Posts Tagged ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’
RuPaul’s Drag Race Season Two
While I was trolling the web this afternoon, I stumbled across a delightful post on Tom & Lorenzo’s blog introducing the cast of “RuPaul’s Drag Race Season Two” (click the link above.)
Of course, I saw a few standouts. I adore this photo of Sonique. The way she’s saluting reminds me of a screenplay I once tried to pitch. It was an all-girl, alternative-lifestyle version of the classic musical “On the Town” called “Clams Ahoy.” Unfortunately, no one in Hollywood was listening.
Anyway, I also saw a photo of the impossibly gorgeous Pandora Boxx. Pandora and I go way back, and I’ve already got a hard-hitting, Barbara Walters-style interview in the can with her to post here, but I’m going to wait until a week before the US premiere. I’m still not sure when the show will air in Canada, but I’ve got a man on the inside at LOGO who is supposed to let me know as soon as he knows. If I’ve got to sleep with publicists in order to deliver my readers first-rate content, I’ll do it! I live to give!
“RuPaul’s Drag Race Season Two” debuts on LOGO on February 1.
Is it just me . . .
. . . or do drag queens always look like they’re having more fun than the rest of us?
Whatever the case, there’s only twenty days left until Wear a Gown to Work Day. I don’t know what Raya Light has chosen for the event, and I’m not even sure if she has job that earns her a paycheque (I can’t remember what she told me she does. Trophy wife? Glamour model? Hooker?). Nevertheless, I’m sure she’s got some couture concoction in her closet that she’s ready to don on May 29.
Have you got something to wear? Those fashion pundits love a laughingstock, so don’t be caught without a gown!
Jessica Biffi, meet Vicki BlackNasty
I’ve got another favorite queen on the casting site for RuPaul’s Drag Race. Her name is Vicki BlackNasty, and she’s a fly girl like Jessica Biffi!
I know that some people grew weary of Jessica’s affectations on Project Runway Canada, but I thought she was def, fly and/or dope.
Vicki is also a professional dancer, so if she’s cast on the show she can potentially bring some old-school style to the catwalk with her dance moves. She’s packin’ all the flava I need. Yo!
Raya Light: Trendsetter
I discovered this photo on the front page of WWD this morning. Sure, it’s cool, but it’s also a little familiar. One of my favorite girls on the casting site for RuPaul’s Drag Race posted a similar profile photo earlier this week.
The similarities are uncanny! I guess that Raya is a more powerful presence in the fashion world than she realizes, setting trends in the editorials of major fashion magazines worldwide. I’d better get her working to promote Wear a Gown to Work Day on May 29! She owes me a favor . . .
Anyway, click on the rest of her photos to see what else you girls will be wearing in upcoming seasons. It’s like a window into the future of high fashion!
She’s Back!
During last season’s casting process for RuPaul’s Drag Race, I was enchanted by a contestant named Holy McGrail. Her portfolio was magnificent, and I immediately began voting for her. Then I clicked on her profile to discover that she really is a she.
Unless you’re driving the Rock of Love Bus, you don’t meet a lot of female drag queens. I just hope that the casting directors for Drag Race don’t dismiss Holy based upon her gender. Even thought she puts the ‘unt into stunt casting, she would make a much better contestant than some of the dead weight that was cast on the show last season. And if there’s one thing that I’ve learned while watching America’s Next Top Model, it’s this: There’s always room in the competition for at least one contestant who can appear in a very special episode of Tyra after she’s been eliminated.
Wait a minute! Maybe she’s trying out for the wrong show altogether. Hmm.
The Claws Are Out!
Artemis Chase (right) and Friend
The casting site for RuPaul’s Drag Race is back up and running. It appears as if a lot of my favorites from last season aren’t participating in the online competition. I guess that it’s just as easy to send your material directly to the producers, sidestepping the ugliness of the initial casting rounds.
I do have a few suggestions for those who want to get onto the show. First of all, post some decent photos that give your character some character. Artemis Chase has a fun album to accompany her profile. I’m sure it would get her cast on Rock of Love, so why not on Drag Race?
