Why I Stopped Watching RuPaul's Drag Race
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- Опубліковано 28 вер 2024
- RuPaul's Drag Race started as a transgressive little show on Logo that soon turned into an empire within just a few years. It is a TREMENDOUS achievement for our community in so many ways, but as many of you may have noticed, things have changed in recent years and the insanely talented queens on the show deserve better (in my humble opinion).
This is NOT an attack on the contestants in any way, and by all means, keep watching the show if you want! But be sure to support your local queens even more ;)
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6 trans women have been murdered in the US since the start of 2023. I found the GoFundMes for 4 of their families, if you would like to help support them and cover funeral expenses:
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I agree with this so much. While I certainly wouldn't take the positives of mainstream drag for granted, I think the way capitalism prioritizes the very specific image of drag highlighted on Drag Race is what actually made me hesitant to get into drag myself for so long. It wasn't until I actually did my research and sought out independent drag artists that I was able to recognize the punk nature of the art form and how it's one of the most counterculture ways of self expression out there. The way Drag Race is able to make the general public more educated about drag is so important, but it also comes with the downside that people can assume they already know everything about what drag can be. Actually, your channel was one of the many things that got me more interested in independent drag creators so I'm very grateful that you're continuing to post videos. Also this look is absolutely iconic as always!
omg thank you 😭
@@queencokefrancisLMAO the way u only responded to the compliment was sick
Now it is all about the money,they are not even pretending anymore
@@banterj I will repeat what I said down below. In the early days we had queens like Akasha who was dealing with poverty. We had queens from different backgrounds including different financial backgrounds. Nowadays they come in as celebs already, or queens with huge followings and audience from social media or other forms of fame. They either have money or spend rivers of it ad go in debt to sustain their stay. It makes it completely impossible for potential talent to arise from diverse walks of life, which to me is what drag is all about. The capitalism really did huge damage to it, making it more palatable for a wider straight audience was a thing, but to me it is the capitalist side of it that broke its legs. I just wish the show hadn't become this artificial thing for rich queer to display how much they spent on their drag. It should be about the queen's personality, charm, skills in acting sewing and so forth; not about how deep they can reach into their wallets.
@@hikariluanGC I agree…this is very misleading because it is glamorizing the lives of REAL LGBT people as folks who have it all…the opposite is the case for most.Rupaul should know better because she too struggled to make ends meet in NYC…the show has become too watered down and they have this teacher’s pet system going on,mind you NONE of them have been called to co-host…just get in the hamster wheel and run.
As an old gay man , I don't understand why it's so taboo that every gay person doesn't know it's history. They are still learning. We all have been there.
The answer to this is, quite simply, that not knowing is different than intentionally not seeking it out. And forgetting history leads to the people who fought for our rights being erased. If we don't tell our histories, someone else will.
Also not for nothing, the first people to be forgotten in history are the black queer and trans people. For example, the FIRST queer drag balls in America, that lead to where we are right now, were run by William "Queen Of Drag" Dorsey Swann, a formerly enslaved black gay man. I didn't learn about him until I was 30 years old. And that is troubling. I didn't know about the black trans women in the ballroom scene (as depicted in Paris is Burning) until i was 26, but i knew Madonna's Vogue.
Education matters. it's okay to not know, but to quote my great grandmother, "If you don't know, you betta ask somebody or read a damn book."
I don’t think it’s the queer community’s fault. I blame the American school system for not teaching things like the stonewall riots. That way we would know our history and “pride” would not be as commercialized as it is today
@@ned__h I learned about stonewall through UA-camrs growing up and just the other day I mentioned it to my mom and she had no idea what I was talking about, and I guess that’s when it struck me that I’ve never been taught about it solely though the American Education system and how of course she wouldn’t know about it, so then I told her about it and we did some research on it together and now It’s made me think even more about like how there is so much information and things in history that purposely get swept under the rug, like how I also never learned about the colonization of Hawaii and it’s just so weird to have these extremely massive change-bringing and important events just never get talked about :(
@@OpposumParty87same I learn about stonewall because of UA-cam
Imo because being gay is now a comooditized identity that isn't necessarily rooted in lived gay experience but in the performance of the gay identity.
Drag Race has started to feel more like the Met Gala. Seeing beautiful people wear very expensive couture pieces just isn't my thing, and that's the kind of drag that gets featured, especially this recent AS season. It feels like the price of Plastique and Gottmik's wardrobe could be the budget for the earlier seasons, and yet I'm constantly rewatching highlights from those seasons where sometimes they're wearing jeans from the department store. The fanciest it got was Willam's Jimmy Choo shoes.
Another reason I can't get into the newer seasons is every queen is very aware of social media when they're filming. They have to tread lightly and be inoffensive because the fandom is very unkind, especially to queens that don't fit a certain aesthetic. Side note, I'm also so tired of the term "old school" being used as a pejorative to describe older queens who aren't trying to look like a high fashion model.
I mean I think there is a thin line between friendly reads and being mean-spirited and not wanting to be held accountable for that.
I think old-school is moreso applied to people from a certain era of drag. Sasha is considered old school but turns looks
Exactly. The luster was wearing off when the exceptionally talented Chichi DeVayne was critiqued by judges for...not dropping enough money on her outfits. When Yvie got special praise for giving them a more conventionally pretty look. When Kerri Colby did the Jlo challenge by having the connections to just wear literally her exact Versace dress from a past pop culture moment, styled, accessorised almost exactly the same, and I don't know how I feel about it.
The appeal for me, was watching the art and ingenuity of drag happen, and enduring the reality showisms around it.
It's kind of become a contest where commercial opulence and palatability wins big points, and the subversiveness is achieved and controlled with gimmicks and editing in later seasons for headlines.
@@lilpetz500 I think people take that comment from Michelle out of context. You didn''t need to be wealthy to do well on drag race. Bob was wearing Amazon pieces. and Kerri was lipsynching that episode
I became disillusioned after Eureka lost the crown. Big, bad bitch should have won. Drag race is all about glamor, model thin, high fashion queens.
I think everyone should try watching dragula honestly, the top 4 always get promos and get to go on a world tour and drac and swan also go out and support all of their contestants whether it's going out or just reposting on social media❤
YES!! I watched season 1 of Dragula in the midst of a serious bout of RPDR burnout back in 2017, and I have been hooked ever since. It’s so refreshing to see weird/gross/creepy/non conforming drag out there.
I also recommend La Más Draga. It has English subtitles and it's free on UA-cam
I can only do edited down clip shows. All the catty bickering in between challenges is unbearable.
