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

I'm not really sure HOW often it's happened, but the story of how they switched the song to Yma Sumac just the day Detox and Jinkx had to go head-to-head --
a song Jinkx had done many times before in her routine, when the song (can't recall which now) they were originally told to prepare would easily have been Detox's to lose -- is now Drag Race folklore.

yeah jinx talked about it on the Race Chaser pod

I definitely got the impression that the situation had been manipulated to give someone a graceful exit.

And to keep Utica's upswing storyline intact for at least one more episode.

this was a terrible, terrible episode.

- The machinations of production hands are so obvious. I don't watch Untucked but from the first five minutes of this episode I knew Tamisha and Kandy were going to be bottom two.
- Gottmik's outfit would have been annihilated in previous seasons.
- Olivia's runway dress was really basic too.
- The LSFYL song was not just completely out-of-place for the theme, but blatantly obvious a ruse to keep Kandy in. It was barely minutes after Michelle said that Kandy's drag relies on the persona that "Hit Em Up Style" inhabits.
- The girls not knowing disco that well is fair enough - they're mostly 20-somethings who work full-time to entertain current audiences, I wouldn't expect them to have a deep detailed knowledge of a culture that's now nearly 50 years old. I do think that RuPaul's ability to read the room and adapt with the times is lacking, and I think the show suffers from the narrow parameters of what RuPaul and Michelle think drag must be. That said, it was embarassing watching the queens struggle to fake even a basic knowledge of Diana Ross and Donna Summer.
- I hated that they framed disco as Studio 54 and completely skipped over Paradise Garage, and the part about Disco Sucks being borne of discrimination felt like an afterthought. I know I shouldn't come to this show looking for deep detail and politics but there's a disconnect between how they want to celebrate sisterhood but they don't want to acknowledge class and racism.
- Of course the team who were given the hula hoop to dance with was the team with the member with physical limitations. At least in ANTM when they're being actively cruel to contestants they make everybody do the same level of challenge.

I feel like I'm at the point with this show where I don't really enjoy it but I feel obliged to watch it so I have a clue what anyone I know is talking about.

I think running both the US and UK seasons at the same time — which, networks in two different countries have their own obligations and don’t need to work to stagger them — has ended up making the US one look worse as well. Much as I liked the slow TV start of this season here it’s really starting to feel like there’s just too many people in the room still. Meantime UK started later but is just keeping up a crisp no-nonsense pace and the dynamic between everyone is more fun to hang around with at this point.

I'm only watching the UK version, but from what I've read here, it sounds like the most recent endings of both shows have a marked similarity....?

Weirdly enough there is a connection!

If only

Prior to tonight you were asked to prepare a lip sync performance of “Silent Shout" by The Knife.

— Liam Walds (@LiamWalds) February 6, 2021

Goddammit

Six queens stand before me. Ladies, this is your last chance to impress me and save yourself from elimination. pic.twitter.com/iwNICXj4di

— jay bee (@mexicanpony) February 8, 2021

lol

omg I just caught up with UK!!!

• I love Lawrence tho he's started to grate a bit over the course of 4 eps, boxedjoy otm abt him being able to dish it but not being able to take it. Other faves are Tia Kofi (what a name), Ginny Lemon, and Sister Sister

• Bimini Bon-Boulash's name completely baffles me, I cannot parse it, it's like, bibbidi-bobbidi-boo, but not really, and then also... goulash???

• Joe and Asttina both getting sent home so early is like legitimately shocking, they are both incredibly talented, but I guess EVERYONE is really talented this season, there is not much filler to go around

• Asttina was at once so arrogant and cocky but also like... really kind and warm? It was an unlikely combo and she handled her departure WAY more gracefully than most anyone else as arrogant and cocky as her would.

• The Tia/A'Whora lovefest was truly a delight to watch and it felt so organic and genuine, and A'Whora's vulnerability made me love her so much, I also like how much she reminds me of Adore

• Veronica is weird as shit, have we ever had someone so nerdy and awkward and uptight on RPDR before?

