FILM & TV

WEEKLY RUCAP | All Stars is back, henny!

Halleloo, ladies! Rupaul is back, and ready add a third queen to the Drag Race Hall of Fame.

RuPaul’s Drag Race | All Stars 4 Official Trailer

WARNING: THIS RUCAP CONTAINS MAJOR SPOILERS!

Hey kitty girls!

Rupaul is back with her new, legendary All Stars in a bombastic season premier that brought more than a few twists and turns. And despite my many fears, it seems that this season aims to not only match the legendary All Stars 2, but chisel it's own place as one of the best seasons of Drag Race we've ever seen. The queens have come to play and honestly, it's relief. This season has definitely been one of the most talked about seasons of the show's herstory - and I was afraid that it wouldn't live up to the hype.

But this premier did that.

We start the episode with the usual work-room walk-in starting with Trixie Mattel rollerblading through the work room door.

She delivers her, now iconic, "Oh hoooney," before almost falling on her face - but she recovers and even gives us an appropriately corny "And that's how I roll." She's perfectly pink, and sporting some 80s neon bodysuit realness. It was so perfectly Trixie and I lived for it. And she wouldn't be Trixie without throwing a little shade, "There's nobody in here. It's like a Morgan McMichaels meet and greet."

Then we had Season 6 club kid favorite, Milk! Serving some "denim pennochio."

It wasn't my favorite look out of the rest of the queens, but it definitely showed of Milk's ability to own any look she puts on. Plus, her opening line, "I just farted," gave me a good chuckle. And honestly, I picked up some definite diva vibes. It makes sense, Milk has seen a lot of success in her post-Drag Race career - but this is Drag Race, and it wouldn't be Drag Race without a little shade.

Then we have bayou queen, Chi Chi DeVayne!

She wears a beautifully made twist on her original entrance look - it's still trash bags, but they're yellow and they don't actually look like trash bags. She looks stunning, even if she can't keep that hat on her head. Not to mention, she brings a certain level of Southern charm that makes you just like her.

Then we have the permanently peppy Brooklyn queen, Thorgy Thor!

She is serving circus clown realness in probably one of the worst entrance looks I've ever seen. But, she makes up for it with her energy, even though she almost broke her foot on the way in.

Then of course, we have the dead bitch, Morgan McMichaels.

And she is slaying in this look! I've seen Morgan on WOWpresents, and I've seen clips of her stellar drag performances, and I am not surprised that the other queens are intimidated by her. She didn't come to play games, and she wants to make sure that every single contestant knows that.

Next is Aja, scooter-ing through in a delightfully skimpy outfit.

And I have to say it, I love her hair, and her make up shows a lot of improvement over the trainwreck that was season nine. She says she has some unfinished business, and I have to say, I was surprised to see her on the cast list. After all, she just finished Season 9 - but hey, I ain't complaining, 'cause this bitch clearly came to play.

Then there's BenDeLaCreme, wearing an atrocious repurposed dress.

Listen, I love BenDeLa, but come on - that dress looks terrible. And why did she have to do the same exact thing she did for her Season 6 entrance. I think Morgan said it well, she feels a little recycled. But, I can't really hate her, because she's too damned sweet!

Next we have one of my favorite entrances, Kennedy Davenport!

She's back, and she's here to show you that she didn't die, SHE CRYSTALLIZED! Sure, it was in a horrible dress, but I don't even care. She's perfect, she beautiful, and even if she looks like she just threw on a bunch of random stuff on a gross yellow dress.

Then we have Miss Shangela Halleloo herself, back in the world for the third time!

She enters in her iconic box, and then reveals into a very Alyssa Edwards-ian dress. I guess the drag daughter doesn't fall far from the tree. I mean, come on, you cannot tell me that you looked at that bow and didn't hear Alyssa's faint tongue-pop in the distance.

And just as the queens speculate about who the tenth queen is going to be, the sirens go off, signifying Rupaul is about to make his entrance. Everyone is confused, and then Ru enters, looking kind of funky in an all red suit, only to reveal that something seems to be wrong - there's someone missing. And after an agonizingly long wait - the mysterious tenth queen is revealed to be...

NONE OTHER THAN SEASON ONE WINNER, BEBE ZAHARA BENET!