Yes as a horror movie lover I loved seeing all the personalized death scenes when their eliminated too its so good T-T
Ohh as a horror enjoyer Dragula won me over SO fast
i wish drag kings could get mainstream attention too. i don’t understand why rupaul won’t do a drag king season or even a special episode
Honestly, I'd love to at least even just see more campy masculine looks in the mix. The only ones I can think of are Kennedy Davenport as Lil Richard, Lady Camden doing half the runway as a Freddie Mercury reference, and and Yvie's Boogie Monster character. (To be fair, I'm having a mental blank, I feel like surely there are more)
Because 'male' is the default and uninteresting
Mhm!! As a local king myself I do honestly think a lot of ppl would be less confused abt the drag king thing if we had similar rep as the queens. I don't often complain abt it (bc less attention = less hate) but the fact I've met other local queens who treat me as less because I chose to be a campy alien guy instead of a bio queen is insane
@@Shtickyaight Extremely loud incorrect buzzer noise
Never happen. Maybe someone else will cover them.
I stopped watching it because of the fanbase and the fanbases toxicity changed the way the contestants act and changed the way the show is judged
I feel this. At one point, I loved it and was actually very creatively inspired by each season, I seriously appreciated the exploration of the fundamentals and processes of drag performance (at least, the specific section of the creative field actually represented in the show) and the structure that was quite open for experimentation. What the distinct contestants did with the structure was the centre of the show.
It was once new gimmicks, some extra manufactured drama, cheap surprises kept flooding it that I just wasn't enjoying any of it anymore. And the judges seemed so much less passionate and even invested over time. RuPaul's now retracted stances on AFAB/trans queens didn't help, and wasn't made better by finally having representation only by the time the show got excessively commercial, mainstream, and tiring to fans.
It was always a reality show, but it sure felt a lot like one and a lot more lacking in the redeeming, subversive aspects later on.
Hit the nail on the head. This is why I've also stopped watching.
Rupaul will be devastated when he watches this
Agree. I think it was that episode of All Stars 2 where Katya said that the fans are becoming younger and younger made me realize that everything had shifted from the powers that be to the contestants auditioning. It had all changed and would no longer be organic and spontaneous. And it's been that way throughout the entire franchise for almost a decade now. It's only a former shell of itself. It's perhaps the most scripted reality-competition show out there. Understand that first before you watch.
Oh yes that is another reason I stopped watching.
At this point, drag race has completely changed the image of drag. Obviously it’s amazing that RPDR has helped to make drag globally accepted and recognised, but drag race has become so polished and “perfect” that it’s less about the counterculture and political messaging that drag should be about, and it’s more about how good of a reality TV star you are. That’s why comments from fans like “this drama is such good tv” piss me off a bit, because drag race basically tells the world that to be a drag queen you have to be dramatic and shady (e.g. plane jane constantly throwing shade) and basically a flawless model. A lot of drag in drag race seems to forget that it is an art form and a form of rebellion
It's not Drag Race's fault that people are stupid.
@@th2k864 well that’s not exactly what I meant. Because drag race has become a sterilised reality show, the fan base has become so focused on drama and shade and confessionals that it’s barely about the art of drag anymore. You’re right that people are just like that most of the time, but it would be less of a problem if drag race itself still prioritised protecting the art
A lot of people can think for themselves. I don't believe that all white people are like the Kardashians or that all old people are like the ones in Last of the Summer Wine. It is television, edited for entertainment even documentaries are edited and have a narrative.
@@HermitMeowmeow while it is true that people can think for themselves, there is a huge majority of people who believe what they see on tv is the truth. because of this, people create opinions that they really shouldn’t have because they have no actual connection to these queens, a big one being utter hatred of roxxxy for her treatment of jinkx. I adore jinkx and know that roxxxy said some hateful things, but the show amplified that to the point where people still hate roxxxy because they believe that jinkx still hates roxxxy despite them clearly being friends now. drag race creates such a standard that fans will bash queens for not meeting it, and by that I mean the fact that queens like gottmik and plastique are now showing up in designer brands. while there is nothing wrong with that, it means that fans belittle queens who do not show up in designer brands because drag race has taught them to think that anything less than designer is crap. people can think for themselves, yes, but reality shows are way more effective manipulators than you may think.
I have a similar story to you, finding drag race as a baby lesbian in season 1 was so powerful and validating. It was like top model but political with raw, real discussion of gay experiences in a way nothing else on TV captured. It was like the televised equivalent of a safe space.
But I feel since moving to VH1 it's become less and less about showcasing a nuanced queerness for a queer audience, and more shallow, produced performative gayness for a straight audience. The depth is missing and the conversations forced by production looking to capitalize on queen's trauma rather than authentic moments.
The depth is missing and it makes the drag and lived experiences of these queens feel more like a punchline to straight audiences then a touchstone for queer ones.
And I guess a visible, popular presence is better than nothing at all, but it still feels like something special has been appropriated for a superficial and straight audience.
Honestly i really really felt this in AS9. There was so much money visible on screen and at some point it made you feel so detached from the art of drag and its revolutionary nature. I don't think owning expensive articles of clothing to furthen your art is necessarily a bad thing but artists like Mik or Plastique ( whom i love ) having couture pieces kind of made me feel detached from them, especially when drag is a political art form. It feels capitalist.
Also the way your lips are painted is tickling my brain so good
Yea I havent been watching AS9. It just feels.. weird. There are no good storylines and even the runways, which there were great pieces on display, felt disconnected. I might finish as9 on a rainy day some time in the future, but rn its just.. meh
One of Plastique's best looks from AS9 was made in the workroom in the Paint Ball.
@@isaacblake823 which proves that drag queens r amazing and shouldn't need to really on designers as much as the modern seasons do
THANKKKKK YYOUUUUU
It’s great to see that this video holds up so well. I went from loving rupaul to despise him. The interview where he said: „a drag queen?!?!? I’m the MOTHER of drag“ was so out of touch. Girl you’re the capitalist of drag! Get your shit together.
Think about this, the gay community lost a lot of creatives because of AIDS. Creators of fashion, theater, music. . . the brightest and the best died from that disease. I like to think that Drag Race is helping to "restock" that talent with all the creatives it takes to put on the tv show, the stage shows world wide, writing skits and music for those shows, making fashion for those queens etc. giving gay creatives experience and exposure. No one has to like the capitalism but you are ignorant if you think capitalism is a problem and not the people that exploit it. Abuse and not having regulations is the problem, not capitalism. We are lucky a show like this is even allowed to be aired whatever you think about it. Although the way things are going, that could change in the near future. Then you won't have to be bothered by it anymore.
I AGREE WITH THIS. Any cool factor Ru might have previously had is also negated by the fact that she doesn’t even do her own wigs or makeup anymore. Like girl who are you to judge 😭😭
@@th2k864 thank you for pointing that out to me! I didn’t think of that aspect.
