RuPaul&#39;s Drag Race

I won't get around to watching tonight's episode until tomorrow morning. In any case, out of the remaining queens, Kim Chi's the only one who has the talent and creativity to come up with the kind of makeover that would leave me breathless (in a good way).

Edited Date: 2016-04-11 10:45 pm (UTC)

From:

entwashian.livejournal.com

Seriously, every. time. One of these days, I'm not gonna get around to checking LJ, and I'll forget to record!

From:

Haha, it's ok. I like being your reminder, lol.

From:

I'm working with the choices here, but if I could pick any queen from any season, I'd choose Shannel. I saw what she did on Drag U. :)

From:

If I could pick any queen, from any season, I'd pick Nina Flowers, Raven or Acid Betty. Now that would be amazing, lol.

P.S. I'm totally stealing this for the poll this week. ;)

From:

Oooh, I would love Nina Flowers, too! Severe up in here!

I am completely honored and delighted for you to steal the idea for the poll, sugar. :)

From:

You know that would an amazing experience. Not only would Nina make you one fierce loca, but she'd be super sweet about it too!

Yay! I'm so glad to hear that. :D

From:

blacktonguedevi.livejournal.com

Kim Chi`s look was like Laila`s "Beetlejuice" outfit from the first episode but with a dead crow on her head. I can`t help feel that Betty would have given us a much better witch if she had still been in the show.
Naomi`s high fashion look was in a class of it`s own next to everyone eles shonky shit. I will also never be able to look at a green curly wig again and not think "grinch pubes" :D

From:

LOL at the grinch pubes. I kept think of the Hulk's instead. /o\

From:

I don't have much to say about this episode, though my prediction that Ru would use the phrase "Friends of Dorothy" in it came to pass. :) (I know, I know, who didn't see that coming.) :)

I love Thorgy, but based on her read for Bob, I have the impression that the stress of the competition was really getting to her at that point. Alternatively, maybe she and Bob got together behind the scenes to cook up some drama and get more screen time (they have known one another for years). They're both smart queens, so it's a possibility.
On first viewing, I felt like the runways on this episode went by a bit fast. For me, it was hard to tell much about each outfit. However, I watched the show a second time, and that was a very impressive runway from Naomi Smalls: there were lots of thoughtful details on her Scarecrow couture. Well done!
Robbie ... oh, honey. You are clearly a very smart queen. Surely you know by now not to remove your wig during a LSFYL?
I'll probably have to eat my words, but I'm speculating that either Derrick or Thorgy will go home next week, and I'm leaning toward Thorgy. I don't have the faintest bit of information -- this is strictly based on my gut feeling after consuming a microwaved burrito. :)
Not directly related to the episode, but I miss Isis and Coco's Drag Race reviews. Actually, I just miss their wonderful positivity. I hope they're both well and happy.

From:

I love Thorgy, but based on her read for Bob, I have the impression that the stress of the competition was really getting to her at that point. Alternatively, maybe she and Bob got together behind the scenes to cook up some drama and get more screen time (they have known one another for years). They're both smart queens, so it's a possibility.
I don't know what happened, but it seemed like everyone, those two especially, was extra salty last night. (In honor of Betty, perhaps? ;) )

From:

Ooooh, maybe microwaved burrito sees it all!

I miss What's the T? reviews with Maddox and Logan. ;_;

From:

Me, too! Oh, me, too, me, too, so much on Maddox and Logan. I read somewhere that Logan said he got Maddox's mother's blessing to continue doing them on his own, but I guess if he tried, he just didn't have the heart to go on without his friend. :(

From:

Maddox and Logan's reviews were my favourite. If he was to continue (which I don't think he has since his last videos are from a couple of years ago), he'd have to change the title. Mama Ru and Michelle Visage's podcast is called What's the T? and something tells me that there would be some tacky fans calling Logan out for using the same title as Ru's podcast.

From:

BTW, out of curiosity, I searched and scrolled through Logan's Insta. She's now part of the House of Edwards!!! Dunno why, but that feels strangely like RPDR going full circle (with a couple of interesting stops)?

From:

I think I expected more out of a Wizard of Oz makeover challenge. I think what let me down was that it was the "put X person in drag" challenge, which I've never really been impressed by. It takes a certain kind of person to be able to do drag at this level, and so when you see amateurs right next to them, even if they are their drag daughters or otherwise Drag U'ed up, it just makes the amateurs look even more sloppy. It's just not as charming to me as I think it's supposed to be.

I can see why Naomi won by going all fashionista to give her Victoria's Secret Angel realness some street cred, but I wasn't as impressed by it as Ru was. It was her best look to date, but to me that's what Naomi should have been doing from week 1 instead of week 6. Credit, though, for making her drag daughter into little Lady Gaga with the stitched corners of her mouth; that's the exact opposite of what Bob did, and it was smart.

I think Kim Chi should have won this week though; not only were both mother and daughter looks impressive, they could combine into one witch! That was awesome! The awkward Dance of the Brooms must have really hamstringed their final score.

