S07.E06: Ru Hollywood Stories

[Tara Ariano]

The contestants partake in reenactment stories.

[interesting]

And if anyone seen, the preview for next episode, I do wonder, what do they do with those number + monster tags those pit crew members stuffed in their briefs, is there a place where we can buy those same exact ones they used in their briefs?  I'm joking, only a little bit though...

[Rai]

Locas, this season...is perhaps not the best.  I can't even figure out who won, but I assume/hope it was Ginger or Katya or both.

 

Nice mini-challenge though.

[Egg]

I liked this episode a lot. The return of Merle was a fun gag, and I think the skits were generally entertaining.

 

I disagree with a few major points in the judging. I actually thought Jaidynn's performance as RuPaul turned out hilarious (I turned to my bf and said "I don't know why she just did any of that but I'm in love with it), but I agree that her runway was the worst. I also thought Kandy wasn't half bad as Ru. The one I thought was by far the worst in the skits was Miss Fame, who didn't seem to be referencing Merle at all, and also wasn't believable as a human being.

 

I actually thought Kandy did a better lip sync. She was really feeling and representing the song. Jaidynn was high energy and entertaining, but not in a way that I thought went with the song. It was certainly the best duo of the season (although that's a low bar) and I'm certainly not sad about Kandy leaving or Jaidynn staying. I just don't agree with the logic.

 

I hope this is the start of a redemption arc for the show. With this and the Snatch Game next week, I'm hoping they'll pull out of the tailspin.

 

Oh also, does Pearl only know how to do makeup in one very specific, ugly way?

[Xazeal]

I liked this one overall, but there were some quibbles. I didn't like that we got yet another team challenge, and again I disagreed with the judging. Kennedy should've been in the bottom two for sure, and as much as I love Katya, I think both Ginger and Pearl (and maybe even Max) outperformed her tonight. I'm fine with Kandy leaving, though.

 

Violet, Max and Pearl rocked the runway. I disagree that Max should change her hair just for the sake of switching it up, but I have seen her in blonde/pink/red hair and she looks absolutely stunning in it, so I actually would like to see her do something other than gray. Then again, part of me wants her to keep doing gray just to mess with Michelle, because really, I doubt she's ever told Pearl to stop wearing blonde wigs.

 

Fame is really growing on me.

[Cosmic Muffin]

Even the contestants are saying they're tired of group challenges. I feel kind of bad for them that this season is turning out so poorly. I don't think the fault is entirely that they aren't the most dynamic bunch, the feeling of cutting corners this season isn't their fault. They all worked just as hard to get onto the show, are trying while they're on the show while being stressed and exhausted and this season just isn't very good. I'm still not sure why. Maybe a cluster of reasons. I hope no one uses the poor season as an excuse to bring back Santino, though. Is Ru over this? Did they choose the contestants differently? I'm not even looking forward to The Snatch game. I just don't understand this season.

[snakenax]

It has a touch of Top Chef Texas to me, that is a competition reality TV show season where they've run out of most of the good idea for challenges and bombard you with badly designed team challenges where the question is usually who stunk the least rather than shined the most.

[Haberdasher]

Every week I find myself groaning when a team challenge is announced. But I looked back at the last few seasons, and with the exception of the first episode, they generally had all team challenges up until the Snatch Game. So while this season isn't necessarily featuring more team challenges than usual, there's something about them that just isn't working this time around. I don't know exactly what it is, but I don't feel as invested in this season as I did in previous years.

[Kostgard]

Good thing Kandy was eliminated because I was sitting there thinking "Who is that?" while they were shooting their skit. I only figured it out by process of elimination.

Miss Fame is never going to get Ru's "How's your head?" joke.

[BloggerAloud]

The first few minutes of the show almost reached parody levels of ridiculous with the use of the "shade button" after almost every single comment before the opening credits.

[JakeyJokes]

I really do like Michelle, but I was *living* for Ross Matthews talking back to her at the panel. Perspective is everything, and I was watching at a gay bar in Minneapolis (where Max is kinda sorta a hometown hero), but everybody WHOOPED when this happened, horribly paraphased:

 

Michelle: "No one's asking her to change, we're just asking her to do something different."

Ross: "That's what changing *IS*""

 

Children, it was PERFECTION. It was terse, it was to the point, and it wasn't mean or personal.

 

***

 

I loved having Merle back -- but I would have liked if they would have given us some info as to what she's up to now! IIRC, she was working or a magazine last time she was a judge (and when they replayed Season 1 last year I checked her Twitter handle that they gave us, and girl hadn't updated it). The joke about how "blurry" she was last time was a great callback.

