I will never not be upset about Gia Gunn not getting the win for that episode. Gia herself said she was trained in Nihon Buyo since she was five. The definition of robbed.
One common criticism about the judging of Talent Show episodes is that they seem to gravitate towards what the judges find funny or appealing rather than acknowledging the technical merits of the performance. Two examples I hear the most is Trinity the Tuck's performance in All Stars 4 being the "winning" performance when you had Latrice doing a flag dance, Manila's painting routine, and GIA Gunn's elaborate performance. The three had to show off great skills and talents, yet they went with the one that had the most "shock" factor that was selling a brand. Then in All-Stars 6 many felt that Yara Sofia winning didn't feel right simply because her gag was "LOOK AT ME AND MY GIANT BREASTS!" while the other girls did something more unique and varied. I know that this can also be said when judging runway looks and other challenges, but the Variety Show episodes REALLY show off how spotty judging can be.
a while ago @u. pondered that they changed it from a *talent* show to a *variety* show in order to make it so that the goal was not to showcase a unique skill or ability, but rather just to entertain(t) ru. n this theory checks out when you take a look at the different winners of the talent show (im only talking about the us seasons now) n turns out the most talent-y thing they do is take off some clothes n do the splits
Yeah I still think that Jan deserved to win the talent show in AS6 because it was epic and her vocals were incredible, and Yara won just by for having big breast...
I feel like one of the reasons that they were so iconic was because of their rarity, but now every season (regular, all stars and international) has one.
Honestly, I’d say it’s not so much people liking it because it was once in a few seasons thing, which even at first it happened every all star season since 2. Honestly, i’d say people more often than not just like a reliablr challenge that they like more often than not, even if they claim they want some original challenges. But rather the bigger data/it being more common showing flaws, or at least things that can be viewed as flaws, that it has, like certain types of talents being more common than others or what type of performances are actually rewarded like the video here mentioned. And in the former case, it’s probably more so has to do with the girls trying to „play the game” and do what has proven to work before, than risk something that wasn’t tested and be put in the bottom cause it doesn’t play well in a talent show/Ru wasn’t a big fan of it.
Yeah. I get that it's the main performing skill a lot of queens hone and obviously if they do their own songs is very good for branding etc, but... We literally see this every episode. I already know you can (or should be able to) do this. Give me something new.
I was so bored of all the lipsynced original songs on All Stars 6 talent show. Nearly every act was a mid energy lipsync, including Ginger Minj????? I was so confused that she didn't sing or do a funny song when she's such a powerhouse at theatre and comedy.
@@Spagbolisnotme Good cast and competitors in general! All Stars 4 was soo underrated because the previous season of All Stars before that was amazing soo it kinda became overlooked. But looking back at it. It's a fucking good season. It's everythanggggg. And the gag of the century when Manila got eliminated. I think the only thing I'm not into is the double crowning but hey i love Trinity and Monét and they are bringing it on All Stars 7 soo I'm not mad about it. All Stars 4 has it. Great Talents, Great Queens, Great Drama, Great Lipsyncs and Great Season overall
To this day, Ra’Jah’s makes me nervous every time. Sewing machines can smell fear and the ones on set at RPDR are notoriously busted, one little piece of dust in the bobbin case or one part getting jostled out of place as they set the machine up onstage and it would have all gone to hell for reasons completely unrelated to her actual talent level… but it worked for her, because she knows how to do it, because she’s Ra’Jah. All hail.
god my sewing machine at home throws tantrums all the time. I'll have the loose end of the thread not in the correct spot and suddenly the whole thing is unraveling and getting tangled.
Thank you for mentioning Gia Gunn! Everytime I watch that episode I am dumbfounded as to how she didn't land top 2! It was so well done and also very unique!
