Lecture 20 - Drag of Queens and Kings Flashcards
(30 cards)
What is the main difference between drag and transvestism from an aesthetical and political point of view?
Drag mimics and exaggerates ideal gender characteristics; transvestism aims to pass as the opposite gender using dress and mannerisms.
What is the objective of drag?
To mimic and exaggerate ideal characteristics or stereotypes of women and men.
Where did the history of drag begin?
On stage in pantomimes, minstrel shows, and vaudeville.
What is the objective of transvestism?
To pass as a woman or man by constructing the illusion of the opposing gender.
What is transvestism historically linked to?
The domain of the fetishist.
What cultural phenomenon is described in “Paris is Burning”?
Ball culture, including clothing and performance, houses and mothers, roles and categories, and intersectionality.
What is intersectionality, according to Kimberlé Crenshaw?
An analytical tool to analyze society that shows how experiences of privilege and oppression are multiple and context-dependent.
Why is “intersectional feminism” not a fully correct term?
Because intersectionality is a methodology, not an identity or specific type of feminism.
Where did female impersonation begin in the UK?
In music halls growing out of all-male tavern clubs.
What were the first venues in the US to host female impersonators?
Minstrel shows and vaudeville acts.
What made music halls distinct from variety shows?
Music halls were seen as scandalous and vulgar, while variety shows were more respectable.
What was problematic about minstrel shows?
They portrayed Black people in a stereotypical and offensive way.
Who was Francis Leon?
A popular female impersonator in minstrel shows, known for having over 300 “dresses,” which he refused to call costumes.
What is vaudeville?
A comical performance form from France that mixed poetry, songs, and ballets, and became a major entertainment form in North America.
What happened to female impersonation with the decline of vaudeville?
It moved to cabarets and nightclubs.
When were drag queens politicized and made visible as part of the queer community?
After the 1969 Stonewall Riots.
What happened to drag ball culture by the 1960s?
It divided along racial lines, and the first “Black Ball” was held in 1962.
What is the role of ‘houses’ in ball culture?
They are intentional families and performance teams led by ‘mothers’ or ‘fathers.’
What items were commonly used by drag queens?
White kid gloves, pillbox hat, flapper headbands, mod go-go boots, fox furs, and long gowns.
How did drag queens historically view contemporary fashion?
They rejected it, preferring looks from before the women’s liberation movement.
What is the central concept of “Mother Camp” by Esther Newton?
“Camp” – a strategy used by drag queens involving incongruity, theatricality, and humor.
What is the function of humor in drag and camp?
It merges drag and camp to create a unique aesthetic and counteract disempowerment.
How can embracing stigma be empowering in drag culture?
It neutralizes the stigma and makes it laughable.
What were ‘breeches roles’?
Roles where women wore male clothing on stage, common since the mid-1600s in England.