 

Ah, Kandi Ho. Yes, it was her time to go, as this was her third time lip-syncing (a Jujubee or Alyssa Edwards she was not), but I do still find her to be a talented queen. My friend noted that we never got any kind of back story with her. I would be interested to find out.

 

Uggghhhhhh. Violet. I *do* give her props for standing in that corset and in those heels for God knows how long, but Max really had her number when he questioned her attitude in his TH (and, to be fair, Max lives for theater and memorizing lines and personifying a character and Violet ... does not).

 

Ariane was a surprisingly funny guest judge and I hope they bring her back for S8.

[Blakeston]

I've seen a lot of comments online about Kandy Ho's lip sync being fantastic. I have to say, I thought she was good, but nothing extraordinary. Jaidyn sure seemed like the winner to me, even if you go by lip syncs alone.

 

Every week I find myself groaning when a team challenge is announced. But I looked back at the last few seasons, and with the exception of the first episode, they generally had all team challenges up until the Snatch Game. So while this season isn't necessarily featuring more team challenges than usual, there's something about them that just isn't working this time around. I don't know exactly what it is, but I don't feel as invested in this season as I did in previous years.

 

The Snatch Game is also later than usual this season.

[blaase]

I'd be okay wtih Merle and Michell both as judges, get rid of Carson and Ross.

I am glad for this forum, because in every other forum, everyone is up Pearl's ass. Saying how she was robbed of the win this week. Serious delusional fan base Pearl has.

Also that Bear Jacket or whatever it was Ginger had on, was hideous. Looked like a theme park character.

[briochetwist]

I'd be okay wtih Merle and Michell both as judges, get rid of Carson and Ross.

I am glad for this forum, because in every other forum, everyone is up Pearl's ass. Saying how she was robbed of the win this week. Serious delusional fan base Pearl has.

Also that Bear Jacket or whatever it was Ginger had on, was hideous. Looked like a theme park character.

Robbed of the win?  Seriously?  I can't even figure out how Pearl is still on the show.  Sorry, but I don't see a great 'change' in her attitude at all.  I am so bored of this season.  I feel like the couture queens with very little talent (other than makeup application) are being shoved down my throat.  Damn, I miss Bianca.

[bobbyjoe]

Robbed of the win?  Seriously?  I can't even figure out how Pearl is still on the show.  Sorry, but I don't see a great 'change' in her attitude at all.  I am so bored of this season.

 

But Pearl is being redeemed!  See, Ru fussed at Pearl last week, but this week she... ohmigod, I can't go on, please, show, please stop it with the Pearl thing.

 

I had to laugh when Kandy unwittingly put her finger on the obvious elephant in the Interior Illusions lounge (or broom closet, or laundry room, or whatever they're calling it these days on bargain-bin Untucked).  Yes, honey, Ru used you to get rid of two of the older queens.  Despite this season's promise of more age-diversity, Ru is burning through the older queens faster than a blowtorch through a Kleenex.  We're now already down to all but two being in their 20s, and those two are both (supposedly) in their early 30s.  But, dear, you're not supposed to mention that.

[SnideAsides]

Is Ru over this?

Possibly. I feel like after the underwhelming reactions to All-Stars and season five and Adore and Courtney being forced so deep into the competition to try and justify an Idol-vs-Idol LSFYL that never eventuated, the "shemale" controversy last year was the last straw, and now we're just going through the motions until there's an excuse to bring the show to an end. I hope not though.

[Kaboom 2.0]

"Michelle: "No one's asking her to change, we're just asking her to do something different."

Ross: "That's what changing *IS*""

 

OMG LOVED Ross' reply! Loved all of the Ru/Michelle/Merle scenes in the Ru Hollywood Stories segments. Seems like Merle and MIchelle got along during the runway and judging. Right? Ginger's bear outfit made me think of those being into the furry world. Fame's not getting Ru's "how's your head?" seemed about right, still love her though.

 

This season is just not doing it for me. There's no Bianca, no Sharon, no Nina, no real standout. Can't complain about the Pit Crew though. Rowr.

 

I heart the PR queens but it was Kandy's time to go. She was just...there. Haven't watched Untucked yet, will watch online as soon as I can.

