Generation Drag

Generation Drag is a television series produced by Tyra Banks for Discovery+.[1] The show features children ages 12 to 17 preparing for a drag ball along with their families. Reception to the show has been mixed; while some groups have praised the premise, others have criticized it and have made accusations of grooming. The show premiered on June 1, 2022.[2]

Generation Drag
GenreDocumentary
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
Production
Executive producersTyra Banks
Jasmine Stodel
Clinton Irey
Hayley Lozitsky
David St. John
Rob Schwarze
Ollie Brack
ProducerMonkey Kingdom
Production companyDiscovery+
Release
Original releaseJune 1, 2022 (2022-06-01)

Background and production

The Dragutante drag ball was created in March 2019 by Robin Fulton, the mother of one of the contestants on the show.[3][4] On April 26, 2022, a Deadline Hollywood exclusive announced the upcoming series.[1] The series was produced by Monkey Kingdom, a subsidiary of NBCUniversal International Networks, along with Cat Fight Productions and Banks' production company Bankable Productions.[5] Banks was listed as the executive producer along with Jasmine Stodel, Clinton Irey, Hayley Lozitsky, David St. John, Rob Schwarze, and Ollie Brack.[1]

Premise and performers

The series, "which follows five teens as they get ready for an iconic drag showcase", shows performers and their families as they prepare for Dragutante, which is held in Denver, Colorado.[6][7] In a press release, Banks stated:

"I have such admiration and respect for these teens. They are bravely navigating coming into their own in a world that can be very challenging and not always accepting. What is so beautiful is seeing their parents and siblings supporting them. These teens' laser-focused tenacity inspires my team and me and we are honored to share their stories. I can't wait for these popping personalities to show their fierceness to the world."[8]

Following are the names and ages of the performers at time of filming:[9]

Contestant Drag name Age
Bailey Nemo 15
Jameson Ophelia Peaches 17
Nabela Dunkashay Monroe 12
Noah Poptart 16
Vinny Vinessa Shimmer 12
  • Bailey: Bailey Mosling is a 15-year-old transgender boy from Middleton, Wisconsin born to Luke and Dana Mosling.[10] After expressing interest in the series through an Instagram casting call, Mosling learned his mother had already applied for him.[10] Mosling uses he/him pronouns while out of drag and she/her pronouns while in drag as Nemo.[10]
  • Jameson: Jameson Lee is a 17-year-old writer, activist, and drag performer who started performing in drag at 13 under the name Ophelia Peaches.[4] Robin Fulton is Lee's mother and is the founder of the Dragutante ball. Lee performed in Denver's 2019 Pride celebration.[4]
  • Nabela: Nabela is a 12-year-old transgender girl who performs under the name Dunkashay Monroe. Her family is Hispanic and traditional Catholic.[9] She is "obsessed" with the reality television series RuPaul's Drag Race.[9]
  • Noah: Noah Montgomery is a 16-year-old transgender girl who is soft spoken and performs under the name Poptart. Her mother, Robin Montgomery, is supportive. For Poptart's first performance, her outfit was inspired by Vincent van Gogh's The Starry Night.[11]
  • Vinny: Vinny is a 12 year old boy whose bedroom is named the "Pink Palace". He performs under the name Vinessa Shimmer.[9]

Release

The series was released on the Discovery+ streaming platform on June 1, 2022, the first day of Pride Month.[12] All six episodes were released the same day.[12] The release was included as part of the platform's new hub called Always Proud, which features LGBT content.[13] Other series released on the platform with Generation Drag included Trixie Motel with Trixie Mattel, and The Book of Queer.[13]

No. Title Release date
1 Born This Way June 1, 2022
2 Raising Queens June 1, 2022
3 A Family That Slays Together June 1, 2022
4 Just Be a Queen June 1, 2022
5 A Wig and a Prayer June 1, 2022
6 Getting a Little Bit Sparkly June 1, 2022

Reception

Reception for the show has been mixed. Writing for The Daily Beast, Jordan Julian stated, "...these inspiring kids [are] trailblazing against hate".[9] Collider writer Tamera Jones stated the series "...will be full of not just glamor and sparkles but heart."[14] Queerty stated the ball gives the children "a safe space to be their own drag superhero."[15] Writing for The Advocate, Rachel Shatto stated the series was "heartfelt" and "feels both like a balm and a spark of hope."[16] Screen Rant's Gina Wurtz wrote, "The new reality series will undoubtedly help other teens in the community feel seen and accepted. It will also open conversations and help parents better understand their children."[17]

Criticism

After the series' announcement in late April, conservative media and individuals were largely critical. Politician Lauren Boebert stated the show amounted to "grooming" since it features children.[18] She retweeted a tweet by Libs of TikTok creator Chaya Raichik with the caption "Siri, define grooming."[18] The Advocate stated the tweet is "in keeping with the right’s current — deeply cynical and homophobic — midterm strategy of equating anything LGBTQ-related to grooming and pedophilia."[18]

Christian Broadcasting Network writer Billy Hallowell wrote a highly critical review, stating "This tragic move [to create the show] comes amid increased debate over the impact of LGBTQ content on children. This series ups the ante on Hollywood’s presentation of such content and continues the cultural narrative of pushing back against biblical truths and norms."[19] Jay W. Richards of The Heritage Foundation told The Christian Post "Anyone that has seen a drag queen performance recognizes that it's usually a flamboyant and highly caricatured treatment of femininity and also highly sexualized. So the very idea that you would have any kind of drag for young kids, I think it's just absolutely outrageous."[20]

