RPDR All Stars 3: E7 - And the Oscar Goes To...
Saturday, March 10, 2018 at 12:00PM by Chris Feil
It was a rough week for Drag Race fans. Not only has this season had an unending barrage of racism and vitriol in the fandom, but RuPaul showed her ass again this week revealing her exclusionary thoughts on trans queens. The whole enterprise, including the supreme leader, needed a post-Snatch Game Latrice Royale table-slamming intervention. If ever there was a time for the show to make essentially zero waves, now was certainly convenient timing.
Maybe it was just aftermath of both Ru’s ignorance and BenDeLaCreme blindsiding us with a tectonic shift self-elimination, but this week’s episode of RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars was a relief partly because it was so predictable. Call it the least essential of the season but when the weight of drama has become so cumbersome, this felt refreshingly unburdened and unbothered. I blame the restorative powers of Nancy Pelosi arriving in the workroom to brandish a rainbow bracelet just, you know, because.
This week’s challenge was also perfectly timed for the remaining afterglow of last Sunday’s Oscars...
The queens were tasked with starring in My Best Squirrelfriend’s Dragsmaids Wedding Trip, an amalgam of Ru’s love for raunchy female comedies and recent Oscar-winning ladies. Or “Award-winning”, because in 2018 we can have Nancy Pelosi on Drag Race but you can’t say Oscar on television because the Academy will still sue you for copyright infringement.
While I coped with the twitch I developed by the challenge mixing a single Supporting Actress winner with four leading ones, I was also confused why none of the queens jumped on the role of Sharon Frockavitch (Clockabitch? Cutabitch? Malkovich?). No one wanted what was clearly the largest role and Morgan assigns herself the worst part of nearly wordless Beige Swan? Why she would return and not save herself with the best part to have any chance of not being given the boot by the eventual winner is beyond me. The world is round, people!
This could have been a moment for Kennedy to shine as singing and dancing La La, but the show simply wanted to paint her as a mess telling the same “jazz!” joke you’ve heard on Twitter ad nauseum. Bebe was characteristically haughty as The Queen but struggled to make stuffy louder. Shangela was sidled with poop jokes, but made her strongest impression reacting to Morgan’s goose Beige Swan. Queen Elizabeth Mary Stuart Masterson Mastrantonio Bo’Nina Brown, though.
Which left room for Trixie to finally dominate as we have been waiting for all season. I’d argue that it hasn’t been all that surprising that Trixie has had a wildly vacillating performance on All Stars. She needs to control the energy in the room to succeed, but tends to fall back when faced with the rigidity of the competition. Introversion is unfortunately a set back in this competition, but Trixie is finally hitting her stride. Who knew all she needed was to play her laugh twin Julia Roberts.
Great Moments in Drag Queen Self-Actualization:
Before the mainstage, we got the kind of engaging mirror talk that the season has been missing including Trixie and Bebe discussing their pricklier natures. But it was Kennedy that pulled the heartstrings talking about how she’s often cast aside in the fandom despite her success on the show. Honestly, it’s as if folks deliberately want to ignore how wide ranging her gifts are: incredible live performer, polished pageantry, goofball unafraid to go for big laughs. Her grouchiness is part of her well-meaning charm, but people choose to spin it to its worst interpretation (and often the show does as well). She simply deserves more love. She’s just trying to matter.
Best Runway of the Season
Winner: Trixie, with maybe the single best look of the season. Adorable and unexpected, and not just because she wore a red lip for once. I wonder what Serena Cha Cha thinks.
And better yet, each queen served a memorable look: Morgan’s heritage, Pussy Bitch’s space age facefaceface, Kennedy’s peak pageant gemstones, and Shangela going weird (if a tad chintzy). With Trixie and Shangela in the top, the episode was smart to not really belabor what would be an obvious choice for deliberation and instead gave us some fun back in the workroom.
Admit It, You Like Her, You Really Like Her
Kennedy is a meme queen who doesn’t know what a meme is. The first one to laugh at her own shortcomings is Kennedy, and we appreciate a self-effacing queen. Who loves Kennedy? Me-me.