 

Cannot wait for Snatch Game although for a hot second I thought Latoya Jackson was back on the show when they showed the preview. And then the announcer said "Tamar Braxton" and I thought "with that nose she sure looks like a Jackson." That wasn't very nice of me, was it.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

I am not a Pearl fan at all but I was totally with her when she bitched about having to do another group challenge and deal with people other than herself. I totally get that as a performer, sometimes you collaborate with others but there have been WAY too many group challenges and it's only the sixth episode. I have loathed group projects since middle school. I hate having to depend on others to get their shit together. Give me an independent project any day. I don't want my grade (or possible elimination from a reality tv show) to be due to whatever stupid decisions other people make!

 

I like Ginger but that bear thing for the runway was so half assed. The actual bear part it something that hipsters wear at music festivals at night when it gets cold. Definitely not runway worthy. I appreciate the attempt at humor but it just wasn't good enough for me.

[Dirtybubble]

 

I HEART Jaydinn!  Awww what a sweetie pie.  I was worried in the LSFYL because, to me, Kandy turned it out so I was happy JDF stayed. 

[Blakeston]

The number of comedic performance challenges seems suspicious to me. It makes me question even more if the season has been custom-made for Ginger to win.

 

Despite this season's promise of more age-diversity, Ru is burning through the older queens faster than a blowtorch through a Kleenex.  We're now already down to all but two being in their 20s, and those two are both (supposedly) in their early 30s.  But, dear, you're not supposed to mention that.

 

I'd really like to know if the contestants' ages are actually verified, or if they're allowed to claim whatever age they want.

 

I mean, on one hand, if the contestants were allowed to give whatever age they wanted, then I suspect that Raven (for one example) would never have admitted to being 30 - she was clearly self-conscious as hell about it.

 

But on the other hand...if Coco was only 37 during her season, and if Ginger is only 29 now, then drag must age you faster than cigarettes, tanning beds and crystal meth combined.

[BloggerAloud]

The Untucked for this episode made me like Jaidynn and Kandy a lot more and made my opinions of Ginger and Kennedy go down further. I really liked how when Ginger tried to say stuff about people wearing the same look every week, Jaidynn didn't take the bait and instead said stuff about everybody having their own gig. 

 

Kennedy had  a completely inflated sense of self since she did awful in the group challenge and her runway look was atrocious and she has the nerve to critique other people's ensembles.

[xingcat]

Thank god Kandy Ho went away. She was a big nothing, and though this is a whitewhitewhite group of queens (Kennedy and Jaidynn are holding on, and I expect one of them will stay through to the top 4, just to make sure it's not all white all the time), she brought nothing to the table. How could she not see the GIANT BEARD on her RuPaul makeup?

 

Pearl's makeup skills are....odd? She's such a cute boy (though her terrible attitude turns me off) but the eye makeup makes her look like she's just about to lose her false eyelashes at all times. Also, she's a terrible actress.

 

I'm coming to love Miss Fame, if just for her cluelessness. "How's your head?"

 

Katya is my favorite of the remaining queens (and Ginger right behind her). Max is good, but too reserved. I have to take issue with Michelle Visage telling her to wear another color wig. I mean...what if she didn't bring any? I'm sure they have some in the workroom, but that would mean altering a look for the runway, which might not go so well.

 

On that note, Merle being there really showed what I dislike about Michelle Visage. She's all sour, no sweet. Yes, she reads a queen for things they need to be called out on, but there's no support behind it. She's only showing the nasty side, and it's just no fun. Ross is a bit of a twit at times, but at least he's having fun.

 

I think Ru is totally over this. It's sad, because I think the show has some legs left in it, but without the heart and soul in it, it's not going to be anything like the best seasons were.

[dolphincorn]

 

. . . if Ginger is only 29 now . . .

 

I was just thinking back to the time on the Real Housewives of Atlanta when Kim Zolciak mentioned that she was going to be celebrating her 29th birthday and I nearly peed myself, then I read this. Yikes!

[Blakeston]

The Untucked for this episode made me like Jaidynn and Kandy a lot more and made my opinions of Ginger and Kennedy go down further. I really liked how when Ginger tried to say stuff about people wearing the same look every week, Jaidynn didn't take the bait and instead said stuff about everybody having their own gig. 

 

Kennedy had  a completely inflated sense of self since she did awful in the group challenge and her runway look was atrocious and she has the nerve to critique other people's ensembles.

 

Ginger complained that other people look the same every week? Next week, will she call Pearl fat?

 

Kennedy is such a disappointment to me. I expected her to be polished as hell, but aside from a few outfits I've liked, she hasn't brought anything so far.

