RuPaul's Drag Race: Season Six (TAKE TWO)

[Jordan Catalano]

Honestly, I've never been a fan of Darienne. She's probably just very insecure with herself, so she constantly reads the others. I've been over her since week 3.

[Kad]

I was fine with her until after Snatch Game, when her bitch switch got flipped.

[broadwayguy2]

I pretty much lost it when Darienne walked out dressed like an Elephant.
This week should have belonged to Bendelacreme. The interview,a s shown, as great and the runway look was spot on for theme AND coutoure and outside of her usual wheelhouse.
I was not impressed by Courtney. Yes, the wings were impressive, but otherwise it was a simple ensemble and safely within Courtney's usual.
Adore and Joslyn just did NOT understand the runway looks. They could try to write it off as pushing boundaries and being daring, but it was not.
Paila clearly was given a refresher course on adore before filming.
Joslyn needed to go. The runway as awful and that interview was an unending disaster. The abortion topic? What in gawd's name?!? Horrific.
Trinity was solidly middle of the pack here.

It was not Bianca's week... The interview was good, but one sided.. And the critiques were just. The runway look was fantastic and melded theme and Bianca well, but had nothing on Ben's or even Trinity's...

[JerseyGirl2]

Okay, God forbid I actually watch the damn show through without coming here and commenting, but LAWD...

When they introduced Georgia Holt as a singer, I thought, "Okay... fine. She can be a singer. She did make an album." She's Cher's mom, for Pete's sake. That's her claim to fame. Then when Joslyn said, "Georgia Holt... I love my country music and she's got a voice like no other!" I was like, "huh?" Yes, she made a bunch of old recordings and some of Cher's people pieced them together into an album, but it didn't sell. It's not like a country music fan would have heard it. lol They made it sound like she was Tammy Wynette.

[Stage Door Sally]

I liked Darienne at first, but not anymore. She's just a one-note bitch and there is no talent there. Her runway look was a gray dress and tusky earrings. Big whoop. Ben nailed the interview and runway. But the producers want to keep the competiveness going, so they give the win to Courtney.

Joslyn was beyond bad in both her offensive interview and chickensh*t runway look, and yet she doesn't end up in the bottom two? Producers, producers, producers. Can't we just have an honest competition?

[JerseyGirl2]

I thought Courtney's interview was better then Ben's, but they were both good. I was surprised that Bianca wasn't better.

There was NO excuse for Joslyn to NOT be in the bottom 2. NO EXCUSE.

[Roscoe]

Maybe RuPaul had had enough of Trinity's "I Was Nervous And Unprepared" schtick. It was getting tiresome, frankly.

And the whole Chaz/Chad thing was embarassing, but not particularly surprising. The English language is not Trinity's best friend -- he made a glaring mistake a few weeks back when he said he wanted to expire the community.

[TheatreFan4]

And amidst the flurry of hate not only does the shemale or female challenge get taken down, which is fair, but "Shemail" has also been taken out of all future episodes. Which... Is ridiculous and reeks of #CancelColbert and flipping out over NPH as Hedwig. They don't get the joke and the context. It's not s Trans slur in this sense, it's an email pun.

http://ohnotheydidnt.livejournal.com/87322664.html

[ErikJ972]

Are any of those people that responded transsexual?

[newintown]

I, too, would have given Ben the top spot last night; Courtney is gorgeous and has charisma, but she seemed a bit tired in the small bit of her interview they showed; and while that costume was stunning, it looked unwieldy, like she could do no more than just stand there with the wings out.

Darienne needs to learn that no one likes a nasty fat girl - study Latrice Royale: if you're gonna be a big girl, you need a either a warm persona or a LOT more wit than Miss Lake possesses.

I do think that both Darienne and Jocelyn have less to offer than Trinity, but none of them were ever going to win, so...

[Jordan Catalano]

"I'm the Diane Sawyer of the jungle".

[TheatreFan4]

Are any of those people that responded transsexual?

Sonique is.

[SonofRobbieJ]

The whole 'She-Mail' thing is interesting. I've never had a problem with it, but when something as subversive as drag aspires to become more mainstream, what's going to get left behind? I hate to think that all the edge and dark humor and salty language is going to be washed away in some GLAAD-led hose down. Here's a piece by Our Lady J that articulates who I feel about it.
Our Lady J

[Jordan Catalano]

I think the people who complain about how outraged they are that RuPaul's Fvcking Drag Race is transphobic are just as "outraged" as a lot of Republitards are over, well, anything.

If some people aren't "outraged" over something than they have nothing to live for.