Bob The Drag Queen said that stand-up comedy acts in the talent show challenge are so unsuccessful because it's so out of place. After seeing several high-energy dance routines, it's weird to see someone up there doing stand-up. It's much more successful in the right context, like if you're going to a comedy show or comedy club. I hear more and more talk from Drag Race contestants about instances where they wanted to do a specific act but the show rejected it for one reason or another. Not surprised it happened to Coco...I would have loved to see her more in her element as Janet. Makes you wonder what kind of show the queens would put on if there were no limitations.
gia's kabuki performance is probably one of my favorite performances in the entire franchise not even specifically variety show performances i mean of ALL the performances
I'm someone who prefers the technical skill over the "entertainment" when it's *checks notes* a talent show. Talent, or really just something you have immense skill in, takes a lot of time, practice, and knowledge. Seeing that displayed on stage IS entertaining to me. Listening to Jan sing, watching Gia perform, or Manila paint was far more entertaining to me than someone "singing" about how to tuck...
right? like there are _so many_ challenges on drag race that involve singing or dancing or being funny or whatever. this should be one challenge that's different in that it forces the queens to show us something _they_ can do that, ideally, no one else on the cast can do.
Thats why you should READ and see that Season 3-6's shows have been VARIETY shows and not talent shows. A variety show is a show with a variety of entertainment.
I know right? What kind of show it is they think? A drag queen show? Haven't they realised they're in agt? How dare them doing something funny or campy?
Also, something I’ve noticed is that the one on All Stars 2 was called the “talent show,” but since then, all of the All Stars ones have been “variety shows.” I swear they changed the name to justify giving wins to lipsync performances over more technical talents.
Coco was done so dirty by them not wanting to cough up the money for the Janet song she wanted to perform and for the format change because she would’ve sent so much of the cast home if she got to lipsync.
if i had a nickel for every time i've seen someone pretend to give birth during a Drag Race talent show segment, i'd have 10 cents. that's not a lot of money but it's weird that it's happened twice
I want a variety show were queens are tasked with doing something other than dancing or lip syncing. Also it sucks that when they perform their own track WoW owns that track from there on out.
I mean Jimbo and Onyx basically created a whole ass other category: giving birth on the main stage. Can’t wait to see THAT pop up as a category for a talent show XD
I’ve said this a million times but my favourite talent show performances are the ones that showcase a skill you wouldn’t normally get to show on Drag Race. Gia, Latrice, Thorgy, Trixie etc all showed skills they wouldn’t get to show on Drag Race otherwise and it was great
That’s the main reason I’m happy that the talent show has come to the regular seasons. It’s such a special opportunity for the queens to show off talents the show can’t feature because they’re too specialized or unusual.
One of the performances I will always defend is Maddy morphosis's, the guitar was great, it gave me the blues I'm looking for, I loved it so much, I wish that the talent show wouldn't only be all glitter, splits, kicks or singing
100% ! She gave me all the blues lesbian vibes I wanted. I do agree that she should have shown the judges (or the cameras) more visibly that she was playing with her mouth, but like? It was a vibe. It didn’t kill the energy, it just brought it to a chill, mellow place. I loved it.
I think it's interesting you didn't consider Scarlet as a burlesque act. I feel like she continued on the tradition of burlesque (in the greater world as well as Drag Race) through cheekiness and an inventive gimmick. She is so smart when it comes to aesthetic presentation and I feel that she deserved a top spot for that one. *In Finding Nemo yellow fish voice*: BUBBLES!
The obsession with comedy really is something that has frustrated me about Drag Race over the years. I'm glad to see more and more people feeling this way.
I wish they would reward the more technical talents as well because, in my opinion, they are just as entertaining if not more. People like Mariah, Gia, Latrice, Manila and Jan really captivated me with both their technical ability and entertainment value. I’m glad Monet finally broke that curse in AS7 with her opera performance because her raw skill alone definitely deserved to be rewarded.
I know the best or most memorable performances are the ones that divert from dancing and singing to showcase something original, but at some points I have found that it's so varied that I genuinely don't know how it should be judged (assuming they're all good)
I agree with how the balance of judging is frustrating. Regardless though, the talent show is one of my diehard favorite challenges. They're just so jam-packed I never get bored. I'm constantly revisiting my favorite performances.
