S13.E11: Freaky Friday Queens

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Quote

It's Freaky Friday and the queens must turn each other into their own drag doppelgangers; Loni Love ("Soul Plane") guest judges; psychic Char Margolis makes an appearance.

Original air date: 3/12/21

Edited March 10, 2021 by ElectricBoogaloo

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Act 1:

 

[CraftyHazel]

I’m truly disappointed.  Denali was a much better queen than her placement in this show.  She should have outlasted Tina, Kandy, AND Olivia...and Utica, if not for the fact that Utica rocked it this week.

Edited March 13, 2021 by CraftyHazel

[funnygirl]

This season is officially trash.

[DEL901]

How was Kandy not at the bottom with her muddy make up on Gottmik?

[phoenix780]

Nope. Nope. Nope. 

I'll just say it, I think they were dismissive of Denali because of her heritage. They overlooked cultural references in her looks others would have been praised for. She doesn't fit with vh1. Just my opinion. 

Rose for the win. Or Symone. Or Utica. 

This season is so the opposite of last year. Oh well. At least this will be buried by an all stars and Australia soon. 

[rlc]

That was so freaking unfair! Denali got sent home because of Olivia’s shoddy work, combined with being put in a gown (by Olivia) that she couldn’t dance in. 
 

I’m over Olivia, Kandy, and Tina. Symone for the win, with Rose as a close second.

[xander874]

I would say the decision to oust Denali is the worst of the season but that honor belongs to the non-sashay of Kandy. But it was terrible nonetheless. And I like Olivia but Denali paid the price for her mistakes and that just sucks.

I saw none of Kandy in Gottmiks outfit or performance really. I don’t get what Ru and the gang see in her. Although when Denali was cut it looked like Michelle was not happy with that decision.

This season is a bust. I get COVID but it has dragged so much. They need to have a quadruple elimination next week to speed things along. 

[heckkitty]

Simone & Utica probably deserved that win on the whole (Symone for the win), but man, Rose is under appreciated when it comes to makeup. There were multiple times I looked at Tina & thought that was actually Rose. She’s really good. 

[Adeejay]

So, Olivia messed up and Denali paid the price.  Alrighty then.  This season is officially trash.  Denali, see you on the All Stars.  

[roctavia]

I agree that Denali and Olivia were the least dramatic when it comes to making them look like each other.... though probably because they are both pretty queens that don't have as dramatic a difference in styles. 

It was fun to watch them change up their styles and for the most part they were good pairings. Like most people, I don't get Kandy and while Gottmik had 'attitude' the makeup didn't seem like anything special, though Kandy's makeup isn't really anything stellar IMO, so I guess it fits. Gottmik did a good job with Kandy, though I still don't really care for Gottmik's style most of the time. 

I really liked Symone and Utica, they did a great job with each other and really got to showcase something different. 

Not happy to see Denali go home, but I don't think the judging was completely off base...

Edited March 13, 2021 by roctavia

[Rai]

I'm mad on Denali's behalf, but I can't deny Olivia turned the lip sync. I thought Denali looked great though and in a way different than she normally does. Also, no T, no shade, I have grown to love Denali, but her makeup has always looked on the harsh and unblended side. So in that regard, Olivia really did look like she was a Denali creation. SORRY, GURL. If it helps, I'm sad the double shantay couldn't be used this episode because they deserved it way more.

But I probably would've expected Rose and Tina to be in the bottom, and that Tina would go home (although she might be a better performer than Rose?) if Ru hadn't done her "Which girl deserves to go home tonight?" thing. Truthfully, I wonder if everyone would've picked Tina or Rose if those two hadn't gotten the question first.

Symone and Utica killed it. I mean, Symone is lucky that Utica killed it so hard, because if Utica hadn't, I don't know if they'd had loved Symone's look all that much. But if this means Utica might settle down a tiny bit and lean into some high-fashion walking and posing, I would be here to see her stretch like that.

