I am sure this article is going to get plenty of shade from those that see drag as disgusting or unnatural, but I am here to tell you why you should be watching what honestly is one of the best reality series on television: RuPaul’s Drag Race.

The reality show, created by drag superstar, RuPaul, follows the trials of a competition between a group of drag queens each season—chosen out of the most talented in the country. Now personally I have never quite been one for reality television. I have never watched "Keeping Up With The Kardashians." I skipped out on "The Bachelor." And unfortunately there are never re-runs of "The Simple Life." Prior to RuPaul’s Drag Race, I found reality television simplistic and procedural.

This show, which originally aired in 2009, is not only hilarious with the behind the scenes humor of caddy men, but also fascinating with the execution of full-blown drag characters. So here are nine reasons to start on why you should watch RuPaul’s Drag Race.

1. The Favorites

The best part of drag race is choosing your queen. Now you’ll have your favorites every season, but a lot of the time every one has the queen that makes them love drag even if they’re not part of it. For me, it’s Adore Delano, who also was on American Idol in the Top 13 as her male self. Every queen has her specialty of singing, dancing, or humor. Some are just killer at makeup. But all of them, as our queen and leader RuPaul says, have to have charisma, uniqueness, nerve, and talent to snatch the role as America’s Next Drag Superstar. Fan favorites to keep your eyes open for are Adore Delano, Bianca Del Rio, Alaska 5000, Jinx Monsoon, and Sharon Needles.

2. The Fans

I have attended the RuPaul concerts so I have seen the fans in real time. They are fiercely obsessed, but honestly that is the best type of fan. The ones that can quote specific lines from all the way back in season two, but still can keep their cool when meeting the queens who tend to appear early to shows and surprise the concert attendees? Those are the best fans. I am attending the upcoming April battle of the season’s tour for the show with the best of the RuPaul queens, and I have friends from England that have already sent me gifts to pass on to their favorites. That's dedication.

3. The Fashion and Makeup

I don’t care what anyone says: drag is an art. Some queens may cheat a little and go for plastic surgery to get more feminine facial features, but the authenticity of a natural queen makes the conversion from man to woman that much more shocking. Just check out this transformation list on Buzzfeed.

4. The Shade

These queens are funny. Keep an eye out for Bianca Del Rio and Latrice Royale for probably the funniest lines of the show. A lot of the women do stand up as part of their act instead of or in addition to the singing and the dancing, so the show is full of plenty of humor. Get ready to open the library, a game where queens are required to “read,” or insult other queens in front of them to embed the sassy aspect of Queendom to the contestants. These women are brutal sometimes. Opening the library is what happens when at least a dozen sassy, gay, and, for the most part, outgoing men are stuck in one room under high amounts of stress. With the humor of the explicit queens, however, beware that this show is not for the innocent of watchers, and I definitely would not watch it with your parents.

5. The Music

While plenty of the queens focus on their personality and humor, others focus on their music career. Adore Delano and Courtney Act are the singing stars of the show, as one made it through American Idol auditions, and the other is an Australian superstar. These two queens, in addition to others with vocal talents, actually release some level of “real” music, but most of the queens just release funny, auto-tuned songs. Either way, I have a secret playlist on Spotify with all of the best drag music, and you can pretty much bet that I am listening to it while I’m at the gym.

6. The Vocabulary

RuPaul has developed her own vocabulary for the show, which any true fan can understand. Some terms are pretty straightforward, while others have to do with inside jokes in the show. There is even a RuPaul dictionary to teach you all the necessary terms. For example you’ll learn what it means to Lip Sync for Your Life, where the bottom two contestants each week must lip sync against each other to maintain a position on the show. You’ll understand that “beating your face” means applying your drag makeup. And you’ll finally realize why everyone is in love with the Pit Crew.

7. The Inspiration

One of the more underrated aspects of RuPaul is the fact that so many of these women have been attacked—both emotionally and physically—for not only being gay, but for pursuing the art of drag. Queens tell story of attacks outside bars, family members that disowned them, suicide attempts, and one queen specifically who is struggling with coming to terms with an HIV diagnosis. A lot of these women have coped with the true horror of prejudice, and that gives a lesson to anyone who sees drag queens and thinks they are disgusting. Watch the show and see what these women have endured and think twice before you write off a queen as unnatural, because it is simply a passion they shouldn’t have to hide to comfort a prejudice.

8. The Impersonations

On a lighter note, a lot of these women find their foundation in impersonations—most often Cher—a goddess to most drag stars. And with the fan-favorite Match Game parody contest on the show where Queens get to play as any women character of their choice and answer questions in that persona, there is plenty of opportunity for them to find their footing in the competition. From Bianca Del Rio’s Judge Judy to Adore Delano’s Anna Nicole Smith to BenDeLaCreme’s Maggie Smith, there is a range of female choices for the queens—some that definitely hit the mark, while others lip sync for their life, trying. Check out this list from Buzzfeed of a ranking of the best impersonations.

9. The Goddess Among Queens

Our leader RuPaul embodies the traits of charisma, uniqueness, nerve, and talent. She essentially singlehandedly finds America's Next Drag Superstar, while upholding a music career of catchy tunes (which I am listening to as I am writing this). In addition, she's honestly an inspiration as you can read in her books, and she has dealt with the prejudice of the drag industry. Also, according to the Queens that have had the blessing of meeting her, she's an honest sweetheart. Essentially, bow down to queen Ru.

Congratulations! You have started your RuPaul education. Now it’s time to watch the eight seasons and realize what half of the world is watching. Watch without prejudice and don’t take the show seriously, and you’ll definitely become a fandom superstar. See you next Tuesday.