FOF #2557 – The Rise of the Modern Drag Queen
Premium Content
You need to be a Feast of Fun Plus+ member to access this.
Join now
or Log in – it's easy!
Even though folks have been crossdressing for entertainment since the dawn of time, the rise of the modern drag queen can be traced back to a some relatively recent events and a few key artists.
Today, queer educator, doctor of drag Lady J Martinez O’Neal Davenport joins us to take a look at the rise of the modern drag queen, from Holly Woodlawn to David Bowie’s Ziggy Stardust persona to RuPaul who made her-story by being the first drag queen to get signed by a major record label.
FOF #2889 – The Mandela Effect: Did Madonna Ever Meet Elvis?
FOF #2888 – The Queens Battle for Miss Continental
FOF #2887 – Kamala Harris Makes Herstory!
FOF #2123 – True Grit – 02.26.15
Comments
A really great podcast about the history of drag with your guest Lady J Martinez O’Neal Davenport (Jeremiah Davenport). I had started listening to the podcast in December, just finished it now, and think I need to listen to it again! I have a somewhat different take on Jennie Livingston’s documentary Paris Is Burning (1990), in part informed by Lucas Hilderbrand’s extremely insightful book Paris Is Burning (Queer Film Classics series, Arsenal Pulp Press, 2013), which I highly recommend. Livingston’s project started out as a radio journalism series; she was encouraged to make a film, and had to apply to numerous grants, as no one wanted to fund it. The film took over four years to make and continues to be of great interest to many people.
Paris is Burning (much like Pumping Iron) is one of those great documentary films that not only defined a genre, it was also groundbreaking for it’s time when nobody wanted to touch the subject matter.
Nowdays everyone’s gaga for drag and bodybuilding, but back then it was all seen as underground fetishes. RuPaul, like Arnold Schwarzenegger will forever be tied to their original careers no matter what they do.
That’s the power of documentary films!