S10.E12: American

[stormy weather]

On 6/15/2018 at 5:38 AM, HunterHunted said:

Edison and eureka is apocrypha, but very famous and well known apocrypha. I'd hazard a guess that the Edison story is probably better known than the Archimedes origin among average people because the Edison story is often taught in business and management courses. The chances are much higher that you've had a manager try to motivate you with some version of the Edison story. Additionally, there are way more mainstream media references to the Edison story than Archimedes origin.

You just don't like Eureka. It's fine. You are perfectly free to dislike her, but she's probably not wrong on this one.

Eureka simply means "I've found it", it's the past form of ancient greek verb "eurisko", so it doesn't really have an Archimedes origin even, I guess that's just what everyone said at the time. Plus, light bulbs don't necessarily have a connection with Edison but more with the concept of your brain neurons "lighting up" when you find a solution to a long standing problem, that's why we use the light bulb icon to signify an "idea" in general. So you're right, Eureka for sure wasn't wrong here.

Okay, now that my etymological rant is over (sorry about that!) I'd like to say that I hope either Kameron or Aquaria wins this. Aquaria definitely has more talent and creativity but Kameron should be praised not only for her good work but also because throughout the competition her attitude has always been super cool. She never bitched about anybody, she never complained, she was always kind and helpful to everybody. And after watching every season of this show (some twice) I guess I can say that's rare.

Also, why was Asia wearing a Rio de Janeiro carnival-inspired dress with the colors of the brazilian flag in the one episode dedicated to America? I have nothing against it, it was a beautiful costume but maybe use it some other time? I appreciated more the theme-related looks of Aquaria with her 40's post-war hairdo and the red dress or the cheerleader-like attire of Eureka. 

[HunterHunted]

I'd like to think that Ru wouldn't be so oblivious as to award Aquaria the crown after a season that actually sparked conversation about the biases and bigotry that exists in the fandom and queer communities. As we've seen, this season has had a ton of discussion by the queens, the fans, and to a lesser extent the judges about biases around race, weight, gender identity, and money.  Money especially is the third rail of drag race.

Despite Michelle's contention that money doesn't matter, it absolutely does. Chi Chi and Latrice were penalized for not having tons of shoes to wear. Eureka is benefiting greatly from the increased cash flow because of season 9. And Aquaria is basically the example demonstrating that cash is having too much influence on the judging. Aquaria came in with tons of stunning outfits that were made for her. The judges have praised them over and over again, not taking into account that not every queen has the same resources and maybe flawless looks shouldn't always be the measure. In the past, they used to be a little more aware of this bias. Otherwise Jinkx and Sharon never would have won their seasons if the judges were just looking at polished outfits.

When a queen who can't walk in heels, can't dance, and can't really lip sync (but has amazing outfits and flawless makeup) makes it to the final four, something is wrong with the judging. I had thought that they had rebounded after that, but I'm not so sure now. Aquaria has done well on challenges; however, she's done poorly and should have been in the bottom 2 on other challenges like Pharma-Rusical and the Social Media makeover challenge. She legitimately should have been in the bottom 2 both times, but was saved for no apparent reason or her runway look.

Aquaria is talented, but the fact that the judges keep "oohing and ahhing" over her polished runway looks while ignoring her actual bad performances on some of the challenges really feels like Aquaria has been throwing money around to win (at least as far as making sure she had a shit ton of expensive gowns to get her past certain hurdles). If the judges managed to ignore all that with Courtney Act, I don't know why they can't with Aquaria.

I also worry that this will have a deleterious effect on the show. If queens with more all around talent are afraid to compete until they've built up a war chest of $10K, $20K, or $50K in dresses, wigs, and shoes, I wonder what type of show we'll be watching in 5 years and what impact that will have on drag in general.

[ClareWalks]

Aquaria is definitely the best dancer of the season. She has hip turnout even when she struts the runway.

[ItCouldBeWorse]

4 hours ago, stormy weather said:

Also, why was Asia wearing a Rio de Janeiro carnival-inspired dress with the colors of the brazilian flag in the one episode dedicated to America? I have nothing against it, it was a beautiful costume but maybe use it some other time? I appreciated more the theme-related looks of Aquaria with her 40's post-war hairdo and the red dress or the cheerleader-like attire of Eureka. 

I realize that not everybody might have had a red, white or blue outfit available to wear, but I don't understand why Ru wasn't wearing one in an episode that celebrated being American.  I did award Aquaria extra points for wearing red, which fit the theme as I perceived it. 

Edited June 18, 2018 by ItCouldBeWorse

[Destiny74]

10 hours ago, ItCouldBeWorse said:

I realize that not everybody might have had a red, white or blue outfit available to wear, but I don't understand why Ru wasn't wearing one in an episode that celebrated being American.  I did award Aquaria extra points for wearing red, which fit the theme as I perceived it. 

