Nick Taylor and Cláudio Alves are following and recapping RuPaul’s Drag Race season sixteen. This week, they’re joined by extra special guest Nathaniel Rogers…
THE SOUND OF MUSIC sure looks... different.
NATHANIEL: I’d love to waltz into the werq room in a stylish gown with a big soundbite but the truth is I’m sick so I’m bundled up in bed and preserving my voice. But [whisper voice] heyyyguirls. Excited to talk about these queens and this challenge. As a proud musical theater queen (sorry not sorry Dawn) I was excited for “The Sound of Rusic”. That said the Rusicals aren’t really the musical theater challenge people make them out to be. The Rusicals owe way more spiritually to Carol Burnett’s classic Gone With the Wind curtain dress sketch than musical theater...
Anyway, Ru begins with a funny word salad tribute to 1965’s colossally successful Best Picture winner about that indefatigable singing nun turned governess in Nazi-plagued Austria. “People who will get the reference will get the reference,” Plasma says with self-satisfaction with edits to Morphine, Megami, Xunami, and Dawn not getting the reference. I don’t relate to Plasma’s smugness about this as I’m always just bummed (rather than smug) that so many young reality television queens don’t appear to get any references outside of the ones to other reality television shows. And pop divas, of course.
But I love Ru for trying to school the young queens for decades now on all things pre, um, 2009. Yes, Ru, ‘How do you solve a problem like… my neck, my back, etcetera’
NICK: Hey girl!! In an era of Drag Race where even the asides and judge’s comments feel like a recursive feedback loop of the show’s in-jokes, we need all the culture we can get. I’m not sure how much new material “The Sound of Rusic” ultimately imparts - it plays too much like a girl group challenge using the thinnest outline of the source material needed to get away with silly German jokes and raunchy nuns.
After announcing the challenge, Ru gives the queens free reign to pick their own roles. It’s a mostly harmonious process, though heads predictably butt over the major roles. Megami and Morphine see the Rusical as an opportunity to really take center stage in the competition, but they’re swatted down by Q and Plasma, respectively. Frankly, I’m sure the show would’ve been worse with Morphine in the lead, and good on Plasma for sticking to her guns about Mariah, though I really wonder how much of a Sliding Doors universe shift we’d get if Megami got the Baroness role and poor, stiff Q got stuck with a choreo-heavy chorus role. The size disparity between these parts makes the episode’s top three almost inevitable, but it’s pretty well-cast as far as these things go, with no obvious weak links to drag everyone else down.
CLÁUDIO: I know we’ll get to the judging later on, but it does feel weird how prescriptive the casting felt. The bigger roles were almost like guaranteed tickets to the top, while the bottom was all made up of the smallest characters. Like the Academy when voting for their Supporting categories, Ru and company reject Stanislavski’s paraphrased saying "there are no small parts, only small actors." On All Stars 3, Thorgy wasn’t wrong when she said some roles seem written for specific placements, and there’s very little the queens can do to change that. Well, congratulations to Plasma, Sapphira, and Q for securing the right ones.
Not that the edit is keen on revealing that inevitability.
During rehearsals with Adam Shankman, we’re led to consider how Q remains as stiff as she was in the Girl Groups week. She somehow bumbles her way through a choreography that’s little more than walking with style. It’s especially noticeable because Plane and Xunami look effortless as her Baronettes. Then again, that might be because of the Russian’s lessons in bitchery during their werqroom readings, taking her scene partner on a stroll to terrorize their sisters.
On the opposite end of the wholesome spectrum, Melissa McCarthy shows up to throw Babybels at the queens and share some beautiful words about how much drag means to her. I’d have loved the moment even more if the girl’s references for the two-time Oscar nominee weren’t The Little Mermaid and Mike & Molly. What ever happened to taste?!?
