S11.E05: Monster Ball

[OnceSane]

Quote

The queens compete in a spooky pageant of monster inspired couture and showcase three Halloween inspired looks. Supermodel Cara Delevingne and pop culture icon Elvira guest judge.

Airs March 28, 2019.

[Temperance]

Nina West, and A'Keria Channel Davenport were some of my favorites. 

I didn't get troll doll from Shuga Cain.  I love Shuga. 

Ariel could have flipped her first look and her third look and it might have worked better. 

Brooke Lynn is the Aquaria of season 11, although I like Brooke Lynn and Aquaria. 

[DanielleC.]

Brooke took this challenge hands down. The others there on the stage it didnt felt like really a top 3 and bottom 3, it felt they called Brooke (the clear winner), the bottom two queens ( Shuga and Ariel) and than Plastique, Silky and Ivye were left because the judges wanted to warn them on push further (producers must want them to do well). Althought, Silky was clearly a bottom aswell.

Ariel... I expected way more comming to the show, but yeah, she coasted on the same type of look, hair etc.. Her Mermaid look was pretty much a reprise of her Poison Ivy + her last week look. Lip sync ..It started pretty even, Shuga feeling more inside while Ariel was serving outside with face till she decided to do those silly dance moves and trip over herself. That was game over (also Shuga gave some extra energy by the end).

A good episode, alot looks, I expected some of them to go further... I think the round ´´themes`` didnt  build up so well as the other balls were queens went for a more basic approach on runway 1st round, a cool look on 2 and a another level look on runway 3. There was alot of a mix bag this time, the stupid extra things added to the theme probably confused some of the queens (as we could see with Ivye third look).

Edited March 29, 2019 by DanielleC.

[KillahBee007]

Silky Ganache should’ve been bottom two. Period. 

[Keywestclubkid]

Why did suga get a video call in untucked? She was a bottom 2 queen who just so randomly got a video call from his BF? Why didn’t ANY other queen get that? 

[DanielleC.]

1 minute ago, Keywestclubkid said:

Why did suga get a video call in untucked? She was a bottom 2 queen who just so randomly got a video call from his BF? Why didn’t ANY other queen get that? 

Not all queens have these level of support at home (they sure have friends, but wouldnt have the same appeal). Probably they decided to show her since it was a heartfelt message and there was a chance she would be leaving that night without watch it.

[Keywestclubkid]

8 minutes ago, DanielleC. said:

Not all queens have these level of support at home (they sure have friends, but wouldnt have the same appeal). Probably they decided to show her since it was a heartfelt message and there was a chance she would be leaving that night without watch it.

It looked staged has fuck. Like let’s give a reason her “ok” lipsync saved her. Again normally in this competition only winners who won the challenge would get a video call from a loved one. Why a random bottom 2 contestant. Did Ariel not deserve the same shot seeing as she was just has defeated has suga? It made no sense. I mean it didn’t look like any other girl got a video call so the question is. Why? 

Edited March 29, 2019 by Keywestclubkid

[Temperance]

Shuga Cain and her fiancee are such a cute couple.

12 minutes ago, Keywestclubkid said:

It looked staged has fuck. Like let’s give a reason her “ok” lipsync saved her. Again normally in this competition only winners who won the challenge would get a video call from a loved one. Why a random bottom 2 contestant 

They had random vidoes from love ones in Untucked last season. 

[Juneau Gal]

Could someone please, PLEASE give Vanjie voice lessons? That constant loud barking with no modulation is getting to be like nails on a chalkboard to me. 

[Supagirl]

6 hours ago, Juneau Gal said:

Could someone please, PLEASE give Vanjie voice lessons? That constant loud barking with no modulation is getting to be like nails on a chalkboard to me. 

I LIVE for Vanjie’s barking. She makes me laugh every time.

[Stardancer Supreme]

I think that is part of Vanjie's appeal! To look so feminine and sound like a trucker. 

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Ha, I loved that first we got a talking head of Ra'Jah saying she always filters out the negative and then a cut to her arguing with Yvie in the workroom.

I couldn't decide whether to laugh or cry when Scarlett's insisted that she did a great job casting the Rusical. On the one hand, it must be great to live in a world where you hear everything as a compliment.