 

I agree that something is just lacking this season. But I don't think it's an issue of Ru not making an effort so much as it's just a dull cast.

[bobbyjoe]

But on the other hand...if Coco was only 37 during her season, and if Ginger is only 29 now, then drag must age you faster than cigarettes, tanning beds and crystal meth combined.

 

Don't forget that Kennedy is only 33.  Cough cough.

[Xazeal]

The Untucked for this episode made me like Jaidynn and Kandy a lot more and made my opinions of Ginger and Kennedy go down further. I really liked how when Ginger tried to say stuff about people wearing the same look every week, Jaidynn didn't take the bait and instead said stuff about everybody having their own gig. 

 

Kennedy had  a completely inflated sense of self since she did awful in the group challenge and her runway look was atrocious and she has the nerve to critique other people's ensembles.

Yeah, what the hell was even going on with Untucked this week?

 

Ginger needs to get over herself. This isn't the first time she's complained that other queens are winning because of her hard work, and that she is the true deserving winner. I really want to like her and I actually think she will win this season, but she is annoying the shit out of me at this point.

 

And while I understand not liking the other queens' looks - that is entirely subjective, after all - the way Ginger and Kennedy went on about it just made them come across as really bitter. It's a competition. The judges are going to think differently from what you think and praise performances and looks that you don't enjoy. Get over it.

 

I didn't mind Kandy. She lashed out a bit at Pearl - whatever, she just got a terrible critique, I wouldn't be in a great mood either. And she seemed to be annoyed that Pearl was favored by the judges, which she actually is (and I'd argue that Kennedy is even more favored) whereas Kennedy and Ginger seemed bitter that the young queens were getting any praise at all.

 

On the flip side, I really enjoyed Max. She called out Kennedy on her crap and didn't just take it lying down. She's finally showing a little bit of the N in C.U.N.T. 

[BloggerAloud]

My favorite part of Untucked was Ginger complaining about how Max is a bitch off-camera. I don't know if it's true or not but I sort of want it to be if only because it makes Max smart enough to know not to give the editors material to give you a bitch edit.

[snakenax]

I love the Untucked this week. The older shady queens is everything I want here, their reading the younger queens was absolutely hilarious and badly needed to wash the taste of the utter boredom they cause out of my mouth. I would happily just watch Ginger, Kennedy and Katya being shady. Much more entertaining than the main episode unfortunately.

 

I also felt sorry for Jaidynn's little breakdown, since IMO she easily had the best look up there. Other people had better outfits, but they were ultimately just a standard look they would do with some blood dabbed on or a prop added in. Jaidynn's was 100% zombie drag queen realness, it's absolutely something I could see in a Halloween drag show, while the others are what i'd expect when a queen wants to wear their best standard glam outfits but have to modify them for a death theme.

 

Really appreciated Ginger pointing out how the judging on looks is often ridiculously favored to first and foremost being skinny and looking like a skinny pretty girl, rather than anything interesting or original.

Edited April 7, 2015 by snakenax

[Dandesun]

Man, oh man, I was so beyond thrilled that Katya won. She's generally been the best thing on train-wreck teams and I freaking loved her coming out with a shark on her leg. It was actually fun to have all the queens walk down the runway and my sister and I would say how they died. Katya eaten by a shark... Ginger eaten by a bear... which I actually got a kick out of but I rather liked Katya's better. Max certainly had a story to hers so that worked. Fame got stabbed in the head with a crooket blade. Pearl looked, to me, like she got thrown out of window or in a car accident. Jaidynn was all caught up in the barbed wire trying to escape prison. I have no fucking idea what Kennedy was going for at all. And Violet's waist was cinched so tight we were exclaiming over than instead of wondering how she died.  Oh... and Kandy was a vampire.

 

I still like Pearl and I still root for her but I don't think she was robbed of anything last night. I got a kick out of her Michelle, especially the clip of her waving the boobs at... whomever. Anyway, I'm fine with being one of the few, if not only, Pearl person here. Everyone's got their own gig, right Jaydenn?

 

I imagine that "How's your head?" is going to follow Miss Fame around for some time.

 

I LOVED Ross talking back to Michelle about doing something different is exactly what change is. That was hilarious to me!

