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Drag. Drag never ends, Drag Race never ends, but it's a new year and it's time for the return of the mothership! Yes, welcome to the Drag Race thread for 2024!!! We'll talk about any and all drag media here, from Drag Race to Dragula and anything inbetween! But first... Previously, on Drag Race 2023: Is that Sasha Colby? Should we go home now? Season 15 opened with 16 Queens, the largest number in a main line season to date, but it was honestly over before it started. Sasha Colby, a G-O-D-D-E-S-S of the drag world, strode into the room and demolished the competition. I mean, look at this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V6tz4jXYIGg Sasha was in the bottom once the entire season (for the standup challenge) and never had to LSFYL. While her crowning was evident all season, she’s also the perfect reigning queen for the current political climate. Planned or no, having a strong, stunningly beautiful trans woman as the face of your franchise opposite all the bullshit bills trying to be passed everywhere is a rebuke to all of the haters. Condragulations, Sasha Colby, and long may she reign. This large cast was also hampered by a decision by MTV to cut episodes back to an hour so that they could air a new gay-themed reality show between the episode and Untucked. It failed spectacularly, and the show went back to its traditional 90 minutes leading directly into Untucked once it ended. Look, I get what MTV was doing and I liked the idea in theory, but there’s no reason to split up the flow that we’ve been used to for so long. I expect we’re back to 90 for Season 16. Please? Thankfully, the season was still a joy despite MTV’s tinkering. We walked out of this season with so many potential All-Stars queens added to the queue. In the premiere we were all shocked when Irene Dubois (rightfully) went home after a horrible talent show performance when it looked like she was going to be a main character for the season. The twins, Sugar and Spice, were more than just a gimmick and while they couldn’t lipsync they did provide killer looks and were both endearing and hilarious. Loosey LaDuca “Let Loose” into our hearts as the season’s punching bag. Her talent show song became a fantastic meme, her attempt to include mini-challenge wins in track record was one of the most amazing moments of the year (only topped by Canada’s Drag Race, but more on that later), and she fell just short of the Final Four. I can’t wait for her to grace our screens again in a couple of years. Points to Salina EsTitties for an amazing name, killer interviews, and a series of outfits that both had a clear point of view and also completely unpredictable. Marcia Marcia Marcia was a successful musical theatre artist that arrived with the performance skills but a more subtle drag aesthetic that marked her as an also-ran in production’s eyes. Really, eliminate her before the Rusical challenge??? She had the performance chops and gave us the best LSFYL duel of the season. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HxMvZ7OeXYc (That should have been a double-save.) You’ll notice that all of these clips include Anetra, and well deserved. She destroyed all of us with her talent show performance, she navigated the contest with ease, and always slayed when it came time to LSFYL. When she and Sasha went head-to-head in the mid-season Lip-Sync battle… https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_yq1BvYib9s https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k2ttvsNk_YM&t=1254s (I was one of those gays losing their mind in the bar when that happened.) I mean REALLY. A respectable second place. Rounding out the top four was Luxx Noir London and Mistress Isabelle Brooks. Luxx was young, full of confidence, and had the chops to back it up. Her conversation with Sugar and Spice about the power of social media drag and how it’s a great starting point for young queens who can’t or don’t want to get involved in the bar scene was enlightening, and Ru obviously saw a version of herself in Luxx. It was great when Ru almost cried talking to Luxx during one of the critiques, we rarely see real emotion. Mistress was the pot-stirrer of the season, able to both throw and take shade from everyone in stride. She wasn’t a villain, but she made the show more fun. She was also the standard bearer for old-school drag for the season, and we’re better for it. Eventually, 90-minute versions of the shrunken episodes were released. I haven’t gone back to watch them yet, but I should give the rest of the cast some more air time. Robin Fierce, we haven’t forgotten you even if the producers did. God Bless Alexis Michelle https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OQ4BZYYdgFQ All-Stars 8 was going to be a let down no matter what they did. It’s impossible for them to follow the brilliant All Winners season, and seems like they