RuPaul’s Drag Race USA all seasons.

[alicechallice]

I’m so excited that Drag Race UK, Bake Off and Strictly are all back in the same week!

[oxfordsimon]

Any thoughts about the first episode?

[juicy_but_terribly_drab]

I really enjoyed it, the chemistry of the UK casts are just so much more natural and electric, but as always the judging is questionable and transparently so. I mean they show the queens blatantly talking about it so are they just basically telling the audience "Tough, deal with it!"? How was Charity Kase not in the top (and how were some of those safe queens not in the bottom *cough* Veronica *cough*)? Alhough I read Veronica struggled getting ready in time/getting the budget together after doing S2 and then not working due to covid so I sympathise. It does feel like they kept her out of the bottom because they didn't want to send the returning queen home straight away though.

[oxfordsimon]

Charity Kase is my least favourite. Sure there's a lot of clever costume and intricate make up. But her aesthetic isn't what I find attractive or drag as it interests and excites me. It just doesn't work for me. I can admire the skill and creativity but not enjoy the end result in the slightest.

[juicy_but_terribly_drab]

And that's totally your prerogative as a viewer, her aesthetic isn't one I'm particularly drawn to either though I can definitely appreciate it, but I just think if you're a judge in a drag competition then you have to be open to all drag styles and judge based on how well executed a queen's vision is and I think Charity Kase's was undoubtedly one of the three best efforts on stage.

[Deleted]

For the first time in a very long time, the first queen off is actually someone I would like to see more of and go to see live. Yes the second outfit wasn't great, but i thought Anubis had a great energy and loved the first look. And for someone who is only 19, has a great camp sense of humour. Would have preferred Electra Fence to have gone, and River had a very lucky escape.

I wish they would allow the people lipsynching to change into a different outfit/costume if they wanted to, maybe just a plain catsuit or something, because both those who lost were saddled with costumes that were so impractical, whereas the others had costumes perfect for dance and movement.

Crystal Versace is giving me strong Aquaria vibes, almost like a copycat version of, coming in with the attitude and yes backing it up with some good looks. Aquaria grew on me, lets see if Crystal does.

Charity Kase had some fantastic looks, but unless they can do something else apart from the gore/horror, suspect he should have gone on Dragula instead.

Veronica Green will have to seriously step up her game if she hopes to get much further,

[HereForTheatre]

I found most of they extremely annoying to be quite honest and a good percentage of them had what i would say were "crafty" looks rather than seeming polished. There is something about River that I really like though and you can't deny that Crystal is an extremely polish and put together queen so far. I agree that I would have liked to see a little more of Anubis and was a little surprised that there wasn't a pass for both the bottom queens to next week. You have to admit that Electra absolutely smashed the lip sync though.

[oxfordsimon]

Doesn't deserve a thread now that the season is over but Holland s2 has left me with v mixed feelings.

Vivaldi suffering no penalty for the most blatant cheating is wrong. The producers let off a close collaborator with Fred.

The winner didn't surprise me on the basis of the final lipsync. Glitter like that is hard to beat. But the winner is not a fully rounded queen. Yet the runner up was.

I think Fred needs to go. He isn't capable of appearing fair. Shame.

[BurlyBeaR]

Sept 24, 2021 11:13:28 GMT oxfordsimon said:

Doesn't deserve a thread now that the season is over but Holland s2 has left me with v mixed feelings.

Should we have a “rest of the world” thread for all of the non U.K/U.S/Canada seasons? (I suppose I mean the ones that aren’t broadcast in the U.K)

[oxfordsimon]

Or just one generic DR thread...

[BurlyBeaR]

Might be confusing when seasons are running concurrently in the U.K. and ROW?

[oxfordsimon]

You are probably right. Perhaps it is also time to revisit the idea of a TV or TV and Film section to keep those threads (which can be v active) from dominating the General section

[greeny11]

Nice to see someone I've seen on stage (out of drag) on the show - Nick Collier (Ella Vaday). He was originally going to be in Hairspray and then wasn't in the new cast, which made me think something was up, but wasn't expecting him to turn up on Drag Race. I liked both of Ella's outfits and loved the makeup - I hope Ella goes far.

I personally agreed with the top 2 and bottom 2, and with the lip sync results. I'm not a fan of Charity Kase as that style of drag is not my thing at all.

[cherokee]

Some rather strange judging, I thought. Kitty Scott Claws and Veronica Green both had the most basic looks across the two outfits, I thought. But I can understand they wouldn't want to put Veronica in the Bottom 2 straightaway. She looks like she's in danger of repeating her mistake from last year though - she looked very vulnerable and nervous. I'd say all the other girls exuded more confidence than she did. Which I think is a shame, as she is talented. But she needs to believe in herself more, otherwise she's going to be her own worst enemy yet again.