 

As for Untucked... yikes. Ginger whining about how she doesn't win every challenge is grating on me. Katya has been plenty deserving and it's about time she got the win! Then she and Kennedy just went all in on the shade and, I'm sorry, but I have seen precious little from Kennedy to earn the right to be that bitchy to everyone else. I was expecting more from Kennedy and she has not delivered from what I'm seeing. Also, if Max is a mega bitch when the cameras are off then she must really save it up. Bianca suggested in her and Alaska's commentary track in the first episode that the cameras were on a LOT so if Max is able to store up the bitchery and unleash it only when the cameras are off, good on her. I wonder if she'll start to crack as the show progresses.

 

As for all the group challenges... I think one of the issues is that Snatch Game was pushed back this season so we've had more group challenges than normal leading up to it. I've been getting frustrated with it myself so hopefully we'll start to see some solo challenges from here on out.

[Primetimer]

The judges are better than the queens this week...which is weird.

Read the story

[ChelseaNH]

I feel like the couture queens with very little talent (other than makeup application) are being shoved down my throat.  Damn, I miss Bianca.

 

I miss Raja.  That couture queen didn't pretend she was above performing and she put in the effort.  It helped that she had a quick wit.  I tend to think that's essential in a drag queen, and so few of the current crop seem to have it.

[cpansy]

Pearl going from a corpse-like performance the previous several weeks to moving her little finger slightly does not constitute enough for a win. I get that the redemption arc is in place, I'm just not seeing that she's doing enough to deserve it. Other than breathing. And she does seem as if she has talent, so I'm still mystified that she doesn't show it.

I did like this episode more than any others so far this season, but agree it was the judges that made it sparkle. Looking forward to Snatch Game, and I'm still thinking maybe Max is here for the win?? I miss Bianca, Raja, Sharon, Alaska, Raven & Jujubee and Latrice Royale, if it comes down to it. I bet there are a few other quick-witted queens that I'm missing from this list. I hope this season is not going to end up with a Tyra Sanchez-like winner. All sizzle, no steak.

[snakenax]

 

I miss Raja.  That couture queen didn't pretend she was above performing and she put in the effort.  It helped that she had a quick wit.  I tend to think that's essential in a drag queen, and so few of the current crop seem to have it.

Raja also had the benefit IMO, of being really uniquely couture with his own vision of fashion. He wasn't just walking down the runway in retreads of old Hollywood glam or showgirl chic or lingerie. Raja's best looks were the kind of things you'd only see on Raja, the closest I think the current crop of fashionistas have gotten is Pearl's snake outfit. Actual strength-in-vision for looks this season mostly seems to reside with Katya.

[kieyra]

I literally CANNOT EVEN with this season.

 

I have to go watch S5's "Telenovela" skits now to remind myself that the scripted challenges didn't always hurt this much.

 

EDIT: GUYS, I wasn't even joking. I loaded the episode "Drama Queens", skimmed ahead to where they were rehearsing for the Telenovela, got one line reading from Alyssa Edwards, and had the following revelation:

 

If Alyssa Edwards had been on S7, she would win this shit no problem.

Edited April 7, 2015 by kieyra

[Dandesun]

I miss Raja.  That couture queen didn't pretend she was above performing and she put in the effort.  It helped that she had a quick wit.  I tend to think that's essential in a drag queen, and so few of the current crop seem to have it.

 

Raja was also one of the older queens and had been doing drag for a long time. She wasn't the young queen with little references... Raja had scores of references, was very quick and had a definite ability to express her point of view in many different ways. Manila was younger than Raja but she also had references and the kind of wit and ability to express herself as well. Manila's French Revolution meets 1980's look is still one of my absolute favorites as was Raja's punk look. I agree that Katya is the one this season that has the concept and the wit to pull it off. Not everyone can get away with wearing a shark on her leg!

[Kat]

Confession - I fell asleep during the middle 20 min of this episode, so that's not a ringing endorsement. But I truly loved this week's runway, and thought everyone brought their A-game, except for maybe Kandy Ho. Even Kennedy and Jaidynn, while weaker than the rest, still showed some creativity. Violet and Katya were my favorites on the runway, with Pearl a close third.

 

There's 8 people left correct? So I guess they're going to do two rows of 4 for Snatch Game? I don't know why this bugs me but it does...

[obagines]

This episode was a relief for me. It was creative, it was chaotic, it was stupid.

Because really, in drag and in general, I don't give a shit what you wear. I just want you to make a mockery of everything I hold dear.

[SteveAC10]

 

And she does seem as if she has talent, so I'm still mystified that she doesn't show it.