Derrick and Chi Chi both looked like Halloween done cheap in a cheap way, with the Diane Von Fursternberg Award going to Derrick. Though I think Chi Chi let her little woman down more, because I think she got the best one and their look didn't live up to either of their performance abilities.

Thorgy was just okay, but she's done so well in the past that I'm still irked that she's gone so unrewarded. But she did get the short end of the stick with "Emerald City Citizen." I can't imagine why that was a character option instead of the actual Wizard, or a Flying Monkey.

I guess Old Hollywood is also something I just don't get, along with fashion in general. Robbie has never really come off glamorous or "vintage" to me, so much as just old and crappy realness. Like I was surprised Robbie didn't have an enormous faux fur coat with a train, which combined with a Victorian or even old school red carpet dress would have really gone miles as Cowardly Lion drag. Instead she was just someone's furry secretary. And I can't believe she thought that LSFYL was giving it her all; honestly between the weak performance and the wig snatch, Derrick could have fallen asleep on stage and still beat her.

I'm ready to see Derrick go next, though. She's just so one-dimensional. I don't even dislike her, I'm just bored.

This is clearly politically incorrect, and it obviously can't be helped, but I felt so bad seeing the little women walk the runway. It's worse than Kim Chi's walk. ;;;-_- And like the other queens can actually sashay and all, and the drag daughters were just waddling. I cringed.

I was surprised how well everyone did in the library/reading challenge though. Astonishingly, I think Derrick's "so many shades of ashy" towards Bob was my favorite read.

From:

Thorgy was just okay, but she's done so well in the past that I'm still irked that she's gone so unrewarded. But she did get the short end of the stick with "Emerald City Citizen." I can't imagine why that was a character option instead of the actual Wizard, or a Flying Monkey.
Hey now! I am here to represent for all the Emerald City Citizens - I played one in the Wiz in highschool. We are very important and we pay the Wizard's taxes! ;)

The Flying Monkeys would have been awesome. I'd love to have seen that.

From:

1) If there had been Flying Monkeys and ...
2) If I had been a judge and ...
3) If the contestant had rigged a tiny monkey flying out of her butt (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LMIy_KiBpKU) ...

... it would've been an automatic "Shante, you stay!" from me. :D

/silly

*giggles*

From:

What if the flying butt-monkey had been the little woman? :p

/yeahiwentthere

From:

You know if we're talking about The Wiz, taxes in Emerald City must be ridiculous. Wiz!Emerald City's property values looked cray-cray. XD

From:

You don't even want to know! I had to give the Wiz the green dress off my back. I was left with only my green wedges. :P

From:

I guess Old Hollywood is also something I just don't get, along with fashion in general. Robbie has never really come off glamorous or "vintage" to me, so much as just old and crappy realness.

To me, unlike other queens who used Old Hollywood glamour as their "thing" (like Jinkx, Tammie Brown, Ben Dela, and (it could be argued) Violet), Robbie's make-up remained the same. She never softened it or tried to play with it. Therefore, it was weird to see the same face for 1970s Roller Disco Realness to Furry Cowardly Lion Secretary.

From:

blithelybonny.livejournal.com

100% agree to your first paragraph!

From:

A mostly good episode.

Like others in this post, I too was surprised at how good (and funny!) the Library session went. If you've watched Untucked, you might already know that Kim Chi's got claws (plus she seems a bit more relaxed when compared to her demeanor in episode 1). But even Derrick had me giggling. I had to look out my window and check that there weren't pigs flying.

As for the main challenge, it's kinda odd that there hadn't been a Wizard of Oz challenge before. Especially since Mama Ru and co like to play up with references to gay culture.

I'm gonna take a guess that Bob's first outfit closely resembled the one his little person wore. It made sense to see the rest of the queens calling for her blood. Bob is (rightfully) enjoying the highs of winning two challenges which must be hella annoying to experience in person. Kudos on the outfit he put together (though, just like the queens and one of the little women in Untucked, I too thought that it looked like a classic Rainbow outfit).

Was I wrong in expecting more from Thorgy? It was kind of a let down since we all know she can work a look and then some.

Although it was nice to see Chi-Chi and her little person bond, her outfit was terribly basic. Why didn't she think of wearing breasts? Her outfit and the one she made for her makeover are the same with the one difference that it looked better on the little person because she had a bust. Also, as much as I like her, I did side with the rest of the queens in Untucked when they gave her advice on breaking through her tendency to self-sabotage.

Naomi's win was well-deserved if nothing but for the fact that she left the robe+undies in the work room. In all seriousness, I thought her look was polished and the one she made for her makeover person was mega cute. I hope that she keeps going with the creativity instead of relying on what's now a tired af look.

Kim Chi's wicked witch was total Beetlejuice realness (or, at the very least, had some elements that are part of the Hot Topic starter kit). That said, the fascinator and the makeup were nifty touches. I legit have nothing to say about the Dance of the Brooms (including what it meant, what it was supposed to be, etc.)