@th2k864 I don't mean this as a big "nooo you're wrong" but I never liked the perspective that capitalism as a system can be divorced from people's actions. If a system involving people can/should be divorced from the misdeeds of people in high power in said system then...what is capitalism? Capitalism on technical paper promotes roughly (and obviously this is just one definition as well as my take on said definition) innovation via competition, a drag race for society lol.
Like you said regulations and restrictions are important to hinder the misdeeds of bad actors, abuser empowering themselves via capitalism. But I gotta ask if this is best? Because to me it feels like divorcing people, even bad actors, from capitalism is "just cut the moldy parts off" when the whole wall is just left over celluose bits and mold.
@@th2k864why isn’t capitalism a problem here?
The fact you had to preface the video with 2min of “this is only my opinion, don’t attack me” is a good testament to the toxicity of the RPDR fandom.
18:00 as a kiwi, it really annoyed me that RuPaul / Michelle were the main judges because their understanding of Aus and NZ was so minimal. I remember the 3 kiwi queens doing their first look to represent their city, one was an All Black (very generic), one was a sheep (very generic), and the third did a look that represented the original Māori name for Auckland, which is Tāmaki Makaurau, and her look was ripped by the judges because they "didn't get the concept". Very annoying.
I hate how rupaul/the producers choose one queen to praise for no reason because of their "potential" every season, sending home/not recognising other queens who are actually doing well. It feels like the storytelling gets so much in the way of a genuine competition
Cough Shangela
Everything you said about DR Down Under is so true. If you think it was cringe, imagine how kiwi and aussie viewers felt. We were so stoked to see drag in our part of the world be showcased and learn more about our own drag culture, only to be presented with that steaming pile.
The first mistake was having Ru and Michelle involved. They should have gone the DR Canada route and had a local queen hosting. Someone who actually knows the cultural references and makes the effort to do more than just say "Aussie Aussie Aussie" or "kia ora" once an episode and assume they've done their bit.
Season 2 was marginally better, but not by much.
This is heartbreaking. I prefer Aussie/NZ versions of shows (Masterchef Australia versus Masterchef US is like watching art versus watching Bumfights.) It’s such a different vibe, and for them to just do a carbon copy sucks.
I so agree! I love the Aussie and Kiwi cultures and humours so much and they really lost out in the show. it just felt false.
I also found this happened with the UK version of the show. I will give Michelle credit that she spends a lot of time in the uk and gets our sense of humour and references a lots better, but Ru really missed it so many times (I remember even Grahame having to explain things or He/Alan finding things hilarious but Ru not getting it so the queen loses out). Plus drag has a very different history in the UK but they always put the US history, attitude, ideals and narrative on the queens and it just doesnt work. I will give that its definitely one of the better non-USA shows but there are still issues that could have been fixed with less interference
Let it be known, RuPaul is not supportive of trans queens like myself, now people will say oh hes changed or what about sasha colby, understand that wow is in charge before Ru and Ru made those coments about the trans community
If you transition from male to female than where is the drag. If you are a female you cannot do drag. Drag is men doing females get it. If you change it then it is no longer drag. Words mean something and you don't get that
Is he obligated to? I say no.
@@JulioGomezNYCIs he obligated to be supportive of trans queens? Of course he fucking is.
For all the talk of ‘herstory’, to ignore the transgender women/drag artists who were so involved in the gay rights movement from the beginning is a fucking slap in the face.
And him being openly transphobic (fighting to use the term ‘she-mail’, among others) is nasty.
Let it be known, these terms and concepts are changing so rapidly that it’s possible even likely that words like “cis” and “trans” will be seen as anachronistic slurs in another 10 years.
Don’t be so quick to grab your pitchforks
@@JulioGomezNYCas someone who has gained a hell of a lot of privilege throughout his career, this comment of yours reeks of ignorance. RuPaul could very well champion others, and it’s a clear active choice of his to shit on them. If people in the queer community turn their backs on others who are marginalized and struggle to gain any semblance of acknowledgment they benefit from, there is no community. It’s just status quo gays assimilating into a culture that wishes trans people dead and buried. Not a cute look babe.
Me as an aussie queen hearing an american queen talk about the lack of down under culture in the down under franchise really gives me hope.
Edit OMG and you understand how we work! THANK YOU!!
can you guys adopt me the US kinda sucks rn
@@queencokefrancis I've been joking for years that the gays, girls and theys should get asylum here... Now the joke feels more like a "actually maybe we should" moment
Yeah. You’ll be fine. Aussie immigration only has an issue with brown people. 😖💔😫
Seriously though. Kinda worried for you folks with now. 😳
this is actually pissing me off cause there was an Australian drag race style show themed after Priscilla queen of the desert and I cant find it. All the results are about Ru Paul
edit: so the good news is I found the show. It was called I will survive. The bad news is it has been almost entirely scrubbed from the internet. I just wanna watch bogans in drag
I do miss the storylines but one thing that I question is do we really need the drama? With the fashion and comedy, the show is good enough as it is. Why do we need fabricated arguments for the show to be interesting?
because it's a reality tv show competition
look at the snoozefests that were as7 and as9. in the end, they weren't interesting or even that well produced (especially as7 imho)
@@yee6870 That's not really an answer. Why do you need fabricated/old drama to be entertained by a show that is shot months before it airs?
tbh i always hated the drama, ever since. Mostly skipped it. The highlights for me are always the queens themselves, their self-presentation and the looks.
@@frillycreation8922 I would say that is because that's the nature of reality television. Drama and confrontation are literally the main element of these shows and is something audiences expect. And even though there is a portion of the audience that agrees with you and just want to see the queens showcase their talent, most fans don't agree and the show is looking to cater to the most amount of people.
Drag Race has desperately needed a competing show for about 8 or 9 years. Dragula never had the money or backing, and I never got into Fear Factor and hate watching people eat raw organs.
I still watch, season 16 was actually great, but yeah, its kinda hit a wall, and RuPaul is a bit too worried about the money.
Watching girls get tipped down 50s and 100 at Ru gigs just to come to the same bar on the weekend and leave with that from the entire gig is infuriating. It’s not their fault but it’s still feels awful to never see those “|drag fans” at the local shows
I stoped watching that show after I find out how many of the candidates still support Jeffree Star. Pretty hypocritical. I spend good money that If Jeff was a straight republican they would not support what he saying and do.
it blows me away how many people still support Racist Skeletor
Indeed. Espacially after last year with his interview on the pro Trump channel Bussin with the Boys. Again If he was straight republican he would not getaway with this.
don’t forget when he said non-binary people don’t exist when he literally built his entire brand around his androgyny 🥴
I remember that. That part still hurts 😢
@@queencokefrancisThis!! the people who praise him now, have no idea who he was before. maybe he didn't identify with non-binary but he embodied it so perfectly! the androgynous looks, and not caring what pronouns people called him (his words). just for him to completely disregard it as "wokeness" was honestly a huge surprise for me and disappointment. even though i had stopped supporting him many years ago, i am just so surprised by his complete 180
i mean i rlly thoguht he would have gotten the expression about gender, clothing, and makeup that many nonbinary people have since they (non-binary people as a community and jeffre) shared whether it was explicitly stated by him or not
I really enjoyed this video! Drag race was my introduction to drag but I do agree that your love for the art form should go beyond a hyper curated TV show made by millionaires, especially knowing how so many forms of drag (drag kings, alt drag performers, etc) are left out of the show.
