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

About time for this, I figure! Fifth season premiered yesterday.

condragulations

Quite right!

this show is kind of fascinating in a "gender is all performance!" way - everyone congratulating each other (incl the judges) on how well they achieve some kind of archetypal female-ness

Okay come on, I KNOW I'm not the only person on here watching.

I promise to start now.

Marilyn Monroe should've been in the bottom. She didn't do anything.

Yeah that was an epic flop. I like Ivy well enough but that made me go "Whuh?"

Jinkx, Alaska and Roxy were the best overall, but Jinkx just owned it period.

I like Ivy too and I think she was lucky she didn't have to lipsynch against Lineysha. I didn't expect her to do so well (but her Celia Cruz was unforgiveable).

Deep clusterfuck, that. Also what WAS Detox thinking.

um hi I just started watching season 5 online having never watched and omg I'm hooked

I'll be caught up in no time :D

Don't forget to watch Untucked, an essential part of this show!

Yeah I just figured that out...gotta love these bitchy girls. MORE drag homework? *twists arm*

Very good. Join us, join us...

Shanté, you stay!

Season 2 still the best so far, I think.

I just binge-rewatched season 3 over the weekend on Netflix and I might have to vote for that one. Then again I just like Raja a hell of a lot, so.

Yes for Raja and Manila. But the rest, not so interesting. Yara-Sophia maybe...

It actually came down to the right final four I thought, Alexis was a character in her own right. But yeah Yara (Xara?) was next level.

I still haven't seen season four! For some stupid reason it's not on Netflix -- it was for about two seconds and then went away again without explanation. (Already know who won, obv., but I'd like to see it happen.)

Wait what!! Can't you watch it on logo online or something? We can't in Canada but I thought you could in the US.
Season 4 was pretty good, although they tried to create too much unnecessary drama. But I'll let you see by yourself.

You can see the Untucked episodes from season 4 on the site but not the main shows. Since you can buy all the shows from iTunes maybe they want to go that route? Who knows!

Makes sense. If RuPaul had a dollar everytime she mentions iTunes...

Hey, house payments are probably up there. (And I don't begrudge Ru ANY success and trappings.)

I don't either. At least she's very upfront and funny about it.

Fun fact we learned during the All Stars season: Jujubee's real name is actually Airplane!

Hahaha yeah I remember thinking "Wait, what?"

I also love that Manila's real name is the none-more-Minnesota Karl Westerberg.

Lol wow

Almost caught up on S5 now yay!

Every single time Alyssa glams up for the runway all I think is JOAN COLLINS JOAN COLLINS JOAN COLLINS

I don't know why but I think I like Detox. Jinkx is great but I dunno if the unglam thing is going to hold out for her or not. I love her for it, but it could wear thin.

I will say this, have started following her on FB -- win or lose she seems to be having a blast and is booked for other live appearances and things and more this year already, so I like to think of her as winning already!

Meanwhile, it's a little surprising to see such a mostly white group at this point. Not that I think the show is biased, appears to be more luck of the draw season by season in terms of who survives.

that little edie impersonation was fuckin awesome in the last ep. too bad her fashion totally sucks.

I found s2 streaming on Amazon Prime, so yaaaay

Meantime:

http://www.slate.com/blogs/browbeat/2013/02/27/drag_race_grey_gardens_and_jinx_monsoon_why_the_queens_need_camp.html

I do have to quibble with some of the assertions there -- while Sharon's success in 4 is great, in 3 Raja was more than a little disruptive herself -- as was Manila really; if anything Alexis was the one let go at the end precisely for being full pageant.

I haven't watched all the seasons, but I don't get the impression that they are only seeking pageant or necessarily favoring that. And while I noticed the lack of "camp history" in the S5 girls, isn't there an argument that maybe a lot of queens are trying to let go of that, like that cliche of teens not wanting to know about older music? I mean, I'm bummed that they don't know who Little Edie is but maybe when they see Jinkxs win they go find out. And it doesn't mean they're any more terrible for what they don't know of their history. If anything, it's kind of fabulous that they all came to that same place *without* it.
I dunno. That article seemed a little too buttclenched.

Related but I think better expressed post, linked off the official site

http://www.newnownext.com/drag-race-jinkx-monsoon-snatch-game-little-edie/02/2013/

Oh and in checking Twitter Alyssa DID apologize to Ms. Perry.

