Time to open the RuPaul Vault. Welcome to MsMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the things old school “RuPaul’s Drag Race” just did better.
Category
🗞
NewsTranscript
00:00Jesus is a biscuit
00:04Welcome to Ms. Mojo and today we're counting down our picks for the things old-school RuPaul's Drag Race just did better
00:10Let me ask you a very fair question
00:13What do you do successfully?
00:16quickly
00:19Number 10 everybody loves puppets mini-challenge your dress looks gorgeous today
00:24Well, thank goodness because I have 50 of the same dress in different fabric
00:29In season 4 RuPaul introduced the puppet mini-challenge
00:33The Queens were tasked with dolling up a hand puppet inspired by one of their fellow competitors
00:37Given that the challenge was usually included in an episode soon before the finale
00:41The contestants were all chomping at the bit for a spot and stress was at an all-time high
00:47Some would do loving parodies while others would thoroughly roast a competitor. Jinx girl. It's time for the runway
00:54Jinx
00:56Jinx
00:59Do I look okay, can you guys help me with my makeup? Not only was it great comedy?
01:03It was also a great story device to tell us where they stood with each other going into the homestretch
01:08The challenge was then retired before being revived for season 12
01:12You know what Heidi? I think it's time for you to go back in the closet. Thank you
01:21That seemed to be a one-off since as of the 16th edition it hasn't been seen again
01:27Number 9 seasoned Queens. How are I perceived as a shady elephant?
01:35I love her, but I realized Darian can be a shady bitch
01:38She needs to take it down a notch. In its early days
01:41Drag race was a place where newer Queens could find themselves and veteran Queens could enter a whole new echelon of their career
01:47But after 16 seasons and several spinoffs drag performers are launching careers every day
01:53So naturally the cast often skews younger and less experienced
01:57However, some of the early season's best moments came courtesy of performers who had a sense of history and professionalism
02:03I just don't think you should be here. What's the big deal? You're threatened by me right? I'm not threatened by you
02:08They were around before the more progressive time that allowed the show itself to exist and had to build careers without the benefit and pressure of TV
02:16Queens like Bianca del Rio, Latrice Royale and Chad Michaels are great performers and provided the necessary
02:22Reality check for younger Queens who needed it. Five G's please. Yeah, that's what I want to yell
02:28You know what that means, right? Good God get a grip girl
02:33Number 8 when it didn't just reference itself
02:38Like when Valentina didn't know the words to greedy
02:42In the first few seasons drag race spoofed and updated shows and movies that had a long history with the LGBTQIA plus community
02:50Indeed it used to draw from greater popular culture for its challenges and humor
02:54But more and more the show seems to recycle its own greatest moments. What is this place?
03:01Look over there
03:03This kind of thing was happening as early as season 5's lip-sync extravaganza eleganza challenge
03:08But it increasingly feels like an echo chamber of self-referential humor
03:15As fun as old-school drag race was it was also able to introduce younger audiences to more obscure pop culture references a
03:22Callback can be hilarious. But when it's so baked into the show's fabric, it almost becomes like a snake eating its own tail
03:31I am
03:38Look I'm a good brawn number seven mocking other competition shows
03:42I did not know that this is gonna be drag survivor when it premiered
03:47RuPaul's drag race was a thinly veiled parody of America's Next Top Model
03:51RuPaul's dramatic elimination speeches were clearly a knockoff of Tyra Banks's self-serious persona over the years
03:58The show had to evolve but it's easy to miss that irreverence
04:02What did eating frog legs and musical chairs have to do with drag?
