RPDR: In The Media

[blaase]

I havn't watched season 1 , have they had Cher on as a guest judge at all?

[kieyra]

I havn't watched season 1 , have they had Cher on as a guest judge at all?

 

I think if that had happened we wouldn't be alive to post about it because the universe would have exploded.

They did have Chaz Bono though. It was ... awkward. 

[Pallida]

Apologies if this is not the right thread to provide this warning.  Don't trust the Logo App if you hate spoilers!  I tried to watch something called "My First Time in Drag" described as "Check out this season's queens while they were still in training heels," and it showed the sashay away and good bye section of Episode 2 instead. 

[Rai]

Locas, since TLo aren't doing their fabulous RuCaps anymore, where else besides here do you go for them?  For some reason, I can never have enough RuCaps in my life.

[Dirtybubble]

Locas, since TLo aren't doing their fabulous RuCaps anymore, where else besides here do you go for them?  For some reason, I can never have enough RuCaps in my life.

 

 

IKR?!  Totally bummed TLo aren't doing their RPDR recaps anymore =(

 

Queerty does a funny recap:  http://www.queerty.com/rupauls-drag-race-recap-realness-tucks-on-a-plane-20150310

 

Logo website has Pandora Boxx's recap and John & Jon's video recap as well.  They're ok but not as good as TLo were =(

[Rai]

Thanks!  I get why TLo moved away from them, but since it's thanks to TLo that I started watching it in the first place (since season 1!), I was hoping that they'd keep 'em going.  And not just because they tend to favor the queens that I like too.  :D

[Xazeal]

Yeah, I'm sort of bummed about TLo too, but I get it. I still love and read their blog every day, but you could tell that their hearts weren't completely in it last season. Like they said, it takes a lot of effort to keep things fresh.

 

Personally, I find Bland Canyon's recaps to be hilarious and appropriately silly. 

[Rai]

Also good!  Thanks!

 

I'm delighted we're all aboard the Katya love train.

[TheLukeP]

A must watch for me is "Out TV's - Wima Fingerdoo and the Fingerdoo Review"

https://youtu.be/NrbuAnSkJew

[Dirtybubble]

I would love to go to this! A nice, safe, fun place to meet all the queens and those siminarss.......

http://worldofwonder.net/world-wonder-announces-rupauls-drag-con-coming-may-16-17/

Edited March 15, 2015 by Dirtybubble

[dolphincorn]

I just saw the Season 8 casting promo video. I'm going to apply. It's about time a 49-year-old, ineligible Canadian man who has never done drag took the crown.

[Dirtybubble]

 

This is a few days old but for those of you missing TLo's recap of RPDR I think they are going to do a weekly podcast where they discuss the show along with other goodies.

 

http://www1.play.it/audio/tom-lorenzos-pop-style-opinionfest/

 

I guess this is where we are going to get what little T we can from them because I don't think they did a live tweet feed last night. 

 

I haven't listened to the podcast yet so I don't know what their opinion of S7 is.

[Cosmic Muffin]

Does RuPaul not have a thread of his own? I didn't see one. Also, Good Work doesn't have a thread. I'm watching RuPaul on this show and I'm just not enjoying him on it. Good for him, for getting another income source, but I won't be watching. Too bad, usually I love RuPaul.

[jellywager]

I have really tried to like Michelle Visage, but I just don't. The What's the T podcast is getting to be unlistenable. Michelle cracks the stupidest jokes and Ru laughs his head off. Last week they had Wendy McClendon Covey on and Michelle was stupidly pronouncing her name (over and over and over again) and  Ru was cackling away, for what seemed like hours it was so annoying.  It sounded, to me, that Wendy was being kind and putting up with the foolishness.

I also think she is sometimes too cruel on the judges panel and rude to the guest judges. Also, green is one of my favorite colors, so screw her aversion to it. Her fake tits are also ver tired. 

Whew, I just had to get that off my chest. 