With Gottmik and Kandy, I thought Gottmik got the better end of the deal. She looked fantastic, and her makeup was a true departure for her, and I really liked it. I liked the outfit and hair Gottmik did on Kandy, but the face...Gottmik, you are a professional, and you can do better. I really don't think Kandy got the best from Gottmik. Signature nipples out look? Yes. But the Black Swan-esque eyes and brow says Gottmik to me way more than a generic clown face.

I know Kandy is wildly unpopular around these parts, and I'm fairly underwhelmed by her too. But when she talked about all the things people have shamed her for in the past -- her size, her lisp, etc. -- I was really struck about how people are still using those things against her as insults, and I do not like that. She is as god made her, or whatever, and while I think her performance, her polish, and her attitude can be fair game, I'm less comfortable with using physical attributes as a measure of her character and abilities. It brings to mind my favorite Eureka read from the season 10 library: "Thanks, y'all, and I can't wait to hear all your reads about me being fat." Another queen who I've never been super crazy about -- but she did have a point.

[Not4Me]

What a garbage episode! Sending home one of the more polished queens of the season while mush-mouth stays? I’ve had it, OFFICIALLY!

[CraftyHazel]

19 minutes ago, Rai said:

I know Kandy is wildly unpopular around these parts, and I'm fairly underwhelmed by her too. But when she talked about all the things people have shamed her for in the past -- her size, her lisp, etc. -- I was really struck about how people are still using those things against her as insults, and I do not like that. She is as god made her, or whatever, and while I think her performance, her polish, and her attitude can be fair game, I'm less comfortable with using physical attributes as a measure of her character and abilities. It brings to mind my favorite Eureka read from the season 10 library: "Thanks, y'all, and I can't wait to hear all your reads about me being fat." Another queen who I've never been super crazy about -- but she did have a point.

I strongly dislike Kandy.  But I don’t dislike her for her size (I’m at least as large) or her lisp or the color of her skin.  I dislike her mush-mouthed way of speaking, but don’t dislike her for that.  But I just don’t find her interesting or appealing or amusing in any way.  She has a level of self-confidence without the actual goods to back it up.  Ru’s fascination with her puzzles me.

[Rai]

I don't see a separation between calling her "mush-mouthed" and dragging her lisp. To me, one is the outcome of the other. That's how she talks.

As to why Ru likes her when she has more confidence than talent, that's probably WHY Ru likes her. Ru responds very well to queens who believe in themselves and go hard in challenges. Kandy's putting in the work even if the work comes out underwhelming. She's got attitude, commitment, and pride, and those are all qualities Ru responds to in the less-polished queens. The Miss Vanjies, Heidi N Closets, and Adore Delanos of the world. I like all those queens WAY more than I like Kandy, but that's the role she's filling this season.

[violet and green]

I really thought Kandy and Gottmik would have been in the bottom, but can't have the season's pets going so soon, I guess.

Denali got short shrift, but so did Joey Jay. They both had a Jan Sport level of tension in their runway personas, etc, and Ru is dismissive of such.

1 hour ago, heckkitty said:

man, Rose is under appreciated when it comes to makeup. There were multiple times I looked at Tina & thought that was actually Rose. She’s really good

Yes! When Denali was eliminated the camera kept cutting to 'Rose' looking so upset, and twice I thought, 'Boy, poor Tina Burner is really upset,' only it was Rose! (Oh, I've said the opposite, never mind. I liked them both.)

It was such fun watching Rose and Tina work together, parodying each other's walks and style. And a nice outcome for Utica - hopefully she can add that to her repertoire and refine her runway presentation; it would be exciting to see a queen blossom this season into something more.

 

Edited March 13, 2021 by violet and green
edit to add

[CraftyHazel]

4 minutes ago, Rai said:

I don't see a separation between calling her "mush-mouthed" and dragging her lisp. To me, one is the outcome of the other. That's how she talks.

