The Future of Drag Artistry in the Mainstream Pop world: A Deep Dive into the Chappell Roan V. Plane Jane Feud
Drag artistry has been an integral piece of the mainstream music industry–inspiring, directly involving within, and providing content–for decades longer than the recent surge of support for queens. This can be easier identified when examining drag under a looser definitive lens–rather than limiting creative expression to cisgender men with the definition of “men dressed as women,” reclaiming and redefining the meaning of drag creates a space for everyone. Anyone can be a drag queen: man, woman, gay, straight, old, young, rich, poor, unknown, or famous. In fact, some of the dominating names of the music industry, modern-day and prior, are drag personas (Lady Gaga, Chappell Roan), or have drawn heavy inspirations from such (David Bowie, KISS, Prince, Madonna).
While this inspiration, at a surface level, may appear to be cosmetically charged–and it is, heavily–it is not only plucked from mimicry of appearance. Drag, when it comes to being an art form, is more complex in that drag is a community, it is a culture; some drag artists live, sleep, and breathe their craft. This allows for another comparison between drag and the music industry to arise: both paths demand dedication. But, still, drag has been disrespected widely.
Chappell Roan, a mainstream pop star and queer female drag queen, has recently been criticized by fans and otherwise for canceling shows to either A. attend events (The MTV Video Music Awards–more on this shortly), or B. prioritize her mental health. Roan has been open about her struggles with Bipolar II disorder, and how overwhelming her expedited rise to stardom has become. At this point, it’s easy to say this: Chappell Roan is a star. Everyone knows her name. But, having spoken Roan’s name a year ago today, one would be met with “Who is that?”
To understand this exceedingly quick rise to fame, from being an opening act for Olivia Rodrigo to garnering crowds of thousands as a headliner at sold out festivals, one has to first understand who Chappell is. Chappell Roan does not exist, she is a character. She is a drag queen. Chappell is as real as Trixie Mattel, as Katya, as Bob the Drag Queen–in the sense that she is a character played by a real person. We, as an audience, get the privilege to know the character, and we should be satisfied with this. However, Roan has made note of “fans” going overboard: stalking herself and her family, touching her without consent, and making inappropriate and demanding requests at her expense. The issue of having a drag queen at the forefront of the mainstream pop industry, which Chappell is (one of, if not the, first since Lady Gaga’s rise to fame in the late 2000s/early 2010s), is that audiences do not know how to behave around a drag queen. While prior fans of drag already hold knowledge of how to interact with and respect these artists, the general public is not involved in this subculture. They do not know that Chappell is a character, or even that she identifies as a queen.
When it comes to queens, one of the larger issues seems to be fans, or otherwise, wanting to know more about the artist than they care to share. Drag is about the character created, not the person behind the glam. It is a way to escape, through which the artists can take their own journey, deciding how much or how little, if even at all, of their unmasked self they would like to share.
Impossible not to mention when deciphering the art of drag, RuPaul, arguably one of the most well-known drag queens of all time, shares an ample amount of information about himself in and out of drag. It seems as though more about his life out of character is widely available to audiences. This dissonance only further confuses audiences into whether drag personas are fictitious or reality.
And, while many have found issues with RuPaul, it is negligent to ignore what he has done for drag queens in recent years. Without RuPaul’s Drag Race, there is no telling how drag would be treated. Even with the new wave of support, drag is still scrutinized in a political climate.
Sixteen seasons deep, Drag Race is at its height and only growing in audience. RuPaul has formed a family of drag queens and alumni who, because of the opportunities from the show, can hone their craft and create successful careers as entertainers–some of whom have gone on to have their own network television shows, tours, residencies, records, makeup lines, etc. The Emmy award-winning cast is frequently invited to awards shows (and this is where the story begins).
Plane Jane, a finalist in the most recent season of Drag Race, rose to infamy for causing problems. Throughout her season, she was seen starting arguments with other contestants both on screen and off, via her social media accounts. Fans became divided with their stances on Plane, some disliking her, as they deemed, rude behavior; while others expressed excitement on finally having another “villain” on the show. But, it was not until Plane made a comment about Chappell Roan, that she began to receive real criticism.
In a now-deleted tweet, Plane said “Will I get tomatoes thrown at me if I say Cha Pelle Ro-Anne’s love for drag feels performative as fuck.”
And so the feud began. Fans of Chappell quickly responded to Plane, citing that Chappell herself is a drag queen, and that she has openly worked with and built a brand around other queens. Roan has been known to frequently work with local queens, credit other drag artists, and expresses a stance as a drag superfan.
Roan has not replied to or acknowledged this tweet. It was not until the VMA’s that the two had even met, and to the knowledge of the public, interacted for the very first time.
At this awards show, Plane arrived wearing curly red hair, a pink cowboy hat, and white face paint–a cosplay of Roan. To further the stunt, while on stage, Plane pretended to be afraid of the cameras. This was a direct reference to a recent comment by Roan, posted as a video on social media, regarding the disrespect that fans had while asking to take photos with her. As touched upon earlier, Roan has received criticism for advocating for her mental health, and openly critiquing her fans. Roan made it clear that no one was entitled to a photo with her, especially when out of character. Again, fans of Roan became enraged with Plane.
Roan has not made a public statement regarding Plane Jane, but footage has been seen of the two interacting at the show. This video portrays the two having a, seemingly, neutral to positive conversation, with Roan acknowledging Plane’s resemblance to her. On this same night, Chappell Roan became named the newest drag daughter of RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 15 winner, and one of her role models, Sasha Colby.
Plane has since made many more comments about Roan, however, in a much different light. Multiple of Plane’s Instagram posts feature the Chappell-inspired look, all of which include captions referencing Roan. “I’m a Pink Pony Girl, and I dance at the VMAs” the caption on her recap post read. Fans are unable to tell whether Plane is being sarcastic, trying to keep the attention she gained from the initial comments, or sincere, having a change of heart after interacting with the pop star in person.
Roan’s (completely understandable and justified) silence on the matter does not bring any clarity. However, her response to a recent SNL sketch, which also poked fun at her comments regarding photos, was “hilarious.” However, from this comment alone it cannot be assumed that she found the same of Plane’s stunt.
What many fans investigating this feud seem to be forgetting is that, in the drag world, mimicry is complementary. Even on Drag Race, Plane’s alma mater, one of the most anticipated episodes of the entire season is Snatch Game–a play on Match Game, where the remaining queens must impersonate a celebrity while answering a series of fun questions. It is necessary to poke fun at the impersonated celebrity, even, and especially, if widely loved in the community.
Amongst drag queens, being shady is being friendly. While the initial deleted tweet about Roan may have been genuine, after being educated, Plane’s behavior towards Chappell could have undoubtedly been friendly in nature, more of a way to welcome her into the community than ridicule her. However, with the lack of knowledge, the opposite could also stand.
So, did they make up? Was it adoration–had it always been? Mockery? Was there never even a feud to begin with? With Plane’s constant online trolling, the contradicting statements provided by her (the sole proprietor of information) and, in comparison, Roan’s silence, it is challenging to determine the real answers to any of these questions with absolute, or very much, certainty. But, what can be deciphered is this: drag artists, from local queens to VMA winners, do not owe anyone anything. It might be true that the public will never know the truth about Plane and Roan’s relationship, and that is how it should be. Drag is a complicated art form, with a strong community, that is not always meant to be understood by those outside of it.
By Sophia Marzi
Design by Alyssa Cordova