Robbie Smalls first problem was wearing drag last seen in something like I Love Lucy (with the added insult that her drag look a million times worse). Her second problem was using the curly wigs on the shoulders instead of on her and her makeover's heads. Her third problem was that she gave a severely anemic performance with bonus!taking off the wig move. Mama Ru's face after that happened made it v. clear that Robbie was going to be sashaying really, really soon.

Derrick's ability to hem a costume aside (I mean, really, her and her makeover's outfits looked like something hastily done for a first grade elementary school show), she brought it in her lipsynch. Icona Pop's music is kinetic and, given how much grief the judges gave her (justifiably so), she pulled out as many of her dance moves as she could. It was enough to save her this week, but unless she happens to come up with a super impressive outfit next week, I think she's out the door in the next episode.

Edited Date: 2016-04-13 05:29 pm (UTC)

From:

blithelybonny.livejournal.com

Was I wrong in expecting more from Thorgy? It was kind of a let down since we all know she can work a look and then some.

Not at all! I think Thorgy overcorrected. They told her to edit, but she edited way too much.

From:

Maybe she was nervous that she was going to be called out for being tacky? What bugs is that we all know she's capable of coming up with really creative stuff. :-/

From:

blithelybonny.livejournal.com

I can see that, totally.

From:

bodacioussylph.livejournal.com

We're having product placement for Entertainment Weekly now? OOOkayyy....

Naomi's runway checked all the boxes...great family resemblance, good connection to her assigned character, and actual fashion-designerishness. I also really liked that they weren't twins; they were a set without being carbon copies.

I'd say Kim Chi's outfit was a hair behind Naomi's. I feel like we've seen this silhouette from her a lot (lots going on with the bodice, very little happening below the waist--of her GARMENT get your mind out of the GUTTER.) She did a good job on her partner's makeup and outfit also.

Thorgy's was super fun and cute. Thorgy's attitude though is getting a bit worrisome. I get that it's a super stressful situation but all the eye-rolling is not flattering.

Bob did a lovely job on his partner's outfit, but his was meh. I get that there was a malfunction, but why not SHOW US the malfunction? Was it really unsalvageable? In the past, we saw Adore's dress glued to the mannequin, Alaska shedding "cotton candy," Chi Chi's dress ripping...it makes for good drama. Why did they leave that out!?! Bob had time to whip up a well-fitting peplumed jumpsuit but didn't have time to make it Glinda-ish? Shenanigans.

Note that all three bottom looks were twinsies or close to it.

I really liked the corkscrew effect on Chi Chi's skirt, it was cute and fun and flirty. But that bodice was unforgivable. It didn't cinch her waist, and she had armpit flab pooching up at the top edge. Not a good look.

The overall silhouette of Robbie's dress was identical to her pooch couture from the first episode. Like, learn about darts and pleats and gathers and other ways to shape a garment. You can't just wrap a rectangle of fabric around your chest, belt it, and say "done!"

I will grant that the Tin Woodman is a tough character to evoke. But you definitely won't manage it wearing a bathing suit with a skirt added on. I have no idea what the shoulder cones were meant to signify.

I'm just going to gloss over the fever dream that was the interpretive dance.

Derrick did kick butt in the lipsync. And her tearful "may I leave the stage now please?" was a nice humanizing moment for her.

From:

I will grant that the Tin Woodman is a tough character to evoke.

Off the top of my head, a little Lady Gaga realness might have done it. Metallic catsuit/leotard with some armor-like shoulder pads or waist peplums, metallic heels and jewelry, platinum wig, funnel-shaped fascinator. Boom, Tin Woodsman drag. Ironically Derrick's outfit is more along the lines of what I would imagine for a Glinda costume.

And I may be reaching here, but I think the shoulder peni were stylized from the Tin Man's funnel hat. :/

Edited Date: 2016-04-14 03:41 am (UTC)

From:

I think that, other than

kapvik's catsuit + metallic accoutrements, Derrick could've used some body paint to simulate all the interlocking parts. His bathing suit and "skirt" is BORING (regardless of the so-called skirt being hemmed or not).

From:

barnacleboo.livejournal.com

This was one of the best reading sessions, without doubt. Nobody sucked, and nobody looked particularly sour! What a pleasant change.

Frankly, I would have given the win to Kim Chi. By far the best & most creative cohesion, the visual illusions flattered her partner way more than most of the others, and awkward or not, she was the only one who actually fulfilled the brief of delivering... interpretative dance? Like, am I just fundamentally misunderstanding the concept? Little disco moves aren't interpretative by any stretch of the imagination, surely! It's Merce Cunningham and Pina Bausch stuff, no? Or more democratically, the really random shit with lots of arm movements people are sometimes forced to do on So you think you can dance?

I'm happy Naomi won. She's a sweet queen, and her look was fabulous. I still don't think she's got it in her to win, but bless her. She seems so mature for only 21! I hope she continues to grow in such a positive manner.

Poor Bob. For your costume to fail when you know the others are out to get you must be enormous pressure. I have no doubt she'll land top three though, at the very least, and I look forward to more of her.

From: