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

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 drag he she

Sorry.

Raven from Season 2 was pretty stunning out of drag. Tyra's crooked eyebrow drove me insane, but otherwise: gorgeous.

That Salon article is really kind of awful, though?

"as far as I’m concerned, until the other ladies stop reading each other long enough to read a book" hey wow stfu

shades of Serena ChaCha

yeah the more I think about it the more the condescension in that article really annoys me

xxp Yeah, it was that very same strategy that earned Serena the lowest berth of the Untucked gangpile.

Still, I def agree with the recapper Ned shared, pointing out ignorance alone isn't a NAGL, but having *pride in ignorance* is kthxbye.

there is a grand heritage of cult & camp in gay culture & in drag, but i honestly don't think it's fair to set up grey gardens as some sort of shibboleth of queer culture as so many commenters seem to be doing in their reactions

Interesting tidbit about Honey Mahogany's sequined kaftan-dress

http://sfist.com/2013/02/19/borrowed_kaftan_costs_sfs_only_cont.php

Though honestly anyone saying that the dresses are the only reason she went home are deluuuuuuuusional. She was beautiful but hardly a force of nature performance-wise

oops, spoilers I guess? sorry

older queens are shocked, just SHOCKED that the new generation of gays doesn't share their choice of idols! the Salon article reminded me of this article from last year, in which the writer clutches his pearls and bemoans the waning of judy garland worship

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/06/arts/judy-garland-gay-idol-then-and-over-the-rainbow-now.html

Meh, I wouldn't have had her pegged for the top 5 or anything.

plastique looks great and makes/wears great clothes, but she appears to have suffered a charismectomy or something

i don't dislike gottmikk, but i feel similarly about her- she has great style (and clearly a lot of money) but like, cant lipsync or be interesting aside from creating amazing looks??

also re: people talking about roxxy's "polish": maybe she could polish that godawful makeup imo!!

it's anjeria or bust at this point!!

would also accept vanjie

The Untucked this week is a really fun treat (make sure you catch the main episode first)

Trixie is going on a three month sabbatical, but given the explanation it really makes me wonder if she's ever coming back
this certainly paints the last few pitstops in a slightly different light.. and i guess she won't host the final episode?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j7YgKocz2W4

Oh, I didn't watch the whole thing. I thought it was just a kind of general mental health break. I suppose I better watch to the end.

I mean today’s Pit Stop had her again, I’m sure she’ll do next week — pretaped and all. Let her have her break!

the finale was strangely low key. there were season opening episodes that had more excitement than that.
it was great to have a Kamala cameo though, i wonder when they filmed that!

the result is also not wholly surprising other than Roxy losing her 1st lipsync

yeah it felt like half the episode was boring mirror chat rmde

love the winner <3

the bob & katya pitstop for this ep is hilariously unhinged

bob and katya should just have their own show already

anjeria’s park & bark song was so fucking great & fun! so many of the queens songs are v unmemorable these days

it was great! everybody did pretty well though - feels like they chose the winners based on who they thought would do well in the lipsync

Shannel's runway deserves a special shut out, so great

*shout

yeah that was an incredible look

the bob & katya pitstop for this ep is hilariously unhinged

Truly glorious. A great way to wrap things up!

I won't say Plastique was robbed or anything but if we were talking solely runway looks alone for the whole season then...

Angeria is more of the kind of drag queen that Ru wants. Her performance in the acting challenge w Ru proved that she’s The One

Plastique is huge on Insta and has incredible runways but Ru’s angle is “yes but can she host a drag show in Pacoima”

Oh yeah I have zero problem with Angeria! And her absolutely gobsmacked reaction to realizing she won is amazing:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wayqQ74cEZ4

Vanjie being in the top 3 was v good also, her leotard song was v funny

i loved the non-event of Nina getting double badges or whatever the fuck.

Watching Vanjie's segment in the variety show, though, I realised that her dancing (or stomping, or whatever that particular style is called) doesn't really go anywhere. She keeps signalling that she's going to ramp it up, that a trick is coming any second now, and then she just carries on doing the exact same thing as before, which is somewhere between dancing and walking. I mean, I absolutely love her, but maybe that's why she's just not winning as much as she should be.