I liked A'Keria's sexy poker dealer costume It was obvious what it was, it was sparkly, it was accessorized with a giant hat, a huge bowtie, and even a poker table. I also liked that it was a little covered up on top but still sexy. I liked her Maleficent-esque witch was simple but effective. Her tarantula costume was okay but I wanted more.

Vanessa's Victoria's Secret angel costume was yet another runway look with a corset. Unfortunately, instead of looking like a real VS angel, it looked like exactly what it was - a low rent knock off version. It was mostly because the wings looked cheap and janky. I liked the skirt of her witch costume. I loved the giant headstone coming out of her wig for the monster costume, but the dress itself looked cheap.

Plastique's Playboy bunny was perfect. This is one of those rare times when I didn't mind that her costume was a leotard or corset because that's exactly what a Playboy bunny looks like! Simple but effective costume and she looked great. I really did not like her witch makeup because from a distance her eye makeup looked messy, and not in a sexy smoky eye kind of way. Her grim reaper was okay. I liked the skull teeth on her face and the dress fit her beautifully but it looked like she just took a dress she already had and glued some skeleton hands to the shoulders.

Scarlett's sexy pirate looked like a Legs Avenue costume. Her Fire Island witch was just a body suit with a cape and a hat. I really hated that you couldn't tell she was supposed to be the creature from the black lagoon. And no, girl, a spandex dress is not high fashion.

I loved Nina West's venus fly trap costume. Feed me, Seymour! Her witch burned at the stake was hilarious. Her House of Wax mask was cool, but the dress was nothing exciting.

Ra'Jah's sexy kitty was not interesting to me. It was a pink bodysuit with a cat mask. Her green witch didn't look very witchy to me, but I loved the long coat which looked great on the runway. Her bone collector costume was not good though. Without the giant bone accessory she was carrying, she didn't really look like she was wearing a costume.

Shuga Cain's sexy troll doll was a problem for me because (1) it was just a bodysuit with a bedazzled bikini on top and (2) I couldn't tell what she was supposed to be without her explanation. Her Bloody Mary witch was great. I appreciate it when the queens are willing to do something that isn't pretty. Her wife of Satan was really only memorable because of the merkin. Once again, I couldn't tell what she was supposed to be. I'm glad that Michelle said that we shouldn't need an explanation to know what your costume is.

Brooke Lynn's sexy mummy was okay. It was simple in concept so I get why Silky was teasing her in the workroom, but she executed it well. Her Suicide Squad witch was fine, but you could really see her dance training in the way she slunk down the runway. Her black widow look was too similar to a witch costume. What I liked is that she gave each character a different personality and performed each one perfectly. Even without saying a word, she was performing and giving us three completely different characters.

I couldn't decide how I felt about Ariel's sexy nurse costume. On the one hand, it was nice to see a sexy nurse costume that wasn't totally cliche. On the other hand, I couldn't tell that she was supposed to be a nurse. All the needles in the shoulder pads were interesting but without those, it was just a white dress. Her witch costume looked cheap because of the tulle skirt. Her mermaid/Tinkerbell costume looked kind of cheap, basic, and non specific to what she said she was.

Yvie's sexy dinosaur was not fancy, but her performance on the runway made me laugh. I loved her watch. Once again, her performance really sold it. I cracked up when she spit out teeth for her MILF costume. I think if her costumes had been a little better or if her third look had been better, she might have won instead of Brooke Lynn.

Silky's unicorn frappuccino costume was the worst of the sexy costumes. It was exactly the kind of last minute costume that I hate. "What do I have that I could turn into a costume? White unitard, pink wig, um, UNICORN!" I liked her witch from The Wiz costume, mostly because I liked that she didn't go the typical black dress with a pointy hat route. The best part of her MILF costume was the glittery red tear trails going down her face.

I agreed with the bottom three. For me, Shuga Cain was the clear winner of the LSFYL. I give Ariel credit for getting up and continuing after she slipped on her costume and fell, but even before that, she was not doing a great job.

[Blakeston]

I really liked Brooke Lynn's first two looks, but that third look was pretty weak, IMO. I'm not sure why the judges gave it such a tongue bath.

Plastique looked lovely, but IMO it's inexcusable how often she's reusing those bejeweled tights, and the whole corset/train combo. If Ariel can be called out on recycling the same look, why not Plastique?

