RPDR S8: Roller Boogie & The New Wave
Thursday, March 31, 2016 at 11:00PM Though we had planned to cover each episode of the constantly movie/pop culture referencing RuPaul's Drag Race it wasn't meant to be. We discussed episodes one and two of the eighth season and since we'll have to cover next week's Snatch Game challenge (mandatory) given both its celebrity impersonations AND the breaking news that it'll have a Madonna inspired runway (I died), let's catch up in brief...
Episode 3 "RuCo's Empire" The queens had to perform spoofs of TV's Empire (Bob & Thorgy got the honors of playing Taraji P Henson's already iconic "Cookie" on their respective teams) and had the first ever runway on roller skates which naturally led to Xanadu and disco-era jokes. Winner: Bob the Drag Queen; Episode MVP: Bob or Thorgy; Sent Home: Cynthia Lee Fontaine (Correct decision).
Episode 4 "New Wave Queens" Divided into three teams the queens formed 80s New Wave bands and had to perform in front of Blondie (gasp). Winner: Robbie Turner; Episode MVPs: Guest judges Chris Stein and Debbie Harry who were quick with the quips and blessedly obvious true fans of the show. Sent Home: Naysha Lopez. Correct decision (though the same could not be said for bringing her back in the first place or not putting Derrick Barry in the bottom two this week)
3 Fav Looks from Neon Queen Realness Runway Challenge
Revised Preference Order
- Bob the Drag Queen
- Thorgy Thor 🔺
- Kim Chi
- Naomi Smalls 🔺
- Acid Betty
- Derrick Barry 🔻
- Laila McQueen
- Chi Chi DeVayne
- Robbie Turner 🔺
- Dax Exclamation Point
- Cynthia Lee Fontaine
- Naysha Lopez
Reader Comments (20)
Chris Stein clocking Chi Chi's boots has got to be one of my favorite things that's ever happened on this show. And I know I've made this exact comment here before, but I must reiterate: Snatch Game stresses me the hell out. So much secondhand embarrassment when they bomb!
I want a Tangerine 2 starring Naomi Smalls. That fish is gorgeous.
Bob's attitude was irritating as hell this last episode and her look was basic as hell. Also the worst makeup of the bunch. She's no Bianca del Rio.
I like Naomi but she needs to step it up. She's got legs for days but she's pretty under the radar.
Here's hoping Thorgy takes the crown! I wanna see Acid Betty and Robbie Turner in the top 3 as well.
1. thorgy
2. chi chi
3. bob
4. naomi
5. acid
6. kim
7. robbie
8. derrick
kim's runway look and makeup magic is just on a whole other level. she did great in the challenge too. she is better than naomi and acid.
Oh this season is just so good isn't it. Was going to do a favorites list but with the exception of Derrick (who I'm just lukewarm about) I love all the other contestants so much. Once Derrick leaves I think each elimination will be tough to take.
Oh f it, here's my current ranking:
1. Thorgy
2. Kim Chi
3. Bob
4. Acid Betty
5. Chi Chi
6. Naomi
7. Robbie
8. Derrick
They def gave Chi Chi the biggest "journey" arc this past episode. I wouldn't be surprised if she won it all.
Robbie's lipsync was pure sex, though I hated the costume. But she follows a lipsync with a win the next episode and the show barely makes mention of it? That has me thinking she won't make it much longer, unfortunately. She's oddly one of my favorites??
Big love to Cynthia Lee Fontaine - after her elimination she came forward that she's been receiving cancer treatments since her time on the show.
My body is ready for Snatch Game week! From the preview clip on Logo, I would actually kill to see Bob perform as Carol Channing
I actually missed Cynthia this week. At least her koo-koo was cuckoo, unlike PR queens like Kandy Ho last season who served neither Kandy nor Ho. Can Cynthia have her drag name?
Acid Betty has a terrible personality and rough drag for how ambitious it is. In season 4 or 5, she would have been one of the first to go—see The Princess et al. In Betty's case there is no fun or charm backing up that toxic, unnerving harshness (both personally and aesthetically). Give me a ChiChi Devayne with some heat (and that Rihanna styling!) any day over Betty.
Thorgy is becoming my favorite. And I'm waiting for someone to say that what Derrick Barry does does not even qualify as drag. They wouldn't be wrong.
I'll bet Derrick was saved from the lip synch by Debbie Harry. She was definitely enthusiastic about Derrick's singing.
