Not everyone appreciates the work, talent and determination that go into the art of drag. That's okay, not everything is for everyone.
Having said that, it's pretty obvious to even a total drag novice that not every drag performer is the same. There are queens, kings, enbys, ball sceners, the spooky ones, glamazons, comedy queens, pageant girls, the gender benders, etc...
Joe Rogan is, apparently, a super drag novice.
He recently did an interview with Miley Cyrus during which the topic of drag queens came up. As the two spoke, Miley commented that one of the things that impressed her the most was the body control many queens have as clips of drag queens were being played.
She pointed out that it's similar to MMA and wrestling (both of which Rogan love) in that way. Fighters do death drops, but drag queens do them too—in gowns, wigs, heels, accessories, makeup, etc...
Cyrus pointed out the differences in body positioning. It's clear, she's passionate about her drag.
That's when Rogan confessed he didn't know what RuPaul's Drag Race is.
We get not knowing specifics of the show, but even the straightest straights know who RuPaul is, right?
The LGBT community can argue the pros and cons of Ru's popularity (and personality) all day long, but we don't typically expect straight White cis manly-men to have much to add to that conversation. Even if that's exactly the premise of an SNL skit with Chris Pine.
But even if they aren't experts like the guys at the auto shop, they all know Ru, right?
Or at least the "Supermodel" song? And the show has been on for over a decade with numerous spin-offs; international versions in Thailand, the UK, Canada, etc...; live tours; a show in Las Vegas...
Surely Rogan must have some inkling of an idea who RuPaul is.
Alas, no.
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Rogan turned to Cyrus and asked:
"What does RuPaul's Drag Race do?"
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Miley got excited and gushed a bit about how much she adored RuPaul while Joe continued watching clips.
He got to see Alyssa Edwards...
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...Latrice Royale...
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...and Kennedy Davenport perform.
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Drag fans will know the three are not exactly three-of-a-kind.
Their differences in style, approach and more are all pretty obvious to fans. It didn't take Joe Rogan long to decide he was a drag expert.
He proclaimed:
"They all do the same move. They drop down and do the splits."
"That's what I think when I'm watching your shows, too. All the same stuff."
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Twitter is 100% here for Miley's casually thrown shade.
As for Rogan, he took her little jab as you'd expect from someone used to getting punched in the face both literally and figuratively. Throughout his time as a comedian and show host, he's had to grow a thick skin.
Miley's shade made him laugh.
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Hopefully, it makes him really think about what goes into doing drag and helps him, and others, learn to respect the art a bit more—or at least begin to see the physical parallels between drag and the MMA he loves so much.
Mimi Imfurst and India Ferrah might be able to help with that...
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...even if Mama Ru said:
"Drag is not a contact sport."
Jane Rosenberg
Jane Rosenberg
@arianagrande/Instagram
@arianagrande/Instagram