DJ Kiddy Smile criticizes a Drag Race candidate on France 2. © SADAKA EDMOND/SIPA
In the show Drag Race on France 2 on July 12, one of the jurors dressed as a drag queen took on a candidate whom he accused of cultural appropriation. “I find this look quite incredible even if I have to break the mood a little. The braids on the head bother me a little because of a question of cultural appropriation”launched DJ Kiddy Smile. Another juror adds: “for your own good, you have to do it in the best possible way so as not to offend certain people.” A remark that the candidate accepts. “I really understand the message about cultural appropriation, I won’t be told twice”he confided.
This is not the first time that Kiddy Smile has been talked about. Indeed, it was this same artist who was invited to perform at the Elysée during the 2018 music festival. This performance caused controversy because he performed with a t-shirt reading: “Son of an immigrant, black and queer.”
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This artist had also taken strong positions before his concert at the Elysée. “I know what the Élysée represents in terms of oppression and history for QPOC / POC (Queer person of color, Editor’s note) and the LGBTQIA+ community as well as the repression of migrants”he had written the day before. “But I firmly believe in the high jacking of the powers in place from the inside and in the creation of discourse where there is no more or none: this invitation to mix in Macron’s temporary home presents itself to me as a opportunity to be able to get my messages across: I, the son of black queer immigrants, will be able to go to the heart of the system and provoke discourse through my presence…”