As to why Ru likes her when she has more confidence than talent, that's probably WHY Ru likes her. Ru responds very well to queens who believe in themselves and go hard in challenges. Kandy's putting in the work even if the work comes out underwhelming. She's got attitude, commitment, and pride, and those are all qualities Ru responds to in the less-polished queens. The Miss Vanjies, Heidi N Closets, and Adore Delanos of the world. I like all those queens WAY more than I like Kandy, but that's the role she's filling this season.

Mush-mouthed for me isn’t the lisp but rather the speed with which she speaks.  I have worked with children for years and can understand people who speak with a lisp quite well.  But she talks so fast I can’t understand half of what she says.  Her words all roll into one another and it’s like the people who type without periods, commas, or paragraphs, leaving me to try and figure out what they’re trying to say.  I just want her to slow down and take a breath!

[phoenix780]

I think Kandy is filling a Roxxy Andrews, kind of role, with the kind of attitude easily edited to look like unearned arrogance. Then, they keep her too long to exaggerate a gap between performance and on-screen reception. It's almost unfair to her (almost because reality TV isn't new at this point and she knows past contestants).

I'll be shocked if she's not top 4.

[Rai]

New York queens are fast talkers. New York Latinx queens are fast talkers sometimes with accents. Kandy is all that plus a lisp. I feel tremendously itchy whenever a queen of color gets the complaint she's not articulate enough because that's getting into problematic territory. It's the kind of thing Utica should worry about more than being a white person wearing an afro to imitate a white person who had an afro. How Kandy talks does not make her a bad person or performer, per se. Miss Vanjie was the motormouth of all time with the blessed voice of a foghorn, and she remains a fan favorite who made vocal performance challenges work for her unique gifts.

Kandy doesn't have the charm of Miss Vanjie to me, of course. But I do want to tease out what's objectively not great about her work and not focus my complaints on things that are intrinsically her. I am disappointed she's still here and Denali isn't. She also wears her confidence more effortlessly whereas Denali gave off some desperation. That can really make a difference on this show specifically, and so far, it has.

(But I'd put Denali and Tamisha Iman in an All-Stars any time over Kandy. All day long.)

 

[Just Carol]

Contrary to opinions expressed on the stage, I think that Gottmik and Kandy were the easiest pairing.  Anyone paired with Gottmik was going to be safe, because Gottmik paints faces for a living. AND because her look is so distinctive.  White clown makeup, and boom, Gottmik doppelgänger.  Gottmik did a pretty good job of imitating Kandy's movements, but Kandy Failed to paint Mik's face in any way that Kandy had ever done on herself.

I feel really bad for Denali (as do many) that she was in the bottom two on a day she looked so beautiful.  I hope that in her post-Drag Race career she does her makeup so that she looks beautiful all the time, and maybe not as harsh and caricature-ish as she did on the show.

Carson was a hoot on the panel.  He is my favorite panelist.

[violet and green]

 

58 minutes ago, Rai said:

New York queens are fast talkers. New York Latinx queens are fast talkers sometimes with accents. Kandy is all that plus a lisp. I feel tremendously itchy whenever a queen of color gets the complaint she's not articulate enough because that's getting into problematic territory.

Worth watching Bob the Drag Queen imitate Kandy Muse's enunciation, about 12 minutes in.

[futurechemist]

I found the beginning of the episode unpleasant and that cast a shadow over the rest of the episode. There's absolutely no scientific evidence that psychics exist. None. What C. M. was doing was a mixture of cold reading and hot reading. C. M. is either self-deluded or a fraud, and she didn't deserve the publicity the show gave her. 

Cold reading - picking up on body language, making vague statements, letting others fill in the details, and then claiming that as their discovery. Being able to read body language is a legitimate skill, for instance for therapists or detectives, but shouldn't be billed as psychic powers.

