“The end of villainy on RuPaul’s Drag Race can only come when the social justice issues that the queens want to fight for are publicly acknowledged and represented on the platform.”
“Whatever you want to be, you be.” These immortal words from the 1990 documentary, Paris Is Burning, perfectly describe the meaning of drag culture. The film following the lives of different “houses,” or families, of LGBT people, told the story of the Harlem Ballroom scene, and the inclusivity surrounding it. Beginning around 1930 and continuing for decades ahead, the Harlem Ball competitions would be nightly pageants of queer people held in secret. Participants would compete in different types of categories, including dancing, crossdressing, and “realness.” Some of history’s most famous drag queens have originated from ball houses such as The House of Labeija & The House of Xtravaganza. People from all walks of life were welcomed in the ball scene, men, women, and everyone in between.
The most common misconception about drag is that it can only exist within the borders of cisgender men in dresses, when that is untrue. In fact, transgender people were a facet of the ball scene. The art of drag, in its true form, is self expression through performance, and it can be experienced by men and women alike. The Harlem Ballroom community, in the long run, served and still continues to serve as a place for queer people to feel accepted, no matter their background as it relates to race and gender identity.
Almost 20 years after Paris Is Burning was released, RuPaul’s Drag Race first aired on LogoTV. Drag Race, as the show’s title is often shortened to, is a fabulous celebration of queer entertainment, filled to the brim with sequins, sparkles, and the expected drama that comes with drag queens. The TV show is a microcosm of the Harlem Ballroom scene, just in a more condensed, televised, and culturally celebrated format. Drag Race is wildly popular and shows no signs of slowing down: it is currently in its 11th season and All Stars just completed its 4th. Its impact on queer people, particularly queer youth, in America is nothing short of extraordinary; it brings visibility to the lives and experience many members of the LGBTQ+ community face on a daily basis. The show publicly addresses experiences with sexual assault, coming out of the closet, and unaccepting family members.
While queer representation on national television is revolutionary when looking at the history of queer oppression, RuPaul and the competition show itself have been accused of racism and transgender exclusion. Though many queens of Drag Race fame live on to become our heroes, producers of the show are sure to create some villains in exchange. The villainous threat, unfortunately, seems to usually lie within the realm of the marginalized queens on RuPaul’s Drag Race.
Reality television is an oxymoron, in that nothing about it is truly “real.” As much as the queens on RuPaul’s Drag Race do their best to show their true selves (which is also an oxymoron) to the judges and the cameras alike, the competitors are still at the mercy of the inflection of their words and the editors. Fans of Drag Race are quick to blame a certain queen’s portrayal on the infamous “villain edit.” The “villain edit” is the idea that the producers of reality TV shows, working alongside the team of editors, will edit the footage from that show in order to create a false negative narrative for the competitor. Sometimes, the queen’s words will be genuine, and other times, they were supposed to be taken in jest. The blurred line between what is true about a certain queen and what has been edited for them is almost indiscernible.
On each season, we are introduced (or re-introduced, in the case of All Stars ) to a fresh batch of queens. Usually, it is clear right off the bat who the “villain” of that season is. On season 10, the viewers were formally introduced to Chicago’s The Vixen. Vixen, as she was mononymously known by her fellow competitors, “not only [brought] plenty of drama to the workroom and Untucked , but she addressed the tough issues of optics, race, and privilege that have long been ignored by the popular series” (Puchko). The Vixen is a huge advocate for black rights and the empowerment of black people in society. In November 2016, The Vixen began her own drag show, titled “ BlackGirlMagic,” starring herself, as well as Drag Race legends such as Shea Coulée, Dida Ritz, Monét X Change, Monique Heart, and Asia O’Hara. According to Vixen’s website, “ BlackGirlMagic, [is] a drag concert, where queens of color can celebrate their unique experiences through storytelling and performance” (Taylor).
In the case of The Vixen, it is rather clear that her intention on was to bring these topics to light while on Drag Race, no matter her portrayal, particularly as the villain. She did, in fact, enter the famed workroom on set, announcing “I’m just here to fight!” Vixen fought with plenty of her fellow competitors, particularly Eureka, who she claimed was “weaponizing her white tears” (“The Unauthorized Rusical”). The Vixen felt that there were double standards when it came to fighting with the white queens. She said that “Everyone’s telling me how to react. But nobody’s telling her (Eureka) how to act” (Puchko). By the time of the seasonally-obligatory reunion episode at the end of season 10, The Vixen was long eliminated, having finished in 7th place. As the episode progressed in its discussion of highlights, the spotlight came to Vixen. After some time, namely “10 minutes in, Ru asked Vixen about her first fight with Aquaria… [which] set up The Vixen as an instigator” (Puchko). When Vixen’s segment seemed to have ended, “Ru even asked her if she called out Aquaria to “stir the pot” (Puchko).
