'...and DON'T *bleep* IT UP!' -- the RuPaul's Drag Race thread

I truly wish the tie hadn’t gotten used up last season. That was an absolutely deserved winner but at this point I wanted a crown for a particular one of the other two too.

Juju’s runway look was UHMAZING

Yeah that was beyond next level. Maybe just a crown via popular acclaim?

I'd love to see Juju and Shea do something together. They have really good chemistry and seem genuinely kind and interested in other people. Plus Juju is one of the funniest queens they've ever had.

I teared up when Shea talked about her dad and how proud he would be of his son.

always my fav moment of the season:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0UI2IfC3pws

Aww, poor Juju.

Yeah you can see her heart breaking for a second before she starts clapping.

Canada version is really difficult for me - the contestants are all exciting in different ways and the runways have been incredible. But the judging has been a disaster. I've got a lot of goodwill for Stacey but she isn't doing much and JBC is actively unlikable, while Brooke's unease is palpable and all their collective decisions have been... questionable.

Really happy with the AS5 winner though!

Yeah it's kinda clear not having a real central judge personality for the Canada version is an issue. I can understand Ru not wanting to do more on top of everything else but still. The contestants do make it, though.

Anyway I have to salute tonight's episode of CDR for the lip sync and for introducing me to this:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dildo,_Newfoundland_and_Labrador

Also to Mary Walsh, who was probably the best guest judge so far. Snatch Game was often very good but nobody impersonated a Canadian!

I wish someone had done kd Lang or maybe even Grimes. Or Moira Rose.

But although I had no idea who JoJo is, I thought Lemon killed it and would have won if her Céline hadn't sucked so bad.

JoJo is her own universe.

https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/jojo-siwa-glitter-covered-empire-849071/

Brooke's unease is palpable and all their collective decisions have been... questionable.

Brooke needs to lean into the "those who can't... judge" instead of appearing vaguely apologetic about it all the time.

Lemon is the spit of Andrew Rannells.

New episode from Canada tonight, but also there's this:

https://aux.avclub.com/sasha-velour-previews-nightgowns-forever-talks-digital-1844613173

Last night's Canada episode was pretty good in general but yeah, the judging's getting weirder/worse? Can they just give it to Stacy to handle, maybe?

Next week's the makeover challenge and this is a very interesting thing to learn!

Next week on Canada’s Drag Race!

We are so excited to announce that several newcomers we assisted to safety will participate in the iconic Makeover Challenge on next week's episode of Canada's Drag Race!

Catch us Thursday at 9 EDT on @CraveCanada #CanadasDragRace https://t.co/wSynSPmy9F

— Rainbow Railroad (@RainbowRailroad) August 14, 2020

How awful -- I'd heard she was sick:

https://ew.com/tv/rupauls-drag-race-queen-chi-chi-devayne-dead/

As much as I love seeing Chi Chi perform “And I Am Telling You”, this lip sync to Blondie’s “Call Me” IN FRONT OF DEBBIE HARRY always gives me the most energy pic.twitter.com/0ao46LIoFO

— Punani Dasani (@MicahTheModest) August 20, 2020

I'm so devastated. She was incredibly sweet when I chatted with her out of drag on a street in Toronto after Season 8. A great queen and a great soul gone way too soon. RIP.

On a much less serious (and less consequential note all around), that Vegas Revue series starts tonight:

http://www.vh1.com/shows/rupauls-drag-race-vegas-revue

Surprised they didn't call it the RuVue.

Meantime last night's Canada's Drag Race was simultaneously the best episode and the most annoying judging, which is saying something. They've GOT to revamp for next season. But the makeover guests were fantastic and what a lovely grand prize. (And given I was guessing that Ru might show up at the end of the series I guess we're getting Michelle instead -- that is if next week's episode is the final one.)

I remember reading that Chi Chi was diagnosed with an illness with a very pessimistic diagnosis a few years ago, but can't remember what it was. Was it kidney-related?

It was, yes. She had been put on dialysis last month. A friend in Shreveport knew her through mutual friends and the grief there is profound.

Lovely posts from the Vixen:

When I first saw Chichi on tv it made me believe that one day I could be there too. I first met her as a fan and I burst into tears. She hugged me, then we smoked!😉 We’ve traveled together a lot since then. it’s an honor to call her sister. Zavion will forever be missed.😔 pic.twitter.com/JTK3eRKzVF

— The Vixen (@TheVixensworld) August 20, 2020

I remember making such a big deal about bringing her onstage. I just wanted her to feel the love that so many have for her. She’s incredibly humble & deserves more than the world gave her. I’m glad she’s free from pain. I hope she feels the love today. Rest In Peace sister... pic.twitter.com/NldCB7HevZ

— The Vixen (@TheVixensworld) August 20, 2020

Sclerodermia, which caused her skin to shrink and harden on her body and affected her internal organs. In the worst cases the kidneys give up, which is what happened.
(x-post)

Terrible. What a horrid way to go.