Also this exchange is interesting (notice it's everyone else BUT Jinkx and Michelle who get riled up -- and as Michelle notes, in noting the obvious, there's always editing).

https://twitter.com/JinkxMonsoon/status/306550634079977473

This is better than what they showed on the show:

http://www.newnownext.com/jinkx-monsoon-little-edie-rupauls-drag-race/02/2013/

My Top 5 Snatch Game contestants from all seasons:

1. Sharon Needles as Michelle Visage
2. Pandora Boxx as Carole Channing
3. Tatianna as Britney Spears
4. Jinkx Monsoon as Little Edie
5. Alexis Matteo as Alicia Keys

Only three eps in (S5; no previous exposure to the show). Anyone care to rank the hottest queens out of drag? So far from S5 I'm into Lineysha and, oddly, Ivy.

xpost I just watched the S2 Snatch Game, Pandora's Carol Channing was hysterical, so good.

Lineysha's gorgeous. Ivy's not a crazy answer either, that bone structure really is something else. I was thinking about her terrible Marilyn and found myself wondering why the hell she didn't do Joan Rivers. Eh. Hindsight

Yes she would've been a great Joan Rivers!

Yeah, I know this is probably the exact rongest angle to take on the show, but I'm finding it very interesting navigating my impressions/levels of attraction to certain contestants when they're in drag vs. when they're not in drag.

Alyssa's *almost* attractive but it's like her lips are too big for her and she keeps tripping over them when she talks. Beautiful eyes though.

Coco's blue contacts freak me out. I keep expecting them to shoot lasers

Haha Alyssa looks like Will Arnett in AND out of drag.

Hottest out of drag:

S1: Jade
S2: Tyra, Raven
S3: Raja, Carmen, Mariah
S4: PhiPhi, Lashauwn
S5: Lineysha

xp otm

Well, actually, in drag he often reminds me of Hugo Weaving.

xpost elmo otm! Defnitely Will Arnett out of drag. In drag as mentioned upthread I just get constant Joan Collins, lol

in other news i realize I somehow completely skipped s16 so i am finally watching that as well <3

the last part of j0rd's post articulating what I've been feeling re: Drag Race for years - increasingly resentful of the show for molding drag into what Ru deems to be drag - and barely allowing any colouring outside the lines (and the one or two queens per season that are allowed outside its narrow definition and confines of what is drag - see the queens j0rd listed - are still predictable in its own way), ofc I'll still watch every season (but not All Stars, I have a limit ffs) but I'm fucking sick of it

when I go out and see drag irl and see creativity that is not on Carson fucking Cressley's radar, it's a balm

i agree with a lot of this but i think certain credit should be given to Ru for openly favouriting queens like Jinx, Yvie, Sasha Velour, Sharon Needles, Willow Pill etc

Yeah, it’s not all pristine glamour, but in the end both points are accurate.

the end of my post isn't necessarily a criticism of the show, tho it certainly could function as one. i remain a fan and loyal viewer of the show, it's just an endlessly watchable format for a TV show, for one, and they still routinely surface thrilling artists and performers. drag race is just so unique in terms of the world its built for itself and how the enterprise interacts w/ the artform/profession that its based on. like, top chef for instance was (is) seen similarly by the food world as a legitimately meaningful competition for chefs to win or even appear in, it's made about as many multimedia careers for chefs as drag race has for drag queens. but you don't hear from chefs out in the real world about how top chef is affecting the food economy, or how it distorts the creative output of the restaurant world. you don't have 21 year old chefs who started cooking two years ago who know all the lore of top chef but have cooked in a restaurant kitchen a dozen times in their life, or maybe never, and who seem to be thinking about their food only thru the prism of what is successful on top chef

survivor is the only show i can think of that is comparable to drag race in terms of this self-sustaining cycle of fans turned contestants who come onto the show and openly talk about all these things that have happened previously on the show, and how their own experience on the show is being filtered thru what happened to previous contestants, often peppered w/ trivia and minutiae that establish the show as this own big little universe unto itself, with a hotly debated hierarchy of popularity and success which is constantly being invoked on air, all further actively cultivated by the show's host, because the lore fuels the passion that sustains the entire endeavor. but survivor has no real world art form w/ its own significant but separate legacy and present day culture that is being permanently altered by what happens on the show, so it's, obviously, a lot less complicated

all that said, i do think the show was better in the earlier seasons, because the lore was less established, and there was less money being poured into the specific act of winning rupaul's drag race. i am wowed by the nymphia winds of the world and think it's sick to see queens handmaking couture level runway outfits in the werkroom, however i always love to see someone like onya who, as i said in my initial post, seems teleported in from a scrappier, less pretentious and more pure version of the show. there is something that triggers for me on an emotional level that most of the newer day contestants just don't hit. willow pill is a mt rushmore drag race queen for me bcuz she embodies it all -- the high concept high fashion club kid runway fantasias but w/ that ragtag underdog i'm just a broke artist from some midsize city about to own this mf stage attitude and verve and worldview that was present in so many of the contestants from the earlier seasons, and which, really, in a general sense, powered the show overall

