{"id":101335,"date":"2019-10-13T10:25:29","date_gmt":"2019-10-13T14:25:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.gayfriendschat.com\/socialblog\/drag-race-uk-is-a-refreshing-cure-for-drag-race-fatigue-recap-and-rankings\/"},"modified":"2019-10-13T10:25:29","modified_gmt":"2019-10-13T14:25:29","slug":"drag-race-uk-is-a-refreshing-cure-for-drag-race-fatigue-recap-and-rankings","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.gayfriendschat.com\/socialblog\/drag-race-uk-is-a-refreshing-cure-for-drag-race-fatigue-recap-and-rankings\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018Drag Race UK\u2019 Is a Refreshing Cure for \u2018Drag Race\u2019 Fatigue [RECAP and RANKINGS]"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u2018Drag Race UK\u2019 Is a Refreshing Cure for \u2018Drag Race\u2019 Fatigue [RECAP and RANKINGS]<\/b><\/p>\n

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At the end of last season of RuPaul\u2019s Drag Race<\/em>, I bemoaned my growing Drag Race<\/em> fatigue. With the show\u2019s increased exposure and All Stars<\/em> in the mix, the show\u2019s perpetual presence made it hard to miss.<\/p>\n

So, although the announcement of Drag Race U.K.<\/em> at first felt a bit overkill, now that I\u2019ve seen the premiere: I can\u2019t get enough.<\/p>\n

RuPaul\u2019s Drag Race U.K. <\/em>is airing on Wow Presents Plus and BBC Three streaming services, but the episodes air eight days later on Logo in the good ol\u2019 U. S. of A. We\u2019ll be recapping the eps after they air on Logo. Blame it on jetlag.<\/p>\n

The show itself feels like a blessed return to form for a property that was beginning to feel more like a parody of itself. The production style harkens back to RuPaul\u2019s Drag Race<\/em> season one\u2019s notoriously blurry camerawork, and the queens themselves feel a bit rougher around the edges. They don\u2019t seem any less talented or seasoned than the U.S. competitors, but it\u2019s not the sort of drag we\u2019ve been accustomed to seeing on the series. There are a few things contributing factors:<\/p>\n

The first is the show\u2019s prizing. Unlike stateside, there is no big money prize at the finish line. Because the series is airing on the publicly-funded BBC across the pond, there are strict rules on prizes. (That\u2019s why Great British Bake-Off winners get a platter.) These gals aren\u2019t going to break the bank renting the runway for the competition if they can\u2019t bank on recouping those costs.<\/p>\n

The larger factors are cultural. Drag in the U.K. is a bit of a different beast. It lacks the pageant system of the U.S., so you won\u2019t find the same sort of perfect polish. Singing live<\/a> is more prevalent than lip syncing, and a little hair (facial or bodily) isn\u2019t frowned upon. <\/p>\n

The cultural differences are also what make the show absolutely delightful to watch. I\u2019ll admit, I\u2019m no Anglophile. Between the references and the accents, about three-fifths of last night\u2019s premiere went clear over my head. And yet? I was tickled the whole way through. Just when the original Drag Race<\/em> was becoming an echo chamber of self-reference, we\u2019re dropped into a whole new universe with brand new catchphrases, inside jokes, vernacular and GIF-able moments. It\u2019s thrilling!<\/p>\n

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Beginning with the iconic entrances, the pace is lightning quick. This is a LIVELY bunch, and the cackling soon fills the room. We can touch on some of the specific choices in our rankings below, but it didn\u2019t feel like anyone produced a particularly memorable fashion, dramatic, comical or WTF \u201cOrnacia\u201d moment. The best look fine, and the worst, Vinegar Strokes, merely looks bad.<\/p>\n

Despite oddly shaped hip pads, a less than stellar wig and what appears to be day face, Vinegar has a pretty high profile as an actress, even working previously with Michelle Visage. She assures us this will not affect Michelle\u2019s notoriously tough judge, and we don\u2019t doubt that.<\/p>\n

After the entrances, Ru arrives with the new \u201cBrit\u201d Crew, who I assume arrive wearing their turtlenecks. Ahem. Anyway. Ru is there to reveal that the winner will receive their own streaming series in Hollywood, which, way to go, Wow Presents Plus. Ya gotta fill up all that content somehow.<\/p>\n

