RuPaul's Drag Race: Choices 2020
April 25, 2020 4:35 PM - Season 12, Episode 9 - Subscribe

Since there haven't been regular posts since the 3rd episode, let's make it an up to this point free for all, because it can be agreed this has been a season of previously unimagined lows and unpredictable delights amidst a sea of purposefully confusing... choices.

Maybe I should, and maybe I will, cobble together a semi-comprehensive overview of how varied and plentiful the opinions are of what is going on this season, as the primary shit pie was purposely blunted from squarely hitting fans just before every thing got locked down, leading to unique circumstances:

Venues like Roscoe's, which hosted regular viewing parties with the queens, were closed but there are more podcasts, shows, and assorted media about Drag Race than ever--

--AND YET, because everyone is walking this weird line of avoidance with Sherry Pie in terms of the show, ESPECIALLY the show itself, there is an exceptional weirdness in watching the show that makes all the usually accepted contrivances stand out even more... which then makes all the unimpeachably genuine moments shine brighter in relief.

Before dropping the last illusion of objectivity, this seems like an unusually talented crop and I'm not sure if that's being highlighted or obscured by the hasty reediting. While I very much appreciate the reduced level of pie in the face to deal with, there's this unshakeable feeling of not really getting a picture of what's going on beyond the usual reality "shaping" I find unnerving because it is literally adding something by what it takes away: the instability has made it enigmatic.

It's a kind of a feat you only see attempted in an art setting because it's by nature uncomfortable even when it does what it's meant to do, and I by no means think this is what it's meant to do-- there is no way to stick this landing-- but in writing this out, it's occurred to me that where it's failing as a fun tv show, it's become a thing you can't plan even if you're David Lynch: uncanny.
posted by provoliminal (5 comments total) 2 users marked this as a favorite
 
I wrote all that so I can say Heidi, Crystal, and Jaida are all a continuing surprise and delight.
And surprise just makes delight all the more sparkling delightful as only surprise can.
Anyone can add sequins, you gotta make sparkle.
posted by provoliminal at 4:42 PM on April 25, 2020 [2 favorites]


Definitely a strong crop. I have no idea who could be leaving next. I’m surprised it didn’t come up in judging that everyone did well; the bottom two just did less well.

What a weird mini challenge. Fun though.

Was loving Jeff Goldblum until he went down the Muslim tangent with Jackie. Rachel Bloom was fun, seemed like a fan.
posted by supercres at 10:00 PM on April 25, 2020


Some have suggested Jeff's crying could partially be attributed to having a late brother who was gay and had to undergo conversion therapy.
posted by atlantica at 9:58 AM on April 26, 2020


I have missed these posts! It’s definitely a strong crop overall. Crystal has grown on me, but I am 100% here for Heidi.

Jan was a little much for me, but I do this she deserved the win in the Madonna ep, and the production shenanigans there were soooo heavy handed. I am also pretty over Gigi though.

I was sad to see Widow go, even though she did really miss the point of the challenge. But now the only big girl left is you know who, so.

What is happening with the finale?
posted by DiscourseMarker at 11:41 AM on April 26, 2020


I do, of course, have more to say than just a triple stan, but I do think it's notable that almost everyone is a Heidi stan, and i do think that part of that is the oft mentioned "don't think she'll win but love her" thing I don't think they've catchphrased yet.

One of the things I'm not sure how much is due to the edit is how all the queens seem to have this burden of repping their town. When Rock left so upset about letting down SF, my first thought was, "If that's how they felt, then your town doesn't deserve you," thinking it was this pointed way of beating up on themself, but when every single queen has a big deal about "letting down blank," that's got to be a producer prompt, right? Besides Brita who is a slightly different case because I guess she has been on a massive tear of things to win you wouldn't know about from the outside, but also has to deal with looking like an ass now because of how it's clipped together and people who think they're allowed to harass her now.

They've started to do things like provide costumes for the musicals and get some really amazing guest judges and now people are so aware of what it takes to be on the show, they're not punching up their improv/sewing/personal skills but they are mad working on their costumes. You get people like Sherry who've accidentally doomed their costumer to the regular reference to Jaida making all her own stuff, so i do wonder how much of this has been angled into this narrative of shooting down the prideful and how much of this is new, because the few things Sherry does still say besides prompts sounds generally nasty in an entitled way. The queens who could really have their polish down but there is a through line of "looks aren't everything" running parallel with "this is about the illusion."

I don't think they know what they're doing about the finale yet but I bet they are watching hard how the wind blows.

There are too many things to say about too many things. The latest Drag Her podcast has Rachel Bloom on talking a bit about what was going on with Jeff Goldblum amongst other things, the pie has been gaining followers apparently (?) so there's been an additional push to detail the extent of her actions, and much is floundering on the inability to congregate in person--
--oh god and the litter. I have a story about that litter and why i have two untouched boxes in the house.
Too. Many. Things.

(I do think it's funny that I guess the cast are playing up a romance between Gigi and Crystal? Use your illusion.)
posted by provoliminal at 10:29 PM on April 27, 2020


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