Hot reading - the producers told her details about the queens in advance or she looked up their social media accounts.

And of course the masquerade that either C. M.  paired up the queens based on a few minutes with them or that the producers did it for drama. Either way, it wasn't some sort of soul searching epiphany. [/soapbox]

[violet and green]

Whether or not Char Margolis is a psychic or a good psychic, I enjoyed that segment. It was a fun way to explain the pairings, also.

I think you are wrong to state there is no scientific proof that psychic phenomena and abilities exist. A quick summary of some of the more notable studies into the area is contained in this essay, for example:

https://www.watkinsmagazine.com/the-reality-of-esp-a-physicists-proof-of-psychic-abilities

Edit to add: Millions have been spent on psychic research by Russia and the US, going back six or seven decades. eg

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stargate_Project

That's your tax dollars. 😃 

 

Edited March 18, 2021 by violet and green
edit to add

[30 Helens]

I want to play Psychic! Let’s see... Has someone on this forum ever owned a dog? I’m getting a strong impression of the color blue... Is there someone here who likes the color blue? Yes? I have the gift!!  I mean... “Did someone change their opinion about someone else once they got to know them? Does someone in your family drive a truck?” Pleeease.

I figured Kandi and Gottmik were paired on purpose, to keep them both safe. If you’re judging by teams, that’s the easiest way. They’re both going to the finals, I have very little doubt.

7 hours ago, roctavia said:

I agree that Denali and Olivia were the least dramatic when it comes to making them look like each other.... though probably because they are both pretty queens that don't have as dramatic a difference in styles. 

And this is why I think they had the biggest challenge to overcome, despite what Kandi said. Kandi and Gottmik are very dissimilar in both appearance and style, and they got to play off of that. Rosé and Tina carry themselves very differently, as do Symone and Utica. Symone possibly had the easiest path, given that Utica is basically a human cartoon, but I gotta hand it to her— she had that spider walk down. Denali and Olivia had much less to work with, aside from an awkwardly executed skating walk.  As Roctavia noted, I think they were just too similar to stand out.  I really liked Denali, so I am disappointed in the outcome.

6 hours ago, Rai said:

As to why Ru likes her when she has more confidence than talent, that's probably WHY Ru likes her. Ru responds very well to queens who believe in themselves and go hard in challenges. Kandy's putting in the work even if the work comes out underwhelming. She's got attitude, commitment, and pride, and those are all qualities Ru responds to in the less-polished queens. The Miss Vanjies, Heidi N Closets, and Adore Delanos of the world. I like all those queens WAY more than I like Kandy, but that's the role she's filling this season.

I get what you’re saying, and I think you’re probably right about Ru. But in my opinion, what differentiates Kandi (who I do not like) from Vangie, Heidi and Adore (all of whom I liked very much) is not the confidence, but the unearned arrogance. Kandi is also quick to put down other queens and constantly presents herself as the victim. Even tonight on Untucked, when she was clearly not in danger, Kandi made a point of highlighting her own hurt feelings, forcing Denali to be apologetic at a time when she had much bigger things to be concerned about. I agree that Kandi should not be disparaged for her looks, size, or manner of speaking. It’s not only unkind, it’s completely unnecessary when there are so many other reasons to dislike her.

Edited March 13, 2021 by 30 Helens
It’s good to spell people’s names right

[Sugarbeetle]

1 hour ago, 30 Helens said:

Kandi made a point of highlighting her own hurt feelings, forcing Denali to be apologetic at a time when she had much bigger things to be concerned about. I agree that Kandi should not be disparaged for her looks, size, or manner of speaking. It’s not only unkind, it’s completely unnecessary when there are so many other reasons to dislike her.

Kandy made Untucked all about her. Again. She is absolutely exhausting. It’s really shitty Denali went home for Olivia’s misread of the challenge, but damn Olivia’s face was rough. 

