So tired. So snowy. So much Covid. This is going to be super short one. Enjoy!
THOTS
Stick to one theme. This shit was confusing.
Bridal was tough.
Kornbred won the show with her Willow hand-warming interaction.
CHART
Willow is tied for first now with Angeria.
Kornbread and Jorgeous are now tied for 3rd.
Orion is our new power bottom.
PREDICTIONS
Kornbread the Snack Jitay (Preseason: 3, Last Week: 1) =
Angeria Paris VanMichaels (Preseason: 6, Last Week: 8) +1
Jorgeus (Preseason: 5, Last Week: 5) +1
Willow Pill (Preseason: 10, Last Week: 6) +2
Jasmine Kennedie (Preseason: 9, Last Week: 7) +2
Bosco (Preseason: 1, Last Week: 4) -4
Kerri Kolby (Preseason: 2, Last Week: 3) -2
Daya Betty (Preseason: 4, Last Week: 2)
Lady Camden (Preseason: 13, Last Week: 13) +3
Deja Skye (Preseason: 10, Last Week: 11) =
Alyssa Hunter (Preseason: 7, Last Week: 12) =
Maddy Morphosis (Preseason: 11, Last Week: 10) -3
Orion Story (Preseason: 14)
June Jumbalaya (Preseason: 8, Last Week: 9)
Welp the first two weeks are out the window since Orion and Daya are back. And I did not think poor June was going next (will miss her funny interviews).
Maddy and Orion are very obviously on the bubble.
Alyssa might seem like a shocking exit to some- but Puerto Rican fashion queen who hasn’t gotten any shine in the first couple episodes. Ask April Carrion how that shakes out.
The challenge is acting. I think the producers will want to keep Maddy for story a little longer, so this will be an easy episode for them to praise him in. Alyssa could definitely go, but I’d rather it be Orion so I’m going with her.
This week I have done all the frantic teaching through so many sudden student positive Covid results (they’re fine thankfully- don’t worry). I have nothing like Whitney but still pushed this out. Enjoy!
THOTS
This group was fun. I severely underestimated Angeria, who was a true treat and dominated this episode.
There was no evidence at any point that even one of the queens knew anything specific about Alicia Keys, and the same of course was true in reverse. A real come down from the iconic allyship of Lizzo.
Finally, to Maddie. I thought her story focused way too much on “I hope the queens accept me” for my liking. Maddie is no victim- for structural oppression to exist, you have to have an identity that structures don’t privilege. There’s no structure that oppresses white straight men- sorry. You’ll be fine.
Of course, I was also disappointed in Maddie’s CNT talent. As Ru said, there was absolutely no camp or fun to it- which is a huge miss on this show.
Angeria, Jorgeous and Jasmine were all entertaining, but this talent show was definitely a yawn compared to the first group.
CHART
We have our full group finally! Kornbread and Angria are tied for first, June and Deja are tied for last.
Not since Season 4 (Lashauwn Beyond) has someone with a score above zero gone home next once the queens have all gotten their first score (some seasons someone goes home first episode, some nobody goes home in the premiere).
This suggests that Bosco, Kornbread, Willow, Angeria, Jorgeous and Lady Camden are safe this week.
In both previous seasons (6 and 12), that have had split premieres, a queen from group 2 went home first once the queens all combined. This remains true if you count the season 13 losing lipsync queens as a different half group (Kahmora Hall lost her premiere lipsync and then went home first).
So the above all suggests Deja, Jasmine, or Maddie would go home next.
PREDICTIONS
Kornbread the Snack Jitay (Preseason: 3, Last Week: 1) =
Bosco (Preseason: 1, Last Week: 4) +2
Angeria Paris VanMichaels (Preseason: 6, Last Week: 8) +5
Jorgeus (Preseason: 5, Last Week: 5) +1
Kerri Kolby (Preseason: 2, Last Week: 3) -2
Willow Pill (Preseason: 10, Last Week: 6) =
Jasmine Kennedie (Preseason: 9, Last Week: 7) =
June Jumbalaya (Preseason: 8, Last Week: 9) +1
Maddie Morphosis (Preseason: 11, Last Week: 10) +1
Deja Skye (Preseason: 10, Last Week: 11) +1
Alyssa Hunter (Preseason: 7, Last Week: 12) +1
Lady Camden (Preseason: 13, Last Week: 13) +1
Daya Betty (Preseason: 4, Last Week: 2)
Orion Story (Preseason: 14)
As right as I was about Orion is how ncredibly wrong as I was about Daya. I’m sad as she seemed like an innovative queen, but onward we march!
Angeria is much more of a contender than I thought and I believe now will be final 4.
As stated convincingly above, history and stats would suggest Deja, Jasmine or Maddie would go. However, rules are made to be broken and I think instead it will be Lady Camden.
Deja is a seamstress coming off a lipsync win so she could do very well this episode. Jamsine is supposed to be the drama this season, and idk if you’ve heard but Maddie is straight, so I don’t think producers will let either of them go so early.
Lady Camden has had confusing and off-kilter fashion so far which could go very wrong in the ball. Just ask fellow North California queen Rockem Saukra. If the Lady persists, I think the other option to get the chop would be June Jumbalaya.
LIST
Top Past RPDR US Talent Show Performances:
Again, so tired so my list is offered with comment. I give a lot of points for uniqueness (bubbles, painting, dress making for me is more entraining than the burlesque and lip syncing we get every time). #1 is extremely obvious. I couldn’t find clips for a lot of the performances so included related or just random clips instead. Also I didn’t watch Drag Race Holland Season 2 and didn’t like anything in the Drag Race Down Under talent show. So that’s that. Enjoy!