Edited April 19, 2015 by jellywager

[Dirtybubble]

I didn't know Michelle & Ru had their own podcast.  I think sometimes Ru is just being polite by laughing at dumb shit.  She does it all the time with the guest judges and I noticed again on the show Good Work.  Enh, I guess it's part of her thing in drag and normally it's forgivable but on shows like Good Work and what you are describing in the podcast it gets annoying when it's constant laughter at stupidity.

 

I also think she is sometimes too cruel on the judges panel and rude to the guest judges.

Yeah I've noticed this season that Michelle seems to be a little more bitchy than normal.  Again usually it's funny and she's normally correct in most of her reads but dang it's not funny anymore.  IDK maybe this season just puts me in a bad mood and stuff I normally find funny and charming just grate me now =(

 

Edited April 20, 2015 by Dirtybubble

[jellywager]

Maybe she is more bitchy because she is now a gluten-free vegan. She talks about the importance of organic yet has those big fake titties. Hmmmmm

[kieyra]

The new "What's the Tee" podcast with Michelle and Ru is up. I've only listened to about ten minutes' worth, but they are talking about the evolving fandom of the show as of season 7, and how evil some people are online. I haven't gotten far enough into the episode to tell if they mean the people who are just mean/nasty in social media comments for queens they don't like, or if it may be a reaction to the lack of enthusiasm about this season.

 

When I had to stop listening (because work), they were mentioning that the show could go away / be cancelled at any time. 

Edited May 6, 2015 by kieyra

[editorgrrl]

Never heard of the podcast—it's downloading now. Thanks for the T!

[kieyra]

Never heard of the podcast—it's downloading now. Thanks for the T!

 

I've usually enjoyed it and they've had some very good guests. There's a lot of product-slinging, but I guess that's true of all popular podcasts.

 

I also ADORE Ross Matthews' podcast, Straight Talk. It's silly but fun and he has a fun group and good guests. Although he had Willam last week and Willam was ... let's say, very OTT for that particular podcast. It was hilarious, though.

 

http://podcastone.com/Straight-Talk-with-Ross-Mathews

 

Of the two I would say I prefer Straight Talk (I'd recommend starting at the beginning), but Ru and Michelle have some hilarious stories and a decent amount of life insight. 

Edited May 6, 2015 by kieyra

[jellywager]

The new "What's the Tee" podcast with Michelle and Ru is up.

 

When I had to stop listening (because work), they were mentioning that the show could go away / be cancelled at any time.

Wow. I haven't listened to it yet but with a statement like that it sounds like they don't really care about this show anymore. Is it because Ru I'd on E? I know they are going to have a dragrace in he Uk which Ru and Michelle were really pushing to be a part of and judges on. Perhaps their interests are else where.

[vrocotamy]

Wow. I haven't listened to it yet but with a statement like that it sounds like they don't really care about this show anymore. Is it because Ru I'd on E? I know they are going to have a dragrace in he Uk which Ru and Michelle were really pushing to be a part of and judges on. Perhaps their interests are else where.

 

I listened to the podcast kieyra posted and that couldn't be further from the case; the idea that Ru is ready to quit RPDR is Reddit hearsay. What Michelle and Ru meant is that the show's position is precarious as explicitly LGBT programming, and that it staying on the air, whatever the ratings, is always in question - and in the hands of network execs above Michelle and Ru.

 

I really enjoyed that episode of Ru's podcast, which I hadn't heard before (surprisingly), and there was some very good T. Mainly that Ru said that her initial instinct when Pearl "came for her" (to use Alyssa's family language) was to scream at her and kick her off the show, but that she resisted because: a.) she's a producer; b.) she realized Pearl would be a popular character, as a cute boy; and c.) she knew Pearl had a lot of personal problems that went beyond Ru (I'm thinking Daddy issues). The statement about it being possible that RPDR could go off the air at any moment came in the context of a discussion of online nastiness, much of it by teenagers, ad how they don't appreciate how hard it was to get RPDR on the air, and how a program like RPDR couldn't even have been greenlighted before 2008 or so. It makes me feel ancient, since I'm still quite young - I'm 25 - and when I was in middle school and high school RPDR wouldn't have been on TV, and there weren't a million gay-positive YouTube videos put out there by World of Wonder and many others, etc. I do feel like the generation under 21, who were born after 1995 or so, don't necessarily appreciate the very existence of RPDR as a show about gay men and transwomen on their own terms and how that only recently became possible.

