Despite Mattel’s refusal to confirm Barbie’s sexuality, Barbie’s status as a queer icon has spanned decades. While the release of various collections has rekindled the debate surrounding Barbie’s sexuality in the public sphere, surprisingly, drag queens are leading the charge to solidify how Barbie influenced their gender expression. Drag queens such as VIZIN, Barbie-Q, Silky Nutmeg Ganache, and Kendall Gender mention in interviews how important Barbie was to create their drag persona. Drag queen superstar Trixie Mattel has made clear that Barbie serves as the inspiration for her iconic look. Trixie is known for exaggerating Barbie’s features, which serves as a parody of the feminine ideal Barbie represents but also a tribute to Barbie’s influence. This chapter will conduct a close textual analysis of Barbie’s uptake among drag queens (and their fans) by analyzing social media posts. This chapter will discuss how drag queens use Barbie as a source of inspiration for their drag persona while also examining how Barbie opens conversations about gender non-conformity and sexuality.

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Drag Queen Barbie as Influencer: Gender Expression and Drag Performance on Social Media

  • Cecilia Cerja

摘要

Despite Mattel’s refusal to confirm Barbie’s sexuality, Barbie’s status as a queer icon has spanned decades. While the release of various collections has rekindled the debate surrounding Barbie’s sexuality in the public sphere, surprisingly, drag queens are leading the charge to solidify how Barbie influenced their gender expression. Drag queens such as VIZIN, Barbie-Q, Silky Nutmeg Ganache, and Kendall Gender mention in interviews how important Barbie was to create their drag persona. Drag queen superstar Trixie Mattel has made clear that Barbie serves as the inspiration for her iconic look. Trixie is known for exaggerating Barbie’s features, which serves as a parody of the feminine ideal Barbie represents but also a tribute to Barbie’s influence. This chapter will conduct a close textual analysis of Barbie’s uptake among drag queens (and their fans) by analyzing social media posts. This chapter will discuss how drag queens use Barbie as a source of inspiration for their drag persona while also examining how Barbie opens conversations about gender non-conformity and sexuality.