Commonly, the villain edit is the result of the organic discussions and confessionals that happen on the show, ending in the piecing together of the filmed clips. In this case, however, The Vixen was clearly set up, so much so that she stormed off the set of the reunion, not returning (“Queens Reunited”). Immediately, her general approval rating went down, making her one of the most disliked queens of the franchise. Disappointment would plague my viewing parties on Friday nights, since yet another episode had passed without the elimination of The Vixen. We believed the rhetoric of the editors: we were rooting for the inevitable elimination of The Vixen. Finally, Vixen met her match in the 8th installment of season 10, the Cher tribute, an episode from which I sighed a breath of relief once finished. At the end of the day, the fact that she was the villain of her season didn’t matter to Vixen. Don’t get it twisted, she was aware of it. What mattered to her is the fact that “the issue of race and privilege would not be addressed directly on the reunion. Instead, Ru’s approach painted Vixen as a pot-stirrer, a trouble-maker, and lost soul who would not be helped because she would not listen” (Puchko). The Vixen was able to say her peace, but will now be put in the same bubble of punishment that villains before her have been put in. Misbehavior on RuPaul’s Drag Race or anti-RuPaul sentiments will result in rejection from casting on All Stars. This was, the Vixen will never be able to continue her “reign of terror.” Most troublesome, however, is that her opinions on the show’s underlying racism will never be exposed further on the platform.
Other fans of RuPaul’s Drag Race have examined the complex of racism on the show when taking into consideration the champions of the seasons, particularly All Stars. In the past, the winners of AllStars have been Chad Michaels, Alaska Thunderf*ck, and Trixie Mattel. The main attribute that these 3 queens have in common is that they are white, skinny, and generally sport a blonde wig. All Stars 4, the preceding season after Trixie Mattel’s win, and the most recent season of All Stars to air, had a whopping 80% of the cast be queens of color, in that only 2 of the 10 were white. In a history making double win at the end of the season, both Trinity the Tuck & Monét X Change were crowned the winners, making Monét X Change the first black All Star (“Super Queen Grand Finale”) . What should have been a cause for celebration was immediately dissected and torn to shreds by the fans. While it is certainly important and historic to have the first black All Star and the first double crowning in the franchise’s history, the win could be viewed as tarnished, since Trinity the Tuck is white. To those fans, it is almost the producers’ way of saying, “you can have your black winner, but we still need to keep on brand with the white, skinny, and blonde winner as well.”
Historically, RuPaul’s Drag Race has been the territory of crossdressing men, better known as female impersonators. In December 2018, the franchise’s first female drag queen entered the competition. Gia Gunn, a transgender woman, first made her television debut on Drag Race’s season 6, as a boy, returning to the competition in All Stars 4 as a fully transitioned woman. From the moment that Gia made her historic entrance on All Stars 4, she was the clear candidate for the villain edit. In an article comparing Gia Gunn to Mean Girls’ Regina George, the author articulated that “Right off the bad, Gunn was clearly and most consistently framed as the shady and most cutting of the new cast” (Street). The keyword to take notice of here is “framed.”
The true nature of Gia’s “villain hood”, like The Vixen, is twofold: it is charged by a social justice cause, as both queens are marginalized in society, and because of the pot-stirring brand that both tried their hardest to sell. Gia’s arrival on All Stars 4 did not come without controversy. In an interview with The Guardian, RuPaul was asked whether or not he would allow a transgender queen to compete on the show, to which he replied, “Probably not. You can identify as a woman and say you’re transitioning, but it changes once you start changing your body. It takes on a different thing; it changes the whole concept of what we’re doing” (Aitkenhead). Trans alumni of the show, each one going through their physical transition journey after the show, spoke out against RuPaul’s anti-trans sentiment, including Peppermint, Monica Beverly Hills, and Gia Gunn herself. RuPaul publicly apologized, saying that “I understand and regret the hurt I have caused. The trans community are heroes of our shared LGBTQ movement. You are my teachers” (Crowley).
