Assume the position
Two queens stand before me': RuPaul as ultimate queen
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 5674786 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Hazel Collie (0000-0001-8987-9434, Birmingham City University, corresponding author), Gemma Commane (Birmingham City University) |
| Year | 2020 |
| Volume | 11 |
| Issue | 4 |
| Pages | 402-416 |
| Publication date | 2020-10-01 |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Celebrity Studies (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1939-2397 • E-ISSN: 1939-2400 |
| Publisher | Informa UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/19392397.2020.1765081 |
| OpenAlex | W3027052245 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 5 |
| References cited | 23 |
Season 10 marked a decade of RPDR, with RuPaul and other celebrities framing the show as a worldwide phenomenon promoting love, inclusivity, acceptance and Drag. This aspect of RPDR is foregrounded in much existing scholarship on the reality show which considers the inclusivity and visibility that it offers. Although RPDR brings an area of gay culture and history into the mainstream, we argue that the Queen and Herstory that is promoted and validated is RuPaul Herself. Within the show, contestants often refer to RuPaul as ‘Mama Ru’, in reference to historical drag family relationships. In this article, we argue that RuPaul is positioned as the Ultimate Queen rather than Drag Mother, reflecting the more transactional relationship between head judge and contestants that we argue is constructed in the show. RuPaul as Ultimate Queen is achieved through using the themes of history and authenticity to support a commodification of RuPaul which reinforces celebrity, cultural capital and authority. From Queens lip-syncing to RuPaul’s back catalogue to the central place RuPaul places herself as drag pioneer; we explore ‘RuPaul as commodity’ and the possible implications on the presentation and marketability of gay/drag culture through the format of Drag Race and RuPaul as ultimate Queen
Aesthetics · Art · Commodification · Drag · Economics · Mainstream · Media studies · Political science · Politics · Scholarship · Sociology · Engineering · Gender Studies · Gender, Feminism, and Media · History · Law · Media, Gender, and Advertising · Sexuality, Behavior, and Technology
Sincerity and Authenticity
The Money Shot
A Star Is Born and the Construction of Authenticity
Expertise and Collaboration
Sexing the Groove
A Fan Crashing the Party”
A Way to Sell Your Records”
Making the Most out of 15 Minutes
She Is Not Acting, She Is”
The mass production of celebrity
History on television
National Drag
Televisual memory
To See and Be Seen
The promotion and presentation of the self
Sincerity and authenticity in celebrity culture
Self-branding, 'micro-celebrity' and the rise of Social Media Influencers
Reality Celebrity
| Citations per year | 1.25 |
|---|---|
| Citation span | 2022 - 2025 (4) |
| Highly cited | No |