And someone should have pointed out that Silky was wearing Kahanna's horns.

[ClareWalks]

3 minutes ago, Blakeston said:

Plastique looked lovely, but IMO it's inexcusable how often she's reusing those bejeweled tights, and the whole corset/train combo. If Ariel can be called out on recycling the same look, why not Plastique?

THIS. I was so distracted by those tights. Every week, every look. They only fit with the Playboy bunny look this week. I was hoping the judges would read her for that. It was really, really distracting from the monster-ness.

[Dance4Life]

What happened last night?  Nothing!

I live for the Lip Sync ending. 

Gosh, even that was super boring.  

When Ariel ate the ground I didn’t even perk up.

I was waiting for the rodeo clowns to come out and sweep them off the stage while Ru Paul.......screamed.......Ariel & Shuga......Sashay Away!

[Blakeston]

For whatever it's worth, Yvie put some photos on Instagram showing a "rudemption" outfit she made, using only the materials from the challenge, to achieve the freaky voodoo doll look she wishes she'd gone with for the third look.

The third shot, that shows her makeup close-up, is superfreaky.

[Glade]

I was excited for a fashion challenge but this was pretty underwhelming.  Most of the queens did aim for pretty, so even the 'monsters' which could have had some OTT creative presentations featured a lot of shiny wigs, standard gowns and glam makeup.  Remembering Sharon Needles coming out bald with blood leaking from her mouth in S04E01 makes this all the more meh.  I also thought the trick or treat section could have had more original and quirky concepts then playboy bunny, bad jumpsuit with unicorn horn, etc.  I did like Brooklyn Heights and Evie's first two looks, and Nina West's were creative if insufficiently dark.  I initially thought the mini-challenge was going to be the queens designing the dolls themselves, which might have been more interesting then trotting Trixie out and doing all the jump cuts for this recycled challenge. 

I thought the lipsync was pretty bad, if I was Ru I would have considered a double elimination, which might serve to thin out the still huge crowd of contestants. 

[For Cereals]

20 hours ago, Juneau Gal said:

Could someone please, PLEASE give Vanjie voice lessons? That constant loud barking with no modulation is getting to be like nails on a chalkboard to me. 

I LOVE her voice!  I wish she would narrate all my book club books.

[Not4Me]

Looks like Mariah Carey isn’t the only one giving side-eye this season to the queens, Whitney is shooting daggers from beyond the grave for that yawnfest of a lip sync to one of her classics.

In Untucked, Silky needs to stop grabbing a celebrity who visits the workroom, I thought she was going to hurt Elvira.

Edited March 30, 2019 by Not4Me

[noveltylibrary]

This may be the worst season imo.  Boring af.

[Blakeston]

Earlier in March someone made sexual assault allegations against Silky online. The details are here. 

When I first read about this, I wasn't sure what to think. But it certainly has a ring of truth to it, considering her behavior on the show. I can easily see her pinning someone to the wall and yelling about wanting trade and tearing their clothes off, thinking it was "funny," and not really caring if they consented or not.

[kylies-lips]

Does anyone else feel like this season is creeping along very slowly? I was thinking maybe Snatch Game was coming up but then I looked and saw there were still what seemed like 20 girls in the competition! 

I also feel like the frontrunners and possible Top 3 may be: Brooke, Plastique and Yvie. Or maybe swapping out Plastique for A'Keria!

Farewell to Ariel. She's an example of how the one trick pony version of drag does not translate well to TV and this competition. She only knew exactly ONE look and she brought that same tired look to the stage every week. She deserved to be eliminated simply based on the fact she didn't follow directions. Bringing a (busted) mermaid look to the stage during the spooky monster category. Okay girl...

Did anyone notice how normal Vanjie's voice was in the workroom while she was working on her garment? None of that loud squawking and over exaggeration. She was speaking at a normal tone and seemed pretty focused.

I think the one main annoying thing about this season is how bloody AWARE some of these folks are is that they are on tv and how much they are hamming it up for screentime. Silky is probably the worst offender of this. She actually is funny and entertaining but she's taking that to the max and its really just not cute to watch on television. 

