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What "RuPaul's Drag Race" Can Learn From "The Boulet Brothers' Dragula"

RuPaul taught you what drag is, now let the Boulet Brothers teach you what it can become

By Josh LiaisonPublished 3 years ago 5 min read
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Promotional Image for "The Boulet Brothers' Dragula: Resurrection"

Like it or not, Halloween is upon us and, although this year has been scary enough, if you're looking to add a little more terror this season, I have the perfect thing for you, and it's much more important than a random slasher flick: The Boulet Brothers' Dragula

Currently, 'RuPaul's Drag Race' is dominating television, with 13 Emmy nominations this awards season. The show has been a great poster child for queer culture, as well as raising awareness to the drag scene, with the show being a one-way ticket to stardom for any queen who competes (and is perceived) well. This has been a huge step forward for the LGBTQ+ community, with the show having a greater impact than imaginable when it first started in 2009. However, Drag Race has been critiqued time and time again for its lack of inclusivity during the casting process.

Dragula is quite the opposite, hosted by the Boulet Brothers, the self-made show sees drag queens, drag kings, transgender and AFAB performers compete alike. Despite not getting nearly as much attention as Drag Race does, this is another huge step for the LGTBQ+ community, making history as the first US competition show to do this. Although it does not have as large of a fanbase as RuPaul's show does, the Boulet's built a strong and loyal audience, with the idea coming for the show spawning from their popular annual ball of the same name, which is held every Halloween in Los Angeles. The inclusion of different types of performers is invaluable to the development of all forms of art and the acceptance of the artists behind them. In other words: What 'Drag Race' did for drag queens, 'Dragula' is doing for all performers

One of the core messages of the show that's spread every episode before critiques are given by the Boulet's that "We are not here to drag your drag, drag is art and art is subjective. We are here to judge your drag as it relates to this competition", which is extremely important to keep in mind. Each artist is encouraged to flourish with their own unique ideas and responses to the challenges set for them, Dragula does not look for a cookie-cutter performer, but a unique, daring and bold artist who is unafraid to push boundaries and break rules.

On top of this, Dragula brings to light, not only to different performers, but a different style of drag entirely. The competition aims to showcase three major areas: filth, horror and glamour, with only one of these being familiar to the casual Drag Race fan. Although some may find these values initially offputting, the beauty can be found almost instantaneously through the chaos in the 'Floorshows', where the ghouls have an opportunity to showcase their best looks in accordance to a haunting theme. Personally, this is what really made me fall in love with the show. The looks showcased on Dragula are completely original, unexpected and, quite frankly, shocking. It's because of this that end of each season of Dragula leaves a hole in my heart which Drag Race is just not the right shape to fill.

The Boulet's continued their pledge to inclusivity with their newest project, 'Dragula: Resurrection'. The two-hour special, which premiered on AMC's Shudder, sees the return of seven 'ghouls' from the previous three seasons of the show compete to win a grand prize of $20,000 and a place on Dragula Season 4. This is slightly different to the All Stars season that fans of the show had been expecting, however, this has been all but confirmed to be coming at some point in the future.

The beauty of Dragula: Resurrection is that it saw each competitor in their own home, with the crew travelling across the country, adding a personal touch to each and every interaction, one of the few positives to come out of the pandemic. The special gave a voice to queer artists and emotionally shares real queer stories with excellent execution, subverting the expectations of first-time viewers and helping audiences to connect with the ghouls on a deeper level than possible on their original seasons. In contrast, Drag Race can often have a rather repetitive feel, with the same location, the same character stereotypes and the same "drama" coming every season, whereas each season of Dragula is as unique as its competitors.

The Boulet's have said on countless occasions that placement is not reflective of talent in their show, with it being "unlucky" for the monster who goes home first, as they truly believe every competitor has what it takes to win. This is shown to be true in the 'Resurrection' special, with finalists like Victoria Elizabeth Black and Priscilla Chambers being brought back to compete alongside early-outs like Kendra Onixxx and Saint (formerly Saint Lucia). This seems to conflict with RuPaul's ideology when it comes to working with queens again, whether for WoW Presents+ or All Stars, the list of queens is always predictable and favours those who placed highest on their run, instead of truly giving underrated queens a fair chance to show their talents.

Overall, whilst Drag Race has made unfathomable changes to both drag and its perception, it is important that you, the viewer, do not limit yourself to only one outlet for this art form. Explore what other shows, Dragula or otherwise, have to offer, do your own research, support local queens. Being a 'drag fan' and being a 'Drag Race fan' are different things, neither are bad, but they are not mutually exclusive either.

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About the Creator

Josh Liaison

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