty of negatives, yes, but I think this is still a great overall win for visibility and for drag artists to grow more than they could've originally hoped for; and I think ultimately if the queens know what they're signing up for (which, more and more of them know now), it's their decision. The show has loosened up on some of its more draconian contract clauses and it's a platform queens can use to extend their reach.

I just wish there was a version of drag race for alternative queens that wasnt that disgusting fear factor knockoff i want a pure fashion show with a dark goth ascetic i dont see whats so hard about that

Spot on about RPDRDU S1. The potential of that cast was very exciting in episode 1. The DU queens were ready to showcase their unique and hilarious take on drag, and like you say they were totally mismanaged and messed with. It hurt to watch, and I felt for top queens getting chopped for no good reason . The problem with DR in general is that it is pushing for this 'representation' so every season they have already prepared and chosen the winner based on the type they want for this season. This seems v true in the UK franchise. Lawrence Chaney- Scottish Queen. Krystal Versace- very young inexperienced look queen. When the winner type is already chosen, the other contestants don't have a chance despite their talents, uniqueness, nerve, and charisma and it feels very cringey and upsetting to watch. The show is not based on merit and talent which is wasteful and must crush some queens and do damage to their careers. [Charity Kase, Anubis, Cherry Valentine - RIP ]

I stopped taking RPDR seriously as a "competition" after S3 when Shangela said the Heathers vs Boogers feud was faked by the producers.

You are stating here almost the exact reason I stopped watching about 4 yrs ago. It annoys me how mainstream drag culture now is only ever the US, specifically Ru Paul style of drag. Gay culture and drag history in Britain (where I’m from) is very different to the US. But because of RPDR, that British drag culture is nowhere to be seen and it’s all based on US drag language and references. Sure, Polari hasn’t been used in years (although ‘drag’ is a Polari word meaning clothing) and where we once had Lily Savage we now have beauty queens all with the same face. Your comment about producers from world of wonder going to Australia and NZ and not bothering to educate themselves on the culture there is indicative of this as well. So thanks for stating so eloquently what I was thinking. Love your bona eek!

I really recommend everyone to watch Drag race France, especially 2 season. it’s so much more genuine and just overall better. It kinda made me realize even more how artificial Drag race US is.

While I do agree that capitalism plays a roll in how Drag Race treats their contestants, I also think it helped push the queens further into opportunities they thought they never would've had. Jessica Wilde making her own brand of tortilla chips, numerous queens getting into music and making some top tier music videos, Trixie Mattel become a cosmetic and entrepreneural juggernut, Kim Chi doing the same in the cosmetic industry, as well as Acid Betty, Bob the Drag Queen along with Monét, and even Mo Heart, which I somewhat recently found out that she's creating a cosmetic line too, Naysha friggin' Lopez hosting Roscoes Viewing Party! Her and the queens that come on as guests is the *best* place to get insider tea about what is happening behind the scenes on Drag Race. Peppermint getting acting opportunities on top streaming services, Gottmik walking on runways for some of the greatest fashion houses, and so much more! What I don't like is production meddling, they overplay their hand so many times, especially with contestant favoritism, illogical judging and critism, as well as nonsensical eliminations. Especially the nonsensical eliminations and the favoritism, It still lives rent free in my mind Plasmas elimination on season 16 when she had 3 challenge wins, and the *PAINFULLY* obvious favortism of Sasha Colby on season 15! The sad thing about it is that it's none of the queens fault for the narrative that was placed on them, I completely point the finger at production. I also don't like the toxic fanbase either, I came close to not watching Drag Race all together because of them and how production was elbow deep in the decision making of the show... But then season 16 came along and I fell in love with it all over again. Season 16, to me, was one of the greatest seasons we had in recently aired seasons.

I dread the snatch game on international episodes hosted by ru because it shows so much they just want whatll be funny to a presumed american audience. So what could've been a great tribute to a unique and quirky irish singer became the most broad offensive irish stereotype because thats what ru finds funny. Foreign accents and stereotypes, the costume of a culture not the nuances

I stopped watching for much less noble reasons. I just realized how painfully unfunny and hard to watch all of the comedy is. I don't wanna bash what anyone finds funny but I have to skip every acting segment and most mini challenges I just can't do it

I love to see local queens perform. It's a totally different opinion from seeing Drag Race girls

I agree with everything that you've said, but in reference to everything you've said and what Yvie said, this was inevitable. Money rules. Money talks, BS walks. This is a cash cow for the producers; this is the only thing that drives them. They will only care about the queens or the fan base once they start making a dent in their pockets. This is what every major corporation does in society that starts off getting big, they begin losing touch with their roots. What I see happening is that the drag world is going to be so oversaturated with Ru girls that the booking fee will become lesser, so the necessity of getting on the show will be less, which will make way for wealthier queens to get on. The days of thrift store drag queens getting on the show is over, and that's sad.

I completely understand. Drag Race is mostly just very important to me. Without it, I probably wouldn’t have gone out of my way to see my local drag queens because I have social anxiety and don’t like going out much at all, and I believe it’s important to support the art of drag in one way or another. Even just watching drag race is somewhat of an outlet for me to heal from trauma with some of the queens because of similar struggles and seeing others support them. There are a million things wrong with the show, I don’t downplay those, but I love getting to know the queens’ stories and their styles. I don’t watch for the drama. I strongly agree with Yvie saying the queens are the lifeblood of the series as well as the criticisms.

I'm late to this video, but thank you for your words on the aussie + new zealand versions of drag race. I can't speak for the New zealanders, but for an australian version of an american show to work over here, they NEED to inject our own humour and way of doing things. Otherwise it goes over like a lead balloon.

I’m going to be honest, I avoided this video for so long because I wasn’t sure everyone had the same views that WOW controls everything now… I am so glad it’s from someone, who like me, started watching early on. I tried joining the fandom again as well after being one of the first large drag fanpages on insta, and I could not believe how destructive and mean everyone is now 😭 I don’t know if it’s just children mostly now but it really does sadden me that its not the same anymore