Sorry for the delay on this post, folks. We've already had a new Drag Superstar for weeks and I've been slacking! I know you're thinking "Get your prioRUties in order Poptagonist!" And you are right to do so. So let's take a look at the cast of RuPaul's Drag Race Season 4!
From left: The Princess, Willam, Kenya Michaels, Milan, Chad Michaels, Dida Ritz, Jiggly Caliente, Lashawn Beyond, Phi Phi O'Hara, Latrice Royale, Sharon Needles, Alisa Summers, Madame LaQueer
Alisa Summers
As much as it is always hard for me to say goodbye to any drag queen, I must say that Alisa was the contestant that really didn't do anything for me. She was pretty, and seemed well put together, but there wasn't anything to really make me want to see more from her. One could argue that Jiggly Caliente should have been the one to sashay away after their Lip Synch for Your Life, but at least Jiggly was a hot mess, which every comptetition needs more than a fishy dead weight with a breast plate, which is what Alisa seemed like.
Lashawn Beyond
Aside from having a great name that gayly bounces off the tongue, Lashawn seemed to have a fashion sense that was very eccentric, playful and fun. Unfortunately, her personality did not match her fashion sense, she was quiet and a little boring (the ultimate no-no for a drag queen). While she seemed timid she did give the notoriously awesome line "I'm not here to make best friends, bitch! This isn't RuPaul's Best Friends Race!"... But she said it to Jiggly... Who is kind of a bitch... And she is right, it's not RuPaul's Best Friends Race. Lashawn was all high-highs and low-lows, her looks were over the top and fun, but she was either far too demure and passive.... or screaming at Jiggly in "Untucked"... She also said she didn't know what "Postapocalitic" (her pronunciation of post apocalyptic) means... Not the most bubbly gumball in the machine.
The Princess
The Princess was another queen whose personality didn't quite match her look. She kept saying that she was "punk" but also a "very Zen person", which I guess means boring TV personality with fun looks. She seemed more down to earth and genuinely sweet and kind than many of the contestants. But, sadly her understated personality (and difficulty memorizing lines) inevitably kept her from going too far. I would like to have seen more of her punk/genderfuck style. But her personality was such a deadweight anytime she had to speak on screen, that it was only a matter of time before she was sent home.
Madame LaQueer
I can't really think of much to say about Madame LaQueer except that in the wrestling challenge, she looked like Henrietta Bazooms from "Showgirls". LaQueer was sweet and fun to watch, but didn't shine in any particular way... Except in neon green...
Kenya Michaels
Already looking like a teenage girl when she was out of drag, Lil' Kenya Michaels appeared to be "the one to beat". She had a fierce runway strut and enough energy to light up WeHo. Though, as a suggestion from this Poptagonist, if your English is so bad, maybe think twice about going into American television. Nohting against people whose first language isn't English, but if you are going to be on TV and compete to be "America's next drag superstar", it puts you at quite a disadvantage if you are struggling with language. She was sent home in the "Snatch Game" challenge, where her Beyonce "impersonation" was beyond confounding. Still, I liked Kenya's energy and stage presence, and was sad to see her go. I could not believe she was out lip synched by Milan, and would have rather seen more of Kenya than Milan, at that point. Luckily my girl Michelle Visage must have agreed with me becuase when RuPaul let the judges bring an eliminated contestant back, Kenya was back in the game.... But not for long. By the time she was eliminated a second time, I was ready to see this fishy queen go out to sea.
Milan
Actor, dancer, director, chroeographer, producer, is there anything this queen doesn't claim to do? I really was ready to love Milan, she seemed weird and different, but still kind and poised. But she was pretty controlling in any group challenges and never showed any depth. It always seemed like she was "on", like she was hiding some terrible secret. Everything she said felt calculated in some weird way. Similar to when you see politicians speak, and everything they say just oozes with bullshit. By the time she lip synched for the third time in a row, and tore off her wig a second time, I was long ready to see her go. Though, she is the only contestant to, as Willam put it "Swiffer the mainstage with her taint".
Jiggly Caliente
I'm pretty sure Jiggly Caliente was one of the contestants they mostly kept around for drama. She was always crying on "Untucked" and usually looked like a girl who couldn't quite get her shit together in time for homecoming, so wore her big sister's outdated dress. Her lip synch was okay, but just about everything else felt too desperate and sad to really enjoy.