10-Naomi Smalls- Lipsyncing to her song “Pose” (AS4)
9-Scarlett Envy- Bubble Burlesque (couldn’t find a clip so enjoy this instead) (AS6)
8-Latrice Royale- Color Guard (AS4)
7-Mariah Paris Balenciaga-Spoken Word (AS5)
6- Rajah O’Hara- Speed Sewing (AS6)
5-Manila Luzon- Upside Down Painting (AS4)
4-Gia Gunn-Kabuki (AS4)
3-BenDeLaCreme- Burlesque (AS3)
2-Aja- Lipsyncing (AS3)
1-Tatianna- Spoken Word (AS2)
Alright my dears. We love a ball and made it to Friday. Life is…..good. Enjoy and see you next time! Let the music play.
Another week, another full dumpster fire of teaching in Covid. Important: Love Island UK season 3 is no Love Island UK season 5 but is way better than Love Island Australia. With that, enjoy!
THOTS
What a charming and nice premiere! After no one going home until episode 4 last season, it was a well-needed refresh to have someone go home first week, and the half group format allowed us to get to know the queens better than usual. So far this is a quick, funny and comfortable group. Also duh Lizzo is a full treasure.
Kornbread is a treasure. I loved her from the moment she said “I’m excited to eat all y’all’s craft services’. She’s giving my a Bianca Del Rio-esque edit early on (lovable and nurturing shady maternal figure), which obviously is a very good sign.
Kerri was full of lovey soundbites (“I am not a ferret!”), and of course looks stupendous. I think she will be one to watch.
I do worry that she’ll get annoyingly white-privilege quirky, but I did love Willow Pill’s performance. Kornbread described it. It was amazing.
I do feel bad for Orion, and thought she was more impressive than I had expected. I wish her and all 3 of her nipples well.
CHART
No crazy all lip-sync episode throwing off my chart! Huzzah!
Kornbread won. Winners of the season 6 ½ premiere groups (BendelaCreme and Bianca Del Rio) placed 5th and 1st in that season, so Kornbread is on a great track.
June is our bottom at the moment but obviously she wont be there alone after this week’s episode. Denali won the first lipsync for your life last season (after the premiere twist ones) and placed 8th, so being in the first lipsync doesn’t always mean you’re destined for an early exit. We will see!
PREDICTIONS
Kornbread the Snack Jeté (Preseason: 3)
Daya Betty (Preseason: 4)
Kerri Colby (Preseason: 2)
Bosco (Preseason: 1)
Jorgeous (Preseason: 5)
Willow Pill (Preseason: 10)
Jasmine Kennedie (Preseason: 9)
Angeria Paris VanMichaels (Preseason: 6)
June Jambalaya (Preseason: 8)
Maddy Morphosis (Preseason: 11)
DeJa Skye (Preseason: 10)
Alyssa Hunter (Preseason: 7)
Lady Camden (Preseason: 13)
Orion Story (Preseason: 14)
I was right about Orion. Oh my god, stop with the adoring compliments. You’re all too kind.
I’ve dug a bit deeper into interviews and pre-season content and I think my Lady Camden prediction holds up. She isn’t mentioned much by the other queens, and on top of that, I think she has an unclear brand (formal lady but also slutty spice girl?), which doesn’t tend to play out well on Drag Race.
I still think Kornbread is our winner. Out of group 1, Kerri has the next best chance, and Bosco and Willow are way longshots. Unfortunately, I already think June and Alyssa are out of it in terms of the win.
Group 2 of course is still a big mystery! Angeria, Jorgeous, Jasmine and Deja are mentioned most often in the interviews, which could mean they stick around the longest (I could also just mean they have the biggest personalities).
I won’t be shocked if I edit my Daya Betty placement in the coming weeks. She definitely has potential, but she came across as quiet in the first look. We shall see.
LIST: Alicia Keys songs
Finally, I wanted to do a lowkey list and predict the lip-sync song for this week’s guest judge, Alicia Keys. No, I didn’t include Fallen. Obviously it’s one of her best-known songs but I just don’t think it would make a great lip-sync song. Why do I give you so much pleasure, but cause so much pain? I know right. Anyway, here you are!
5- Try Sleeping with a Broken Heart
I can’t see them picking this one and it probably won’t make the best lip-sync for tv with its changes in tempo. I just ADORE this song. Dramatic loneliness is one of my favorite pop troupes and she does it expertly her.
4- Doesn’t Mean Anything
This one isn’t well known so I doubt they’ll use it. That’s a shame because it’s an excellent showcase for Alicia’s overdramatic, multi-syllabic sing-yelling, which would be fun to see the queens portray.
3- You Don’t Know My Name
I’ll die if they do this and include the full spoken word interlude. It’s one of the most random and fantastic things ever in a pop song and would make for amazing tv content.
2- No One
Perhaps her best-known song, this one includes a lot of belting that would have the queens emphatically waving their fists and tipping back their heads. I would not be surprised if this is the one
1-Girl On Fire
Yet, this is the obvious choice. This song basically screams “do cartwheels and death drops in this part” and would play very well. Bonus points if they do the Nicki Minaj rap version.
Alright my dears. Stay safe, stay strong, and happy MAL to my DC queers. Let the music play!
The final 4 of last season (spoiler but I mean- you’re here so to be expected) were Gottmik (1), Kandy (2), Symone (3) and Rosè (6). Joey Jay and Kahmora Hall are of course much higher on this list than they ultimately wond up placing. So, if this season follows suit, the top 4 will some combo of Kornbread, Kerri, Willow, Jorgeous, Maddy and Bosco, while 1 of those would be likely to go early.
.
PRESEASON PREDICTIONS
Finally, the time for predictions. I don’t do any spoilers so these are only based on instagrams, cast photos, and the following video. I hate to admit it but the meet the queens videos were too boring for me to get through so I’m flying blind when it comes to those. Enjoy!
It’s hard to tell in the first look if she’s doing a clueless character or if she is truly clueless. Either way, I think her drag will be a bit too rugged for her to go the distance.
Also bumped her up because she is mentioned as the drama by many queens the superlatives video. We know she must stay long enough to stir things up, but I still think she’ll be an early-ish exit.
She has such a nice presence even in the first look, but she’s giving me very middle of the pack. I don’t know if she has the lewks to go to the finals.
