Small Talk: Interior Illusions Lounge

[AdorkableWitch]

Is anyone else annoyed that they have a huge wall of fabric and no real uses? Where is my crazy drag from random crap challenge?

[Dirtybubble]

Someone in another thread said that Ru seems "over it" this season.  Maybe this is why

 

http://www.people.com/article/good-work-e-series-plastic-surgery-rupaul-dr-terry-dubrow-sandra-vergara

 

I will give this show a chance.

Edited April 13, 2015 by Dirtybubble

[SteveAC10]

The queens on BOTS are in the show because the talent agency that books them also produces the tour. If a queen is not repped by Producer's Entertainment - it's highly unlikely they'll appear on the tour for more than a night or two. Their roster is also very NYC heavy, which is why Ivy and Jiggly frequently appear. Next season's tour should be interesting. Only 1 of the 4 new queens signed has the kind of performing chops the show normally requires (Ginger). They also have Violet - who does some interesting circus aerial tricks, but that might not be possible in all venues. The last two are Pearl and Fame. I guess Pearl would just come out in vintage lingerie and make gif-able faces, and Fame....based on the You-Tube evidence I've seen, neither have lip syncing skills beyond that of the average bar queen, and both appear to be completely tone deaf and not very dynamic on stage. Interestingly, on Reddit, there's a thread where some of the oracles of drag over there are pronouncing that having genuine performing skills is now passe in the drag world, and ALL of the up and coming queens are "models". In their minds the future of drag is admiring beautiful queens in fabulous clothing, and that Ru a behind the times relic. Yikes!

Edited April 14, 2015 by SteveAC10

[Dirtybubble]

I'm convinced other forums are full of ANTM fans who put waaaay too much importance on looks and get super excited over mediocre performance skills. Don't get me wrong I like a fishy femme queen and those types are good for the meet & greets. I see Max, Katya, and maybe someone with strong lip syncing skills like Kandy turning it out on the stage.

But from what I've seen on the BOTS tour it's mostly the top 4 or 5 queens so probably I don't really see kandy being a part of that. I like Ivy but the only reason I think she's on the your is because she won miss congeniality.

[editorgrrl]

Someone in another thread said that Ru seems "over it" this season. Maybe this is why: http://www.people.com/article/good-work-e-series-plastic-surgery-rupaul-dr-terry-dubrow-sandra-vergara

I think Ru will make a great pundit—he's both smart & funny. (I had no idea Sofia Vergara had a sister.)

E!'s newest series is a pop culture roundtable that examines and celebrates the "good work" and the "not-so-good work" of Hollywood plastic surgery.

Good Work, hosted by Drag Race's RuPaul, Botched's Dr. Terry Dubrow and celebrity makeup artist and actress Sandra Vergara (Sofia's sister), premieres April 14.

[vrocotamy]

The queens on BOTS are in the show because the talent agency that books them also produces the tour. If a queen is not repped by Producer's Entertainment - it's highly unlikely they'll appear on the tour for more than a night or two. Their roster is also very NYC heavy, which is why Ivy and Jiggly frequently appear. Next season's tour should be interesting. Only 1 of the 4 new queens signed has the kind of performing chops the show normally requires (Ginger). They also have Violet - who does some interesting circus aerial tricks, but that might not be possible in all venues. The last two are Pearl and Fame. I guess Pearl would just come out in vintage lingerie and make gif-able faces, and Fame....based on the You-Tube evidence I've seen, neither have lip syncing skills beyond that of the average bar queen, and both appear to be completely tone deaf and not very dynamic on stage. Interestingly, on Reddit, there's a thread where some of the oracles of drag over there are pronouncing that having genuine performing skills is now passe in the drag world, and ALL of the up and coming queens are "models". In their minds the future of drag is admiring beautiful queens in fabulous clothing, and that Ru a behind the times relic. Yikes!

 

Yes, I'm also puzzled as to why Pearl and Fame were signed, unless being in New York alone explains it. Producers signs the popular low-camp comedy, theater, or shock queens (Sharon, Alaska, Manila, Pandora, Darienne, Jinkx, BenDeLa, Bianca, Detox, Willam) or queens who have a marketable skill outside of looking fierce (Jiggly, Adore, Courtney, Ivy, Phi Phi) - in other words, the queens who will sell the most tickets, which means they have to appeal to a broader audience than hardcore fans and gay bar patrons. Raja, to my knowledge, is the only non-Producers queen who's appeared on BOTS. 

