RuPaul's Drag Race

SecretMelody17

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Feb 6, 2012
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I know there's a drag queens thread but I wanted to get a thread going specifically for Drag Race.

Have any of you been watching this season? The final is coming up and I'm so stoked!!!!
What team are you?
Personally I'm torn between Asia and Aquaria.

Asia has killed it in performance and runway but equally important to me is that she's been such an excellent role model and ambassador for good on the show. I'd love to see someone with her personal integrity win.

Aquaria has slayed the runway all season long and has also proven to be a truly talented dancer, performer, and (surprisingly) speaker. At the same time, she's so young and has her whole career ahead of her, so I kind of want her to be the runner up just so she can come back for All Stars and give us a whole second season's worth of incredible looks. Then everyone's a winner!

Aquaria's gag-worthy runway looks all together:

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I love you for this!

As far as this season is concerned I'm torn between Aquaria and Eureka (could I get anymore bipolar about it?) With Asia a very close third.

Past favs are Raja. I've worked/interacted with her a few times years back - s/he's an incredible MUA and all around awesome person.

Bianca del Rio - love me some sassy, intelligent, wit. Over the top personality in the best way

Bob the Drag Queen - do I really need to say anything else?

Sharon Needles - intelligent dark humour

Milk - gender bending at its finest

Violet Cachki - modern day Dita
 
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I'm really not as impressed with Eureka or Cameron as I am with Asia and Aquaria. Not to say that they aren't both talented or that I don't enjoy their drag.
Cameron has actually been closest to my personal aesthetic in many of the runway looks, I just don't rank her in the same league as the others.
Eureka had a streak there were it seemed like she could do no wrong, but then she faltered and I felt like she deserved to be eliminated.
Ru did the surprise save, which I felt was undeserved. Still, I have been happy to see how well she's done in the remaining competition.
And I loved the dictionary dress she wore on the last runway, that was brilliant.
 
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Cameron is kind of a sleeper... I feel like she's the most down to earth and the one Id most likely be friends with... but I also feel like she gets in her head too much and that's holding her back
 
I’m unable to authoritatively comment on the current season, as I’ve yet to see it, but I’ll echo the exaltation of Bianca del Rio. Her comedic style was so loud and obnoxious, which I usually can’t stand, but it cohered oddly well with her delivery. She cracked me up!

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I'm quite introverted and tend to be easily irritated by big, loud personalities, so I always have to force myself through the initial cringe-threshold when everyone makes their entrance in the first episode. The first time I watched the show I spent the first five or ten minutes thinking, "oh no.. I'm going to HATE this..." and then by twenty minutes in, I was totally in love. So many of the queens have these flamboyant, showy personas that can be off-putting, but once you get past that initial shock there's always a ton of fascinating layers going on underneath. The contestants on this show are seriously some of the strongest, sharpest, bravest, boldest, most creative and multi-talented humans I have ever seen in my life. Even the contestants that I'm not crazy about or find annoying I still have massive respect for as people and performers.
 
Oh and while we're naming our favorites, for me there can only be one... Jinkx Monsoon.

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Personally I felt that she was a bit dollar store drag A LOT of the time - she got through quite a bit on personality (it ain't a bad thing)... I was really rooting for Alyssa or Alaska that season... having said that she may be the sweetest kindest most charmingly awkward queen to ever grace the dragway and I was genuinely happy at her win.
 
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Did anyone watch the reunion? I don't think I've gotten teary eyed so many times ever much less in the span of an hour. I'll never understand how anyone can be that cruel to their own children.
 
Did anyone watch the reunion? I don't think I've gotten teary eyed so many times ever much less in the span of an hour. I'll never understand how anyone can be that cruel to their own children.

I felt so upset by it, and I went in expecting it to be drama-filled yet light-hearted like the season 9 reunion. This season was really heart wrenching, but I am not sure if it was right for the girls. Dusty and the rest of the girls must know that they are loved world wide now, and although it will never make up for difficult familial relationships, I hope they feel a bit closer to fully healing.

I am rooting for Aquaria and I have been since day 1. All time favourite is Violet Chachki, but I also have soft spots for Miss Fame, Pearl, and Katya. Honourable mentions Alyssa Edwards, Alaska, Adore, Tatianna, Valentina, Aja, Max and the list goes on and on and on.
 
