RuPaul’s Drag Race: Vegas Revue

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Following the personal and professional journeys of six "RuPaul's Drag Race" alumni (Naomi Smalls, Yvie Oddly, Asia O’Hara, Vanessa Vanjie Mateo, Kameron Michaels, and Derrick Barry) as they take on Vegas in a brand new residency.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

S1.E1: Baby, We Made It!

As the queens arrive for their Las Vegas residency, a shaky rehearsal creates anxiety for Kameron, Yvie's health is a concern for Ru, and Naomi and Derrick's old feud is revived.

Original air date: 8/21/20

[Stardancer Supreme]

Episode 1:

Y'all know that where Vanjie is, I am.  I loooooves me some Vanessa! Vanjie! Mateo! (Kameron Michaels voice from Werk the World)

I hopped on Twitter to live tweet as I watched; Folks was mad about Silky's appearance.  These people didn't know that Silky and Vanjie lived in the same building and that they are besties? Heh.

We also get Asia, Yvie, Kameron, Naomi, and... Derrick Barry.  Not a fan of his, his boyfriend Nebraska, or their throuple. 

Kameron has a "boyfriend" in NY, yet the trailer shows him shoving his whole tongue down Vanjie's throat.  

So all the drama that follows Derrick Barry is also due to his boyfriend Nebraska being a major instigator.  How are you going to invite your cast mates to your house and let your man's slick mouth cause friction?  You have to work with these queens!  Maybe Ru will not include you in further shows if you can't keep your guard dog in check.  If I were Ru, Nebraska would never be a Ru girl. (Just my luck, she'll be on Season 13.)  India may have been right about Nebraska all along.

Coco Montrese was in Derrick's house during the party. I have to rewatch the show to see if there were any other queens who were incognito.

It's funny to see that Ru makes the girls nervous well after their appearances on Drag Race.  Kameron, honey. Ru said tighten up the salsa, not you suck at salsa! 

I'm loving the constant Drag Race content!

 

[ElectricBoogaloo]

I could tell from the promo at the beginning that this was going to be a lot more reality show drama than the first two seasons of Werq the World were. I love behind the scenes stuff and seeing a show get put together so hopefully the show won't get too bogged down with the ~drama~ that Ru obviously prefers.

I really felt for Yvie. I understand why she's avoided the doctor for so long. No one wants to hear that they have to stop doing what they love and that their condition will not improve. But I think that Yvie needs to realize that she doesn't have to rely on her flexibility and her stunts to be an amazing performer. This can be an opportunity for her to grow as a performer and learn/hone some other skills that don't require the tricks she has grown to depend upon. I totally get that she feels like that's her niche but it doesn't have to be. And even if she didn't have this condition, she should go to the doctor more than once a decade just to get annual wellness checkups.

I also felt for Kameron. Being in a long distance relationship is hard and it takes a lot of work, especially if you're in different time zones. But as someone who was in a long distance relationship, Kameron should embrace and appreciate all the technology that is available to make long distance a bit easier than it used to be. Back in ye olden days, you could make expensive long distance phone calls and you could write letters on paper, put them in the mail, and wait for the other person to get them. Those were the only options. I don't mean in the 1800s either. I'm talking about the 1990s. Now there are so many ways to stay in touch. You can call each other FOR FREE, text, email, skype, facetime, etc. so it's a lot easier to stay connected than it used to be. It still takes some work but it's not the end of the world.

Re: Derrick/Naomi - it's one thing for Derrick's boyfriend to take his side. It's another for him to attack Naomi. Bitch, this is none of your business so just stay out of it and let the two people who are arguing do their thing. Truth be told, I thought it was rude for Derrick to bring up that old shit at a party. If he wanted to clear the air with Naomi, he should have done it privately and one on one. There was no reason to do that at a party in front of their coworkers AND A CAMERA CREW except to create drama. Derrick's passive aggressive "you don't have to leave" after he dredged up some crap from however many years ago just had me rolling my eyes.