Talent show as a first challenge is amazing as it ables queens to really brand themself (as long as production is willing to let them do what they want). I'm glad DRF (and season 14) allowed queens to have copyright songs in their performance. And also, I like when they let them brings partners (like in DRF or DRH). Keta's magic show would have been hard without a partners she already knew. I wish these challenge wouldn't be competitive tho. How can you compare someone singing to someone lipsyncing, to someone doing stand-up ? The judging is always messy, but it's mostly because of the type of the challenge. Talent shows with top 2 placement and lipsync for the win would be the best format to me.
I still think Gia should have been given a solo win for her talent performance. There has never been something so beautiful and technical on Drag Race.
I will never, and I mean never, understand how Lemon was in the bottom during the Talent Show. Like, there were 3-4 that were OBJECTIVELY worse, im sorry but...it was garbage mama
Kita’s was actually really good, it was something no one had done before, yet the judges expected amazing outfits one after the next, which isn’t what quick reveals are about, and they weren’t that bad anyway. Much better than making a single balloon animal or eating a piece of cake 🙄🙄
@@hongkongfueynz3071 right and Elektra literally did professional dance who tf cares about her wig it was a talent show… it’s clear that the challenge outfits/wigs/styling only ever counts when the production wants it to aka when they want someone in the bottom
Tbh it's strange how the show completely revolves around Ru's personal tastes. I strongly think if she wants to make good TV the show needs to stop being forced in her direction. "Make Ru laugh" "Ru hates magic shows, only do acts she likes" "Look the way Ru wants you to" Can we stop? Drag has a much wider culture than RuPaul. 'And seeing all these restrictions makes me realize. . .Ru doesn't know shit about talent. :/
To be fair, the show is called “RuPaul’s Drag Race,” rather than something like “America’s Best Drag Queen” or “The Great Drag (Queen) Race.” The day it stops revolving around her taste is the day that she steps down as host.
@@WhatsBlissThat doesn't make it fair because Ru's show was one of the first shows that moved forward showcasing drag queens. Why should you do a lesser job of representing them just because it's your brand? For the longest time, SHE WAS THE ONLY BRAND. Anyone can step in and make a better show now. Is that really worth it?
I just love that it is basically the most freedom queens are given to create something truly of their own. I really love it and wouldn't mind it becoming a staple like Snatch Game cause it really brings a lot of authenticity to the show 😊
I still feel salty for Mariah's. I found it so captivating but because it didn't necessarily show off a skill with spectacle value she wasn't rewarded for it. Also with the talent show being the first challenge it really sets some hierarchy early on, for better or for worse.
Paloma’s standup didn’t land into the bottom because it was very typical French humour, I could see it on popular standup shows. It was hilarious to me and my drunk friends, we were expecting her to win actually. The jokes might have been lost in [french joke] though. Edit: She was parodying the equivalent of the new age rich white woman in the US but less cult-y and more scammy
Yeah same I was crying laughing at that performance but I think other countries might not find it as funny, especially when translation comes in the mix
I legit thought she would at least be top 3, to me it was THE BEST stand up routine given in the context of a talent show and I still think she wasn't there only because JPG really fell in love with Elips' dress, which, ok I guess
Honestly, I feel like one of the reasons comedy does badly is because people may not realise the amount of time and even learning that goes into crafting a sketch or set that is both technically good and knows the audience it is going to play out in front of. The reason why you only have escalation sketches doing well is that it's funny whilst still bringing the energy of something like a bitch track or live performance, where instead of a buildup to a split or the 'is she gonna jump from there' moment, you get the gradual crescendo into something like Willow Pill's toaster joke. There's a neater beginning middle end sort of structure and the audience is still surprised but satisfied by the performance, maybe even getting a good laugh out of it. That's just my thoughts idk
Jimbo's talent is actually called 'clowning', it's a type of performance style that is practised even within university settings for performance arts courses, and Jimbo does it really well!
