The UK-version of RuPaul’s Drag Race recently put out a casting call for members of the Pit Crew, the show’s hunky helpers who basically stand around in underwear holding things.
The casting call asks for “fit and attractive males aged 18-35” who “must be over 6ft have no tattoos and have an athletic and toned physique.” But some online commenters have called their specs a form of “body shaming”?
One commenter on Reddit wrote, “Honestly, we are at least 3-4 seasons overdue for some real body/look diversity in the pit crew.” And they’re right.
Drag Race has long prided itself on displaying a diverse array of talented drag performers, but the show has yet to crown a big-bodied queen and its Pit Crew has long featured muscular, gym bunny, gogo boys types rather than the bears, twinks and average “boy next door” types who stan the show in droves.
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It’s hardly surprising the show would seek younger, taller, muscular men: These bodies have been considered the “traditionally attractive” standard in Western art since the Greek era of 300 BC. And this standard continue to be shoved at viewers through ads for liquor, underwear, travel, hookup apps and gay bars.
And yet, in the modern era, there’s a growing appetite for representation that reflects everyday bodies and embraces the sexiness of actual diversity.
In 2016, the US clothes retailer American Eagle released an ad campaign for underwear featuring men of all shapes and sizes. Its the tagline stated, “The real you is sexy.” People were delighted with its progressive inclusion until the company revealed that it was all just an April Fool’s joke.
Related: Meat magazine’s Instagram page deactivated for being too gay, er, body positive
More recently, online commenters railed against the Australian gay bar Poof Doof’s leaked assignment brief instructing club photographers to exclude skinny boys and “boys with bad skin” to shoot only muscular and handsome men. The club’s managers claimed the brief was seven years old, but their online photos still mostly favor slender or muscular men.
It’s undeniable that unrealistic body images contribute to the higher rates of male eating disorders and body dysmorphia . And since RuPaul’s Drag Race fancies itself as a cutting-edge show, it could also help generate real world change by featuring a more diverse array of sexy, skinny and larger-bodied men in its Pit Crew rather than the same sorts of dudes we’ve literally been seeing for thousands of years.
Elf92
I haven’t seen RuPauls Drag Race in a very longtime. Why are they in their underwear? If the show calls for it I see no problem, but why is it necessary that the Pit Crew be without coveralls. And why would anyone like to fight/argue for that position? Everyone would like to be desired, but it surprises me that its under those conditions. Since when is being ogled a privilege? Those guys probably feel a ‘bit’ uncomfortable and/or are just waiting to make an easy buck off their bodies. Its not a world changing development for them, they are waiting for pay-day. Fighting for a more open and diverse body image in the entertainment industry whether it be modeling, acting etcetera is important, but not under these circumstances. It just seems petty and stems from jealousy with regards to toned or muscled guys.
Bob LaBlah
You would think by now that he would have had a season where the guys were over 50 as well as the girls to show age diversity but I guess that would be asking a bit much. Many of us have held up good over the years and the host of Drag Race isn’t exactly a spring chicken herself.
Elf92
@Bob LaBlah. This is coming from a 26 year old man. It would not be asking too much for the contestants to be over 50 or even the Pit Crew. I understand the frustrations of not being represented in some form, but even I would like to question the intentions behind the outrage of being represented. There are hardly people asking to be represented with you know their clothes on or maybe even having a few lines to start off with. And that will become a problem if it isn’t already.
No, in this case the Pit Crew are just silent barely covered men. What is to argue about? What am about to write is mean, but they are a slab of walking meat. Nothing interesting about them. They are sex objects to ogle. I’m genuinely curious, do they have lines? Do they even speak more than a few sentences? Are they even given the opportunity to speak?
Xzamilloh
The Pit Crew isn’t even necessary anymore, especially with the move to VH1
Xzamilloh
Of course if you’re gonna lay Drag Race’s ish bare, Queerty, how about you update your “body shaming” Saturday lineup
JK 1984
I came here to say this but you beat me to it. The Saturday “let’s steal people’s sexy Instagram photos” list is full of the exact thing they are talking about here.
Occasionally there will be an older guy, but they are almost always still toned and/or muscled up. Pot calling kettle black.
As for drag race, the pit crew this year does have a hairy guy, an Asian and a ginger. That is diversity right lol.
All they do is stand there and be thirst traps for the parched gays out there. Thats why they are all clones/slight variations of one another as that is the “ideal” standard that the largest percentage of guys find attractive.
No one (Ok very few people) want to see an overweight guy standing there in a skimpy thong, overflowing over it and covering it with his stomach. Give me a cute slightly nerdy guy though and I’ll be happy hahaha.
QueerTruth
Necessary? No, I guess not, but neither is icing on a cake but most of us like the sweet a** topping. Lighten up.
