Drag performers miss the stage, crowds in new socially distant reality

I found the article interesting because it highlighted an aspect of our County’s culture of which I was previously unaware. I learned something. But then I’m just a simple-minded belligerent.

Good! Gary, you should pursue your interest and attend some of their shows. The article states they need support and you seem to want to delve deeper into that CULTURE. Go for it.

Well, due to COVID I am staying out of those types of venues. And to be honest, while I find the existence of that type of enterainment in Galveston interesting, it is not my cup of tea. But I did enjoy the movie Victor/Victoria though.

Thanks for the reply, Gary. We are both in pursuit of the best for society, and our progeny. Let us help the media back to respectability. All we have locally is the GDN. Scrutinizing the GDN is a small but valuable endeavor.

David

"I will NOT respond to your snide snippets because they are the product of a simple-minded belligerent." You just did. Head spinning[tongue]

Good ole Dan - precision to the dialogue in these threads is a stretch too far.

No response to, but did alert that snippets (like this one by Dan) are useless.

Dan, I will play kindergarten debate with you. Dan says I did - I say I did not. Your turn Dan.

I used the opportunity to emphasize the GDN's historic efforts to publicize this segment of society's activities as disturbing to subscribers. And to also draw out the reasoning for Jim's response. Jim dissolved the contention and stated his position as being intrigued by the existence of that element in our CULTURE. That as a reasonable reaction to the blaring article - from Jim and others that do not dwell in that "culture."

What say you Dan about that "culture?"

Comment to Dan should have referenced Gary, not Jim.

I hate having to critique these replies. Meyers was (by the subline of the article) in Del Rio for 20 years, not the nonexistent "GDNs" - If you meant the Southern News Co. well - it is improbable anyone in Galveston County subscribes. Ergo Jim you are unique in your rendition of Meyer's credentials. I wished him a welcome on your recommendation. We will see in the future.

Newspapers that have closed were caused by several reasons but the dominant reason is lack and loss of subscribers. Right?

What is unclear that I admitted that the Del Rio reference was meant as a caveat (caveat means warning) to the GDN.

Jim, If a front-page spread and a page 7 voluminous spread with 3 color pictures is a norm for the GDN reference another article that received that super presentation.

As to the subject matter of the article and presentation, there is no doubt it was gaudy (gaudy means extravagantly bright or showy, typically so as to be tasteless). These performers refer to themselves as gaudy with intentions to titillate.

Nothing presented with an intention to titillate ever generates acceptable to a critical thinker. Like every one of us and all the legitimate businesses suffering from the Chinese Virus that deserve mentioning but Drag Queens are at the bottom of deserving on my list. Interpret that statement in any manner you like.

No Virginia, REAL women are beautiful. What you are looking at is mockery of womanhood. Time to get outside your bubble. Most of the county thinks it's ridiculous.

"and the main populace would be you, Carlos, and David and" THOUSANDS of Galveston County residents.

Jim, there is no conceptual difference between "drag queens" and "Blackface".

Carlos, don't let these harassers pull you off-topic - the article and overblown is the issue. Bailey wants to move it to morality and Jim can't stop with the pleading acceptable to the general public, which is absurd by a historical reaction to the similar article.

Don,t get into arguing morality and acceptability. Jim has a very broad knowledge about this CULTURE apparently. And Virginia is a fan. Let Jim and Virginia educate us. They can surely tell how drag queens are good and valuable to humanity.

Carlos, have you ever been to a Drag Show. If you had, you would know many in the audience are women. Was Robin demeaning women in MRS. DOUBTFIRE? How about Flip Wilson as Geraldine Jones? These movies, Hairspray , Orlando , The Nutty Professor , Breakfast On Pluto , Junior , The Fifth Element, Dallas Buyers Club , The Three Fugitives , Tango and Cash have men dressed as women. Are you Carlos against any of these movies that have men dress as women? If not, are you only against Drag Queens?