[SonofRobbieJ]

Look, I get that I can't tell people how to feel. And I get that some people will object to some of the language used. But there's what entertainer wants to be completely guarded all the time for fear that they'll offend someone. Jesus Christ, even Ellen Degeneres got called out on her 'transphobic' Liza joke. But...it wasn't 'transphobic'. And to call it such is to lessen the meaning of the word. Going after RuPaul over the words She-Mail (or tranny or what have you) seems so counterproductive to what we should be doing as a community.

[Jordan Catalano]

Of course we can't tell people how to feel. But I call bullish!t on a lot of the things these people are "feeling" in the first place.

[TheatreFan4]

Of course we can't tell people how to feel. But I call bullish!t on a lot of the things these people are "feeling" in the first place.

Exactly. If they were actually interested in campaigning the allegeged transphobia on Drag Race they had 1, 2, 3, 4, All Stars, Season 5, but not until we were halfway through season 6, when something in bad taste actually happened, did anyone decide that "She Mail" was a problem.

And if anyone is really going into Drag Race and would honestly feel offended that men who dress up in women's clothes and use the word tranny on occasion, then I pray for you.

[JerseyGirl2]

Carmen also came out against it. It didn't bother me, honestly, but I am not transgender. I think a much bigger deal is being made out of the use of it and its removal. Gabourey Sidibe caught all kinds of crap for talking about "trannies" getting arrested in New Orleans. She said, "We have to stop this tranny on tranny violence." I thought it was pretty funny. She had to issue an apology. On one hand, it's great that the trans community is finally in a place to stand up when offended. On the other hand, it's a lot of tempest in a tea pot.

[Kad]

I think it's mostly a result of the trans community not having any actual power in terms of national policy. They have to demonstrate they have power- yet they don't have enough to effect much legislation even on a state level. But they CAN (often successfully) assert themselves on popular culture.

Perhaps it's a long game that may eventually work out for the trans community- change the culture and then change the laws. But right now, I don't think it's particularly effective. It plays into the Republican charges of "thought policing" "political correctness gone crazy" etc etc, and makes them look petty and narrow.

[ErikJ972]

I haven't watched Drag Race this season so I did't even know this was brewing until it exploded on Facebook yesterday. But some of the memes created in response were definitely transphobic and I found that disappointing.
I tend to defer to the group that's offended. I can't claim to know what the reaction to this in the trans community has been. But I do know what's it's like for someone who has never experienced homophobia to tell me what is and isn't homophobic.

[SonofRobbieJ]

'I tend to defer to the group that's offended.'

Ask do I, but most trans folks I know tend to side with RuPaul on this one. Of course, most of them are performers and tend to take the idea of using speech however they wish very seriously. I don't know how it would be for a trans person who works in an office and has to deal with sh*t every day. It's hard when a 'group' really isn't monolithic in its thinking.

[TheatreFan4]

I think it's because intent is always important. You have gay men who dress in drag who often face the same troubles as Trans Women. They act like they're the only ones who have these insults hurled at them. Do you really take their use of the word and puns to be an attack on you? This isn't someone on Fox News spewing ignorance to deluded masses. It's a show on Logo with the most accepting and inclusive viewership out there and you're ready to burn RuPaul at the stake for using Shemail? Pick your enemies wisely and make sure it's not an ally that may end in burning bridges.

[broadwayguy2]

Again, as was said previously here, the "controversy" is foolish and reeks of people wanting attention.
All toooften we hear about oppressed minorities talk about taking ownership of words that are used in a derogatory way. You know what? We have all taken ownership if those words, to act as though they dont exist or should not exist is ridiculous and you give that word undue power...
HOWEVER.
This word has NOTHING to do with the transgendered community.
"She-male" refers to at transgener person, "she-male" is an e-mail pun.
... Also, why are many of the "outraged" people not trans, but gay men and some. Lesbians trying VERY hard to proge how aceting and liberal and politically correct they are? THAT is what annoying me. "Listen to the trans community"... Then why are you telling me to listen to you? "It is jot a big deal, just dont use the word because someone doesnt like it".. Well, if it isnt a big deal, why are you making it one? And EVERY word, no matter how innocent, has people who dislike it. You can't not offend everyone.

[Jordan Catalano]

moist.

[SonofRobbieJ]

Girl...You need Spell Czech!

(That's my little pun about my people...I hope the Slovaks aren't offended).

I think it's good to be open to the fact that some people do not believe that reclaiming hateful language is useful or a good thing. And I think it's absurd to claim that the 'She-Male' pun has nothing to do with trans people or drag performers. Of course it does...that's why it works. I much prefer to see a healthy debate about these issues than a blanket banning of speech deemed unacceptable to some.

[Kad]

I've also noticed a great deal of growing hostility toward allies.