Just watch Dragula, it's just better.
I don't know if this will translate but I grew up on comics. I love those stories and characters. Eventually in 90s comics went mainstream. Cut to the MCU, I told people it WILL inevitably turn to crap because of money. Stories are what brings ALL humans together because we are ALL human beings. We all deserve better Stories and treatment of the artists who tell them. Love you Francis, excellent video.
Once I discovered the Boulet Brothers, my fandom preference was cemented! I cannot get enough of Dragula and the niche audience it attracts. Refuse to believe it wasn’t a top hit when it was on Netflix! I bought a shudder subscription just for the show ❤ ⚰️ 💀
I have such a crush on Landon Cider that it physically pains me
TBH Dragula has started becoming more like Dragrace in the last few seasons…
I really like Camp Wannakiki. It's cute and campy and diverse.
Especially with Titans. That felt like the most manufactured season so far and all of the plotlines were incredibly forced @Starriaaa
Not only did DR Down Under fail to incorporate Down Under culture, the judges actively shat on indigenous culture that the queens tried to bring to the runway. For example, they referred to the handmade Māori Korowai (feather cloak) which was loaned to Elektra by her Drag Mother, as a rainbow bath mat. The least they could have done was to ask about it, rather than dismissing it. The saddest part is that there WERE New Zealand and Australian Producers working on DRDU but it still came out the way it did.
This video got recommended to me so late but I'm so glad it was!! I loved everything you had to say and all your points are going to carry on with Drag Race probably until the show ends. It's important to share the good AND the bad from the show because the culture that surrounds it is so complex. I will be supporting a queer artist by subscribing
Loved this video all so true.. i just came to double check? Im pretty sure latrice was doing drag BEFORE she got locked up. I recall on as4 alexis knight said when she got out they held a fundraiser and sat for hours and hours to make her costumes so she can get RIGHT back in it. The way you said just made it sound like her fellow inmates encouraged her to START, but i think they just encouraged her to CONTINUE! Love the vid tho love🫶🏾
I am so glad this popped up on my youtube front page when I signed on this morning. I saw the title and it piqued my interest and I will admit, I am really glad I did. Major KUDOS to you how you made this video. I am a 53 year old gay former Navy journalist who came out of the closet while still on active duty at the age of 21 on September 30th, 1992. I met RuPaul in Seattle that November when a few of us gay sailors from the two Naval bases in Western Washington we served at. Granted, this was when "Supermodel" was the IT thing and when I met RuPaul later for the meet and greet and she heard about my story she said "I am so fucking proud of you and I wish more young gay men and women had the same courage you did." I celebrated when RPDR first aired in 2009 and yes, I did cry when RuPaul won that first Emmy. When I first saw that "reference" that Valentina made as Eartha Kitt during Snatch Game on AS4 - "Pull the level Cronk!" and RuPaul just looked at her and went "huh?" Valentina repeated the line and RuPaul said "what do you mean pull the level?" But expects all the young queens to know every line quoted on any episode of "Golden Girls" or "Mommie Dearest" but failed to acknowledge Eartha's greatest voice over role of her life that actually introduced her to younger generations is where we have all seen it before. A person becomes extremely successful, rich and earns some power, but starts to forget the long road they had to walk when they were young and hopefully trying to make it in what I believe is a very difficult arena, unless you can paint for the gods, beat your mug, know how to perform AND know the words to whatever you are performing. I only did drag a handful of times because A. I couldn't put make up on to save my life B. I refused to shave my very hairy blonde body and C. Having my drag mother cinch me in a corset so tight that people thought I was a real women because to small amount of body fat I had back then was pushed up to give me "breasts" and I wore a scarf around my neck out that night, but when we took it off, on my back I had literally 1/2 inch marks into my skin on my back, how tight it was.
I once loved Rue Paul! But...ever since i watched Pearl's interview, I saw Rue in a different light. You remember Pearl right? "Do i have something on my face?" Yeah..THAT Pearl. She said when she wanted to talk with Rue about being told she had "No personality". It hurt her deeply. She'd been a fan of Rue's her entire life and wanted a short moment of Rue's time. Rue turned to her and said, "If that camera's not running, nothing you say matters!"...😮 that changed how i saw Rue's Paul.
I don't usally comment, but I wanted to let you know that I love the way that you approche topics and the grace and open attitude that you come with. It a special thing to still be optimistic and open in this world and you inspire me to think the same way!
2:52 I’m Gen Z (born in 2000) and I grew up with ANTM (and have come to grips with how problematic it was years ago). Most of us aren’t as young as you think lmao.
i was born in 1985. i gave up social media a while ago, except youtube.
Yes lol, there's always a little debate on where exactly the cutoffs are, but generally the oldest gen z are around 25-26 and the youngest are like 13.
@@AliceBunny05 oldest gen z are 27! (wtf)
yeah, i think people confuse gen z with gen alpha. gen z started in '97! we're definitely not the same generation as gen alpha haha
I'm healing from a broken foot, but I forced my foot into my favorite leopard print kitten heels to step on the Like button.
Thank you for your comments about DRDU. For us Aussies and Kiwis its considered embarassing. We all genuinely felt it should have always been an entirely Australian production and Courtney Act had been hosting the whole time. The production always felt so cheap and often it had to be produced in a way so thay American audiences would understand rather than be made by Australians and Kiwis for Australians and Kiwis. How is it that we had Samsung as a sponsor with a cheap ass set while Drag Race Philippines has the most amazing runway backdrop with the monitor wall changing to the theme of the category.
A quick note on DRDU (as an Aussie). I looked up the writers and producers and they were mostly from New Zealand unfortunately (some US or Aus), but they also had basically no credits to their names. I think choosing not to hire on talent, but rather on price, was a big mistake. An additional piece to the puzzle was the timing. The filming started shortly after the pandemic hit, and the initial plan to film in Sydney got scrapped due to a decision by the (at the time) conservative government, meaning they were disorganised, had eaten through the budget, and working with a smaller, less experienced team anyway. The choice to keep the same team likely came out of realising NZ has really bad (malleable) film and TV labour laws and wanting to keep production there, and not wanting to fly out a new team from Australia. Or at least, that's my take
that tracks, my apologies if I made any wrong assumptions without doing more research
@@queencokefrancis Oh, you're fine, it's still a wildly disorganised bin fire hahaha
I mean my mother in law recently got me an autograph from Karen From Finance that will likely show up in future videos
This video captures so many of the reasons why I stopped watching the show after S15. Like you, I discovered Drag Race in 2009-I was a college student downloading episodes on iTunes 😂 And I have probably watched 90% of the available seasons including many of the international ones.