The Pearl love seems to be tied to the social media. Elsewhere, they moon rhapsodic over her "gif-able" faces. Somehow, in many minds this show has become all about how the queens perform on instagram, vine and twitter. On Reddit I saw a poster proclaim they would pay 25 bucks to see Pearl make silly faces for 2 seconds. Really. That entertains people to the point they would spend money to see it. They all think Pearl is the greatest queen in history because she has the most twitter followers. Meanwhile, my 75 year old suburban mother could have given me a funnier Michelle.

 

 

Because really, in drag and in general, I don't give a shit what you wear. I just want you to make a mockery of everything I hold dear.

Kisses!

Edited April 7, 2015 by SteveAC10

[EmZeeGee]

Raja was also one of the older queens and had been doing drag for a long time. She wasn't the young queen with little references... Raja had scores of references, was very quick and had a definite ability to express her point of view in many different ways.

 

Agreed. Raja had been doing drag for 20 years by the time she had been cast and with this year's crop, you have queens who have been doing it for less than 5. We saw how Shangela suffered, dramatically in my opinion, in the looks department as a young queen (wasn't she less than 2 years in drag at the time?) who had the comedy chops, but not the aesthetic chops. These queens are just working the other way around. Also, these queens are likely only the first iterations of themselves. Ru went though androgynous punk, club kid, and prostitute before she reached her final form of Supermodel/Glamazon. Raja went from a sort of California rocker chick to club kid before becoming the androgynous multi-culti glamour supermodel we love and adore. These queens just need more time to cook. From where I stand, they haven't done half bad.

 

Generally, I don't need my drag queen to just be a comedian. Of course, the show wants you to be able to do comedy, it's hard to make it through the competition without it, but I come for the aesthetic portion just as much as the performative portion, if not, I would just watch Last Comic Standing. 

 

Coming back to the episode (Lord knows I was about to get waaaaaaay off track) I was happy with Katya's win. I though Ginger had a better performance but she had an easier personality to parody and her runway was weak. Katya's runway pushed her into the winner's circle. I couldn't stand Kennedy's safety. She was not only a horrid Ru-- she was worse than Jaidynn to me-- but that outfit, my God. She looked like someone plucked the feathers off Foghorn Leghorn. Absolutely atrocious. I really didn't understand why a whole team had to be safe this round.

 

Violet Chachki. OMGooodnessssssss. We knew it was coming, but seeing it and seeing the judges reactions just made it everything. There's a moment each season where the judges just appear galled and I live for that moment because when you can get that sort of reaction out of Ru who has seen nearly all there is to see, you know you've done something right. Pussy on FIYAH!

 

I was glad to have Merle back. Michelle has gone too far with the bad cop thing. I understand she wants to counterbalance the sweetness of Ross and Carson (even though I think Ross has been pretty even keeled and not just sunshine and rainbows) but it just comes across as surly.

 

Untucked: Ginger and Kennedy coming for anyone's looks on the runway?! Wow. That's all I can say. Wow.

[Dirtybubble]

 

The Pearl love seems to be tied to the social media. Elsewhere, they moon rhapsodic over her "gif-able" faces. Somehow, in many minds this show has become all about how the queens perform on instagram, vine and twitter. On Reddit I saw a poster proclaim they would pay 25 bucks to see Pearl make silly faces for 2 seconds. Really. That entertains people to the point they would spend money to see it. They all think Pearl is the greatest queen in history because she has the most twitter followers. Meanwhile, my 75 year old suburban mother could have given me a funnier Michelle.

Michelle has gone too far with the bad cop thing.

 

 

This is going to sound crazy but I feel like this show may be catering to the audience too much.  It's as if some big wig in casting and production tried to guess who the viewing audience would like & what they want/think/hope the general demographic is and just created these story lines with attractive queens (Pearl, Fame) and ran with it.  They saw the popularity with Adore and Courtney & they are trying to recreate it this season.  And they know how popular Michelle is so they are going over-the-top with her t.v. persona. 

 

IDK I guess that's why this season feels so off.  This is suppose to be a more raw/real season but it feels even more fake and staged. 

[zulualpha]

There's nothing wrong with this season imo.  I've watched since Season 1 and they all start off a little slow and gradually gain steam.  What's different so far from say, Season 4 and 5 and to a lesser extent last season is there seems to be less time spent filming the queens in the work room.  They don't interact as much one on one and maybe that's because nobody wants the bitch edit that Phi Phi or Roxxxy Andrews got.  People were just beyond beyond with their hurtful remarks about those queens to the point it hurt their careers as well as their feelings.  Who wants to deal with that bullshit?  if you're Bianca and it's your schtick you can say pretty much anything but for the other queens if they're too bitchy they get hate by the boatload.  It's sad and pathetic imo because it's fun to see people show their ass on tv but it's not safe anymore on this show.

