Frankie Cordeira Jr.

Description: HOW 'DRAG' PUSHED GLAM MAINSTREAM... Photographer: Michelle Groskopf for Bloomberg Businessweek Photographer: Michelle Groskopf for Bloomberg Businessweek How RuPauls Drag Race Pushed Glamour Mainstream The producers at World of Wonder on bringing drag to the masses. by Film school buds Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato fell in love with the art of drag in New Yorks East Village in the 1980s. It deserved a bigger audience Bailey says. Fast-forward 30years and RuPauls Drag Racethe hit show made by the pairs company World of Wonder Productionshas brought one. Along with RuPaul WoW produced DragCon in Los Angeles on April 29-30. Part fan fair part trade show the event was a testament to the appeal of drag to the masses. Says Barbato: We have always been about the democratization of all media. RuPauls TV show has scored with a formula that pits fierce larger-than-life drag queens against one another in a competition à la Survivor. Photographer: Michelle Groskopf for Bloomberg Businessweek One million viewerstuned in to the ninth season premiere on March24 tripling VH1s previous ratings for the time slot.Its a great example of culture caught up says Chris McCarthy president of MTV VH1 and Logo TV. Queer culture drives mainstream culture. Photographer: Michelle Groskopf for Bloomberg Businessweek Drag Race reaches 87 million cable households now that WoW has moved the show from Logo TV to VH1 almost doubling its potential audience. Photographer: Michelle Groskopf for Bloomberg Businessweek Forty thousand attendedthe third DragCon in Los Angeles in April which drew families too. WoW will launch a sister drag confab in New York. Photographer: Michelle Groskopf for Bloomberg Businessweek Detox a hit on Drag Races fifth season will get her own show on WoWPresents YouTube channel which has almost 700000 subscribers. Photographer: Michelle Groskopf for Bloomberg Businessweek Pleaser brand shoes on sale. Photographer: Michelle Groskopf for Bloomberg Businessweek A bearded drag queen looking glamorous and testing the stereotypes of conventional drag. Photographer: Michelle Groskopf for Bloomberg Businessweek Children enjoy story time in the Kid Zone. Photographer: Michelle Groskopf for Bloomberg Businessweek The right jewelry and bag help to complete a princess look. Photographer: Michelle Groskopf for Bloomberg Businessweek A drag queen stops to eat. Food trucks were in attendance. Photographer: Michelle Groskopf for Bloomberg Businessweek An attendee poses outside the Los Angeles Convention Center. Photographer: Michelle Groskopf for Bloomberg Businessweek Photographer: Michelle Groskopf for Bloomberg Businessweek RuPaul collectible dolls for sale. Photographer: Michelle Groskopf for Bloomberg Businessweek Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato. Photographer: Michelle Groskopf for Bloomberg Businessweek DragCon attendeestake a cigarette break while showing off their merchandise. Photographer: Michelle Groskopf for Bloomberg Businessweek Vendors selling merchandise were busy as were the cash machines. Photographer: Michelle Groskopf for Bloomberg Businessweek
By Frankie Cordeira Jr.
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