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Forbes
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Forbes
‘RuPaul's Drag Race' Doesn't Need A Rainbow Logo To Celebrate Pride
There's a running joke on social media when pride month rolls around. When the clocks strikes 12 on June 1st, companies across the planet will change their logos to reflect the pride flag. Whether it's a joke or not, most consumers understand that queer representation is important and while Pride month may only be 30 days long, and while many people appreciate the highlighted shows and films that show up under the 'inspiring stories' tabs on our favorite streaming platforms, 'RuPaul's Drag Race' doesn't need to change it's logo or release special merchandise when June rolls around. More than just a reality tv show or a franchise, RuPaul's Drag Race consistently remains an unapologetically and authentically queer show that has become a global phenomenon. RuPaul takes the stage during the taping of RuPaul's Drag Race Season 2 in Culver City JULY 31, ... More 2009. The television show's host, drag queen RuPaul mentors then judges a set of young drag queens during several competitions in their quest to become the ultimate drag queen (Photo by Mark Boster/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images) Since its debut in 2009 on Logo TV, Drag Race has been unapologetic in its showcase of the LGBT+ community and drag culture as a whole where other shows might struggle with consistency. With the show starting as a small with a low budget and a filter that OG fans are still trying to wrap their heads around, Drag Race shared with viewers a multitude of queens that had powerful stories that tugged at the hearts of viewers, we've been introduced to moments of authenticity that didn't shy away from being heartwarming and even heartbreaking at times. With multiple contestants over the years coming forward with their positive HIV status to help decrease the stigma on people living with a positive diagnosis and encouraging people to know their status, Drag Race has helped save the lives of viewers who were previously too afraid to get tested or too afraid to talk about their status; Drag Race has been a megaphone where silence was expected. Several contestants, both during, after, and even when returning to the show, have talked about how drag has helped them explore their own gender identity, with multiple queens coming out as trans and gender non-conforming in the show's 17-season tenure. Even contestants that have returned to the show multiple to times to compete have come out and talked about how they've been able to transition due to drag allowing them to explore their identity without judgment. LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - JANUARY 15: RuPaul (C) with cast and crew accept the Outstanding Reality ... More Competition Program award for "RuPaul's Drag Race" onstage during the 75th Primetime Emmy Awards at Peacock Theater on January 15, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by) Even with the everchanging public opinion on queer artistry and the LGBT+ community in general, Drag Race has never compromised or toned down it's queer authenticity and that, arguably, is the reason why it is the most decorated reality tv show with the most Emmys, including awards for outstanding host for RuPaul himself. What started off as a fun project that RuPaul felt would never be mainstream has become a global phenomenon that encompasses all of the ideals of Pride Month year round. Drag Race, like many of its contestants, has managed to turn a stage built on authenticity into a currency that's profitable, a formula that has managed to create multiple spin-offs, both domestically and internationally. 'Throughout our culture, there are little windows and pockets of time when people are open,' RuPaul said in a recently resurfaced clip of 'In Bed With Joan' when talking about the success of Drag Race. '… And I think the success of our show is a part of that openness.'
Forbes
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Nicole Paige Brooks' Raw Authenticity Shines On ‘Drag Race All Stars'
'RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars' is on it's 10th season, and fans are overjoyed to see so many returning faces, especially this time around with a whopping 18 queens returning for this season. To break things up and to make sure fans stay engaged, All stars 10 has broken the 18 queens up into 3 groups of 6, with each group sending 3 finalists to the semi-finals to compete for the crown. Now that the first rotation of queens has finished and chosen their final 3, the next rotation has taken the stage by storm, but one queen in particular has managed to stand out long before her All Stars episodes even aired. NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MAY 08: Nicole Paige Brooks attends RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars 10 Red carpet ... More & Premiere Party at Gitano on May 08, 2025 in New York City. (Photo byfor Paramount+) Nicole Paige Brooks, of 'RuPaul's Drag Race' season 2 fame, has managed to capture the hearts of fans through a rare currency in the world of reality TV: Authenticity. Nicole's return to Drag Race brings back of era of contestants that existed before Drag Race had become the multi-Emmy award-winning reality competition show that it is today. While social media was still prevalent, with she show using hashtags for fans to interact when it still aired on Logo TV, the Drag Race fandom was nowhere near the juggernaut that it is today, with the season 2 premiere having 301,000 and the latest season on MTV having its series peak at 3.2 million viewers as an example. Fans have noted that in earlier seasons of the show, when the social media presence of the fandom was nowhere near as strong, queens didn't seem like they were 'self-editing.' With several queens across the franchise receiving threats and unmitigated amounts of hate, it's no surprise that newer contestants deliver an onscreen persona to protect themselves and their brand. Still, this is what has driven Nicole Paige Brooks to the forefront of fans' discussions of contestants. She just doesn't care. With clips resurfacing on social media of Nicole's original season, press conferences for the latest season, and queens talking about her larger than life personality while talking to fans on social media; Nicole has endeared fans to her by showing that she embodies the raw and unfiltered spirit of early seasons, even a decade after the fact. Nicole comes across as a polished performer, but she also shows that she isn't trying to manufacture a moment, and her interactions with other contestants don't feel like she's rehearsed in hopes of having a viral moment; she's just naturally funny and entertaining. Even outside of Drag Race, fans of other reality television shows have talked about how they crave authenticity from the casts of the shows they're watching. Nicole Paige Brooks reminds us that Drag Race is about more than serving looks, building your brand, and winning the competition; it's also about community and vulnerability, everything else is just a bonus. As her bracket of All Stars 10 continues to unfold, fans can only hope that Nicole is chosen as one of the 3 queens to go onto the semi-finals, but even if she isn't picked she's managed to endear herself to a whole new generation of fans that have been craving authenticity like hers for seasons on end. 'I haven't had to change my fact to change my career,' Brooks said on the latest All Stars episode. 'My pronouns are icon and legend.'