It was also obvious that Derrick wanted to stir up more drama when she asked Kameron if Naomi would be bothered by Mack coming to hang out. Naomi was standing about five feet away so if she really wanted to know then she could have just, you know, ASKED NAOMI.

I don't mind when people bring their partners or friends to a casual gathering but the reason I was not cool with Derrick inviting Mack was because Derrick specifically said that all the girls in the show should hang out to help smooth things over from the night before and then plopped one of the main problems right into the middle of that.

I also hate when people are SO attached at the hip that they can't do anything with their friends or coworkers without inviting their significant other along. Like seriously, it's fine to be without this other person for a few hours.You'll live. I had a friend who would do something similar. She would invite me to coffee or dinner and then her husband would show up. I don't dislike her husband or anything, but it definitely changes the vibe when it's two friends versus two friends and one spouse (or when it's a group of friends - all of whom are married - and one person brings their spouse unannounced).

[MsJamieDornan]

I really dont want to listen to Vanjie for 6 episodes.

[luckyroll3]

Nebraska really strikes me as someone who's desperate to get on camera and will cause as much drama as she can to do so.  It took about 15 seconds for her to get into it with Naomi when she joined the girls' night out at the casino. She had no intention of coming and just hanging out. I'm not looking forward to seeing more of her.

[MsJamieDornan]

15 hours ago, luckyroll3 said:

Nebraska really strikes me as someone who's desperate to get on camera and will cause as much drama as she can to do so. 

As soon she appeared at the party, I knew we would be stuck with her. Desperately wants attention and to be on camera. 

Edited August 24, 2020 by MsJamieDornan

[zenithwit]

19 hours ago, Stardancer Supreme said:

So all the drama that follows Derrick Barry is also due to his boyfriend Nebraska being a major instigator.  How are you going to invite your cast mates to your house and let your man's slick mouth cause friction?  You have to work with these queens!  Maybe Ru will not include you in further shows if you can't keep your guard dog in check.  If I were Ru, Nebraska would never be a Ru girl. (Just my luck, she'll be on Season 13.)  India may have been right about Nebraska all along.

Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if Ru was practically begging Nebraska to be on the main show.  She would be the perfect villain.  She's always willing to start drama (as evidenced by AS5 and this show) but she's also a military veteran which could contextualize some of her vulnerabilities.  Plus with her being 1/3 of Derrick's throuple and her first time in drag was on the show with Alaska as her drag mother, she's well ingrained in the Drag Race Universe.  There's just so much there that a producer can work with.

[MsJamieDornan]

10 hours ago, zenithwit said:

Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if Ru was practically begging Nebraska to be on the main show.

You're right. Personally, I think the show is more scripted than we think.

I wonder how Ru decided on those 6 to be on the show.

[Stardancer Supreme]

Thing is, I feel that Nebraska's nasty attitude and shit stirring would be amplified if she were on Drag Race.  She would not be a beloved queen, that's for sure.  I'm weird, because I hate mean or nasty drama in my reality shows.  It's even worse if it is producer forced drama. 

Nebraska was talking about taking up for his girlfriend on Twitter. But all Naomi said was she didn't like Derrick's Britney drag.  I'm not sure if she even told Derrick to her face this time!  Nobody was attacking Derrick.  We are all sick of his Britney drag. Fight me!

[molotovcupcake]

I am so not here for Nebraska. I met Kameron at a fan thing when I saw the Vegas show and she told me opening night was a complete shit show. 🤣

[ElectricBoogaloo]

3 hours ago, Stardancer Supreme said:

I'm weird, because I hate mean or nasty drama in my reality shows. 

Same here. I watch shows like RPDR to see the talented contestants do their thing. I loathe mean girl generated drama.

[filmfan2480]

3 hours ago, molotovcupcake said:

I am so not here for Nebraska. I met Kameron at a fan thing when I saw the Vegas show and she told me opening night was a complete shit show. 🤣

Ohhhhh, boy.  I wonder if it will be spun/edited into being a successful opening.

