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Reviews tagging 'Homophobia'
And Don't F&%k It Up: An Oral History of Rupaul's Drag Race (the First Ten Years) by Maria Elena Fernandez, World of Wonder
2 reviews
dontwritedown's review
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
2.5
I feel like I just read a 496 page ad for Rupaul's Drag Race.
When I picked this book up, I did not realize this was a collarboration with World of Wonder, I thought it was one journalist who happened to get all the key players involved and interviewed for behind the scenes secrets. But nope instead it is overly produced and heavily edited, which is a main reason why I don't really watch the show anymore.
As a result of this being a collaboration with WoW, many people who were pivotal in the early years of the show, do not get to tell their perspective, whether it be for valid social reasons or petty behind the scenes in-fighting. Notable names that I found mentioned a lot and helped form the show but not interviewed include: Santino Rice, Mathu Andersen, Phi Phi o'Hara, Sharon Needles, Tyra Sanchez, Delta Work, Willam Belli, Courtney Act, Carmen Carrera, Pearl Liason and probably more that I can't think of off the top of my head. As a result, you have page long segments devoted to what Willam did to get kicked off the show, without interviewing Willam and other odd stuff. It's very weird and jarring and out of place.
Would be nice to one day see these interviews combined with interviews with the people mentioned above to get the true story.
I love how the book also tries to sanitize or glosses over completely aspects of the show that didn't age well, like the mail message before "she done already had herses" and whatnot. It feels very sanitized and I thought drag was all about being nitty and gritty, so why is this book so polished and glossy?
It's just such a letdown.
When I picked this book up, I did not realize this was a collarboration with World of Wonder, I thought it was one journalist who happened to get all the key players involved and interviewed for behind the scenes secrets. But nope instead it is overly produced and heavily edited, which is a main reason why I don't really watch the show anymore.
As a result of this being a collaboration with WoW, many people who were pivotal in the early years of the show, do not get to tell their perspective, whether it be for valid social reasons or petty behind the scenes in-fighting. Notable names that I found mentioned a lot and helped form the show but not interviewed include: Santino Rice, Mathu Andersen, Phi Phi o'Hara, Sharon Needles, Tyra Sanchez, Delta Work, Willam Belli, Courtney Act, Carmen Carrera, Pearl Liason and probably more that I can't think of off the top of my head. As a result, you have page long segments devoted to what Willam did to get kicked off the show, without interviewing Willam and other odd stuff. It's very weird and jarring and out of place.
Would be nice to one day see these interviews combined with interviews with the people mentioned above to get the true story.
I love how the book also tries to sanitize or glosses over completely aspects of the show that didn't age well, like the mail message before "she done already had herses" and whatnot. It feels very sanitized and I thought drag was all about being nitty and gritty, so why is this book so polished and glossy?
It's just such a letdown.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia
aus10england's review against another edition
informative
reflective
medium-paced
4.5
Honestly really impressed with this. There was some good tea that I didn’t know as a lifelong fan of the show.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Homophobia and Transphobia
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