Geeks logo

Why 'Secret Celebrity Drag Race' is The Most Progressive Show on TV

Seriously, who would've thought?

By Josh LiaisonPublished 4 years ago 3 min read
1

After delaying the release from January, 'RuPaul's Secret Celebrity Drag Race' finally premiered a few weeks back and somehow, someway, has been an extreme success with fans, proving to be much more than a cash grab and getting better and better every week.

The 'Drag U' inspired spin-off sees three celebrities entering the Werkroom and collaborating with drag mentors in the form of some of the shows most successful alumni to undergo a complete drag transformation, competing in various staple challenges from the main show, such as the "Snatch Game" and a "Rusical" to name a few.

Despite the term "celebrity" sometimes coming off as questionable with viewers, the drag talent is there every episode, with fan favourites like Kim Chi, Trixie Mattel and Bob the Drag Queen coming in as mentors, the entertainment value is always there. The show also manages to bring a lot of heartfelt moments and presents genuine connections between the celebrities and queens, which is apart of its progressive nature.

As of the third episode, there have been four straight competitors on the show. Yes, you read that right. Straight men getting up in drag. This is truly fantastic, in so many ways. The presentation of straight men who are truly taking the art of drag seriously and not just making fun of it is something refreshing and inspiring to see. Highlighting the development of society and the mentality and outlook of manhood as a whole, hopefully allowing those who aren't already aware to see that there aren't any "do's and don'ts" of what you can do as a man, which is very important. It also could help those within the community feel more accepted and comfortable around those who aren't, and also lets us laugh at the facial expression when the idea of "tucking" is brought up.

In episode 2, we had three female competitors. In the mini-challenge, they were tasked to get into quick drag, giving the core drag race audience (and the wider audience brought in by the celebrities) a potential introduction to the idea of drag kings. As the original Drag Race only shows queens, this mini-challenge, as silly as it is, at least gives the audience a chance to experience a new type of drag. This continues with the runway challenge, as the celebrities act in similar ways to bio queens, which again gives more exposure to different types of drag.

On top of all of this, everyone is competing for a charity of their choice! With the winner of each episode getting $30,000 in donations, and the runners-up getting $10,000. The celebrities connections to the charities they play for tugs on the heartstrings of viewers, with money always going to great causes.

At the end of the day, any opportunity to see drag, or any positive LGBTQ+ content on accessible television is a fantastic, and extremely progressive thing. Bringing celebrities in on the original format only bring the show and the art form more exposure to a wider, potentially previously unaware audience. The endorsement of the show by celebrities is great, allowing it to reach even more people. The exposure of new forms of drag is great, allowing drag fans old and new to discover that kings (and everyone in between) are just as valid as queens. The exposure of the charities is great. It's great. The show is truly the perfect quarantine watch, spicing up the formula of Drag U and making it an unmissable part of everyone's weekly routine. Paired with the top-notch drag showcased on Season 12 and All Stars 5 premiering June 5th on VH1, RuPaul's Drag Race is truly back in its golden age!

entertainment
1

About the Creator

Josh Liaison

Reader insights

Be the first to share your insights about this piece.

How does it work?

Add your insights

Comments

There are no comments for this story

Be the first to respond and start the conversation.

Sign in to comment

    Find us on social media

    Miscellaneous links

    • Explore
    • Contact
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms of Use
    • Support

    © 2024 Creatd, Inc. All Rights Reserved.