A few days later, Coulee and her royal court of sisters-in-drag huddle together on a virtual video conference.
“I’m glad that we get the chance to redeem ourselves.”
When they return forAll-Stars, every aspect of the competition is turned up to 11.
IfDrag Raceis a talent competition, thenAll-Starsis a masterclass in surviving show business."
That testament to endurance couldn’t have come at a better time.
“Every show I went to, it was, ‘What did you think when Mimi picked you up?
Do you hate her?
Do you still talk to her?’
It was always about Mimi Imfurst, it was never about whatIwas bringing to the show.
In that way,Drag Raceistheprestige drag universityanda self-sustaining employer recycling graduates back into the machine.
“This franchise has always had a life of its own.
Barbato attributes the success to the queens' addictive (and varied) takes on their progressive art.
So, World of Wonder brought fans together to support their idols.
And that’s how RuPaul’s DragCon was born.
Normally,All-Starsanoints two weekly challenge winners, who lip-sync to determine which among the group will be eliminated.
But the top queen now lip-syncs for their legacy against a returning lip-sync assassin fromDrag Race’spast.
If theAll-Stars 5queen wins the battle, they get $10,000 and the power to eliminate one bottom finisher.
It will sometimes send your ass home, so it’s a much scarier democracy onDrag Race!”
Take St. Clair a former wide-eyed, Broadway-obsessed theater kid who finished ninth back in 2018.
Because this is going to eventuallycome backto me and my career,'” she says.
We end up being a lesson.
Mattel’s point is an exaggeration, of course, but it’s rooted in reality.
“Snooki and theJersey Shorecast…didn’t have to do their own hair or makeup.
I know better because I know [how much money] the night is bringing in.”
The show’s impact has also trickled down to the local scene.
There’s now more interest than ever in art from queer performers of all genders and sexualities.
Whether or not I’ve been on a show, I deserve that X amount of money.'
That wasn’t there before."
But there’s been an uptick in innovation from drag performers, too.
“Drag queens are incredibly resourceful,” World of Wonder’s Bailey says.
“That all goes back to not having money or resources, and not getting cultural respect.
It’s been a do-it-yourself artistry, and it’s all the more inventive and vital for that.”
Barbato agrees: “So many mainstream drag queens are just arriving, and they’re not going anywhere….
The entertainment industry has just started to open their doors to them.
“At our core, we’re producers,” states Coulee.
“We create shows.
We already know how to produce on a dime.”
And from her perch as drag’s supreme leader, mother proudly watches her children thrive.
“When the going gets tough, the tough reinvent,” RuPaul says.
It’s going to take a lot more than Miss Corona Virus to keep us down.
Where there’s drag, there’s hope.”
Looking forward, Bailey and Barbato foresee more additions to theDrag Raceempire.
And that’s not all.
“I want to see us portrayed as true drag artists,” Ongina says.
“I don’t want to be ‘Murdered Drag Queen Extra.’
I want roles specifically made for drag queens in serious [projects].”
Adds St. Clair: “I want to see drag disrupt publications and magazines [as] working models.
We use so many cosmetics…. We’ve influenced designers from a fashion standpoint.
“We’ve always been able to come together, unite, rise, and thrive to the occasion.
Go on; f it up, sis.
For even more coverage ofRuPaul’s Drag Race, go toew.com/dragrace.
Cover produced and directed by Robin Roemer & Carly Usdin for Scheme Machine Studios.
Additional production by Good Company.