decided to not try. Instead, they brought back a… varied cast of recent queens including both queens we’ve been waiting to see on All Stars, and a few that made you say “Huh?” Add the return to regular All-Stars rules and it was a fairly disappointing time. Then as the season started some of the fan favorites were quickly sent home. Darienne Lake and Mrs. Kasha Davis were eliminated earlier than expected, while Heidi N. Closet walked out after not being happy with how both production and how the cast was acting. This happened over three successive weeks! It got to the point where Ru made an unscheduled visit to try and get the rest of the cast back in a good headspace. The season wasn’t a complete waste. Jaymes Mansfield and Kahanna Montrese were able to far exceed their original runs, LaLa Ri shone on her return visit, and a whole new generation got to experience Jessica Wild. But the “heart?” of the season was Alexis Michelle. Alexis came into the season ready to bring the drama. She cried, made dramatic statements, cried some more, flirted with LaLa Ri, THEN ELIMINATED HER, AND THEN FLIRTED WITH HER EVEN MORE. I MEAN REALLY! So good. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g5-sJmj5ocw The season came down to Kandy Muse vs Jimbo, and while Jimbo is not a threat in a typical LSFYL they destroyed the weekly challenges and eventually won her spot in the Drag Race Hall of Fame. It’s well deserved, as she destroyed the competition. I mean, look at her Snatch Game performance! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dGFXDm2ljcM&t=418s Amazing. Points to Kandy for being fun all season, and showing her amazing dress design skills.  And All the Rest… At this point there are so many series released each year it’s hard to keep up. We’ll talk about all of them here, so if you like one talk about it! If you don’t care for a season, drop it! Watch what gives you joy! I’m going to solicit additional reviews and add them a few posts down, but I need to talk about a couple of series that deserve attention. Surprisingly, both have a couple of weeks left at the start of this new thread: Canada’s Drag Race: HOLY poo poo this season has been great so far. There is a new rule, the Golden Beaver, where three queens were placed in the bottom each week and the winner of the challenge got to save one of them from the LSFYL. I wonder if this was a trial for an All-Stars replacement, but it was so successful in bringing the drama. I don’t want to spoil it, go watch Season 4, Episodes 4-6 to see things POP. OFF. The Beaver has gone away after that arc, but it helped them chew the scenery so it did its job. Dragula: The Boulets fully took over production and it shows. The floor shows are even more focused on showing the work of the Monsters, production shows a bit more of the design process, and they added a turntable, so we get an even better view of the finished product. The artistry of the top queens is so high, we’ll see who goes forward into the Top 3 (or 4), and the rest have had some iconic moments. They also are lampshading the fake “OH NO WE’RE OUT OF TIME” siren so hard now it’s hysterical. SUPPORT LOCAL DRAG That’s it. Support your local Queens, not just the people on TV Bring on 2024! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o6jSe1CixGQ -- "We are not here to judge your drag. Drag is art, and art is subjective. What we are judging you on is your drag as it relates to this competition" – The Boulet Brothers “I don’t want to see any loving H&M!” – RuPaul Pinwiz11 fucked around with this message at 05:31 on Jan 5, 2024 |
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Jan 5, 2024 05:09
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What is RuPaul's Drag Race? I've never watched it. RuPaul's Drag Race is a competitive reality show where Drag Queens compete in a series of challenges to prove that they have the Charisma, Uniqueness, Nerve, and Talent to be crowned the Next Drag Superstar and win a lot of money. Episodes are pretty typical for the format: The girls may complete in a mini-challenge that may gives the winner(s) some kind of advantage, a main challenge which can be anything from building costumes to acting to putting civilians in drag, and finally a runway show. The judges pick a winner, and then the Bottom Two queens battle it out in the Lip Sync... For Your Life!  