ACMI program celebrates the history of drag on screen
RuPaul’s Drag Race brought drift to the masses. If it weren’t for reality TV competition, few people would know what twerking is and “death drops” wouldn’t be dominating dance floors. He brought drag queens to the Met Gala and even Saturday Night Live.
But what goes up must eventually come down. Melbourne drag performer Zelda Moon says Drag Racing The film, which has spawned dozens of spin-off series, including a “Down Under” remake, may be nearing saturation point.
“Drag Racing “It provides a very specific formula for success in drag racing,” says Zelda. “When everyone does it, everything looks, sounds and feels the same. This is a bit boring. I think it’s a big rise to, ‘We’ve seen it, now what else?’ “We are entering a period like this.”
Zelda says drag concerts around the world are decreasing and Funding for Pride festivals continues to decline. Meanwhile, society is faced with a situation. Alarming rise in hateIncluding protests against popular queer events like “drag story time”. GLAAD noted in 2022 alone: 161 events Anti-LGBTQ protests and threats targeting drag events.
But despite this turbulent time, Zelda says drag won’t go away; It will just change. Drag has been evolving since the late 1800s when men wore it. “dragging” dresses on the ground in balls. It has been repeated many times since; “Pansy Mania” and from Ballroom to the club kid era to RuPaul’s “Ru-volution.”
This rich heritage will come to light Drag the WeekA program celebrating the history of drag on screen at ACMI (formerly the Australian Center for the Moving Image) in Melbourne. Joseph Gardner, co-director of the featured documentary Victorian QueensHe says the event not only reminds viewers that drag performers are human beings deserving of empathy, but also that there’s more to drag beyond a reality TV show.
“Knowing where we come from is important. It helps determine who we are today,” Gardner says. “A lot of queer people grow up with straight parents, so there’s often a bit of a learning curve because they don’t have queer people around them telling stories about what influenced those in the previous generation. Just to give the context of what we’re about, that’s what makes the film really important.”
This includes timeless movies: Paris is Burning And Some Like It Hotand lesser-known “deep cuts” like the club kid classic Party Monster and Chinese gay documentary Be a woman. Together, they helped shape the diverse world of drag and queer art, Gardner says.
However, when it comes to Australian drift, few films are as effective. The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the DesertA 1994 film starring Guy Pearce and Hugo Weaving that helped drag Australia into the world.
From pioneering LGBTQ artists like Carlotta and Leigh Bowery to movies like: XOS: A Cry for Help And PriscillaAussie drag infused the art form with a level of camp, theatricality and radicalism rarely seen elsewhere.
“Not only can they make us think, they can actually make us laugh,” Gardner says. “Melbourne queens often ask really important questions about colonization, sovereignty and other political discourses. It’s not always just about looking gorgeous; there’s often an idea or concept behind it.”
Australian drag may seem rougher and cruder – RuPaul himself lovingly described it as “ratchet” – but Lazy Susan is a winner Downward Drag Racing Season four says this was born out of the fact that Australian queens have to work in every room. There are fewer gay clubs and bars Down Under compared to the US; This means many artists must entertain larger crowds at rural RSLs and local pubs.
“Australian drift is a satisfying drag,” says Susan. “It’s like a weird version of larrikinism that’s really culturally different from American drag, where it’s more about being a total diva, being Beyoncé. Our position is to psych ourselves out and not take anything too seriously.”
This tradition continues and films similar to those released Drag the Week Help preserve these heritages. But as important as it is to honor those who came before, Zelda says it’s equally vital for new drag performers to pave their own path. Only then can drag truly develop and thus survive.
“We can’t all start from a single point of reference,” says Zelda. “We need to be free to develop our own references.”
Meanwhile, Susan suggests more drastic measures.
“It’s really nice to be seen and understood, but at the same time, there are definitely challenges to being understood at this scale,” says Susan. “Being so out in the open and discussed has led to a lot of harsh criticism from people who have opinions about who we are and how we act.
“So we need our mystique back. We need people to know less about drag so we can be an enigma again.”
Drag the Week It will take place across ACMI from April 17-23.
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Nell Geraets is Culture correspondent for The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald.Connect with: X or email.
