Maybe We're Not So Different

After watching Paris is Burning, I became completely fascinated by the New York City drag life. I have been to drag shows, but I had never seen one quite like the Balls documented in the film. The drag community is so far from anything that I've ever seen, that I was entirely mesmerized by their way of life. The amount of dedication and passion put into these performances is really what astounded me. Especially they're emphasis on voguing. They treated this what seems like to us, a trivial and slightly comedic dance as the end-all be-all aspect of drag. The best voguer seemed to have one of the best reputations and was very respected. However, I realized this hierarchy of respect based on performance is seen in everyday life, not just this fascinating New York City drag world. We see it even in the corporate world, a place many of us may related more easily to. Vogueing could reflect a lawyer's performance on trial. The better he or she does, the more respect he or she earns, and higher up with corporate ladder he or she climbs. I find it incredibly interesting that the participants in the drag show create these circumstances they may not get the chance to experience in their life time, such as being a lawyer in a court room, during the ball.