She has a great Instagram and these odds list her first. It’s impossible to know, but it might finally be time for another quirky Seattle queen to win.
Alright my dears. I hope this season brings the best of drags, finger wags and gags. See you next time and let the music play!
What a year what a year. Covid, moving, and a lower back disc issue. And that was juts in the last 6 months! There were fantastic moments too though. I will remember this forever as the year I consumed the masterpiece that is Love Island UK Season 5.
It was an eventful year for Drag Race as well. As the franchise continues to explode in popularity, 9 Drag Race seasons aired in 2021. Find below my ranking of those 9 seasons, my top 20 Drag Race moments of the year, and since my (long past) previous blog was about All Stars 6, I’ve included my wildcard picks for the All Stars 7 cast. So thankful for all of you this year and hope everyone has a gagatronda New Years!
2021 Seasons:
Shameful disclaimer: I did not watch Holland Season 2 or Italy, so they are exempt from my list. I heard Holland 2 had some standout dramatic moments, and Italy was wildly eccentric. Here is my ranking of the other 7 seasons from 2021.
7: Down Under
A mess riddled by past white supremacist tweets, random queens returning, and the unjust early exit of Anita Wigl’it.
6: Canada 2
Charming in its basicness but ended with a painfully boring reunion and a meh finale.
5: Spain
Truly enjoyable and showcased some amazing talent. The judges were fun. The winner was far too obvious which was the only major flaw.
4: UK Season 3
A disappointment after the juggernaut that was UK season 2. Still, this season had some great moments and several thoroughly charming queens.
3: Season 13
Fell into the modern US Drag Race patterns of too many dumb skits, and a way overblown finale. It was also way too long. Still, it was a season full of true all-time best lewk queens and thoughtful and heart-warming social themes.
2: All Stars 6
It was a very low-profile cast compared to other All Stars seasons, but all the queens showed up and showed out. Though there wasn’t lasting payoff, the mid-season lip-sync twist was thoroughly enjoyable. Not perfect by any means, but overall, it was a season full of memorable moments.
1: UK Season 2
Simply amazing. There were surprising eliminations that didn’t leave a bitter taste in the mouth, a cast with some of the most funny and engaging characters we have seen on any season before or after. Truly a season to remember.
Top 20 Moments:
20: Kitty Scott Claws meets Baby Spice (UK 3)
Kitty wasn’t the most polished queen but was thoroughly adorable.
19: Insane skit (Spain)
I could not find a clip of it but Spain had the most insane skit of any Drag Race season this year. The bizarre high school skit included pregnancy, drug use, aliens and a predatory teacher. In lieu of the skit, I’ve included this glamorous rundown of winner Carmen Farala’s outfits.
18: Weird Kimora Amour and Gia Metric Lip-sync (Canada 2)
This bizarre lip-sync would have easily resulted in drama and maybe even disqualification in any other Drag Race city. It was beyond on-brand for the Canada queens to just respond with “that was weird” and move on.
17: Kylie’s fall flip (13)
I wanted Ginger or Rajah to take the All-Stars crown, but Kylie was definitely a fierce and worthy competitor all season long. This fall-flip move was an highlight of the finale.
16: Crystal Versace v. Victoria Scone (UK 3)
These two queens both slayed, though Victoria left far too early- due to spraining her knee in this lip-sync. Crystal was a worthy winner, and Victoria will be a pleasure to watch on season 4.
15: Rajah O’Hara’s comeback (AS 6)
Rajah had a rough go on season 11, where her bitchy attitude easily cast her in the villain role- a dangerous place for a queen of color with Drag Race’s racist fanbase. Rajah came back on All Stars 6 with a keen awareness of the need to revamp her image and she did it splendidly. She was funny, vulnerable and showed off a lot of amazing, self-made lewks.
14: Kimora Hall (13)
Kimora was one of the first sashays in season 13, but she was truly a queen to remember. She had amazing runways, but more memorable was her so bad its stupendous verse in the song “Phenomenon”. Her inability to master the cadence of “I was ROOTING for us” in an early stupid skit was also amazing.
13: Utica’s roast (13)
Speaking of peak cringe. Utica’s roast was one of the meanest and rudest bombs we have ever seen. RuPaul clapping back at her was incredible and it was nice to see the quirky queen oozing with so much white privilege it hurts get her come upponce.
12: Tayce’s memory lip-sync (UK 2)
This song seemed an odd choice for a lip-sync, but Tayce’s beauty and her intensity (and the gothic bloody outfit) made it one of the most iconic lip-syncs of the year.
11: Anita Wigl’it (Down Under)
Giddy energy can often be annoying but in Anita’s case it was infectious. She was by far the funniest queen in Down Under, and her interviews were hilarious. This verse was great.
10: Lawrence Cheney’s confessionals and Bimini Bon Boulash’s later season comeback (UK 2)
Lawrence came out of the gate this season roaring with excessive charm and funny interviews. Bimini came back after the Covid break and slayed every challenge with wit and her own unique charisma. Am I cheating by listing both together? Sure, but it’s my list babes. Both contributed heavily to the season and made for a truly suspenseful finale.
9: Vanity Milan vs. Scarlett Harlett (UK 3)
Vanity Milan struggled in almost every challenge this season. However, she did constantly bring standout lip-syncs. This was the best of all of them, mostly because of Scarlett’s ridiculous outfit and the enthusiasm from Alesha Dixon, the singer of the song.
8: Ella V’Day’s Snatch Game (UK 3)
Ella V’Day was a very basic contestant initially. Her fashion was just ok, as were her performances earlier in the season. However, that started to change with Snatch Game. Her Nigella Lawson was clever and consistent. After that point, Ella went on an epic streak, winning several challenges and holding her own with hilarious interviews, and great banter with Kitty.
7: Pythia’s runways (Canada 2)
Pythia consistently produced lewks that were on their own level in this season. In particular, the outfit with two heads and the one with the horse half were particularly outstanding. She was one of the best queens on the runway this year.