 

I always figured the Queens were told to bring some specific "types" of outfits for certain challenges.  The denim challenge, the feather challenge, the super awesome hat challenge, those are specific asks that the Queens dressed for.  I know they have the fabric wall and all but those looks didn't look just put together (like, say, the dollar store challenge).  So to not have a red, white, or blue look?  Seems hinky.

Edited June 18, 2018 by Destiny74

[ItCouldBeWorse]

24 minutes ago, Destiny74 said:

I always figured the Queens were told to bring some specific "types" of outfits for certain challenges.  The denim challenge, the feather challenge, the super awesome hat challenge, those are specific asks that the Queens dressed for.  I know they have the fabric wall and all but those looks didn't look just put together (like, say, the dollar store challenge).  So to not have a red, white, or blue look?  Seems hinky.

Agreed.  Unless the other 3, not realizing which challenge the red, white or blue look was for, already used theirs.  (I know Cracker had worn a blue outfit, for instance).  Does anyone recall?

And that still doesn't explain Ru not being dressed in the American flag!

Edited June 18, 2018 by ItCouldBeWorse

[HunterHunted]

1 hour ago, Destiny74 said:

I always figured the Queens were told to bring some specific "types" of outfits for certain challenges.  The denim challenge, the feather challenge, the super awesome hat challenge, those are specific asks that the Queens dressed for.  I know they have the fabric wall and all but those looks didn't look just put together (like, say, the dollar store challenge).  So to not have a resume, white, or blue look?  Seems hinky.

We know they are told about some (maybe most) of the runways of which feathers, mermaid, hats, glitter, and best drag were among those. I don't think we've ever been super clear about the challenges, which is what the writing and performing lyrics to American was. They were clearly told about the Cher and Social Media Makeover challenges ahead of time. I think it varies and they may never have been given a red, white, and blue brief, but instead just a brief to have something they can dance in. 

[Blakeston]

On 6/16/2018 at 1:33 PM, annewithaneee said:

I'm not Eureka's fan for a lot of other reasons, but it's gonna suck if it turns out the only fat queen to win had already sold merch at two Drag Cons and had a wardrobe full of shit that could finally rival the girls who are rich (or have access to bigass loans), gorgeous, and anti-bitchy. That feels gross.

While Eureka definitely had an advantage from appearing on a previous season, her outfits last season impressed me just as much as the ones we've seen this season. She's been a big deal pageant queen since before the show, and she came into season 9 with a remarkable wardrobe.

50 minutes ago, HunterHunted said:

We know they are told about some (maybe most) of the runways of which feathers, mermaid, hats, glitter, and best drag were among those. I don't think we've ever been super clear about the challenges, which is what the writing and performing lyrics to American was. They were clearly told about the Cher and Social Media Makeover challenges ahead of time. I think it varies and they may never have been given a red, white, and blue brief, but instead just a brief to have something they can dance in. 

Wait, they knew about the social media makeover ahead of time? That seemed like one of the three runway challenges where the contestants actually had to create their own looks (with the other two being the "drag on a dime" challenge in the first episode, and the Martian aspect of the ball).

5 hours ago, HunterHunted said:

I'd like to think that Ru wouldn't be so oblivious as to award Aquaria the crown after a season that actually sparked conversation about the biases and bigotry that exists in the fandom and queer communities. As we've seen, this season has had a ton of discussion by the queens, the fans, and to a lesser extent the judges about biases around race, weight, gender identity, and money.  Money especially is the third rail of drag race.

Despite Michelle's contention that money doesn't matter, it absolutely does. Chi Chi and Latrice were penalized for not having tons of shoes to wear. Eureka is benefiting greatly from the increased cash flow because of season 9. And Aquaria is basically the example demonstrating that cash is having too much influence on the judging. Aquaria came in with tons of stunning outfits that were made for her. The judges have praised them over and over again, not taking into account that not every queen has the same resources and maybe flawless looks shouldn't always be the measure. In the past, they used to be a little more aware of this bias. Otherwise Jinkx and Sharon never would have won their seasons if the judges were just looking at polished outfits.

When a queen who can't walk in heels, can't dance, and can't really lip sync (but has amazing outfits and flawless makeup) makes it to the final four, something is wrong with the judging. I had thought that they had rebounded after that, but I'm not so sure now. Aquaria has done well on challenges; however, she's done poorly and should have been in the bottom 2 on other challenges like Pharma-Rusical and the Social Media makeover challenge. She legitimately should have been in the bottom 2 both times, but was saved for no apparent reason or her runway look.