I feel like queens who play an instrument are the most overlooked… and it’s rather frustrating :/ if we’re doing a *talent* show, then let’s not ignore the few queens who showcase actual talents, and I can’t put to words how mad I was when, say, The Countess, Silky, Thorgy, or La Grande Dame we’re just safe (I think all of them were safe or lower, correct me if I’m wrong)
The talent show is one of the episodes tht bores me the most, mainly because it tends to be 85% lip syncs, as if we don't get enough of those during the season
Thank you for giving pole the respect it deserves! I’ve been doing it for 6 years, and that shit is NOT easy, especially if you’re doing a whole routine with transitions on the pole as opposed to individual tricks or spins with breaks on the ground in between. It’s cardio, strength, and technical and artistic ability
My biggest complaint about Drag Race Talent shows is that so many queens do lipsyncs and then they get placed high. As a drag queen you should be good at lipsyncing so when you have a talent show you should try and do something different. But when queens show off their unique talents Ru doesn’t like it because it’s not exciting enough.
I still think this should be exclusive to All Stars tbh, now, since it's everywhere franchise-wise, it lacks value. I think that's why they changed to Vartiety instead of Talent.
While I think that the critiques of how technical challenges don't get rewarded as often, I do think that the show has a point in prioritizing entertainment factor over other merits of a talent performance. As you've said, they have to sell the impact of the talent performance to the audience, and it's very hard to get good reactions from judges during serious or technical performances. Or unfunny comedy ones. Or singing, where the song isn't funny.
The problem that arises here then is, who is supposed to be entertained. I was immensely entertained by Gia Gunn's amazing traditional dancing, or Trixie's singer/songwriter or autoharp playing abilities, or Latrice's flag show (which was also very high energy) or Sharonne or La Briochées heartfelt singing or Soa de Muse's cabaret singing/acting. Not every form of entertainment is just constant laughs with so much movement that you are constantly distracted, some entertainment also make you stop, feel and think and I think that's also very beautiful and needs to be given credit
@@ecenbt : This is where "aiming for the widest audience" is usually the best strategy. Gia's performance left me cold because, well, I've seen it done better. She could have dragged up the performance a bit more? It didn't feel camp enough to fit the vibe of the show. But AS4's entire talent show is a mess tbh, I think Manila's talent should've won. Singing only performances, with no backup dancers, need to be less earnest and more focused on the pageantry rather than the artistry. Trixie's AS3 talent show was mid because Trixie's song choice didn't highlight how entertaining her musical performances could be. Overall, I think that Talent Performances are inherently subjective, and that part of the strategy is both knowing the audience and knowing the judges. Do something the judges can relate to, and fit the vibe of a bombastic variety show premiere that All Stars 1st Eps normally are supposed to be, and you should be fine. Make the most of what you can work with. Put in some backup dancers in skimpy outfits. I think Coco's number would have worked a lot better if she had a partner with her.
It’s important to specify that it was only the Talent Show in AS2, and they changed it to Variety show because everyone hated the placements in that season saying “the people with actual talent were in the bottom or safe”
i don't think, that the technical challenges are less likely to win. i wholeheartedly believe that the ACTUAL problem of the talent show is, that it's THE BEST TOOL for production. if you assume that all the girls are coming prepared and have two tries, you have the chance that ALL the queens are doing well in at least one try. and since it's really hard to objectively say that well-performed- talent-A is better than well-performed-talent-B, the production can get away with almost any top/safe-constellation that they would want for their narrative of the season. it's harder to say, that queen A deserves to be in the top over queen B in other challenges where the objectives are the same for every contestant because the individual differences appear more clearly to the viewer. but in THIS challenge, the comparison is considerably more difficult due to considerable diferences in each performance. how do you compare a bubble-burlesque-number, to a quick-sowing-gag or an acrobatic display of skill. it is literally comparing apples to oranges, and that ambiguity works in favor of the judging. usually points could be made for most of the queens to take a win. and considering the psychological effect, that we see the judges decision and therefor, at least on some subconscious level, find the decision to be valid and justifyable, the production can really get away with almost any outcome. and if we look at the queens who performed super creatively or showcased a very technical TALENT, then we come to notice, that most of the time, it's queens, that the production (allegedly) does not want to win or get far in the competition. they did NOT want gia to get far, they did NOT care for scarlet AT ALL. they very insanely impressed by mariah, but were like "ahh well fuck, we do NOT want her to excel in this season, this is someone else's season!" so all in all, that is why i am usually very annoyed by the talent shows and it's judging (/editing).