Edited May 7, 2015 by vrocotamy

[marsha]

Yeah, the What's The Tee? Ru/Michelle podcast can be fun ... most of the time. There are moments where they do go off the rails with Michelle's 'jokes' and non stop yakking and Ru's OTT 'cackling'  -- mind you, it feels kind of funny for me to be writing this because why read someone for laughing and obviously having a good time? It's on every two weeks and it's usually a fun listen. I think there have been maybe one or two where I didn't bother listening all the way through.

 

I live for Isis Mirage and Coco Ferocha's THROWINSHADE. I've been listening to their RPDR podcasts for years now. I think this is also where Alaska got his "hiiiiiiiii!" from as well. 

 

This next one is kind of hit and miss for me but I also enjoy (at times) After Buzz Tv's RPDR recaps on YouTube and audio on iTunes.

[vrocotamy]

I listened to parts of the few What's the Tee podcasts with RPDR queens - Latrice, Raven, and Alaska (I haven't gotten to Mariah's yet) - and I have to say all three were informative, as much about RuPaul and Michelle as about the queens. RuPaul gets forgotten as a driving force in a lot of discussions of the show, unfortunately, and is criticized online quite a bit for mixing up the seasons the queens were on or not knowing their boy names. But people forget Ms./Mr. Charles has a life beyond RPDR, which is just one of her jobs.

 

The interview with Latrice has the fullest account of how she ended up in jail that she's given, and she also talks quite a bit about her childhood and family (two of her brothers were involved in the Crips in Compton and her mother moved her to the Valley so that Latrice/Tim wouldn't be involved in the violence of Compton in the crack epidemic years), as well as how she's developed and diversified her career post-Drag Race, particularly in managing queens. She's really one of the smartest and most accomplished contestants. Raven's interview was utterly hilarious - she's one of the most articulate, fierce, intelligent, and witty queens to have appeared on the show - even if her intelligence apparently doesn't translate into her personal decisions (she has two back-to-back DUIs she's still working through the community service for.) We get the tidbit that Raven was an obsessive Michelle Visage fan as a child ca. 1990 and won tickets to see Seduction at the time. Alaska's a far worse interview partner - she's not particularly articulate - but the main takeaway was about the depths of Alaska's alcoholism during the breakdown of her and Sharon's relationship in 2013, after Season 5 aired. 

[SteveAC10]

 

The statement about it being possible that RPDR could go off the air at any moment came in the context of a discussion of online nastiness, much of it by teenagers, ad how they don't appreciate how hard it was to get RPDR on the air, and how a program like RPDR couldn't even have been greenlighted before 2008 or so.

And as Ru and Michelle predicted, their comments were largely lost on their intended demographic. There are several threads on Reddit since the podcast hit - and the rundown is - it's all Ru's fault: For provoking Pearl (of course they all side with Pearl and fully believe her side of the tale). For trying to generate hype with the Trixie elimination (if you make people angry the reactions are your problem). For being too thin skinned (as many of them are so tritely prone to saying: "calm down Beyonce"). In other words, they don't get it - to a large segment of the internet community lashing out verbally at anyone who remotely ticks them off is their birthright. If you complain about it - you're supposed to grow a pair. It wouldn't be so laughable if these same fans weren't swooning over some of these queens like they were the pretty one in a boy band, Fan art, fan fiction, endless GIFS and claims "Queen A" saved my life!

 

There is also a pronounced ageist thread running through the hard core fans this season. They seem to think since Ru cast a large handful of pretty baby queens with limited performance skills that the show was obligated to tailor the season's challenges to let them dominate. Many truly believed the final three would be Fame, Violet and Pearl and are quite unhappy (and vocal about it) now that they realize that's not in the cards. 

[kieyra]

Sorry if I gave an incorrect impression of the 'going off the air' thing in my post--I tried to make it clear that I'd only heard the first ten minutes and I wasn't sure yet of the context. (I'm still not precisely sure if their issues were with the haters on individual queens' social media comments, or if there was a subtext of them reacting to the blah reactions to S7. I do get, now, the younger-generation point they were making.)