I love drag, I love doing drag, and I love that drag is more visible and embraced than it once was. But seeing the show turn mainstream drag into this race for who has the most expensive looks/biggest following/most iconic drama etc. has me feeling down. I want every queen to win in her own way and WOW really doesn’t care to give each contestant their due deference or even each winner to bask in their win. The cycle just continues and WOW just prints their money.
Nowadays, I stick to supporting my local LA and Long Beach queens and kings (we have Landon Cider!!) and other than UA-cam, I stay off social media and thus stay out of the loop of most drama.
Anyway, thanks for listening to my long ass rant. Your channel is amazing and I’m sooo happy to have discovered it. 💞 😘
I simp for Landon so hard it hurts
Keep in mind that Drag Race is a CABLE show, and therefore, "Success" on a network like that is a VERY low bar. The main reason is because it's so insanely cheap to produce. It's just a glorified game show. You'll never see Drag Race in the top 20 of the Neilsen ratings, matter of fact, Drag Race pulls the same ratings that All My Children was getting when it was cancelled. The difference being that All My Children cost much more, because of the writers and actors had to be paid. But when Drag Race gives 9 grown MEN 60 bucks to eat dinner on (And one of them being Latrice!) , you know they aren't spending diddly squat. It IS a success for what it is, but it's also a big fish in a small pond. Even game shows routinely give away 10,000$ or more per episode... Drag race never does that. Also, television as a whole is INCREIBLY fractured, and diluted, and no show gets the ratings they used to. In the glory days of TV, when we only had 3 networks... a successful show would have between 20-30% of the country watching it. Drag race gets about 1/2 of 1 % of the country watching it.
I watched RPDR from the get go and loved it! I couldn’t wait to see every season, it was my happy place.
I haven’t watched it in years now.
I remember one season 1 of UK drag race when Ru said ‘I don’t want to see no H&M dress!’ And that was it for me. When drag race started it was incredible to watch queens create these amazing outfits from nothing. I still enjoyed the more extravagant outfits but I also loved the more simple, creative ones. Now there seems to be no chance for people who aren’t heavily funded. It really made the magic fall away for me.
New Zealander here. One of the main producers from down under is 100% kiwi. Kita and Anita actually hosted their own drag competition show called “House of Drag” before appearing on drag race DU. That show had the same producer. Some of your complaints about DU are also prevalent on HoD. It’s actually spooky. Also Ru can not pronounce “kia ora.”
It’s a very common indigenous greeting here, so for Ru to butcher it reeks of disrespect and entitlement. Especially when ALL the other queens say it back to her correctly.
HOW HOW HOW DID IT TAKE ME SO LONG TO FIND YOU?!?
Oh well, at least I have now!
Binging the shit out of everything, subbed & liked!!
So I'm an old gothweenie (55) been in the community forever, MASSIVE drag fan long before drag race.
I wasn't a fan of RuPaul rly. When I first found out about the show, I hated the idea of them throwing a bunch of girls who probably didn't have 'two of nothing' (to quote the legend & icon Pepper LaBeijia) into a pit to scratch each others eyes out for a few bux.
I was completely against it.
Then a good friend told me she loved it & it wasn't like that at all.
So I started watching it when S4 came out.
I was familiar with lots of the girls & so excited to see Sharon win.
S4 is INCREDIBLE.
Chad fucking Michaels!?!?!Latrice motherfucking Royale?!?
& girls I didn't know but fell in love with instantly. Jiggly (my sister in my heart), Dida CHEESECAKE Ritz!! Jaremi Carey!! So fucking talented!!
& Then S5?
ICONIC!!!
& Then by like S11, the blight was fully on the bloom & my heart broke more & more for the girls every seaaon as the show & fandom got more & more toxic.
💔
I've dld the new season so far but haven't started watching it yet even tho I've got to bc I managed to get my extremely bleeding heart liberal 85 yr old Aunt into it & I know she wants to kiki with me about it lol!!
I know part of the reason the quality has declined is bc obvs the older seasons had queens who were queens before the show & now most of the queens grew up with the goal of being on the show. I'm mostly ok with that (esp after Sasha Colbys Oscars sweep win!!)
MASSIVE fan of KITH, esp Buddy Cole, don't understand why RPDR S7 isn't more revered bc John Waters appearance/challenge which is INCREDIBLE, hope you love The Cramps - if yr not familiar, plz check them out, same with Bruce LaBruce, Vaginal Davis, Trap Girl, The Tiger Lillies, The Handsome Family.
Would love to see you do a deep dive comparing Pasolinis Salo to Desperate Living bc I think yr the only one qualified.
Love LOVE LOVE YOU!!!!
Nice girls don't wear CHACHA HEELS!!!!
☠️👻🌈👻☠️
The world of heterosexual is a sick & boring life!!
The Cramps are my 2nd favorite band of all time
I had a feeling bc yr that fucking cool
LOL!!
Good lord!!
Me & the old man are on yr 3rd video & so into yr content!!
I was lucky enough to see KITH live in the early 90s & omfg it was off the chain!!
The Chicken Lady ran into the audience & scared the living shit out of ppl lol.
You are beyond cool & super super funny & smart as fuck.
Dying loling at the Krishna part in the John Waters video bc my little sister is a Krishna devotee.
I came THIS close to getting to see Divine at Taboo here in Detroit in the 80s but missed out.
My beloved Uncle Joe & his much older boyfriend Walter introduced me to John Waters when I was a 13 yr old little fat kid & Divine instantly became my inspiration. I could be fat AND gorgeously fabulous?!?!
OH HELL YEAH. dyed teased black hair & tight black slip dresses for LIFE!!
I am also deeply in love with Landon Cider & if you haven't seen River Glass, plz look them up on here. Their king transformations are fantastic!!
Curious what you think of the Dragula Fear Factor style format (I legit HAAAAAAAAATE that aspect of it but looooooove the show).
Thank you for the wonderful content.
This is making my year!!💜💚💜
I absolutely adore the early seasons because they were created when drag wasn’t mainstream the way it is now so majority og the pieces were make shift and there wasn’t insane expectation. It felt much more organic. I love fashion and I love how complex the runways are now but im noticing that a lot of the pieces are made by designers outside of the show and this is becoming much more common place, which kinda sucks because the hand crafted aspect of the show is what made is so great to me
hi im from brazil and i love your videos. i gree with everyting you said, you are very especific and i love it, but im so addicted that i think i cannot stop watch, oh god :(
Love the video! If anybody deserves more recognition in the drag community it's u!!! Thanks for the video, i didn't rly know about the whole situation, since i stopped watching RuPauls drag race some time ago.