04:06Absolutely nothing, but it sure is entertaining. Drag race has only turned up its informative political and earnest emotional approach since then
04:13Showcasing the Queen's real lives is not a bad thing
04:16But making them talk to old pictures of themselves does make us miss the days when the show took itself a little less seriously
04:24Perfect and wonderful just the way he is
04:28And he has so much talent and ability that he just needs to believe in himself and love himself
04:32Number six when the fashion wasn't so expensive
04:35When I thought that Manila's pineapple would actually go down and fruit bowl of history
04:41They actually enjoyed it
04:42One thing the show has gotten way too far from is drags humbler roots back in the old days
04:48Many of the Queens were required to be more resourceful and make clothes in the actual workroom far more often
04:53Those judges cannot take Miss Katournas
04:57Now with more exposure the level of fashion has been raised beyond what many performers can reasonably afford
05:03Thus there are numerous stories about contestants going into debt to put together a suitable runway package for a season
05:09We got to see a beautiful trajectory of all the looks that
05:14Mistress does all the while representing Houston drag. You must have said it 50 times
05:19While later seasons have featured some truly eye-popping designs the precedent that's been set only widens the gulf between
05:27Queens who have access to big money and those who don't
05:31Number five less all-stars seasons great. You're here. So we have to change the name to RuPaul's Drag Race some stars
05:39There was a time when fans were so thirsty for a second helping of all-stars. They could talk about nothing else
05:46Season two came out four years after the first installment and was easily a top-tier edition of drag race
05:51But you know what they say be careful what you wish for now
05:55It seems like every time we turn around there's another all-star season coming
05:59Well, it's great to see some Queens get a second chance at the crown. It should be a treat and not a given
06:04You know, there are so many fierce Queens
06:06I could have invited back but you ten were chosen because I believe that each of you
06:14Still has something to prove to me to your fans and most importantly to yourself
06:20The show just doesn't build up a reserve of viable and deserving competitors quickly enough to justify a whole season every year
06:27I would I would have never thought
06:30To pick her and that is not shade. I was just like Oh
06:36Work
06:38That's not shade
06:39Number four old untucked format. I know we had a rough start not as rough as your wigs and your mug
06:50In season seven drag race completely overhauled its after-show
06:54Untucked was originally devised as a less structured behind-the-scenes spin-off early on
06:59The after show was much more heavily produced and manipulatively edited Mimi. I'm first was number third in the voting
07:06I could not believe it. I'd have all
07:09Fans bitch the shit that I've seen you don't have that many starting in
07:142015 the show took on a more documentary style approach with somber music in slow motion and it's way less fun
07:21The tackily decorated backstage lounges were replaced with the actual backstage before moving to the workroom
07:27What's more new untucked is structured in a way that diffuses tension with guest judges coming in to interrupt the Queen's banter way too often
07:36Oh
07:41No, she better doubt to cap it all off
07:44It goes full depression mode in those sad final moments as the eliminated Queen packs up her things
07:50Number three smaller casts. So what are you enjoying about season 14 by this time on my season?
07:57We were already five episodes into all stars
08:00Season one had nine Queens just like the prize money
08:03There was a time when the cast size was growing with every new season
08:07Season 15 for its part had 16 contestants in total
08:11This decision was met with heavy skepticism and even outrage when the show cut its 90-minute episode length back down to an hour
08:18Ensuring the storytelling would be stunted
08:21I
08:26This measure ended up being temporary due to the response 90-minute episodes are back. That's right
08:32You begged for it and you've got it bitch, but it wouldn't have been a problem if the cast were smaller
08:36There has to be a happy medium somewhere
08:39Indeed more Queens in a season cuts down substantially on the time
08:43We get to know each of them and experience their artistry on an individual level
08:47Number two real people for snatch game. I've been there done that I spread La Mer on my toast in the morning
09:00Celebrity impersonation has been a huge part of drag artistry for a long time
09:04The snatch game challenge was originally created to test the Queen's skills in that area
09:08While there were contestants who performed as fictional characters played by their named celebrities in those earlier seasons
09:15The criteria for snatch game has become way too broad
09:19Rupal the Rupal is it? Yes. Absolutely. I understood
09:24Virtually, none of the words that left your lips moments ago
09:26But I did hear the term Twitter and I assume that it's some sort of a songbird now anything goes
09:33Original characters and even abstract mythological ones like the boogeyman and tooth fairy have become fair game
09:39I want to like create a character and really flesh her out. Does the gold tooth fairy actually exist in reality?
09:46Just in your mind. Yes
09:48Impersonation might not be what a queen is good at but that's the whole point
09:52Some Queens are better at some challenges than others. So it seems like something has been lost in the relaxing of what the game is about
09:59Before we continue be sure to subscribe to our channel and ring the bell to get notified about our latest videos
10:05You have the option to be notified for occasional videos or all of them if you're on your phone
10:10Make sure you go into your settings and switch on notifications
10:15Number one the drama go back to Party City where you belong
10:19It has to be said a good fight on drag race is hard to come by nowadays
10:24Some fans don't call it RuPaul's best friend race for nothing for every candy Muse versus Tamisha Iman on a new season
10:30There were three or four Alyssa Edwards versus Coco Montrese's or Bianca del Rios versus Laganja Estranja's
10:36I'm not joking bitch
10:39You gonna call me a runner-up
10:41Changes to untucked and the overall tone of the series plus the increased social media
10:45Harassment by fans has led to a tamer piece of TV
10:49Queens who try to inject a little drama and shade into a season are treated like they've committed actual crimes begs the question
10:56What's the good of getting a bunch of divas together if they aren't gonna have a diva off?
11:00There isn't anything else to say, but why are you talking? Why are you talking?
11:09Anyways, thank you back to what I was saying. What do you miss most about old-school drag race?
11:13Tell us in the comments lil pound cake her catchphrase is you're not my real dad and you never will be
11:22Do you agree with our picks check out this other recent clip from Ms
11:26Mojo and be sure to subscribe and ring the bell to be notified about our latest videos