Unless you’ve been living under a rock over the past few years you’ve noticed that drag shows have exploded in popularity…if you have been living under a rock, what’s rent like? Anyhoo, drag shows are a big part of popular culture, and audiences are flocking. The makeup of the audiences has changed over the years, with more and more straighties getting in on the fun, especially bachelorette and birthday parties. Since the audience has grown so much and so quickly, and since I have personally witnessed some bad behavior at shows, I thought I’d put together a little drag show etiquette for your nerves. So, save this to brush up before your next bachelorette party, birthday party, divorce party, whatevers.
Don’t take yourself too seriously. This is a drag show, there are tucked (look it up if you need to because I’m not explaining it) men in reinforced pumps lip syncing to Donna Summer; this is not the time to take yourself seriously. We all have a chance of getting a little good-natured ribbing when we go to a drag show, if you can’t handle that roll of the dice stay home.
Do tip and tip well. You simply cannot go to a drag show and not tip. “I don’t have any cash on me” is not a valid excuse, get cash before you go. One to five dollars is perfectly acceptable, although no one is going to refuse a fifty. Just remember a big tip (or at least what seems to you like a big tip) is not a guarantee of extra special attention from the queens.
Don’t ask for change. Only have a $20? That queen is getting a $20. If you ask a drag queen for change mid- performance, God help you because I won’t.
Don’t shove cash into performers clothes…unless they direct you to do so. The correct tipping form is cash in hand, arm extended towards the queen; not in your mouth or stuck to your sweaty body.
Do order drinks, and food if it’s a brunch situation. If the house doesn’t make money, they’re not going to host drag performances; so eat, drink and be merry. This is the time to whoop it up! Order a drink you love, get an extra order of pancakes for the table (my signature move), live a little.
Don’t touch. I can’t believe I even have to say this but here we are. Performing for tips does not equal consent to be touched. Just because you gave a queen a few bucks or you’re a woman and “gay guys love me” (yes, something heard at drag shows and gay bars so please stop saying it straight ladies) doesn’t mean you get to slap their ass or jiggle their breast plate, jeesh.
Do be an active audience member. Performers feed off an audience’s energy; so give them something to eat. Hoot and holler, belly laugh, give snaps and standing ovations. Be the audience you wish you had while you’re singing into your hairbrush.
Don’t forget who the crowd is here to see…and spoiler alert it ain’t you. I think we’ve all been to a show where an especially tipsy bachelorette or birthday girl forgets the night isn’t all about her and it is uncomfy. Stay off the stage unless a performer brings you up, save your standup routine for another day (your friends won’t tell you this, but I will – you’re not funny boo), and if you’re going to sing a long try to keep it at least a hair under screeching.
Do remember, you are in a queer space. First and foremost, a drag show is a queer space. It doesn’t matter if it’s a one-time pop-up brunch in the bro-est brewery that ever bro-ed and brewed, a drag show is a queer space. It’s not a place for us straight women (and men) to gawk, leer, mock, assume, or judge. If you can’t be supportive and accepting of queer people, don’t go to a drag show, like ever. Also, if you think you can sit front row yelling “yaaaaassss gawd henny” at a drag show when your everyday living and voting is the exact opposite of supporting queer people; the queens will know, the queens will know. You can play God and you can play checkers, but you can’t play a drag queen!
Do support your local queens. Don’t wait for a Drag Race queen to come to town to go to a drag show. Boston has amazing drag queens working and werking every weekend. Drag is a local business, henny!
📷:@nicole_wolf_photographyvia Cherry Lemonade’sInstagram –
FAQs
Front row has to tip
If you sit in the front row, you're in the Dollar Zone, so bring some dollars. This is non-negotiable. Drag is expensive and time-consuming, so when you bring your hot little self to the show and push your way to the front, tip appropriately.
How much cash should you bring to a drag show? ›
“If you want a better show, $20 will get the best drag brunch you've ever seen in your life.” When calculating how much money to bring to brunch, the Los Angeles-based drag queen Meatball suggests a baseline of $2 per drag queen per performance number.