I don’t like how rpdr has changed the mainstream definition of drag into rupaul’s ideal vision. it’s so restrictive and gets repetitive after a while.
I agree with you so much!!!! I fell in love with Drag Race at the very beginning. I missed season one, but I found it as season 2 ended, binged the whole season, then saw season 3 week by week with everyone else; and I was HOOKED. I'm a 3rd generation Seattlite, and Jinkxx and DeLa are serious Goddesses. I was a homeless steeet kid on Broadway (the "gay neighborhood") in the 80's, and I knew kids like Jinkxx. It was a gay man that taught a motherless 16 yr old me to walk in heels! I was really drawn in and touched by the stories of the individuals between the competition stuff. It started out as truly amazing breakthrough television, and it has completely changed drag as an industry (?!?) . Like any subculture though, it changes evolves, and with popularity and fame and the acceptance of a broader audience, you're going to see a dilution of the purest spirit of the art form. But I remember arguing that steaight people can't do drag, and I really felt that if you didn't get kicked out at 15 for coming out, if you hadn't been forced into sex work to survive, if you never suffered the shit that "real drag queens" suffer, then you have NO RIGHT to profit off of an art form that people have been doing for a very long time in the face of societal rejection, shame and violence! Now that it's safe and cool you come along and you want a piece of something that doesn't belong to you. I've changed my opinion completely since then in terms of gatekeeping artistic expression, but I still have feelings about the way money and success change people and things. And it's a bell curve, for like 12 regular seasons, 4 or 5 All Stars, etc etc...money was making everything nicer, fancier, prettier. Nicer clothes/costuming, nicer sets, better prizes. But quality slipped in terms of creativity, hilarity...scripts, I don't know. Now I cant even find the shows I used to watch to keep up even after I stopped watching RPDR, Id watch toot or boot, Pit Stop, you know...but now I have to pay to see em, so I don't. The other thing that peeks through is that RuPaul is an ego maniac and a mean girl. After the scene with Pearl, when we all got a taste of Ru's nastiness, stories started to come out more and more about Ru's 'no eye contact', rude celebrity behavior. In the end, drag race not only launched, or boosted, the careers of so many remarkable artists and performers of so many kinds, but also made the world a safer place for all queer people. I have to applaud that...I just wish it's figurehead was a kinder, more decent human being. One of my favorite Drag Queens of all time, Tammie Brown said it so well. "I don't see you walking children in nature!" Jk, the line about 'rich old gays' said everything. Thanks ❤
This is so GREAT. You nailed everything. Thank you, and I love your sincere, clear energy. Subscribing ❤️❤️❤️❤️
Engagement, engagement, engagement! Making a comment for Coke Francis’ engagement!
And have seen RuPauls house on Architectural Digest as of late? I don’t think RuPaul is struggling to pay rent….or pay for medication….or food….or basic need for human decency…
he certainly isn’t struggling to allow fracking on his farm
I don’t care, I’ve always loved season 7 dude. I don’t get why there is so much hate on it. I started on season 4 and have watched ever since. 7 isn’t the worst or the downfall of the show really. At least in my opinion
7 is one of my favorite seasons and introduced me to some of my biggest drag inspirations
I worked on no-budget queer shows on a different network (hi Here TV). We were jealous of the budget that Drag Race got past its 2nd or 3rd seasons, but it was truly amazing to watch it take off and become such a phenomenon. Especially seeing queens we'd had as guest stars on our shows suddenly become nationally known celebrities when they went on DR.
I pretty much follow Drag Race through like tiktoks reposted to instagram and youtube because there's always a new season; i don't know where or how to begin. Even then though I pretty much only follow the queens like Katya, Trixie, Bob, Bianca etc. Not the show. That first or second season with Bianco Del Rio was some of the funniest shit I've ever seen on television. Everyone on that season were extremely quick witty and punny that it caught me be surprise. I misunderstood drag up until that point and didn't realize that it comedy.
Ca me fait tellement plaisir que l'algorithme me propose ta vidéo. Pendant longtemps j'ai eu l'impression d'être seul à penser comme ça.
J'ai découvert rpdr pendant la diffusion de la S3 et progressivement sans trop savoir l'expliqué j'ai eu l'impression de ne plus regarder le même programme. S9 est la dernière saison que j'ai regardé en entier seul, j'ai regardé la S10 de-ci de-là principalement parce que mes amis continuaient à regarder et qu'on en parlait. J'ai tellement été écœuré que la S12 est la dernière saison américaine où je situe encore les Queens et juste parce que j'ai regardé des best-of yt de Nicky. Je me suis réconcilié avec la franchise l'année dernière quand un copain m'a trainé dans un bar pour regarder la diffusion d'un épisode rpdr fr.
C'est très bizarre qu'en j'y pense que c'était presque tabou de façon générale de critiquer rpdr, comprenant : "pour une fois qu'on nous voit à l'écran et qu'on nous insulte pas on ne va pas s'en plaindre". C'est peut-être la différence de pays et donc culturelle mais je ne retrouve plus du tout la beauté de l'art drag dans les dernières saisons. De loin tout ce qu'il semble en ressortir est "regardez ça, elles sont belles comme des femmes" (ce n'a jamais été le projet du drag de juste faire beau) et "vous entendez ? quand on met des poules dans un poulailler ça fait du bruit" (et le respect des participantes dans tout ça ?). C'est sûrement le fait, comme tu l'as si bien dit, que ce soit devenu mainstream et donc profitable pour l'industrie d'aller à la faciliter et de produire toujours plus grossier et clivant mais je m'en attriste quand même.
Pour cell.eux qui ont la possibilité, le drag étant un art vivant, allez voir les Queens sur scènes. Ca reste vraiment la plus belle façon de les voir s'exprimer et de faire perdurer cet art.
Merci Francis pour cette vidéo
Prenez toustes soins de vous
PS : si vous devez n'en choisir qu'une, regardez rpdr fr 😉(j'accepte les critiques des bisous à vous 💕)
SO glad you've popped up on my recommended. Gorgeous queens making incredible content.
I completely understand. Drag Race is mostly just very important to me. Without it, I probably wouldn’t have gone out of my way to see my local drag queens because I have social anxiety and don’t like going out much at all, and I believe it’s important to support the art of drag in one way or another. Even just watching drag race is somewhat of an outlet for me to heal from trauma with some of the queens because of similar struggles and seeing others support them.
