Here’s what people get wrong about drag kings—according to the cast of ‘King Of Drag’
Revry's 'King Of Drag' is so much more than just a butched up 'RuPaul's Drag Race.'
Mark
At long last, drag kings are getting their chance to rule the airwaves thanks to King Of Drag, the groundbreaking competition series from queer streamer Revry.
So much more than just a butched up RuPaul’s Drag Race, the must-watch King Of Drag opens up the door to a wider world of drag artistry and talent, inviting in a truly diverse array of contestants that represent a vast range of ages, ethnicities, gender identities, and styles.
As such, the series introduces a whole new language of drag: Instead of the Werk Room, there’s the Man Cave, which looks decidedly more cozy and inviting. Instead of Mini Challenges, there are Weenie Challenges, which task the kings with inventive competitions like who can strike the best sports trading card pose, or who can best “mansplain” a random topic via improv. And, instead of RuPaul, there’s Murray Hill, the showbiz legend who serves as our suave master of ceremonies.
Especially for audiences that have perhaps never had the pleasure of seeing a king perform before, they’re in for quite the surprise. Because, the truth is, there are a lot of people whose entire idea of “drag excellence” has been shaped by who shantays and who sashays on the Drag Race main stage.
But King Of Drag is here to prove that the kingdom of drag is bigger, bolder, and brighter than we might’ve imagined.
Recently, at Revry’s King Of Drag premiere party, Queerty has the opportunity to meet the cast of charming and awe-inspiring kings vying for the crown, each of whom dispelled the rumors and blew our minds by answering on simple question: What’s the biggest misconception about drag kings?
Scroll down below to see what each king had to say, including the iconic Tenderoni who serves on the series’ regular panel of judges. And a huge shout-out to kings Buck Wylde & Perka $exxx, who we sadly didn’t get to ask but who still rule & are well worth a follow!
Tenderoni
“I think the biggest misconception about drag kings and our community is that we’re [all] serious, or that we’re not as ‘kiki’ funny, or as glamorous as drag queens and other drag performers. Sure, I look intimidating in pictures, but I am a goofball. I also I think, because we are drag kings and we are performing masculinity, it’s a line that you have to walk to make sure that you’re not swerving to the toxic side. So the misconceptions are there, but the show’s here to make sure people know!”
Big D
“There’s a perception that kings are just like drag queens but less. And I actually think there’s so much more room for comment on the patriarchy. There’s so much more room for parody. There’s so much more room for really getting into and talking about toxic masculinity. You know, nobody really wants to hear a bunch of drag queens sh*t on women anymore—that time has passed, right? There used to be that, but now I think drag queendom is really supportive of women and womanhood. I think there’s a lot of different ways to do drag—I do drag to take down the patriarchy, I do drag to say, ‘this is toxic masculinity; let’s f*cking laugh at it and make it less powerful,’ right?”
King Molasses
“It’s one of the big misconceptions around drag [in general]: Drag kings are drag kings—that’s why I’m a drag king, right? But if I called myself a drag queen, I personally don’t think I would have to change my outfit or feel less valid, right? It is the community in which I found myself and my art and where I feel the most represented and poured into—that is the name that I take. And I think that, when people see the show, they will see the choices and the intention behind what we’re doing. Drag kings are not women trying to be men. Drag queens are not men trying to be women. I’m speaking for myself—I’m non binary, so I’ve unsubscribed to the entire thing, right? But kings are quite critical in this moment because our presence actually speaks to breaking that boundary.
We are not boxes, we’re not hes, we’re not shes, we’re not theys—we are people, and most importantly, as drag kings, we are artists. Drag is art; it’s quite simple. When we over-complicate it and we assign projections and we put in systems of oppression and make ourselves small, we’re missing the point of drag, which is to acknowledge and dismantle gender. It is to say it is there, and it’s to do whatever the hell we want with it. That’s why I’m a king!”
Alexander The Great
“The biggest misconception about kings is that it gets over-thought a little bit, right? I feel like, with drag queens, it’s like, ‘Oh, okay, we get it: dresses, dancing, music, fun, glamor, whatever.’ And then when it comes to kings, sometimes people are so lost. And I’m just like, ‘don’t overthink it!’ Just like queens are playing with femininity. kings are typically playing with masculinity, right? And so there’s all sorts of masculine tropes we can play with—from the classics like firefighters and construction workers, to things like gladiators and historical figures—whatever it is that we want to portray and redefine. Because, again, for me a lot of what being a drag king is is redefining masculinity, expanding masculinity, and turning it around.”
Pressure K
“The biggest misconception is that we don’t care—that we’re lazy, or we’re boring. We put a lot of emotion into this! This is all about expressing ourselves, so why be sad? You can sing a song! You could be angry, you could be anything—you know what I’m saying? Just be open about it! you can say a song. Yeah, you could be angry. You could be anything about it. So they think that it’s just a hobby, but we’re turning it into a business.”
Henlo Bullfrog
“Taking back masculinity is so punk; it’s one of the most punk things you can do. But a lot of people, when they think of masculinity, they think of patriarchy—they think of the thing that is hurting all of us. But we are redefining masculinity in ways that is taking it back from the patriarchy, redefining it in ways that makes it queer, that makes it trans, and also takes it away from the cis, white men in power who are destroying everyone else’s context of masculinity. So, in redefining it, in changing that understanding and going beyond those first thoughts, we’re making it open to everyone. Because the kingdom really is welcome to everyone. However you identify, you can be a king. No matter what you do in your daily life, you can be a king. And I think it’s such a warm and welcoming community.”
Charles Galin King
“I continue to feel is that people don’t put us on the same pedestal as drag queens. I have learned from drag queens, I’ve learned from drag kings, but we all reign equally. We have been here since the beginning of time, and society is still catching on, but we have always existed!”
Dick Von Dyke
“I know a lot of women who love Drag Race, which is great. What I think is really funny is the ways in which gay men will gate-keep women from drag. Because who knows how to make eyes of women more than me? When gay men are like, ‘Oh, I really don’t know if drag kings are right for this part,’ I’m like, ‘spoiler alert: the women are looking at me—they’re not looking at you! They’re not trying to go home with you after this!’ A lot of times, the women that I know that watch Drag Race, they’re like, ‘Oh, that’s this thing that other people do.’ And I’m really excited, as a drag artist, I know what it’s like to show up in a space being both perceived as a woman and perceived as a man, and see the ways in which gay men treat me differently in each you know? And I think that that could be a really empowering thing to think about, for women and femmes everywhere—thinking about how they can reclaim their own power in masculinity and keep it for ourselves—even for like five minutes would be awesome!”
Tuna Melt
“The biggest misconception about kings is that we have to be exactly like the queens. I think it is a blessing that we have had so many beautiful seasons of Drag Race. And what comes with challenging a different genre, is acquiring new listeners and saying, ‘Hey, okay, it’s not pop, but can you appreciate that it’s rock?’ And that’s how I feel about drag kings. Also, too, why are the queens held to such impossible standards, too? They are talented in their own right. So I think that’s the biggest misconception: that drag has to be perfect, it has to be polished, it has to be like to the 10s, or it’s not valid.”
New episodes of King Of Drag stream weekly on Sundays at 9pm ET / 6pm PT exclusively on Revry.
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