Blackface is inherently racist. You can’t take the racism out of it. Drag, on the other hand, you can easily separate from misogyny. Most drag — in fact, almost all drag — is about strong, powerful, admirable female characters. With blackface black people are the butt of the joke. But with drag it’s not women who are the butt of the joke but rules about gender roles. Nobody looks at a drag queens and thinks, “Oh, yeah, that’s what women are really like” — the way that a lot of Americans did with blackface and minstrel shows.

And there’s something else going on with drag. Unlike stock minstrel characters, drag characters are a personal expression of the performer. Drag queens aren’t just imitating female stereotypes; they’re expressing how fluid their own gender can be. That’s why a performer’s drag name, and drag family, and drag costume are so important to them. Blackface performers, on the other hand, aren’t expressing anything internal. They’re not asserting their personal racial fluidity. All that blackface does is lie about what people of color are like.

Not only are women not usually offended by drag, but women actually perform drag themselves. Even little girls do drag when they dress up as princesses. Those are exaggerated feminine characters, an expression of an attraction to or curiosity about gender roles. Drag is how you explore who you are, or who you can become.

So Carlos you asked why drag is OK and blackface isn’t, drag is an expression of yourself, whereas blackface is an attack on someone else; blackface reinforces an imbalance of power, whereas drag disassembles an imbalance of power; blackface is a relic, whereas drag is what we all do, every day, every time we put on clothes.

Carlos, why would you bring Black Face into a article about Drag Queens? Do you know a Drag Queens that preforms in Black Face?

If you do not think that this a good article to be in the GDNs , perhaps you would have preferred one about how State and federal officials have called for investigations into whether President Trump violated election laws — or possibly committed other crimes — in his Saturday phone call to Georgia’s secretary of state.

Myself, I prefer a Drag Queen story over one about Trump.

Jim: "Myself, I prefer a Drag Queen story over one about Trump."

Why can't we have both?

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/rudy-guiliani-donald-trump-drag-video-seduce-new-york-mayor-us-president-a8344921.html

Jim asks "Was Robin demeaning women in MRS. DOUBTFIRE?" Jim, there's a big difference between the character Robin Williams played and a drag queen. The character Daniel Hillard (Robin Williams) was trying to imitate a woman, no exaggeration on make-up, dress, mannerisms. By definition a "drag queen" is "a male who dresses up in women's clothing, typically for public performance. Twhose clothing and makeup are typically greatly exaggerated, so the end result is typically a parody of women in general." Robin Williams was not dressed as a "drag queen".

Wow, Trump putting the moves on Rudy!

"Blackface is inherently racist." Drag queens are inherently sexist. Do you know any REAL women who look or act like queens?

How about Shirley Q. Liquor (Chuck Knipp) - Dressed in drag with Blackface. Because many are entertained by his antics do you find this acceptable?

Drag Queen RuPaul writes, "Critics who think that Shirley Q. Liquor is offensive are idiots. Listen, I've been discriminated against by everybody in the world: gay people, black people, whatever. I know discrimination, I know racism, I know it very intimately. She's not racist, and if she were, she wouldn't be on my new CD." In his blog, RuPaul adds: "I am very sensitive to issues of racism, sexism and discrimination. I am a gay black man, who started my career as a professional transvestite in Georgia, twenty years ago."

I don't view either one. How about Jim Forsythe?

JIm asks, "Carlos, why would you bring Black Face into a article about Drag Queens?" because each is similar in concept.

And " Do you know a Drag Queens that preforms in Black Face?" There's someone calling himself Shirley Q. Liquor. And in Texas City Stingaree yearbooks you will find many a young white boy dressed as "Mammy".

Wrong again Carlos, Just as MRS. DOUBTFIRE is a performance, so are the people that preform as Drag Queens.

MRS. DOUBTFIRE was a male who dresses up in women's clothing, for a performance.

Do you have a problem with Female Impersonators?

The Drag Queens pictured for this story, are dressed to preform on stage.

Anytime a person is on stage makeup and clothing must be exaggerated for the ones in back of the auditorium to be able to have the whole experience.

Just as any actors, Drag Queens use stage makeup.

