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Alan Cumming says that reality TV stars are 'basically drag queens'
The big hair, the big makeup, the DRAMA — Cumming is definitely onto something here.
If you don't have anything nice to say, don't go sit by Allen Cumming.
In an interview with The New Yorker staff writer Emily Nussbaum last week at the 25th Annual New Yorker festival, Cumming shared his thoughts about reality television prior to hosting his own series.
Hosting The Traitors gave Cumming some perspective on the genre, which he was admittedly "a bit judgy" of beforehand. Cumming said, "The thing I don’t like about a lot of those shows is that they laud, and then therefore encourage, bad behavior and lack of kindness."
Cumming then drew parallels between his feelings on reality stars and drag queens, which are more alike in his mind than one might think.
“I mean, I think all these people on these shows are basically like drag queens and I don’t like a mean drag queen," he explained. "I think you don’t have to be a mean drag queen. You can be commanding and you can be a star and you can be fascinating without having to be mean.”
That's what Cumming has loved most about hosting his Emmy award-winning reality series for it's first two seasons (with a third on the way). It's still a reality game show competition at the end of the day, but the culture of the show is one of collaboration. It's competitive, but not mean spirited. It's all a part of the game.
“It makes people have to work together," he said about The Traitors. “Of course, they’re do[ing] terrible things to each other and they’re treacherous, but it’s not — it’s about the game aspect rather than just being, you know, a meanie and just flinging wine at each other and stuff like that.”
Cumming has described hosting the murder mystery reality game show as "a complete left field, hilarious turn in [his] life and career," but said he "love[s] it" nonetheless.
Seasons 1 and 2 of The Traitors can be streamed on Peacock. While season 3 has yet to be given a release date, the cast list is stacked, and includes RuPaul's Drag Race Season 8 winner Bob the Drag Queen.
Rowan Ashley Smith has often been described as "a multi-hyphenate about town." He loves work that connects him to his cultures as a gay, Jewish, multiracial trans man. Before breaking into journalism, the best days of his professional life were spent as a summer camp professional, a librarian, and an HIV prevention specialist. His work has been featured in GO Magazine, pride.com, and The Advocate. In what is left of his free time, Rowan enjoys performing stand up comedy, doing the NYT crossword, and spending time with his two partners, two children, and four cats.
Rowan Ashley Smith has often been described as "a multi-hyphenate about town." He loves work that connects him to his cultures as a gay, Jewish, multiracial trans man. Before breaking into journalism, the best days of his professional life were spent as a summer camp professional, a librarian, and an HIV prevention specialist. His work has been featured in GO Magazine, pride.com, and The Advocate. In what is left of his free time, Rowan enjoys performing stand up comedy, doing the NYT crossword, and spending time with his two partners, two children, and four cats.
