Today's drag shows must be a real drag for Shania Twain.
For those unfamiliar with the concept, a typical drag show consists of men dressing up as women, pushing the boundaries of femininity and getting laughs about what they're hiding in those tight dresses as they lip-sync and dance to songs.
But one thing has always bothered me: I've yet to see a performer take on the one and only Shania, the country superstar performing Monday at the Fargodome. Let me explain why this is unforgivable.
One of her biggest hits to date, 1999's "Man! I Feel Like a Woman," became an instant women's empowerment anthem. The lyrics are all about having a good time and breaking the rules - "The best thing about being a woman is the prerogative to have a little fun," she says several times.
Read the title literally and it may as well be a drag queen's autobiography. This song has everything a good drag number needs with its danceable tempo, killer hook and abundance of sass.
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Many other artists have produced drag-ready hits. Whitney Houston's "I Wanna Dance With Somebody" is a personal favorite, and we can't forget about Madonna's "Vogue" and Lady Gaga's "Born This Way."
But a 2004 interview with The Advocate shows why her song obviously beats the competition. Here's what the goddess herself said to the LGBT magazine:
"It's something I'm really proud of. A lot of the stuff I do has such a feminine, female perspective, but a powerful one. It's not only girl power, it's gay power. Yeah, it's G power. I think that song really stands for both."
Her 2011 autobiography includes a terrific passage about the then-18-year-old living in Toronto. She meets Sheriff, a "flamboyant guy from Trinidad" who took Shania and her roommates out to gay bars on Friday nights.
She remembers marveling at the artistic and glamorous men, boasting stunning and exaggerated feminine features thanks to plenty of blushes, liners and accessories.
"My fascination with this initial introduction to men transforming themselves into beautiful women likely sowed the seed of inspiration for a song I would write years later: 'Man! I Feel Like a Woman,' " she wrote.
If that isn't enough, Shania has a love for anything leopard print, which means drag queens would have a ton of wardrobe options for this number.
I'm not saying drag queens have never performed this classic - I'm sure they have, somewhere. But the fact I've never seen it happen, while many other performers come up at every show, does suggest the queens have forgotten about the undeniable drag queen bee.
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If you're reading this, Shania, your perfect drag song is still the one for me.