[ForumLou]

On 8/23/2020 at 8:54 AM, luckyroll3 said:

Nebraska really strikes me as someone who's desperate to get on camera and will cause as much drama as she can to do so.  It took about 15 seconds for her to get into it with Naomi when she joined the girls' night out at the casino. She had no intention of coming and just hanging out. I'm not looking forward to seeing more of her.

Ditto.  First thing i noticed when she joined them in the casino, she's checking out the camera. The fourth wall camera.  I took it checking out herself, playing it all for the camera. It just bugged me

[ForumLou]

15 hours ago, filmfan2480 said:

Ohhhhh, boy.  I wonder if it will be spun/edited into being a successful opening.

Is it still playing?  Thats the kind of show that can be done over and over just switching out the cast for different queens every once in a while

[molotovcupcake]

3 hours ago, ForumLou said:

Is it still playing?  Thats the kind of show that can be done over and over just switching out the cast for different queens every once in a while

It closed for the pandemic; did it open again? I had noticed in the initial ads it had Eureka and few other queens listed, so I guess that was the intention, to swap out cast.

[RoxiP]

I always liked Yvie and think she has gotten better looking in and out of drag,

[loki310]

Loving all the comments in here and agreeing with all of them! Looking forward to discussing future episodes... my husband is not a fan of things Ru (eyeroll) so you can imagine my delight when I told him that after season 12 was over it was a season of all stars and after all stars there’s now Drag review and after that I will restart my drag race Canada viewing. Basically there will be year round Ru on my tv and I am hear for it!! Lol

[Supagirl]

On 8/23/2020 at 1:08 AM, MsJamieDornan said:

I really dont want to listen to Vanjie for 6 episodes.

Oh, I could listen to Vanjie all day every day. Girl makes me laff.

They are really pushing the Derrick Berry drama, with the backstory about mom and stepdad. Don’t care. Don’t care about the thruple home life. The whining when she tried to placate the rift between Naomi and Nebraska set my teeth on edge.

[Stardancer Supreme]

Episode 2:

I wish I knew why it is so important to Derrick that Nebraska is accepted into the fold.  Unfortunately, she is just unlikable and forcing her to fit in with your Drag Race sisters is just going to make them (and us) dislike Nebraska more.  Derrick ruined the casino night by presenting her girlfriend on a trash can lid, Dabnes Brickey style.

Rehearsals are the place where you are supposed to mess up.  I didn't think that these particular queens could have messed up the show since the majority of them have already done "Werk the World".  Actually, was this show taped around the tour? Hell, the residency should have been easier since you do a number of shows in the same place instead of hopping on a bus from place to place.

 

[BloggerAloud]

On 8/24/2020 at 1:36 AM, MsJamieDornan said:

You're right. Personally, I think the show is more scripted than we think.

 

I feel like they needed an antagonist that isn't one of the girls in the show and Nebraska was like, "I'm ready for my close-up" with all of Friend of a Housewife energy she exudes.

[Stardancer Supreme]

They really didn't, because Derrick pretty much made himself the antagonist among the group of queens. He has issues with Naomi and put himself on Asia's bad side as well. An outsider isn't needed for drama on this show.

[MsJamieDornan]

4 hours ago, BloggerAloud said:

On 8/24/2020 at 1:36 AM, MsJamieDornan said:

You're right. Personally, I think the show is more scripted than we think.

 

I feel like they needed an antagonist that isn't one of the girls in the show and Nebraska was like, "I'm ready for my close-up" with all of Friend of a Housewife energy she exudes.

Yes, but I think Derricks in on it also. But not a good enough actor to pull it off.

[theatremouse]

Yeah, Derrick's either EXTREMELY stupid, like way dumber than I thought possible - or he's playing up the "I don't understand" schtick for plausible deniability, except it's not remotely believable.

The editing on this isn't really doing any of the cast any favors. I'm sure it's at least partially forced for TV, but I just keep finding myself thinking over and over "have none of them ever had a professional gig before?"

[Corgi-ears]

I'm just glad Derrick and Nebraska found each other. #blessed

[30 Helens]

On 8/28/2020 at 8:22 PM, Supagirl said:

Oh, I could listen to Vanjie all day every day. Girl makes me laff.