Live singing is such a risk because 1) If you're a vocal performer that needs lozenges, etc. your fate basically rests in the PA's hands. It's the first day and they don't have a ton of time to process those requests + you're coming off of a flight that dries out your vocal chords. 2) They give out inner ears really inconsistently. Monet didn't get an inner ear which is pretty crucial if you want to hear yourself singing (otherwise it gets lost in a big room or beneath the track).
When I think of Drag Race talent shows my mind jumps to AS6 Talent show, AS4 Talent show and UK vs The World. It's chaotic. On one hand I understand why RuPaul always picks the funny ones as the winner when they are genuinely very funny, but on the other hand is bouncing your breastplate to the song a talent in comparison to someone who sang their lungs out (and got placed safe) ? After the judges pick the top two, I'm convinced they just randomly select who did bad and throw some type of comment like "oh you came out here with no cinch" "oh we've seen this before". News flash, Michelle, but you've also seen a queen lipsync before yet she gets the top placement.
I love you for putting Drag Race Holland in this video! It is often overlooked and that is such a shame. Thank you for that! Keta Minaj' magic performance was def my fave.
Not the Lemon riggery robbery I cannot deal with all the "your talent isn't original" as if jumps are original. SHE DID AN ORIGINAL SONG ON TOP OF THAT.
It’s such a smart challenge to do early in the season because it gives queens the opportunity to show their shtick. You’re given like, 2 minutes, some budget, and generous technical support to make it work. If you can’t really meet that challenge, how can you expect to have a career in performance? And realistically, if Drag Race is a launching pad for queens to build a career on, a talent show can give a taste of what audiences might expect if they see that queen in a club or at their show.
If I were on the show, for the talent show I would do gymnastics like Katya did, except I'm not half as flexible or physically capable. I'd make it funny with some tumbles, a cartwheels, maybe a headstand with a twerk, and try to do a split but fail on purpose to make the judges laugh
The main issue with it is that now they've just made it a 'Variety Show' and most of the girls just lip sync, dance or sing.. AS5 was a showcase of it because they even gave the ones who did a dance number backing dancers so they seemed a lot more impressive and the ones who actually had a unique talent fell to the wayside
You should rank the types of challenges! Maybe categorize them based on entertainment, general quality of queens’ performances, audience reception, etc. It’d be hard to rank them without those factors bc it’s very subjective otherwise
One of the reasons of why the challenge feels less epic nowadays is because of covid restrictions imo. I loved the energy of the audience watching the performances before, whereas now it’s a queen in a room that’s empty outside of the judges, with the exception of maybe the other queens watching
Most robbed Queen of a talent show will always be Gia Gunn´s performance in AS4 .. She lost to Trinity´s tuck performance.. Why? .. And if the queens want to perform their song , sing LIVE ..
was the charity challenge not a talent show in as7? wasn’t that what made it such a gag? that the finale rested on their talent show performances, which was now the final challenge instead of the first?
Even if the judging is off sometimes, I agree with the video, it's a great opener challenge to get to know the cast... i hope they keep it, atleast for now
I love the poll dancing ones!! Listen I used to say “everyone can dance on a poll that’s easy” welp my ass got drunk at the strip club and tried dancing that pole and let’s just say my thighs and arms were burning not to mention the next day I was covered in bruises!! Now I throw more money when I go 😂😂😂😂
Talent shows will always be one of the hardest challenges to judge because each performance is just so different, so someone is always bound to get "robbed" or whatever. A live audience can also make a difference in the judging because it does affect the judge's perception of how well a queen did. Anyways, my fave talent will always be Tatiana's. Close runners-up would be Willow and Jimbo. Best overall talent show lineup? Toss up between AS3 and España because at the very least everyone did ok and no one flopped hard
I don't like the talent show. The more interesting performances are overlooked or in the bottom. Also, lip syncing should not be a talent, literally every queen can do that and often does it just to be safe. The episode I look forward is the make-over or the balls.
