Television has become a staple in American homes. From Daytime Soap operas to promiscuous teen dramas, TV offers an escape that books simply cannot compare to. Mae Jiang, 21’, says, “Sometimes, I watch TV too much, and my mom gets mad at me.” Television places viewers in the midst of the action rather than having them imagine the scene. Every couple of years, a new TV show comes about and brings a breath of fresh air to the monotony of television.
      When Rupaul Charles, professional drag queen hailing all the way from San Diego, revealed his plans to create a competitive drag show, he made history. In a time where LGBTQ+ representation was at an all time low, no one even dared to think of putting drag queens on TV. Rupaul coined the term ‘Drag Race’ and proceeded to open a casting call for drag queens and crew alike. He sought  to create a safe space that would push the limits of creativity, and put the art form of drag on the main stage. Twelve  years later, Rupaul is in his 12th season of drag race, and the cast is looking better than ever. The new season has attracted more fans than ever. Anais Mancini, 20’, exclaims, “I am super excited for the new season of drag race! I can’t wait to see what challenges Ru has in store for those unsuspecting queens.” Having Puerto Rican, Asian, and Black queens, this season is already highly diverse. For people like Sagio Paz, 22’, this is extremely important. He says, “Being a Latino gay man, it makes me extremely happy to see my culture broadcast to a broader audience.” Rupaul themed the season around elections, having the slogan for the season be “I pledge allegiance to the drag,” and dressing the queens in the iconic American red, white, blue. For season 12, Rupaul has invited more famous guests than ever. During the premiere on February 28th, Nicki Minaj herself will be a guest judge. Tune in to drag race at 8PM central on VH1. In the words of mother Ru herself, “Start your engines, and may the best woman win!”