The aim of the study is to examine how discourses about masculinity and femininity are represented in the reality show RuPaul's Drag Race (RPDR) and how they have changed over time. We will investigate this through our research questions: how is heteronormativity expressed within discourses of masculinity and femininity, how does the production construct intersectional struggles within the show, and how do discourses of inclusion and exclusion appear in the program? The material of the study consists of episodes from two different seasons: season 7 and 14. The episodes were selected based on which contained the most themes regarding gender and gender discourse. Scenes from every episode were also selected based on the same criteria. The theoretical framework of the study is composed of research regarding drag culture and reality TV, which was complimented with research specifically on RPDR. We have also used theories concerning gender from e.g. Butler and Edgar, Hill Collins and Bilges works on intersectionality, and representation theory from primarily Hall et al. This essay uses multimodal critical discourse analysis (MCDA), since the study examines multimodal content. The analysis tools that are used focus on linguistic, visual and production related elements to illustrate our findings. The results show that the program conveys a binary notion of gender, which aligns with heteronormativity. The show also reproduces stereotypes and gender norms for women, whereas it challenges gender norms for men. Additionally, the show constructs intersectional conflicts, specifically regarding age and size. These show an ideal that the series produces, which can both be applied to drag queens and women. Lastly, the show positions itself as a safe space for people that have been excluded by their families and/or society. The shows cast functions as a new, chosen family for the contestants. However, the show also uses the contestants that are included through emotional labour and tragedy porn. This is especially significant in contestants that are a minority in the program, e.g. trans- or heterosexual people.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:UPSALLA1/oai:DiVA.org:umu-206396 |
| Date | January 2023 |
| Creators | Ludvig, Tilda, Wallén, Robyn |
| Publisher | Umeå universitet, Institutionen för kultur- och medievetenskaper |
| Source Sets | DiVA Archive at Upsalla University |
| Language | Swedish |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Student thesis, info:eu-repo/semantics/bachelorThesis, text |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Rights | info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess |
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