A review of Mrs. Doubtfire -- the main character Daniel, dresses up in granny drag

A movie loved by most, Mrs. Doubtfire, starring the late Robin Williams, as an actor who’s life is basically falling apart: he recently quit his job, he is just divorced, and because of said divorce, he his now homeless. In order to turn his life around, the main character Daniel, dresses up in granny drag as a 60-ish year old woman playing the part of a nanny in his ex-wife’s household.

And in Texas City Stingaree yearbooks you will find many a young white boy dressed as "Mammy". What year Carlos?

So Carlos you asked why drag is OK and blackface isn’t, drag is an expression of yourself, whereas blackface is an attack on someone else; blackface reinforces an imbalance of power, whereas drag disassembles an imbalance of power; blackface is a relic, whereas drag is what we all do, every day, every time we put on clothes.

Carlos, so you are a fan of Shirley Q. Liquor s. That answers a lot.

You do know that he preforms as a Drag Queen.

Do you know any REAL women who look or act like queens? Yes they are called Drama Queens and also Karen's.

Women dress in all kinds of ways and wear different amounts of makeup. This is not what defines them, just as what a Drag Queen wears on stage is not what they wear in daily life, unless they choose too. You may know a Drag Queen and not know that he has another life, that he does to talk to you about.

Jim, BIG DIFFERENCE between Robin Williams' performance in Mrs Doubtfire and a drag queen. If you cannot figure out the difference you have a personal problem.

I am not a fan of Shirley Q Liquor. Someone brought it up in a previous forum when the topic of Michael Berry came up. So I looked it up.I don't listen to Berry's show. I find it boring.

And the "Mammy" portrayer is probably some reader's grandpa. I don't want to identify him or the year he appears in "The Stingaree". You can look it up if you want.

And I do not care for either Blackface or drag queens. I find they are conceptually similar. But I understand there are some people who like them. That's their problem. I find it hypocritical that some like drag queens which stereotypes women in a negative way and Blackface which stereotypes African-Americans in a similar fashion.

Me, I prefer REAL women and don't care for pretenders and exaggerators.

If you are afraid that a Drag Queen may want to date you, do not hold your breath.

Mrs Doubtfire and a drag queen. They both dressed for a performance.

Trying to fit a "Mammy" portrayer that's now is some reader's grandpa, when it was thought to be OK at that time, but not now has no merit. You do know this is 2021.

Carlos, have you ever sit down and talked to a Drag Queen? If you ask them if they considered themselves a women, they would tell you that being a Drag Queen for most is a way to make a living. Would you prefer that they were on public assistance? Carlos, would you be willing to pay a Drag Queen not to work?

If you would like to talk to or go too a show with a Drag Queen, I can arrange it for you.

Robin Williams did not portray a drag queen in "Mrs. Doubtfire". He portrayed a female impersonator. Not the same.

In the movie The Birdcage, Williams portrayed the gay dad dealing with a hetero son, as well as the owner of a drag cabaret and same-sex lover of its star drag queen performer.

HE WAS THE GAY DADDY IN DRAG IN MRS. DOUBTFIRE—AS THE KIND, ELDERLY SCOTTISH NANNY, CALLING HIMSELF MRS. EUPHEGENIA DOUBTFIRE AFTER SEEING A NEWSPAPER HEADLINE WITH THE WORDS “DOUBT” AND “FIRE.” IN THE HILARIOUS FILM, STRAIGHT DANIEL HILLARD ENLISTS HIS GAY BROTHER FRANK (PLAYED BY OPENLY GAY HARVEY FIERSTEIN), A MAKEUP ARTIST, AND FRANK’S PARTNER JACK TO TRANSFORM HIM INTO MRS. DOUBTFIRE.

Robin Williams in Drag Makes for Classic Career Performances ALYSON WYERS — SEPTEMBER 18, 2013 — POP CULTUREHARE ON FACEBOOK SHARE ON TWITTER SHARE ON LINKEDIN SHARE ON PINTEREST: Robin Williams in drag made the 1990s classic Mrs. Doubtfire.

TP performs at many clubs in Miami as does Daisy and Calypso.

TPs interview.

With seven regular gigs a week, this hardworking queen can pull off everything from pageant-glam to club-kid-inspired androgyny. Often spotted in sky-high platforms, eye-popping headpieces, and sometimes even a set of wings, this queen can take you to another planet with her high-energy performances.