 

 I just knew that the fact they were bringing it up at all meant they were pretty perturbed about something.

 

(I have no idea how it's being taken on reddit, /r/rupaulsdragrace gives me hives now, I just want to make sure it's understood I wasn't drawing any conclusions because I didn't have enough info at that point.)

 

ANYWAY. Having listened to the rest of the podcast, I did find the T with regards to Pearl and Trixie to be interesting. Especially Pearl. 

 

In conclusion, I guess I'll just say that I've been on the internet for over twenty years, and only in the last year or two is it starting to make me deeply uneasy. So, while I'm not happy with season 7, I was generally picking up what they were putting down in the podcast. 

[editorgrrl]

The new "What's the Tee" podcast with Michelle and Ru is up. I've only listened to about ten minutes' worth, but they are talking about the evolving fandom of the show as of season 7, and how evil some people are online.

Having known her solely from Drag Race, Michelle Visage is way smarter and way more grounded than I ever knew.

Edited May 7, 2015 by editorgrrl

[kieyra]

Having known her solely from Drag Race, Michelle Visage is way smarter and way more grounded than I ever knew.

 

I love almost everything she says -- bitch almost got me juicing and I'm an (irrationally) avowed juicing hater. (But once in a while she'll be like 'karma is quantum physics' and I'm like gurl, no.) I even watched part of the godawful BBUK run for her, but I couldn't take the Perez for very long. 

 

Overall I have absorbed a lot of life wisdom from the two of them, though, which I did NOT expect going into it. I do not have the desire to be a celebrity/work in show business that they address frequently, but I'm a creative person with an unpublished novel I'd like to get out there, so a lot of what they say does apply. 

Edited May 7, 2015 by kieyra

[SteveAC10]

 

Overall I have absorbed a lot of life wisdom from the two of them, though, which I did NOT expect going into it. I do not have the desire to be a celebrity/work in show business that they address frequently, but I'm a creative person with an unpublished novel I'd like to get out there, so a lot of what they say does apply.

When two niche performers of a certain age are still making a living in their industry (and in Michelle's case supporting a family), you almost have to listen because they must know what they're doing. Both of them have managed to stay in the public eye with some charisma and a little talent for nearly 3 decades. By all rights they should probably have a desk job at a bank and spend weekends signing autographs for 10 bucks one table over from a 60's sitcom second banana in a mildewed Los Angeles Holiday Inn ballroom. Not too many people lower than A list manage to stick around longer than they have.

Edited May 7, 2015 by SteveAC10

[Dirtybubble]

I'm a creative person with an unpublished novel I'd like to get out there, so a lot of what they say does apply.

Well go ON withyourbadself!!

 

I didn't even know Ru & Michelle had a podcast--I've been reading previous posts about it--do they give background info, little tidbits, of Drag Race in every podcast?  Interviews with previous season queens and such?  Or is it a mixed bag of one week it's this and that?  I might have to check it out; LOVE Ru but I'm kinda meh about Michelle.  I don't really care for her interviews with recently eliminated queens--just not that funny. 

 

Speaking of funny though....

spend weekends signing autographs for 10 bucks one table over from a 60's sitcom second banana in a mildewed Los Angeles Holiday Inn ballroom.

LMAO!  That is true, considering Ru had 1 maybe 2 major hits (You Betta Work and the duo she did with Elton John) so yeah the idea that she's still relevant know, not just in the LBGT community, is something. 

[jellywager]

I listened to the podcast kieyra posted and that couldn't be further from the case; the idea that Ru is ready to quit RPDR is Reddit hearsay. What Michelle and Ru meant is that the show's position is precarious as explicitly LGBT programming, and that it staying on the air, whatever the ratings, is always in question - and in the hands of network execs above Michelle and Ru.

Yeah, I should have listened instead of jumping to conclusions. The MV on this episode is the one I like. She wasn't trying to clown and make Ru laugh, she was spilling the dirt and being really positive. It was a good episode.