Speculations about the mysterious tenth queen have been going on around the internet for ages. But in the end, it seems all signs pointed to Miss Benet's return. And man, what a return it was. I don't know what it is about her, but she exudes this ethereal energy that makes you feel both at ease and incredibly excited. Even though I already kind of knew it was her - I still felt my breath catch when she entered. I mean, look at her.

And the other queens were absolutely gagging - after all, she did win, how are they supposed to compete with someone who already won? We'll just have to see.

Anyway, after the dust settled, we were treated to a rather lackluster reading challenge. I don't know if everyone was just off or what, but they just didn't read very well. Especially poor Thorgy, who just couldn't seem to get a read out without spending twenty or thirty minutes taking me on some weird journey. BenDeLa ended up winning after delivering a surprisingly nasty set. But honestly, I think Kennedy's, "I hate you," towards someone (I think it was Aja) definitely deserved some sort of recognition.

After the reading challenge, Ru revealed that their first Maxi-Challenge would be another Talent Show ala All Stars 2 - and I'm not even mad. I don't know why I love the talent show idea so much - I think it's because we get to see what these queens think they can bring to the table. Ru also informed them that they would be doing the same form of elimination as last season: The winning queen gets to send one of the bottom two home.

Unfortunately, my excitement was short lived. Half of the queens decided they were all going to be doing the same thing, which was a major let down after the surprisingly diverse set the previous season's queens brought. I expected the show to wind up being just boring.

Boy was I wrong. There was a lot of dancing, sure. We had Shangela provide a perfect Alyssa Edwardian dance routine, but with her own twist. Bebe did an amazing Lion King-esque dance/lip-synch that literally transported me out of my body. Kennedy slayed it, as always, but is it really all that impressive if you expect it? Yes. It is. That was a dumb question. And Aja, Jesus Christ, AJA - she did a FLAWLESS performance that ended with a death drop from the top of a huge box to the ground!

BenDeLa slayed with a parody burlesque performance that involved her ripping off bra, after bra, after bra, revealing increasingly ridiculous pasties. It was hilarious, and honestly, I expected nothing less from her. She and Aja were definitely the highlights of the evening.

Thorgy and Trixie both stood out from the crowd, with Trixie doing a beautiful song with an instrument that I cannot identify. And Thorgy blending drag and violin in a fun little performance. They were different, but unfortunately, they both fell a little flat in terms of energy - especially after Aja.

Then we have the lower end of the spectrum. Morgan tried to perform one of her own mixes, but fell flat - it wasn't that it was bad - it was just boring. Chi Chi decided she wanted to look completely busted, and decided to go out with no heels, no pads, and a wig she got from Party City. And then there was Milk, who delivered a weird and dull performance to one his own mixes that basically included him strapping cardboard dresses to himself.

I wasn't surprised to see Aja and Ben take the top, and Morgan and Chi Chi end up on the bottom. The deliberations were definitely different from the last season, with most of the cast (excluding BenDeLa) agreeing that a "group consensus" wasn't going to work.

They each come out and deliver a fun lip synch to Nicki Minaj's "Anaconda," with Aja doing a more poppy-sexy kind of move, and BenDeLa doing a perfectly shtick-y, fun routine. BenDeLa ends up taking the win and (falsely) stating that the group has come to a consensus and that means that she's going to send... Morgan home!

But, much like last season, I doubt this is the last we'll see of Morgan. After all, Rupaul has her back.

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TV Features

RuPaul's Drag Race Has a Class Problem

The popular reality show is not without controversy, but it's time we talk about the class barriers it perpetuates.

Monique Heart - RuPaul's Drag Race

via YouTube.com

There's a lot to say about the various social justice pitfalls of RuPaul's Drag Race, from the discriminatory exclusion of trans contestants to RuPaul Charles' recent fracking controversy.

One issue that hasn't been sufficiently addressed is the show's inherent class problem. With the costs of participating in the show exponentially mounting each season, this issue feels particularly prescient. Nowadays, drag queens have to spend down payment-sized amounts of money in preparation for competing, which creates an inherent class barrier and disadvantages working-class and poor contestants.

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WEEKLY RUCAP | Episode 3: B*itchelor

Oh gurl. This is one of the best episodes of the season so far!

Making up for last week, this episode managed to be one of the most fun and drama-filled episodes of the season. With a fun acting and challenging acting challenge and a surprisingly stellar performance from one Kennedy Davenport - I am so glad to see we're finally getting some of the fun Drag Race is known for. Not to mention, we've got an all-out feud that seemed to be cut short pretty quick and a surprisingly somber lip-synch.
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FILM & TV

WEEKLY RUCAP | The Finale to end all Finales.

