The producers of Alicia Menendez Tonight were inspired by what Mom-blogger, Joy Martin-Malone, wrote recently about drag queens being better role models for girls than traditional princesses:
"While the similarities are enough to confuse my toddlers, I couldn’t help the pride swelling inside of me. Mainly because I despise Disney Princesses. Regardless of the amount of money that I’ve pumped into their franchise, I feel that the psychology behind the tiara is a mockery of those values that I swore to instill. Shoving your balls into your pelvic cavity might not make you a real woman, but it doesn’t mean you aren’t a better role model than a Disney Princess."
The notion that women and girls are nothing until they are saved by a rich and handsome young man are not only unrealistic, they can be harmful.
One Catholic all-girls school seems toagree. They're telling would-be-applicants in a new marketing campaign, "Life's not a fairytale," "You're not a princess" and "Don't wait for a prince. Be able to rescue yourself."
Martin-Malone said, "I respect Drag Queens. They are artists. They are able to conceptualize an idea and transform themselves (without the help of magic, I might add). They are risk-takers. They are punk. And Disney Princesses? They are a man-made franchise created to sell cheaply made shit to our daughters. They are a perpetuation of the weak, dumb woman that obediently waits for a man to come along and make her valuable.
You've got to admit, she makes a damn good point. While the idea of a princess is to be fragile and dependent on a man, drag queens are fierce, sassy and pay their own bills.
But how would her theory work our in real life? That's why the #AMTonight team wanted to test our her theory.
Here's what happened when we paired RuPaul's Drag Race Manila Luzon and a young girl for a playdate.
Here are a few behind-the-scenes photos Manila Luzon shared via her Facebook page.
Post by Manila Luzon.
Manila with Joselyn Molina, 10
Post by Manila Luzon.
Manila with Joselyn Molina and #AMTonight producers, Ignacio Torres and Robert Zepeda
And, just for fun, here's a list of five amazing drag queens we love:
Ru Paul
Ongina
Raven
Carmen Carrera
Sharon Needles
Can't get enough of Manila Luzon? Here's a bit more:
We know this isn't a complete list and you're probably screaming out a few that should be here. So, tell us who we're missing in the comments!