Aquaria is talented, but the fact that the judges keep "oohing and ahhing" over her polished runway looks while ignoring her actual bad performances on some of the challenges really feels like Aquaria has been throwing money around to win (at least as far as making sure she had a shit ton of expensive gowns to get her past certain hurdles). If the judges managed to ignore all that with Courtney Act, I don't know why they can't with Aquaria.

I also worry that this will have a deleterious effect on the show. If queens with more all around talent are afraid to compete until they've built up a war chest of $10K, $20K, or $50K in dresses, wigs, and shoes, I wonder what type of show we'll be watching in 5 years and what impact that will have on drag in general.

Aquaria has some incredible outfits, but is she necessarily richer than the other contestants in the final 4? While her looks have been very polished, none of them have screamed "oh my god, that must have cost a fortune!" the way that Courtney's eagle costume did.

I'd feel somewhat differently if I knew that she came from a wealthy background, and was using a trust fund to buy elaborate, custom-made outfits. But when she talked to Cracker, she made it sound as though her budget comes from doing lots of shows. If that's accurate, I can't begrudge her the advantage her money gives her. And I'm not sure she does have an advantage over the other contestants who made it to the finale.

[akr]

I still can't get over Miz Cracker saying she spent more on Drag Race than she did on college. That shouldn't be necessary! (and clearly, it's not enough  but feeling that it might be might have altered, for the worse, how many of them approach being on the show). 

[HunterHunted]

3 hours ago, Blakeston said:

Wait, they knew about the social media makeover ahead of time? That seemed like one of the three runway challenges where the contestants actually had to create their own looks

I can't remember where I read this, but they were given a heads up about a makeover challenge, which makes sense in hindsight. Monet never had enough stuff together for herself, but had another green bodysuit ready? The heads up was the reason that Asia had enough extra gewgaws for another jacket and Eureka apparently had pieces of the gown that Frankie wore that Eureka just had to fit and sew together.

3 hours ago, Blakeston said:

Aquaria has some incredible outfits, but is she necessarily richer than the other contestants in the final 4? While her looks have been very polished, none of them have screamed "oh my god, that must have cost a fortune!" the way that Courtney's eagle costume did.

I'd feel somewhat differently if I knew that she came from a wealthy background, and was using a trust fund to buy elaborate, custom-made outfits. But when she talked to Cracker, she made it sound as though her budget comes from doing lots of shows. If that's accurate, I can't begrudge her the advantage her money gives her. And I'm not sure she does have an advantage over the other contestants who made it to the finale.

While Aquaria doesn't seem to have a trust fund to play with, she does have comfortably middle class parents who supported her after she left FIT and decided to do drag. That cannot be discounted. NYC is one of the most expensive cities on the planet to live in. Are her parents still supporting her now? Probably not. But part of the reason that she was able to get ahead and be a name at 21 is that she doesn't appear to have ever had a real job to pay for her food, shelter, bills, AND her side gig of drag.

Edited June 18, 2018 by HunterHunted

[TheLukeP]

1 hour ago, Blakeston said:

I also worry that this will have a deleterious effect on the show. If queens with more all around talent are afraid to compete until they've built up a war chest of $10K, $20K, or $50K in dresses, wigs, and shoes, I wonder what type of show we'll be watching in 5 years and what impact that will have on drag in general.

If you ask local drag queens, it's already had a deleterious effect ... so many 'drag race fans' v. 'drag fans' that attempt to shade/shame local queens for not having the lace-fronts, the $100+ sequined (sequence) gloves, the 'Ru Girl' contour... so many of those 'drag race fans' that don't support their local queens because they're "just a low rent [insert your fav RuGirl here]".... 

[noveltylibrary]

On 6/15/2018 at 7:47 PM, rustyspigot said:

You better stop.

Vangie was my pick before the season even started so I'm glad at least her name has become a thing ;p

[annewithaneee]

21 hours ago, Blakeston said:

On 6/16/2018 at 1:33 PM, annewithaneee said:

I'm not Eureka's fan for a lot of other reasons, but it's gonna suck if it turns out the only fat queen to win had already sold merch at two Drag Cons and had a wardrobe full of shit that could finally rival the girls who are rich (or have access to bigass loans), gorgeous, and anti-bitchy. That feels gross.

While Eureka definitely had an advantage from appearing on a previous season, her outfits last season impressed me just as much as the ones we've seen this season. She's been a big deal pageant queen since before the show, and she came into season 9 with a remarkable wardrobe.