[Keywestclubkid]

5 hours ago, kylies-lips said:

Yessss we are 5 episodes deep and there are still 37 girls I feel like I could just cliffs note the next couple of episodes and really not miss anything cause it’s still a jumbled mess of Eh queens..yes there are standouts but by and large it’s a very Meh season so far and this all just feels like filler at this point with so many girls 

Edited March 30, 2019 by Keywestclubkid

[Pallida]

After watching two seasons of Dragula, this episode fell pretty flat for me. I wouldn’t expect the Drag Race folks to be at Dragula levels, but knowing what’s possible made them seem mostly uninspired. 

[Glade]

9 hours ago, Blakeston said:

Earlier in March someone made sexual assault allegations against Silky online. The details are here.

I absolutely believe this and hope the OG tweets were deleted because a criminal investigation is happening.  Silky has presented her lack of respect for other's boundaries/impulse control when it comes to grabbing them, so I'm not surprised that it would go much further. 

Edited March 30, 2019 by Glade

[stormy weather]

On 3/29/2019 at 4:02 AM, Keywestclubkid said:

Why did suga get a video call in untucked? She was a bottom 2 queen who just so randomly got a video call from his BF? Why didn’t ANY other queen get that? 

That's exactly what I thought too! So weird. And I didn't think she would be in the bottom at all, so it was also super random. That said, I am soooo glad she stayed and that message from her fiancé had me tear up within two seconds, they're adorable. I really love Shuga, I thought her second Lady Gaga-ish-meat-dress witch outfit with the punching of the frame was genius and I want to see more of her.

17 hours ago, kylies-lips said:

I also feel like the frontrunners and possible Top 3 may be: Brooke, Plastique and Yvie. Or maybe swapping out Plastique for A'Keria!

I think the one main annoying thing about this season is how bloody AWARE some of these folks are is that they are on tv and how much they are hamming it up for screentime. Silky is probably the worst offender of this. She actually is funny and entertaining but she's taking that to the max and its really just not cute to watch on television. 

While I agree with you as far as Brooke and Yvie (my absolute favorite so far, a major cut above the rest), Plastique and A'Keria still seem pretty bland to me. I can't remember anything specific about them, any memorable outfit or funny performance, so I would be surprised to see them in the top three. We'll see!

It's funny how Silky seemed like someone had sedated her this whole episode, except when Elvira went backstage and she immediately switched on and was back to her antics, grabbing her and being loud and obnoxious. I don't think she cares about the Drag Race at all, she doesn't put any effort in making her outfits consistent with the "category is" requirements or in her acting/dancing challenges. I think she's just here to be on TV and reach a wider audience, and she's lucky because Ru likes her and will keep her for a loooong time no matter what. In this episode she should've been 100% in the bottom, her last red outfit and the unicorn one were so plain and poorly executed I could not believe she got to be safe while Shuga had to LSFHL. 

[Diane Mars]

21 minutes ago, stormy weather said:

It's funny how Silky seemed like someone had sedated her this whole episode, except when Elvira went backstage and she immediately switched on and was back to her antics, grabbing her and being loud and obnoxious. I don't think she cares about the Drag Race at all, she doesn't put any effort in making her outfits consistent with the "category is" requirements or in her acting/dancing challenges. I think she's just here to be on TV and reach a wider audience, and she's lucky because Ru likes her and will keep her for a loooong time no matter what. In this episode she should've been 100% in the bottom, her last red outfit and the unicorn one were so plain and poorly executed I could not believe she got to be safe while Shuga had to LSFHL. 

For real, Silky is the 1st queen I so much dislike like... ever ! I found her obnoxious, entitled, mean... and not funny at all, because nothing feels genuine in her. And (sorry in advance) I'm disgusted by her body... It's not even fat-shaming, it's the way she uses it, as "IN YOUR FACE, and DON'T DARE to say anything, because, if you do, I'll come to your jugular and will find an excuse to legitimitate it".

That's it : I so much dislike her, because, IMHO again, she's NOT genuine and NOT kind at all. She's a mean girl at her core, and she doesn't seem to like anyone, except of herself.

Edited March 31, 2019 by Diane Mars

[Blakeston]

I'm guessing they had videos from loved ones for all of the queens, and they knew that Shuga's was especially touching. So when she was in the bottom two, they figured they might as well show it right away, because it might be their last chance.

(That said, if I were Ariel I would be very annoyed that Shuga got that emotional boost right before the lip sync and I didn't.)

