‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’ S13E6 Recap: ‘Disco InferNO’ Is A Good Pun, But This Was More ‘InfernOk’
If there's one thing RuPaul loves more than fracking and Mommie Dearest quotes, it's getting unnecessarily annoyed at 20somethings for not understanding references from the '70s.
If there’s one thing RuPaul loves more than fracking and Mommie Dearest quotes, it’s getting unnecessarily annoyed at 20somethings for not understanding references from the ’70s.
This week’s Disco-mentary was a pure dance challenge presented to the audience as a semi-Rusical — no-one lip-synced or played characters, but Ru got the chance to rant on about the peaks and peaks of disco while her queens broke out their best hustles and hula-hooping.
We’re a little spoilt by other challenges, which make queens dance, record and lip-sync to their own songs, to the point that this just dance challenge almost felt a bit lackluster by design? The cast gave it their all, but at the end of the day, we got a weird, Wikipedia-skimmed history of disco while some drag duos/trios danced for a minute: without the lip-syncing, it was a little disconnected.
It was still fun, but the whole episode did have the distinct energy of a boss going on a rant about their favourite music to their employees, who are more or less forced to smile and nod along.
On one level, I truly do love how Drag Race takes its position as one of this moment’s biggest queer pop-culture products seriously and devotes time to topics and histories the team feel We Need To Discuss, from Black Lives Matter to Madonna looks and Warhol, and everything in-between.
On the other hand, sometimes it’s just a bit too didactic: I don’t really need to see Ru act incredulous that 20somethings don’t know about disco figures, as important as they are. It’s Frances Joli all over again; yes, it’s important to know your references (especially in drag, which is post-modern by design/ever referential blah blah blah), but the show tends to place too much emphasis on it, to the point where queens can get away with being purely referential, rather than genuinely creative.
In short, let’s turn to Oreo-enjoyer Lady Gaga: never be afraid to reference, or to not reference. Or put it in a blender, shit on it, vomit on it, eat it, give birth to it.
Suddenly The Wallpaper Is Me
After a little rehash of last week’s essential Untucked, we get into a mini-challenge that sees the queens team up to create looks made from wallpaper. The queens get to pick their pairs, and there’s an awkward moment where Tamisha and Olivia both grab for Utica, but no one goes for Elliott.
Ever gracious, Tamisha says Olivia was first, though I replayed the tape and that simply was not true! Kindness pays (for now), as Eliott and Tamisha win the mini for their ruffled-shoulder look, which is given a whole Tiger King spiel that probably was a few months late during filming, and is dead-on-arrival for the viewers. But Ru loves a reference!
When someone tries to offer their genuine opinion on Tiger King anytime after April 2020.
The queens are in their pairings for the maxi too, which is essentially a dance challenge. Each team is given a corresponding era in disco, which are pretty indistinguishable on the main-stage: the queens have brought a ‘disco’ look from home not knowing their roles, meaning it’s really just the narration that spells out the timeline.
We get a lot of time with Ru chatting to the dolls in the werkroom, which is essentially a lot of “oh, you’re queer? Name three Donna Summer b-sides from 1971-1974”. There’s so much emphasis on disco’s liberatory feel that it seems counter-intuitive to gatekeep it like this, but hey, let her reminisce!
Still, there’s a cute moment where LaLa Ri, easily one of my favourites, says disco “feels like home” just before failing to name pretty much any disco acts when Ru asks. That, sincerely, to me, is a question of queerness (and I imagine Blackness, but I can’t speak to that): sure, she might not know the facts, but the feeling and connection to it is there, almost innately.
In terms of the werkroom walkthrough, things get semi-real with Rosé, who tells Ru she knows she needs to loosen up and have fun in order to translate those high placements to wins. I don’t know about you, but trying to act normal to win something (mostly boys’ attention) never really works: there’s definitely less stiffness here as the weeks go on, but as a duo, her and Denali are much too focused on ‘killing it’ to really add much personality into their segment.
They could learn a lot from the trio of the challenge, Kandy, Gottmik and Tina. Each more than hold their own with Ru, and just riff in their own ways. Gottmik and Kandy, in particular, really don’t seem to ‘present’ a character in their werkroom moments, evident in Mik’s completely accidental overuse of ‘gorge’. Mik has this really fun L.A. art-twink energy, and I’m fast becoming really into his chilled vibe: he just likes to sit back and laugh about things, but has a wit when in the spotlight.
Tina is a little more calculated, but I do really like her too.
I also love Olivia and Utica as a pairing. Their musical-theatre/art-queerdo mixture makes sense, and it’s truly so heartwarming to see Olivia tell Utica she should repeat a funny line about Tina louder so the room can hear it. There’s a lot of really sweet, kind people in this cast.
Olivia is so into Utica’s vibe, look at this cute little smile!
Disco? I Hardly Even Own 51 Per Cent Of These Wire Hangers
Before the main challenge, the queens meet with Miguel Zarate for a little choreo moment — and any mention of Symone’s two left feet is completely out the door, because there are more important narratives at play.