6: Silky Nutmeg Ganache’s lip-syncs (AS 6):
The mid-season twist on All Stars 6 was a lip-sync death match for the eliminated queens, and Silky went on a winning streak that ultimately got her back in the competition. Did she rely way too heavily on props? Of course- but it was fun to finally get to celebrate this intense and energetic queen. The “Barbie Girl” lip-sync, where she lip-synced against herself, was the best of her performances and very funny.
5: Ginger Minj v. Mayhem Miller (AS 6)
Ginger did a great job in All Stars 6, and the highlight for me was this wonderful lip-sync. Some of my favorite lip-syncs are ones that focus on comedy and Ginger played up the lyrics to this great song perfectly.
4: Tia Kofi’s confessionals (UK 2)
Not since Katya has there been a contestant who came in with such a uniquely self-deprecating and fun point of view. This clip below where she makes fun of her own outfit is one of my favorite clips to watch when I need a smile. It was a joy that she made it so far, and so fun to see all of her commentary.
3: Gottmik and Symone’s runways (13)
Both Gottmik and Symone approached almost every runway in season 13 with incredible amounts of creativity, wit and humor. Symone did an outstanding job of creating outfits that were fashionable but also evoked important social messages. Gottmik’s looks were extremely fierce. It was a pleasure to watch them both werq the runways all season.
2: Trinity Bonet v. Laganja Estranja (AS 6)
Trinity holds her own which makes it fun, but Laganja won this from the moment she dropped into a split from the ceiling. It was great to see Laganja return to the series in triumph, and so fun to see all her bendy tricks.
1: UK Hun by The United Kingdolls (UK 2)
The song fires on all cylinders- each verse is silly, engaging and smart. Tayce and Bimini are my favorites but all 4 queens in this song were amazing all season and did great work here.
All Stars 7:
Finally, I’ll just offer this cast list without much comment. I think Tammie and Thorgy would be fun and worthy returnees, and this mix of older and newer, and high profile and less well-known queens would work well. We shall see
To end, please enjoy my favorite RuPaul recap of the year. Kennedy’s thorough reading of Jan was a true joy. Thank you all for a great year and hopefully 2022 will snatch more wigs than ever before. With that, let the music play!
Alright yall. Today’s blog is going to be the quickest and latest ever.. That said, since we last spoke I have moved, immediately entertained a visit from my parents, started work, and had my student open house. It’s been a hell of a week but I’m still standing with all the courage of a queen who pooped onstage and lived to tell about it. Enjoy!
THOTS:
I just adore TKB. Always have and always will. I’m so glad she got this chance to shine and hope she allows herself to be unabashedly proud of how well she did. She was successful- quickly. All the best to her.
CHART:
The game within a game continues to wreak havoc on the chart, but with her return and win Eureka moves into a tie for first with Rajah.
Kylie and Ginger are tied for last.
The spread looks huge but that’s only because for the last two epsidoes if you lost you were a bottom (so rude- bottoms make the world go round and deserve respect).
FINAL PREDICTIONS
Kylie Sonique Love +3
Ra’jah O’Hara +1
Ginger Minj -1
Eureka O’Hara (Preseason Prediction: 5th, Most Recent Prediction: 4th)
Trinity K Bonet (Preseason Prediction: 7th, Most Recent Prediction: 6th)
Pandora Boxx (Preseason Prediction: 12th, Most Recent Prediction: 6th)
Jan (Preseason Prediction: 4th, Most Recent Prediction: 6th)
A’Keria C Davenport (Preseason Prediction: 2nd, Most Recent Prediction: 7th)
Scarlett Envy (Preseason Prediction: 8th, Most Recent Prediction: 9th)
Yara Sofia (Preseason Prediction: 6th, Most Recent Prediction: 7th)
Silky Nutmeg Ganache (Preseason Prediction: 11th, Most Recent Prediction: 10th)
Jiggly Caliente (Preseason Prediction: 3rd, Most Recent Prediction: 3rd)
Serena Cha Cha (Preseason Prediction: 13th, Most Recent Prediction: 13th)
Ok v on brand for this season but I fully got wrong that they would bring back both Silky and Eureka. Super rude to Silky though she did lose the lipsync.
So- here’s my take on the winner. A Eureka win would seem unfair to many fans because she went so long without winning and got kicked off (though she fully missed no challenges). A Ginger win would seem too predictable and boring. A Ra’Jah win is fully possible, but I still think she’s not famous enough. So that leaves Kylie- who has been a solid competitor and steadily built her brand throughout the season.
Kylie would be the first trans winner would be great. We shall see.
LIST
My 5 favorite episodes of the pit stop this season:
Honorable Mention: Bob the Drag Queen- Episode 1
They have great chemistry and come for each other in hilarious ways.
5: Nicole Byer- Episode 11
A true treat always.
4: Peppermint- Episode 6
The fan gag (“it’s not fair”) was amazing.
3: Monique Heart- Episode 4
Cheryl Canning’s name will live in infamy forever. So good.
2: Laganja Estranja- Episode 7
Her high-ness was hilarious, especially when she forgot Trixie was in Kitty Girl.
1: Kennedy Davenport- Episode 5
She came for Jan definitively, hilariously, consistently and even in song. Amazing
Alright my dears thanks for another amazing season and see you on the other side! Let the music play!
Moving TODAY so see below for incredibly quick thots, a shockingly small amount of gifs, a confusing chart update (given the wild game within a game circumstances), some longshot predictions and 2 quick lists. Enjoy!
THOTS
I liked the episode. Was it worth a whole season of buildup? No. Was it more enjoyable to me then the all-lip-sync premiere of season 13? Yep.
Silky did great. I am glad she is getting a redemption, especially after how bravely she spoke out about the fandom’s racism earlier in the season. She gave great banter too (sorry my move show has been Love Island UK season five so some of that vernacular will be crackin on in here love).
It was so weirdly meta to just watch the final 4 watch TV. Kylie seemed most interested in getting drunk, TKB was having none of it, and Ginger and Ra’Jah predictably gave good watch.