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Just watched it. I really appreciated how this season went into so many personal and (unfortunately) common issues that people in the gay community face today. I'm so grateful that this platform exists so that these stories can be shared, most importantly with the people out there struggling with a similar situation, but also to anybody watching who has just never thought about the gay experience in our culture or at least never had a personal connection to it before. I appreciate also how I can always count on this show to present these stories in a sensitive and compassionate way. It is heart-breaking to hear how many gay children are ostracized or abused by their parents and peers for being gay, but to me this painful reality is ultimately transcended by the image of the Drag Family and gay community being there to accept and understand people as they are, that there are people out there, be they gay or straight, who are happy to embrace love and beauty in all its forms. The promise that there is a tribe out there for you even if you can't find one in whatever town you live in now is so important. I wish these stories weren't so relevant, but as long as they are, I'm glad that we have people like RuPaul to set a gracious and positive example.

I'm not sure where I stand on the issue of The Vixen and her walkout. I was disappointed that she reacted that way but I could also understand why she felt ganged up on. I see where both Asia and RuPaul are coming from. It's true that she needs help and that it's too easy for people to say "nmp" whenever someone is acting out and most in need of our patience and empathy, but I also believe that you can't hold someone's hand and walk them through life. It's clear that the Vixen has a lot of growing up to do and nobody can do that but her.
 
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The time they had to make pancake art and Aquaria was FREAKING OUT because there were too many food groups that don't go together. :lol:
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Pancake’s Labyrinth was robbed though I must say! It was so artistic and endearing, and she didn’t have to eat half the supplies before making it . . .
 
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Just watched it. I really appreciated how this season went into so many personal and (unfortunately) common issues that people in the gay community face today. I'm so grateful that this platform exists so that these stories can be shared, most importantly with the people out there struggling with a similar situation, but also to anybody watching who has just never thought about the gay experience in our culture or at least never had a personal connection to it before. I appreciate also how I can always count on this show to present these stories in a sensitive and compassionate way. It is heart-breaking to hear how many gay children are ostracized or abused by their parents and peers for being gay, but to me this painful reality is ultimately transcended by the image of the Drag Family and gay community being there to accept and understand people as they are, that there are people out there, be they gay or straight, who are happy to embrace love and beauty in all its forms. The promise that there is a tribe out there for you even if you can't find one in whatever town you live in now is so important. I wish these stories weren't so relevant, but as long as they are, I'm glad that we have people like RuPaul to set a gracious and positive example.

I'm not sure where I stand on the issue of The Vixen and her walkout. I was disappointed that she reacted that way but I could also understand why she felt ganged up on. I see where both Asia and RuPaul are coming from. It's true that she needs help and that it's too easy for people to say "nmp" whenever someone is acting out and most in need of our patience and empathy, but I also believe that you can't hold someone's hand and walk them through life. It's clear that the Vixen has a lot of growing up to do and nobody can do that but her.

I felt that the personal stories were also being exploited this season for character arcs and drama this season. Was it just me? I felt so sorry for some of the girls having to relive their trauma when their stories kept being reiterated then dismissed for the production of the show. It felt a bit more mechanical to me this season and I felt that the injection of vulnerability was exploitative rather than a serious way of raising issues this season. Season 9 was similar to me in this sense.
 
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Pancake’s Labyrinth was robbed though I must say! It was so artistic and endearing, and she didn’t have to eat half the supplies before making it . . .
It was a work of utter genius, I agree.

As for the exploitation issue... I hadn't looked at it that way before. I'll have to process it a while longer to know if I agree or not but it's certainly a good point either way.

I haven't seen many other seasons of the show. Just 5, 7, and AS2, so I can't speak as much to how it compares to other seasons. I definitely think the issue of unaccepting or estranged parents has come up at least once in every season, but it's interesting to think that the show could be hamming it up more now.
 
I felt that the personal stories were also being exploited this season for character arcs and drama this season. Was it just me? I felt so sorry for some of the girls having to relive their trauma when their stories kept being reiterated then dismissed for the production of the show. It felt a bit more mechanical to me this season and I felt that the injection of vulnerability was exploitative rather than a serious way of raising issues this season. Season 9 was similar to me in this sense.