Ru judges the LSFYL and the loser goes home.We can nitpick the show, talk about how there are too many series each year, and how the overall experience is very cookie-cutter now but when it’s on it's a joy to watch. The important thing to keep in mind is that these girls are professional Drag Queens. They know (for the most part) how to speak, put on a show, throw shade, and give us the cutting one-liners in the confessionals that we expect. The best prize is to make it on the show as the exposure gives them a chance to make a living off of their art, and a chance at $100,000 doesn't hurt. Even being the first one kicked off (example: Miss Vangie) can work for you. We're not watching some teenager thinking that they can sing or model, in theory, these Queens have the goods necessary to make it on the show and the thick skin necessary to make it work. Challenges include: - Singing challenges, including the Rusical - Designing/performing/failing at Choreography - Dress construction - Acting challenges - Makeup challenges and Makeovers - Excuses to show hot guys in underwear - Etc. The final in-studio challenge is typically writing/recording/performing individual verses for Ru song. Much more palatable than previous Ru-related challenges, and occasionally we get gold like https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ep1k7ZHi0mQ&t=180s  The main Drag Race ends with a "live" finale where the remaining queens Lip Sync... For The Crown and while it's started to have diminishing returns I think it's better to have a final duel and "live" coronation in front of a crowd than a crowning away from public eyes. "Live". When available, make sure you stay tuned for Untucked after the main episodes for that extra backstage drama. The Judges  RuPaul Charles  The leader of the merry bunch, we thank Ru year after year for coming up with the tasty weekly confection that is RuPaul's Drag Race. What else is there to say? Okay, let's be real. The winner of the show is picked by Ru. The person who is kicked off each week is picked by Ru. This is Ru's baby. It exists to give glory to Ru and help sell her albums (now on iTunes). You thought it was bad to ignore Tim Gunn? DON'T IGNORE RU. Yes, Ru has been problematic at times. No one denies this, and she deserves to the called out when warranted (and the lack of openly trans queens on the show gets more maddening each season), but she has also helped to create this show that lets these Queens make a living doing Drag and has really influenced the culture. The show is great, Ru is great, and Ru says stupid things reasonably often. It's a contradiction wrapped in an Epstein Parker suit. Fracking. The rest of the main judges:  Michelle Visage  (That picture still is everything forever.) Every once in a while I remember that Michelle wasn't an original judge on the show and I have to pause and collect my wits. The show started to take off once Michelle replaced Merle. Coincidence? If Ru is the Mother, then Michelle is the stern Aunt. Michelle wants all of the queens to reach their potential, so she's willing to be harsh but it always comes from a place of live. She's been friends with RuPaul forever, co-hosted with Ru on her VH1 talk show, has been a more than welcome addition to the judging panel since the third season, and is the one who really goes on the road with the queens to help push the brand. She's fabulous. Carson Kressley https://twitter.com/dvvidmurray/status/858288639238909952  Carson's perfect for the show. Fashion advice, snarky comments, good play with the rest of the judges. Ross Matthews  A Drag Race superfan, Ross came in a couple of times and guest judged and was so good that they brought him in to rotate the judges seat with Carson. He knows his stuff, he knows how to provide good reality TV, and his pun game is excellent. Plus, he's more than willing to disagree with Michelle. TS Madison https://twitter.com/RuPaulsDragRace/status/1604880810691420160 The Icon TS Madison has finally joined the Drag Race Judge family! So happy for her! The Pit Crew  Eye candy, props, set movers... you call them and they'll show up in their skivvies. RACERS, START YOUR ENGINES AND MAY THE BEST DRAG QUEEN WIN! Pinwiz11 fucked around with this message at 05:12 on Jan 5, 2024 |
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Jan 5, 2024 05:09
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So much drag race and other shows, so let's hear from you! DRAGULA alf_pogs posted:this season of Dragula the floor shows have been a bit less edited; this is a bit of a bummer for me, because i loved how each of them was basically a high-def smash cut videoclip. it really differentiated itself from drag race. now you get a bit of slo-mo but not really the full smash-cut quick edit extravaganza that we got in s3 and s4. Pinwiz11 fucked around with this message at 05:35 on Jan 5, 2024 |
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Jan 5, 2024 05:09
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LET'S MEET... OUR QUEENS! Amanda Tori Meating - 26 - Los Angeles, California  Dawn - 24 - New York City, New York  Geneva Karr - 30 - Brownsville, Texas  Hershii LiqCour-Jeté - 31 - Los Angeles, California  Megami - 33 - New York City, New York  Mhi'ya Iman Le'Paige - 34 - Miami, Florida  Mirage - 29 - Las Vegas, Nevada  Morphine Love Dion - 25 - Miami, Florida  Nymphia Wind - 27 - New York City, New York  Plane Jane - 24 - Boston, Massachusetts  Plasma - 24 - New York City, New York  Q - 26 - Kansas City, Missouri  Sapphira Cristál - 34 - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania  Xunami Muse - 33 - New York City, New York 