Next, show some creativity with your character. Ginger Sexton has a cool portfolio distinguished by several different looks. She would probably add another dimension to the show, just like Nina Flowers did before her. If I have to watch another one-note queen like Rebecca Glasscock make it to the top three, I’m going to scream!
Finally, give yourself a name that people are going to remember. This is really a sad group this time around. Where’s the creativity? Where are the puns? I probably never would have clicked on Landa Lakes’ profile if her name didn’t make me laugh out loud. Still, most of the other names are witless. I can come up with better drag names in my sleep. Do you like Bond girls? Why not call yourself Pussy Gadzooks? Got a big unit? How about Lotta Tucking? From a small town in the country? What about L’il Cooter? At least try to make up something memorable!
Oh, and one more thing. DON’T CHEAT! When you have more votes than page views, that lets everyone know that you’re cleaning out your cache and voting for yourself all day long. I know it, you know it, and the producers know it. You’re not fooling anyone, and you’re not going to get on the show that way!
Wear a Gown to Work Day: Now with a Celebrity Spokesperson
Just when I thought that Wear a Gown to Work Day was going to languish like my campaign to raise money for those poor runway models who get tripped up in their high heels during fashion week, a platinum blonde angel has flown down from the heavens to help me out!
RuPaul has offered to act as the Celebrity Spokesperson for the first ever Wear a Gown to Work Day on May 29, 2009. I’m sure that she’ll work tirelessly to spread the word about this very special event. With this sort of endorsement, I’m sure the staff at Hallmark will be working overtime to get greeting cards that celebrate the day on the shelves of a store near you.
I wasn’t actually able to meet with RuPaul because we’re both so busy (she’s promoting a new album, gearing up for a new round of casting for RuPaul’s Drag Race, and I’m taking a night class on do-it-yourself cat spaying) , but I was able to ask her a few questions via email. I just imagined that I was back in South Coast Plaza in the 90s when the yet-to-open MAC store was covered in billboard-sized photos of Ru looking more beautiful than anyone I had ever seen before. Standing in front of those images made me feel as if I had been granted an audience with the Queen, and I’ll never forget it.
Anyway, I’m sure you’re all dying to read the interview, so here it is:
Auntie Fashion: I’m so honored that you’ve accepted the role of the first-ever official celebrity spokesperson for Wear a Gown to Work Day on Friday, May 29. I know that you were hoping to usurp Angelina Jolie’s position as the UN’s Goodwill Ambassadrix, but this is a far more glamorous role. Would you call it the greatest achievement of your career?
RuPaul: I live in the moment so my greatest achievement is waking up today and continuing to be interested in life, love and my career.
Auntie Fashion: I had sent out an invitation to Dancing with the Stars’ Carrie Ann Inaba to take on this prestigious role, but I still haven’t heard back from her. Why was it so important for you to snatch this plum position away from her? Am I correct in assuming that the two of you are arch-rivals?
RuPaul: I have absolutely no idea who that person is. I have seen clips of Dancing with the Stars on YouTube but I can’t say I’ve ever watched the show. But I can say that encouraging people to wear a gown to work has always been one of my lifelong goals.
Auntie Fashion: So what do you say to that stock girl at Wal-Mart who claims that she doesn’t want to wear a gown to work because she can’t find anything to match her blue smock?
RuPaul: In most cases many fashion rules don’t apply when you’re wearing a fabulous gown. The utter audacity of wearing a gown to work overrides the matter of color coordination.
Auntie Fashion: I was delighted to learn that the casting process for season two of RuPaul’s Drag Race is going to begin on May 1. Are there any tips you would like to give to the girls who are vying for the crown?
RuPaul: The greatest tip I can offer to potential contestants is to keep in mind we are looking for Charisma, Uniqueness, Nerve and Talent. If you don’t possess them, you needn’t apply.
Auntie Fashion: As the mortal representation of Zob, I’m always trying to take my blinding glamour down a notch so that I don’t alienate my fans with my unattainable beauty and grace. I suppose you’ve had the same problem, so — as a “natural beauty” — is there any advice you can give me to make my look a little more accessible to the rabble?