NATHANIEL: The queen’s cultural references are always dire on this show when movie stars appear. Even when something great in the filmography is relatively current they don’t know it (or maybe it’s the editors who lack taste?).. There was no mention at all of Mad Max Fury Road when Charlize was on and it’s not like the community doesn’t know Fury Road. Hell, I went to an all drag reading of Kyle Buchanan’s “Blood & Chrome” here in Brooklyn.
Speaking of New York, my heart was warmed by Megami’s memories of seeing Hairspray on Broadway (though I wish she knew who Harvey Fierstein was instead just saying “Edna”) – that original run was so special and Fierstein earned that 4th Tony Award. The makeup montage also reveals the first glimpse of humanity from the not-quite centered Plane Jane (how refreshing to see an episode that isn’t about her!)
As for the Rusical itself… cute! But I do kind of wish we had seen different casting as there isn’t a performative surprise here at all. So the entertainment value comes only from watching how they twist the beloved classic into this new shape. I wouldn’t have handed the win to Plasma for this very reason. There’s no twisting of the part; Competence. Enthusiasm. High-Energy. and Talent just isn’t as satisfying a hook as Charisma. Uniqueness. Nerve. and Talent.’
NICK: Even more than different casting, I wish the Rusical itself was better. Transformative value is one thing, but after the political clarity of last year’s “Wigloose!”, I’m a little surprised the writing team didn’t pull something similar from The Sound of Music. Maybe it was more present in an earlier draft? Who can forget the throwaway line of the Baronettes being announced as “everyone’s favorite nationalists”? But it’s not there now, and it’s one less angle for the show and the cast to play. I want to say clearly amidst all this bitching that I had plenty of fun with The Sound of Rusic. But I don’t think anything it gave us really surprised me.
All that being said, the queens gave uniformly strong performances. Aside from Mhi’ya’s habit incident, which she powered through fine, no one had any blatant mishaps or notably low energy. Plane and Dawn made the best impression of the third-tier girls. The Baroness’s Dietrich drawl did a lot of the work for Q, who served the role ably. Plasma deserves credit for maintaining the high-energy silliness the show demands, but Sapphira’s work, shushing Plasma without looking at her and shaking those huge cans in jubilation, has made the most lasting impression on me.
Nathaniel, I’d extend your line about “competence” across the whole cast, for better and worse. I don’t think anyone applied a personalizing stamp as hard as the season 15 girls did last year, but everyone keeps up with the show fairly well. In a way, it means the critiques are inevitably going to be nitpicky to a degree that’s just stupid. But this also means the runway is going to matter a hell of a lot, and I always love that.
CLÁUDIO: I was most impressed by Sapphira even if Plasma bodied the challenge. Maybe she was always on the same tone with scant modulation. Then again, I think that’s what the role required of her. If the queens had recorded the vocals I might pick on that but, since they didn’t, I can’t fault Plasma for performing according to the pre-recorded soundtrack. Q was merely solid, as far as I’m concerned.
From the gals with the smaller roles, I thought Morphine did fine keeping up with Sapphira’s energy while Mhi’ya was the only troublesome turn of the lot. Megami disconnected during the quieter portions, but when she needed to perform, she did it with panache. Dawn and Nymphia kinda killed it, I have to say, adding constant color to their pseudo von Trapps. They come off cartoonish in a way that seemed appropriate for the whole Rusical format. I’ve seen some people on the fandom grumble that Nymphia should have been low, though I wonder if they’re reacting to her pine-obsessed characterization or to the way she was completely ignored by the edit. Prior to the runway confessionals, she only said one word during the entire episode. Can you guess what it was? “Banana,” of course.
Speaking of runway, let’s move to the catwalk. Category is…”I Can Buy Myself Flowers.” Mrs. Dalloway would approve.
First on the runway, we have Plasma. According to her twink math, “My Fair Lady + Funny Girl = Hello, Dolly!” and I can’t argue with that when the results are this stunning. Part of me wonders if this isn’t too period costuming and not enough drag, but it feels true to her brand either way. Also, do my eyes deceive me or is she softening the paint? For once, her brows and nose contour aren’t one continuous line.