Bobby Burack of Outkick wrote, "Good to see Discovery trying to follow in the footsteps of Cuties on Netflix, another perverted show that sexualizes minors."[21] The American Society for the Defense of Tradition, Family and Property started a petition to have the series cancelled which was signed by over 7,600 supporters.[22]

Townhall writer Madeline Leesman called the show "moral decay", while political commentator Debra Soh stated the show would feature the contestants "pouting and gyrating while wearing little clothing" and compared the experience to a child beauty pageant.[23][24]

References
  1. White, Peter (April 26, 2022). "Tyra Banks To Exec Produce Teen Drag Series For Discovery+". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved June 2, 2022.
  2. "Discovery+'s Generation Drag Premieres June 1". www.adweek.com. 26 April 2022. Archived from the original on May 3, 2022. Retrieved May 29, 2022.
  3. Wenzel, John (February 24, 2020). "It werked, queen: Denver's all-ages drag show sashays past controversy". The Denver Post.
  4. Kikoen, Alexis (June 21, 2021). "'I'm stronger in drag': 16-year-old finds empowerment as Ophelia Peaches". Rocky Mountain PBS. Archived from the original on June 21, 2021. Retrieved June 2, 2022.
  5. Jeffrey, Andrew (April 27, 2022). "Discovery+ set to premiere Tyra Banks–produced "Generation Drag"". Realscreen. Retrieved June 2, 2022.
  6. Schonfeld, Alexandra (May 31, 2022). "Watch Teens Discover Their Self-Expression — and an Amazing Pair of Shoes to Boot — in Generation Drag". People. Archived from the original on June 2, 2022. Retrieved June 1, 2022.
  7. Roush, Matt (June 1, 2022). "Generation Drag". TV Insider. Retrieved June 2, 2022.
  8. Rudolph, Christopher (May 27, 2022). "The Drag Drop: "Workhorse Queen," "Generation Drag," and "How to Get Famous"". NewNowNext. Archived from the original on May 27, 2022. Retrieved June 2, 2022.
  9. Julian, Jordan (June 1, 2022). "'Generation Drag' Shows the Beautiful Rise of Teen and Tween Drag Queens". The Daily Beast. Archived from the original on June 2, 2022. Retrieved June 2, 2022.
  10. Thomas, Rob (May 31, 2022). "Middleton teen drag queen to appear on reality show 'Generation Drag'". The Cap Times. Retrieved June 2, 2022.
  11. Sutterer, Anna (August 17, 2021). "Dragutante Offers Kids a Drag Experience". Colorado Parent. Archived from the original on August 21, 2021. Retrieved June 2, 2022.
  12. Patton, Elania (June 2, 2022). "June's must-see queer movies and shows, from 'Fire Island' to 'First Kill' and 'P-Valley'". NBC News. Retrieved June 2, 2022. On June 1, the service drops all six episodes of the Tyra Banks-produced "Generation Drag," a documentary series centering on Dragutante, the first drag ball for minors.
  13. Lafayette, John (May 15, 2022). "Discovery Plus Launching 'Always Proud' Content Hub". Next TV. Retrieved June 2, 2022.
  14. Jones, Tamera (June 1, 2022). "Discovery+ Features 'Trixie Motel,' 'Book of Queer' and 'Generation Drag' to Kick Off Pride Month". Collider. Archived from the original on June 2, 2022. Retrieved June 2, 2022.
  15. "Trixie Motel, The Book of Queer, and 5 other reasons to tune into discovery+ this Pride season". Queerty. June 2, 2022. Archived from the original on June 2, 2022. Retrieved June 2, 2022.
  16. Shatto, Rachel (May 27, 2020). "Generation Drag Is a Heartfelt Look Into 5 Teen Drag Queens' Lives". The Advocate. Archived from the original on May 27, 2022. Retrieved June 2, 2022.
  17. Wurtz, Gina (May 31, 2022). "Generation Drag Clip Previews Teens Preparing for Dragutante". Screen Rant. Retrieved June 2, 2022.
  18. Shatto, Rachel (May 2, 2022). "Lauren Boebert Says Tyra Banks's New Show Generation Drag Constitutes 'Grooming'". The Advocate. Archived from the original on May 27, 2022. Retrieved June 2, 2022.
  19. Hallowell, Billy (May 8, 2022). "'Drag For Kids!': Tyra Banks Producing New Show About Teenage Drag Performers for Discovery+". Christian Broadcasting Network. Archived from the original on May 15, 2022. Retrieved June 2, 2022.
  20. Kamman, Samantha (May 5, 2022). "Tyra Banks producing new Discovery+ series about teenage drag performers". The Christian Post. Retrieved June 2, 2022.
  21. Burack, Bobby (May 2, 2022). "Company Controlling CNN Debuts New Show Promoting and Sexualizing Teen Drag Queens". Outkick. Retrieved June 2, 2022.
  22. Hamilton, Heather (May 1, 2022). "'Child abuse': Social media users blast new show documenting teenage drag queens". Washington Examiner. Retrieved June 2, 2022.
  23. Leesman, Madeline (April 27, 2022). "Moral Decay: We Now Have a Teen Drag Queen Reality Show". Townhall. Retrieved June 2, 2022.
  24. Soh, Debra (May 2, 2022). "The 'drag kids' trend is a trainwreck about to happen". Washington Examiner. Retrieved June 2, 2022.
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