CHART
So obviously at this point the show is just trolling my stats system. What I decided to do was follow what I did for the season 13 premiere- for those special lip-syncs I gave each winner +1, and each loser -1.
I explained last week that I give each queen -3 points posthumously for losing a lip-sync. So, I took away 3 for all the returning queens and let the chips (that Silky was snacking on) fall where they may.
Since A’Keria didn’t technically lose, I just left her at the -7 she had after her elimination.
SO, Silky gained +5 which puts her currently at 1, tied with Kylie and Ginger and ahead of TKB.
If Eureka wins the final lip-sync (seems super likely), Silky would have a 0, and Eureka would enter with a score of 1 (the benefits of going out with a high score of 3). If both come back, they’d be right in the mix with everyone, save Ra’Jah who got that huge score boost in episode 9. So, there you go.
PREDICTIONS
Ginger Minj +2
Ra’jah O’Hara =
Kylie Sonique Love -2
Silky Nutmeg Ganache (Preseason Prediction: 11th, Most Recent Prediction: 10th)
Eureka O’Hara (Preseason Prediction: 5th, Most Recent Prediction: 4th)
Trinity K Bonet -2
Pandora Boxx (Preseason Prediction: 12th, Most Recent Prediction: 6th)
Jan (Preseason Prediction: 4th, Most Recent Prediction: 6th)
A’Keria C Davenport (Preseason Prediction: 2nd, Most Recent Prediction: 7th)
Scarlett Envy (Preseason Prediction: 8th, Most Recent Prediction: 9th)
Yara Sofia (Preseason Prediction: 6th, Most Recent Prediction: 7th)
Jiggly Caliente (Preseason Prediction: 3rd, Most Recent Prediction: 3rd)
Serena Cha Cha (Preseason Prediction: 13th, Most Recent Prediction: 13th)
Ok, I could not have been more wrong about A’Keria being the queen to return. Let’s just move on- no need to dwell.
Eureka definitely won that final lip-sync, even though it was a weird one (more on that below). However, though I wouldn’t be shocked if the show just had Eureka come back, I think it’d be so nice if they rewarded Silky’s making of this whole episode by letting her return too- Kandy Muse style (even though she lost the lip-sync). That’s what I’ve gone with for predictions.
The next challenge is basically standup, so you’d think that Ginger will rock it. The rest could go either way, though I think TKB is the most likely to struggle.
Since TKB has been in the bottom the most, I think she could go next. So sad but she’s done amazing.
Complicating it, I’ve heard that there are only 2 more episodes. Would they enter the final episode with a final 5? I think it’s possible- we could knock one off and then have a final 4. But maybe I’m wrong and only Eureka will return. We will see.
LIST
Investigation- Which guest judge was with which lip-sync and thus when was it film?
Guest Judges:
Episode 2- Big Freedia guest judge (Jiggly Caliente went home)
Episode 3- Tia Mowry (Silky Nutmeg Ganache)
Episode 4- Jamal Sims (Yara Sofia)
Episode 5- Aisha Tyler (Scarlett Envy)
Episode 6- Emma Roberts (A’Keria C Davenport)
Episode 7- Zaldy (Jan)
Episode 8- Tina Knowles (Pandora)
Episode 9- Charli XCX (Eureka)
Lip-syncs:
Serena v. Jiggly- Tia Mowry (Episode 3)
Jiggly v. Silky-Jamal Sims (Episode 4)
Silky v. Yara- Aisha Tyler (Episode 5)
Silky v. Scarlett-Emma Roberts (Episode 6)
Silky “Barbie Girl”-Zaldy (Episode 7)
Silky v. Jan- Tina Knowles (Episode 8)
Silky v. Pandora- Charli XCX (Episode 9)
Silky v. Eureka- Charli XCX (Episode 9)
Take away- All the queens except Eureka had the same time to prepare for each lip-sync, because they were all filmed the runway after they were eliminated. Of course, Silky didn’t have to do any more of the challenges or runways, so she had more time and energy in that way overall. But everyone technically had the same time between the last episode to prepare. Silky just planned the best with all that prop making. Props to her mama- literally.
List 2- Favorite Lip-syncs
Ranked least favorite to most
8- Eureka v. Silky
Given they had the least time prepare, it makes sense it was the sloppiest. Silky’s narrative about her mom was so weird- why was she bitchily mugging and eating chips if it was an inspirational tale about her mom’s weight loss? I felt for Eureka because she was so obviously comprehending what was going as it was happening, but she’s a smart queen- when in doubt, grab a life alert and cry (not to be cynical…). Eureka won but it was pretty meh.
7- Silky v. Yara
This was Silky’s least exciting prop for me. Yara scratching her crotch was amazing but went on for too long. Overall, it was ok.
6- Jiggly v. Serena
Jiggly is a joy to watch and a great performer. I was pleasantly surprised by Serena, who I thought danced well. This was a fun one to start with.
5- Silky v. Scarlett
Scarlett looked AMAZING and performed well the whole time, while Silky was a little less successful (she’s not a good word mouther in my opinion). However, Silky did win it for me in the end with the flag, and Scarlett’s use of the tired Cher hair “oooh” gag annoyed me. Not the best- not the worst but very fun to look at.
4- Silky v. Pandora
Poor Pandora didn’t stand a chance. I thought this was Silky’s best outfit and her best showcase of the skills she learned in the dance classes she obviously took after season 11. This song is incredible, and it was fun to watch Silky go.
3-Silky v Jiggly
Full bar service. Jiggly was doing great and I would’ve LOVED for her to return, but everyone including her knew she had no chance once the liquids and glasses started coming out of Silky’s breasts. We love an open bar.
2-Silky v Jan
Poor Jan. Waking up White sure is hard (JK). Jan really gave it, and easily had this one in the bag until that random guitar came in and ruined her life again. If Jan had pulled out one final gag or trick, she would’ve had it. It was a great one to watch.
