Dethroning the Serious

When I first read the assignment for our blogs, I immediately opened Susan Sontag’s article on “Camp” because I have been previously intrigued with her brilliant writing. However, I was mistaken to try and read “Camp” before watching “RuPaul’s Drag Race” considering that RuPaul epitomizes the underlying principles of the mysteriousness of “Camp.” After seeing RuPaul, I finally got what camp was all about. First of all, “Camp” centers on the spirit of extravagance. RuPaul’s drag race can be seen as this from the over-the-top outfits, wigs, and makeup. Another key aspect of “Camp” is the idea of self-parody. The more successful couples on the show really got into character, including the Jocks, as apposed to taking themselves too seriously. Whether it was the intense lip-syncing competition, the safe-sex cheerleading, or the runway show, you could tell that the members of the show were having so much fun by not taking themselves too seriously. Another aspect of “Camp” is the attempt to be glamorous. One of the Jocks (the Water Polo player) was so surprised when he looked in the mirror after all the makeup. It seemed that he really liked to feel glamorous. “Camp” also appreciates vulgarity. At the end of the show (the lip-syncing competition) Carmen Carrera shamelessly takes of her clothes while the cheers about safe-sex are almost cringe-worthy of their vulgarity (when spelling out things such as “bare-backing” or slapping their partners but with pom-poms). After watching RuPaul’s Drag Race and reading “Camp” I almost felt that I couldn’t take myself too seriously. They successfully dethroned the serious and replaced it with a drag queen.