Of the groups, we’re told to worry about Utica and Tamisha, the latter of who we learn isn’t just recovering from cancer, but has an ostomy bag that significantly restricts her movements. She hasn’t brought it up before and doesn’t tell the girls — in her Whatcha Packin with Michelle, Tamisha says she even hid it from the girls while de-dragging.
Tamisha doesn’t want special treatment, but as a viewer, it’s hard to not grade her on a curve: she lands in the bottom two (and goes home) this week after the judges see hesitance in her face during the number, but oh my God of course she’s fucking hesitant!
It is amazing that every week, I grow to respect and appreciate Tamisha more. It’s a shame we won’t get to see more of her in S13, as she’s a powerful presence on the show: I regretfully agree it’s more or less her time to go, but it was nice to hear her plugging her inevitable All Stars appearance while literally still on S13. Can’t wait.
Utica, meanwhile, is given Symone’s ‘two left feet’ edit, and we’re led to believe she’s in trouble.
When you’re hanging up your sheets and spot a mysterious stain the machine missed.
Utica’s partner Olivia radiates energy all episode long and deservedly takes the win. But Utica isn’t that bad: she ends up in the bottom three for being too campy during the performance, which has become her ‘storyline’. It’s frustrating, as we all see where it’s going — Utica is a true eccentric, and while she could tone it down to suit the norm, she also exemplifies the judges’ favourite critique of ‘bring you to the challenge’.
The other bottom this week is Kandy, who according to the judges leans a little too hard into being that ‘sassy’ girl: it’s quite a critique given that she’s on the runway in a conceptual, ‘couture-inspired’ look. I see their point — she plays similar characters during challenges — but it feels unfair, given how much versatility and pure glamour we’ve seen from her so far.
Little Black Dress, Why Does It Gotta Be Bland?
This week’s runway is LBD, which does have potential, but ultimately lands a little boring compared to the bigger, more conceptual looks we’re used to.
Utica’s was my pick of the pack, where she dressed as the little women on her own earrings: without the explaining narration, the judges didn’t get it, which again feels like a need to confine creativity into what works for the show’s purposes. Then again, I have just looked again at this screenshot and realise it’s objectively not a good look.
I JUST LOVE THIS JESUS FREAK.
It’s quite funny that Kandy came out in a CDG-inspired look that her ex-drag mother Aja did on S9 in the Gaga tribute, but I disagree with the judges: don’t quite get the point of the mini model she’s carrying, but I think the black smudges across her face are really beautiful.
Symone’s ode to Ru is stunning, and while we have seen the Madonna ‘SEX’ thing before via Valentina, Gottmik’s version is a really clever spin on the theme, plays a lot with gender, and, most importantly, she looks hot.
The mixed references to CDG and Princess Di’s ‘revenge dress’ are a little messy – it almost would have read better if she didn’t mention Diana.
Mik’s photoshoot of this look alongside Candis Cayne, Gigi Gorgeous and Kerri and Sasha Colby is major.
Also a lovely chance to highlight ‘Back To My Roots’, easily one of Ru’s best songs/videos.
Meanwhile, Rosé is revealing a strange obsession with boxing in her silhouette (twice now with tulle, and once with bagpipes!); Tina Burner couldn’t help but add her statement colours to a black dress challenge; Denali’s spider eye reveal is scarier than anything on UK’s Monster runway this week; and everyone else goes for a classic-if-not-unimaginative look.
Loofa? I hardly even know her!
She’s really gonna do this colour palette the whole way through hey? And she absolutely thought people would LOVE it!
Her best look yet (not a read!).
Tamisha and Kandy are sent to the bottom, and lip-syc to Blu Cantrell — it easily could have been a sashay for Kandy, but it’s clearly not yet her time. Before Tamisha goes, Kandy hugs her and says she’s sorry: hopefully that’s enough for ‘fans’ to stop sending her hate. Once again, I am asking you to grow up.
Did y’all see the way Kandy said I’m sorry and Tamisha and her still hugged BEFORE and AFTER the elimination?! Y’all.. that is DRAG RACE. We are DRAG ARTISTS. We fight but we LOVE. That is sisterhood. It is amazing to see and every toxic fan needs to take a seat and a note.
— Jan (@jansportnyc) February 6, 2021
And just between us homophones, Olivia Lux is really coming into her own in the competition: she was just so charming on-stage this week, and the panel gave her that coveted ‘you’ve got star power’ pep talk, too. I think we’re finally seeing a competitor appear for Symone, and I’m not mad about it. Oh, at all.
RuPaul’s Drag Race S13 is available on Stan, with episodes dropping 3PM AEDT each Saturday, and UK episodes 8am AEDT Friday.
Jared Richards is Junkee’s Drag Race recapper and freelancer who has written for The Guardian, The Big Issue and more. He’s on Twitter.