Scarlett Harlett is very funny, and I liked Choriza May too. Krystal Versace is clearly very impressive as a "looks queen". Victoria Scone is obviously a very accomplished comic performer. I'm still on the fence as to how I feel about her inclusion in a drag competition though. Surely part of it is how convincing you are dressed as a woman. A biological female therefore has a natural advantage. Just feels weird.

[juicy_but_terribly_drab]

Sept 27, 2021 10:41:32 GMT cherokee said:

Some rather strange judging, I thought. Kitty Scott Claws and Veronica Green both had the most basic looks across the two outfits, I thought. But I can understand they wouldn't want to put Veronica in the Bottom 2 straightaway. She looks like she's in danger of repeating her mistake from last year though - she looked very vulnerable and nervous. I'd say all the other girls exuded more confidence than she did. Which I think is a shame, as she is talented. But she needs to believe in herself more, otherwise she's going to be her own worst enemy yet again.

Scarlett Harlett is very funny, and I liked Choriza May too. Krystal Versace is clearly very impressive as a "looks queen". Victoria Scone is obviously a very accomplished comic performer. I'm still on the fence as to how I feel about her inclusion in a drag competition though. Surely part of it is how convincing you are dressed as a woman. A biological female therefore has a natural advantage. Just feels weird.

Drag isn't (and hasn't ever really been) about looking like a woman. If it was then most drag queens are doing a very bad job. It's about exploring gender as a performance, that's why so many drag queens take traditionally feminine traits to the extreme. A cis-woman doesn't suddenly have an advantage just because they have built-in breasts or something, because just look at Victoria Scone; the make-up, the padding, the costuming, the hair etc. is all at the same level that a man would have to do to achieve the intended look. And if we allow trans-women to compete and have no problem with that (as we have done for the majority of the show's run) but not cis-women then that's kind of a double standard and seems to suggest that trans women aren't 'real women' since shouldn't they equally have an advantage as women and therefore not be allowed to compete. It's not like Victoria and other cos women haven't been doing drag for ages either, the show has just given a very narrow view of drag up until now.

[oxfordsimon]

I think most members of the public if asked would say that a drag queen was a man dressing up/performing as a woman.

That is what has been the case in the mainstream in the UK for decades.

So it is understandable when that is the expectation many, many people have when it comes to drag queens.

I think we essentially have three broad categories of drag. Drag Queens where men perform as women. Drag Kings where women perform as men. And Drag where none of the "traditional" rules apply and is, in a way, a form of performance art.

I don't think anyone should be attacked for expressing a preference for any one type/style of drag. And I don't think anyone should seek to diminish those who perform in a category that isn't one they prefer.

We should accept and celebrate the differences that each has to offer and not seek to force people into a uniform view of this form of entertainment.

I like the more Musical Theatre style performers and the older school comedy queens. I have very little interest in look queens who are primarily interested in fashion/Instagram. They just do nothing for me. I can acknowledge the effort and skill they display but not be entertained by it.

There is space for many varieties of drag. But it is wrong to try to force everything and everyone into one definition and far better to celebrate those performers who excite, interest and entertain you.

[drmaplewood]

Apparently, after catching Covid and not being able to return to the second half of season 2, Veronica was given an ultimatum of either - come back for season 3 (filming immediately after the end of S2) or not come back at all. But, she spent what money she had on her S2 looks and wasn’t able to make money during lockdown, so she’s come to this season far less prepared. I hope that she has a good season but it feels quite ominous.

[oxfordsimon]

There is no way that was a fair elimination

The lipsync was not won by the person who got to shantay.

[BurlyBeaR]

Oct 1, 2021 20:52:53 GMT oxfordsimon said:

There is no way that was a fair elimination

The lipsync was not won by the person who got to shantay.

Totally agree.
Also how did Veronica come out in the top two? She looked as rough as houses all the way through and that run way wig??

[oxfordsimon]

After thr rigging of Holland, I had hoped the UK might be fairer. But no.

[Deal J]

Oct 1, 2021 20:52:53 GMT oxfordsimon said:

There is no way that was a fair elimination

The lipsync was not won by the person who got to shantay.

Personally I thought the winner gave much more of a performance of the song, whereas the sashayer was more about the gymnastics.

I think that happens a lot in the many Drag Race franchises - impressive as the gymnastics can be, they aren’t always appropriate for the song.

[oxfordsimon]

Well that was a surprise double

A wig falling off will always ruin your lipsync chances

But was it really a double worthy pair of performances?

[Mark]

GAGGED!
But Ella was great tonight!

[LaLuPone]

What an absolute mess of a season.

[cheesy116]

I never expected the double sashay! It definitely wasn't an amazing lip sync but it wasn't TERRIBLE?