In order to prove that he has learned his lesson in this situation, RuPaul cast Gia Gunn on the 4th season of All Stars. As expected, Gia was not only cast as a competitor, but she was also cast as the villain, fighting for trans representation on RuPaul’s Drag Race . On one of the challenges, in which the queens had to write their own verses in their team’s song, Gia Gunn wrote lyrics that were not only indicative of her pride as a transgender woman, while also “throwing shade” to her fellow queens. She started off the verse saying, “For those of you who don’t know me I put the T in the LGB,” continuing later on with “I’m a woman who does drag, but don’t confuse me with those hags” (“Super Girl Groups, Henny”). While Gia definitely set herself up at the back end of the song, calling the girls “hags” in jest, the obligatory “rattlesnake” sound effect used at shady moments did not help. Gia went home 3rd in the competition, and in each of her 3 episodes, she was disliked by most of the other queens for her attitude and personality.
This was all on the surface, as Gia was fighting her own battles as a trans woman on a show that celebrated men in dresses: she felt she didn’t belong, that the show didn’t want her. She slowly sunk into becoming the villain, a role that peaked at the Snatch Game. One of the most revered and prestigious challenges of the entire show, the Snatch Game involves the queens’ best comedic portrayal of celebrities. Gia Gunn announced that she would be playing Caitlyn Jenner, a former athlete who happens to also be transgender, around the same time that Trinity the Tuck said that she had the same plan. In a verbal spar between the two, Trinity told Gia that “of course [she] had backups, but [she’d] rather do what [she wants] to do,” to which Gia quickly responded, “Well, what you wanna do is not necessarily what you’re gonna do” (“Snatch Game of Love”). Gia’s rude disposition is what got her the chop on All Stars, overshadowing her attempt at avenging the wrongdoings for the transgender community in the process. The villainous reign of Gia Gunn on All Stars was short lived, but it is quite clear that the producers liked it that way.
Any reality TV show worth its salt has a villain or two. After all, it makes for good programming. The defining factor that sets RuPaul’s Drag Race villains aside from other shows, however, is the ulterior reasoning behind their sentencing. The producers want to prevent these social justice problems from coming to light in a negative way against them, so they keep them under wraps. When a queen wants to speak out in support of their individual issue, it is easier to keep them quiet and present them as a bad person, ruin their reputation, and make room for a new villain. The end of villainy on RuPaul’s Drag Race can only come when the social justice issues that the queens want to fight for are publicly acknowledged and represented on the platform. Until then, it’s only a matter of time until we meet our next villain.
Works Cited:
Aitkenhead, Decca . “RuPaul: ‘Drag is a big f-you to male-dominated culture.” The Guardian. 3 March 2018. 1 March 2019. <https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2018/mar/03/rupaul-drag-race-big-f-you-to- male-dominated-culture>
Crowley, Patrick. “RuPaul Responds to Backlash Following Hurtful Comments: ‘You Are My Teachers.” Billboard.com. 5 March 2018. 1 March 2019. <https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/pride/8232231/rupaul-responds-backlash-hurtf ul-comments>
Paris Is Burning . Dir. Jennie Livingston. Perf. Pepper LaBeija, Dorian Corey, Angie Xtravaganza, and Willi Ninja. Netflix. Miramax, 1990
Puchko, Kristy. “The Vixen Deserved Better Than The “RuPaul’s Drag Race Reunion.” Pajiba.com. 22 June 2018. 5 March 2019. <http://www.pajiba.com/tv_reviews/lets-talk-about-the-vixen-and-the-rupauls-drag-race-r eunion.php>
“Snatch Game of Love.” RuPaul’s Drag Race . VH1 . 28 December 2019.
Street, Mikelle. “Gia Gunn Is the Regina George of “All Stars 4.” Out. 21 December 2018. 1 March 2019. <https://www.out.com/popnography/2018/12/21/we-need-talk-about-gia-gunns-villain-ed it>
“Super Girl Groups, Henny.” RuPaul’s Drag Race . VH1. 21 December 2018. “Super Queen Grand Finale.” RuPaul’s Drag Race . VH1 . 15 February 2019.
Taylor, Anthony “The Vixen.” The Vixen’s World. 2009. 7 March 2019. <https://thevixensworld.com/about>
“The Unauthorized Rusical.” RuPaul’s Drag Race . VH1. 10 May 2018.
“Queens Reunited.” RuPaul’s Drag Race . VH1. 21 June 2018.
Note: This essay was originally written as a formal assignment.