Again, maybe a little light here in contrast -- the new Erasure video from the other week (good song too), with many a familiar face:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A8NqwW0hJ9w

Meantime last night's Canada's Drag Race was simultaneously the best episode and the most annoying judging, which is saying something. They've GOT to revamp for next season. But the makeover guests were fantastic and what a lovely grand prize.

I agree, the episodes are fantastic and the judging keeps making them unsatisfying in the end. There's no way Scarlet should've won the puppet mini challenge and I thought she should have been in the bottom 2 instead of Lemon. The refugees were so amazing and inspiring.

So something I missed from a few weeks ago is that we're getting Drag Race Holland starting next month, on Wow Presents+ so it'll be easy enough to track. (Manila and Latrice will continue the Chop by commenting on that.). Could be fun!

The Vegas Revue series is definitely a bit of a strange bird -- especially coming after the second season of Werq the World, a much different approach. I guess they decided to go all in to Real Housewives approaches for the Vegas stuff! A bit of a weird fillip but sure I'll keep watching it.

Plus looks like we get a doc on the Drag Race UK queens tour, with bonus Alyssa, next month as well:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tzKj8r-wpfA

Oh and season 13 and All Stars 6 confirmed, big surprise, etc:

https://ew.com/tv/rupauls-drag-race-renewed-season-13-all-stars-6/

Whew so that Vegas series really turned messy last night, in a not really interesting way I think. Kinda hope they don't do something like this again, though I have a FEEEELING that whenever Vegas itself comes back in full they'll do an inevitable second series.

Also Canada's Drag Race ended on a solid enough note! Rita Baga a more consistent winner for me frankly but no problems with Priyanka. Kinda liked how they just had a combination reunion episode/grand finale in studio, felt more right, really.

Revelation for me these last couple of days -- I finally am getting around to watching Drag Race Thailand (for some reasons WOW Presents + just has season 2 now?) and honestly this may be my actual favorite *format* of the whole shebang. Only four episodes in but the big difference is -- so far at least but I can't see them changing too much -- they pretty much throw aside any kind of 'let's create an emotional moment/talk about how society doesn't understand' discussions, whether honest or shaped by a production team, so none of the therapy, in brief. I'm not going to speculate on the reasons why, having zilch expertise on Thai culture, expectations, etc. and what an audience in general expects in turn, but the resultant focus of the episodes is on the competition as such, with occasional little background comments here and there but mostly on a sharp but still somehow good-spirited back and forth in the confessional edits and in the Werk Room (which is really nicely designed in turn, and I like what they do with the changing screens, the little miniature stage, etc.). There's a lot of nuances I'm sure I'm missing, I'll add, and there are occasional comments that reflect this -- it could well be things are being said/conveyed in ways that a non-Thai audience just won't get or understand the full impact of. Also the two main hosts/judges are very entertaining, and the judging itself is noticeably different as well -- no 'say nice/witty things initially, then talk/critique on the return,' more just straight up reactions positive and negative right in the moment and then a summary when they're all back out. Yeah it's reality TV, expectations, etc, but really it almost feels like a breath of fresh air in general.

None of them would have made a bad winner but I'm still in disbelief that neither Lemon nor Jimbo made the final. The judging on this was really bad - not just the decisions but the critiques they were based on were not following any internal logic, people were getting praised for real weaknesses and sent home for minor quibbles. Priyanka having a TV background really helped her - she obviously knew how to play the game and ensure she got good screen time with a fairly neutral edit.

Yeah, built in advantage. And if they had Scarlett Bobo out, Lemon and Jimbo in and then made a final decision from those four, that would have been solid enough.

More thoughts on Drag Race Holland soon -- been pretty good, I thought! -- but notable news today that Crystal from Drag Race UK has just filed a libel suit against a truly horrible man, Laurence Fox.

Here we go. pic.twitter.com/jLE2jTOdOn

— Crystal | Black Lives Matter (@crystalwillseeu) October 6, 2020

iiuc crystal just posted a screenshot, the statement is from simon blake, a deputy chair of stonewall UK:
https://www.pinknews.co.uk/2020/10/05/laurence-fox-stonewall-simon-blake-defamation-lawsuit-sainsburys-paedophile-twitter/

I never did follow up on Drag Race Holland, it was pretty great, and if Envy Peru was essentially the obvious person to beat after a certain point, it was pretty clear why. (The combo with her mom was amazing.)