• I was not a fan of Ginny's departure, like why did you come on this show if you hate competitions and didn't want to compete? She said in an interview that she finds the concept of pitting queer ppl against each other to be distasteful, so like girl why bother

I think in the UK there's a much greater atmosphere of really needing the money about the whole enterprise. Ginny might not have wanted to do it, but Ginny's bank manager is certainly going to be happier about it.

The whole Lawrence thing is so weird. I like him, but Ru really does seem to have latched on to that accent in a big way. It's getting uncomfortable at this point.

But they don’t win money in the Uk version, no?

No, but they do massively increase their profile and their chances of getting on other TV shows.

that challenge was the worst in recent memory to me... it seemed like it had good intentions but the choreography was extremely boring. runway was whatever... after the disco performance was such a snooze i didn't mind the lip sync being blu cantrell, at least we knew no one was going to be dancing while pointing into the air. (i wonder if the producers realized this too)

I also just remembered that the show has a history of disco songs yielding ho-hum LYFYL's if not outright double eliminations.

the UK episode tonight really laid bare how important it is to have financial stability if you want to do well in this competition. I hated that outfit as much as Ru did but there was a definite "just don't be poor" vibe to the critiques.

The Gottmik Principle

Which kinda made the inclusion of some actual talk about no money coming in between Bimini and Laurence all the more noticeable!

Yikes what an unpleasant critique, Ru and Michelle were clearly in a terrible mood, like I didn’t think anyone was THAT bad?? I didn’t think Tia’s dress was abysmal?? It all seems particularly rich when they made a whole thing abt Asttina winning in an ASOS jacket, like what the actual fuck

On the funnier side

Can't believe we're top of the charts! I've never topped in my life!

— BIMINI! (@biminibabes) February 12, 2021

This is fake news btw

— BIMINI! (@biminibabes) February 12, 2021

Hmm and umm are going thru my mind.
First, in terms of UK Race - jumping 2 weeks back, to the Who wore it best challenge - am I the only person who thought Laurence Chaney’s padding was deeply off? I kept looking at the hips and seemed lopsided to me so was surprised won for that. Also much preferred Tayce’s look to A’Whora’s (Adore 2.0) who also just looked like Sharon’s Dog Ball look. And more of the looks seem repetitive, even this week’s Tayce look was a better Tempestt naked look.
In re the ‘don’t be poor’ comment I feel yes but – back on s8 US when Michelle read Chi-Chi for her bathing suit look, the untucked footage added some nuance to what was said from main stage. She said no excuse – but did add the go to your sisters and beg and borrow what you need. (Steal not stated but as michelle did use to walk the balls was something more used to ppl doing.)
I think part of what Ru was saying (aside from her comments to Tia Kofi of – well if you had a team of 50 you could look like me) was ‘this is not season 1 of Drag Race when it was a throwaway show on a channel few watched. If you are auditioning to get here after so many seasons, you should know what you are getting yourselves into and as you (UK queens) had an additional 7 months to pause and reset, I will be harsher’ – which seems kinda fair to me?
Overall tho, how do you make it fairer? Some sort of budgetary restriction on what you could bring in seems unrealistic, giving a budget for those who need it seems undefinable and sure producers don’t want to deal with that. A return of more sewing challenges seems fair to even out those who have teams and seriously ppl showing up not knowing how to sew should count against them

I would love to see a return of the sewing challenges too. Even if sometimes queens worked in pairs, with one sewing and one walking, maybe?

For all the harsh words, there's an informality to the way that Ru talks to the UK queens this week. I don't know if it's COVID or because they're kind of not in the same universe as her, but she almost talks to them more like they're equals? Or like they're all in on the same joke? I can't put my finger on it.

seriously ppl showing up not knowing how to sew should count against them

It remains baffling that this always comes up every year without fail!

i suddenly hit a wall on untucked tonight like I love Kandy but my god can she ever shut the fuck up? the whole thing was mostly her or Tina talking ffs. who died & made Kandy fucking UN Ambassador of Drag Race.

v bummed about the loser, i wish it had gone the other way

and I am going to say it bc i dont care anymore.
the winner is lovely & all & her improv was great but i dont think i have been in love with or impressed remotely by a single one of her runway looks

i dont get Kandy being in the top three bc her improv was not good! Rosé could have EASILY been in the top.

yeah kandy’s improve was bad. surprised at them praising it.