Trixie again proved to not be a lipsync artist and Shangela brought out an eyeroll fat suit, so this wasn’t exactly a lipsync to remember. However these are now our two clear frontrunners for the crown, so it was worthwhile to see them in a direct competition with one another. Morgan “I’m Not Phi Phi, I Hug Everybody” McMichaels was one of the most easily predictable outs ever, but also one of the most gracious. We still wonder what could’ve happen had Aja returned in her place, but at least Morgan ended up bringing some sweetness to a cutting season despite her harsh beginning.
This is a neck-and-neck race to the crown for Shangela and Trixie. While I’m #TeamShangela, cases for and against both queens are understandable. Shangela has played instigator for much of the season’s drama but has entered the competition like a champion and has remained one throughout. Trixie started mild before a major misstep made her finally get into gear, and momentum goes a long way to the finale. Much as I love Bebe, she hasn’t made as much of a case for another crown, and underrated Kennedy still hasn’t charged ahead when it’s mattered most. If this season hasn’t been a positive or exciting one, this episode gave simple pleasures and helped solidify a slippery battle to the Drag Race Hall of Fame.
I’m going to cry because this season has been as long as RuPaul’s career. Would anyone like to sit on a sofa and possibly cry along as would look at this week’s rankings?
- BenDeLaCreme QUIT
- Shangela
- 🔺Trixie Mattel (because we don't believe in ties, but...)
- Aja OUT
- 🔺Kennedy Davenport
- 🔻Bebe Zahara Benet
- Chi Chi DeVayne OUT
- Morgan McMichaels OUT AGAIN
- Thorgy Thor OUT
- Milk OUT
Gif as Episode Grade:
We didn’t quite expect another season of Drag Race to happen quite yet, but we still have season 10 looming a near 2 weeks away! Here to stoke anticipation (if not outright distract from All Stars) is the trailer for what’s to come, and it looks like we’ll be getting so revamping for this inaugural season including a new workroom that looks like its been doused in radioactive Pepto Bismal. Most importantly, the queens continue to promise a dynamic range of personality and creativity. One look I’m already fawning over: Monique Heart’s playing card dress!
Reader Comments (25)
I loved Shangela's fat suit lipsync. If Trixie wasn't such a boring lipsyncer, I feel like this could have been one for the books.
If this show was about which of the queens I would most like to hang out with when they're out of drag, Trixie would be the obvious winner by a mile or two. But being what it is, I can't help but proclaim myself #TeamShangela.
And to commiserate Kennedy, Twitter is kind of proving her point at the moment: As of right now #TeamTrixie has 15.000 re-tweets and 13.000 likes, #TeamShangela has 9.600 re-tweets and 8.200 likes, whereas #Team Kennedy is stuck with - 634 re-tweets and 1.200 likes. (She still beats #TeamBebe, though.)
So, I’m not sure it would be good for either Shangela or Trixie to win. I loved Ben’s anarchic burn-the-show-down self elimination last week, but the winner, however unfairly, will always have an asterisk after their name. I could imagine how Shangie, Trixie and Ben’s most rabid fans would turn this into an endless, monotonous battle.
In some respects BeBe would be a sort of compromise choice (she’s already a crowned Superstar), but the outpouring of racism that the decision would engender would be apocalyptic.
They should go for a Mean Girls finale - in an All Stars format which feels at the end of its rope, they should break the crown:
A piece for Trixie, for not allowing the competition to break her
A piece for Kennedy, for being the me-me that we need right now
A piece for Shangela, for never giving up
A piece for Be Be for Camerooooooon!
MrW - while this spells certain death for Bebe/Kennedy, I'd be wary of fans thinking this equates to a win for Trixie. Didn't Katya beat Alaska in this stat last time?
@Chris: If I was inclined to bet, my money would definitely on Shangela. It's RuPaul's decision after all, and crowning Shangela on her third attempt (and after undeniably improving lots and lots) makes for a great storyline. Also, judging only from the performance on this season, Shangela was simply the better of the two.
bey -- i loved it too. my favorite Shangy moment by a mile. just because she was so going for it and relentlessly trying to keep everyone entertained. I loved a hardworking showgirl.
mrw & chris -- i definitely also think Shangela is going to win.
everyone -- there seems to be a lot of goodwill at this site for Kenney but complaining about the fans not paying attention to her is NOT a good look. It suddenly soured me on her. I was literally embarassed for her. When you are in showbiz you should always be gracious about your success and whatever fans you do have and treat them well. But complaining "people don't pay attention to me" just seems desperate since a ton of drag queens around the world would love to be as successful as Kennedy. And also complaining that people don't obsess over you will never make them obsess over you! You have to earn fans, you don't just get them handed to you because you want them. Plus it runs the risk of alienating your actual fans who might feel "oh, my love isn't enough? well F*** you."
