Checking in on RuPaul's Drag Race's latest alumni blackface controversy

Season 7 competitor Pearl has offered up an apology after accusations of blackface this week—but the drama continues to roll

By William Hughes  |  August 11, 2023 | 9:57pm
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Checking in on RuPaul's Drag Race's latest alumni blackface controversy
Former Drag Race competitor Pearl Photo: Jason Kempin/Getty Images for Logo TV

The world of RuPaul’s Drag Race is no stranger to controversy, having weathered any number of cast member-related firestorms over its last 14 years on TV. (Especially when you take the lives and careers of its various alumni, who remain tightly connected to the series even as they continue to pursue their own very public careers, into account.) The latest such battle, for instance, has been centered on season 7 runner-up Pearl, a New York-based queen who recently issued an apology on social media after posting a since-deleted photo of herself on Instagram with darkened skin.

The photo quickly drew ire and accusations of blackface from folks online—including a few other former Drag Race stars, like season 10 competitor The Vixen, who wrote on social media that,

When people carelessly play with blackface and using slurs etc I think the public outrage overshadows the private hurt that we go through. These daily reminders that this world isn’t safe, welcoming or sensitive to our feelings is overwhelming,…White people paint their skin the shade of people who have to defend their skin shade and their surprised they have to defend their choice.

(The Vixen also retweeted an old, and more straightforward, post of hers from 2020, since this just keeps happening: “The Rules of Blackface are simple. DON’T PAINT YOUR FACE BLACK.”) Season 11 competitor Silky Nutmeg Ganache also took a poke at Pearl, referencing an argument that the queen had with series host RuPaul during her season, and posting a screenshot of the since-deleted photo.

As for Pearl, her apology attempted to explain that her intent was not to do blackface, but to portray someone with a “2000's britney-esque tan,” and that

just to be clear, every aspect of the character was inspired by caucasian people, there was no black-influence going on in my mind during the time of conception. but now i see the people that inspired the character are/have been problematic, and by dressing up and parodying as them, i to am contributing to the issue in its own way, something i hadn’t thought of and don’t want to contribute to.

They also wrote, “ i thought the concept of the character would be clear to anyone who saw it, which was ignorant on my part, for which i am sorry.”

This was not, however, the end of it, as fellow Drag Race alum Aquaria, also from season 10, hopped into the comments to provide her own thoughts, noting that, “No shade and not meaning to get into things as I know u don’t mean harm but also u were the color of ur coffee and I’ve never seen a fake tan pumped girl with such a cool and natural undertone across the body.” Which provoked a decidedly less apologetic response from Pearl, who wrote back,

no shade but u might be the last person who needs to weigh in on this — i couldn’t hold a candle to the drama u have gotten yourself into so to see u here projecting is really awkward and twisted. u are nobody to comment on my cosplay when u have been cosplaying me ur whole damn career. to be clear, i do not care what you think about the situation or how i’ve chosen to handle it, my apology is not at all intended for you babe, so just just keep texting your friends about me.

(All other aspects of this story aside: We are starting to suspect that when Drag Race alumni tell each other “no shade,” they may not always be being entirely sincere.)

 
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