Oh my God, I was so excited to see Chris and Debbie. Can we get Fred, Kate, Keith and Cindy, or any combination thereof next? Or Belinda and Jane?
At first I was kind of enthusiastic about Derrick just because he was a Britney Spears imitator and I hoped he'd bring some unique twists to the table, but boy has he faded into the background. A new Chad Michael he ain't. As was pointed out Cher was only part of Chad's repertoire - plus he was kind, funny and smart. Both Derrick and Naomi seem to be way too basic.
I'd like the final 3 to be Thorgy, Chi Chi and Bob.
Derrick is an impersonator, not a drag queen. I was surprised he didn't end up lip syncing against Naysha- but then we wouldn't have seen Chi Chi absolutely turn it out.
Austin - I think Derrick Berry is getting treated a bit unfairly by the judges in that they're affording her way more grace than they would any other queen. Had one of the others been as underwhelming as she has been so far, you can damn well bet that queen would have done a lipsync
Hayden - I think discrediting Derrick over his drag is incredibly narrow minded. Why should impersonation be looked down upon? Did you see the Untucked where she defended Trixie Mattel? Derrick is generally not shady and this was a sweet moment to me. The thing that is ironic is that a lot of the queens are discrediting Derrick's drag just because she does an impersonation of a well-known celebrity, and she does it well. It's ironic that people get so mad when queens come for another queen's drag, yet pretty much everyone has been shitting on Derrick for her drag online and on the show. Why should hers not be considered valid? I think the versatility argument can be a little overplayed because we've seen several queens that have done well that weren't "versatile."
Also, caustic personality or not, Acid has incredible looks. That neon look is an all time best for this show. Chi Chi and her Rihanna styling? That can be seen anywhere.
I appreciated Derrick defending Trixie—but that Derrick example supports my point about Betty which is that she's caustic for the sake of being caustic without having anything clever or interesting to say. It's not like she's making a name for herself with artful reads or shade, she's just showing her ass as a negative, unpleasant person.
I don't think very many people would agree with you that Betty's neon look (which I had to Google because I barely remembered it specifically, five days later) is an all-time best for the show. I suppose you're entitled to that opinion.
And as for Derrick's drag, yeah sure fine she's allowed in the sisterhood but she seems brand new to the RPDR school of drag—that Christmas wreath snatch was like comedy queen 101. Her roller girl outfit was impressive but clearly hired-out (a la Courtney Act) and ridiculously irrelevant to the challenge. And this week's brown wig looked cheap and shake-and-go like Kelly Mantle's elimination wig or Katya's Britney Spears moment last season: Nobody clocked Derrick for that!
I'm with Nathaniel and everybody else who says she should've lip synced this week.
And I'll add constructively that a lip sync might be exactly what we need to see from Derrick. Anyone with two legs that move could have trounced Naysha—and at least we could have seen a different side of Derrick...who is not acing these challenges or runways but who dances and interprets for a living.
Andrew- People are discrediting Derrick because he has yet to show he can do anything EXCEPT Britney or variations thereof. The Chad Michaels comparison here is extremely apt; Michaels may have made a name of doing Cher, but he did not continuously trot out variations of Cher while on the show (both times!). He demonstrated versatility in looks and performance. Cher was his trump card, not his whole hand.
I think drag is more than just impersonation. Derrick looks the part. He's got that down, for sure. But. to me, he lacks everything else that makes drag... drag. There's no edge or camp or irreverence or exaggerated ideas of glamour.
I do appreciate him sticking up for Trixie. But that's a separate thing from his look entirely- and frankly that is the only moment of his thus far on the show that I have really appreciated.
Hayden - We will have to agree to disagree about Acid and her looks, a quick peek at Reddit shows everyone gagging over her neon ensemble. But I suppose you're entitled to your opinion.
Make no mistake, I'm not a Derrick stan, I just think she's received an overwhelmingly negative reception that don't match her actions on the show. Discrediting anyone saying they aren't doing "drag" is such a cheap shot and makes people look like philistines.
I am loving this season so far and I dont have a problem with any of the girls thus far even Acid Betty who seems to be this season's bitch but redeems herself with her looks on the runway. Laila was one of my favorites and the absolute cutest out of drag but Naysha is/was a close second.Right now I really like Robbie and Kim Chi and hope they make it in the top 5 at least.I have to say that every season there is one girl who out of drag looks the cutest(kandy ho did it for me last season) or hottest but this season there actually are a few who look like my type out of drag.
Nathaniel, I'll gladly review this season if you can't find the time. *.*
nice post
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