When do they announce that Trixie is the winner?
Yeah it’s Shangela. It seemed telegraphed at the Dallas Drag Race tour in 2017 and is not slowing down. She has the most wins, the strongest narrative, and most tellingly, the show has been edited around her perspective. Every time a queen does or says something we here Shangela interpret what it “really” meant. She tends to get the last word via interviews, which seems a clear set up for justifying a potentially divisive winner. I’d be happy to be wrong for the sake of avoiding predictability but I think she deserves it based on consistency and who’s left.
What a lackluster final four for a disappointing season. Who would have thought that there would be so many bad performances in an all-stars final 5 skit?! I didn’t even think Morgan was the worst—her hissing was actually funny and she should have stuck with it. That said, of course she was going home (only fair—she would have had to have been Dela -in-Snatch Game levels of undeniable to justify staying).
I agree that Aja returning would have been much more interesting. It’s a shame to compare this season to AS2 where Alaska, Katya, Alyssa, and even Detox would have been deserving winners. Any of them would be killing on this season and so that’s not good! Really looking forward to S10!!
Thoughts:
—“Queen Elizabeth ::Alexandra:: Mary Stuart Masterson Mastrantonio Bo’Nina Brown” But yes, I loved that joke.
—Sharon Clockabitch would have been amazing.
—Shangela is the only acceptable winner at this point. Trixie’s peaks have not been as high and her valleys have been far lower. Bebe (sorry Ru, who seems to favor her) and Kennedy just cannot win.
This fandom always disappointments with the treatment of its black queens. Bebe and Kennedy in particular seem placed under a certain microscope of behaviour that whenever either of them deviates too much is harshly punished.
Even Shangela, who would be the only acceptable answer for a winner at this point, is considered a divisive queen.
Trixie excelled in this episode, but that so many things had to line up for her to do so take a bit away from it. A win for her would be inexcusable at this point, she was asleep for 5 of the 8 episodes, including some very low lows. That arguably only in one of the 8 episodes she walked away with it with her work (Bebe and Kennedy have the same track record) does not justify a win. Her ranking at #3 seems a bit generous to me, while Bebe's at #6 seems exaggerated.
Anyways, I like Trixie. She's fun, cute and her personality is aces but if she wins next week I'll be genuinely pissed off.
I am of two minds about Kennedy. I have read that at meet and greets she often appears sour and like she doesn't want to be there. Maybe it's Resting Bitch Face? Nerves? I have never met her but I saw her live last year and she was EVERYTHINGGGGGG.
Good for Trixie for not pulling an Aja in S9 and embracing the role she got even though it wasn't her first choice. After this was done, I just wanted to watch Erin Brockovich!
I'm team Shangela now that Ben is gone but I think she's destined to never have a crown despite being the clear second best this season. I'm predicting Trixie to win. That eliminated queen jury does not bode well for Shangela.
This was the best look Trixie has ever done and she should red more often.
It's gotta be Shangela. She can be divisive, but she's done so well this season, and the final music video challenge involves dance and lip syncing. It's her title to lose.
Cant imagine Shangela losing this. She's been on fire all season, she's dominated with Ben, she's been on the show three times, two of those were ages ago and she's still remembered and a fan favorite and is one of the most improved queens ever.
Trixie is great, love her, she's also on the most improved list, but nobody can compare her two/three week perfection to Shangela's season long co-reign with Ben.
Shangela was the only queen with a shot at spoiling Ben's win, so watching her trample everyone this week felt pitch perfect. Excited to applaud her victory lap (and honestly, not OK with anyone else taking it).
My thoughts re: episode
It started out pretty roughly trotting out Nancy effing Pelosi, which was gross. Once it moved out of that ridiculous plug for the incompetent hack that managed to hand control of the House to Republicans and the Tea Party in the most aggressive flip the legislative has witnessed in the past 80 years of US history, it got slightly better, but not much.