Pinwiz11 fucked around with this message at 05:47 on Jan 5, 2024 |
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Jan 5, 2024 05:10
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Because there's so much drag race (and other non-drag race franchise shows!) now, there's no way to cover it in a single post. If you liked a particular season from last year, write a brief summary of it and make the case for watching it! I'll add it to the testimonial post above! Now let's do this! Pinwiz11 fucked around with this message at 05:34 on Jan 5, 2024 |
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Jan 5, 2024 05:11
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this is also the unofficial DRAGULA thread and this season has been entertaining and a bit different! alf_pogs posted:this season of Dragula the floor shows have been a bit less edited; this is a bit of a bummer for me, because i loved how each of them was basically a high-def smash cut videoclip. it really differentiated itself from RPDR. now you get a bit of slo-mo but not really the full smash-cut quick edit extravaganza that we got in s3 and s4.
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Jan 5, 2024 05:33
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Also, Drag Race releases the first act of each episode on Wednesdays. Here's a taste before tomorrow! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=soBVqx6bDbE
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Jan 5, 2024 05:36
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Sapphira Crystal's image is wrong.
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Jan 5, 2024 05:45
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Pan Dulce posted:Sapphira Crystal's image is wrong. UGH! I haven't done that in years. e: It's also a different size from the site I pulled it from compared to the others... but she does say that bigger is better so...
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Jan 5, 2024 05:48
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Beverly kills was back in Brisbane presumably for personal stuff BC she did a random night hosting drag bingo at my work which is an absolute piss ant gig even by local drag standards and it was great. I normally finish work and go have a beer in the smoking area at the end of the beer garden where it's held and I've seen the two regular hosts tell a lot of the same jokes over and over and you can tell it's a bit rote for them but I booked a table this week and they were having an absolute blast, you could tell they'd known Bev for years and were having a blast with a fresh crowd and their and Bev's shows were great and my housemate won the last round so we got very drunk and her 17 year old daughter was having a great time being at a local drag show and it was her first live drag show outside of werk the world
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Jan 5, 2024 05:48
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RPDR Canada: Seriously, the makeover challenge is all about getting rid of the queens they want to get rid of. "You're twinning TOO hard." WTF?! Supernova Matrix should have let Aurora Matrix get to the top. Denim obviously is the best. Venus didn't deserve a top position, she was totally middle of the pack. Buffy 'Nough and Conchita Verga deserved bottom though. I'm surprised; Melinda knows how to sew and she made her husband THAT gown? I knew the makeup was going to be bad, considering Melinda has weird makeup with (I agree with Brooke) not enough blush. GODDAMN IT, NEARAH NUFF STAYED. UUUUUUUGH. FML
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Jan 5, 2024 07:16
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Pan Dulce posted:RPDR Canada: Seriously, the makeover challenge is all about getting rid of the queens they want to get rid of. "You're twinning TOO hard." WTF?! Supernova Matrix should have let Aurora Matrix get to the top. Denim obviously is the best. Venus didn't deserve a top position, she was totally middle of the pack. Buffy 'Nough and Conchita Verga deserved bottom though. I'm surprised; Melinda knows how to sew and she made her husband THAT gown? I knew the makeup was going to be bad, considering Melinda has weird makeup with (I agree with Brooke) not enough blush. I lost all hope today I dunno now. Aurora for the win I guess. But they've been pushing
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Jan 5, 2024 09:37
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It's been such a long and lovely year for me personally that I straight up forgot Sasha was the reigning and that whole Let Loose nonsense. I've fallen off the drag wagon and I'd appreciate any propaganda telling me where to hop back on.
