Fourth International Conference on Communication & Media Studies

Abstract

The biggest LGBT-themed TV show in the US, Rupaul’s Drag Race, has successfully become an international phenomenon. The talented actress-turned-culturist, Whoopi Goldberg, has even said that the show “brings a cultural revolution to the world” (The View, 6 June 2019 edition). Evidently, the show has a franchise in Thailand called the Drag Race Thailand, and similar show in Chile called The Switch has also garnered attention. With the discussion of starting a UK edition of the show, it becomes increasingly clear that the show’s success will be copied throughout the world. The TV show’s significant contribution to the discourse about culture itself has been because of the topic it adopts, where in other parts of the world, attitudes towards the LGBT communities have not always been welcoming. The TV show may potentially bring an impact of increasing tolerance towards them. That is why, the paper poses a question, “Is Rupaul’s Drag Race an international cultural phenomenon?” To answer, the Soft Power theory by Joseph Nye is used as a tool of analysis. The hypothesis considers if the widespread acceptance of LGBT communities in the US, where the show originates, enables Rupaul’s Drag Race to become an international phenomenon and give an effect of growing acceptance towards LGBT communities around the globe.