RuPaulitics: Drag, Race, and Power

WOMGEN 1215 Subject & Catalog Number

Description

Since the launch of RuPaul’s Drag Race in 2009, the show has grown to include more than 20 franchise shows worldwide, has amassed the host a net worth to $60 Million, and has launched the careers of over 600 artists. There is a veritable global drag boom. What characterizes the popularization of this genre and what is lost and gained by marginalized communities in these mediated, political, and economic changes? Through the examination of contemporary and historical drag archives, as well as critical readings on race and gender, this course will provide students with robust tools to analyze drag, live performance, and queer and trans cultures more broadly. We will explore how performers both participate in and respond to the commercialization of this artform. The course will also include performance-based exercises, attendance at local drag shows, and visits from various artists to immerse students in the embodied politics of drag.