Upcoming RuPaul’s Drag Race “Werq the World” live show in Singapore to be “assessed” by IMDA for “content classification”: MCI

The Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) has received the arts entertainment (AE) licence application for the RuPaul’s Drag Race: Werq the World live show – based on the Emmy award-winning reality television series RuPaul’s Drag Race – and will assess the performance in accordance with the AECC, said Minister for Communications and Information S Iswaran on 15 Jan.

Responding to Nee Soon Member of Parliament Lee Bee Wah’s query regarding the Government’s criteria in approving such performances and determining the age limits for such shows, Mr Iswaran noted that similar shows in the past “have generally been classified R18 in view of the mature content”.

“In determining an appropriate rating for an AE, IMDA takes into consideration the overall theme, the content elements, message and impact of the work and its suitability for the different age groups.

IMDA lists four classification ratings for AE – namely General, Advisory, Advisory 16, and Restricted 18 (R18).

“An AE which deals with a more mature theme or content including LGBT content, would be given a higher classification rating,” said Mr Iswaran.

Mr Iswaran emphasised that “content that goes beyond the R18 rating will not be allowed”.

Dr Lee told Channel NewsAsia that she had posed the question regarding the RuPaul’s Drag Race: Werq The World show in Singapore on behalf of residents in her constituency who have allegedly “expressed concerns regarding the content of the show and its appropriateness for children”.

Mr Iswaran told Parliament that any show that is given a rating higher than “General” by IMDA will be issued a “consumer advice to highlight content elements within the AE to enable the public to make an informed decision, as well as guide parents on the suitability of the AE for their children”.

“The rating and consumer advice issued by IMDA for an AE must be reflected in all of its publicity materials and at ticketing booths and event venues,” he added.

RuPaul’s Drag Race: Werq The World will be staged at Kallang Theatre on Saturday (2 Feb), and will feature “Season 10 finalists Asia O’Hara, Eureka O’hara and Kameron Michaels star alongside fan favorites Detox, Kim Chi, Naomi Smalls and Violet Chachki” in “the world’s largest and most elaborate drag production”.