Producers Randy Barbato And Fenton Bailey On The Rise And Rise Of ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’: “It’s About Love And Self-Expression And Openness”
deadline.com“You always hope every show you do is a massive revolutionary force that changes people’s lives,” says RuPaul’s Drag Race producer Fenton Bailey, “but so rarely is that the case.” But by any metric, World of Wonder’s long-running reality show — in which ever more outrageous drag queens compete for the approval of its imperious host RuPaul — is exactly that show.
Across all of its TV and digital properties, the franchise received 11 Emmy nominations this year, and if the main Drag Race competition show wins six, it will make it the fifth most Emmy-winning TV show in history.
And that’s not all: After spawning 14 U.S. seasons since it first appeared in 2009, the show’s format has been exported to the UK, Canada, France, Italy, Spain, Holland, Thailand and the Philippines, with Belgium and Sweden to follow next year.In this interview, Bailey and fellow producer Randy Barbato discuss the show’s appeal and longevity.DEADLINE: Why is there currently so much interest in this show?FENTON BAILEY: Well, I think, in a geopolitical sense, it comes at an important time.
Because, whether it’s in America or not, we are seeing an attempt to turn the clock back to stereotypical values. To a time when women weren’t empowered, when there wasn’t marriage equality — there’s been a huge sort of retrenchment.
Read more on deadline.com
