Abstract
Drag performance has entered mainstream British culture and is gaining unprecedented appreciation and recognition, yet no sociological accounts of this transformation exist. Using an inductive analysis of in-depth interviews with 25 drag performers, alongside netnography of media and other public data, this article develops a sociological understanding of the mainstreaming of drag. There are two clear reasons for the success of drag. First, there is a pull towards drag: it is now seen as a viable career opportunity where performers receive fame rather than social stigma in a more inclusive social zeitgeist, even though the reality is more complex. Second, there is a push away from other creative and performing arts because heteronormative perspectives persist through typecasting and a continued professional stigma associated with drag. In calling for a sociology of drag, future avenues for research on contemporary drag are discussed, alongside the need for the sociology of cultural and creative industries to incorporate sexuality as both a subject and analytic lens.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 3-20 |
Number of pages | 18 |
Journal | Sociology |
Volume | 56 |
Issue number | 1 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 6 May 2021 |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:We thank all the performers for their time, Christopher Green for his interview that informed our thinking around the boundaries between drag and gender-bending in mainstream theatre, and Miss Coco Peru who inspired this project. The author(s) received no financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.
Publisher Copyright:
© The Author(s) 2021.
Keywords
- celebrity
- culture
- drag
- drag queen
- heteronormativity
- LGBT
- mainstreaming
- performance
- sexualities