The Finale absolutely gagged me. My Wig was snatched. I just can't handle it!

Lawrence Chaney, The Vivienne, Ru Paul & Krystal Versace

Photo by Kieron McCarron/ITV/Shutterstock

Like the #BenDeLaChrist elimination, this recap is going to be very different from my usual fair. I'm not going to divide it up - I'm just going to talk, because there's a lot to talk about, but it all happened in some very critical moments. There was no real beginning to the show - instead it went almost directly to the challenge and then to the deliberation - and it was one of the most stressful episodes of my entire life.

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The reveal of the challenge, a massive lip synch remix to RuPaul's Kitty Girls, that the queens have to choreograph, write, and sing. Not only will it not take place on the mainstage - instead happening behind the scenes - it will also be one live, continuous shot! The queens are actually more excited than nervous, as all of them are convinced that they'll be able to show of their best stuff.

But, Ru didn't let them go without one last twist: The eliminated queens are back-back-back-back back again, and they are going to decide who the final two of the competition are going to be. I know right? I couldn't handle it.

And most of them do when they go in for the choreo-session with Todrick Hall, but poor Bebe isn't a dancer and it certainly shows. Todrick is done with her by the end of the day, as is everyone else, but in the end, the finish and they do one of the best performances in Drag Race herstory!

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We start with Kennedy's amazing entrance. She dances her ass off and her lip synch is super tight! After that, we cut to Bebe, who showed off how true the statement "less is more" is when she lip synchs her ass off and pays tribute to her time on Season One. But she pales in comparison to Shangie and Trixie. Shangela shows off how much of a brilliant diva she is by sashaying and dancing her ass off. And Trixie turns it out, too.

Afterwards, they have the "Best Drag Eleganza Extravaganza," and let me tell you something: they all killed it. Every single one of them.

Bebe: She came out in this beautiful cheetah outfit, that perfectly hugged her body and screamed CAMEROOOOOOON! 10/10

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Kennedy: Came out in a new take on her previous dress from before - and it was a lot, and even though it wasn't my taste, it was beautiful drag. 10/10

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Shangela: She looked straight-up gorgeous. She was not even clockable. She oozed high fashion, Marilyn-Monroe-realness and I lived for every second of it. 10/10

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Trixie: She came out and looked totally different from what she usually brings to the runway. It was an all-black look in this beautifully strange pomp wig. Her dress was elegant but still had that strange, Mattel twist. 10/10

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After the judges said their peace - the real deliberations began. One by one each queen came through. First was Bebe, she delivered this regal speech about her and her crown, and the other queens were really turned off by it. They wanted to see a queen be real, and Bebe is far from it when it comes to competition.

After Bebe was Kennedy, and Kennedy was the exact opposite. Kennedy's appeal was just as personal as her whole story. She talked about how she can educate the young queens of drag, and how she knows what she's doing because she's been around. She has so much to give - and it was beautiful to see her talk so passionately about the art of Drag. But, some queens still didn't feel very comfortable with her for whatever reason.

Then it was Shangela, who talked about how she has built herself up since her previous two seasons. She is brilliant at drag because she learned from amazing queens, she asked questions, and she got her shit together. She has done so much and will continue to do much more with the crown - and I think that's the truth. Shangela has done the best in competition - especially now that BenDeLa has eliminated herself.

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Last was Trixie, who came in and was totally herself. She talked about how important the competition was and how she could bring something new and fun with the crown because she's already done so much. She's created a TV show, and released a folk album that made it to number one on iTunes! She's killing it and she really wants to win this crown!

In the end, the eliminated queens ended up picking Kennedy and Trixie. AND LET ME TELL YOU SOMETHING. I WAS SO HAPPY AND ANGRY! Why? Because I love Trixie, but I recognize that Shangela was robbed of her chance to finish this season out with a bang! She's tried so hard and gave everything to this competition, but she was still left with not even one last chance to get this crown. I was upset, and I felt really sorry for her.

The lip-synch was unimpressive on both ends. I loved Trixie's look and her somber approach to the song - and rolled my eyes at Kennedy's theatrics. For a minute, I thought that Ru would give the crown over to Kennedy - but I was relieved to hear Trixie's name. Even though Shangela was robbed - I was still happy that Trixie got her moment.

