“I Am the Drag Whisperer”: Notes from the Front Line of a Cultural Phenomenon

Rosiello offers a first person narrative on the success of RuPaul’s Drag Race (RPDR) as a lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer/questioning (LGBTQ) Marketing Director who created the initial Logo TV viewing parties for the first five seasons of RPDR. He also produced the first five RPDR Tours for Logo TV and Absolut Vodka. This allowed him to witness, first hand, the immediate celebrity experienced by the contestants and offer behind-the-scenes stories and observations of both the show’s stars and their fan base. Rosiello explores the accessibility of the RPDR celebrity as compared to other reality show contestants and winners. His observations made are from an LGBTQ perspective and explains why he proudly earned the title of “Drag Whisperer.”