NATHANIEL: Your eyes work fine. Her makeup is better every episode. Love it when a queen listens and learns from critiques.. Loved this look to death and I think the intense saturation of color tips it well over into drag territory. Of course next up, Sapphira Crístal is an argument that you can always go yet bigger with color (and proportions) in drag. The Dr Seuss hair is a great touch.
;)
NICK: Plasma's outfit completely works as drag for me. Y’all have said a lot of what I had in mind about this look and the improvements she’s made to her mug, so I’ll take the lead on Sapphira.
Reports from other queens that Sapphira’s outfit was even more gigantic, and had to have a whole layer of petals removed so it could fit through the runway entrance, have been devastating the queer community for days. Even so, this is stunning, and it’s remarkable how she carries herself in this outfit rather than letting it wear her. The color coordination alone is to die for. More than that, I’m forever impressed how well Sapphira negotiates her proportions, modeling high-femme drag to excess with such a big, manly frame to work with. To steal a line from a friend, this is how you dress a linebacker to look like a woman.
CLÁUDIO: An incredible look, even without the oversized petals. If Sapphira ever does All-Stars (or All-Winners), she should pack a suitcase for her talent show performance. At this point, I think she flew from Philly to LA with a couple of TARDIS as her luggage.
;)
Compared to all of these Met Gala-worthy looks - coincidentally, this year’s theme is “The Garden of Time” - Morphine can’t help but look a bit basic. To add insult to injury, she didn’t line those sleeves. It’s a cardinal sin that cheapens the whole outfit.
NATHANIEL: I keep waiting for Morphine to really pop, and though it hasn’t yet happened, I still somehow believe it will. Same goes for this choice. It’s this close to being refreshingly minimal – rather than basic, I’d argue because it’s a different choice than the other girls and also a surprise for her. But yes those pesky sleeves.
NICK: I have the exact same hopes for Morphine, who’s outlasted several queens I had expected to stick around longer.
;)
NATHANIEL: In contrast, Mhiya joins the other girls in maximalism – I like that it’s an unintended twin to Plasma’s Hello Dolly look. As much as I dislike Plane Jane, she had a point in Untucked when she calls Mhiya out for being so reserved, or as the judges would have it “timid”. It is a TV show, yes, bring yourself but amp it the hell up. Which she never does apart from the flipping. One trick pony, I fear, but I do like this look.
NICK: I want more for Mhi’ya too, who clearly has talent but hasn’t quite brought “it” outside of her lip syncs. This has to be her best runway - I love her mug, and this shade of red compliments her skin beautifully. Had her performance popped more, I wonder if this look could’ve saved her from lipsyncing.
CLÁUDIO: The way Mhi’ya paints her mug makes it look like she’s constantly under a spotlight. It doesn’t always work, but in this sea of scarlet, it makes for a fabulous effect. Love the color, and love the red glitter over the blush.
NICK: Again with Dawn, I think this is a strong look that doesn’t 100% satisfy the prompt. She pulls off “bouquet” better than someone else down the line. The color blocking and demonic mug could not be better. Is “floral” the first thing this outfit makes me think of? No, but I’m fully gagged, and it’s a deliciously ghoulish interpretation of this runway.
CLÁUDIO: I like the color story and the wig’s fabulous, but the outfit itself feels overdesigned. The way she integrated the red isn’t working for me, especially the random ruffle that looks more bib than jabot. Also, I get that she’s trying to avoid the elf ears to please Michelle, but serving naked ears when your whole face is unnaturally colored makes for a sloppy look.
NATHANIEL: I’m souring on Dawn a little. I suspect she’s the stealth ‘mean girl’ of this group but Plane Jane provides a lot of cover for everyone’s less charitable moments. I don’t really get a cohesive idea, here. It reminds me of the pussycat look they were so hard on Amanda Tori Meating about – a lot of ideas and work but what is it saying? how does it fit the prompt? – But the judges are famous for letting things slide if they like a performer a lot otherwise.