Love me some Vanjie. Sense of humor aside, the juxtaposition of the pretty face and the gruff truck driver voice is endlessly delightful.

[MsJamieDornan]

On 8/28/2020 at 8:22 PM, Supagirl said:

Oh, I could listen to Vanjie all day every day. Girl makes me laff.

Vangie is very funny but gets very loud at times.

[Not4Me]

So Drag Race gets the Real Housewives treatment? Ehhh...pass.

If Bianca Del Rio were here, she’d say this show makes Drag U look decent!

[30 Helens]

22 hours ago, Not4Me said:

So Drag Race gets the Real Housewives treatment? Ehhh...pass.

If Bianca Del Rio were here, she’d say this show makes Drag U look decent!

My thoughts exactly. I don’t know why I thought this would be a show about a Vegas Revue— I mean, it’s not like it’s in the title or anything. I didn’t like the emphasis on the fight in the first episode, but I let it pass. I was less patient with the continuation of the fight in this episode, but I decided to wait and see what would happen next. When they cut to Derrick’s house/room to (presumably) continue rehashing the fight, I switched it off.

If I watch any more, it will only be to FF to the parts with Yvie and Vangie, because I love them both. But as for the rest of this fight drama bullshit? HARD pass.

 

[MsNewsradio]

I have no patience for Derrick or Nebraska and their antics. I don't find it "fun drama", just tedious. I think producers severely overestimate how many viewers tune in for that nonsense. 

[futurechemist]

I watched 2 episodes and I think I'm done. I was hoping for a behind the scenes look at how a drag show was made. I'm seeing a Real Housewives knockoff. Plus that first song like 4 times already.

Though I will say that once Vanjie brought it down from a 10 to a 6, I enjoyed listening to her perspective.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

I am really not here for 90% Derrick/Nebraska drama. I would much rather watch rehearsal and costume fittings and other show related footage (like Werq the World did) than this boring yet excruciatingly drawn out "drama."

Derrick is an asshole for bringing up whatever Naomi said two years ago. Derrick is an asshole for letting his partner be so rude to a guest in their home. Derrick is rude for inviting said partner to join the girls when they were clearly having a cast outing. Derrick is an asshole to insist that Naomi, Asia, and the rest of her coworkers need to like Nebraska and accept her presence. Derrick is an asshole for claiming that because Nebraska lives in Las Vegas, she will be wherever Derrick is. Derrick is an asshole for nonstop talking over everyone else who was trying to explain why they did not want Nebraska at their social event.

I didn't like Derrick on her original season but I was willing to give her a second chance when I saw she was going to be on this show. I'm only seven minutes into the second episode and I'm done with her, to the point that I wish Ru would fire her from the Vegas Revue just so I don't need to see her or Nebraska shit stirring for the rest of the season. If Derrick really wanted to bring everyone together, resolve their issues, and have fun, then she shouldn't have invited the person who ruined the party THE NIGHT BEFORE. I can't tell if Derrick is just really THAT stupid and can't read the room or if she's completely in denial.

I'm going with genuinely clueless and hypocritical because for her, Nick, and Nebraska to go on and on about how it's not okay for Derrick's mom to talk to her like that but not see that they were being complete assholes to Naomi, Asia, and everyone else just shows that they think it's okay to see themselves as the victims and then turn around and treat other people the same way.

As for Nebraska, fuck her too. First she invites herself along to what is clearly an outing for Derrick's coworkers. Then she claims she came to apologize to Naomi (LIE). When Naomi tries to diplomatically tell Nebraska that the best thing they can do is both support Derrick, Nebraska's response is "If you don't like me, I don't care." Great apology! I'm about to start fast forwarding any scene with Derrick or Nebraska because they add absolutely nothing good to this show.