Willam
At first I really hated Willam. Lack of drag name aside, she is an actress, not a "drag performer" in clubs and bars. She always talked about how she had been on soooo many TV shows and how she was soooo pretty, it just got tired and reeked of Los Angeles-type ego. Instead of using drag makeup she used expensive, fancy makeup, which is made for ladies, not lady-boys. You can tell because Willam's BEARD was always showing! I'm convinced that the reason she has been so sucessful in TV and film is because her body is very feminine, but the face and jawline are very tranny. She is a safe choice to play a tranny for popular audiences because for a second she makes you think it's a woman, but then you see the obvious flaws, and you laugh at yourself for ever thinking it was a real woman. Initially, her cockiness was a real turn off for me, but eventually I got used to it and came to appreciate her sarcastic, dry humor. The real turning point for me was when she released a music video about Chick-Fil-A, a notoriously gay-hating fast food chain. Though it has nothing to do with Drag Race, the song is hilarious, and she gives a killer performance in it. By the time she was kicked off the show for breaking the rules (apparently she was on the recieving end of conjugal visits from her man), I was sad to see the show loose her arrogant, but mostly inoffensive humor. Definitely excited to see more of her on the upcoming season of RuPaul's Drag U!
Dida Ritz
In the first episode, Dida announces to the girls in the (You Betta') Work-Room, "I love you all, you are all my sisters, let's just get along." Continuing in an interview to say that she sees no reason to start throwing shade on the first day, and wants to start off on the right foot with all the girls. I appreciated this sentiment. I realize that I am in the vast minority when I say that I like seeing the queens get along, and develop bonds. This was something I really loved about the first season of Drag Race, that all but a few of the queens really came to respect each other. Since season 1, there's been a lot more tension and emotional rifts between the contestants... Until season 4! The season isn't without its drama queens, but the majority of them come to appreciate each other as performers and as people. Dida is never anything less than sweet and kind, which makes me really want to like her.... But her looks are rarely put together well. Her wigs are almost always ratty, as judge Billy B put it "It looks like it was sucked on by a litter of kittens before she put it on." And while she claims her inspiration for looks was Carrie Bradshaw, one judge makes the assesment "She was going for 'Sex in the City' but it was more like 'Sex in the Alley'." I wanted her to look good because she was so sweet, but she didn't have a good handle on proportions of a drag queens, too much shoulder, not enough hair, lots of leg, no hips. Sweet girl, but has to learn a thing or two about drag.
Latrice Royale
La-TRICE ROY-ale! During the run of the season, I went to see Latrice perform at a club in The Castro. The stage was risen, so it was pretty close to the ceiling, which was covered in helium-filled balloons. When Latrice took to the stage, she barely cleared the layer of balloons, and when she spun around during a number, the balloons swirled around her and into the audience like a colorful tornado that you desperately want to be caught in! This is the magic that I think of when I think of Latrice Royale. On Drag Race you can see that they make an effort to include people of different sizes and looks. And the drag community has always seen big girls as less of a stigma than the straight community sees big people. However, on the past seasons of Drag Race, the big queens they've had as contestants were largely a wreck. They don't know how to wear clothes and put together outfits that flatter their curves. La-TRICE ROY-ale, however, is leaps and bounds ahead of all other big girls on the show. She only had a few really stand out looks, but she consistently looked put-together and her body was well flattered. Her drag was more traditional than many other girls, there wasn't much avant-garde, but she more than made up for it with a magnetic personality that would make anybody want to be her friend. She is kind, intelligent, compassionate, honest, gentle and strong, kind of like if Baloo the Bear if he was a drag queen. She quickly became my pick for runner-up this season, and was a shoe-in for Miss Congeneality.
For the past 3 seasons, RuPaul has one final challenge for the top three contestants, then picks the top two and has them do one final lip synch before picking her Queen. This year, the race was so heated and had three such different performers that RuPaul decided to "break all the rules!" Instead of picking a top two, they had a 3-Way Lip Synch, unheard of in Drag Race Herstory! Also, a first for Drag Race Herstory was RuPaul's decision to not announce the winner until the Reunion Special. The Renion Special was filmed in front of a live audience (another first in D.R. Herstory), and even then, THREE different endings were filmed. That means that the top 3 didn't even know who won until it was announced on TV! So, let's take a look at these highly contested queens!