;)
Meanwhile, Megami’s look has a cohesive fully flowered idea but she botches the reveal tossing the stained dress aside the second she’s on the runway.
NICK: I don’t think Megami even needed the reveal, but she executed her narrative badly. Could it have been a tearaway? Even so, she looks stellar in her bridal lingerie, and the flowers flow across the dress beautifully. The mug’s stamped, as always, but apparently, that’s not a compliment to the judges.
CLÁUDIO: Unnecessary reveal aside, it’s a winning proposition. Though Megami has a tendency to overdesign, she got it completely right this time. Honestly, I’m surprised no one else went the bridal route. My heart yearns for a Morticia Adams wedding lewk, with the black-veiled queen cutting off rose buds from her bouquet while walking down the runway.
;)
NICK: Nymphia wins the prize for most ridiculous silhouette, and though my untrained eye would not have immediately clock that fruit as a cactus, I find her outfit totally delightful. The simplicity of the design, and the unusual fabric choice, help it stand out in the best way. Bonus points for not making it somehow about bananas.
CLÁUDIO: On social media, the Banana Buddah said the inspirations for this piece were a cocoon-like YSL and the yellow Pikmin. However, she looks more like the missing link in the Tanemon Digivolution line. She’d fit between Palmon and Togemon. Or maybe she’s the transition from that giant cactus to the femme Lillymon. In any case, she looks kooky quilted chic, and I was mighty amused by her leaf-growing presentation.
NATHANIEL: Sometimes the best reveal is not really a reveal but an, um, flowering, of what you’ve already seen. The leaves sprouting from the sleeves? Whimsical perfection with a twist.
;)
Regarding Q, stunning sure. But each lewk appears to cost more than many folks earn in a year. It reminds me of the shortlived discourse about class issues on this show some years back (which faded away), in which one queen admitted they mortgaged their house to finance their competition looks and it was obvious that other queens were struggling from lack of money for endless showstoppers. It’s so expensive looking that it literally makes me uncomfortable. Sorry to be a downer!
NICK: Hell, Hershii LiQuor-Jéte had to sell her car to pay for her runway this season! I get Q makes all her looks herself, so who knows how much the fabric and flowers cost on their own before she invested so much time into making this garment. To push the discourse in a slightly different direction, I’m shocked she’s presenting runways this intricate and imaginative without really getting a frontrunner’s edit.
CLÁUDIO: What a week for crutches on the Drag Race runway. It always looks cool, though I prefer La Grande Dame’s alien queen on UK vs the World to Q’s flower explosion. Part of it is that I don’t like the lingerie over the body suit. It looks superfluous and takes away from the otherworldly effect.
If Q delivered monstrous florals, Plane Jane went the fairytale princess route. It’s pretty, but it’s also justgirlythings Tumblr-core circa 2015. Also, I’m so over her runway walk. If they raked Utica over the coals for those unrelenting catwalk antics, can’t they do the same for Plane?
NATHANIEL: I would prefer not to discuss Plane Jane because the only way to stop centering her is to STOP centering HER! So I’m moving directly on to Xunami. I liked this look more than her fellow queens did, but palette aside, it’s also not terribly floral.
Most of these looks read very cosplay. It’s interesting that that’s risen so strongly as a viable visual style in drag these past few years.
NICK: Plane frankly reads as a less interesting version of Morphine’s flower child routine. The dress is pretty, but I didn’t care for it much. I’m not that psyched about Xunami either, whose reference of an upside-down bouquet translates fine but nukes itself over how rigid her dress looks. Her pink plastic stole is an inspired choice, and makes me wonder what would’ve happened if someone went down a pollution-inspired route. Still, they saved the worst for last with this look.
CLÁUDIO: I didn’t think her concept, while clever, came across in the final look. The materials of the gown itself are wrong, the bottom ruffles don’t read as flowers, and the sleeves are an unnecessary addition to an already overdesigned garment. At least, her mug looks as beautiful as ever.