What Drag Means to TP: "It's the realization that you make people's days and nights brighter. People could be going through a hard time and we make them laugh and have a good time and forget their problems. For us, it's the same thing. We could be going through something, but you use it performing. We use that as an escape."

What Keeps TP Going: "Everything was put on me, and I didn't choose it. It just came to me. I just use what God gave me. I always tell my brothers, 'God gave you a talent — why don't you use it to better yourself and make a career out of it?'"

What Drag Means to Daisy: "It rolls everything I love into one job. Every creative outlet. Makeup artistry, dance, comedy. I've DJ'ed, done commercials, and been in a movie. It's got several different branches it reaches. You can truly be and do everything through drag, and I love it.

What Drag Means to Calypso: "It's something that's fun and really empowering to me. I grew up a chunky kid. I was 320 pounds. Now, I'm like 170. It's something that helped me become more outgoing and explore my dreams."

We get it, Jim. You like drag queens. I still prefer real women.

Bailey, please send me the instruction that your parent used in guiding you from a child into the person you describe as never experiencing any pain, shame, and eventually arrived at the purity of character without any flaws that would be judgmental, discriminating, critical, or any semblance of bigotry. Was there ever any form of discipline applied? Did, your parents use only good examples as the method of grooming you to be able to manage life and cope with all the trials and tribulations you would encounter. Did you ever even receive a scowl from a parent because you disappointed them - a scowl could cause shame, unfortunately. It must be a little exhausting to stay balanced between masculinity and femininity and back as needed.

The previous paragraph contains almost as much lunacy as your posting of the sermon on how the event of encountering Drag will affect the perception of a male about himself and also make femininity a characteristic he would fear to emulate. A person afflicted with what you describe is unbalanced psychologically.

It is tragic that the nuclear family is vanishing under the influence of me-ism and the federal government usurping control over every element of our lives, nanny state.

This WAS the path for raising a good/normal human,

A child in a normal family (biological parents male&female) will emulate even without beating the gender identical parent. And in a wholesome/nurturing relation (like the one apparently you were blessed with) the lowest level of discipline, a scowl, creates the shame emotion in the child, and nothing more is required to produce the guidance intended. Application of more severe punishment will be effective and corporal punishment avoided always.

The sentiment in your sermon is well taken. But there is no pixy dust yet that will create your idealistic environment. A healthy amount of shame will serve a good purpose and create a healthy, respectful human - male and female.

I was raised that way.

David

David, you name call as a habit but indirectly it is called passive-aggressive and attacks in a non-direct way it is subtle. When you talk down to me as a woman by blaming my "raging hormones " for calling you a coward, is an example of passive-aggressive behavior and is just inaccurate, I called you a coward because I wanted to which I regret, excuse me. Cowards often do put out statements that elicit controversy because these people believe they have the gift of gab and they are sure they are much more intelligent than most and have all the answers, people who talk much and have very poor listening skills. I'm speaking about people who rarely if ever apologize because they don't regret anything they say or think they believe being mistaken in any way shows weakness so why would they ever admit to a mistake in thought word or deed. Bummer, I shocked you I wonder if all women who you disapprove of in some way shock or anger you, by the way, a box has more than one synonym one is your mind, I was mistaken calling you a coward, and do sincerely apologize.

Thanks, Virginia for the gracious reply. I assure you and confess that I possess all the foibles necessary to be classified a human. At times it is difficult for me to tolerate myself. The effort to compose and write a thought - opinion - response is fraught with struggles. My fears are for the progeny of us. 80 years of travel in our society has given me a secure knowledge that many small things have had a dramatic effect over time causing an unending decline in the quality, integrity, moraity of our society in general. This thread is about one of those small thngs that has become normalized and grown into a dramatic effect and needs to be placed in an appropriate classification available to those wanting to participate but not promoted to the formative minds of the innocent as normal/acceptable or desirable. Where the departure from being discriminatory with good intention and being a bigot is in the eye of the beholder.

Thanks again for the gracious reply.

David