S06.E05: Pink Table Talk

[Keywestclubkid]

The queens are tasked with hosting a confessional talk show in the style of Red Table Talk

[bobbyjoe]

Really surprised by this one.  Scarlet?  WTF?  This felt more like one of those episodes where it was going to be that nobody goes home, because how do you eliminate somebody when they’re getting so personal?  

It’s funny, because I liked watching the three discussions, but thinking of them as competitive challenges really left a bad taste in my mouth.  Tell us something deeply personal and if you don’t do a good enough job or it’s not personal enough you’re going home? Be in your drag persona but also be yourself, but if you move back and forth between yourself and your drag persona that’s not good.   Uhhhhm, producers or Ru or whoever came up with this one, did you really think this one through?

All this being said, Ginger was hilarious in the LSFYL.   And Bianca refusing to do it was perfectly Bianca. 

[MsJamieDornan]

2 hours ago, bobbyjoe said:

Really surprised by this one.  Scarlet?

Personally, I dont think that was the correct choice. Based on the whole challenge and runway.

[phoenix780]

I will dramatically say this is the worst challenge I've ever seen on reality TV. Why did Ginger win, if she moderated and her team failed? Because she revealed the most (wanting to be a parent, having a childhood illness)?

It felt like exploitation, and wrapping each segment with a fake sex toy was really weird in context. Like they were supposed to have been funny. And, RuPaul reached this level of fame famous a lot of vulnerability, so... 

I thought the whole thing was confusing, uncomfortable, and boring. 

[853fisher]

If "Jan is in her head and trying too hard again" was the producers' desired story, they could probably find the footage to justify it no matter what, but that's no reason for her to make it so easy for them!  Seriously, I think Jan is "being herself" at this moment in her life, and that's just very "on" and high-intensity in a way that doesn't appeal to everyone.

3 hours ago, bobbyjoe said:

It’s funny, because I liked watching the three discussions, but thinking of them as competitive challenges really left a bad taste in my mouth.  Tell us something deeply personal and if you don’t do a good enough job or it’s not personal enough you’re going home? Be in your drag persona but also be yourself, but if you move back and forth between yourself and your drag persona that’s not good.

I echo these thoughts.  I tend not to like the pop psychology elements that have become more earnest and frequents, and treating those discussions as a vaguely defined competition seemed to strongly distill some of the more cynical aspects of it all.  I appreciated some of the insights very much and found the transition to judging those conversations jarring.

That said, I thought Kylie and Pandora were perhaps the least vulnerable.  They certainly disclosed the least, I thought, which is not necessarily the same thing.  You should be able to show your mettle as a performer on a show like this without needing to trauma-dump, but the story about bringing home a dog juxtaposed with discussion of human mothers seemed awkward.

Perhaps it was cut, but I wonder why nobody challenged Scarlet's assertion that she hadn't had any bad feedback from the judges?  Although I didn't agree with the negative comments, it annoyed me that she tried to act like they didn't exist and seemed to get away with it.

I'm still enjoying this season, in part because I find it genuinely unpredictable.  I'm eagerly looking forward to the Snatch Game and the twist with the eliminated queens.  There's really been no one all season that I'm dying to get rid of, although Pandora, the one I was most looking forward to going in, has been underwhelming.  This week just didn't vibe for me.

Edited July 16, 2021 by 853fisher

[MsJamieDornan]

18 minutes ago, 853fisher said:

Perhaps it was cut, but I wonder why nobody challenged Scarlet's assertion that she hadn't had any bad feedback from the judges?  Although I didn't agree with the negative comments, it annoyed me that she tried to act like they didn't exist and seemed to get away with it.

You're right. But, Jan got negative stuff on her runway and her talk show. I wonder why scarlet didnt throw that out there.

[Grischa]

Ru saying Scarlet makes her uncomfortable was one of the most absurd criticisms I've ever heard. You have the queens in drag talking about their real life, so obviously they're gonna flip flop between their drag persona and their real persona, what did they expect?

I also felt really bad for Jan, in the confessional she seemed really genuine when she cried and said that was just her. The judges are basically telling her to not be herself, that must feel awful.

[MsJamieDornan]

56 minutes ago, Grischa said:

Ru saying Scarlet makes her uncomfortable was one of the most absurd criticisms I've ever heard

You're right. It made me angry. Very.