1-Silky v Silky
Her outfit was basic, but what a successful and fun gag. She played it up perfectly and it was just a joy. Life in plastic, it’s fantastic indeed.
Alright my dears the next time you read the words they will have been typed from a new abode. Have a great week and until then- Let the music play!
BLACK LIVES MATTER! I fully support the ongoing movement to combat and dismantle the systemic racism that has devastated our country for centuries. Please review the following resources and donate, march, learn and be active. Www.Linktr.ee/nationalresourceslist
STOP AAPI HATE! The tragic events recently are a disgusting continuation of the bigoted and racist violence that Asian American Pacific Islander people have dealt with in this country for decades. Please support and donate to organizations helping to stop AAPI hate. https://stopaapihate.org/actnow/
Hello hello. So my evil back and leg are back to raise pain and anxiety again, and my move is a week out, so this will be another super fast one. Next week’s may be shorter than Serena Cha Cha’s stay on the show. Anyway, now that our caveats are out of the way, please enjoy!
THOTS
Who is the target audience for drag tots? Is it kids? We all know kids LOVE wowpresentsplus content…… If it is a show in the style of a kids cartoon but for adults, I need it to be dirtier. Though that said Latrice and Bianca are superb voice actors.
The game within a game is finally here. I feel like that phrase is going to be proven a misnomer- it’s seemingly just the lip-sync from All Stars 4, which is more of an on-off competition than an all-season game. Semantics but still.
CHART
So, it’s that thing where the show throws everyone in the bottom for dramatic effect and it dramatically screws up my metrics. Fuck my drag right.
Rajah (who fully deserved the win for whatever this challenge was- she looked incredible) is now so far ahead it is doubtful that anyone can catch her.
How will the returning queen’s points work? What I usually do is take the returning queens score when they were kicked off and subtract 3 from it (I take away 2 points for being in the bottom 2, so 3 seems appropriate for being asked to sashay). This will make it a super uphill battle for the returning queen to win, but that feels right to me.
PREDICTIONS
Kylie Sonique Love +1
Ra’jah O’Hara +3
Ginger Minj -2
A’Keria C Davenport (Preseason Prediction: 2nd, Most Recent Prediction: 7th) * Returning
Trinity K Bonet -2
Eureka O’Hara (Preseason Prediction: 5th, Most Recent Prediction: 4th)
Pandora Boxx (Preseason Prediction: 12th, Most Recent Prediction: 6th)
Jan (Preseason Prediction: 4th, Most Recent Prediction: 6th)
Scarlett Envy (Preseason Prediction: 8th, Most Recent Prediction: 9th)
Yara Sofia (Preseason Prediction: 6th, Most Recent Prediction: 7th)
Silky Nutmeg Ganache (Preseason Prediction: 11th, Most Recent Prediction: 10th)
Jiggly Caliente (Preseason Prediction: 3rd, Most Recent Prediction: 3rd)
Serena Cha Cha (Preseason Prediction: 13th, Most Recent Prediction: 13th)
Ok so my preseason predictions are now even with weekly predictions at 3/9. Party.
Eureka had a good showing but just never got that big winning moment. Her behavior was far less annoying than her first season. Wishing her well and maybe I’ll finally watch We’re Here.
I have Kylie in first. It’s clear to me that Trinity probably isn’t winning, Ginger feels like too obvious of a winner, and though she’s the current frontrunner, it is still unbelievable to me that the producers would crown a queen with as little followers as Ra’jah. Kylie feels like the perfect remaining option.
How will the game within a game work? No idea but I’m imagining an all lip-sync episode like the premiere of season 13. Maybe the eliminated nine with lip-sync in pairs (one group of 3), and the winners will go against the final 4.
I think it will be a similar result to season 4 when Monique Heart tied Latrice Royale and Latrice got back in without anyone going home (I don’t think any of the final 4 are in danger of going home this week- I think Trinity might go next week). My guess for the returning queen is A’Keria. My other choices are Jan and Yara, but both have spoken out against production, which I don’t think they would do if they had returned. Eureka is also a possibility, but that would be so predictable and boring. I’d be happy to see A’Keria back. We will see.
LIST
10 Worst Lip-syncs Ever
Kameron Michaels had a plethora of regrets and complaints after her lip-sync on last week’s episode (you can learn more about it in the video below). While it was certainly underwhelming, it wasn’t the worst lip-sync we have seen by any means. In that vein, I’ve decided to list my 10 worst lip-syncs ever from the show.
10-Yara Sofia and Alexis Matteo v. Raven (All Stars 1)
This one isn’t so bad- Raven gives it, but the red button was a stunt hyped all season and wound up being extremely disappointing and counterproductive. It robbed us of what might have been a much closer and fierce lip-sync between Alexis and Raven.
9- Jaida Essence Hall vs. Crystal Methyd v. Gigi Goode (Season 12)
Peak 2020. It’s not unentertaining and they all did a good job. 2 minutes is too long to watch just mouths and it’s weirdly difficult to watch all 3 closely at once. Ru’s facekini remains wild.
8- Laila McQueen v. Dax Exclimationpoint (Season 8)
This one isn’t as bad as you’d think since it’s one of the only 2 double eliminations. That said, with such a great song neither of them captured its spirit at all.
7-Cynthia Lee Fontaine v. Farrah Moan (Season 9)
Farrah Moan is adorable, but this is one of the lowest energy and least interesting lip-syncs we’ve ever seen. Cynthia, god bless her, just cannot mouth words effectively. Also, it’s that awkward thing where the musician is there and it’s a meh lip-sync. The fact it winds up being a double shantay is insane.
6-Miz Cracker v Kennedy Davenport (All Stars 5)
If Kameron is still mad, she should watch this one and realize it could have been much worse. Kennedy is one of the best lip-syncers ever to have been on the show but didn’t seem prepared at all for this song. Cracker approached it with a lot of energy but didn’t capture the dramatic and cheesy tone of “Fancy” at all. It’s rough.