I love the backstory of Ru wanted to boot Pearl. What Pearl did was extremely obnoxious and it really did piss off a lot of people.

Or is it a mixed bag of one week it's this and that?

It is this. There is a lot of behind the scenes stuff here and there. My fav. ep was when Alaska was on, she talked about giving up drinking. Raven was on and dished that Sharon Needles told her that she didn't what what the big deal is about Raven's make-up skills because SN does the exact same thing. They even had on Miranda Sings (who I never heard of before) and she was really funny. Edited May 8, 2015 by jellywager

[vrocotamy]

Large parts of Ru and Michelle's podcast sound eerily (and hilariously) like the reminiscences about New York nightlife in the late '80s and early '90s from Sharon Needles' Snatch Game Michelle impersonation. 

 

 

When two niche performers of a certain age are still making a living in their industry (and in Michelle's case supporting a family), you almost have to listen because they must know what they're doing. Both of them have managed to stay in the public eye with some charisma and a little talent for nearly 3 decades. By all rights they should probably have a desk job at a bank and spend weekends signing autographs for 10 bucks one table over from a 60's sitcom second banana in a mildewed Los Angeles Holiday Inn ballroom. Not too many people lower than A list manage to stick around longer than they have.

 

Two thumbs up. This is priceless and true. RuPaul and Michelle are living examples of how far a little CUNT can take you with some smarts and determination. A major concern of theirs on the podcast is what will happen to the queens once the show ends and they're no longer famous, and whether or not the queens will properly capitalize on their ephemeral fame in a way that will lead to success and security in the long run. There are definitely some from the show who have - Latrice, Alyssa, Shangela, Willam, Courtney, Jinkx, Bianca, and in a debatable way, Sharon and Alaska - but there are just as many who have really not. 

Edited May 8, 2015 by vrocotamy

[Cosmic Muffin]

On the homepage today, the PTV challenger is Detox, up against Raylan from Justified, if anyone here wants to head over there to vote. Detox is currently losing, but I voted for her.

 

http://previously.tv/television/next-ones-comin-faster-vs-detoxs-tolerance-level/

[jellywager]

Jiggly Caliente (May I call you Jiggly?) had a cameo on Broad City as an employee sat a wig shop.

[JakeyJokes]

The AVClub visited DragCon and extensively wrote about it. Very interesting read, and good to know Katya had the longest line!

 

http://www.avclub.com/article/proud-freaks-and-eleganza-rupauls-first-annual-dra-219732

[ElectricBoogaloo]

New video by Willam and Alaska:

[kieyra]

I never read the infamous Tom and Lorenzo recaps, but apparently they switched to a podcast format a few episodes into S7. Since they also discuss Mad Men, I subscribed last night. Somewhat entertaining if you're thirsty for more analysis of What Went Wrong. The actual name of the podcast eludes me, but it doesn't matter because I couldn't find it in iTunes by that name, I had to search for Tom and Lorenzo.

[editorgrrl]

Found it—thanks for the tip. Tom & Lorenzo's Pop Style Opinionfest podcast: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/tom-lorenzos-pop-style-opinionfest/id980669909?mt=2

http://tomandlorenzo.com/2015/05/pop-style-opinionfest-podcast-its-a-free-for-all-run-for-your-lives/

For the first time, we came to a podcast almost completely unprepared. We had some notes on the Grace of Monaco costumes, a vague idea we’d talk about the RuPaul’s Drag Race finalists, and then some sort of wrap-up on the Cannes red carpet.

Well, we did all of those things, but also, thanks to the POWER OF COFFEE, we kind of just went OFF, on everything from the final episodes of The Flash, Netflix’s Grace & Frankie series, Chris Pratt’s adorableness, Showtime’s Penny Dreadful, and—oh God. We kind of lost track of ourselves.

[TheLukeP]

if you haven't yet fallen down the rabbit hole that is WOW Presents "12 Days of Crowning: Season 7" ... I highly suggest it.  Notable videos include Bianca warming up the Crowd; Latrice warming up the crowd; anything with Katya in it; and Alaska's "Can I assssssssk you a quesssstion?"

