Mere Duchess

DRAG RACE: The Next Lap

My admiration for drag queens only grows the older I become.  As my interest in (and probably ability to keep up with, in all honesty) the “now” wanes, I feel the transition to kitsch queen approaching, and I’m OK with it.  Drag queens are by nature referential and derivative.  But it’s their ability to distill the familiar down to its very essence and filter it through themselves that make the talented ones great artists. 

There’s definitely no shortage of talent in the new group of contestants on this season’s “Rupaul’s Drag Race.”  Whether or not the next Michelangelo of tucking is among them remains to be seen, but three episodes in, we’ve already witnessed ingenuity (and drama) not ever seen before this early in the competition.  

I won’t bore you with the whole roster - that’s what Logo’s website is for - but here are my favorites.  

1.  Shangela

I do not like her.  She is annoying.  But she’s coming back for this round of competition and she is looking for blood.  I can respect persistence. 

Pros: Persistence

Cons: Annoyance factor = high

2. Mariah

The first contestant to come from the Ballroom Voguing scene, Mariah brings a fierce competitiveness to the Race. 

Pros: Realistic appearance, McGuyver like ingenuity

Cons: Not over the top enough

3.  Delta Work

Delta had me at Episode One when she crafted a well-received holiday look she coined “Kwanzaa Realness.”

These are my predictions for the Final Three but obviously it’s too early to tell.  From now until Tuesday, I’ll be crafting my Yom Kippur fantasy (or Festivus Realness…I haven’t decided) look and eagerly awaiting my next fix of the Race.