There are a million things wrong with the show, I don’t downplay those, but I love getting to know the queens’ stories and their styles. I don’t watch for the drama. I strongly agree with Yvie saying the queens are the lifeblood of the series as well as the criticisms.
clicked here thinking I'd disagree, but Queen, you are asbolutely right... theres things in the show we shouldnt know or people the show made us dislike for no reason.
I stopped watching Drag Race halfway through the 2018 season Cause I just started to live my life & haven't really kept up since then
Spot on about RPDRDU S1. The potential of that cast was very exciting in episode 1. The DU queens were ready to showcase their unique and hilarious take on drag, and like you say they were totally mismanaged and messed with. It hurt to watch, and I felt for top queens getting chopped for no good reason . The problem with DR in general is that it is pushing for this 'representation' so every season they have already prepared and chosen the winner based on the type they want for this season. This seems v true in the UK franchise. Lawrence Chaney- Scottish Queen. Krystal Versace- very young inexperienced look queen. When the winner type is already chosen, the other contestants don't have a chance despite their talents, uniqueness, nerve, and charisma and it feels very cringey and upsetting to watch. The show is not based on merit and talent which is wasteful and must crush some queens and do damage to their careers. [Charity Kase, Anubis, Cherry Valentine - RIP ]
I became a Drag Queen, (I use my drag name as my user name) 6 years ago and that is kind of where my love of the show died because I got involved with a Drag community. Got to meet a lot of the Rupaul Queens working at a gay bar in Alberta. Which they were all very nice
"Support your local queens more"
YES!
Had a friend who didn't want to go to a drag bingo event because the host wasn't one of the queens from Drag Race. I was thinking "Just because Bella D&Ball isn't on Drag doesn't mean she can't drag. Come to drag bingo brunch."
You are stating here almost the exact reason I stopped watching about 4 yrs ago. It annoys me how mainstream drag culture now is only ever the US, specifically Ru Paul style of drag. Gay culture and drag history in Britain (where I’m from) is very different to the US. But because of RPDR, that British drag culture is nowhere to be seen and it’s all based on US drag language and references. Sure, Polari hasn’t been used in years (although ‘drag’ is a Polari word meaning clothing) and where we once had Lily Savage we now have beauty queens all with the same face. Your comment about producers from world of wonder going to Australia and NZ and not bothering to educate themselves on the culture there is indicative of this as well. So thanks for stating so eloquently what I was thinking. Love your bona eek!
I agree with you 157%! You articulated perfectly why I became bored with the show before I could figure it out for myself. #thankyou 👄
Logo had a great line-up when it first started. The Big Gay Sketch Show, Rick and Steve, Exes & Oh's, etc. They ran for a couple of seasons and then were overtaken by syndicated re-runs.
I miss Jeffrey & Cole Casserole so much dude
The first couple seasons of the show in many ways seemed almost like a satire of some of the more absurd aspects of reality television. Now it's more or less just doing everything completely unironically
Just wanted to let you know I had a drunken cross faded realization that you remind me of Venus from The Holy Mountain by Jodorowsky! You are just dollylike enough with your makeup to elicit whimsy but at your core you are a militaristic leader!
I started watching 6 or 7 years ago when i met my ex and she had whatever streaming service. The early seasons were amazing. Over the years its begun to feel more commercial and theres so many seasons coming out all the time, it became forgettable yet overwhelming. Havent watched a single episode since being dumped last year and i feel great 😂
Plastique built all her pieces by hand and everyone seems to forget that
You actually get that cloudy effect by covering the lens with pantyhose. :)
You're so right, and I've been saying this about the show for ages. I hate that its become so much about shocking the audience that there isn't even room for earnestly awarding good drag. I feel that most of the time, whoever wins a challenge is not the person I thought did the best. I know, s16 hadn't come out when this video was made, but oh my god! can we talk about how out of the blue Nymphia win was?!?! She was great, don't get me wrong, but I felt like the narrative of the show was pointing towards Saphira or Plane Jane for sure! That and Sasha Colby's clean sweep have me thinking that choosing an overall winner had become more a decision of "Who would people least want to see on All Stars?"
Completely agree! Thanks for making this. I love Rupauls Drag Race and how it’s helped my identity.
But it feels very of it’s time and stunted.
it's pretty interesting how quite a lot of the worlds problems come from capitalism, i think we should get rid of it
I, too, am sad about the way the Ru Empire has evolved, I mean devolved. I wish the amazing queens had another way to be widely seen on tv. Thanks for the video. Liking and subscribing now
Yeah I can’t keep up with all the Drag shows! It’s definitely A Lot. And Netflix stopped making the OG seasons of RPDR available after season 13 or 14 I think…so I dropped off there. Been watching since 2009 as well. I just watch clips and stuff on UA-cam. I cannot and will not pay individually for all the streaming networks just for one or two shows. No Way.
I stopped watching after season 12 and all stars … 4? It became too much of an effort to find out what freaking channel/streaming service/etc that the show was on. I definitely do miss it but know it wouldn’t be as good as the older seasons for sure.
I actually didn’t know why the show stopped being interesting to me. I thought it was just me getting too old. But after watching this. Yup.
Willam was my introduction to drag. I saw an episode of the Beatdown while it was still on The Stylish and it was over for me lmao
Anyway Willam got kicked out of DragCon with an 11 cop escort and that pretty much sums up how I feel about RuPaul... other than me being Kansan. RuPaul can chug frackwater
god Willam is such an icon
What happens with all the content that production cuts out to get the final edit?
Wouldnt it be better to extend untucked or introduce an outtakes episode to make the "lost" to available?
I’m straight and female but always wanted to be a Victor/ Victoria. Most drag épile told me it’s not fair to be on a show when I’m already a born female. Mother friend said do it and wait until the end to shock everyone you are really a girl. In the application, it started you MUST. been a male to be a contested. The season Lady Gaga was almost mistaken for a drag was so much fun.
On top of the whole fracking thing, RuPaul is just…not really looking for hard visual camp anymore in his competition, just overly polished queens that look like the next one
I stopped watching regularly after season 11
Did watch a couple episodes of season 14 because I loved Willow, Kornbread, and Maddy
i haven't watched a new season in ages but i sometimes rewatch the seasons jaida essence hall was on
As someone who grew up with drag race being that it was it was the only openly queer show I saw where extremely feminine men (at the time) were seen as icons instead of the joke and as a boy who was exceptionally feminine myself I felt seen.
