Culture

RuPaul’s Drag Race season 11 episode 2: ‘Skinny shame’ and Michael Jackson

Mar 08 2019
Written by Charlie Jones

Miss Vanjie reacts to the Untucked drama. (Netflix)

RuPaul’s Drag Race returned for its second week with Good God Girl, Get Out. Should you take the advice and run, or stick with it?

Drag Race Season 11 Episode 2 Good God Girl, Get Out and Why it Gotta be Black Panther? the verdict

How much Charisma, Uniqueness, Nerve and Talent was episode two packing?

Overall: C.U.

Gia Gunn’s back! Well, in spirit. Ru’s worried Season 11 will be a repeat of Season 9, and has chosen to fix it by channelling Villanelle herself.

If you’re a semi-legendary queen—or Derrick Barry—you can come back for a mini challenge. If you’re an influential queen (Violet Chachki) you can inspire a runway. But only the baddest of bonafide bitches can influence the boss.

RuPaul was absoluteeeely done with any more best-friend-race buffoonery, and is firing some Gia Gunn-shaped warning shots at the queens to amp up the drama.

Stir, mama, stir.

RuPaul stirs the Drag Race pot. (Netflix)

Challenge: C.u

Drag Race stays on-brand this week by ignoring our protests and plowing ahead with yet another acting challenge.

So we had to sit through Good God Girl, Get Out, which had some decent acting and—almost—a message.

And Why It Gotta Be Black, Panther? which told the heart-wrenching story of a woman who smoked a joint and went shoe shopping. Those scripts had absolutely no redeeming qualities and the writers have used up their nine lives.

Seriously, Wakanda fool hires the same team behind the bloated boob-job of Breastworld, 9-0-2-1-hell-to-the-no, and Sex and the wait-where-has-Manila-gone?

Lewks: C.U.

Category is: What’s Your Sign?

It’s a tale of two runways. A few—Miss Vanjiee, Yvie Oddly, Scarlet Envy—were ridin’ Gemin-high. But the rest were a cancer on that stage—Gemin-bye (sorry).

At least Ru looked Moonlit.

Drag Race season 11 returns and RuPaul looks sickening.

RuPaul looks Moonlit in episode two’s runway. (Netflix)

The Big Queer-stions: ‘skinny shame’, immigration and Michael Jackson

Untucked has found its groove dissecting the problematic aspects of drag.

It may look more like The Big Questions than an ANTM spoof, but in a fandom that’s constantly analysing itself to death (hi), it feels apt. And makes great TV.

Last week we watched the queens discuss race and sexuality. This week, it was immigration and ‘skinny shaming’ on the agenda.

But first off, I just can’t with this Davenport duo of Honey and A’keria.

They came for Silky Nutmeg Ganache for supposedly having some sort of fat privilege.

Everyone of any size can feel insecure about their bodies. But society praises being thin and shames fat people. Watching the girls act the victim bc Silky said “skinny bitches” while dismissing the very real struggles of being a plus size girl? #DragRace pic.twitter.com/J0VcvPU9JZ

— Sam (@sammyw63) March 8, 2019

When Silky pointed out that no plus-sized girl had ever won Drag Race, the duo shrieked about the success stories of Latrice Royale (famously bad at Drag Race), Ginger Minj (famously meh at Drag Race), and Eureka O’Hara (famous for being hated on Drag Race).

Then there was the INJUSTICE that meant Silky could call them “skinny b****es,” but if they called her a “fat b***h,” they would “have all of America throwing stones at me.”

Silky rightly shuts down their BS by saying that actually, no, she wouldn’t have a problem with it. And that “fat b***h” is “a way of empowerment” in society in where, to quote one Twitter user, “the answer to all your woes is losing weight.”

So yeah… about that fat girl talk in Untucked. @Honey_Davenport @RaJahOHara @A_doubleC_D @GanacheSilky @NinaWest #dragrace #rupaulsdragrace #Untucked pic.twitter.com/OF8dp71yhE
— Wes (@imfatletsprty) March 8, 2019

We also had an important moment with the challenges Mercedes Imam Diamond has faced—including being on the no-fly list.

Yvie finishes the segment by despairing, “I can’t believe we have someone in office who prevents culture from coming in this place.”

Remember the Time

*Scarlet on the runway*

Judges: “Bubbles. In honour of Michael Jackson.”

Umm… was this the right week to honour MJ? Should we—maybe—have left that out?

RuPaul's Drag Race pays strange tribute to Michael Jackson.

Scarlet’s ‘Bubbles’ look had the judges honouring Michael Jackson. (Netflix)

Drag Race Season 11 Episode 2: Let’s get these queens in line

Which queen is the most exciting? What will their edit be?

There’s some seriously strong sisters this season. But there’s also more filler than Kylie can flog in a month.

There’s a gaping difference between the power tops and soggy bottoms, and it feels like this season will only heat up once the latter falls out.

Power tops

Vanessa Vanjie Mateo

Edit: Fan-favourite that loses out on a top place (Miz Cracker).

Now is the dawning of Vanjie. She’s fashion (the best runways two weeks in a row), quotable (“pressed like a Panini”—I mean come on), and excelled in the challenge as the discombobulating dorky dad.

Silky Nutmeg Ganache

Edit: The one that shows growth (Naomi).

I know it’s—understandably—taking y’all a while to warm to her, but I think it’ll happen. Yes, she’s coming off more Eureka than Monique, but you have to admit the self-fulfilling prophecy of Silky taking up all the airtime because the other queens are complaining she’s taking up all the airtime is pretty fun to watch.

Yvie Oddly

Edit: The talented oddball (Sharon, Jinx, Alaska).

It’s a good sign for Yvie Oddly’s star on Drag Race’s second episode. (Netflix)

Herstory favours the queens that sail through an acting challenge, because making Ross, Michelle et al., laugh is an important step towards that crown.

She also understands the many sides she needs to show to get a winning edit. She’s given us freaky outsider, vulnerable and apologetic, sassy and talented—and it’s only the second week!