Sashay Away? Bianca, Adore, Courtney
Wednesday, May 21, 2014 at 6:30PM Another May, another round of goodbyes to RuPaul's Drag Race finalists. Bianca Del Rio, one of the best and certainly funniest contestants in the history of RPDR took the crown on Monday night and the onehundredthou$anddolla. Now all three will sashay away...
The curious thing about RuPaul's Drag Race, and reality show winners in general but particularly the performance contest variety of reality show winners -- which to date means singing and dancing and dragging -- is that winning doesn't make you a true celebrity or even more successful than the people you beat. Witness Jennifer Hudson's Oscar. She didn't get very far on American Idol.
Happy Wednesday from Adore DelanoBeing on a popular show to begin with is the real win, instantly securing you a fanbase the size of which varies considerably depending on editing and your own innate appeal and how long you stay there.
Many reality stars in the past have managed whole minor careers from the notoriety of their one season of real fame. Doing well on a reality show only assures that you stay famous within the very particular context of that universe. A sublebrity if you will. The real test for any would be star is what comes after the initial breakthrough.
Adore Delano seems to get that. The young adorably trashy queen who can also actually sing, and isn't even terrible at acting judging on some of the individual challenges, was smart to capitalize on this very fleeting moment (you're probably already like "it's Wednesday. This was DAYS ago") just as it was ending. Sashay away? You mean, "encore," right? Though half the queens that have been on the show have tried their hand at releasing their own singles and videos -- even those that didn't ever mention an interest in music and have no aptitude for it -- the show has yet to break a real pop star. But that's where Adore's heart has been the whole time and there's something to be said for having a focus. She wants to be a pop star like Katy Perry or Gaga.
Will her "hoodrat anthem" called DTF break out? Judge for yourself. (Love that shot of her twirling her gum)
As for Bianca Del Rio... the talent is there but it's too bad there isn't an obvious place to put it. She'll have to make her own way but a Bianca Del Rio weekly sitcom would be orgasmic.
Reader Comments (8)
Adore's already a professional YouTuber as Danny Noriega, Angel Baby (her original drag alter ego), and Adore Delano. Courtney and Bianca were already professional performers, as well. They're grabbing the exposure and running as far as they can. Bianca's writing a show and Courtney's trying to set up an actual music tour.
Bianca is trying to get money for a movie called Hurricane Bianca.
Anyway, the right queen won. Bianca is flawless. But I also LOVE Adore.
I hate even giving her a mention but i hope to never see Magnolia Crawford and her stank ass attitude ever again.
I was team Courtney from the beginning (don't give me that look) but Bianca's win was totally deserved. Adore gets most improved though.
I was Team Bianca until the last real episode (final four). I thought Adore turned out to be amazing and really took risks; she wasn't afraid to fall sometimes and I really admired that. Buuuuuttt the finale actually got me back rooting for Bianca. I honestly thought both of them were really deserving, for the first time I thought the best choice would've actually been a tie. I think Courtney was alright, definitely gorgeous and has talent, but never blew me away. And is also not the sweetest person. I think she should've been in fourth place, and BenDeLaCremme should've been in third.
I don't think Adore's single is going to do anything. Even RuPaul has trouble having a successful music career and he's the biggest drag queen there is; the God/Goddess of drag. I don't think America is open-minded enough yet to allow that sort of thing. They're still getting used to the whole gay thing, I think the mainstream listening to a pretty flamboyant song by a man dressed as a woman is still pretty out there for our society. RuPaul's most successful song Supermodel (You Better Work) was nearly a top 40 hit but didn't quite make it and that was a really popular song from the most popular drag queen. And aside from that song, he hasn't had much success. Some club hits from the queens? Sure. But actual drag pop star on the level of Gaga or Katy or Beyonce? I don't think that'll be happening just yet... the mainstream still tries to reject the show as it is. (*cough*WHERE-ARE-THE-EMMY-NOMINATIONS*cough*)
Also, I think you're discrediting Jennifer Hudson on American Idol. Sure, she could've made it further (and many thought she would), but 7th place out of millions of people is pretty darn good... and on a show like American Idol, which has been the most successful in terms of creating real stars, that surely wasn't a total loss. Definitely don't think she should have an Oscar though...
Adore's single and video are aces. It's contemporary and hot and makes you want to dance. (Compare it to the amateurish and dated Courtney Act video released last week.) I think she really could go places.
Bianca needs her own talk show, like yesterday. She's classic and timeless, like a drag Joan Rivers but without the ugh.
I love Courtney Act (I have since Idol) but Adore's DTF video makes Courtney's Mean Gays video look like a school project.
Bianca was definitely the funniest on the show and that made great TV but her runway was basically the same look 90% of the time. Courtney, Adore, Trinity, Milk and even April in her short time had many more different looks and aesthetics than Bianca. The judges never read her for it, but read DeLa several times. Weird.
I was rooting for hometown Courtney from the beginning (who, by the way, is nowhere near as famous in Australia as she makes out, a C-grade celebrity AT BEST but as sexy and fierce as all getup) but by the end I was Team Adore. I just think she performed the best. No-one came close to her performance in the rap and her commercial.
That's my two cents.
I adore Adore (I know, easy, right?) because she is the real thing. Whenever the other queens play a part Adore is a natural, and is even more real when she's in drag, if that makes any sense. You can't take your eyes off her. Its a pity that her talent can't go mainstream.
I am in love with all 3 of the final queens but Adore to me was the type of drag i actually enjoy seeing. I also loved Joslyn Fox and all her fishiness she was really cute and came across as a very kind hearted queen. that to me is a great quality in anybody <3 I am happy Bianca won but i still think overall Jinkx has been my favorite to win the show out of all the seasons. I also agree with the poster who said that the Emmy nominations for this show should have come at the beginning of this show's run to me it is the most entertaining reality competition show on TV.