RuPaul: On the surface it may seem that playing down your beauty is a way to make others feel good about themselves, but in reality the opposite is true. You do yourself and other people a disservice by playing small. Always turn the volume as high as possible when presenting your unique brand of glamour.
Camerooooooooon!
I was able to avoid inadvertantly discovering the winner of RuPaul’s Drag Race, and I couldn’t be more delighted! The results of these American reality shows that air a few weeks late in Canada always get spoiled somehow. I’ll turn on the TV just to catch someone on Entertainment Tonight interviewing the winner of a program that I’m watching on a four-week delay.
But that didn’t happen with this show. As I expected, the final two were Bebe Zahara Benet and Nina Flowers. I was rooting for Nina just because she was probably the most-adorable reality show contestant in the history of the medium, but I’ll take a Bebe win. It was perfectly legitimate, and the Cameroon native will be a great ambassador for the art of drag.
The best part of the finale was seeing Nina and Bebe standing side-by-side as the final judgement was being delivered. Bebe looked a whole foot taller than Nina. It reminded me of Cycle Three of America’s Next Top Model when modelesque YaYa and shortstuff Eva were the last two standing. On that show, however, the shorty won. Not this time!
In related news, I got an email address for RuPaul. I wrote to let him know that he’s being considered for the role of Wear a Gown to Work Day’s official celebrity spokesperson. Carrie Ann Inaba still hasn’t got back to me. If you snooze, you lose, Carrie Ann! You don’t get to be a glamour icon by ignoring your old Auntie Fashion. I’m bigger than fashion!
Another lap around the track . . .
The lovely and talented Artemis Chase left me a message to let me know that RuPaul’s Drag Race is returning for a second season.
I like Artemis a lot, but I’ve been avoiding her like a Beyonce song. That’s a rather astute comparison. I’m afraid that if I read Artemis’ blog I’ll inadvertantly discover who won RuPaul’s Drag Race before the finale airs in Canada. I avoid Beyonce songs because they hang on me like the smell of rancid cheese. In either scenario, the word “spoiled” comes to mind.
Anyway, click on the link above to read a little more about the casting process. And for Zob’s sake, throw a little love Artemis’ way. I personally guarantee that she won’t be nearly as annoying as Shannel. In fact, I promise to fly to Portland and pummel her if she is even one-tenth as annoying as Shannel. It would be my pleasure, really. It’s been a long time since I’ve visited the Beaver State.
The Final Stretch
I’ve been avoiding posting anything about RuPaul’s Drag Race. I haven’t read a spoiler about the winner yet, and I don’t want to know anything until the finale airs in Canada.
Nevertheless, the show has been a riot. Last night’s Canadian episode was a recap full of unseen footage and bonus clips. My favorite finalist, Nina Flowers, was revealed to be every bit as wonderful, creative and charming as the previous episodes have shown. In America’s Next Top Model lingo, she modeled through the competition. Bebe Zahara Benet was given the winner’s edit, with a full story arc and a brush with elimination just to ensure that she’s not resting on pretty. Upstart Rebecca Glasscock was given the no personality edit, which practically ensures her a third-place finish. It was lucky for her that Shannel had lost her spark in the previous episode.
I was delighted to see RuPaul give my beloved Tammie Brown her due when she mentioned that it was important for a queen to know her history. I truly believe that people don’t get Tammie because most people are too stupid to get Tammie. When your memory only goes back to lunchtime, a girl who channels the golden age of cinema can’t really compete, can she?
Along the way to the finale, the show has been an absolute pleasure to watch. Special guests like Bob Mackie, Debra Wilson, Charo and a bunch of butch chicks who really needed makeovers have made this one of the greatest reality shows I’ve ever seen. Hopefully, there’s a second season in the works where some of my favorites from the casting site get on the show. Pandora Boxx, Raya Light, Holy Grail and Artemis Chase, I’m looking at you. Just because you didn’t make it the first time, that doesn’t mean you won’t take the title the next time. It happened to drag-queen wannabe Jaslene Gonzales, and it could happen to you, too!
Auntie Fashion 