Hearing how Derrick described the situation to Ru just had me shaking my head. I was originally going to use the word "misrepresented" but then I realized no, Derrick was just straight up lying about what happened (as well as conveniently leaving out all of her own participation in this mess). Her description: "Nebraska and Naomi kind of had something out and then she showed up to apologize and Asia kind of went off on her. I think Naomi just probably needs to have a little more respect for Nebraska." Talk about gaslighting everyone involved.

I thought Naomi's response was mature and reasonable: "The respect for Nebraska's not important because Nebraska's not going to be sharing a dressing room with me five nights a week. I'm cool just being cool with you. I don't need to like your significant other, and your significant other does not need to like me." Derrick was the one being immature and stubborn for insisting that Naomi needs to like Nebraska and be friends with her.

I enjoyed watching rehearsal and everyone getting notes from Ru. That's the kind of stuff I want to see, not the Derrick shit stirring show. I felt bad that Kameron was so stressed about that salsa routine. On the other hand, I was like girl, you just need to rehearse it and polish it. That's all you can do when you're kicking the wrong leg and not on the beat.

I know I said this last week, but someone needs to sit Yvie down and tell her that she doesn't have to give up drag because of her medical issues. She is a great performer without all the backbends and cartwheels. She can continue to perform without those tricks (in comparison, I don't think Derrick has an act without her Britney impersonation).

[Stardancer Supreme]

Episode 3:

The weakest link discussion... Naomi, dear, you shouldn't ask questions if you don't like the answers you get.  Kameron was certainly gagged and quiet on that one.  Then for Naomi to run to Derrick to complain about what Asia said to you about a question YOU asked her... Girl.  Wasn't Derrick your enemy a few days ago?  You pretty much invited major shit stirring and potentially tanked your relationship with your closest Drag Sister because Asia bruised your ego and you felt that you had to get her back.

Derrick trying to find love for Vanjie? I'm sure Jose had no trouble pulling willing partners for fun, but he really wants a relationship.  Nebraska really has no boundaries, does he? They could have asked Jose if he wanted lap dances.  Then to set Jose up with Drew for lunch the next day? Derrick and Nebraska just can't help inserting themselves into everything, can't they?

I do love that Yvie wants to be a rapper.

These queens do a lot of drinking.

[Madding crowd]

Naomi is coming across as quite the diva. Has to arrive late for everything and refuses to do her makeup in the dressing room. The real reason is she thinks she’s to good to be the same as the others.

I still really like Vangie and Yvie looks great with hair.

Edited September 5, 2020 by Madding crowd

[Christine]

I so wanted to like Naomi - she comes from the same town where I was raised - but when she eliminated Manila, that was strike one.  And now she is treating Asia like crap.  What is with the matronly looks?

What is the purpose of Derrick Berry?  Has she made it that far in her seasons on Drag Race?  One trick pony named Brittany and big sh!t stirrer.

Yes, I know it's all scripted but it could certainly be better done

[rlc]

8 hours ago, Christine said:

I so wanted to like Naomi - she comes from the same town where I was raised - but when she eliminated Manila, that was strike one.  And now she is treating Asia like crap.  What is with the matronly looks?

What is the purpose of Derrick Berry?  Has she made it that far in her seasons on Drag Race?  One trick pony named Brittany and big sh!t stirrer.

Yes, I know it's all scripted but it could certainly be better done

Couldn’t agree more. I was on the fence about this cast to begin with, but the strong focus on Derrick and Naomi has made this nearly unwatchable. Naomi showed who she was with the Manila elimination, and just oozes an uncomfortable level of insecurity. Derrick had always seemed like a blip on the radar of the drag race universe, and all of a sudden we are being knocked over the head with Derrick between All Stars and this. Quit trying to make Derrick Barry happen! As my daughter pointed out, the only saving grace is that they haven’t thrown India Ferrah into the mix. I went into this expecting to be the most annoyed by Kameron, but so far we’ve barely seen her. It’s the Naomi and Derrick show unfortunately.

[ForumLou]

11 hours ago, Christine said:

I so wanted to like Naomi - she comes from the same town where I was raised - but when she eliminated Manila, that was strike one.  And now she is treating Asia like crap.  What is with the matronly looks?