[Diane Mars]

I'm really perplexed here... Olivia told us in one ep in untucked that she has always a reveal in her dresses, in any case she should have to lip-synch...

Where was THAT reveal in the dress she put Denali on ? And I'll add to that what was said to her by Symone (?) (paraphrazing here) in this untucked : "I know you do pageant, but we didn't see it until now".

And where was the tiny purse ? The curls ? That's... Bizarre

[ElectricBoogaloo]

I liked instead of the traditional makeover challenge, the queens got a chance to spend some one on one time with each other and get to know each other better. I know switching to this Freaky Friday challenge was due to COVID restrictions but I ended up liking it (although I did feel bad for Kandy and Gottmik since they are clearly nowhere near the same body type or size).

Rosé did a campy but recognizable version of Tina Burner. I was so glad that she turned down that huge crazy outfit that Tina was showing her in the workroom. I think Rosé did the best job imitating her partner's mannerisms.

I don't think that Tina necessarily had Rosé's walk, but her makeup made her look like Rosé (so kudos to Rosé for that transformation). My main takeaway from this was that Tina tends to hide her body under those huge dresses which make her look bigger than she really is and kind of matronly. Her body looked pretty amazing in Rosé's outfit.

Olivia as Frozen/Denali look was not my favorite but mostly because I hated the dress. It looked like something you would make out of shower poufs in an unconventional materials challenge.

Denali looked beautiful as Olivia. She did a good job with those slow elegant poses and arm movements. But most of Olivia's brand is in her personality, not her outfits or her walk so I get that it wasn't as easy for Denali to imitate her.

Symone did a great job analyzing Utica's movements and imitating them. She was up there with Rosé for best partner impersonation. The only thing I didn't like was the silver highlight on the lipstick which made her look like she had a milk mustache.

I liked seeing Utica as Symone because she had to temporarily abandon her usual weirdo runway persona. She did a nice job looking fiercer and more confident than she normally does.

Gottmik as Kandy didn't really work for me, partly because Kandy doesn't really have a signature runway walk or personality. Gottmik just looked like Gottmik doing her usual walk but with her mouth open. Her flailing arms reminded me of a high school kid in drama 101.

Kandy as Gottmik wasn't very successful for me either. She tried to imitate Gottmik's runway moves but the only thing that reminded me of Gottmik was the makeup and the nipples, which were due to Gottmik, not Kandy.

I like both Olivia and Denali so I was disappointed knowing that we were going to lose one of them.

I think Denali has been underrated and overlooked ALL season so I'm sad that she was eliminated before she had a chance to really shine. And I'm especially disappointed that she was eliminated before Kandy who has had consistently awful runway looks, makeup, and performances all season.

The most shocking thing about this episode was learning that Kandy was a makeup artist. How on earth does she have such awful makeup week after week?

9 hours ago, CraftyHazel said:

Mush-mouthed for me isn’t the lisp but rather the speed with which she speaks.  I have worked with children for years and can understand people who speak with a lisp quite well.  But she talks so fast I can’t understand half of what she says.  Her words all roll into one another and it’s like the people who type without periods, commas, or paragraphs, leaving me to try and figure out what they’re trying to say.  I just want her to slow down and take a breath!

For me, the issue is Kandy's lack of enunciation which is a different issue than a lisp. I know people with lisps who enunciate very clearly but you can hear the lisp on sounds like S. Kandy's pronunciation of just about everything is messy, like she isn't including all the letters. Talking fast just exacerbates the problem because then the sounds you do hear are all smushed together into one long word which makes it difficult to decipher.

[Ananayel]

At first I was annoyed by Utica - again - and her unwillingness to "appropriate" or "step on a boundary." Bob Ross actually had that hair. It's not appropriation. And unless I missed it, I'm pretty sure Symone wasn't going to put her in blackface. But I did like how it made them (at least a few of them) step back and suss themselves out. "I don't really think about my walk, I just do it." Now she has to think, and amplify, and teach. That's a good skill to have in this profession.

