By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Private Policy and Terms of Use.
Fans Reveal the controversial Drag Race opinion they'd defend against an army of the fandom
These takes are hot, but they don't GAF!
*Fair game SPOILER ALERT for all seasons of RuPaul's Drag Race*
Facts are facts, America. But opinions? Oh, those are much messier.
The RuPaul's Drag Race subreddit, which serves as an online Piazza del Popolo for all things RPDR-related, recently rehashed the fandom's most controversial opinions. For example, here's one of mine: I think that when RuPaul is close to retiring, her successor should be chosen through a Willy Wonka-esque All Stars season. I'm 100% serious, I think it's the best way to do it.
I may be alone in wanting to see RuPaul's Chocolate Factory Race, but the people have spoken, and their thoughts on everyone's controversial opinions have been tallied. Here are, counting down, here ate the 10 controversial Drag Race opinions that sent have the fans melting down.
"Lip sync is not about jumping, splitting and reveals, it's about [lip syncing to] the song with your lips and face," said reddit user @Leonard_Snow. "I don’t care if you’ve won 30 awards for dancing, if the dancing is good but I can’t see it on your face, then sorry it was pretty bad."
Controversial, yet brave! And in many cases, I think, very true. While many lip syncs with flips and tricks leave me mouth agape, Chi Chi DeVayne brings me to tears every time I rewatch her lip sync against Thorgy Thor to "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going." There's a time and place for each style, but I'd love to see more queens really lean into an old-school dramatic lip sync more often.
Reddit user @Prestigious_Bat33 said "Drag Race is a show for entertainment. It’s not meant to represent the whole of drag. If you want more variety or less polish go to a local drag show & support a local queen."
Ooooh, this one's a doozy. I know it's the Olympics of Drag, but I love a low-budget queen, sue me! On my list of very niche RPDR is a season with a hard budget cap, but I guess a season with a budget minimum would be way more fun to watch too!
I think Reddit user @santosdragmother makes a point when they said, "No one who invents a character for snatch game should win. Even characters who are not well known to RPDR audiences (Plane’s character, the golden oldies characters) are still ‘people’ they have to impersonate who ‘do’ have an audience and a fanbase."
I think it's always a risky move. Some are smart, like Anetra, who pivoted away from Gordon Ramsey and instead played his fictional sister, Gorgena Ramsey, upon Ru's suggestion. That's a smart drag queen right there. But there are other's doing original characters who were making a much less smart move. Listen, they can't all be Yvie Oddly's Boogieman.
A truly hot take, user @camellialily said, "I don’t care if they’re terrible at it, I 100% prefer when the queens perform the vocals for Rusicals. Otherwise it’s not a Rusical to me if they’re just lip syncing."
Some live Rusicals are so hard to watch I routinely skip over them. Some of them, like "Shade: The Rusical" from Season 6 are worth rewatching on their own because they're packed full of queens who sing for a living, like Courtney Act and Adore Delano. But it's true that some of the prerecorded Rusicals can feel a little lifeless. Personally, I think queens singing and recording the track and then lip syncing to their own vocals is the best middle ground.
User @EdgeMe_Elmo said, "All Snatch Games are getting worse because todays queens don’t need impersonation skills let alone have improv skills (unless they are the host)." You don't have to be a professional impersonator like Chad Michaels to have a singular good one ready for the Snatch Game!
To me, to determine a good Snatch Game impression I usually ask myself one question: is this the impression this queen does at the bar with her friends? To me, if it has that vibe, it usually slays. Exhibit A is Adore Delano. I cannot congratulate Adore enough on her 9 months of sobriety, but I know when she was a 365 Party Girl she'd get three drinks in, turn to her friends, and let out an unclockably perfect Anna Nicole Smith. I also think Plane Jane's Jelena Karleuša falls into this category.
Reddit user @braunsteinerr_sb keeps it short and sweet, "All Stars 👏 should be 👏 every two years 👏." Hear me out, let's really turn this into the Olympics of Drag. We do All Stars every two years, but alternate between a Summer All Stars and a Winter All Stars. If there's one thing I love in a season of Drag Race, it's a hyper-specific gimmick, and I think it's about time to get SEASONAL in the Werk Room!
@shantayouslaying Monèt sponge dress #dragqueen #drag #rupauldragrace #fyp #fypシ #rupaulsdragrace #rupaul #dragrace #usa #usadrag #rpdrusa #season10 #rpdrusa #rpdrseason10 #sponge #spongequeen #spongedress #justiceforthespongedress #fypシ゚viral #for #foryou #foryoupage #foryourpage #foryoupageofficiall #drag #dragwinner #as4 #dragraceallstars4 #allstars4winner
User @DazzlerFan is brave enough to say what we've all thought at one point or another, "All drag is valid, but it's not all good." Sure, tastes and aesthetics differ, but sometimes...sometimes it's just not good.
Who doesn't love a little drama? User @hi_nabby said, "Drag queens don’t have to be nice or politically correct. Let them be rotted and flawed. Put down the pitchforks and torches." For a fandom that loves the aesthetics of Divine, but might not appreciate her if she were to be a contemporary queen, I think this is an astute observation. I also think "Let them be rotted" is an excellent way to make this argument, it just rolls off the tongue!
@groovymovi Nymphia Wind’s ‘Mother of all Balls’ design look. #rupaulsdragrace #dragrace #drag #lgbt #gay #nymphiawind #balls #fashion #fashiontiktok #fyp
User @IrishLaaaaaaaaad wants to put these queens to WERK. They said, "There should be more design challenges per season to really separate the capable creatives from the wallet openers. ETA Min 3 per season: one near the start, one midway and then one nearing the end."
I know sewing is hard, and I have a bias given that my mom was a costumer and seamstress by trade, but this one I get. RuPaul's Drag Race has had how many total seasons and spin offs now? If you get cast on Drag Race and your first step isn't to walk down to the Rec Center and take a sewing class, maybe a tap dancing lesson or two? Honey, then at this point that's on YOU!
Finale, user @Electrical-Tie-5158 hits us with the hard truth you may not be ready to hear, "Lipsyncs are the queens’ last chance to impress Ru and save themselves from elimination. She never said whoever performs better will get to stay."
It's true. Ru says it every episode! But it still doesn't make it any easier to accept, especially in cases like Marcia Marcia Marcia and Anetra's ICONIC lip sync which should have been a double shantay.
Period.
Rowan Ashley Smith has often been described as "a multi-hyphenate about town." He loves work that connects him to his cultures as a gay, Jewish, multiracial trans man. Before breaking into journalism, the best days of his professional life were spent as a summer camp professional, a librarian, and an HIV prevention specialist. His work has been featured in GO Magazine, pride.com, and The Advocate. In what is left of his free time, Rowan enjoys performing stand up comedy, doing the NYT crossword, and spending time with his two partners, two children, and four cats.
Rowan Ashley Smith has often been described as "a multi-hyphenate about town." He loves work that connects him to his cultures as a gay, Jewish, multiracial trans man. Before breaking into journalism, the best days of his professional life were spent as a summer camp professional, a librarian, and an HIV prevention specialist. His work has been featured in GO Magazine, pride.com, and The Advocate. In what is left of his free time, Rowan enjoys performing stand up comedy, doing the NYT crossword, and spending time with his two partners, two children, and four cats.