A'Keria has had a couple of really good outfits - like the five-wigged Bebe Zahara Benet look from the first episode, and her fringe look, and her Nicki Minaj/Lil Kim-inspired orange look. But I haven't cared for the rest of her looks, and performance-wise she's done nothing to stand out.

Ra'Jah seems incredibly, incredibly defensive more than anything else. She must have prepared in advance a list of canned sassy insults to hurl at anyone who "comes for her," and she just starts listing them off whenever Yvie has any kind of negative feedback for her. She's in her thirties - way too old to be acting so childish.

[ClareWalks]

2 hours ago, Blakeston said:

But I haven't cared for the rest of her looks, and performance-wise she's done nothing to stand out.

The one thing that really stood out for me was her Rhonda DMV gal from "Good God, Girl, Get Out," I thought that was hilarious!

[TheLukeP]

On 3/29/2019 at 9:46 PM, For Cereals said:

I LOVE her voice!  I wish she would narrate all my book club books.

except Vanjie can't read worth snot.  It would take an hour to get through one apopoaloptic paragraph.

[Kaboom 2.0]

On 3/31/2019 at 12:55 PM, ClareWalks said:

The one thing that really stood out for me was her Rhonda DMV gal from "Good God, Girl, Get Out," I thought that was hilarious!

I agree, I find so much of her looks and challenge performances as blah. And Silky just needs to go, I find her not really trying anymore, if she ever did, other than the brief moment she shone as Oprah.

The true winner of this challenge was Elvira, who always was, continues to be and always will be the bomb. Silky as Oprah going as Dolly Parton? I was ROFL at that one. LOL 

I loved how awesome and way superior Brook Lynn's witch-look performance as Cara Delivigne's character in Suicide Squad was and done in front of Cara. And Yvie continues to be a real threat to the other queens, luv her! 

[ladle]

Does Elvira sleep in actual embalming fluid?!  She is remarkably well preserved. 

They should have done this challenge when there were fewer queens left.  The looooong runway segment became really repetitive/boring. 

Were they really praising Plastique's Playboy bunny look?  I was sure she was going to get dinged for being boring.  How on earth did she end up in the top? 

I like Yvie, but that dinosaur was not "sexy." 

[ladle]

I find Shuga overall more talented and interesting than Ariel.  That said, I thought Shuga's lip sync was really boring and, despite the fall, Ariel was giving a just a tad more.  But what do I know? 

[aussieinsydney]

On 3/29/2019 at 1:44 PM, KillahBee007 said:

Silky Ganache should’ve been bottom two. Period. 

Agreed. I just can't with her and the favouritism from Ru. This season is boring me to tears and I'm thinking it's because All Stars and Drag Race have aired too close together. I think a break was needed for me to be enthusiastic about both shows tbqh.

[Bobby88]

On 3/31/2019 at 6:05 AM, Diane Mars said:

For real, Silky is the 1st queen I so much dislike like... ever ! I found her obnoxious, entitled, mean... and not funny at all, because nothing feels genuine in her. And (sorry in advance) I'm disgusted by her body... It's not even fat-shaming, it's the way she uses it, as "IN YOUR FACE, and DON'T DARE to say anything, because, if you do, I'll come to your jugular and will find an excuse to legitimitate it".

That's it : I so much dislike her, because, IMHO again, she's NOT genuine and NOT kind at all. She's a mean girl at her core, and she doesn't seem to like anyone, except of herself.

I agree. I always got a phony vibe from Silky, much more so than I did with Laganja who was obnoxious in her own right. Nothing about her seems authentic. She strikes me as a “fake it till you make it” type of person who thinks she can just charm and joke her way through the competition. Her looks are all more or less the same and don’t really fit the criteria of the challenges. But dammit if she doesn’t feel entitled to that $100K because big girl positivity or some shit.

Speaking of being a big girl, Silky is the first plus-sized contestant I can remember who actually does seem to blatantly use her size as a crutch. Many bigger queens on past season have been accused of doing so simply because they might occasionally mention in passing that it’s hard to find garments in their size or something, but the fat thing really does seem to be Silky’s go-to excuse. I’m glad that Honey actually called her out in Untucked a few weeks ago for making fun of the thinner queens while feeling entitled to having everyone never once bring up her weight.

