Article By Izabella Andersen
There is no doubt that I personally find it satisfying to spend several hours watching one episode after another of the world-famous RuPaul Drag Race. The sumptuous outfits and the undreamt-of glitter are captivating, and it sure takes a lot of time, effort, and materials to achieve the amazing and breath-taking looks they provide on the runway.
Drag race consumption
That said, I can’t help but wonder at the great number of fabrics, props and make-up they are provided in almost every episode of the reality show. Where do all these materials come from? Often, it looks like completely new rolls of fabric directly from the factory, just waiting to be turned in to the next big thing to be approved by RuPaul on the runway.
“Cover girl…. Put that bass in your walk. Head to toe let your whole body talk.”
If you are a persistent viewer with an insatiable urge to binge-watch every episode of the world-famous reality show RuPaul Drag race, you are familiar with the above-mentioned song-line. Every time the melody of “cover girl” comes out of the speakers at the runway, RuPaul steps out in a new flawless outfit that leaves the judge panel gagging. The only time the focus is on the increasing problems of overuse in the world is in the 10th season of RuPaul's Drag Race, where the episode is called “The Last Ball on Earth”.
The empty words of sustainability
They talk about how climate change is real and the world is coming to an end. But it never really seems like the subject is something to be taken seriously, and the focus remains mainly on how to look good while the world collapses, because as RuPaul said:
“The bad news: Climate change is real… and the world is coming to an end (…) the good news: We’re throwing a ball!”.
You quickly see how all the participants are moving at full speed towards a table covered with textiles, accessories, and ornaments to produce all their looks. At this point in the competition, there are 11 participants left, giving a total of 33 looks on the runway made from scratch, therefore nothing particularly sustainable or reusable. Of course, the intention of the show is to show off their skills in designing clothes and female silhouettes, but should they not begin to envision sustainable action in the drag world as well?
Fashion week
At the fashion week in London 2019, the former contestant and famous Drag queen Courtney Act were interviewed on sustainable drag, making drag green and renewable energy at London Queer Fashion Show. The interviewer asked her the question: How much waste goes into drag that we don’t see? She answered, that there is a lot of waste that goes into drag, and it has been a long-standing fear of hers because there eventually will be someone who is going to cotton on all that glitter, all those pantyhose, all those wigs, all those false nails. All of that stuff is basically single-use plastic.
Revealing the system
At last Courtney Act pointed out one good thing about drag: that drag queens take things that already exist and repurpose them, and reimagine them into something even better – so there we may have an answer on how to make the art of Drag something more sustainable. Why not instead make some recycling challenges and take existing outfits and turn them into something fabulous? Of course, it is still essential that there are lots of colors and glitter because the program is a party itself. But it should be done with greater care and with less materialistic mentality.
(Youtube, Interview with Courtney Act https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CNgH536o7Nk)
RuPaul says, “When the world is ending, throw a ball”, and maybe he wants to create a party and beauty in all of the chaos. This is what drag is about, and are we able to change this mindset, in order to implement sustainability in drag? This should be possible, while still looking fabulous
Kilder:
- Netflix, RuPaul's Drag Race, season 10 episode
Article By Izabella Andersen