5-Vivienne Pinay v Honey Mahogany (Season 5)
In a season with some of the best lip-syncs ever, we have this epic dud. As the great Alyssa Edwards says perfectly- “they are both lacking energy. It’s Britney Spears! Bring it!” Unfortunately, they did not take her advice. The fact Honey doesn’t have a reveal under that huge kaftan and wig is wild. It’s bad but also not outright offensive, it just doesn’t go anywhere at all.
4-A’keria C. Davenport v. Plastique Tiara v. Scarlett Envy v. Honey Davenport v. Shuga Cain v. Ra’Jah O’Hara (Season 11)
I don’t like 3 way lip-syncs because it’s too hard to pay attention to all three at once, so this was super ineffective. I do find Honey’s weird cat-cow posing hilarious. It just wasn’t the gag they thought it would be. Also, truly a terrible remix of Waiting for Tonight, when the classic one is pure gold.
3-Aiden Zane v. Brita (Season 12)
So many cons to list- 1: how are we not using the Idina Menzel version? 2: The snow could not be cheesier. 3: The judges’ over-enthusiasm is so cringe. 4: The queens’ energy could not be more unevenly matched. Brita is performing like it’s the finale, and Aiden is just trying lazily not to get hypothermia. We get it Drag Race: Frozen the Musical gave you a check. Play it cool sheesh.
2-Silky Nutmeg Ganache v Nina West (Season 11)
So bad that Ru had to put a “Meh” in front of his shantay pronouncement. The best part by far is A’Keria comparing Nina to a moving teddy bear and Silky to a “walrus out of the water”. Such an amazing song, and no energy at all, even though we were warned all season how “ready to lip-sync” one of these queens was. The nerve.
1-Pearl v Miss Fame (Season 7)
So bad it’s almost good. The challenge was ugly dresses but they both look beautiful and glamorous. Demi Lovato trying to give approving faces is amazing. This is like when you get all dressed up (Ru looks AMAZING) for your friend’s bar mitzvah, and then they just do terrible. Tough stuff, but funny.
Alright friends. Enjoy your weekend and see you next week. Let the music play!
BLACK LIVES MATTER! I fully support the ongoing movement to combat and dismantle the systemic racism that has devastated our country for centuries. Please review the following resources and donate, march, learn and be active. Www.Linktr.ee/nationalresourceslist
STOP AAPI HATE! The tragic events recently are a disgusting continuation of the bigoted and racist violence that Asian American Pacific Islander people have dealt with in this country for decades. Please support and donate to organizations helping to stop AAPI hate. https://stopaapihate.org/actnow/
Hi dears. This will be my quickest quicky blog ever (Missy Elliot would never). I’m still in the throes of jetlag from Paris, which is ironic because there’s nothing less Paris than getting up before 10. Anyway, enjoy this short one!
THOTS (mostly about TKB)
This Snatch Game was…. good. The half group format really doesn’t go well when there’s not at least 2-3 home run performances. What we had this season was home runs from Ginger and Kylie (though honestly neither made me LOL), so weird they’re entertaining performances from Eureka and Rajah, and hard misses from Pandora and Trinity. It was fine.
Trinity’s runway outfit was amazing.
“Not in front of miss Tina”. Trinity has such an awkward charm.
The lip-sync was fun. Always happy to see Heidi N Closet.
Ginger is such a TV pro. She genuinely created some suspense on whether she would go through with chopping Trinity instead of Pandora. Of course, she didn’t: not going to risk that fan reaction.
CHART
Pandora finally went- which marks the third episode in a row that the lowest scoring queen on my chart went home. Pandora was a fun calm presence throughout the season but was definitely at her ending point. Wishing her well.
A lot of similar scoring pages on Instagram (my favorite is this one- https://www.instagram.com/bfedrag/?hl=en ) have Eureka in first even though she’s never won a challenge. My point system prioritizes winning over safe placements enough that this is not the case.
It’s a super even playing field right now- a 4-way tie for first with Trinity one point behind (and remember- she won just last episode).
If we look at the scores from just the last 3 episodes, Ginger and Kylie have both scored 4, Eureka and Trinity have a net score of 0, and Rajah is in last with a net score of -1.
As we look towards the ever elusive “Game Within a Game” for the eliminated queens, Yara Sofia had the highest score on the chart when she was eliminated. So, using that metric, she would be the most deserving of a ruturn.
PREDICTIONS
Ginger Minj =
Kylie Sonique Love +1
Trinity K Bonet -1
Eureka O’Hara -3
Ra’jah O’Hara =
Pandora Boxx (Preseason Prediction: 12th, Most Recent Prediction: 6th)
Jan (Preseason Prediction: 4th, Most Recent Prediction: 6th)
A’Keria C Davenport (Preseason Prediction: 2nd, Most Recent Prediction: 7th)
Scarlett Envy (Preseason Prediction: 8th, Most Recent Prediction: 9th)
Yara Sofia (Preseason Prediction: 6th, Most Recent Prediction: 7th)
Silky Nutmeg Ganache (Preseason Prediction: 11th, Most Recent Prediction: 10th)
Jiggly Caliente (Preseason Prediction: 3rd, Most Recent Prediction: 3rd)
Serena Cha Cha (Preseason Prediction: 13th, Most Recent Prediction: 13th)
I finally got another one right! I was starting to forget how that felt. My preseason predictions have been insanely wrong thus far, but I did correctly guess that Ginger and Eureka would be in the final 5.
As the chart shows, it is super even right now and very hard to predict. The first look shows us that the challenge is creating your own children’s cartoon character.
Obviously, Ginger and Kylie aren’t going anywhere, and both seem very likely to excel at this challenge.
Eureka seems the obvious choice having never won but I think she’ll do well at this challenge- she’s a seasoned TV personality and her characters throughout the season have been super cartoonish anyway.
Trinity seems the most likely to struggle with this challenge as acting is not her strong suit. Rajah meanwhile has been very hit or miss in the acting challenges. I’m going with Rajah as the next to get the boot, if only because I think the fandom has received her much more warmly than the producers probably expected. We shall see.