What to wear to a drag show as a straight girl? ›
A button-up shirt and jeans is your go-to.
Dress it up with some Oxfords if you're feeling fancy, or dress it down with some white sneakers for a more casual look, for things like drag storytime.
What is the dress code for drag shows? ›
What to Wear to a Drag Show: Fringe, Fringe, and More Fringe. If you want to feel extravagant, shimmery, and flashy, then fringe is definitely the way to go. Pretty much any item of clothing—jackets, shirts, pants, and any other iteration of those types—can be elevated to a drag show standard by adding fringe.
What is the no tip rule? ›
An employer may not require an employee to give their tips to the employer, a supervisor, or a manager, even where a tipped employee receives at least the federal minimum wage (currently $7.25) per hour in wages directly from the employer and the employer takes no tip credit.
Is it disrespectful to not tip? ›
You're never obligated to tip someone when they've provided you poor service or if you've had a rude interaction with them. In the case of a one-on-one service, such as a haircut, this is pretty cut and dried.
What is the point of a drag show? ›
A drag show is a piece of entertainment consisting of a variety of songs, monologues or skits featuring either single performers or groups of performers in drag meant to entertain an audience. They range from amateur performances at small bars to elaborately staged theatrical presentations.
What to expect from a drag show? ›
Typically, a drag show involves performers singing or lip-synching to songs while performing a pre-planned pantomime or dancing. There might also be some comedy, skits, and audience interaction. The performers are often given cash tips by the audience members.
Do you tip the drag queens at Hamburger Mary's? ›
Take money for tips, they will exchange for $1's or you can Venmo tips too.
Is drag a queer art? ›
At its core, drag is an art form that for over a century has affirmed and uplifted LGBTQ people who perform and enjoy it.
Choose tops with wider shoulders, longer sleeves, and lowered waistlines for longer torsos. Wear high heels. Nothing makes your legs sexier than a pair of high heels, but they're hard to find in big sizes at generic stores. Cross-dressing websites really come in handy here.
What does dress in drag stand for? ›
Drag dates back at least to Shakespearean theater, when only men were allowed to act and therefore had to play the roles of women. The term “drag” is likely an acronym for “dressed resembling a girl.”
Do you tip drag performers? ›
Tipping – There is a culture of tipping performers at drag shows, some say it is a nod to the underground traditions of drag that usually meant little (to no) pay for the performance. Do tip by placing the bill loosely in an outstretched hand for the performer to grab.
Is drag considered burlesque? ›
It can be argued that drag began as a type of burlesque act, as the performers would often be mocking society's standards of women in comedic and often ridiculous ways, demonstrating the ridiculous expectations that were placed on women.
What state is banning drag shows? ›
Tennessee. Tennessee was the first state in the country to officially enact strict limits on drag shows when Gov. Bill Lee signed an anti-drag measure into law in March.
Is it ever OK not to tip? ›
As a blanket rule, you don't need to tip anyone who earns a salary or performs a trade. That means you don't have to tip doctors, lawyers, teachers, plumbers or cable technicians.
Is it rude to not tip to go? ›
Charny says tipping is a personal choice, so ultimately you can decide on whether or not you choose to leave gratuity when you carry out. But that doesn't necessarily mean you shouldn't. The staff at restaurants usually rely on tips as part of their overall wages.
Is it rude not to tip a tour guide? ›
Basic tipping etiquette says, yes, you should tip your tour guide. There are exceptions if your specific tour experience includes gratuities or you simply didn't have a good time, but in general, tipping your guide at the end of the tour is customary in the U.S. and Europe, though it's much more common in the States.
In what culture is it rude to tip? ›
Japan. Unlike Spain, Japan is a country where you should not tip at all; it's actually offensive. In the majority of Japanese restaurants a bill is not brought to the table. Instead, payment is accepted at the bar, so even trying to leave a tip for the waiter can be tricky.
