Dandyism from a Perspective of Gender Performativity Theory

Classical dandyism of the Modernity is not only aesthetic but also socio-critical phenomenon that challenges the values of bourgeois society through various practices. The main characteristics of dandyism of XIX century are the cult of personality, the aestheticization of everyday life, the opposition to the crowd, irony and the violation of the standards of gender. This violation was in conflict with the codes of conduct and appearance accepted in the Western society. The thesis that dandyism of the Modernity is a socio-critical phenomenon, which is opposed to bourgeois culture, allows us to hypothesize, which practices of the Late Modernity can be considered as modern dandyism. In this paper we state that drag performance is a variant of modern dandyism, as this phenomenon also performs critical function similar to the one of classical dandyism. The theory of gender performativity by Judith Butler conceptualizes drag performance as a socio-critical phenomenon that demonstrates the conventional nature of existing gender norms.