Rose argues that psychoanalysis "consists of a range of theories that deal most centrally with human subjectivity, sexuality, and the unconscious" (Rose 149) and that, its concepts can be "used to interpret aspects of visual images, and in particular, their effect on spectators" (Rose 150). Psychoanalysis is found particularly troublesome by queer theorists in its conception of the castration complex. The castration complex is the notion that heterosexual masculinity and femininity are constituted by the process in which, the male child is "threatened by the father with castration if he does not give up his closeness to the mother" (Rose 156), while the female child sees themselves as lacking, and thus transfers their attachment from the mother to the father. |
Queer theorists find this problematic in that it "assumes heterosexuality is the norm" (Rose 156). Drag queens blur the lines in this conception of gender as heterosexual versus homosexual, male versus female, in that they view their sexuality as fluid and perform it as such. And while some drag queens dress in a manner that pleases the heterosexual male gaze (see Courtney Act in photo 1), Courtney Act does her makeup in a very natural style and often wears "sexy" outfits that show off her body that is enhanced by padding to mimic the female form, as opposed to other drag queens who do their makeup intentionally garish in a way that you can tell the queen is really a man in makeup (see Magnolia Crawford photo 2). She has also stated that she has often been picked up by straight men who think she is a woman ("RuPaul's Big Opening Pt.2"). The conscious choice as a "biological male" to "fool" or trick heterosexual males denies the typical "passivity" assigned to women who are subjected to the male gaze
The drag queens of RuPaul's Drag Race can thus best be looked at through the psychoanalytic concept of masquerade. The idea was first theorized by Joan Riviere who suggests that because femininity is constructed then it can be seen as a masquerade and thus, "performed by mimicking what a woman is meant to be about" (Rose 163) Mary Anne Doane expands on Riviere's concept claiming that masquerade, "attributes to the woman the distance, alienation, and divisiveness of self [denied to her by psychoanalytic theory]" (Michasiw 140). Finally, Kim Michasiw in her article, ""Camp, Masculinity, Masquerade" applies masquerade to queer theory. She claims that gay male masquerade is a, "mode of appropriating and articulating the gap between masculinity understood in heterosexist terms-as being bounded by heterosexual object-choice-and masculinity understood differently" (Michasiw 160). RuPaul's Drag Race consistently challenges what masculinity means, from drag queens like Courtney Act who look like biological women, to queens like Milk who practice "conceptual" drag and attempt to further challenge gendered norms by wearing a beard while in drag (see photo below), to have heterosexual males made over into drag queens for their weddings. And in masquerading as women the queens also question what defines femininity, is being female defined by biology or is it something that is fluid and can be worn like a costume?