Priscilla
I both agree and disagree with Robertson's statement. The movie does seem to set up instances where the characters are put in continuously bad positions while on the road. Every character in this film is the epitome of excess of the stereotype they are representing. Thus each obsticle they encounter on the road is more horrible then the next. Robertson claims that the 3 drag queens on the road are always making a "spectacle" of themselves and that is largely why they are targeted. "Being a spectacle, however, also entails being victim to homophobia, as when anti-gay graffiti are spray-painted on their bus in Broken Hill, or when Adam is nearly gay-bashed in Coober Pedy" (Roberston 277). In a way, all the other characters too, like Shirely, and Bob's wife, were making spectacles of themselves, this contributes to their excess. I agree with Robertson in the sense that perhaps this was intentional to highlight the uncertainty of the road and make one not want to leave their home.
But then there are also characters like Bob. Bob is a straight man from these seemingly red neck towns and he accepts the 3 drag queens straight away. He helps them, feeds them, joins them, and ultimately falls in love with one of them, all on the road. This is where I tend to disagree with Robertson. For the 3 main characters to find this acceptance on the road, especially when they've encountered nothing but seeming hardships along the way, could be an encouraging factor.
Ultimately though, the characters do get fed-up with the unfair life on the road and want to return home. Bernadette points out that the city (their home) "looks after them." I am not quite sure though that any of the characters found their trip on the road a waste of time. Tick gets his son, who accepts him, Adam gets to fulfill a dream, and Bernadette actually stays to see if she can make it work with Bob. So while they did experience some obsticles that would make some want to never venture off onto the road, they gained some things that seemingly made the trip worth it.