If your not aware yet, this concluded season of Drag Race UK was by far the most brilliant of the franchise you ask me. The show was so entertaining it added to my well being of happiness in this pandemic. I had gotten emails asking why I thought so many were talking of this season more than others, even over shadowing the current season airing here now.
The show not only got right to the point of drag and debauchery, but had one of the most talented cast I'd seen...no filler queen nonsense here. Each queen, with different talents and style. Every week, you'd feel sorry for who went home. They had two of the most shocking first two eliminations of the wildly popular, Joe Black and Cherry Valentine, another did a polite fuck you, and slipped off stage right and left, and filming came to halt, due to one contestant testing positive for COVID, and not returning... while we the viewers didn't see that part. And yet the show delivered, aired and was fast paced with glamour and antics...and declared it's winner already, while the US show is just over half finished. The ratings very nearly closed in on the current season here. The show here has always been a underground hit, especially with bar nights, before it went mainstream, and I feel has now been a "homogeniser of drag" and created a cookie cutter of sorts for drag queens.
In my opinion there is drag queens and then there is Drag Race Girls. both talented groups. but the drag race girls do seem more like "corporate product" if you will, and more concerned with how many followers they have, and what deals they can gets, and have to have a certain look. While at drag shows before the pandemic, it was intresting to go to shows where a drag race girl guest starred. While they were popular...the town queen still reigned supreme. And people admitted to like the natural organic feel of the drag...not so much the polish. The international series seems to understand this. Most people in general want to see campy drag, I dare even say a huge percentage of the LGBT does too. And it's what the UK race brings, and I suspect that the girls from Down Under will also. But there are many forms of drag, Yes, and out of the box. But when it comes to the like of Vander Von Odd, the Boulet Brothers, Jenkin, Dahc Demur and even Jeffery Star, their so niche and talented, but the mainstream see it as more performance art then drag. Saha Velour is one queen who balances both very well and with success. Lady Bunny will always draw a bigger crowd then say, Louisiana Purchase. And if we want to see fishy...we have Vogue and fashion magazines for that. It's also intresting that the most popular queens off our version seem to be the likes of Trixie, Latrice, Sharon, Sasha and Jinkx, who have whole shows and bring the camp and excellent talent to drag shows. But rarely is there many queens like the UK seen on our Drag Race, and if they are, their generally first to be gone...Tempest Du Jour, Madam LaQueer, Jaymes Mansfield, Tammie Brown. Even on the Canada version, the fishier ones ran the show. Jimbo would have soared on the UK version. Of course I don't think the stunning Brooklyn Hytes was the best judge either.
Not since our first couple seasons of Drag Race have twist and turns of a series felt so organic and exciting, never has a season felt like it's too short... and never have a group of queens felt so talented, diverse and so utterly disinterested in anything or storylines....other than just being themselves. None of the queens of UK seems as interested in their future marketing details either, as their American sisters. They just want the title, and go back to their fabulous drag lives being snarky and entertaining. The queens lay into each with all the pettiness and eloquence we have come to expect like drag queens in a dressing room.
It's also pretty evident that RuPaul is also not fluent in UK culture and references, as is Michelle, which sometimes leads to a dissonance, and the queens here have absolutely no problems with firing back at both when pissed off, often jarring them both. I also feel the UK show, is great at bring intresting drag queens together into a room. If you get intresting queens, intresting things happen without inference from producers or much puppetry. Even Ginny told them, telling a bunch of drag queens who had been unemployed for seven months- some of who were even homeless, others surviving on Universal Credit- that they needed to spend money to even come through the door was not the tea. Generally these queens themselves have felt like they want to win, but UK queens are no to be trifled with, and will not act like circus poodles or bend backwards, or sacrifice their style and form of drag to win. I think that is why Tina Burner went home this week. She definitely has the mentally of a UK queen. Of course, there is no cash prize with this version, they are happy to just show their drag, get the title, and the web series that comes with the win.
Another reason I think the UK series was popular is it's holistic eye on drag, and the queens lack of concern about being beat for the gods, so they can do a major fashion commercial three months down the line. They continue with their camp looks, flimsy costumes and some of their gaudiness, brashness and fifth, and if you don't like, then it's tough shit. They are drag queens, and enjoy it's art and for all the right reasons.
It's also worth noting I think whether because if it's the BBC or not, the series is a tight, short run. No weeks off, no uncomfortably transparent producer games, no lengthy introductions. The queens are there and ready to show what they got...and it's more like seeing a full drag show, and drag in the dressing room. Yet it still made us fall in love with each and every one of them who walked through the werkroom door , let them be who they wanted to be, and gave us a series of dramatic set pieces we won't forget. These queens stick to there guns, and if we or Ru, or the judges don't like what they see, then that's our problem , not the queens...and that's the ferocious attitude I like. God save these Queens, and may every Drag Race series that follows learn from how much we loved this season.
On another note, I thought that Sister Sister was completely adorable out of drag.
Heyyyyyy Sister Sister......