Meantime we have things coming up on individual levels -- Jinkx/Ben Dela Creme holiday special tomorrow:

https://www.jinkxanddela.com/

And a big ol' New Years thing:

https://sessionslive.com/NewYearsQueens

I have to say DRH was a bit frustrating to me. Kicking off Sedergine after her 1st misstep, keeping Abby OMG again and again for no apparent reason, and really subpar LSFYLs. I did enjoy a lot of the looks though.

Season 13 cast ruveal: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZJRlvMURe_0

IT BEGINS (again!)

On the podcast front, the Trixie/Katya empire now having one has been kinda great precisely because they don't replicate Unnhhh (to be fair, how could they) and keep the general focus on their guests when they have them. Smart!

Did they shoot in a bubble for this season?

Presumably. Anyway, here's an intro playlist for the UK Season 2 contestants:

http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLhgFEi9aNUb0MTbw-MzfVJtYVa1EedJeg

Good lord it's all about to get busy again -- US season starts tomorrow, UK in two weeks' time.

I should also say that Trixie/Katya are owning the week again -- first, amazing podcast episode this week with Violet Chachki

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6FTDLQJEGkY

LOTS of behind the scenes stuff from Drag Race itself as well as a not-surprising vent about kids at drag shows.

Meanwhile also this insane treat from their Netflix promo series.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VxCC6a-POGI

Well that was an interesting start to things!

RuPaul’s Stanford Prison Experiment

— Rahul Kothari (@rahkothari) January 2, 2021

lmao

Trixie said on the aftershow that it was the first time in a first ep that she felt like she got to know all the queens, and breaking them down into their mini groups made them easier to root for which i def agree with! usually they’re all a bit of a blur in that first ep with maybe a couple of standouts

Symone & Tamesha have the best confessionals i hope they stick around for a long time

tamesha “i’m the only black girl here so i know you’re not voting me off” YES so great

Denali lipsyncing in the skates i died omg her poor ankles

I did not enjoy this format at all to be honest. It felt so contrived and unnatural "we are going home?" you are clearly not. And I know that this par for the course in the Runiverse but it just seemed scripted in a joyless way.

Also it means that there will be no surprises in the lip-syncs. We've seen who is and isn't good already so there's not going to be any unexpected moments of assassination or anything.

Eh there's enough off-kilterness that I'll allow for nerves (either way! you can be good at something at a moment's notice and still psych yourself out when a moment comes). But as an icebreaker per VG's comments, it was kinda great.

That said, it was probably obvious that the queens had been alerted as to what to expect as a lip-sync possibility for the first episode (SOP, I'm guessing) but that they'd also been paired up on that basis without them knowing -- unless they were alerted they had to prep for all six choices? (I *AM* glad we didn't get the same song over and over.)

Trixie OTM, and it's nice that every girl gets more shine than they would in a more typical first episode, but the result is a LOT of repetition that made the experience feel like a bit of a marathon. Does that make a me a Drag Race tourist (touRUist?)?

I am happy to see so many comedy queens, though, as opposed to having wall-to-wall Instagram girls!

the first episode werk room runway walks + the queens sizing each other up is one of the most fun moments of every season, so i disliked the concept of this episode just based off losing that alone. drag race is certainly not the first or last reality show to take a beloved concept and beat it into the ground and down to the core of the earth (top chef and restaurant wars etc) but this felt overboard even by those standards. some of the manufactured storylines had some tension (rose vs the younger nyc queen) but it was undercut by the fact that we know the stakes are ultimately pretty low. also leading a queen who was cast on the show only to get stage 3 colon cancer and make it all the way back to believe she was going home after 10 mins on set is kinda cruel, again even by the standards of reality tv.

"the pork chop" did make me laugh every time tho so i guess there was that

Elsewhere:

Go Farrah, go! pic.twitter.com/lSqPxhwsVm

— Ξvan Ross Katz (@evanrosskatz) January 3, 2021

tampa logic

I basically echo all of J0rdan's observations. The joy of cacophony and overall muchness replaced by cringe and cruelty. One could argue there's a way to get to know all the queens better out of the gate, but this isn't the way to do it. What did we learn about anyone other than they see a raw deal when they see one?

Also it means that there will be no surprises in the lip-syncs. We've seen who is and isn't good already so there's not going to be any unexpected moments of assassination or anything.

I will say that I think they were edited by and large to make each matchup look too close to call, whether that meant they undercut the assassins' screen time or overplayed the good moments of the Katyas of the group remains to be seen.