Mainstreaming RuPaul, homogenising Drag: Analysing the stakes of the global Drag Race empire.

Thompson, Violet 2024. Mainstreaming RuPaul, homogenising Drag: Analysing the stakes of the global Drag Race empire. PhD Thesis, Cardiff University. Item availability restricted.

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Abstract

RuPaul’s Drag Race, the reality-competition series in which drag performers compete for the title of the ‘next drag superstar’, has experienced mainstream success. Consequently, greater attention has been paid to the ways the franchise represents drag culture to maintain this success. This thesis considers the stakes of this mainstreaming in the context of three localisations of the franchise, each the first international series to be hosted by RuPaul: UK (2019), Down Under (2021), and, UK vs. The World (2022). Through a qualitative textual analysis, this thesis argues that the homogenisation of drag, previously identified by scholars as a potential upshot of the mainstreaming of Drag Race, manifests in these seasons. Specifically, however, this thesis argues that this homogenisation is grounded in a US-centric outlook, which also shapes its framing of cultural identity. The findings chapters are ordered thematically, each outlining a different manifestation of this homogenisation. The first argues that US cultural imperialism manifests through the normalisation of US perspectives on global cultures, thus limiting the scope for cultural representation. The second argues that this extends to a constructed superiority of US drag, and specifically, the polished, pageant drag found within the US series. The third argues that these themes manifest through RuPaul himself, who acts as the embodiment of each. Subsequently, their role in these seasons is to extend and solidify their own superiority. This thesis contributes to existing Drag Race literature, by assessing the now-global status of the franchise. Given the franchise’s increased visibility, and its growing influence on local drag cultures, it is incumbent on scholars to analyse the stakes of its representations. Through analysis of these seasons, this thesis argues that despite its success, international localisations of Drag Race remain homogenised, irrespective of the possibilities they provide for their contestants and culturally specific iterations of drag.

Item Type:	Thesis (PhD)
Date Type:	Completion
Status:	Unpublished
Schools:	Schools > Journalism, Media and Culture
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > H Social Sciences (General) H Social Sciences > HM Sociology H Social Sciences > HN Social history and conditions. Social problems. Social reform H Social Sciences > HT Communities. Classes. Races
Date of First Compliant Deposit:	15 April 2025
Last Modified:	25 Apr 2025 15:05
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/177581

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