[Glade]

Pandora and Sonique did share the least, which seems like better judging criteria then accusing someone of basically being fake or cringey based on what they did share, but the nature of the challenge was in poor taste.  It is strange that they wouldn't choose a winner from the winning team.  I really felt for Jan when she was breaking down in the confessional.  Ginger definitely won the lipsync. The way she introduced the lip-stick I thought for a second that she was pulling a Bendela Christ and had written her own name on it, but no.   I don't think Scarlet deserved to go home, but I guess she made Ru uncomfortable and we can't possibly allow that, since it's not like this challenge that she produced made any of the queens uncomfortable...

[Grischa]

34 minutes ago, Glade said:

Pandora and Sonique did share the least, which seems like better judging criteria then accusing someone of basically being fake or cringey based on what they did share, ...

But if how much they shared was used as a criteria that could lead to queens on future seasons feeling pressured to overshare. You're right that the challenge was in poor taste.

I have a feeling Ru wanted Scarlet in the bottom so it didn't matter what she did. Too much drag persona = I didn't see the real you! Too much real persona = Where was Scarlet? Flip flopping = It makes me uncomfortable!

[dolphincorn]

I think Scarlet is terrific, but I also understand the "uncomfortable" criticism. When she's in drag, she does something that reminds of Laganja at her worst. She slips back into a character that she believes is charming, but it comes off as a bit desperate. The same thing happened in the Mariah Carey challenge during her original season. I suppose that is what RuPaul was getting at, although I could be wrong. Regardless, I believed that Kylie and Jan were far worse this episode.

[phoenix780]

The only criticism of Jan I thought was fair was when Ru said something about how all stars are full of themselves they just can't always show it. Telling Jan she comes off self-absorbed and that makes it harder to connect with her seems reasonable. The generic keep it real stuff was, I agree, hard to watch. 

I don't see the desperate side of Scarlet, but I fully cop to being biased because I feel like she was overlooked intentionally in past challenges, and they were heavy handed at judging to help nudge her out. 

Kylie and Pandora may have shared the least, but I thought they were the most entertaining. Kylies comment to RaJah was quotable, Pandora retained some humor. I'd rather that then what Ginger did (which makes me rethink her whole big-girl-pride shtick). 

I can see why Ginger won the lip sync, not that she had as hard an assassin as we've seen, but how did she even get there? It just irks me, feeling like she was handed $30k for nothing. 

[Madding crowd]

I thought everyone was good at the challenge and I liked all of the runway except for Jan’s and Akeria ( mostly because the dress pattern thing has been done before). It almost seems like Scarlet was put in the bottom because she related a positive experience and Ru wanted trauma of some kind. 
Being yourself can also mean you have had good experiences with the topic at hand. Of course Ru and Michelle never seemed to like Scarlet on her season and I think the same about Pandora and Jan. I probably would have eliminated Jan if I had to pick someone because I didn’t think her runway outfit was good.

I also think the queens were confused because in every other talk show challenge , they were told to maintain a bubbly talk show host demeanor the whole time.

Edited July 16, 2021 by Madding crowd

[Keywestclubkid]

Jan just gets shit on no matter what. Lol all through her season she was pushed down and over looked and now they want her to completely change her core being to make them happy when their motto up until now has been be true to yourself be yourself love yourself. Unless you’re Jan then your just to much. … Silky could be obnoxious has fuck and completely on 10 and it’s fine and they love it want more of it. Poor Jan 

Edited July 16, 2021 by Keywestclubkid

[Ms.Lulu]

After this episode it seems like Jan and Pandora are just filler queens.  Based on judges comment the final four will be Ginger, Eureka, Kylie and Trinity.  I wouldn't be bothered if this is the case.  Not a spoiler as I don't know.

That said, the game within the game could bring us back Silky.  Does anyone know when we'll be getting more details on the game soon?

[violet and green]

It was a really boring challenge. Poor Jan, poor Scarlet. I don't know who I would've sent home, but it sure as hell wasn't Scarlet. Hope she comes back - if someone's coming back; six episodes is too many to keep this 'game within a game' (which I suspect just means we're going to find a way to shoehorn Silky back in) an unknown quantity.

[Fake Jan Brady]

10 hours ago, Madding crowd said:

I also think the queens were confused because in every other talk show challenge , they were told to maintain a bubbly talk show host demeanor the whole time.