And that brings an end to one of the most stressful, up-and-down seasons of my life. Here's to Season 10!

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INTERVIEW | Jonny McGovern of Hey Qween TV!

I got a chance to talk to one of the leaders in queer entertainment today.

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WEEKLY RUCAP | Episode 4: All Stars Snatch Game!

I really thought this was going to be a great Snatch Game - and I was sorely disappointed.

Let me tell you something - everybody looks forward to a good snatch game. And with a team like this - a group that has proven to be both funny, and astounding impersonators - it should have been an AMAZING one. Unfortunately, we were given a game that went on too long, and a bunch of drama that grated on my nerves. I don't know what it is about this season, but something isn't right. Is it the weird fabricated mind games? Or is the clear divide between the talented girls and the girls who don't really deserve to be there?

I don't know.

THE POST-CHALLENGE MEET-UP

This episode was absolutely filled with pettiness - and Milk kicked it off postmortem with her mirror message. It didn't phase any of the queens, because everybody knew how shady Milk was. Nothing jumped out at me with this opening - just Kennedy essentially saying that she sent Milk home for discrediting her drag (which she did). And BenDeLa chose Chi Chi because, well, she's been in the bottom four goddamned times.

Then there was Trixie's little, last second observation. She said that no one was safe, because eliminations weren't based on critiques - they were based on relationships. And that's the gospel truth, because that seems to be the only game most of these girls are playing now.

THE ASSIGNMENTS

There weren't any real assignments this go-around. But RuPaul did reveal that we were doing Snatch Game this week! And right away, everybody is excited. They all start talking about how this challenge shows who the best of the best - and who deserves to be there - which is true. I can't think of one Drag Race winner who didn't do a good job on their Snatch Game performance/

There wasn't a lot that happened during the initial set up - except that Shangela was trying to start some beef with Trixie for no reason - except to get into Trixie's head. It starts with Shangela noticing the note she received from Thorgy after Thorgy's elimination. The note says that Shangela is a shady bitch, and all that. And Trixie is confused - because she also kept Milk's note too.

And yeah, it does seem like a shady thing to do - but I don't think Trixie meant anything by it. Especially because it was hung up in her private area - and it's not like Trixie has ever shown any outward aggression towards Shangela in the past. It seemed very fabricated to me - and Kennedy didn't make it any better after she chimed in. It seems that she and Shangela are taking this alliance thing all the way.

Shangela forgives her, but has Trixie on her list.

Other than that, you have RuPaul going around with special guest, Marc Jacobs, and shading all of the queens' choices. The most shaded were Bebe (who chose the amazing Grace Jones) and Shangela, who actually did a last minute switch from Miss Cleo to Jennifer Lewis.

In the end, this was the line up:

Trixie: RuPaul

Chi Chi: Maya Angelou

Poor Chi Chi didn't get a GIF!

BenDeLa: Paul Lynde

BeBe: Grace Jones

Shangela: Jenifer Lewis

Kennedy: Phaedra Parks

Aja: Crystal Labeija

THE CHALLENGE

This Snatch Game went on forever. Like, far too long - and it wasn't even that good. I sat there watching a lot of the queens go through this train wreck - and the issue was that so many queens who should have done well... tanked. Like bad.

Aja and Bebe were okay. Aja gets some major points for being a huge drag icon and educating some of the masses. After all, who is as iconic as the original mother of the Haus of Labeija? And Bebe was uncharacteristically crass, yet elegant as ever, as Grace Jones. They were both fine, but not incredible.

OH YEAH - AND KRISTEN CHENOWETH WAS JUST THERE? For no reason, except to just hang out and play the game. It's was cute, and she was definitely funny.

BenDeLa and Shangela killed it. BenDeLa once again brought out an iconic portrayal of someone we've never heard of - Paul Lynde - who appeared on a lot of television and film stuff way back when. And Shangela's perfectly sassy portrayal of Jenifer Lewis was hilarious - and had Ru rolling. Of course, I knew these two were going to bring it - they bring it every episode.

Now, we get to the disappointing part of this whole mess. First, Kennedy fell flat as Phaedra Parks of The Real Housewives of Atlanta - she had jokes, they just weren't landing. I was mostly surprised, but also, she has been super up-and-down this season, so not really. And Chi Chi was just bad - she misspelled Maya Angelou's name, and then didn't even deliver on RuPaul's references. It was a train wreck.

