Commodification and Capitalism
One of the most grave side effects of RuPaul’s Drag Race being such a mainstream form of queer entertainment is how easily it has made it for queer culture to be commodified and cheaply replicated. “Commodification prefabricates culture into easy to consume products and images that allow the dominant culture to utilize stereotypes in constructing “lifestyles’ ‘ for consumption’ ‘ (Yaksich, 26). The consumption of RPDR in this way has led to the commodification of language, style, and overall culture that once belonged to Black and Brown queer folks and now has been wide-spread amongst society. It’s very important to note that the culture being commodified here is by Black and Brown folks and being co-opted by (primarily) white folks. Bell hooks speaks on this in an essay about Paris is Burning in which she articulates that, “This current trend in producing colorful ethnicity for the white consumer appetite makes it possible for Blackness to be commodified in unprecedented ways, and for whites to appropriate Black culture without interrogating whiteness or showing concern for the displeasure of Blacks” (Hooks, 154). One of the most easily identifiable examples of this is through language. Phrases like “YAAASSS QUEEN” “SLAY” “YOU ATE” and “READ FOR FILTH” have a very prominent and historical context in ballroom culture that stems from reading. Legendary drag queen Dorian Corey articulates “reading” as an insult exchange between two gay people, one that garners laughs and attention through exaggeration. She also makes the clear distinction that “If it’s happening between the gay and straight world, it’s not really a read, it’s a vicious slur fight” (Paris is Burning, 35:00-35:43). Due to the high volume of viewership and the nature of reality television’s propensity to create parasocial relationships, these phrases and the entire concept of ‘reading’ have been co-opted by cis het people. It’s not entirely the fault of the viewers either, the more viewers adopt language and mannerisms from the show, the more they’ll tune in and are likely to buy themed merchandise, come to live shows, and break the bank to go to drag conventions. It’s a strategy put in place by RuPaul and his production company, “Logo describes its viewers as the cultural elite, a mixture of “a social, savvy audience of gay trendsetters . . . [and] a straight audience that wants to be ahead of the curve.” Logo therefore constructs a narrative of progress inseparable from economics and consumption, given that straight viewers sneak a peek at social futures set by gays with style and purchasing power” (Goldmark, 504). This idea of a “straight audience who wants to get ahead of the curve” shows that the relationship between commodification and homosexuality is ambiguous at best. In reality commodification is a cog in the wheel of capitalism that seeks to put money directly into the hands of RuPaul and the drag queens that win his show.
Ironically enough, RuPaul’s claim to fame is a hit song from 1992 entitled “Supermodel (You Better Work)” the song itself is incredibly catchy and fun to sing but the lyrics allude to something more serious than what meets the eye. The song repeats the phrase “you better work” as a double-entendre. On one hand “you better work” refers to language used within the ballroom scene and essentially means something along the lines of looking good and performing well. This juxtaposes the other meaning which is the literal “you better work” as in you better work hard and for a long time if you want to be successful. And while this idea isn’t inherently a bad thing it’s clear that monetary gain colors a lot of RuPaul’s motivation both within and outside of RPDR. “Even as this catchphrase appears to unify a community, it distinguishes between those who work to consume and those who are consumed as working commodities” (Goldmark, 503). This alludes to the sheer amount of work put into RPDR to make it a marketing and money making success. The show relies heavily on advertisements and product placements during the episodes, but even more than that many of the drag race winners go on to develop their own brands/products whether it’s makeup, clothing, or music. This forces us as the audience to ask ourselves: what is the purpose of RPDR? Is the intention truly to celebrate drag and ballroom culture in a contemporary setting or is it to repackage queerness into a digestible and marketable thing for audience consumption?
Sources:
Goldmark, M. (2015). National Drag: The Language of Inclusion in RuPaul’s Drag Race. GLQ: a journal of Lesbian and Gay studies, 21(4), 501-520.
Hooks, B. (2014). Black looks: Race and representation.
Livingston, J. (1990). Paris Is Burning. Off White Productions Inc.
Yaksich, M. J. (2005). Consuming queer: The commodification of culture and its effects on social acceptance. Elements, 1(1).