Trixie and Shangela were good at the challenge and deserved the win. Bebe was safe, as usual. Kennedy and Morgan were bottom two, with Morgan clearly being the weakest and having against her the added minus of having assigned the roles. The runway looks were a delight, shame it was so short.
Regarding Kennedy's desire for more appreciation, I was suprised with myself that felt for her, as I am usually not one to give my time of day for self-pitying people. It seemed to me that she was being earnest and vulnerable in owning up to her feelings of longing for more. She wasn't acting spoiled or entitled to it, like Milk in previous episodes, just confessing to a very human yearning to be loved. In a show where people are prone to Laganja-like histrionics or Bianca-like self defense masks, I found her humility and honesty be very real and very uncharacteristic for a reality show. She was genuine and I dug it.
Re: the winner
Shangela was giving Dela a run for her money, was a very close second in number of wins, and was clearly outshining her in the lip-synchs (thefore showing a side of hers that Dela could not ever match).
Trixie only shined this episode specifically because Dela was out. In her presence, Trixie was always diminished because their strengths were the same and Dela was so far out on another level of polish and accomplishment. It was like Thorgy and Bob back in season 8, minus the jealous attitude.
Within the constraints of the show, Shangela was a match for Dela, Trixie was clearly a lesser version.
Being that Dela, the deserving winner and clear frontrunner, chose to quit, Shangela is the only acceptable winner at this point. She would have show up on a KKK hoodie for the last challenge for her not to be the rightful winner of the season in my eyes.
The problem, of course, is that, outside of the show's constraints, and boosted by the gay community's racism (which brings down Bebe, Kennedy and Shangela) and ageism (which brings down Bebe, Kennedy and Dela), Trixie is by far heralded as the fan favorite and I believe that will be enough to make her the winning queen.
Nat - I would argue that Kennedy *has* earned that kind of adoration. She's largely dismissed by a lot of fans despite being hardworking, having multiple prestige drag titles, and a more successful run on the show than people like Milk. It can't help her feelings when she's such a huge target of racism online. I don't think she was being ungracious, she was merely venting her struggles to take it to the next level - she's always been a sweetheart to her fans
@Chris I saw it that way too. I didn't see it as entitlement of I deserve fans but "I've done so well and people still don't like me, what more could I do?" Which is true. She's a very very veeeeeery accomplished queen in the show's history and she doesn't get the credit she deserves for it.
#TeamTrixie. Will be at peace if Shangela wins instead.
Kennedy and worse Bebe had better not win. Fuck her boring CAMEROOON schtick.
If eliminated queens pick the winner, Shangie is definitely out. Daenerys burnt herself.
Was that Kumail Nanjiani at the judges table win the season 10 preview? I'M IN.
Rebecca - YES!
I ADORE Trixie, but she is not suited to the very controlled environment of a reality competition. When she is doing her own thing, whether it be her series or her music or her shows, she is perfection. When she is told to be in a box, she struggles.
Not everyone is cut out for Drag Race, but that doesn't mean they aren't supremely wonderful queens. Drag Race wants specific things (...like cisgender men).
I'm Team Trixie, but just give it to Shangela so Ru doesn't have to bring her back a fourth time. She deserves a win.
If Shangela is a Hall of Famer, I guess anyone can do it.
I don't see Trixie being able to win this title when she's *never* won a lipsync for her life IN HER LIFE (ditto a lipsync for her legacy). How can you be in the hall of fame never having won a lipsync? And not just because of outlandishly strong competition, but more because her lipsyncs are lackluster (as she herself said, she lost a lipsync to a half-sedated twink from Brooklyn whose only move is to awkwardly thrust around her man-arms).
I'd say Bebe is in second place honestly, though Trixie has momentum right now. She is a fan favorite and had a couple of really good weeks. But Shangela will be the winner: she is a distinctive presence, she plays the game like no other, she's memorable, she knows her brand, she wants it more than any of them, and she can sing, dance, act, and lipsync the house down. Plus it's high time to have a queen of color in the hall of fame. With Ben out, it's Shangela's to lose.