What is the purpose of Derrick Berry?  Has she made it that far in her seasons on Drag Race?  One trick pony named Brittany and big sh!t stirrer.

Yes, I know it's all scripted but it could certainly be better done

Haha i do the same thing.  Im always looking when Im driving about town hoping to see Yvie.  Though not sure if she's even been able to be back in Denver at all. Take care of yourself girl!

[Ananayel]

I'm all about all things Drag Race, but this is exhausting. I also wanted to learn more about the nuts and bolts of a show like this, instead I now actively dislike Naomi and Asia, and am just baffled by Derrick. Never did like Nebraska. Like Yvie more, and still adore Vanjie though. I hope she gets a notebook very soon!

[ElectricBoogaloo]

17 hours ago, Madding crowd said:

Naomi is coming across as quite the diva. Has to arrive late for everything and refuses to do her makeup in the dressing room.

As a performer, I often preferred getting ready at home so that when I arrived at the venue, I was ready to hit the stage immediately. The main reason for this was that as a person who gets booked at various places, you never really know what the dressing room situation is going to be like. I have seen some really nice fancy backstage areas and one time they put all the performers into part of the kitchen storage area that wasn't being used during the show (so no mirrors, no bathroom nearby, no chairs, etc for 15 performers to put on makeup and get into costume).

But that isn't the case here. The girls have actual dressing rooms at the Flamingo so I don't get it. The beauty of having a residency is that you know the space and what's there. I don't know if they do other shows at the Flamingo theater or if the girls can leave some of their stuff in the dressing rooms (as opposed to hauling all of their makeup and accessories to and from the theater every night) but it seems crazy that Naomi is so resistant to getting ready in the provided dressing room. She is using Asia as an excuse (and I get that it's annoying to have someone yelling and being negative when you're trying to get ready) but let's be real - Naomi was already doing this before that particular incident.

Showing up late consistently is also a really bad look for a performer though and there's really no excuse for that. The reason that most shows have a call time two hours before the show actually begins is to make sure that everyone is in the building well before they have to be on the actual stage. The fact that she missed the red carpet and Mama Ru's prayer circle ON OPENING NIGHT shows that she just doesn't give a fuck. If you're going to be late, at least don't do it when you know that your boss and the press are going to be there! Add to that the fact that Asia mentioned Naomi left rehearsal because she had a nail appointment and it's clear that Naomi just wants to do what she wants to do. Those three examples alone put me firmly on Asia's side of this because she was right. If that's the kind of stuff that Naomi is doing within the first few days of the show opening, she is one of the worst teammates.

Derrick is in the running for that title too because his constant shit stirring is not good for team unity. I guess the question is whether it's worse to constantly cause strife with your coworkers but be present or to show up late/leave early for required group activities like rehearsals and appearances. Both are shitty things for a teammate to do. And, no, Naomi, buying your coworker a coffee or letting her borrow a wig doesn't negate all the other crappy things you've done.

Edited September 5, 2020 by ElectricBoogaloo

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Words of wisdom from Yvie #1: If Drake can [rap], so can I.

I like that Yvie is branching out into other things even while doing the Vegas show. And even though it was obviously a set up for Yvie to go wander into the burlesque show rehearsal (because, please, you don't just walk into something like that), I was just happy to see some more dancing.

Words of wisdom from Yvie #2: Tinder is for people who are looking for love. You have go on Grindr and accidentally bump into it. Or Scruff or Jacked or personal ads.

While I want to believe that Derrick was trying to genuinely be nice when he offered to take Vanjie out, the first thing I thought was that he was just doing it for more camera time.

I like that Vanjie wants to find a real relationship, not just a one night stand, and that she wants to make sure that someone is interested in Jose the person, not Vanjie the character. When you have even the least bit of celebrity, no matter how small/local your following is, it's important to be wary of starfuckers so I'm glad that Jose is aware of this.

Derrick's "let's go get drinks - tee hee, I'm having Lance Bass Drew meet us here!" was way too reality show for me. I ended up feeling bad for Drew because it was clear that he was making 99% of the effort in trying to keep the conversation going.