From left: Chad Michaels, Sharon Needles, Phi Phi O'Hara
Phi Phi O'Hara
Throughout the season, I inexplicably kept wanting to like Phi Phi O'Hara. And throughout the season, she gave me no reasons to like her. At best she had a couple cool looks (her Tina Turner-esque postapocalyptic look was cool), but she was mostly a very typical queen who always made herself look older, and tacky on top of it. There are several instances in which she backhandedly tries to sabotage other queens, even queens who she had made close friends with. But even that wasn't as bad as her attitude. She never seems to have any fun! I tried to think of a time when she smiles on the show, and I can't even picture what she looks like smiling (maybe it's like Wednesday Addams in "Addams Family Values"). She kind of has a frenemy relationship with Sharon Needles, and even though Sharon keeps trying to make amends and get along, Phi Phi just can't lose her permanent stink-face. And that was before she refers to the black contestants as "The help"... It was part of a schtick she was doing, but it wasn't funny or done tastefully, and just felt offensive. Bottom line, too much ego, too much hair, too much makeup, too many sequins, too much desperation, not enough personality.
Chad Michaels
Chad Michaels is a seasoned professional of the drag community. She has made her living as a celebrity impersonator, and is so believable that I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if it turned out that Cher was actually Chad in drag all along. Upon first seeing her, I thought she had too much of a Cher look. Which is fine as a performer, but I want to see America's Next Drag Superstar be more versatile. Challenge after challenge, Chad consistently proved that I had underestimated her! Her looks were hugely varied, and she could ease in and out of various looks with impressive skill. The one thing the judges knocked her on was that she was too flawless, there was no vulnerability. Which may be true from the perspective of the judges, only seeing her on the mainstage where her professionalism shines. But the audience definitely came to see Chad as a deeply sympathetic and genuine person. She is always kind and honest, someone who, even though the TV screen, you feel you could sit down with and talk about anything. I would have been happy if Chad had won because she is classy, sharp, alway on point and edgy enough to not be pigeonholed as a showgirl. But I think that ultimately her profession of being an impersonator held her back because, as Sharon once said, Chad's true personality is too genuine and kind to really shine on TV. Even though she didn't win, she has definitely made her mark!
Sharon Needles
Before the season airs, you can watch short intros for each of the the contestants. When I first saw those 3 minutes of Sharon, totally goth'd out and she said "Season four will most definitely be cancelled!" I knew she was my Queen! I saw humor, a dark side, and a strong sense of character in her performance. The first episode was a post-apocalyptic challenge and Sharon sucked her competators dry with a Nosferatu-inspired Zombie/Vampire look, complete with fake blood gushing out of her mouth (see below).
At that moment, with my jaw on the floor and my white-knuckled hands gripping my chair, there was no turning back. Sharon had won over my black heart. In past seasons, queens with more of a genre/schtick haven't made it too far (Tammie Brown, Mimi Imfurst), but Sharon showed the judges that she was anything but a one trick pony. Girly fishiness, executive realness, avant-garde high fashion, Sharon could do it all! And on top of it, her personality was kind, intelligent and funny. I was elated to see how well the judges responded to her versatility and eccentric personality and looks. During the season, she won four challenges, more than any contestant in the history of the show. By the time the top three were picked, the choice seemed obvious, and I had decided that Sharon was my favorite contestant to ever crawl down RuPaul's runway! Sharon had the spunk, humor and look to carry on the legacy of RuPaul, but her edginess was the one thing that could have held her back. In the past Ru has usually chosen the pretty one over the edgy one, Bebe over Nina, Tyra over Raven. Before announcing the winner, RuPaul asked the fans to put their two cents in and tell her who they were rooting for via Facebook and Twitter. The response was overwhelmingly obvious, and while Chad was a close second (and Phi Phi a distant third), it was clear that America had made its choice! Sharon is everything an audience could want in a pop culture icon, she is recognizable, edgy, artistic, yet still humble and intelligent.
I can't even put into words how happy I am that she won. If you've seen it, I needn't explain myself because it is obvious she is beyond incredible. If you haven't seen it, get an after-life and check out this Mistress of the Drag!