Polaro
This PC nonsense has to stop. What the heck went wrong with all you people? Are you just so dumb that you don’t understand the concept of sexy boys in underwear? If you don’t like the show, turn the channel. If you’re a fat slob, yeah, no one wants to see you in underwear and no one wants to date you. Reality is a bitch, and you will lose if you go up against reality. Complaining about it only makes you pathetic and really irritating.
Bob LaBlah
Honey, you sound like a queen who is going to have a hard time growing old, or maturing, shall we say. Miss Ru herself if over fifty and it seems impossible to believe that she has not seen an older guy or an older drag performer worth of recognition. As for whining about anything once again you have me and my comment wrong. I suggested it as a way to show diversity and if advertised right she just might find a new audience or add a lot more viewers. You have to welcome change. Of course no one would want to look at a fat slob but I remember all to well when I lived in NYC a lot of “girls” would be working out in Bally’s up in midtown as though they were still in their twenties hoping they could pass for their late thirties but the reality was they were in their fifties like I was. I remember of few of them from the days of The Mine Shaft (a LOOOOOOONG since closed gay bar down in the meat packing district). They looked good for their age but had a problem accepting that time had moved on. Your comment reads as though you have scratch out a few eyes over the length of time they were on the elliptical machine and various other equipment designed to do nothing but help shape buns.
osote_tex
OMG thank you Elf92. If you don’t watch and support it then move on. If the show wasn’t successful with the people who watch it and want to see it with fit and athletic guys then it wouldn’t be using the same format – they would change it in order to collect their advertising dollars. I’m not sure why it’s okay to chastise the creators for a program that may not even be supported by the trolls who are trying to condemn them.
Elf92
I agree completely with osote_tex and with a tiny bit of what Polaro mentioned. Its based off of truth, although I like me some fat guys if they have an attractive attribute to them, a handsome face and nice flabby tummy for example. I also like them thick and prefer to ogle nerdy/geeky cute guys as well. No one asked why a majority of the viewers whom are “average” themselves isn’t complaining and writing into change this. This is because the average viewers enjoy looking at these men instead of people who resemble their own physical attributes. People like to look at shiny things or symmetrical tight, youthful human beings or any human being within that region. If not youthful, they need to have a tight toned body to compensate for not being youthful. If not a tight toned body, they need to have an attractive face to compensate for not having a tight toned body etc.
niles
It’s really hilarious, bizarre and sad that any and all representations of masculinity in the gay community are now under “attack” by the crazies.
calpoidog
“Body shaming” means intentionally causing an individual feel bad about his/her body for its physical attributes. This article is about a lack of diversity of body types on the show. Queerty writers need to be more precise.
If Queerty really means that you are body shaming simply by ONLY having “hot” guys on a show and that makes guys who aren’t “hot” feel “shammed” then we’re all done for. That’s a ridiculous position because then you are assuming a) an average person watching will feel “shamed” and b) that having only hot guys is intentionally directed at such person with the intent to cause such shame.
“diversity” may be a good idea but you cannot plausibly argue that these shows intend to shame an individual for their body type or even that the average guy will feel any shame.
bonbon
Oh no, someone’s trying to expand the meaning of body shaming now.
Toofie
Lol, trying to create drama over nothing.
fairmountcub
I would ask of Queerty* if they consider their frequent featuring of toned and athletic men to be body shaming. I’ve never seen someone who looks like me (chubby bear) in the *goods section, or the instastud posts; most men posted are young, white, and athletic.
I encourage Queerty* to highlight people of ALL ages, body types, and races. Fat does not equal ugly, but omitting bigger guys from its posts perpetuates that lie.
To quote two of their recent headlines:
“wait, what?”
“hypocrisy now?”
jcoberkrom
It is blatant discrimination to hire someone on their “hotness”. SAD
ncdavid
Drag Race is by far the most liberal, progressive show on television, so I don’t understand why it’s constantly under attack by social justice warriors. There are hundreds of other tv shows out there that they could criticize, so why pick on this one? No one on TV gets more criticism than RuPaul, you would think she’s some kind racist, sexist Trumpian monster. People need to stop bitching that the most liberal show on television isn’t liberal enough, and instead go after all the other networks for all the offensive, annoying garbage they put on the air. People need to realize how amazing it is to have a show like Drag Race on television, a celebration of queerness and creativity and non-conformity. It seems like some social justice warriors won’t be happy until Drag Race is off the air and TV is just a vast wasteland of heterosexual blandness.
Brian
It’s called eye candy. It’s not a new concept.
demonjock
I really wish that “ideal body” would not be a requirement for any of these casting calls. Gay men are a rainbow of hotness. Maybe there should be different guys in charge of making the selections. Let’s be inclusive, guys.
PLAYS WELL WITH OTHERS
They are seeking applicants for a specific job. The list the requirements for the job. If you are not qualified you have no right to cry like a bitch or make accusations about “body shaming”. So sick and tired of people who are not qualified for something crying because people point that out to them..
I think being a brain surgeon may be cool. However I am not qualified. End of story.