While I totally agree that you are never required to share deeply personal information with anyone, I think that (1) if you aren't willing to tell your significant other but you're willing to talk about it ON CAMERA, that's not a great sign (2) maybe the fact that you don't want to talk about it means you really need to process it.

I'm not saying you need to find a therapist immediately because people have different ways of dealing with their issues, but the fact that you don't want to discuss it (Kameron) or don't want your boyfriend to know (Asia) makes it seem like a secret which means it's probably something that you need to work through. I'm not saying that they need to tell everyone they meet that their fathers died, but when there's something that you're very reluctant to discuss with 99% of people, it often means you haven't fully processed that trauma. We all deal with grief on our own time table, but ignoring it forever isn't going to fix it.

I don't necessarily think that Asia needs to tell her boyfriend every deep dark family secret right away because you really don't need to do that on, say, the first date. And there are things that you don't ever have to tell your significant other. My concern is less about what Asia is/isn't saying to him and more about her shame about her parents. Someone needs to tell her that whatever her parents did isn't her burden and that there's no need for her to feel guilty or ashamed about what was out of her control. Yes, it's part of her genetic history, but she shouldn't feel any more embarrassed about her parents having a history of addiction or mental health issues than if they had cancer. It's not her fault and she shouldn't feel like she has to keep it a secret because she's embarrassed by it.

Edited September 5, 2020 by ElectricBoogaloo

[theatremouse]

My conclusion from last night's episode is that this cast has the maturity of a bunch of 13 year olds. Who drink a lot. Except Kameron, who I used to not be fond of because I found her a bit boring, but now, hoo boy do I love me some Generally Acts Like a Grown Up Kameron.

Naomi clearly asked the question expecting the answer to be Derrick so they could all then snark Derrick together. Then got called out on her own diva-ness and went and complained to the very person she was almost certainly intending to bitch about, conveniently omitting that it wasn't "weakest overall" it was "the least team-player". SHE ASKED IT. Ugh.

I found nothing enjoyable about Derrick during his first season. His All-Stars appearance befuddled me because who really wanted more of that? I doubt anyone. Then was glad he got the boot quickly. And then again he's on this show and I'm like, Ru, stop trying to make Derrick happen. Derrick's a one trick pony performer with the logic of a teen. There's no there there. There have been other queens I saw on Drag Race initially, did not enjoy, and they came back another season and I was surprised to change my mind. Derrick is in no way shape or form one of them. I have zero expectation anything could ever change my mind.

I was not expecting this show to be The Real World: Las Vegas, Drag Edition. I want this thing to be 80% about the Vegas show and their working on it, 20% outside of work interaction. I also wonder if the original plan were more for the latter but because of the pandemic they ended up using much more of the not-at-all-Revue-related footage just to fill out the episodes. The first two definitely felt redundant and drawn out.

[Madding crowd]

6 hours ago, ElectricBoogaloo said:

As a performer, I often preferred getting ready at home so that when I arrived at the venue, I was ready to hit the stage immediately. The main reason for this was that as a person who gets booked at various places, you never really know what the dressing room situation is going to be like. I have seen some really nice fancy backstage areas and one time they put all the performers into part of the kitchen storage area that wasn't being used during the show (so no mirrors, no bathroom nearby, no chairs, etc for 15 performers to put on makeup and get into costume).

But that isn't the case here. The girls have actual dressing rooms at the Flamingo so I don't get it. The beauty of having a residency is that you know the space and what's there. I don't know if they do other shows at the Flamingo theater or if the girls can leave some of their stuff in the dressing rooms (as opposed to hauling all of their makeup and accessories to and from the theater every night) but it seems crazy that Naomi is so resistant to getting ready in the provided dressing room. She is using Asia as an excuse (and I get that it's annoying to have someone yelling and being negative when you're trying to get ready) but let's be real - Naomi was already doing this before that particular incident.

