Not many Singaporeans may remain unaware of Kumar and his position as an iconic local drag comedian, with Kumar sharing his personal journey in his memoir, From Rags to Drags (3-Monkeys Cafe, 2011). Kumar’s success, in his adoption of drag as part of his performance, reveals the stark contrast between society’s prejudice against sexual and gender minorities and the favourable reception of Kumar’s comedy. Mr Sew Jyh Wee (Lecturer, NUS Centre for Language Studies) states in his article, ‘Watching a Singapore Drag Comedian: A Semiotic Analysis of Kumar in a YouTube Video’ (Archipel, 2017), that Kumar’s combination of drag and comedy makes his gender transgression more palatable to his audience.

The article places Kumar and his popularity as a comedian in opposition to the derogatory phrases used to condemn transgender people in Singapore. Mr Sew observes that rather than distance themselves because of Kumar’s cross-dressing, the audience is more receptive to the social issues raised in his comedic performances. In light of such positive feedback from an audience, Mr Sew points out the significance of drag comedy in increasing social awareness, while also indicating a positive shift towards tolerance and acceptance for cross-dressing media personalities.

Read the article here.