[SteveAC10]

 

in other words, the queens who will sell the most tickets, which means they have to appeal to a broader audience than hardcore fans and gay bar patrons. Raja, to my knowledge, is the only non-Producers queen who's appeared on BOTS.

They seem to have a pretty decent track record signing the top tier queens over the last few years - and Pearl has a massive and obsessive on line fan base. As BOTS has moved into mainly all ages venues, perhaps they think they reel some of them in.

[vrocotamy]

They seem to have a pretty decent track record signing the top tier queens over the last few years - and Pearl has a massive and obsessive on line fan base. As BOTS has moved into mainly all ages venues, perhaps they think they reel some of them in.

 

Perhaps. I think the real unexpected break-out star of the season might be Katya, at least among people 21+, and Producers missed out on signing her (or perhaps she just preferred to stay managed by Juju's husband, Chris, in Boston?)

[Dirtybubble]

 

Lawd all this delicious T!  You guys are so knowledgeable on the behind-the-scenes stuff with the queens.  I just assumed the queens where under some sort of W.O.W. contract and required to do the BOTS tours and such. 

 

More T please!  I'm thirsty!

[NowVoyager]

I think Ru will make a great pundit—he's both smart & funny. (I had no idea Sofia Vergara had a sister.)

I watched Good Work but I barely remember any of it. Ru was charming & funny as usual. The Doctor freaked me out when he jabbed himself in the face repeatedly with the Botox needle. Sofia Vergara's sister is just as beautiful & has the same humorous vocal inflections, but sadly Sofia got allll of the chi-chis.

[Dirtybubble]

I watched Good Work but I barely remember any of it.

 

Since there is no official forum for this show, that I could find, I guess we can just discuss it here.  This show was TERRIBLE!  Gah, I don't think I cracked a smile once.  I figured it was going to be a similar format to Fashion Police where the show reads/judges/praises the subject matter which in this case is cosmetic work but IDK it just wasn't funny.  Rupaul was ok I guess and I liked the T on how she creates her drag but not.funny.at.all.  None of them are Joan Rivers caliber.  Unless there is a "celebrity" and I use the word celebrity very loosely as a guest on the show that I actually like/KNOW then I will watch but other than that--nah.

Edited April 17, 2015 by Dirtybubble

[Watermelon]

I didn't mind the show. I HATED the creative cameras angles that mean I didn't in fact see Terry jab anybody with needles, not even himself.  

[vrocotamy]

 

 

Lawd all this delicious T!  You guys are so knowledgeable on the behind-the-scenes stuff with the queens.  I just assumed the queens where under some sort of W.O.W. contract and required to do the BOTS tours and such. 

 

More T please!  I'm thirsty!

 

 

I was stimulated to look most of this up while exploring RPDR Reddit (to my benefit and dismay) after surgery last month. In my understanding, BOTS is brought to life by Producers Entertainment in association with World of Wonder and Logo (or, at least they're on the credit line.) Producers Entertainment seems to have had priority in signing the top queens (or the queens with the most earning potential) before the season started since S4. They represent the queens mentioned above and select the queens who will appear at BOTS - meaning, who has the capacity to attract the broadest lineup of fans to the show and make them the most money. Producers also represents other big-time drag queens - Sherry Levine, Jackie Beat, and Lady Bunny - and Michelle Visage. All the queens they've signed from Seasons 2 to 6 - save Willam (who is probably not invited to BOTS due to its closer ties to WoW and Logo) - have appeared on BOTS. They're clearly the prestige manager/booking agent for RPDR, and charge the highest fees. 