Showing up late consistently is also a really bad look for a performer though and there's really no excuse for that. The reason that most shows have a call time two hours before the show actually begins is to make sure that everyone is in the building well before they have to be on the actual stage. The fact that she missed the red carpet and Mama Ru's prayer circle ON OPENING NIGHT shows that she just doesn't give a fuck. If you're going to be late, at least don't do it when you know that your boss and the press are going to be there! Add to that the fact that Asia mentioned Naomi left rehearsal because she had a nail appointment and it's clear that Naomi just wants to do what she wants to do. Those three examples alone put me firmly on Asia's side of this because she was right. If that's the kind of stuff that Naomi is doing within the first few days of the show opening, she is one of the worst teammates.

Derrick is in the running for that title too because his constant shit stirring is not good for team unity. I guess the question is whether it's worse to constantly cause strife with your coworkers but be present or to show up late/leave early for required group activities like rehearsals and appearances. Both are shitty things for a teammate to do. And, no, Naomi, buying your coworker a coffee or letting her borrow a wig doesn't negate all the other crappy things you've done.

Yes, I do understand that performers have different ways of getting ready and dressing rooms can be inadequate. In this case, Naomi is part of an ensemble who are not only getting ready together in a dressing room but also show up together for media events, RuPaul pep talks and most importantly, rehearsals.

Naomi is acting like she is the star of the show and doesn’t need to do the same things as the others and then wonders why she is called a weak link. I liked her in her first season but found her pretentious in all stars and thought her move against Manila was rude as hell. I’m hoping she gets called out at some point by Ru.

Edited September 6, 2020 by Madding crowd

[MsJamieDornan]

5 hours ago, theatremouse said:

I was not expecting this show to be The Real World: Las Vegas, Drag Edition.

I mentioned that to a friend tonight. I said "this is starting to look like the Real World."  I really didnt think the show would go that direction, sadly, I was wrong.

[cpcathy]

I might be in the minority, but I am enjoying it. It’s trashy and fun and I love Yvie and Vangie.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

I like Yvie and Vanjie. I'm just not here for fake reality show drama and obvious shit stirring for attention aka Nebraska.

[MsJamieDornan]

Quote

I might be in the minority, but I am enjoying it. It’s trashy and fun and I love Yvie and Vangie.

Well, it would be fun if it was real. I think Ru gave them all a part to play and that's what we are seeing.

[RoxiP]

It's better than no drag race at all...I too would like to see more of how the production was put together and less drama but oh well...

[Stardancer Supreme]

Episode 4:

Naomi started the whole dust up and has the nerve to criticize how Asia deals with her hurt feelings. Then Derrick thinks that Asia should get over being ambushed with a personal conversation with people he thought were friends.  I love how the 2 messy queens act like they are above such dramatical behavior after causing all the drama.

Aw damn. So Andre came to Vegas to break up with Kameron? That's awful.

Then to go to Naomi's apartment to hear the messy queens try to justify their messy behavior? Kameron was right; Derrick is at the root of all the bullswanky going on behind the scenes of the show. 

I am over Naomi and her attitude. Why bitch about Asia getting her own dressing room when you wanted her out of yours? Asia isn't "playing the victim", you caused all of this by running to Derrick.  I can't wait for Asia to cut Derrick's head off next week. 

 

[Just Carol]

Wylie's video looks amazing.  On the other end of the spectrum... Derrick owns at least two sets of that hideous mesh tank-top jogging suit. 

[phoenix780]

I may be an episode behind. The drama with Asia has shifted my opinion of the most if them. How hard is it to grasp that different people communicate differently? Asia should talk to them, eventually, but why on their schedule, the way they demand? The only on stage impact Derrick could come up with was that Asia wasn't watching her and smiling, which...seems like not a real thing. Whatever. 

If this is all semi scripted or amped up for TV, they cast the wrong people to pull it off. It's not even a good commercial for the Vegas show. 

I feel like there are so many easy ways to crank out content for this show, and while I'm hopeful that when they get to quarantine it'll be more interesting, so far I'm wishing I skipped this.