For the fifth year in a row, POPSUGAR is dedicating the month of June to recognising LGBTQIA+ voices, having honest conversations about sexuality and gender, and honouring individuality, through personal essays and allyship guidance. A roster of contributors along with the POPSUGAR team are sharing these stories throughout the month, so be sure to find all our pieces here.
There has always been drag. Even before RuPaul’s Drag Race, we’ve seen drag portrayed in many different ways through film and television.
Drag is a form of expression, it’s an art form, a lifestyle. Drag is like a superpower. Because drag takes so much of it’s reference from pop culture, politics, fashion and history, different concepts will strike different chords with different audiences and that’s why we love it; everyone’s invited.
Whether the freedom of expression shown through drag allows people to feel more comfortable exploring gender, or whether it’s just a great reminder than adults can play dress-ups too, drag is an undeniable joy to consume.
Sometimes more is more, sometimes less is more and sometimes (my favourite times) you don’t know how something works, but it just does. For me, drag is the ultimate freedom, a big f**k you to gender stereotypes and a loud way to continue moving towards a world that accepts us for all of our layers.
Here are some of our favourite drag transformations in film and television:
Guy Pearce as an Emu In Priscilla Queen of the Desert
Dripping in blue and black ostrich feathers, block baby blue eyeshadow and an iconic lip — lined with black liner and coloured in with blue — this look from Priscilla Queen of the Desert is a moment in Australian drag herstory.
While lip-syncing to Finally, by CeCe Peniston (a true banger), the Queens stand with their emu headdresses and blue feathered eyelashes up to their forehead and somehow shake their tooshes in the Australian film that celebrates drag.
Watch the iconic scene below.
Reuben Kaye at the Melbourne Comedy Festival Gala 2021
Reuben Kaye is an award-winning cabaret star, comedian and actor. His looks are always iconic, but this one was something special. Always playing with the line of butch, femme, masculine and fabulous, Reuben Kaye wore his hair natural slicked back for his appearance at the Melbourne Comedy Festival.
His makeup was super cabaret, with a strong black smokey-eye, long lashes and a bold red lip. He had a kind of Liza Minelli aura to him, not to mention the sparkly pink tuxedo and pannier skirt over suit pants. It was a whole vibe; classy, sexy, camp.
You can watch Reuben below.
John Travolta as Edna Turnblad in Hairspray
In 2007, our mum’s favourite heartthrob transformed into Edna Turnblad for the musical romantic comedy film Hairspray. Edna is the lead Tracy Turnblad’s mother, and honestly, she steals the show. Edna has many iconic looks throughout this film, but our fave look of all is worn in the finale scene, when she sings and dances to You Can’t Stop the Beat. In this scene she finally realises that being curvy doesn’t stop her from being a badass.
She wears her hair in a classic sixties up-do with bouncy bangs, she dona long dangly gold earrings, sparkly gold lip gloss and she has a strong brow moment happening too. Not only is her make-up look on point, but her outfit is suuuuuper drag, being a red glitter ball gown with a skirt she takes off halfway through the dance, turning the costume into a mini-dress with gold tassels. The whole thing is iconic. If you’re having a bad day, watch this scene, I implore you.