 

There are a few other management companies that manage the bulk of the RPDR queens. All Starr Management, headquartered in Florida and run by Latrice and Bob Taylor (a big figure in the Florida pageant community), handles many of the pageant and ballroom-type queens: Latrice, Trinity K. Bonet, Mariah, Jasmine Masters, Jade Jolie, Jaidynn, Coco Montrese, Kennedy Davenport, Dida Ritz, Venus D-Lite, Madame LaQueer, Lashauwn Beyond, Tyra Sanchez, Bebe Zahara Benet, etc. They also handle a few randos like Tempest, Mrs. Kasha Davis, Phoenix, Kelly Mantle, and Morgan McMichaels. Shangela runs a company called Say What! Entertainment that runs the Haus of Edwards (Shangela, Alyssa, Laganja, and Vivienne), plus Raven, April, and Gia. There's a company called Shooting Star that has others, most notably Alexis, but mostly less successful. Some of the queens have multiple managers (Raja, April, etc.) Jujubee's husband Chris manages Katya and Jujubee, and Yara Sofia is also "independent."  

[buttercupia]

does anyone know what time Logo releases the full episode to the app? my dvr was not working last night and didn't record.

[Dirtybubble]

does anyone know what time Logo releases the full episode to the app?

 

 

It should be up now buttercupia.  I don't get the Logo channel anymore so I have to watch it the next day on my phone.  Also Untucked should be up as well.

 

WoOhOooo vrocotamy!  Thanks!  So this is just S2 til present.  I noticed there are no S1 queens on these tours.  Are they SOL?

[vrocotamy]

It should be up now buttercupia.  I don't get the Logo channel anymore so I have to watch it the next day on my phone.  Also Untucked should be up as well.

 

WoOhOooo vrocotamy!  Thanks!  So this is just S2 til present.  I noticed there are no S1 queens on these tours.  Are they SOL?

 

Actually, the only S2 and S3 queens to be signed by Producers are Manila, Pandora, and Carmen. Carmen did not appear on the last round of BOTS at all (although she appeared in New York two years ago before the falling out with Ru.) Raja also has appeared on BOTS, but she isn't represented by Producers (a few different firms represent her.) I think they broke whatever deal they have with WoW (maybe first pick by Producers for management is part of their contract?) in S4. As for S1 queens...Bebe is repped by Latrice's All Starr and Shooting Star. Jade Sotomayor is repped by Shooting Star (which seems to have a lot of the queens who finished earlier in the competition.) Shannel, Nina, and Ongina seem to be independent. Chad is managed by a company called Divas and DJs, which represents a lot of reality TV stars, celebrity impersonators, and over-the-hill pop stars (Klymaxx, Taylor Dayne, Toni Basil, Vanilla Ice, Shannon, etc.) Divas and DJs also managed the tours for Latrice, Bebe, Shannel, and Nina's singles. 

Edited April 21, 2015 by vrocotamy

[kieyra]

Random: anyone watch Bates Motel?

Anyone notice it sounds like Santino saying "Previously, on Bates Motel"?

Drives me nuts.

[editorgrrl]

Yes, I watch Bates Motel—but I've never noticed.

[editorgrrl]

Tickets are still available for the season 7 finale—Tuesday, May 19, 2015, at 5 p.m. at the Orpheum Theatre in Los Angeles, California. The orchestra is $65–200, mezzanine $65, and balcony $40–55.

 

According to that Ticketmaster link, RuPaul's Drag Race: Battle of the Seasons will be at L'Olympia in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, on Monday, September 28, 2015, at 10 p.m.

Edited May 1, 2015 by editorgrrl

[JakeyJokes]

I saw Bebe at one of our local clubs last weekend -- she was fundraising for a fellow queen headed to a pageant. She was in head-to-toe leopard print and looked great.

 

Bianca brought her "Rolodex of Hate" tour to our city last night. Tickets are expensive for it because she plays theaters, but if you can -- GO. She's hilarious, vulnerable, candid, vulgar, and everything in between. My roommate didn't buy us meet & greet and I was bummed about that. Later in the night she appeared at the gay bar I was at as Roy, but I wasn't in the mood to try to meet her. She's one of my FAVORITES EVER and I just didn't want to bug her, if that makes any sense. I know how she looks out of drag thanks to the show, but in person it's still quite jarring; she wears a baseball cap and a tee-shirt and she looks so NORMAL, for lack of a better term (and also a good 10-15 years younger than what her birth certificate says).

[buttercupia]

Hey squirrel friends, hubs and I are headed to vegas for our 10th year anniversary.  Any drag show recommdendations for a late 40s early 50s hetero (but he's open minded) couple?