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Jan 5, 2024 11:14
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Does anyone know where the new US season will stream in the US?
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Jan 5, 2024 14:53
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Pan Dulce posted:Does anyone know where the new US season will stream in the US? I'd assume e: Apparently the free pass can be found here: https://www.mtv.com/live-tv/xzq4o4 There's also other streaming packages that have live MTV. Pinwiz11 fucked around with this message at 17:44 on Jan 5, 2024 |
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Jan 5, 2024 15:03
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Pan Dulce posted:RPDR Canada: Seriously, the makeover challenge is all about getting rid of the queens they want to get rid of. "You're twinning TOO hard." WTF?! Supernova Matrix should have let Aurora Matrix get to the top. Denim obviously is the best. Venus didn't deserve a top position, she was totally middle of the pack. Buffy 'Nough and Conchita Verga deserved bottom though. I'm surprised; Melinda knows how to sew and she made her husband THAT gown? I knew the makeup was going to be bad, considering Melinda has weird makeup with (I agree with Brooke) not enough blush. Well you see, if you literally inherited your face from your mom so you can paint her the way you paint yourself then it's good that you have family resemblance. If you somehow managed to turn a completely unrelated person into a clone of yourself, well, that's simply too much drag!!
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Jan 5, 2024 21:36
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Eej posted:Well you see, if you literally inherited your face from your mom so you can paint her the way you paint yourself then it's good that you have family resemblance. If you somehow managed to turn a completely unrelated person into a clone of yourself, well, that's simply too much drag!! Also I love the comment of not painting big enough when Venus is standing right there.
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Jan 6, 2024 01:47
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I'm watching the end of last year's finale and... Spice is sitting behind me, isn't she? Season 16 is a go!
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Jan 6, 2024 02:00
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I was trying to figure out who Morphine looks like. I think I've settled on the lesbian daughter in First Wives Club? Of course with a lot more makeup
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Jan 6, 2024 02:08
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Holy FUUUUUUCK immunity is back?!
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Jan 6, 2024 02:29
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Finally gonna get to see Bob & Monets live show / podcast taping tonight after being canceled and rescheduled like 5 times
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Jan 6, 2024 02:47
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That was a good first episode. Despite my hesitation about the new voting format, I feel like they got the tops and the bottoms correct. The top 3 were my favorite of the episode. Shocked that we're getting a 40 minute Untucked tonight, maybe lots of extra Charlize Theron? I always feel bad when they do a split premiere and the first group gets a guest judge who is a substantially much bigger deal than the guest judge in the second episode.
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Jan 6, 2024 03:25
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It's definitely a solid start, and giving out an immunity idol for each part of the split premiere is a good idea. We'll see how Rate-A-Queen fares once all 14 are together.
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Jan 6, 2024 03:33
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Saphira has me fully on board.
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Jan 6, 2024 06:10
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TeamSapphira, TeamDawn, and even though her edit already screams "early out", TeamMirage. I already know I'll be TeamNymphia next week. Qrinity the Qruck, er, Q has also impressed me where I didn't think much of her preseason. Excited to see her in a sewing challenge. Also, it sent me that Mirage's immediate connection upon seeing Charlize was Aeon Flux.