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The first photoshoot is a great mini-challenge. It\u2019s a creative premise (the gals take two green-screen photos allowing them to pose with their severed head), and allows each girl<\/a> a few moments to shine independently and, most importantly, it moves quickly. Without overcomplicating the shoot with returning queens or overly complex props, this ragtag setup is a great backdrop for each gal to flash some personality. <\/p>\n

It\u2019s also a great showcase for Ru. Typically the quickest wit in the room, it\u2019s refreshing to see him try to keep up in real time. <\/p>\n

I\u2019m surprised to see Ru select Scaredy Kat, a drag newcomer, as the photoshoot winner, given the rather simplistic potty humor. Don\u2019t get me wrong, I know Ru loves toilet humor, but there\u2019s usually a clever spin on it. Scaredy\u2019s defecation joke was bizarre, for sure, but it didn\u2019t seem particularly witty or well conceptualized. If anything, it feels more like Ru picked it more for his \u201cThis is BBC\u201d reaction line.<\/p>\n

The main challenge unfolds on the runway where the queens are tasked with presenting a look reflecting their hometowns (many of which I\u2019ve never heard of and didn\u2019t understand the explanation and didn\u2019t bother googling), and then they need to show us their take on the Queen.<\/p>\n

Again, we\u2019ll note individuals in the rankings, but the judges love Sum Ting Wong\u2019s big, brassy bull and posh postage stamp interpretation. Baga Chipz gets high marks for her Amy Winehouse-inspired local lewk, although her \u201970s queen read more septuagenarian than 1970s.<\/p>\n

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The Vivienne is the clear winner and one to watch going forward. She transform effortlessly from her punky Pete Burns to a queen on the hunt, and her makeup stuns Visage. The toughest judge couldn\u2019t believe the contour Vivienne achieved, especially on her nose. She is selected this week\u2019s winner \u2026 and awarded a RuPeter Badge. It\u2019s a take on the Blue Peter badge popularized on a BBC children\u2019s program. I mean, I\u2019m sure they\u2019d rather have a trip courtesy Al & Chuck travel or a lifetime supply of Hamburger Mary\u2019s or a DoorDash driver to keep in their basement or WHATEVER, but this is a cute little way to track wins throughout.<\/p>\n

Less lucky on the runway was Crystal. Her Queen lacked a signature purse, and, if Bob taught us anything, it\u2019s that a lady<\/a> do carry an evening bag. Vinegar\u2019s ill-plotted Thames-themed gown fell flat, and her Queen was a royal bore. Gothy Kendoll didn\u2019t walk the runway as much as she skittered across it emanating a nervous energy.<\/p>\n

Kendoll gets a great piece of advice from solid guest judge Andrew Garfield. The handsome actor instructed the young queen, who earlier revealed a deep insecurity about her teeth, to learn to channel that nervous energy. Garfield suggests to stop fighting the nerves, and instead she should learn to ride them. It\u2019s pretty good advice actually!<\/p>\n

In the end, it\u2019s Vinegar lip-syncing up against Gothy to Dua Lipa\u2019s \u201cNew Rules,\u201d and it\u2019s brutal. Watching Gothy is like watching a children\u2019s dance recital. She\u2019s trying so hard, but you can see her laser focused on hitting the next move. There\u2019s no connection to the performance, no vigor. Not that Vinegar gives us such a slam dunk. It\u2019s a fine, fun performance, but Gothy\u2019s lack of skills make the flogging feel gratuitous. <\/p>\n

Vinegar gets to slay another day, while Gothy Kendoll is sent sashaying away.<\/p>\n

As per custom around here, I\u2019ll be ranking the girls<\/a> week to week. Just a friendly reminder, these rankings are purely subjective, based on my personal taste, biases and loose understanding of the metric system. I\u2019m writing these without seeing the following episode on Wow Presents Plus, and I\u2019m doing my best to avoid spoilers.<\/p>\n

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All that aside, let\u2019s dig in!<\/p>\n

