Drag Queen Succeeds On American Idol!
Does A Gimmick Immediately Guarantee Success?
#KAY. Are you watching ABC’s current reboot of American Idol? I won’t sit here and lie to you, I’m not at all. To be honest, I really am only watching clips from their stellar marketing team who has a clip of various contestants pop up on my social media every time I scroll. Haven’t we all seen highest-paid Judge, Katy Perry, flirt with some cute Californian Construction Worker? While Perry is giving her best attempt at delivering as the judge-to-watch, it doesn’t help that this show has clearly lost it’s flavor. We’ve all spit out the gum.
One particular character – or contestant – who caught my attention recently is Adam Sanders AKA Ada Vox, a singing Drag Queen. Vox was previously on Idol in boy form and made the Top 50. There’s no doubt Vox has an incredibly powerful voice. However, I cannot help but feel this was his last ditch effort to achieve the fame he desires. As we’re all familiar, you essentially do need a gimmick to reach for reality television fame. Perhaps Vox is a singer and thus hasn’t auditioned for RuPaul’s Drag Race. Vox gets put through to the next round, but not before he received a bunch of odd compliments from the judges like Perry, Luke Bryan, and Lionel Richie. The whole interaction is really forced and pretty awkward.
Okay, so I’m really excited for Vox! I truly am- anyone who reaches for their dreams and refuses to stop makes my heart glimmer. However, I cannot help but wonder if this whole gimmick of being a singing Drag Queen is only…a gimmick. Clearly, this person didn’t succeed because he wasn’t as talented or marketable previously. Now, he walks in as a Queen and has Perry screaming YAS and we should all be reanalyzing his talent? I mean, let’s get real: American Idol has become a joke. Everyone needs a story victimizing themselves in order to get airtime – because for some reason we’re supposed to vote for who we feel the worst for? It’s all really confusing in the end. Is Vox supposed to come out in drag every time we see her? Because that’s what I’m anticipating. Literally, each time she is photographed – we are only seeing her in this artistry. The only Drag Queen who has succeeded in both male and female form is the ultra-fabulous RuPaul– and there won’t be another one anytime soon. Wish you well, Vox- but I’m not buying it.
Check out Vox’s newest audition below:
This post is the opinion of this contributing writer to Instinct Magazine. Opinion pieces do not always reflect the stance of the magazine or the other contributing writers.
The negativity of this
The negativity of this article is VERY off putting. Maybe she didn’t succeed years ago because she was not ready like many other contestants who choose to come back after taking time to improve their skills. Also, Courtney Act did quite well on a singing competition in Australia before she was on RuPaul. There have been many drag queens that sing well on Drag Race and they never really get to showcase that talent. Why force all Drag Queens on to one or two shows? If Vox has the vocal chops, why shouldn’t she showcase it on Idol? And Ian e plans to make a career doing it in drag, why not be IN drag? It is a niche. This writer needs to lighten up, get his facts right and learn to be supportive of those with talent.