I really liked Denali, so I'm hoping her parting words that the werkroom hadn't seen the last of her are prophetic, and there's a returning queen, because why not drag this damn season out even more? If Michelle wasn't happy, it could happen.

[Just Carol]

3 hours ago, Diane Mars said:

I'm really perplexed here... Olivia told us in one ep in untucked that she has always a reveal in her dresses, in any case she should have to lip-synch...

Where was THAT reveal in the dress she put Denali on ? And I'll add to that what was said to her by Symone (?) (paraphrazing here) in this untucked : "I know you do pageant, but we didn't see it until now".

And where was the tiny purse ? The curls ? That's... Bizarre

I wondered about the non-reveal, too.  Not that the song lent itself to splits, backflips and death drops, but poor Denali could barely move in that dress.  The wig Denali wore was (to me) unrecognizable. I think of the signature Olivia Lux look as an upswept Supremes wig and big broad smile.  Denali's dentition is completely different from Olivia's, so she would have a hard time getting the smile right.  And I think Olivia pads more in the chest than Denali was padded.  It was a hard pairing, but it could have been done better. 😞

[AntManBee]

I am more annoyed that they re-used Shackles by Mary, Mary as a lip sync?    First they did it with Stronger for Season 9's finale.  Then When I Grow Up for the first episode this year.  

 

I don't wanna see any fuckin' repeated lip syncs! Anymore!!

[Machiabelly]

Symone is slowly, episode by episode, becoming my favourite queen this season.

[Not4Me]

15 hours ago, 30 Helens said:

But in my opinion, what differentiates Kandi (who I do not like) from Vangie, Heidi and Adore (all of whom I liked very much) is not the confidence, but the unearned arrogance. Kandi is also quick to put down other queens and constantly presents herself as the victim. Even tonight on Untucked, when she was clearly not in danger, Kandi made a point of highlighting her own hurt feelings, forcing Denali to be apologetic at a time when she had much bigger things to be concerned about. I agree that Kandi should not be disparaged for her looks, size, or manner of speaking. It’s not only unkind, it’s completely unnecessary when there are so many other reasons to dislike her.

I think the only thing those 4 equally share in common is that their drag is scrappy and rough around the edges. But I’d argue there’s a huge drop in quality from an Adore and Heidi (the former showing growth, charisma, and genuine talent) to a Vangie and Kandy (the latter of whom are pretty loud and one-note memes, which IMO doesn’t make for interesting drag on a national level). And then of the two, Kandy is just unlikable, pretty much on the level of a Silky Ganache. 

Edited March 13, 2021 by Not4Me

[violet and green]

Maybe I'm making this memory up, because this season has been going on since before 10,000 BC, but there was an episode Denali should have won, wearing a chandelier outfit, which Olivia Luxe won, wearing a cute little dress and her hair in bobbles in more or less the same manner as the bobbled do worn by Kandy Muse the week before. Denali just seemed and felt overlooked on any number of occasions.

But the pair of them on the runway were both diabolical. The thick craggy childish makeup Denali did on Olivia Luxe. That fluffy bauble outfit with no shape to it. And then Olivia made Denali look completely unlike any of her previous Luxe looks, with a very strange wig, and hard-looking makeup, when the OL look is all about glowing sumptuousness, and somehow dressed Denali up to look like a 45-year old drag queen on the amateur circuit circa 1970. Just bizarre.

So I think they equally deserved to be in the bottom. I couldn't see much going on in the lipsync with that pillow of a costume on OL and D in that fright wig and movement-limiting frock, but was not surprised they kept Olivia over Denali, given the past treatment and perceived charisma of OL.