[SteveAC10]

Really there's only Divas Las Vegas. Frank Marino's celeb female impersonation show. It's VERY old school drag. It looks like it's moved to the Linq now (which used to be the Imperial Palace). The last time I saw it Coco Montrese was still doing her Janet Jackson there and Derrick Berry his Britney Spears. Marino does a decent Joan Rivers as the host.

[vrocotamy]

Really there's only Divas Las Vegas. Frank Marino's celeb female impersonation show. It's VERY old school drag. It looks like it's moved to the Linq now (which used to be the Imperial Palace). The last time I saw it Coco Montrese was still doing her Janet Jackson there and Derrick Berry his Britney Spears. Marino does a decent Joan Rivers as the host.

 

Apparently, you can also see India Ferrah (also very old school drag) at a club called Piranhas. Or so I hear.

[editorgrrl]

Did anyone see Mad Men this week? Someone jumped out of a cake at at a small-town VFW in 1970. I could've sworn it was a queen—but replies on the MM board say I just don't know what real women's bodies look like. (I'm a middle-aged CIS woman.)

 

I will defer to all y'all's opinion:

Edited May 12, 2015 by editorgrrl

[Dirtybubble]

 

editorgrrl I think that's a drag queen as well.  It just looks a man in the face.

 

FYI--I'm gonna miss Mad Men sooooo friggin much!

 

[kieyra]

Hah, I'm pretty sure Chad had a cameo in this week's episode of Jane the Virgin. Or it was another Cher impersonator, but I doubt it.

Edit: yep, it was Chad.

Edited May 12, 2015 by kieyra

[kieyra]

Did anyone see Mad Men this week? Someone jumped out of a cake at at a small-town VFW in 1970. I could've sworn it was a queen—but replies on the MM board say I just don't know what real women's bodies look like. (I'm a middle-aged CIS woman.)

I will defer to all y'all's opinion:

It's in the jaw! I'm uncertain enough (because of that jawline) that I tried vaguely to google but I came up empty.

Edit: no mention of a stripper on imdb's cast page for the episode.

Edited May 12, 2015 by kieyra

[Cosmic Muffin]

I 'm already thinking about season 8, and I'm wondering what they'll do next year to try and fix the disaster that is this season. I hope they don't over correct in some weird direction when they chose the contestants. I am so ready for this season to end!

[Dirtybubble]

 

So is anyone going to the Drag-con thing this weekend in L.A.?  I've seen the roster and it looks like every queen that's been on RPDR is gonna be there!  It kinda seems to be just a large meet-n-greet thing though with a few seminars on makeup and costume, no performances that I can tell.

 

I wish I could go but I live in S.C. and can't really afford to fly out there, hotel room, and other expenses right now.  If anyone is going post all the T here so I can live vicariously thru you ;)

[snakenax]

 

I 'm already thinking about season 8, and I'm wondering what they'll do next year to try and fix the disaster that is this season. I hope they don't over correct in some weird direction when they chose the contestants. I am so ready for this season to end!

Well the normal routes for shaking things up for a competition reality show are: All stars(and variations thereof, like mix of veterans and newbies or all villains etc), more gimmicks(multiple returning contestants, permanent teams, sudden death eliminations) and changing up the kinds of contestants(maybe a all baby drag season etc). Whatever they do, I hope it works. Because I previously thought Drag Race was one of those reality shows where the process and formula of it could beat even the worst group of contestants, like the Amazing Race or Face Off, but instead it turns out that it's much closer to Top Chef: without the right mix of technical skill and personalities and challenges that allow the expression of both it's nigh unwatchable.

[vrocotamy]

Well the normal routes for shaking things up for a competition reality show are: All stars(and variations thereof, like mix of veterans and newbies or all villains etc), more gimmicks(multiple returning contestants, permanent teams, sudden death eliminations) and changing up the kinds of contestants(maybe a all baby drag season etc). Whatever they do, I hope it works. Because I previously thought Drag Race was one of those reality shows where the process and formula of it could beat even the worst group of contestants, like the Amazing Race or Face Off, but instead it turns out that it's much closer to Top Chef: without the right mix of technical skill and personalities and challenges that allow the expression of both it's nigh unwatchable.

