The Sound Media Delves Into Human Identity and
Self-Discovery With ‘Drag Mother’

Content studio The Sound Media, a division of consumer exploration, brand strategy and product innovation company The Sound, launches its gender-focused channel Blender with the new short documentary film, Drag Mother, Birthing a Drag Queen.

Questioning the nature of human identity while also breaking down the old concepts of gender, Drag Mother features the sincere, heartwarming interaction between The Sound’s Michael Alexander and professional drag queen, Saya Naomi. Hoping to get firsthand perspective on how society views people who don’t conform to gender norms, gain insight into the appeal of dressing up in drag and engender compassion in the process, Alexander decides to undergo his own metamorphosis in the capable hands of Saya, who takes the trainee under her wing and assumes the role of “Drag Mother.”

Shot in various locations around Chicago including Halsted Street in the city’s predominantly gay area known as Boystown, Drag Mother unfolds like the day in the life of a drag queen. Moving seamlessly from shots of Alexander’s drag metamorphosis – which included shaving himself from head to toe and adorning five layers of makeup – to the two subjects’ candid and refreshing one-on-one dialogue, the film eventually presents Alexander in female form as she and her drag mother hit the town and interact with passersby and revelers.

According to Alexander, Drag Mother reflects not only what people like Saya experience everyday, but shows how traditional gender roles and identification have become outmoded among the youth. “It is quite clear that GenEdge and the generation to follow are breaking out of the gender binary norms and choosing to express their gender more fluidly. I think that it’s definitely something Saya touches on and embodies.”

Following the success of its FringeStream channel’s film The Victorians, The Sound Media continues unveiling insightful, revealing tapestries of life across cultural touchpoints and beyond the mainstream, helping brands and companies find an emotional connection to the communities and concerns that will drive the decisions of tomorrow. With Drag Mother, the studio perfectly aligns its content with the gender-blurring themes of the Blender channel.

“We have been living in a very gendered world. Seeing people first as their gender, and then as the person they are,” says The Sound’s Founder & Chief Ideas Officer, Ian Pierpoint. “However, now armed with a new sense and awareness of all things gender, society is beginning to show evidence that we are finally getting it. That we are ready to reconstruct our understanding of gender so it more accurately reflects real human experience.”

To partner with The Sound, contact:
Liam Boyle, VP, Head of Brand Partnerships
liam@thesoundhq.com
312.265.1775

Downloads:

About The Sound Media:

The Sound Media is a division of The Sound, one of the world’s leading global agencies exploring culture, people and brands.

About The Sound:

The Sound is a Global Consumer Exploration, Brand Strategy and Product Innovation agency, applying leading-edge research techniques, technologies and marketing models to solve client brand, marketing, communications and product challenges. We are a team of brand experts, strategic researchers, idea generators and cultural anthropologists based in New York, Chicago, London, Mumbai, Toronto and Vancouver. We provide clients with the insight, inspiration and strategy needed to answer the brand challenges most important to their business all over the world.