[Rai]

15 hours ago, 30 Helens said:

I get what you’re saying, and I think you’re probably right about Ru. But in my opinion, what differentiates Kandi (who I do not like) from Vangie, Heidi and Adore (all of whom I liked very much) is not the confidence, but the unearned arrogance. Kandi is also quick to put down other queens and constantly presents herself as the victim. Even tonight on Untucked, when she was clearly not in danger, Kandi made a point of highlighting her own hurt feelings, forcing Denali to be apologetic at a time when she had much bigger things to be concerned about. I agree that Kandi should not be disparaged for her looks, size, or manner of speaking. It’s not only unkind, it’s completely unnecessary when there are so many other reasons to dislike her.

I don't think Ru cares whether the arrogance (or confidence) a queen projects is earned or not, and truth be told, I don't either. (Again, touchy territory and optics for saying a queen of color is arrogant.) Still everything else you're saying here is exactly how Kandy deserves to be critiqued and is honestly all I was trying to say as well. Especially the last sentence!

Overall, that's how I feel about Kandy as well, but as my favorites Tom and Lorenzo noted today, Denali is that supremely talented queen who never did anything that surprised Ru outside of that very excellent lip sync against Kahmora that I've rewatched way too many times. I don't like it. I just feel like I get it according to Ru's previous history.

[Ms.Lulu]

3 hours ago, Machiabelly said:

Symone is slowly, episode by episode, becoming my favourite queen this season.

Yes, Symone and Rose, they  are fierce and they have grace.

[Corgi-ears]

It's truly hilarious how Tina Burner staying out of the bottom two came down to the judges saying, "Rosé looks like total tasteless tacky shit, but...that's how Tina always looks...so...Tina is safe, we guess?"

[Fake Jan Brady]

6 hours ago, Machiabelly said:

Symone is slowly, episode by episode, becoming my favourite queen this season.

Symone has been my favourite since she strutted into the werkroom in that mini dress made of polaroids of herself.

[30 Helens]

4 hours ago, Rai said:

I don't think Ru cares whether the arrogance (or confidence) a queen projects is earned or not, and truth be told, I don't either. (Again, touchy territory and optics for saying a queen of color is arrogant.) 

Sincere apologies if my use of the term “arrogant” was offensive, but honestly my saying that had nothing to do with color. Arrogance is found in all races and nationalities, sometimes earned and sometimes not. In this case, “unearned” is the word I was emphasizing. I admire confidence, and do not fault Kandi for displaying hers.  But to me, arrogance is taking your confidence to such a degree that you think you’re better than everyone else, and if you’re going to project that, you should at least have the talent to back it up. 

[Rai]

I think of the use of "arrogance" in this context in the same way I think of the example of how an assertive man is praised for his leadership but an assertive woman is called too harsh and needs to soften her approach. Rose and Denali have both had their moments of being "arrogant" in the same way Kandy is (way more confident in their abilities than what the judges saw), and we root for them. I don't think anyone here is consciously rooting against Kandy on the basis of her color. That doesn't mean it's not worth examining why her confidence comes off as arrogance against the idea that Denali deserves justice for being slighted.

FWIW, I thought Gottmik looked great, but I didn't see Kandy in it outside of the hat. But Kandy did a great job making up Gottmik, and that should be recognized. I just wish the skill she applied to Gottmik she could also apply more to her own looks, although her entrance look was in that wheelhouse. She's rough, but she's got good instincts.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Olivia & Denali LSFYL

Whatcha Packin': Denali

The Pit Stop: Trixie Mattel & Nicky Doll

 

[kicotan]

I liked Gottmik’s style and make-up talents at first, but every show Ends up with me liking Gottmik a little less.  The Valley-Girl affectation + vocal fry Gottmik speaks with is like nails on a chalkboard for me.  I would rather hear Kandy speak quickly and not enunciate while reading the entire dictionary out loud.  That being said, I didn’t think they did any better of a job at the challenge than Denali & Olivia Lux.  The only thing different about Gottmik’s runway style as “Kandy” from the usual Gottmik runway look was the black space between the two front teeth.  Likewise, Kandy looked and moved the same as always, the only “Gottmik” I got was the signature exposed/decorated nipples.

