As I open my eyes I see myself in full drag in the mirror for the first time.

“Wow, I’m fucking hot”

Staring back at me is a beautiful girl, of short height, slim figure, and petite features. Her body is amazing as her arms are toned but not muscular and her legs are as thin as a tree branch. A curly blonde wig sits on top of her head and falls perfectly to her shoulders. She wears a one strap, sleeveless, black and gold mini dress that would be too small and too tight for most people, but fits her perfectly. Her make-up is extravagant and glamorous, but not surreal. Wearing cherry red lipstick, blush and gold eye-shadow, it gives off the appearance of both innocent and experienced. The eye shadow gives emphasis on her big doe eyes. If it wasn’t for her larger than normal shoulders, you wouldn’t have notice she’s actually a male.

Her name is Olipop and she’s ready to dance.

That was my first Drag show and it was a surreal experience. Drag has now been defined as the act of dressing up in clothes that respectively are assigned to the person’s opposite gender. However it can be so much more than that. Drag can be a performance, a role, an artistic piece, and a form of self-expression. The complex history of drag will be explained in the following essay.

One of the most influential figures of modern day drag is RuPaul. RuPaul started performing drag at 1992, but did not find critical success until 1993 with the release of his dance album Super Model of The World. The album spawned two singles, "Back To My Roots" and "A Shade Shady (Now Prance)" which both peaked at number 1. In 1995, he was signed to a modeling contract for MAC Cosmetics making him the first Drag Queen Supermodel. Known for his tall and athletic yet slim body, large blonde wigs,  glamorous make up and extravagant dresses, RuRaul extenuates beauty and class above all traits. Rupaul's most acclaimed song "Supermodel (Of The World)", shows him in designer clothing with perfect make-up, visiting many different places and being adored in each setting. The main focus of the song is that the woman is so beautiful and so glamorous, that she always is the focus of attention. This is a recurring theme of RuPaul's work with "Cover Girl" having a similar theme. This is a direct contrast to the Divine era in which Drag was comedic, grotesque and surreal.