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

Has anyone seen the Thai version? I really should

I feel like instead of maxing out the brand with more all stars and more regular seasons they should just air the international versions of the show

yeah the thai version is surpassing the american one at this point

That was a mess -- but a thought provoking mess because it broke certain conventions, and breaking points illustrate the rules of reality tv as a genre.

Reality tv hates ambiguity, and narratively important moments need to demonstrate clear causality. I think that's partly why Mercedes's reticence to talk about her religion feels so frustrating; in a genre where everything needs to be legible, not be forthcoming is undermines audience expectation. And legible causality is also why the fight between Silky and her team doesn't feel rewarding -- we don't really get a chance to hear Silky explain herself (and that's something I noticed in the previous episode, too, where people cut her off before she's done talking), which is then capped off by the non sequitur of her saying that she's ready to lipsync. When people on reality tv fight, we usually want to know who's in the right and who's in the wrong so that we can take a side, but when that's not clear, we're left confused and unresolved.

Sorry for waxing critical, I'd rather think about the above than gay Urkel or budget Aquaria.

Vanjie was awesome though.

Vanjie is such a joy to watch

That lipsync was bananas. In a bad way

i felt bad watching untucked when honey collapses in tears immediately after getting offstage bcuz i was crying laughing watching that lip sync like “damn this show still has it!”

poor honey. that made me tear up

I thought that the script the Britney team came up with was much funnier than any script they've been provided with for an acting challenge in a long time

also I felt that Mercedes reluctance to speak about her religion was more like the beginning of a chapter in her narrative, and over the next few weeks we'lll see a story unfold relating to how her faith affects her

Honey has got to be the most excruciating elimination reaction in the history of the show. I thought she was great and promising and I'm amazed she went home so early???

also otm that the Britney thing was actually funny and not fake hammy RuPaul funny

yeah they did a great job with that!

Vanjie deserves the win. I don’t care what her runway looked like.

i love how open Vanjie is, like she just seems born to improv. and her cutaways are always hysterical.

i love that Ru puts a real fine point on it: this challenge is designed to see of you can put on a show. And Nina definitely lighted the way for her group. Love seeing her rise up finally.

Hands up anyone else who just fast-forwarded through the Rusical to get to the runway and commentary? I just hate those things.

They're getting worse

it was weird af as always

Silky’s Oprah was everything though. EVERYTHING.

and I couldve watched a whole episode of choreo rehearsal.

Raja
I AM A DANCER I CAN DANCE ALL THE DANCES
to
i danced 15 years ago
to
i knew a dancer
to
i saw Step Up briefly when i walked past a tv display in Best Buy one time

I was convinced the RPDR subreddit would be echoing the twitter reaction I've seen to Joel McHale's guest judge stint but, surprisingly, it's the opposite. That or they're all just thirsty bitches.

Whatever, I thought it was amusing (after initially hating it).

I appreciate full on straight bro positivity just dropped into the usual mix for hilarious purposes.

and I couldve watched a whole episode of choreo rehearsal.

Lord Rajah was hilarious. Looks only get you so far...

The main challenge was middling, but that's in the context of the last X seasons with limp scripted challenges.

also I felt that Mercedes reluctance to speak about her religion was more like the beginning of a chapter in her narrative, and over the next few weeks we'lll see a story unfold relating to how her faith affects her

This was OTM even before this episode! Wanted to call that out. I'm not really enjoying the season so I'm a little reluctant to give it the benefit of the doubt.

Also, Yvie is like a mix of Naomi Smalls and the Vixen.

i enjoyed the rusical but maybe i'm so terrified by the idea of learning choreography that i'm always impressed by the final number

Also, Yvie is like a mix of Naomi Smalls and the Vixen.