I would've given the talent show win to Plastique instead of Vanjie. It was theatrical and epic in such a short amount of time and brought something new until the end. Shannel was also great, but it was hard to get past that outfit and that wig.
Congratulations to Angeria !

love angeria, love vanjie, and so glad roxy lost again <3

Hahah this was actually my fave time with Roxxxy. It may have had something to do with the confessional leather jacket.

time for All Stars Multiple Time Loser Edition
Jujuebee, Roxxxy etc

"this time one of them will finally win!"

Apparently Ginger Minj is coming back in the next All Stars, which is completely ridiculous. It feels like Drag U at this point.

from wikipedia:

As of 2024, Jujubee, Alexis Mateo, and Eureka O'Hara have appeared more than any other contestants on Drag Race, competing on four different seasons each. Several other queens have competed on three seasons, including Shangela (the first to do so), Gia Gunn, Latrice Royale, Manila Luzon, Ginger Minj, Pandora Boxx, Yara Sofia, Mo Heart, Monét X Change, Shea Couleé, Trinity the Tuck, Ra'Jah O'Hara, Silky Nutmeg Ganache, Jimbo, Mayhem Miller, Scarlet Envy, Pakita, Roxxxy Andrews, Shannel, Vanessa Vanjie Mateo, Cheryl Hole, Kennedy Davenport, and Lemon.

i'm fine with Jujubee and Trinity being invited to every season tbh but yeah it's not like they don't have a large pool to choose from

At least Alexis, Jujube and Eureka were on international seasons. Ginger would be on her third regular All Stars.

in recent seasons it has gotten a little Rupaul's Drag Race: Some Stars so i'm not surprised they're inviting people back who have already competed

At least we have Global All-Stars in a couple of weeks (and Philippines back later this week)

Queens worthy of All Stars who have never returned: Victoria Porkchop, Ivy Winters, April Carrion, Kelly Mantle, Miss Fame, Kim Chi, Peppermint, Nina Bonina Brown, Acid Betty, Kameron Michaels, Asia O'Hara, Shuga Cain, Crystal Methyd, Gigi Goode, Jackie Cox, Widow Von Du, Rosé, Denali, Lady Camden, Bosco, Daya Betty, Maddy Morphosis, Kornbread Jeté, Anetra, Luxx Noir London, Mistress Isabelle Brooks, Loosey LaDuca, Irene Dubois. They have a lot to work with.

That's not counting the "banned" queens like Pearl, Max, Courtney Act, The Vixen, Willam, Carmen Carrera, and Delta Work.

Was Pearl actually persona non grata or did she just bow out and retreat to the hills outside LA with her guy? (I mean, worse ways to go.)

She's unwanted since that interview where she talked about Ru saying "Nothing you say matters unless that camera's rolling".

Ha! Well, blaze of glory, then. (Demi-relatedly Race Chasers finally started their long overdue All Stars Season 2 look back and things are definitely said!)

Hey Ned, as the only person I know who keeps up with all the franchises any thoughts on the Global All Stars queens?

Know Alyssa, Kween Kong from Down Under, & Kitty from UK, (I watched Canada but don’t really remember Pythia)

So, thoughts, handicaps?

Sorry for the delay, catching up with other things!

In terms of down the line thoughts, I'm not going to get totally exhaustive but it's a good overall bunch (though Willam on Race Chasers has been saying this wasn't the originally planned lineup and that a restart was done at some point, though it sounds like it was to get Alyssa in, perhaps). The introductions (for a non-WOW Presents Plus audience) for each of them across the two opening episodes helped me as a 'oh yeah, that queen' reminder, especially with the confessional looks. If I had to say who else to keep an eye out on (the ones you named all have distinct strengths), then definitely Miranda Lebrão, Gala Varo, Eve La Queen and particularly Soa de Muse, with Vanity Vain bubbling under (the talent show/lip sync moves alone in the second episode shows that much!). That said they're all good -- nearly everyone made to the finals of their individual seasons, so it's not like they're busted or anything -- but since it's essentially a big reset putting a bunch of people together without much direct history and each with some experience already under their belt with the format, it's almost anyone's game aside from Alyssa pretty obviously being everybody's on-set icon, especially from the younger queens.

see, Ned, this is why i'm hesitant to trust your Kamala prediction :)

Roffle. A fair take! :-D