Did RuPaul’s Drag Race Really “F*ck Up Drag”?

In a recent YouTube video, "Jasmine Masters RuPaul's Drag Race Fucked Up Drag," RPDR Season 7 contestant Jasmine Masters, rants about how the quality of drag has downgraded ever since the show premiered.

"RuPaul's Drag Race has fucked up drag. Bottom line. Cut and dry," Jasmine said. "The show has been on for eight years, and from them eight years the drag scene has really went downhill. It just fucked up."

Jasmine's problem isn't necessarily about the show itself, but more about the show's negative effect on the drag scene. Admitting she's from a different era of drag, Jasmine continues expressing her discontent with the drag community.

"Now bitches are wearing panties and bras on stage and thinking they're fucking sickening. The crowd thinks they're sickening because they've been on the show. I'm not knocking how people want to express themselves in drag, but honey that's not drag. That's not the drag I know about. So when you ask me those types of questions and I tell you 'I don't know,' I'm not being funny. I don't know. I'm not in that drag era."

A different opinion is offered by blogger and drag queen Nina West, in response to Jasmine's video. On her blog, SuperDragQueen.com, Nina's post titled "Getting Outraced by the Race," takes a different approach to the evolution drag over the past couple of years.

"I *LOVE* RuPaul's Drag Race. It is incredible entertainment. It has thrust the art of drag into homes all over the world. It has made celebrities out of so many of my friends and sisters. It has taken our language and made it universal. It has challenged concepts of what drag is and what it can be. It is and has been a force in popular culture. For many, it has defined what drag is."

Although Nina does agree with certain points Jasmine made in the video, she does believe that Jasmine's definition of what drag is and isn't limits the art form.

"Is a queen required to wear pads? Should they be painted for filth? What about nails? And that sickening jewelry set? The second we start putting parameters on living, breathing art is the moment that it becomes dull. It would lose it's shine. It isn't art. From club kid to pageant queen, why would we want to limit what is as colorful as that rainbow flag we proudly fly?

Instead of fretting over the direction drag has taken, Nina embraces how drag is constantly evolving with every new generation.

"You can't deny its power, you can't deny its impact. But when you throw your hands up in the air and say that Drag Race has killed the game, you are forgetting about all those queens who keep their drag scenes going - fostering new talent in their cities and towns, and continuing to grow and challenge their audiences with performances. You are allowing yourself to get outraced by The Race."