― LEOPLOD BLOOMPS (Leee), Monday, March 25, 2019 6:22 PM (two hours ago) Bookmark

i like yvie... her runway looks are novel and editorial but not amateurish. she'll come up w some amazing stuff once she has drag race money. but i do agree that one thing that grates about the show now is that you can really see the machine that connects the show to the cottage industry that has sprouted up around it. so when michelle visage says "no one is doing what yvie oddly is doing right now" i think "well that's a patently ridiculous even if you only know drag queens who have been on drag race." that having been said it *is* the type of thing that you would air on television if say you also have a year round worldwide traveling brigade of drag queens to constantly promote and refresh. in the second episode when ru was chastising the losing group for doing so poorly, she said "we're looking to see if you can host a show"... of course what she didn't say but should've said was "we're looking to see if you can host a show... for us"

"you can really see the machine that connects the show to the cottage industry that has sprouted up around it"

i mean tot say that you can see this machine working in real time now

I thought this main challenge was one of the best turnouts all around, well-written and well-done by all participants. Brook Lynn is far and away the front-runner here imo and I'm head-over-heels in love with Vanjie and Silky. Rajah is an assassin, btw, that was amazing

There’s a running theme of male vocalists yielding astonishing LSFYL moments, tho this and Peppermint’s “Macho Man” are the only ones coming to mind rn

Brook Lynn is boring so far. In any other season she'd be mid-pack.

I just thought of a great drag name but you have to be Chinese to appreciate it: Tanya Bing (which puns on diabetes in Mandarin).

That was a tepid, dull ball episode. Seriously, have NONE of these queens lived through a Halloween?

Kinda loved that by far the scariest thing in the whole episode was Silky and Nina locking lips.

god some of those looks, jesus
seriously loled my head off at Scarlet. that Fire Island witch like girl wtf are you doing. and her leigh bowery gimp from the black lagoon. rofl

and these references they are coming with.
what the fuck.
“Giving you charlize theron from snow white and the huntsman” like girl no-one saw that stupidass fucking movie. cmon watch a movie more than 10 years old

33 looks was far too many, this challenge definitely could have waited til there were fewer contestants

also Vanjie is cracking me up, every time there's a bit where they cheer collectively you can hear her voice over everyone else's and I find it hilarious whenever it happens

This episode made me miss dance. ;-;

Untucked was the nicest and sweetest its been in a while. I couldn't track what was going down with Wig-gate but the other stuff was a nice break from the amped up drama.

I enjoyed the episode a lot!

Have seen fan comments on insta etc that Scarlet was robbed but anyone who knows Ru and the show knows that Raja had it in the bag. she lipsynced like she meant it, you could see it in her face. Glitter & scissors & gimmicks only go so far.

I need all the uncut footage of Vanjie & Brooklyn’s choreo, they were SO good

oh and how awesome was the Love Connie mini challenge?!?

Yeah that was a treat and a half.

We seem to finally be getting past the chaff stage here. It's felt longer than it has in a while.

Also, emotional/sensitive Vanjie! Never would have predicted THAT.

Glitter & scissors & gimmicks only go so far.

Rose petals are pretty effective though!

yes but Sasha gave emotion WITH gimmick, she was not a onetrick pony. and obv operating on a higher level than scarlet anyway

evie oddly’s whole story this week was really moving, def puts chronic pain into perspective when she just has adjusted to life going through her days at a constant 5 pain level. and the fact that she chose drag as a career, which is like varying forms of physical pain for ppl without chronic conditions! like, damn. respect.

i loved the dolls talking her through her blunt/unhelpful “advice giving” in Untucked without turning it into a dramatic screaming match.

also can i say i am really enjoying Akiria. her cutaways are so dry & hilarious.

I love all these queens

I am tired or Michelle telling Asian queens that they lack personality, Plastique is so so so good

yeah and there's a very defined idea of what "personality" means in the context of drag race i.e. complete over the topness. or for instance that "personality" includes a certain base level of (often sometimes kind of obscure!) pop culture knowledge which can be an inherent disadvantage for the non-american or non-american born queens.

somehow the show remains great even tho i feel like you can spot which queens have really had their idea of drag "personality" shaped by drag race ahem yvie oddly (who is very good). almost in spite of itself it feels like a lot of the time. but this season has been pretty great.

Yeah I agree, this is one of the strongest seasons I've seen. I wasn't at all excited by the roll-out but I was WRONG these queens are terrific.

Not in the same boat. And I blame the extra half hour. I wouldn’t have wanted that even in season 5 tbh.

Can we talk about Nina? I love that she's doing well, especially since camp queens haven't been doing well for several seasons now.

will she be allowed to go where ginger minge was not ?

Ginge was a pageant queen!

Also, she should've won that season.

Well, Katya should've won that season.

Well, of the top 3 that we got...