 

Ginger as Michelle = Ursula the Seawitch.  It was okay I guess but nothing special and her runway bear look was dull imo.  Of all the runways I thought Jaiden's barb wire torn orange jump suit was the most creative and well executed.  Her LSFYL was just okay, I think she skated by on her look and the fact that Kandy had been in the bottom twice before.  My favorite parts of the epi were the LSFYL and Arianna Grande.

Arianna:  As someone who always wears their hair the same way i can identify with Max.

RuPaul:  Would you ever do gray hair?

Arianna:  If it were in a ponytail.

Bravo Arianna.

 

My top three at this point are Pearl, Katya and Max in that order.  Things could change though, nothing's set in stone yet for me.

 

[Watermelon]

So Kennedy's outfit was terrible and also looks almost exactly like I saw on Coco Montrese.  It's the one where her heart is cut out instead of random slashes, but it's almost identical..

[Dandesun]

Ginger as Michelle = Ursula the Seawitch.  It was okay I guess but nothing special and her runway bear look was dull imo.  

 

The best part of Ginger's Michelle was Katya's description of it. "Danny Devito as Tony Soprano as the Fonz as Michelle Visage." It's possible I missed a reference. I mean, it was funny but it wasn't so stand alone that it would have been as good if Katya couldn't more than hold her own. Kennedy's RuPaul? ... Well, let's just say that no one did an astounding RuPaul and leave it at that.

[Xazeal]

What's different so far from say, Season 4 and 5 and to a lesser extent last season is there seems to be less time spent filming the queens in the work room.

I think the challenges are longer this season. I thought it was really noticeable this episode - almost no time spent on rehearsals or in the workroom, then three really long skits, followed by one-sentence critiques on the runway. This isn't a bad thing on paper, but it does mean we spend less time actually getting to know the girls unless we follow them on social media. 

 

I agree that this season really isn't any worse than the others, though. The challenge performances haven't been as great as, say, seasons 5 or 6, but I think the runways have been far superior overall. I also think it's refreshing that we have no idea who's going to win. Purely based on the edit, I still say it's between Violet, Ginger and Pearl, but I don't think a Katya or Max win is out of the question. I get the complaints that there's no "standout" contestant, but this is pretty much the only season where I'm genuinely curious to see how it will end.

 

And personally, I really like everyone left aside from Kennedy and maybe Ginger, and usually by this point in a season I only have two or three favorites. So there's that.

[Glade]

Personally, I was really hoping they'd shed some light on why Merle actually left, and what she's doing now...  I also felt that some of the hostility between them on the judging panel went beyond joking.  Something was off about the whole thing to me, and not just the bad acting involved.  So, I didn't feel this episode very much.  I hope this is the last team acting challenge this season, because they're just going to continue to bomb every time.  This season is the worst.  I think RU's already packed her bags for England to do Drag Race there, and is waiting for these bitches to be out of her sight.  I'm so sick of Kandy Ho's beard contouring...that, unlike Max's great style, is something worth harping on.  Even as RU she still put that damn thing on. 

Edited April 7, 2015 by Glade

[Dandesun]

I'm so sick of Kandy Ho's beard contouring...that, unlike Max's great style, is something worth harping on.  Even as RU she still put that damn thing on. 

 

And there seemed to be an improvement but the second she came out as Ru we were like 'The beard is back!!' My sister was horrified. All indignant with "RuPaul does not have a frigging beard!!" Did they edit that shit out? Because there's no way I'm going to believe that Michelle was so pissed off about Max' wig but didn't say a damn thing about Kandy's RuBeard. No no no...

[CraftyHazel]

Oh, Ginger...I loved you for a while there, but you're seriously full of crap. First of all, you are NOT the star you think you are. Good, yes...amazing, no. Also, while Max has indeed worn grey hair for every runway thus far, she has certainly NOT always had the same look. Crutches, Dali-esque, ethereal yet bloody...certainly not the same thing every time. Yes, I admittedly love Max, but if we are being honest, Jaidynn Diore Fierce has worn a lot of bodysuits, Pearl's eyes are almost always heavy heavy heavy, and Katya is mostly (or is it always?) blonde. JDF said it right...everyone has their own gig, so do you and don't worry about the rest.

