Do you know the Mambo Kings, Will Charmer and Nat King Pole? If the answer is no, it’s probably because drag kings are much less visible than their fellow drag queens, like Mado Lamothe, Rita Baga, Barbada, Gisèle Lullaby and Mona de Grenoble. In order to remedy the situation, La Presse asked Rock Bière and RV Métal, the two kings of the hour in Quebec, to demystify the movement.
For the second consecutive year, the major show MajestiX, celebrating the best of local drag in all its forms, will be hosted by the Beer and Metal duo, this Saturday on the Esplanade of the Olympic Park. An invitation that delighted and surprised the duo. “The kings are invisible in the drag community and in the media, perhaps because they still create unease,” suggests Geneviève Labelle, aka RV Métal.
His sidekick Mélodie Noël Rousseau, aka Rock Bière, intervenes by saying that they also do highly entertaining numbers on great rock classics and that the public is looking for increasingly diverse drag.
That said, the doors of LGBTQ bars have long been closed to kings. “We haven’t evolved at the same pace and we still have to make ourselves known to the general public,” says Mélodie.
Indeed, she still hears the public saying that they have never heard of drag kings or that kings are boring, except Rock and RV. “You have to give people a chance, book them to build a wardrobe and cut their teeth,” adds Mélodie. Several drag queens had more than one chance before becoming who they are today. »
As early as the 17th century, Japanese kabuki theater allowed women to play male roles. Western theater and opera have also seen several actresses play male characters. They were called male impersonators, more or less the ancestors of drag kings. “It was already political to dress up as a man, because they did it to access roles and rights,” says Mélodie.
The expression “drag king” appeared in 1972 and artists who practiced this discipline soon became associated with radical feminism, due to the refusal of some women to be crushed by gender stereotypes. “In Quebec, the French-speaking community has lagged behind the English-speaking community, because the radical Franco feminist movement found it almost an affront to personify men,” summarizes Mélodie. Conversely, Anglo queers liked to explore it all. »
While drag king practices were refined in the underground bars of New York, London and San Francisco in the early 1990s, Montreal also saw the Mambo Kings appear around the same time. “It’s a collective of lesbians from the Plateau Mont-Royal who performed during the Meow Mix evenings, explains Geneviève. There were many groups of kings. As if the community aspect was more important than being the star of the show. »
A few drag kings, like Nat King Pole, later emerged solo, but did not achieve star status.
Even if we are far from the tsunami of the queens, the kings are attracting more and more attention. In 2017, Will Charmer was the first drag king to take part in the Drag-Moi contest. The following year, two kings participated in the contest won by Rock Bière. A year later, RV Metal won in turn. “In 2020, several drag kings auditioned and our son, Walter Ego, won the crown,” enthused Mélodie.
A global phenomenon for 15 years, RuPaul’s Drag Race, and its many franchises around the world, has propelled many drag queens to international star status. What would happen if the kings were allowed into the competition? “Landon Cider, the best drag king on the planet, reminded us that we share the same stages and perform at the same parties, so why can’t the kings compete in the same competition? asks Genevieve. It would prove that we are on the same level. »
His accomplice agrees. “Drag Race creates a direct connection with the audience,” says Mélodie. It is possible to have queens and kings compete. We did it with Drag-Moi. I imagine Drag Race would have to be adapted and there would be a bit of an uncomfortable transition at first, but it would be interesting. »
Interesting, but is it plausible? “RuPaul Charles once said there would never be drag kings on his show, because drag king is not subversive or dangerous,” Genevieve said. So, the kings may not want to participate in something that puts us down in the first place. »