Symone did an Amazing job as “Utica”!!!  Utica, bless her ginger heart, overcame her fears and performed well with Symone’s talent and guidance.  Best pair-up of the night!!!

Rounding out my critique:  Rosé and Tina are “safe”.😊

[Blakeston]

Kandy's outfits are usually a mess, she's terrible at makeup, she can't act the role of anyone but herself, and she's not good at lip syncs. She also doesn't bother to enunciate, so a huge amount of what she says is lost on an audience. And yet she continually acts like her shit doesn't stink.

That makes her an extremely good example of unearned arrogance, regardless of the color of her skin.

[Rai]

It goes in circles. I don't see self-confidence as a character flaw. And I think some critiques attributed to her can be applied to other, more fan-favored queens on this and previous seasons. I think Utica is a tad delusional, for example, about how artistic she really is, but I think there's a really fierce queen in there if she learns to own it. In that regard, she could learn a lot from someone unapologetic like Kandy.

[violet and green]

Confidence is not the same as arrogance.

Confidence: a feeling of self-assurance arising from an appreciation of one's own abilities or qualities.

Arrogance: an obnoxiously elevated sense of self-worth.

"An arrogant person is the one who acts as if they’re superior, more worthy, and more important than others. Therefore, they tend to disrespect and put others down. At the same time, they want admiration and respect from others."

A confident queen wouldn't feel the need to shout at queen's lower in the pecking order, or bully the vulnerable ones, like Kandy did Tamisha Iman and Elliott.

[theatremouse]

21 hours ago, Corgi-ears said:

It's truly hilarious how Tina Burner staying out of the bottom two came down to the judges saying, "Rosé looks like total tasteless tacky shit, but...that's how Tina always looks...so...Tina is safe, we guess?"

Weren't they judged as teams? So as long as the sum of Olivia+Denali was worse than Tina+Rose, Tina was always gonna be safe.

[Blissfool]

I really enjoyed this episode. I thought 3 out of the 4 teams did a great job and was having trouble determining a clear winner.

I hope that future seasons keep the makeover challenge within the queens themselves, rather than bringing in outside people to makeover. It was fun to watch. 

[Sugarbeetle]

5 hours ago, Blissfool said:

I hope that future seasons keep the makeover challenge within the queens themselves, rather than bringing in outside people to makeover. It was fun to watch. 

Agreed. This was the first of one of these challenges where it wasn't difficult to watch, and you get someone that is completely against getting the makeover. At least with a fellow drag queen, you might still be disappointed, but it's not like you're hurting someone from the outside. 

[ElectricBoogaloo]

5 hours ago, Blissfool said:

I hope that future seasons keep the makeover challenge within the queens themselves, rather than bringing in outside people to makeover. It was fun to watch. 

 

42 minutes ago, Sugarbeetle said:

Agreed. This was the first of one of these challenges where it wasn't difficult to watch, and you get someone that is completely against getting the makeover. At least with a fellow drag queen, you might still be disappointed, but it's not like you're hurting someone from the outside. 

The other huge bonus of having the queens make each other over is that they're on much more even footing. Sometimes we get people in the makeover challenges who have never walked in heels or have some other level of inexperience that puts the competing queen at a disadvantage. With the queens making each other over, they're all kind of starting at a similar place and they don't have to worry about being gentle with whoever is getting the makeover.

And I always feel bad about how invested the people getting the makeover get because when they're watching the judges' critiques from backstage, it's clear that the people paired with the queens in the bottom feel responsible and guilty, and I feel like that's a lot of pressure to put on yourself. With the queens making each other over, they know it's in their best interest to slay and if they're in the bottom, they don't feel guilty at all. Mad maybe, but not guilty.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Runway:

 

[ladle]

WHAT ON EARTH JUST HAPPENED.