 

I'm not sure what the formula to "fix" Drag Race will be, but I do know World of Wonder listens to fans from season to season and tries to course correct based on their reactions. Hopefully, WoW will listen to the opinions of the mature fans who tend to gather here, not those on Reddit who think all the challenges should have been design-based this season to cater to 4 out of 14 queens. Someone else said on another thread that this whole season was like a giant experiment in shaking up Drag Race, which only partially landed. In response to the general criticisms of Season 6 - that RPDR had become formulaic and predictable, in part because it seemed more like a coronation for Bianca than a competition (she must be the Hillary Clinton of Drag Race, if Drag Race were the Democratic Party ;) - WoW did a lot of crazy things to agitate fans into excitement, many of which just failed. They eliminated a queen who, from editing, appeared to win the lip-sync (Trixie), and then brought her back like 5 episodes later, only to eliminate her again; they staged a few true surprise eliminations (Mrs. Kasha Davis and Max); they tried to revive the Heathers vs. Boogers from S3 with "The Old Lady Brigade" vs. "Aryan Airlines"; they made the queens wear nude body-suits and blurred out their fake breasts and genitals. I do think the cracked-out challenges after Snatch Game - conjoined drag twins, John Waters musical skits, half-man half-woman pairs dancing to nutty mash-ups, Hello Kitty costume reconstructions and cartoon character branding - produced interesting results. One change I hope they'll keep is getting rid of the makeover challenge with random guys, since those became incredibly redundant. I also think they made a mistake in casting, which is the heart of the problems of the season. They looked for "unknown queens from unknown places", apparently, whereas in S6 virtually all the queens cast who made it past the second or third episode were known commodities in one drag scene or another. I think next season could be fixed easily by getting rid of the surplus of poorly scripted group acting challenges and casting queens with more personality (or keeping those ones with personality around longer.)

[Dirtybubble]

 

So I don't know where else to post this but I read somewhere that the reason Logo cut back on money for Untucked was to invest in Cucumber & Banana (or whatever it's called).  It's a dumb idea--why would you decrease your funding efforts on the biggest G.D. show Logo has on air--ever!?

 

Well anyway is Cucumber & Banana any good?  I don't see a thread on this site for it which has me worried.

Edited May 20, 2015 by Dirtybubble

[editorgrrl]

As I said upthread:

I DVR'd the season 7 premiere on Logo, and instead of Untucked at the end there were sneak peeks of Cucumber and Banana. (Sadly, the latter was cut off.)

They were brilliant—like Looking set in Manchester!

 

And there's a forum: Cucumber / Banana / Tofu

[vrocotamy]

 

 

So I don't know where else to post this but I read somewhere that the reason Logo cut back on money for Untucked was to invest in Cucumber & Banana (or whatever it's called).  It's a dumb idea--why would you decrease your funding efforts on the biggest G.D. show Logo has on air--ever!?

 

Well anyway is Cucumber & Banana any good?  I don't see a thread on this site for it which has me worried.

 

 

I really loved Cucumber and Banana. Cucumber and the portions of Banana having to deal with queer men actually achieved a cogent (and irreverent) look at the problems facing us today, and Banana expanded the focus to queer women and transpeople. They're both by Russell B. Davies, the creator of the original (and far superior) Queer as Folk and the popular remake of Dr. Who. Unfortunately, C and B don't offer formulas and easy answers, so they won't do well with an American basic cable audience. But watch them!

[kieyra]

Just want to make sure that any of you who also watch Game of Thrones watch the Gay of Thrones recaps:

 

http://www.funnyordie.com/topic/gay-of-thrones

 

Latrice Royale got a shoutout this week. 

[TheLukeP]

If the ruduction team is so wanting a big girl winner, I would like to see a season of all 'plus-size' queens... bring a couple back if you have to... but I don't want anyone with a waist smaller than Mme LaQueer...

I would also LOVE to see an "All Stars - The Shade Brigade" where they bring back all the villains ... except for P2 ... i still can't with that one.

[buttercupia]

So we are going to do the Frank Marino show in Vegas. I'm excited to see it! 

 

In other news, there's a drag queen contestant on Food Network Star this year.  Worlds Collide! Arnold Myint, I think his name is, drag name Suzy Wong.  From nashville.