After the runway, it’s time for judges’ critiques. Plane, Xunami, Dawn, and Nymphia are deemed safe, while Morphine, Megami, and Mhi’ya are all on the bottom. As expected, everyone who got a lead role landed on top, with Plasma ultimately getting the win. I can’t say I agree with these results. Xunami was forgettable as she tends to be in these group challenges and it’s about time she gets some notes. Switch her for Morphine or Megami, and maybe even put her up for elimination. As for the top, I’d boot Q and promote Nymphia or Dawn. Winner-wise, I’m team Sapphira on this one, even if the role of Mariah Grande was more demanding.
What about you, guys? How would you judge the queens this week?
NATHANIEL: In terms of the Rusical, I think the judging was fairly accurate for a change. But since I think the runway challenge should always factor in to the tops and bottoms each week (otherwise why do the critiques come after it?) I’d adjust for that to alter by one both the tops (Plasma, Sapphira, and booting Q for Nymphia) and bottoms (Mhiya, Morphine, while releasing Megami and bringing in Xunami instead).
I’m not devastated to see Megami go since she always seemed so sad. I know from depression and sympathize but it’s a drag (the other kind!) on a joyful show. But that said, her runway should have definitely been enough to save her from the bottom three… especially since her Rusical performance had its moments.
NICK: Plasma is a very deserving winner, though I agree that Sapphira tipped herself top placement for me. She really owns the diva flourishes the role demands, and it never hurts to shake those tiddies for comedic effect. I’m fine with Q and her floral arrangements making top three, though for the sake of variety I’d like to see Dawn up there.
As far as bottoms, Xunami absolutely should have joined Mhi’ya in the bottom two. Morphine’s outfit deserved a low placement, though the critiques of her performance were maddeningly vague. I want her to get real critiques, and that was not it. Megami’s runway should have kept her from lip syncing, though I don’t disagree about her flatlining throughout the performance. Given how badly she introduced herself in the talent show, she’s grown on me tremendously. Megami looked downcast as hell during the critiques - she clearly knows what’s coming.
All of this brings us to the lip sync, as Mhi’ya and Megami face off to Miley Cyrus’s Grammy-winning single “Flowers”. I did not know who was going home from watching that performance, and I did not mean that in a good way. Megami had the exact right outfit for this song, yet her downcast attitude seems to be dragging her down a bit. Mhi’ya goes all in on euphoric self-reliance, and though kicking her heels off at least refers back to the song, I imagine she would’ve immediately been booted from the earlier seasons for treating the main stage as a slip-n-slide. One is too much, the other oddly underwhelming. I’ll miss Megami, but I’m glad Mhi’ya ensured season 16’s “lip sync assassin” title cannot be Geneva Karr. They’re tied now, and who knows how much space there is for someone else to enter the race.
CLÁUDIO: Mhi’ya felt like she was vibing to the song rather than performing it, but Megami had no levels, seeming stuck on a note of heartbreak-induced anger. While I wouldn’t root for a double shantay - neither is awful - it’s hard to pick a victor. I will say this: I get more out of Megami than our dancing queen, so I think I’ll miss her more than I’d miss Mhi’ya. If one’s decision should consider what each queen can bring to the competition, then I say the wrong bitch went home.
Fingers crossed, the Miami queen surprises on next week’s Snatch Game, but I’m skeptical.
NATHANIEL: I’d live for a double ‘sashay away’ one of these weeks since so many lipsyncs have underwhelmed. But in the case of “Flowers”, if you miss the ‘euphoric self-reliance’ (well put) as Megami did, are you even really hearing the song? So the right queen stuck around… though surely not for much longer. Snatch Game is a deadly plank walk for filler queens!
Previous RuCaps:
- Episode 1: “Rate-a-Queen”
- Episode 2: "Queen Choice Awards"
- Episode 3: "The Mother of All Balls"
- Episode 4: "RDR Live!"
- Episode 5: "Girl Groups"
- Episode 6: "Welcome to the DollHouse"