Fabulous Godmothers and Fairy-Godfairies: Reimagining the Fairy Godmother as Gender-Inclusive

Abstract

The role of the fairy godmother is a traditional archetype in the fairy tale genre, providing guidance and utilising transformative magic to enable the young heroes of the tales to find their happy endings. Shows such as Queer Eye feature LGBT+ people performing quasi-magical makeovers to reveal participants' ‘true selves’ and Pose and RuPaul's Drag Race have raised awareness of drag mothers and other forms of queer mentorship and support. As a result, the role of the fairy godmother is now opening up to include men and non-binary people.

One notable example is Billy Porter's ‘Fabulous Godmother’ in Cinderella (2021) who floats onto the scene, where the script, costuming, and performance underline his presentation as an openly queer character, taking Cinderella under his wing and providing her with the ballgown, chariot, and encouragement to attend the prince's ball. However, the fairy godmother is not simply gender-neutral. She remains a distinctly effeminate figure. Therefore, it remains to be seen whether this figure will eventually open up new forms of masculinity, reify existing images of queer femininity, or whether this diversity is simply a short-lived deviation from the existing trope.

Citation

Heath, M. (2024), "Fabulous Godmothers and Fairy-Godfairies: Reimagining the Fairy Godmother as Gender-Inclusive", Le Clue, N. (Ed.) Gender and the Male Character in 21st Century Fairy Tale Narratives (Emerald Studies in Popular Culture and Gender), Emerald Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 177-185. https://doi.org/10.1108/978-1-83753-788-420241015