[kieyra]

https://twitter.com/TheWrap/status/605410021736910848

 

Looks nice, not sure about her tuck. 

[editorgrrl]

https://twitter.com/TheWrap/status/605410021736910848

 

Looks nice, not sure about her tuck. 

 

I totally did not recognize Caitlyn Jenner on the cover of Vanity Fair. (So glad she's not spelling it with a "K.") And I agree about the tuck. 

 

Out of context, I thought this was going to be about Arnold Myint, the Top Chef contestant:

I have a side kick, my alter ego (also known as) Suzy Wong. Suzy Wong is a marketing character of female persona which often times is seen out at social events or in the media as a philanthropic domestic diva. She can also stir up a fierce cocktail. She has great taste.

[Princess Sparkle]

Did anyone see Mad Men this week? Someone jumped out of a cake at at a small-town VFW in 1970. I could've sworn it was a queen—but replies on the MM board say I just don't know what real women's bodies look like. (I'm a middle-aged CIS woman.)

 

I will defer to all y'all's opinion:

I'm about two weeks too late on this, but it's not a drag queen - it was the show's assistant producer Marcy Patterson.

[editorgrrl]

I'm about two weeks too late on this, but it's not a drag queen - it was the show's assistant producer Marcy Patterson.

 

It's never too late. Thank you so much! (Turns out, Matthew Weiner wrote the scene just for her.)

[kieyra]

It's never too late. Thank you so much! (Turns out, Matthew Weiner wrote the scene just for her.)

I feel kind of bad but I never could stop seeing her as "drag queen" after that gif. :) You definitely weren't crazy, but we've been for sure watching too much RPDR. :)

[editorgrrl]

I feel kind of bad but I never could stop seeing her as "drag queen" after that gif. :) You definitely weren't crazy, but we've been for sure watching too much RPDR. :)

Ain't no such thing! As meh as season 7 was, I'm sad it's over.

But looks like Ru has plenty of other shows—like Skin Wars, a body painting competition on Game Show Network.

[kieyra]

To keep it out of the episode thread: how long is the finale? I tuned in at 9:45 eastern thinking I'd catch the winner, but it's 10:03 and they are still yammering. 

[editorgrrl]

1 hour, 31 minutes.

[ashotta hemlock]

Delta Work leaked that drag queens from this show will be featured on at least one episode of skin wars

[editorgrrl]

Jinkx Monsoon made it into the New York Times: http://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/02/theater/review-jinkx-monsoon-is-back-and-pregnant-in-the-vaudevillians-bringing-up-baby.html

Too bad she has a double chin in the photo.

[Dirtybubble]

Delta Work leaked that drag queens from this show will be featured on at least one episode of skin wars

 

God bless Ru she is trying to help these queens out as much as she can.  Is it queens from season 7 or just different seasons? 

[editorgrrl]

RuPaul on Bruce Jenner's "Vanity Fair" shoot  (Access Hollywood video). Ru said the prize money for Skin Wars is the same as RPDR: $100,000. 

What you're seeing now is one of the blends that we do on Skin Wars, where—they are incredible. It tricks the eye. And that's the appeal with the show, is you trick the eye. The same with Drag Race, by the way.… It's all about transforming the human body into whatever you want it to be. And that's not that different from doing drag.

 

As for Caitlyn Jenner's Vanity Fair shoot:

I just wish it was Steven Meisel, rather than Annie Leibovitz. Steven Meisel can really transform. That's glamour photography. I would want Steven Meisel, or the guy who does me, Mathu Andersen. [Yay, Ru, for getting that plug in!]

 

I don't believe in realism, or anything like that. I want super-duper glamour. You know, in my world everything should be gorgeous and glamourous. Steven Meisel, blow me out like a Paula Abdul video.

 

Then he plugged Good Work, and raved about being in the operating room during a facelift.

[Dirtybubble]

Jinkx Monsoon made it into the New York Times: http://www.nytimes.c...ng-up-baby.html

Too bad she has a double chin in the photo.

 

Has Jinx gained weight?  Not that I'm complaining I think she looks 1,000 better now than she ever did on the show and the extra padding looks great on her I was just wondering....I know traveling a lot, maybe not eating so well on the road, *cough smoking pot cough* can take a toll on your figure.