It made me wonder if the queens are briefed by producers before the challenge as to what the judges will be looking for. The usual shtik is to send up whatever genre they're parodying [go big or go home] but in this case it was to be respectful? It was doubly confusing for me as I'd never heard of Red Table Talk before this so I was waiting for the punchline...and the pink furry box wasn't it.

I'm curious as to how it would have turned out if the Rock-Paper-Scissors game had gone the other way.

[Kaboom 2.0]

I rewatched the teams' Pink Table Talks and still don't know why Scarlet made Ru uncomfortable. I do know I felt uncomfortable when Ru said it. This ep started out on a promising note with what should've been a great challenge but Ru herself fucked it up.

Thank God for Bianca showing up! She and Ginger & Mayhem's LSFYL more than made up for it. 

[MsJamieDornan]

13 hours ago, Kaboom 2.0 said:

I rewatched the teams' Pink Table Talks and still don't know why Scarlet made Ru uncomfortable. I do know I felt uncomfortable when Ru said it.

Agreed.  Ru was being a big bitch and it wasn't a good look.

Edited July 18, 2021 by MsJamieDornan

[Wonderlad71]

Really gutted by Scarlet being eliminated. I think it's maybe the Pearl connection that prevents Ru from fully connecting with her.

Yes, the criteria for this main challenge was confusing. The issues were serious but don't trash a queen for trying to make it entertaining. I for one thought that Ginger's blocked intestine (?) storytelling was too dry. I would have given the win to Eureka. Sonique was giving me nothing.

Runway wise - loved TKB , then Eureka and Ginger. Jan was the worst.

I would have put Sonique (worst in challenge) and Jan (worst runway) in the bottom and sent Sonique home.

[MsJamieDornan]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5bRdv05lEgU      Great interview with Scarlet. 

[Wonderlad71]

On 7/18/2021 at 12:29 PM, MsJamieDornan said:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5bRdv05lEgU      Great interview with Scarlet. 

Oh thanks for this - yes was a great interview indeed. Love Scarlet even more. Looking forward to see how The Game within a Game is different to the previous All Stars where eliminated queens returned

[MsJamieDornan]

1 hour ago, Wonderlad71 said:

Looking forward to see how The Game within a Game is different to the previous All Stars where eliminated queens returned

i cheated and read spoilers.

[truthaboutluv]

On 7/16/2021 at 9:23 AM, dolphincorn said:

I think Scarlet is terrific, but I also understand the "uncomfortable" criticism. When she's in drag, she does something that reminds of Laganja at her worst. She slips back into a character that she believes is charming, but it comes off as a bit desperate.

It's not desperate for me so much as she goes into this character she plays, outside of drag queen Scarlett, if that makes sense. Honestly, even before the judges' feedback, I had these exact criticisms about Scarlett's performance. Yes, they're supposed to be "real" while in drag (reminds me of Bianca's hilarious confessional in saying she wanted Laganja to be real) but the problem with Scarlett is that you never felt like you were just watching someone just chatting and sharing. 

Compared to Eureka, Trinity and A'Keria's group where they were all dragged up to the gods but you felt like you were watching three people genuinely chatting and sharing. Scarlett would have a moment and then she'd go into this 50's housewife character reaction faces and weird blinking eyes. That I believe is the discomfort Ru was referring to. You wanted to connect with her but then she'd just randomly slip into step-ford wife, robotic like character. 

As for Jan, I died when Eureka, in full exhausted voice went, "Jan's exhausting me". Because you can't even be mad at her as it's clear she really just doesn't get it. The problem with Jan is she never learned the art of nuance. Girlfriend stays in one mode and that's the problem. Jan kept harping on the judges telling her to bring the funk/crazy the previous week and were now judging her for it.

And it's like one, they told you to bring it for a challenge that required it, i.e. being Gaga. And it worked for that challenge. But this challenge did not need 110% Jan. It needed human Jan who should have different emotions and reactions and not one level the entire time. I died when Jan was all, "I just didn't think I was a 110% the whole time. Did you all think I was" and everyone went, "yes."

It was great to see Bianca again but I was glad when everyone echoed my thoughts that I didn't know Bianca to be a lip-synch assassin. Hell, I don't think I've ever really seen Bianca lip-synch. So the gag of her only showing up to read people and saying f' this lip-synch thing was perfect. The battle between Mayhem and Ginger was fun.