Toot or Boot? Drag Celebrification and Fannish Performativity in the Brazilian RuPaul’s Drag Race Fandom

Abstract

Objective: RuPaul’s Drag Race (RPDR) has catalyzed the celebrification of drag culture and the emergence of a vibrant global fandom. Despite the growing visibility of drag performers in mainstream media and the increasing scholarly attention to RPDR, little is known about how fans engage with drag celebrities in ambivalent and performative ways, particularly in the Global South. Thus, this study addresses this gap by examining the process of drag celebrification, as shaped by fan engagement with and performances related to drag queens, through the lens of consumption performativity exercised by Brazilian RPDR fans. Methods: using a netnographic approach, we analyzed 4,892 posts from X (formerly Twitter). Results: drawing on Judith Butler’s theory of performativity, we conceptualize drag consumption as a site of negotiation where fans can both reproduce and resist hegemonic norms. We identify four categories that intersect forms of fan-celebrity engagement (love, like, question, hate) with levels of fannish performativity (embody, promote, criticize, reject). Conclusions: our findings contribute to queer fandom studies by illuminating the contested nature of queer visibility through the lenses of celebrification and performativity, and by advancing non-Western perspectives on transcultural fandom.