Accessibility links
Drag Culture's Moment: From 'RuPaul's Drag Race' to Shangela : It's Been a Minute Drag is having a moment ⁠— from RuPaul's Drag Race, to DragCon, to drag queens appearing on the big screen. In this episode, we walk through the history of drag, chat with the creative minds of the show that made drag mainstream, and talk to some drag performers about where drag is headed next.

It's Been a Minute

The Great Big DRAGisode

The Great Big DRAGisode

Listen · 39:07
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/734751475/1199268592" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript
Enlarge this image

RuPaul Andre Charles hosts the ribbon cutting with drag queens at RuPaul's DragCon in Los Angeles in May 2019. MOVI Inc for World of Wonder//Getty Images hide caption

toggle caption
MOVI Inc for World of Wonder//Getty Images

RuPaul Andre Charles hosts the ribbon cutting with drag queens at RuPaul's DragCon in Los Angeles in May 2019.

MOVI Inc for World of Wonder//Getty Images

Drag culture is having a moment ⁠— from RuPaul's Drag Race, to DragCon, to drag queens appearing on the big screen. In this episode, Sam walks through the history of drag with Frank DeCaro, author of Drag: Combing Through the Big Wigs of Show Business.

Then Sam chats with the creative minds of RuPaul's Drag Race, Randy Barbato and Fenton Bailey, on how the show played a role in taking drag mainstream.

Finally, Sam talks to drag performers Shangela and Malcolm Xtasy about where drag is headed next.

This episode was produced by Anjuli Sastry and edited by Jordana Hochman and Alexander McCall.