I thought Rosé was very funny as well. And Utica was lucky not to be in the lip sync. She was awful in the improv.

Yeah Utica looked so good but just completely overdid her improv

I think the only thing that hindered Rose’s improv was that Denali was basically mirroring her character, and then with La La not finding the groove the balance was off ... but I honestly thought their group was the funniest

I could hardly stand watching Tina. I hate it when an improv-er starts at a hyperactive 10 and has nowhere to go, it’s worse than death.

I'm figuring Snatch Game not next week but the week after, when we're down to eight. (US specifically; UK is already announced as next week.)

Kandy's improv was a total dud for me too. And I'm sure that Olivia is a lovely person, but as a contestant on this show, underdone and unrefined -- I thought her improv was fine enough for safe but top 3 and then winning? Baffling.

I wonder if the idea is to try and make it not seem like Symone is still on the clear track for it all. (That runway look, good lord that was something.)

Yeah I am wondering that too

Is there a Snyder cut that makes Olivia's recent performance explicable? And how did she not get read for her boxer look?

idk how it happens but she did the same hair this week that Kandy had last week lmao

Yeah I thought that too. Olivia is the unintentional (?) leftovers look queen of the season.

They’re setting something up for her via the edit (eg Tina calling her out for being a diva)

Dont get why she doesnt get called out on her lumpy padding & wrinkled clothes. She’s pretty & charming & talented so maybe they let the other stuff slide? but she has a janky rookie vibe to me that i can’t really get with yet

the judges assessment of the challenge was def relative and not objective, like Kandy showed surprising range in being able to pass off a slightly-above-so-so performance w/o resorting to her typical shtick, but she was clearly not one of the top 3 funniest performers. Given the show's penchant for this though I wasn't really all that miffed and thought she did a decent job considering.

Tina and Rose strike me as the type of seasoned queens who come in with lots of talent and skate through the first half of the season but aren't able to display any growth or range or anything.

I feel like at this point things are starting to get a little clearer in terms of who's going to last how long. My guess is that Utica, Elliott, and Kandy will go home next, then maybe Gottmik/Tina/Rose, with the top 3 or 4 being Symone, Olivia, Denali, and then idk... Gottmik? Rose?

I dunno if Denali will go that far

I have a sneaking suspicion she'll be the black horse who turns it tf out but who knows

Symone, Tina and Gotmikk feels like the likely top 3 at this point

Meantime, a joy of course:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z70aJRq9pp0

breakout star

TUESDAY on “Tamron Hall,” one of the breakout stars of “RuPaul's Drag Race” @sherrypienyc booted from the show after being hit with lewd accusations of catfishing men. For the first time Sherry Pie comes clean. Don’t miss it. pic.twitter.com/6OlCViyoSt

— Tamron Hall Show (@TamronHallShow) February 15, 2021

oh dear

Yeah that's garbage.

Not garbage: Trixie/Katya's latest podcast episode, where Priyanka is the guest. Near wall to wall hilarity (and a rude title, which was Priyanka's original drag name idea)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4vbZp-tY1_w

So delayed but I was sad to see yesterday's UK contestant go, one of the better 'season narrators' -- but given who she was up against, no way was said other person leaving!

Meantime I see our own VG has been busy in her secret political life uh wait do I have that right

So last year @RuPaulsDragRace had to move production of Drag Race Down Under to NZ. Turns out the NSW Govt. did NOTHING to keep production in Sydney! For shame! #dragrace #rupaul #dragracedownunder #NSW #nswpol pic.twitter.com/I58co4IwyB

— Rose Jackson (@RoseBJackson) February 17, 2021