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Drag performers’ perspectives on the mainstreaming of British drag: Towards a sociology of contemporary drag.

McCormack, M. and Wignall, L., 2022. Drag performers’ perspectives on the mainstreaming of British drag: Towards a sociology of contemporary drag. Sociology, 56 (1), 3-20.

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Official URL: Volume: 56 issue: 1, page(s): 3-20

DOI: 10.1177/00380385211008387

Abstract

Drag performance has entered mainstream British culture and is gaining unprecedented appreciation and recognition, yet no sociological accounts of this transformation exist. Using an inductive analysis of in-depth interviews with 25 drag performers, alongside netnography of media and other public data, this article develops a sociological understanding of the mainstreaming of drag. There are two clear reasons for the success of drag. First, there is a pull towards drag: it is now seen as viable career opportunity where performers receive fame rather than social stigma in a more inclusive social zeitgeist, even if the reality is more complex. Second, there is a push away from other creative and performing arts because heteronormative perspectives persist through typecasting and a continued professional stigma associated with drag. In calling for a sociology of drag, future avenues for research on contemporary drag are discussed, alongside the need for the sociology of cultural and creative industries to incorporate sexuality as both a subject and analytic lens.

Item Type:Article
ISSN:0038-0385
Uncontrolled Keywords:celebrity ; culture ; drag ; drag queen ; heteronormativity ; LGBT ; mainstreaming ; performance ; sexualities
Group:Faculty of Science & Technology
ID Code:35249
Deposited By: Symplectic RT2
Deposited On:08 Mar 2021 10:16
Last Modified:14 Mar 2022 14:26

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