"The problem with underage drag fans"

I've always been told I was born an old soul, so maybe my opinion isn't typical of most teen fans, but here's my long winded 2 cents anyway. Rupauls Drag Race is clearly the reason drag queens now have huge numbers of underage fans, and for the most part I think this is great. I would argue that most of the queens off the show, and drag performers in general, can make great role models for kids and teens. After all, who better than a drag queen to teach kids how to love and accept themselves and others for who they are? A lot of drag queens were not necessarily the cool kids at school, and probably a lot of 'outsider' kids relate and can look up to the queens.

I believe it's great that the show and drag community in general has become so accessible to kids, however this accessibility also seems to have caused some problems. I have had a Twitter account since I was nine and a YouTube account before that, so I know how easy it is for kids to find stuff which maybe isn't intended for them to watch. Because of social media it's impossible to filter what underage fans see from what fans over 21 see. If I lived in America I wouldn't be let into a club for 6 years, but I've seen loads of clips, and even full length drag shows on the internet. Personally, I know that what is appropriate for a drag queen to say/do in the middle of the night in a club is not always what is appropriate for me to repeat in school, at home, or even online, but I don't know if all the fans know the distinction.

Naturally, some queens are going to really appeal to younger fans (Adore being an obvious example). I know that loads of kids and teens will go to the clubs and wait outside in order to meet their favourites, which for the most part I don't think the queens mind. However, clearly the growing volumes of underage fans and their expectations of essentially the meet and greet experience is going to make it difficult for the queens to cope (especially if they do have a large young fan base). Personally, I would never be allowed to go wait outside the venue past 11pm of an 18+/21+ show. But it's really up to parents and queens discretion I guess, so idk I also think it's important to remember that a lot of the queens probably have not spoken to tweens since they were tweens themselves, and maybe find it difficult to know how to interact with their youngest fans. (And some fans really are tweens, not even teenagers yet).

At the end of the day, I don't think it is up to the drag queens to feel pressure to change or adapt what they say or do to suit their underage fans. The drag scene isn't intended for kids, but for a lot of tweens and teens, exposure to it is a great thing. My opinion is that it's really up to kids (and their parents maybe) to decide what is appropriate for them. But honestly though, if a kid really wants to watch a show or YouTube video then it's impossible to stop them, and that then extends to live shows and events too.

(btw sorry this is so long)

/r/rupaulsdragrace Thread Link - ailurophelle.com