Edited June 1, 2015 by TheLukeP

[Egg]

...Alaska's "Can I assssssssk you a quesssstion?"

This segment is great because I love Alaska and her interaction with Katya is great. But possibly the best part is when she talks with Miss Fame, because there are like ten cuts during the 40 seconds, suggesting that once again, Miss Fame is blabbing on and on saying things that no one cares to hear. Compare that to other queens, where their part is done in a single, fluid take.

[Demented Daisy]

http://www.newnownext.com/rupaul-breathes-new-life-into-season-4-queens-with-rupauls-drag-race-season-4-ruvealed/06/2015/?xrs=synd_facebook_rpdr

 

Like S1, Logo is re-showing S4 starting July 26th.  With cast commentary!

 

I hope it'll be on the website or app because I don't get Logo anymore.  :-(

 

Back to lurking.  :-)

[TheLukeP]

Oh that Willam... new album dropped, with 5 covers and 3 new songs, including one with LATRICE (Thick Thighs) where Latrice goes all in with her man voice... and I love it.  Also a great little ear worm in "How much can't" ... "How much can't would a white girl can't if a white girl couldn't can't even... *tongue pop*"

 

Here's an article about it in BILLBOARD magazine... http://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/pop-shop/6590536/drag-star-willam-pop-parodies-new-album-book

 

the album is "Shartistry in Motion"

 

So much love.

[TheLukeP]

OOH!  Also... Subtitle for this thread...  how about:

"SHE DONE ALREADY HAD HERSES"

[editorgrrl]

Actually, the line is "She done already done had herses." You missed a "done."

 

Do we even know if they'll use the same line next year?

[Mattipoo]

Latrice Mother Fucking Royale on a track called "Thick Thighs" in her male voice? I gotta download that CD pronto!

[Rai]

Locas, I just had to share -- I met Michelle Visage at Book Expo!  She was signing copies of her unreleased book and was looking all business-like with her glasses and a Joan Harris Holloway dress that actually covered her up.  She must be tiny, because she was wearing giantly tall heels and only slightly taller than me (I'm about 5'6").  We even had a picture together!  I told her she's probably tired of hearing it, but I'm just such a huge fan, and she said it was great to hear because she's all about love.  And she hugged me!  And I nearly walked off without the book, because I was just so excited!

 

So, I totally dorked out, but it was still great meeting her, and to tie this better into the media thread -- look for her book in the fall, I think.  It was short, breezy, and authentically her voice, and it gives the whole story of her career and a rather surprising look at Ru in the backstory of why she wasn't a judge for the first two seasons.

[luckyroll3]

Not sure where this fits, but on Saturday I attended the Ultimate Miami Drag show, a local drag competition. Adore Delano and Courtney Act were both there as the "headliners" performing songs from their upcoming albums. The both sounded incredible, but aside from their faces/makeup they looked awful. Courtney outift was cute, but it looked like she didn't have a proper tuck, and Adore desperately needed a cincher. Plus the dress she had on over her leotard was some awful cow print that looked like a sleep shirt! I was disappointed with their appearance.

[jellywager]

On latest What's the Tee? podcast MV says she is going to have her fake boobs taken out. Hallelujah! When she announced it to her family she said that her daughter said "There goes your career." Um, first of all that is fucking rude and second of all I really don't think Michelle is known for her looks because she is a talented singer and radio personality. It is comments like that that makes me repeat my daily mantra "Thank God I don't have kids."

Ru says he said in on a facelift operation by Dr. Dubrow. If that is the same doctor as Terry Dubrow from RHWoOC (which I think it is b/c he is Dr. Famewhore) then yuck.

[editorgrrl]

Ru says he said in on a facelift operation by Dr. Dubrow. If that is the same doctor as Terry Dubrow from RHWoOC (which I think it is b/c he is Dr. Famewhore) then yuck.

Yes, it's the same guy—Ru's costar (with Sandra Vergara) on E's Good Work: http://eonline.com/shows/good_work

[AdorkableWitch]

Jessica Wild was on Botched tonight. She was supporting a fellow queen having surgery.

[TheLukeP]

Alaska's Anus finally drops. Buy it on iTunes!