‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’ Recap: Attitude Check!
Much like most Sydney queers this post-Mardi Gras Monday, we have had absolutely no rest in-between All Stars 4 and Season 11 of Drag Race.
Much like most Sydney queers this post-Mardi Gras Monday, we have had absolutely no rest in-between All Stars 4 and Season 11 of Drag Race. It’s been two weeks since the iMovie-edited double crowning and death threats, and let’s all just be honest for a second: we’re really tired.
Which might be why we’ve said goodbye to recap All Star Nic Holas: in his place is me, Junkee staff writer and gay Sydney man Jared Richards. Much like Soju, I’m gonna try my goddamn hardest, even though I can’t sew or think properly right now.
As a bit of an intro, my hypothetical drag queen name is Mrs. Thomas Pynchon, a bored housewife who, when she’s allowed out and about lets off the steam that comes from being a socialite married to America’s premier reclusive author. Gag!
We met 14 new queens this episode, learnt that Vanjie is more than a catchphrase and said goodbye to ‘Lil Poundcake again. Miley Cyrus was also there. Let’s get into it.
There are so many queens that I couldn’t even crop this correctly.
Meet The Cysters
At fifteen queens, Season 11 is the biggest yet — RuPaul reminds us they join 126 others in the Drag Race family, which really is wild.
For all our fatigue, it’s worth remembering how much this show has shaped and changed queer culture and visibility, and transformed what was once a joke into a verified art-form.
Having said that, we are so tired. This 60-minute premier was jam-packed, and it’s hard to even remember the queen’s names — and hell, when dolling out the boxes for the main challenge, Silky called Ariel Versace (who is Ke$Ha if she grew up in New Jersey) “Aria”.
S6 introduced its queens over 2 episodes, and while that didn’t quite work either, it would have been nice to have some breathing room.
Unfortunately, only a few queens had time to shine, thanks to cameos from past iconic queens (glad to see Kimora getting her deserved screen-time) in a mini challenge photoshoot, a long-winded Miley workroom invasion and a certain Ganache who was a little much to swallow.
“Farrah, can you just pose *away* from the camera?”
The queens, from what we can see, are a pretty strong, diverse bunch this year — even if this is The Year Of Drag Dynasties.
In this season alone, we have three Davenports (Honey, Akeir’a and Ra’Jah). Plus, Vanjie is Alexis Mateo’s daughter, Scarlet Envy is Pearl’s, Kahanna is Coco Montrese’s, and Plastique is part of the House Of Edwards, so expect high-kicks and buffoonery.
Kahanna Montrese also made an impression, and by that, I mean he can im-press down on my neck.
Speaking of buffoonery, we need to talk about Silky Nutmeg Ganache. This episode was a little grating, and that’s because it spent a lot of time establishing Silky’s overbearing presence. She may have chosen Peppermint’s box in the main challenge, but running around with Miley yelling lyrics to ‘Wrecking Ball’ was a page from the book of Team Too Much.
Hats off to her, though, since it’s clear that she’s landing that spin-off (albeit, on WoW Presents’ YouTube channel). Plus, first episode personalities often end up sticking around, so we’re pretty certain Silky will reign it in a little later in with an Attitude Check™.
Calling it early: our top five will have Silky, Yvie Oddly, Vanjie (who has stepped it up), Plastique, and Nina West, who has auditioned for nine years and, despite her iffy Ronald McDonald runway, is a big name with a lot to show.
Can’t wait to be completely wrong!
It’s A Known Fact That An Evening Bag Is Due To A Lady Carrying It, Is That The Expression?
This week’s main challenge saw the queens walk the runway in looks created using materials inspired by previous legendary queens that remained true to them as queens.
It was a little confusing, and some (Kahanna) didn’t quite understand what the challenge was asking them to do. Mostly though, there were a lotta toots.
The higher the hair, the closer to God.
No loofa look this time, but Vanjie certainly scrubs up.
Honey Davenport came straight from Melbourne Cup.
Brooke Lyne? I hardly even know her! (I’m going to use this joke a LOT, I’m sorry)
“My friends call me Yvie, but it’s Ms. Cellophane to you.”
There were also a few boots. Nina West was a little overwhelmed by the whole thing, Mercedes was a little meek on the runway, and Kahanna forgot half her outfit and wore a sash.
Did she stone those tights? Well, mostly.
The Kardashian-West’s lesser known child, Nina.
Props to Silky for pulling this so-so outfit off.
But then sweet Soju came out in what is unequivocally the worst dress to ever grace the Drag Race stage. Sorry Derrick Barry, but this just beats out your Book Ball look.
Soju shot her shot, and missed.
What a mess. Understandably, Soju and Kahanna are in the bottom and lip-sync to the Hannah Montana theme-song.
Brooke Lynn is given the win for her Latex look, but if this week was an acting challenge, the MVPs would be Nina West and Shuga Cain, two middle-aged men who pretended that Miley Cyrus was “their favourite!” and that they loved Hannah Montana.
Soju, as much as I hoped she’d turn it out, is a pointer sister, and Kahanna dances circles around her. Her (deserved) casting is a reminder that Drag Race has expanded drag forever: it’s unlikely she could be a YouTube star before the show gained the traction that it has.
For all our fatigue, this show remains something utterly special — will you ever see so much diversity on another reality show, or a show that celebrates and centres queerness so flagrantly and without exposition? Turns out we needed the attitude check all along.
Most seasons start off a little bloated, and it might be a week or two before we get to know the queens better: I’m looking forward to it.
Jared Richards is a staff writer, and co-host on Sleepless In Sydney. Follow him on Twitter.