It didn't feel exploitive at all to me. I think it's important to get these stories out there. There are so many people sharing the same, or similar, experiences, who may be suffering in silence and without support. I think the girls sharing and speaking out about their own struggles is brave and may provide comfort and strength to others. It also allows us to see beyond the performer to the actual person. Drag can be an armor of sorts. The alter ego, all of the glitter, glam, and fierceness, allows them to act with confidence and provides a sort of protection for the more vulnerable side. It's nice to see that stripped back. I think we're seeing more of it as the seasons progress because Ru etc has done a fantastic job of providing not only a platform but a safe environment to share in. And also because the push for acceptance and LGBTQ rights has really come quite a ways in the last few years. Prior to Dragrace drag queens and drag shows were seen more as a freakshow rather than an art. I feel like DR has been key in changing this.

That's my two cents.
 
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SPOILER ALERT.

Let's talk about the finale.

I was really disappointed with Asia's butterfly gimmick. It obviously didn't work as she'd planned, but even if it had, the idea of having butterflies burst out of your chest is.. kind of gross to me. Her dress would have been beautiful without the weird melon boobies. Maybe just the wrist thing with butterflies in would have been ok, but all of them was too much, not to mention that using living things as part of a costume is obviously questionable from an ethics pov. Also it completely didn't fit the song they were doing. While she was wrapped up in her costume, Cameron was giving us the sexy Janet Jackson dance moves we wanted. I never thought I'd be rooting for her over Asia but by the end of the number I was. I love Asia and I think she's an inspirational queen, but she let a misguided gimmick steal the spotlight from her.

Aquaria on the other hand pulled the gimmicky tricks out of her sleeve the way it's supposed to be done. Not too much, but just a little bit at the right moments to give it an extra wow factor. I thought she killed it in the lip synchs and fully deserved the crown.
 
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It didn't feel exploitive at all to me. I think it's important to get these stories out there. There are so many people sharing the same, or similar, experiences, who may be suffering in silence and without support. I think the girls sharing and speaking out about their own struggles is brave and may provide comfort and strength to others. It also allows us to see beyond the performer to the actual person. Drag can be an armor of sorts. The alter ego, all of the glitter, glam, and fierceness, allows them to act with confidence and provides a sort of protection for the more vulnerable side. It's nice to see that stripped back. I think we're seeing more of it as the seasons progress because Ru etc has done a fantastic job of providing not only a platform but a safe environment to share in. And also because the push for acceptance and LGBTQ rights has really come quite a ways in the last few years. Prior to Dragrace drag queens and drag shows were seen more as a freakshow rather than an art. I feel like DR has been key in changing this.

That's my two cents.

I agree with you in the sense that of course the vulnerability and sharing of stories is important and beneficial to LGBTQ+ communities, however I think now in later seasons it is forced as a means of a story line of a queen ‘overcoming’ her struggles on the reality television show, rather than in the beginning when Ongina for example, organically, bravely, shared her HIV+ status. It’s notable for example with Pearl who was pushed to reveal and reexperience traumatic life stories on the show in which she rightly refused. That’s how I feel it is exploitative, and especially now on this last season with the ‘inner saboteur’ challenge where Ru was living for playing the role of the ‘mother’ and psychologist. It is getting too much for me and was extremely evident in her treatment of the Vixen at the reunion. I totally agreed with Asia on that incident.
 
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SPOILER ALERT.

Let's talk about the finale.

I was really disappointed with Asia's butterfly gimmick. It obviously didn't work as she'd planned, but even if it had, the idea of having butterflies burst out of your chest is.. kind of gross to me. Her dress would have been beautiful without the weird melon boobies. Maybe just the wrist thing with butterflies in would have been ok, but all of them was too much, not to mention that using living things as part of a costume is obviously questionable from an ethics pov. Also it completely didn't fit the song they were doing. While she was wrapped up in her costume, Cameron was giving us the sexy Janet Jackson dance moves we wanted. I never thought I'd be rooting for her over Asia but by the end of the number I was. I love Asia and I think she's an inspirational queen, but she let a misguided gimmick steal the spotlight from her.

Aquaria on the other hand pulled the gimmicky tricks out of her sleeve the way it's supposed to be done. Not too much, but just a little bit at the right moments to give it an extra wow factor. I thought she killed it in the lip synchs and fully deserved the crown.

I rooted for Aquaria from the beginning and actually shed a tear when she won. She is so deserving and her personality shine as bright as her sparklers in that lip synch! I don’t think Eureka even deserved to make it past the semi-final but I am glad that she was shown up in the final regardless. The ‘big girl’ didn’t win this time and I am glad. Eureka should want to win on her own merits and not just because it was “about time a big girl snatched the crown” No one was more deserving than Aquaria and I am glad we are now living in the age of Aquaria, even if it is only for this year :flower:
 
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