The biggest shock of the night was how bad Trixie did as RuPaul. I have always been a fan of Trixie, and I expected her to turn it out this season. She's known for being hilarious, and having watched videos of her live performances - I know she's funny. But her RuPaul was embarrassingly flat - and it didn't read at all. And you could say how much that hurt her throughout the rest of the episode. I was shocked, and disappointed, but also worried.

It can't be easy to know you're failing.

GETTING READY FOR THE RUNWAY

This was surprisingly short, because of the length of the Snatch Game - or maybe it wasn't and the Snatch Game just felt like it went on forever. Either way, this was a speedy transition. We saw Trixie feel horrible about her performance, and almost crumble because of it. BenDeLa admits that Trixie should have won the previous challenge - which Shangela thinks is ingenuous, because Shangela is playing a game that doesn't exist.

And that's all I could remember!

THE RUNWAY

FLOWER POWER

Before we go down the list. I have two points to make:

1. RuPaul's dress was straight up hideous - it was this awful bacon-esque flower monstrosity and I don't know who told her it was okay, but it wasn't.

2. This runway was so fast, I could barely get my ratings down before we moved onto the next queen!

With that, here is my list:

Aja: 10/10 - gorgeous, beautiful, stunning.

Shangela: 9/10 - I loved it so much. She was giving me pregnant flower fantasy and it was amazing.

Bebe: 10/10 - gorgeous, stunning, amazing, ethereal, transcendent, goddess.

Kennedy: 7/10 - a sunflower dress with some sunflowers blooming out of a black dress. Pretty, but not that amazing.

Chi Chi: 6/10 - The judges loved this, but I thought it was too much.

Trixie: 5/10 - This was not her night and this dress reminded me of her Ugliest Dress from a few episodes ago.

BenDeLa: 6/10 - I don't remember her dress.

All in all, this went too fast to really enjoy - but hey, what are you going to do?

CRITIQUES + DELIBERATION

SAFE: AJA + BEBE

WINNERS: SHANGELA + BENDELA

BOTTOM: CHI CHI + KENNEDY + TRIXIE

There wasn't a lot that went into this deliberation. Bebe and Aja were praised for their outfits and told that their Snatch Game performances were decent - and then were told that they were safe. Chi Chi and Kennedy were read for their Snatch Game performances - as was Trixie/

Trixie's critique upset me, because I'm not used to seeing her like that - so emotional. And you could hear the genuine fear and worry in her voice - and it hurt her to admit how scared of the competition she was. I was glad to heard Michelle sticking up for and saying what everyone is thinking: We want to see the real Trixie Mattel.

In the Work Room - we see Trixie confiding to everyone that she's not handling the pressure well. She's having a much worse time than she's been showing, and she can't help it. It's heartbreaking - but it makes sense, because she hasn't really been present. She's faded into the background, and that's not the Trixie I've come to know. It's unfortunate, and I hope she picks herself up next episode.

Chi Chi, when talking with BenDeLa, basically says that she's been in the bottom four times and she's okay to go. It's nice to see her being honest with herself, I just wish she would try a little harder and not sabotage herself.

Then there's Shangela and Kennedy. Shangela gives Trixie a hug, and talks more about her alliance strategy. Trixie explains the note - and they seem to walk away on good terms. But Shangela is playing this weird, manufactured game that none of the other girls are actually playing. And she admits that she still doesn't trust Trixie.

Kennedy thinks she doesn't belong in the bottom - and she totally does - but she doesn't deserve to go home.

THE LIP SYNCH

The lip synch to I Kissing A Girl by Katy Perry is dull. Shangela plays the sexy and BenDeLa plays up the campy comedy. HOWEVER, at the end, when Ru was deciding the winner, I was on the edge of my seat. I knew that if Shangela won then she was definitely sending Trixie home, and that BenDeLa was her only shot. AND THEN RUPAUL SAID THEY BOTH WON, AND I FLIPPED OUT.

BenDeLa revealed that she was sending Chi Chi home - thank god - and then Shangela took her sweet time talking about her choice, before ALSO REVEALING THAT SHE WAS SENDING CHI CHI HOME.

I breathed a sigh of relief, and shut my laptop. This episode wasn't great, but it kept me on the edge of my damned seat, I'll tell you that.

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