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  1. If anyone made an impression on episode one, it\u2019s The Vivienne. The towering queen had one of the most memorable entrance ensembles, sporting a red, high-fashion futuristic fantasy. Her runway, while not jaw-dropping glamour, evidenced an incredible eye for detail that will serve her well in this competition.<\/li>\n
  2. Divina de Campo certainly thinks she\u2019s one to watch. She got an early shady edit as she rattled off her IMDB credits, which might be an early clue that she\u2019s this year\u2019s big villain. I haven\u2019t decided if I\u2019m charmed or horrified by the DDC\u2019s laugh, but there\u2019s definitely something watchable about her. She didn\u2019t get a ton of focus this episode, but what we saw signals she\u2019s someone to keep an eye on.<\/li>\n
  3. It was strange to see Blu Hydrangea miss out on the top three this week. Her coin runway was a more clever take than Sum Ting\u2019s stamp, but I imagine her strange construction hometown getup dragged her down. She\u2019s got a great personality and clear skills, hopefully she has more consistent judgment in the future. <\/li>\n
  4. I love the energy Sum Ting Wong brings to her confessional interviews, leaning forward, eyes intense. It\u2019s a small thing, but it feels odd to see! Sum Ting\u2019s entrance had me worried, but she brought it on the runway. The stamp gown was troublingly simple, so we\u2019ll see if there\u2019s a lack of skill waiting to be put on blast.<\/li>\n
  5. Baga Chipz feels like she\u2019s going to be this season\u2019s most polarizing queen. She\u2019s proudly \u201cinfamous,\u201d and, like last season\u2019s Silky, she loves the spotlight. In the breakneck speed of the opening episode, Baga didn\u2019t overstay her welcome in any scene, so, so far, so good. She put forth a strong showing on the runway, just missing the mark on her Queen makeup.<\/li>\n
  6. Runner-up for this season\u2019s villain is Crystal, whose early interviews made her come off as a less smart Sasha Velour. All the talk about how cool her drag is wasn\u2019t cute, even as she tried to play it off as a joke. I wasn\u2019t wowed by her humor in her entrance or photoshoot, but by the end of the episode I started to warm. (And, look, I\u2019m not saying seeing Crystal shirtless out of drag did NOT play a part. Blame it on Instagram! I\u2019m not proud!)<\/li>\n
  7. The best part of Cheryl Hole so far is her name. Her intro interview segments were such a pastiche of Drag Race<\/em> cliches and callbacks, they were practically Pop Art. Her Essex drag displayed a sense of humor, though, so I\u2019m willing to give her a chance over the next few weeks.<\/li>\n
  8. Scaredy Kat is already this season\u2019s most controversial contestant. Having only been in drag for 11 months, Scaredy has never performed, never been to a drag show, identifies as bisexual<\/a> and has a girlfriend<\/a>, which some people think is noteworthy. I\u2019m happy to see a little of contemporary attitudes toward queerness and fluidity, and I\u2019m already over the Internet questioning Scaredy\u2019s place in the competition. I\u2019m more concerned with Scaredy\u2019s lack of experience, personally. <\/li>\n
  9. At first, I thought my aversion to Vinegar Strokes was more about me having to adjust my drag expectations to U.K. styles. But, hearing the judges, it\u2019s clear Vinegar wasn\u2019t even measuring up by those standards either. She\u2019s got the attitude for sure, but I\u2019m not sure she\u2019ll be able to compete visually on the runway.<\/li>\n
  10. Oh, Gothy Kendoll, what a short, strange journey. I\u2019m sure Gothy makes some really cool art, but, in this context, the young queen was just not ready for prime time. It\u2019s not an assessment of Gothy\u2019s talent or worth, but this was not the right stage to showcase Kendoll\u2019s best.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Disagree? Probably! Leave your rankings in the comments!<\/p>\n

    The post \u2018Drag Race UK\u2019 Is a Refreshing Cure for \u2018Drag Race\u2019 Fatigue [RECAP and RANKINGS]<\/a> appeared first on Towleroad Gay News<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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    ‘Drag Race UK’ Is a Refreshing Cure for ‘Drag Race’ Fatigue [RECAP and RANKINGS]<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n