And I’ve held back on this because I thought it might be going too far, but here it goes. With Silky’s obvious phoniness, is anyone kind of waiting to find out that she doesn’t have a Masters degree in anything? With all the sexual assault allegations coming to light ( which I can actually believe based on her behavior on the show), it wouldn’t totally surprise me to find out that a lot of her personal narrative is crap. Something about her just doesn’t add up.

[2727]

My complaint about judging on any reality show is how frequently the panelists all parrot each others' opinions. Are there really no different takes or disagreements at all? It seems especially dubious on shows like this with guest judges who have no prior knowledge of the contestants.

And if there is the rare variance, the snake rattle sound effects come out.

Which is all kind of a prelude to Silky, because I don't understand why the judges are letting some of her ratty looks go unchallenged when the same garment on a thin queen would put her in the bottom three.

Edited to illustrate and memorialize my distaste. Would anyone who didn't watch the show be able to match the runways for Trampy Trick or Treaters, Witch, Please, and Monsters I'd Like to Freak?

Edited April 4, 2019 by 2727

[Blakeston]

20 hours ago, 2727 said:

Which is all kind of a prelude to Silky, because I don't understand why the judges are letting some of her ratty looks go unchallenged when the same garment on a thin queen would put her in the bottom three.

I don't think it's her size, I think it's the drama she brings. I think the powers that be realize that without Silky, this season would be a lovefest, save for some occasional sniping between Yvie and Ra'Jah.

They've had no problem getting rid of big girls early on in the past (Porkchop, Penny Tration, Mystique, Madame LaQueer, Kalorie, etc.) But troublemakers will be saved time and time again.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

On 4/3/2019 at 2:35 PM, Bobby88 said:

With Silky’s obvious phoniness, is anyone kind of waiting to find out that she doesn’t have a Masters degree in anything? With all the sexual assault allegations coming to light ( which I can actually believe based on her behavior on the show), it wouldn’t totally surprise me to find out that a lot of her personal narrative is crap. Something about her just doesn’t add up.

According to this interview, Silky did her undergrad at Wabash College in Crawfordsville, Indiana, and majored in music and rhetoric. She mentions that her master’s degree is in organizational leadership but doesn’t specify where. She also says that she moved to Chicago two years ago so all I inferred from that was that she got her master’s somewhere that was outside of Chicago more than two year ago. Some master’s programs only take one school year (September to May). 

[Pallida]

1 minute ago, ElectricBoogaloo said:

According to this interview, Silky did her undergrad at Wabash College in Crawfordsville, Indiana, and majored in music and rhetoric. She mentions that her master’s degree is in organizational leadership but doesn’t specify where. She also says that she moved to Chicago two years ago so all I inferred from that was that she got her master’s somewhere that was outside of Chicago more than two year ago. Some master’s programs only take one school year (September to May). 

Don't forget online schools! Organizational leadership is a pretty population online master's program.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

4 minutes ago, Pallida said:

Don't forget online schools! Organizational leadership is a pretty population online master's program.

Yes! That is definitely another possibility. 

[sarahlee]

On 4/6/2019 at 2:32 AM, ElectricBoogaloo said:

According to this interview, Silky did her undergrad at Wabash College in Crawfordsville, Indiana, and majored in music and rhetoric. She mentions that her master’s degree is in organizational leadership but doesn’t specify where. She also says that she moved to Chicago two years ago so all I inferred from that was that she got her master’s somewhere that was outside of Chicago more than two year ago. Some master’s programs only take one school year (September to May). 

She got her masters at the University of Chicago. She's really smart.

[Pallida]

I found a LinkedIn profile that says the Masters degree was from Indiana Wesleyan University. 

[ElectricBoogaloo]

On 4/9/2019 at 11:26 AM, Pallida said:

I found a LinkedIn profile that says the Masters degree was from Indiana Wesleyan University. 

According to wikipedia, IWU "is a private evangelical Christian liberal arts university headquartered in Marion, Indiana, that is affiliated with the Wesleyan Church denomination. IWU is the largest member of the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities and the largest private university in Indiana." IWU has an online MA in organizational leadership. It's a 36 hour program for this online degree consisting of 14 courses and costs about $18K. The website says it takes approximately 23 months.

Edited April 11, 2019 by ElectricBoogaloo