Yeah, Willow was a real delight of a breakout. And I would enjoy Onya going the distance -- I've said before about how there are good season 'narrators,' who by default go to the end or almost all the way and have a great insight into everything in terms of dynamics and how to talk about them punchily in confessionals. Onya right now seems like she can be a great one, especially since she's approaching it in a more singular fashion rather than interwoven into one scene or lineage or another.

there are good season 'narrators,' who by default go to the end or almost all the way and have a great insight into everything in terms of dynamics and how to talk about them punchily in confessionals

the Asia O'Hara of it all...

drag race is just so unique in terms of the world its built for itself and how the enterprise interacts w/ the artform/profession that its based on

otm, and i don't think one could argue that the show itself is responsible for revitalizing the art and bringing it into the general public awareness - but that came with the inevitable commercialization and all the horrible consequences of it. on the other hand, it also means that the performers get paid and get paid better now, and there is more demand for it (at least i hope it's the case but then we had a Canadian contestant who mentioned getting paid C$37.50 per performance..)

and it should be noted that a lot of this elitism comes from the former contestants themselves, like monet and raven criticizing onya's outfit.

feels like the regional franchises are going through the same transformation and there is more pressure for "glamour"

contestants who come onto the show and openly talk about all these things that have happened previously on the show, and how their own experience on the show is being filtered thru what happened to previous contestants, often peppered w/ trivia and minutiae that establish the show as this own big little universe unto itself

which also feels unique to drag race in that the trashiness of the earlier seasons is openly discussed and celebrated.

feels like the regional franchises are going through the same transformation and there is more pressure for "glamour"

I realize it was partially because they filmed in the Philippines studio for it, but I was a little bummed to lose the distinctly different Drag Race Thailand season 2 werk room for the season 3 one.

I’ve been watching old Fashion Photo RuView eps & can i just say the eps that Violet & Katya hosted together were great & adorable. I love them together.

the Taylor Swift ep is chef’s kiss
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4tj4z5-GxMM

Hahah yeah I should go back to those myself!

Violet should be the next Vogue editor.

Man the one who wasn’t sent home in the end should have fallen through a trap door after confessing not knowing how to sew.

shocked and upset about who went home last night in the US drag race. i was expecting great things and was looking forward to seeing more.
and, considering her drag, for her to go out that way? heartbreaking.

if anybody deserved a second chance, it was her. but no, the production had to waste one on hormona (who better deliver drama now as it's the only reason they kept her)

Onya really sold the hell out of her look. It do take nerve!

bummed for the going home queen. the one who got to stay is a trainwreck and will be run out on a rail soon i hope

Yeah the cast were joking in promos in how Arietty is supposed to be the villain of the season but based on the lip sync — as well as the self-serving whining in Untucked out of the gate! — I know who I’m really getting annoyed with and it sure ain’t Arietty.

Onya absolutely sold it. (More so than the porcelain doll who won.)

Better than expected challenge, well deserving winner and THE RIGHT QUEEN WENT HOME.

.. an episode late

Truth but at least sooner rather than later.

the badonka dunk thing seemed like a potentially entertaining idea but it only works that way if Michelle does get dunked. so now lipsync queens either have to wait for the results while the tank is being set up, or the losing queen has to wait already knowing she will likely go home, which seems a bit cruel. and then as they sashay away they have those levers sticking out in front of them and obscuring the view.

---

speaking of rewatching old Fashion Photo Ruview episodes, don't forget this stone cold classic:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xUtKgqq4epM

Yeah, at least they get a trip to Vegas out of it, but it's not a great way to incorporate the sponsor or see off the departing queens.

didn't expect these two in the bottom considering there are still 12 queens left.
untucked was pretty unhinged!

that speech from suzie in untucked was so good, just fully embodying Ru’s “Unless they paying your bills, pay them bitches no mind”

her and Onya, man - every time another queen cuts eyes & underrates them, they are just inhaling it like MM YES GIVE IT TO ME

its very inspiring

i think Arietty’s runways are gorgeous & impeccable but aside from that i dont really rate her as a performer or anything. She’s only got one setting: plucked. Like quit pouting! You aren’t OWED a win. Jesus christ.

oh and Lydia Butthole slaaaayed that lipsync <3

s17 rise of the booger queens! claim your crown

yeah, definitely taking Butthole more seriously now. still hate her makeup though!