I still love Max and Katya, Miss Fame and even Violet are growing on me, Jaidynn is a sweetheart (if her family doesn't want her, I'll adopt her!), Ginger's stock is falling, and I am utterly indifferent to Kennedy and Pearl.

[rozen]

I miss Raja.  That couture queen didn't pretend she was above performing and she put in the effort.  It helped that she had a quick wit.  I tend to think that's essential in a drag queen, and so few of the current crop seem to have it.

 

Raja always bored me during her season, except for when she walked the runway. For just about everything else, I found her almost impossibly awkward, it's like she could never loosen up and just go for a challenge. Maybe it was because she was such a vet that she couldn't take anything seriously. I remember there was a pin-up challenge and I felt like she was acting as if Ru and had drug her to Cabo and demanded she partake in the nearest white t-shirt contest. Delta was the only one I really liked of the bitch musketeers that season, and she was truly awful about 80% of the time. 

 

But Raja is actually from the fashion industry, there will be few to none that can throw down what she can on the runway. They just don't have the knowledge. It even shows in the fashion recaps with Raven, the depth of her knowledge blows everyone out of the water. I think the only person who was as interesting was maybe Bebe Zahara Benet, but it's been so long since I've watched S1 I could be going off nostalgia. 

 

Ugh, Kennedy's outfit concept matched her approach to drag, crystallized (or more like, calcified). She's pretty perceptive about the other queens, but she's stuck her own ways and has no interest in trying to learn something else. 

 

They were all over Kandy, but it wasn't clear to me how Violet died either. I don't see carrying an oxygen tank as any more indicative of cause of death than being a vampire. She can corset, whoopee, that's all she does every week. If she wants to be a drag Dita von Teese she needs to get more range in her looks. 

 

Jaidynn's a mess, but she's an adorable mess. She reminds me a lot of Adore, but she's a big girl and doesn't have any clear skill (singing), or go to schick (valley girl) to bail her out, so she'll be out soon. 

 

Glad Katya is finding her footing, hope she keeps improving and nails it during snatch game. 

[rubinia]

And there seemed to be an improvement but the second she came out as Ru we were like 'The beard is back!!' My sister was horrified. All indignant with "RuPaul does not have a frigging beard!!" Did they edit that shit out? Because there's no way I'm going to believe that Michelle was so pissed off about Max' wig but didn't say a damn thing about Kandy's RuBeard. No no no...

I remember them calling out the beard on the runway...and the horrible wig with Kandy's natural black hair super obvious underneath it.

 

As a fellow WIsconsinite, I have to root for Max! Who cares if her hair is always gray? It's not like it's always in the same style. RuPaul always wears a blonde wig!

 

 

I think the only person who was as interesting was maybe Bebe Zahara Benet, but it's been so long since I've watched S1 I could be going off nostalgia.

Nina Flowers, loca!!! I am still living for Miss Nina!

 

 

I don't see carrying an oxygen tank as any more indicative of cause of death than being a vampire.

I *think* the idea was that she couldn't breathe from the tight lacing. It wasn't SUPER obvious, but it was better than Kennedy's sparkly chicken ensemble.

Edited April 8, 2015 by rubinia

[Kostgard]

Oh, Ginger...I loved you for a while there, but you're seriously full of crap. First of all, you are NOT the star you think you are. Good, yes...amazing, no. Also, while Max has indeed worn grey hair for every runway thus far, she has certainly NOT always had the same look. Crutches, Dali-esque, ethereal yet bloody...certainly not the same thing every time. Yes, I admittedly love Max, but if we are being honest, Jaidynn Diore Fierce has worn a lot of bodysuits, Pearl's eyes are almost always heavy heavy heavy, and Katya is mostly (or is it always?) blonde. JDF said it right...everyone has their own gig, so do you and don't worry about the rest.

I still love Max and Katya, Miss Fame and even Violet are growing on me, Jaidynn is a sweetheart (if her family doesn't want her, I'll adopt her!), Ginger's stock is falling, and I am utterly indifferent to Kennedy and Pearl.

Sing it. I feel the same way about Ginger. Can we have one big girl (other than Latrice) who isn't drowning in bitterness? I honestly can't tell if Max really is a stealth bitch or if this is just a bunch of queens pressed over the fact that Max has won two challenges.

None of these ladies studied the master class that Bianca gave last season. No other queen has played the game as well as she did. Yeah, she bitched about queens who annoyed her, but she never bitched about how well other queens were doing. She concentrated on her own shit. That's how you do it.