LIST
ALL STARS 6 MOST INSTAGRAM FOLLOWERS
Again, going for super quick here so I’m going to do a simple Instagram followers update. Was I smart enough to record all the queen’s pre-season Insta follower numbers? I think we all know the answer to that, but I did create a list in the preseason ranking the queens in terms of followers. Thus, find below the updated last and see whose spot has changed. Spoiler: the fandom remains shockingly and ire-inducingly racist. Anyway, enjoy!
Cliff Notes: Kylie and Trinity both made major gains with followers this season (duh- they’ve both done well and are breathtaking to look at). The fact that Ra’Jah is so low in followers is criminal. Also, sure they’re pretty and fun, but how do Jan and Scarlet have more followers than Trinity and Kylie?
Alright friends I’ll be back in form next week. Until then- let the music play!
BLACK LIVES MATTER! I fully support the ongoing movement to combat and dismantle the systemic racism that has devastated our country for centuries. Please review the following resources and donate, march, learn and be active. Www.Linktr.ee/nationalresourceslist
STOP AAPI HATE! The tragic events recently are a disgusting continuation of the bigoted and racist violence that Asian American Pacific Islander people have dealt with in this country for decades. Please support and donate to organizations helping to stop AAPI hate. https://stopaapihate.org/actnow/
Hello Hello! I am traveling this week in a safe, steady, vaccinated fashion….to Puerta Vallarta! What could go wrong? Kidding but I am traveling so the next two blogs will be extra quick. With that, enjoy!
THOTS
The song was real meh. That said- it has been stuck in my head all week. Ginger, Trinity, and Rajah were the only ones who stood out positively for me.
I feel bad for Pandora. At least she looked great.
So unfortunate that Trinity’s wig came off. She is truly an amazing lip-syncer but it’s not coming through this season. On the other hand, it is such a pleasant surprise that she’s doing so well.
Alexis Matteo- “I got two lipsticks!” She is a gem.
The tie was shocking. The producers truly do love torturing Jan.
CHART
The queens were right- this week’s winner became the front runner. TKB is on a roll.
Ra’jah and Eureka are now in second.
Kylie is in 4th. Ginger is in 5th. Ginger is still low but has done the best (+4) in the last 3 episodes. If she wins Snatch Game, she’ll be near the top quite soon.
Pandora is our new power bottom, bring up the rear in 6th place. Pandora and Eureka are the only remaining queens who haven’t won a challenge.
PREDICTIONS
Ginger Minj +1
Trinity K Bonet +1
Kylie Sonique Love +1
Eureka O’Hara -3
Ra’jah O’Hara =
Pandora Boxx +1
Jan (Preseason Prediction: 4th, Most Recent Prediction: 6th)
A’Keria C Davenport (Preseason Prediction: 2nd, Most Recent Prediction: 7th)
Scarlett Envy (Preseason Prediction: 8th, Most Recent Prediction: 9th)
Yara Sofia (Preseason Prediction: 6th, Most Recent Prediction: 7th)
Silky Nutmeg Ganache (Preseason Prediction: 11th, Most Recent Prediction: 10th)
Jiggly Caliente (Preseason Prediction: 3rd, Most Recent Prediction: 3rd)
Serena Cha Cha (Preseason Prediction: 13th, Most Recent Prediction: 13th)
I didn’t expect Jan to go! I really thought they would keep her a bit longer for the storyline and the drama. This season was a real mixed bag for Jan. At times, she came off entitled and delusional. At other times, her talents felt like they purposely weren’t rewarded. I wish Jan well and if not this, I hope she will shine in other avenues of popular culture.
It’s hard to see Pandora going in the Snatch Game, but crazier things have happened. I worry that if Pandora doesn’t go this week, then the “game within a game” twist will be very anti-climactic. The other 5 are all so strong I would imagine that if one of them sashays away they would be brought back right away, which I always find boring.
If Pandora doesn’t go, I think it will be Eureka or Ra’Jah. Ra’Jah has done so incredible this season and I would love to see her in the final- but her Instagram following remains super low compared to the rest of the cast. I just wonder if the audience feels more positively about Ra’Jah than the producers expected. We will see.
Ginger, TKB and Kylie all seem like super solid bets for the final.
Eureka still hasn’t won a challenge, which is starting to make me rethink how far she will go. She could win Snatch Game which would set her up for a great run in this final leg of the competition. She needs a win and needs it soon.
LIST
Snath Games
Since Snatch Game is our next episode, I thought it’d be fun to quickly rank the remaining queens past All Star performances. Note- Ra’Jah has never done Snatch Game, so she is not included.
#6 Kylie Sonique Love’s Lady Gaga (Season 2): There’s no energy and no characterization. I love those glasses though.
#5 Trinity’s Nicki Minaj (Season 6): She has the look down but nothing else- and it wasn’t funny.
#4 Ginger’s Tammy Faye Baker (All Stars 2): Her crying gag is fun and very meme-able. She just didn’t get a lot of airtime so it was hard for it to stand out.
#3 Eureka’s Honey Boo Boo (Season 10): People love this one. To me, it was good but not nuanced or witty enough for my liking.
#2 Pandora’s Carol Channing (Season 2): Classic and fun. The voice is great.
#1 Ginger’s Adele (Season 7): The standout of this group. Ginger is such an incredible performer.
If our herstory foretells the future, our winner will likely be Ginger, Pandora or Eureka. Trinity and Kylie will struggle. Ra’Jah is a true wild card, though she has struggled in acting challenges at times. But of course, herstory doesn’t always repeat itself (ask Trinity the Tuck or Shea Coulee- both winners of Snatch Game in All Stars who did not stand out in their original snatches). I think Ginger, Kylie and Eureka will do well, and Trinity, Rajah and Pandora will struggle.
Alright friends stay safe, stay strong, stay superb. Let the music play!
Dumb Pop Culture Lists 