But overtime it’s just became saturated Love that there is so many different seasons for different countries and representations now that’s fantastic the denim is is starting to become stale they don’t want to add drag kings , it’s took them just about until UK SEASON 3 to cast a AFAB queen , and as I got older funny thing about it the sex jokes gets tired I get it we’re gay “we like dicks” but jeez can you make another joke other than something about penises please
I did some performing with friends of a queen who had got sent home first on a season of Canadas drag race. They were telling me how rediculous it is now, how you have to spend like 15k just to have competitive outfits for the season and can get sent home immediately havin essentially wasted all that money. The bump you get for being there is nice but very prohibitive for any queen on a budget
I stopped watching because everything is repetitive. It’s the same challenges, same themes, same drama. The queens are pressured to be so polished that they end up looking like refined copies of queens in earlier seasons. It’s boring. Same reason I’ve stopped going to hamburger Mary’s! The target audience is not queer. Being in the mainstream has created a standard that is Boring.
Yvie Oddly thread was 🔥
Great video and no lies were spoken.
I gave up about 5 episodes into AS9. The show has been so cookie cutter. It's the same thing every season. And any time they try to change it up... They either do it terribly... I'm looking at you chocolate bars... Or cut it too short. Like the queens voting the top two in the last regular season.
And yes. There just too effing much.
Season 7 has always been my favorite season, I watched during the pandemic (I was binge watching Drag Race) and honestly, for me, the big let down was season 8. After such a great season (to me) with geat talents, it just felt like a disappointment. Didn't cut the mustard, as Jinx would say.
I definitely see your points! I remember looking forward to Drag Race Germany (I am German after all lol) but GOD it was awful. It kinda felt like the Down Under season 1 thing. It just tried to be a regular Drag Race US season (but the queens speak German). The studio itself was just meh and gooood I hated the double host thing. Barbie Breakout was a GREAT choice but the other guy just didn't vibe with the queens at all. Bad judging choices, horrible scripting, bad challenges, the queens being visibly bored/exhausted in the last few episodes, it was a hot mess altogether (and not the good kind of hot mess we usually used to get from the show)
How did the name Queen Coke Francis come by? Would love to hear your perspective on All stars, perhaps same as this great vid.
There are plenty of queens who were great before getting on the show and usually do well then there are amazing queens that will never be on the show and have always been the best except maybe Sasha Colby finally decided to go on the show, but was already too tier and everyone knew it. Now you have to spend 20k just to have a decent runway wardrobe for possibly only showing ONE look. It's obviously out of control. Plus how scripted everything is and how producers have an order of elimination already planned(with some wiggle room for surprises). You can see queens being corrected to say a line exactly as written in acting challenges while "favorites" are ad libbing their entire performance with everyone laughing. Yeah that's a few of so many things no one has time for
I stopped watching like three years ago when it became clear there was only a certain type of drag person that would ever go to win and not to mention how the editing was just as flagrant as hell’s kitchen!
See when I did drag, my ex-wife and I had a whole theme going on. We had either a heavy metal performer theme with queer themes or parodies or it would be something radically crazy almost a furry.
That was the difference I think is that I did something to appeal to a very niche audiences and I never felt like I was considered good enough.
I still wonder why we still don't get a Drag King Version.....
m i s o g y n y
I just wish there was a version of drag race for alternative queens that wasnt that disgusting fear factor knockoff i want a pure fashion show with a dark goth ascetic i dont see whats so hard about that
Dragula? not exactly but...
@@eddos8303 that's just worse fear factor
@@eddos8303at least their show have diverse contestants
For me, there were too many series, the ‘All Stars’ seasons lost their appeal when less memorable queens came back and the calibre was lower than some ‘regular’ seasons. Also, they removed it from UK Netflix so I had to pay for WowPresents and I didn’t wanna do that 🥺🥺
Also, I enjoyed the ‘homemade’ nature of the costumes in the earlier seasons. Queens go into tens of thousands of dollars worth of debt in order to afford ‘Met Gala’ standard looks for each week. It’s lost its charm a bit
Know I'm late, just found your channel the other day.
But in a way I'm glad to see I'm not the only one who feels this way. I was pretty much done with it. I think I skipped 13 and 14 and then ended up on watching 15. And honestly, I kind of felt disappointed in a lot of ways. And I think there was one reason that wasn't mentioned on here. Something that bothered me. And it's that Dragrace only wants a very specific type of drag.
I watch Dragula, partially because I'm a big horror fan, but also because I liked Dragrace. Getting the two combined is great. But I think one thing I also love about it I'd how everytime they start the judgment process, they say they're not judging for their drag, because drag is art. They're instead looking at how well it was done. And I feel like they tend to do that very well. Obviously personal tastes come into play, but I generally don't fault them for their decisions.
I felt the exact opposite with the last season I watched. I had noticed it heading in that direction, but it really started to actually get me upset. And maybe that's why they do it, but it makes for a shitty watching experience for me.
I think Marsha is a perfect example of what I am talking about. On one hand, I think it's great to push them to do more, to build their drag, and to not just be the same thing every week. On the other hand, by the end of her run, she wasn't Marsha anymore. They forced her to change everything about what she wanted out of her drag. She no longer had that Brady Bunch look. I get they like the exaggerated looks. That's a part of drag. Yes. I get that. It's great. It's fun.
But that wasn't her.
If they wanted to criticize her for being sloppy, fine. Dance routine bad? Call that out. But half the criticism was "You're not the type of drag we want."
That honestly made me lose a lot of respect for them. It just rubbed me the wrong way.
I’ve always wondered how Ru laughs at everything Michelle says yet doesn’t laugh at snatch game
I am one of the producers with the nice cars. Please keep watching Drag Race!! 🙏🙏🙏
I just got this video recommended to me by YT! Thank you for making it ❤100% agree with everything.
I'm a cis women from Poland. I've watched RPDR on Netflix. Seasons 1 - 6 are amazing and iconic. I adore seasons 7 - 9 for the queens. My last season was 11 - choosing Sherry Pie as a favourite by the producers was very obvious. Seeing how much they had to cut all praises SP got for making the same "Parkinson disese" joke every episode was my highlight.
But mostly I hate 2 thing from latter seasons:
- fishing for traumas and insecurities (Miz Cracker, Blair St. Clair) just beacuse "good TV";
- forcing one type of drag - Adore Delano, Sasha Velour, Alaska in Barnyard Buddies were and are amazing drag, even if it wasn't RP's type of drag.
In conclusion I think that RP should step down but he won't because💰
It’s crazy watching the fashion change over time. People invest their life savings into their outfits, hoping to win or get an iconic moment for fifteen minutes of fame to keep them relevant. It’s so sad to see people go first and that’s why I like the way season AS9 works, but they already have the money (mostly) to afford these hunger games looks. I prefer shows like dragula because they have a range of people who have fair chances. Also you see them make parts of their outfits which connects you to them and their art. We need more shows that show the art, not just the looks
I am LIVING for your outfit and hair!
I stopped watching after Bianca won. Those early seasons really were the best. It's so tired now.
I just can't fuck with ironic self aware camp when camp was one of the last bastions of sincerity.
an important video essay
Loved this!! You hit everything as to why I stopped watching