Catching up with everything and phew at all that! Monet and Salina going off in the Pit Stop of course.

Yeah Salina was fun!

I wish Law Roach had time to judge every ball. Funny, useful critiques.

since he wasn't the special guest judge my hope is that he will become a more regular judge, i agree he's often on point but it's also the entertainment factor which he delivers in abundance (i wish judging on drag race would occasionally reach the levels of drama on HBO Legendary). also, Hunter Schafer was delightful!

almost expected a double elimination, the lipsync was pretty atrocious. and talk about sour grapes for the loser!

Agreed, it was a poor lipsync. For a minute I thought it might go the other way because Lana committed the cardinal sin of interfering with the other contestant, even if it was only deliberately standing in front of her.

Yeah I wasn’t sure who was going to get it. But now we know! And yeah, make Law a regular.

Law was great. And yeah that lipsync was a snore.

Asia OHara guested on PitStop for the first time ever & goddamn just make her a regular cohost. Excellence!

agreed. asia certainly didn't hold back when it came to discussing the tarpgate!

i like the pitstop guests who are honest in their critiques.
so many are trying to be diplomatic & its boring. like diya betty the other week was zzzz

xpost yes! and she was right. i wonder it was a producer note to onya, like “dont tell her now, WAIT”
either way it was NAGL to plau dumb when lexi was clearly going through it

i wonder *if

apparently, Jewel shared that the whole thing went on for three hours, and production had to get involved.

we just rewatched that part, and it looks even worse for Onya on second watch. it certainly looks like she had multiple opportunities to confess and apologize (and gotta give kudos to Hormona for calling Onya out), and instead she attacked Lexi - and Lexi again was the bigger person the next day by trying to resolve the bad juju. i wouldn't be surprised if this ends up costing Onya the crown.

lord this snatch game
i’ve barely started watching and ughhhhhh

Yeah it's not as bad as the near-total disaster from a couple of seasons back but it veers close.

yeah it was pretty mid in the end. mostly just a lot of uhhhhh girl what are you doing

arrietty’s cupid baby needs to be buried deep in the earth for a thousand years like nuclear waste. jesus.

I particularly agreed with the recapper (I think it was Vulture?) who said that doing things like Cupid or Miss Bigfoot or whatever has got out of hand. You're supposed to impersonate a celebrity. But I guess in the end the truly important thing is to BE FUNNY, which almost none of these people were. Surely Onya is going to win this whole thing handily?

She definitely seems stronger by the week. (Also, is she the first contestant in a dog's age to react to Ru advice by openly going "ha no," even if in the confessional?) And to be fair to Jewels, her Miss Bigfoot did have some good lines.

i thought for a second we were going to get some mimi im furst shenanigans in the lipsync w crystal and lana

i def underrated onya. she feels like one of the most polished and talented queens to be in the competition in a few seasons. i love how quinta brunson w/o knowing that onya had already done a great rendition of SNL host told her that she wanted to see her host SNL one day. lexi is the only queen anywhere near her level on this cast for me

the elimination this week was particularly absurd, crystal was kinda unmemorable but lana is almost hilariously mediocre to bad at drag race. that snatch game should have been an auto elimination. the lip sync felt equal to me, i suspect the judges kept lana around because she and arietty (who they also kept around) are more socially connected and in the middle of drama. lana may be the drag race nepo baby offering the biggest gap between her and her mother, which has already been called out on the show. kori king is definitely close too -- he seems like a great hang so i get why plane jane wants to be friends, but as drag queens... mama...

also i thought miss bigfoot was hilarious, that was the winner for me

"IT'S BLOOD."

doing things like Cupid or Miss Bigfoot or whatever has got out of hand. You're supposed to impersonate a celebrity.

i think the show long ago hit critical mass in terms of "celebrities who drag queens feel like they can successfully impersonate" and you also have these young queens doing impersonations of influencers, so in the face of all that i actually kinda like when someone brings an imagined celebrity character to snatch game. i'd much rather see something like that than the third rendition of trisha paytas