Completely agree to disagree on that one. Her entrance look was fabulous, her Gaga look was simple but polished, her Princess Fantasy was good, the rest was super meh or outright bad. She had a couple of (likely) custom latex outfits that fit like a glove and were cute, but outside of that it was a lot of leotards or catsuits and most weren't a good look. This season you can tell that she was able to pull a lot of great custom stuff for every runway theme that wasn't a DIY deal. She stepped her pussy up quite a bit and I'm sure the receipts match. And hey, good on her, but she was able to prepare for this season like it was All Stars - actually, much more than All Stars queens can, since not only was she a returnee but she knew a year-plus in advance since Ru offered her a S10 spot during her elimination - and she did. And it'll make me a little sad if the first big queen had an unprecedented - and likely unrepeatable - leg up on the rest of the field.

[Omeletsmom]

On 6/15/2018 at 4:00 PM, CaioF said:

For me, its just a case of confidence and be optimistic. Like said above, even knowing how the show/Ru loves a sad backstorie and be surrounded by it, she didnt faked anything about herself/her life. She openly said shes very lucky for having a good relation with her parents, nothing to complain about her life that would match other people problems.. In other hand, she grew to be very aware of the other queens and supportive (following her on instagram, half of her stories is her sharing other queens gig, even asking people to vote for Monet forMiss Congeniaty). IMO, thats the difference between be confident/not complaing easily about life and be self-absorbed. The same way is important to have the queens sharing their struggles, its also important to have someone like her, showing the audience that gay people/ drag queens not always need to have a traumatic life experience/be full of insecurities, that things are improving. 

Being confident and being self-absorbed are not mutually exclusive.  I'm all for having confidence. but that is not the same as making everything about YOU.  What I said has NOTHING to do with having a traumatic back-story; I've known plenty of people who had happy childhoods and were miraculously able to recognize that they were not the center of the universe.  You don't have to have had a tragic childhood to be self-aware.  I don't follow her (or any of the queens) on social media; if she is coming off better there, good for her.  I am only commenting on what I see on the show.

[violet and green]

On 6/19/2018 at 11:17 PM, annewithaneee said:

And it'll make me a little sad if the first big queen had an unprecedented - and likely unrepeatable - leg up on the rest of the field.

In my view, Eureka had a leg down (boom tish). Even minor knee surgery takes recovery, and physio, and there would be pain involved and ongoing pain. For a big girl, going into the season and knowing there were going to be more choreographed and potentially injury-recurring/further injury-enducing challenges would have been super scary.

[SteveAC10]

I'm still not sure who I'm rooting for in this bunch. All of them are clearly talented queens but they all are varying degrees of off putting to me. Asia is polished and inventive, but she's also more than a little preachy and judgemental, and she has dripped with an unflattering combination of condescension and bitterness since the early episodes.  Eureka is also polished and inventive, but she is also an accomplished shit-stirrrer who just can't let things be (or shut the f up). Kameron is clearly a well funded bar queen with a fair amount of talent and a giant heart, but has all of the charisma of deli potato salad. Aquaria probably fits the bill more than the others, but strikes me as the love child of Violet Chachki and Sasha Velour. It just might be too soon for a queen of her ilk to grab the prize. It will likely boil down to finally crowning a plus sized queen vs. appeasing the teens that dominate the RPDR social media.

Edited June 23, 2018 by SteveAC10

[Gothish520]

21 hours ago, SteveAC10 said:

I'm still not sure who I'm rooting for in this bunch. All of them are clearly talented queens but they all are varying degrees of off putting to me. Asia is polished and inventive, but she's also more than a little preachy and judgemental, and she has dripped with an unflattering combination of condescension and bitterness since the early episodes.  Eureka is also polished and inventive, but she is also an accomplished shit-stirrrer who just can't let things be (or shut the f up). Kameron is clearly a well funded bar queen with a fair amount of talent and a giant heart, but has all of the charisma of deli potato salad. Aquaria probably fits the bill more than the others, but strikes me as the love child of Violet Chachki and Sasha Velour. It just might be too soon for a queen of her ilk to grab the prize. It will likely boil down to finally crowning a plus sized queen vs. appeasing the teens that dominate the RPDR social media.

Nice assessment. Totally agree about Asia - she is gorgeous and looked amazing at the reunion, but that smug smile just irks me. Contrary to popular opinion, I don't think that everything out of her mouth is sage wisdom. Condescending and bitter, yes.

I can definitely understand why Eureka would not be everyone's cup of tea, but when she's on, I think she's just great. I usually love her costumes and her persona is hilarious.

Kameron - not feeling her. Her personality is just so off-putting, and her drag is just not to my liking. Something about her rubs me the wrong way.

Aquaria - she's my pick. Gorgeous on stage -  makeup is fantastic, costumes always impeccable. Her Snatch Game Melania slayed me! Love her.