RPDR S8.E2 You're a Virgin Who Can't Dri---Who Can't Dance

Another week, 23 new pairs of high heels 

S8E2 "Bitch Perfect"
This week's episode was based around lipsynching an acapella production number a la the Pitch Perfect franchise - complete with guest judge who plays the lesbian rapper in those movies! Somehow Kim Chi doesn't know what Pitch Perfect is. As much as I hate it when the queens are ignorant about classic films and pop history, how does someone not know what Pitch Perfect is? It was a huge hit so very recently. 

Pros
• The "Cha Cha Bitch" mini challenge was hilarious so RuPaul, laughing it up, obviously chose the winners super randomly. It's best when everyone brings their A game
• The actual maxi challenge performance was a nice professional surprise - entertaining and lengthy
• Learning that Kim Chi is both a virgin AND 6'4"... wasn't expecting either of those things, tbh. 

Cons
• Chi Chi DeVayne thinking "New England" was overseas. Oh henny, no...

Click to read more ...

RPDR S8.1 Donut Come For Me!

We're days late arriving to the conversation about RuPaul's Drag Race Season 8 but donut come for me (heh). There are only so many hours in the day. Watching the "Meet the Queens" teaser I predicted Bob, Kim Chi and Laila for the top three (in a betting pool) and then Laila landed in the bottom two the very first episode. Whoops! There goes a tenner.

Kim Chi, who describes herself as an anime character, did a Cowardly Lion homage (there are always movie references!). More after the jump if you're so inclined... 

Click to read more ...

RuPaul's Drag Race is Back, Squirrelfriends

The wait is over, chickadees! Rupaul's Drag Race returns for its eighth season on March 7. Also the show is celebrating in centennial fashion: not only has it hit 100 episodes, but now the show has now ushered 100 drag queens to our tv screens

After an underwhelming seventh season that nevertheless brought new fan favorites like Katya, Trixie Mattel, and winner Violet Chachki, our favorite not-so-guilty pleasure is back with a new batch of queens to adore. And the new crew looks promising, from big names like Derrick Barry (the Britney Spears impersonator) to new blood like Naomi Smalls. Expect the hilarious Bob the Drag Queen to give good quote, with Robbie Turner (part of the same Seattle gang as Jinkx Monsoon and BenDeLaCreme) the frontrunner for the all-important Snatch Game.

The brief glimpse so far is already more enticing than the drab presentation Logo gave the contestants last year - hopefully we have a true return to form.

This season's queens, from left to right:

• Dax Exclamationpoint (Savannah, GA)
• Acid Betty (New York, NY)
• Kim Chi (Chicago, IL)
• Thorgy Thor (Brooklyn, NY)
• Naomi Smalls (Redlands, CA)
• Derrick Barry (Las Vegas, NV)
• Robbie Turner (Seattle, WA)
• Cynthia Lee Fontaine (Austin, TX)
• Naysha Lopez (Chicago, IL)
• Laila McQueen (seated) (Gloucester, NH)
• Chi Chi DeVayne (Shreveport, LA)
• Bob the Drag Queen (New York, NY)

Check out the first look below! Has anyone seen any of these gals live?

(Do) We Need To Talk About Channing

Click to read more ...

HBO’s LGBT History: The Out List (2013)

Manuel is working his way through all the LGBT-themed HBO productions.

Last week we looked at Steven Soderbergh’s Behind the Candelabra, a horror movie of sorts which we all agreed is not as good as the sum of its talented parts. This week we look at Timothy Greenfield-Sanders’s The Out List (Watch Online), a documentary that’s easier to admire than to enjoy.

I actually hesitate in calling it a “documentary” since it’s just a collection of on-camera interviews seemingly strung together one next to the other. Thus, we spend a couple of minutes with Neil Patrick Harris as he discusses his struggles as an out actor. We then hear about Janet Mock’s decision to take up trans rights activism in earnest. We move onto Dustin Lance Black’s experience of growing up in a religious family… and so on and so forth. Each interview is its own mini-doc; the result would, presumably, be a quilted canvas of the contemporary LGBT movement. [More...]

Click to read more ...