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Jan 6, 2024 06:29
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I am absolutely #teamSapphira, and while I know she's not going to last long I'm loving Amanda. (Also, as a former Kansan I feel Q deeply.)
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Jan 6, 2024 06:31
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Oh same for Amanda. She's got real 1st or 2nd out energy but I love her a lot. So far I'm a real fan of everyone though.
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Jan 6, 2024 06:34
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Add me to TeamSapphira and TeamDawn. Their ability to banter with and playfully shade Ru so effortlessly during the mini challenge put them ahead of everyone else. And then for Sapphira to do it again during her performance and on the runway? Pure CharismaUniquenessNerveTalent. But I am genuinely enjoying all the girls; this was fun.
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Jan 6, 2024 08:06
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Yeah Sapphira, Dawn and Mirage are my "I def wanna see where this goes" picks
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Jan 6, 2024 16:32
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Loved Mirage and her heel clacks. Seeing Amanda next to Dawn with their colored faces really brought home how much more skilled Dawn is at makeup. This season looks amazing already and I'm excited to see Nymphia next week!
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Jan 6, 2024 16:35
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I loathe the talent show format tbh but this was a good episode overall. Sapphira is just everything for me. Dawn also has a lot to show I can tell and I can't wait to find out what it is. No real weak queens but xunami was underwhelming but had some real gem moments tucked in there so I can sort of see her really doing well
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Jan 6, 2024 16:41
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Xunami is relying on pretty. I knew it was between her and Amanda, who is talented, but MESSY. I am glad no one is out though because I appreciate that the queens get at least one episode to make their mark and show their best skill before being Porkchopped. I am worried about the queens voting because we saw how it works in All-Stars. Factions and strategic voting means the best queens go home too soon and leave middle ground bitches to win. Totally agree with the tops. Sapphira gave great Symone lipsync in that she started out subtle, but then burst out in a show. Q and Dawn are amazing too. I can’t wait to see them duke it out in a sewing challenge. I was ready to not like Mirage because I don’t like mean girls, but she werked those stripper heels so I’m here for her too.
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Jan 6, 2024 18:05
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Wait, is the voting going to be a recurring thing? I thought it was just for the talent show. Though it would be kind of a waste to come up with this format and never have it result in an elimination.
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Jan 6, 2024 19:14
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Is there a way to watch this on demand as it airs?
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Jan 6, 2024 19:43
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big black turnout posted:Is there a way to watch this on demand as it airs? I don't know if you still can, but you used to be able to create a free 24 hour account to watch MTV live on their website. Just use incognito mode and a new burner email each week.
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Jan 6, 2024 20:18
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At this point I feel like you should not be allowed to lip sync your own song at the talent show. It’s your song and singing is your talent, do it live. I know the point is to get royalties from your song being in the show.
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Jan 7, 2024 00:02
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Oh man, the rate a queen poo poo is going to get reallllly old if they do the full thing every episode. Mirage really really surprised me going from her entrance look to that performance & runway. I wanna see her clack heels every week, can't get enough. She's also very cute and charming, but we have a LOT of cute and charming queens already in Q, Dawn and Sapphira. Sapphira has strong strong winner energy to me, her performance feels effortless and she's SO confident and Ru already loves her. Hope she gets a new breastplate though. Also do you think Amanda Tori was embarrassed standing next to Dawn, with her perfectly blended purple face?
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Jan 7, 2024 00:36
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Demon_Corsair posted:At this point I feel like you should not be allowed to lip sync your own song at the talent show. It’s your song and singing is your talent, do it live. <_< Adore would like to have a word with you about the problems of singing your own song live in a talent show. I mean, I know singing live is hard and she has the capability, considering she's done it before on American Idol and on tour, but production can gently caress around with how it comes out SO easily, it's easier to lipsync.
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Jan 7, 2024 01:11
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I8vpKLCactg
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Jan 7, 2024 01:16
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Wonderful, and you know Katya loved every moment of their role.
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Jan 7, 2024 01:33
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