A MikuMiku Dance Inquiry: Fandom, Technology, Dance

This study investigates the emerging drag performance scene in Mexico, in the context of globalization and media expansion, particularly following the launch of Drag Race Mexico in 2023. Utilizing Appadurai’s framework of global cultural flows, this article examines how local drag culture navigates, resists, and engages the influence of international media conglomerates and technology that shape evolving queer ideologies. I argue that drag artists leverage media visibility to advance their careers while confronting challenges such as cultural authenticity and financial precarity. Such media visibility is conditioned by the presence of two drag series, La Más Draga and Drag Race Mexico, creating contrasting mediascapes that each intersect uniquely with queer ideology. The findings highlight the complex interplay between local identity and global cultural forces, offering insights into the dynamics of cultural production in the Global South. This paper provides the first extensive study of drag performance in Guadalajara, Mexico, contributing to emerging scholarship on global drag and queer society in Latin America.