I really hate talent shows where the queens lip sync and dance to an own song or just sing, its so boring. I literally slept half of the all winners talent show bc it was almost the same thing
I actually loved Kerri Colby’s jump rope and was surprised a lot of people didn’t like it! But Gia’s performance…my god. Brilliant. Jaw dropping. That’s an actually talent, along with Thorgy playing the violin. I mean, it makes sense that a lot of Queens are going to do singing/dancing talents because that’s what they are talented at, that’s why they are drag queens, but it would be nice to see them think outside the box and think about their other talents they might have if singing and dancing was off the plate.
I used to look forward to Talent Shows, but nowadays every drag wants to sing, and not every one of them are good, so it all comes up as unoriginal for me. But i still speak to this day about AS2's talent show.
Personally, I don't enjoy the talent shows that much tbh. I find they go on a bit and if they're lipsync/singing/dancing, they kind of feel like the lipcync for your life that we get at the end of every episode anyways- So the episode just kind of feels repetitive. Also, I find the energy of the room during the talent shows to be a bit weird tbh. IDK, I often feel like there's one 'stand out' performance and quite a few just like 'meh' moments. But love the queens and their talents anyway. Jimbos and Tatianna's stand out most for me tbh lol- I'm not a dancer as u can tell haha
The talent show is one of my favourite challenges 😅 But I do usually dislike the judging lol. Usually when I rewatch the talent shows I stop watching before the judging.
I will never not be upset about Gia Gunn not getting the win for that episode. Gia herself said she was trained in Nihon Buyo since she was five. The definition of robbed.
Agree
Michael Jordan’s kids are not in the NBA
@@Ordblind-art.dk-bongo what?
@@Ordblind-art.dk-bongo lol
exactly.
Manila’s face during Gia’s performance said it all. Seriously stunning
i live for manila living for gia
I do not like Gia at all, but that performance was amazing.
@@nicholasfield6127 nobody asked if you like her
@@MarkoRadivojevic 🤷 I don't care.
@@MarkoRadivojevic them saying that is just clarifying they don’t have a bias towards Gia that is influencing their opinion…
One common criticism about the judging of Talent Show episodes is that they seem to gravitate towards what the judges find funny or appealing rather than acknowledging the technical merits of the performance. Two examples I hear the most is Trinity the Tuck's performance in All Stars 4 being the "winning" performance when you had Latrice doing a flag dance, Manila's painting routine, and GIA Gunn's elaborate performance. The three had to show off great skills and talents, yet they went with the one that had the most "shock" factor that was selling a brand.
Then in All-Stars 6 many felt that Yara Sofia winning didn't feel right simply because her gag was "LOOK AT ME AND MY GIANT BREASTS!" while the other girls did something more unique and varied. I know that this can also be said when judging runway looks and other challenges, but the Variety Show episodes REALLY show off how spotty judging can be.
a while ago @u. pondered that they changed it from a *talent* show to a *variety* show in order to make it so that the goal was not to showcase a unique skill or ability, but rather just to entertain(t) ru. n this theory checks out when you take a look at the different winners of the talent show (im only talking about the us seasons now) n turns out the most talent-y thing they do is take off some clothes n do the splits
Yeah I still think that Jan deserved to win the talent show in AS6 because it was epic and her vocals were incredible, and Yara won just by for having big breast...
Also see Down Under putting Elecktra in the bottom for her lyrical dance performance
@@gingerkid1048 i forgoT N SAVING ART N KAREN FOR BADLY EATING A CAKE N MAKING A SINGULAR BALLOON DOG
i mean also if you're going for the whole "charisma, uniqueness, nerve and talent" thing why not focus on TALENT for the TALENT show
I feel like one of the reasons that they were so iconic was because of their rarity, but now every season (regular, all stars and international) has one.
That part
Honestly, I’d say it’s not so much people liking it because it was once in a few seasons thing, which even at first it happened every all star season since 2. Honestly, i’d say people more often than not just like a reliablr challenge that they like more often than not, even if they claim they want some original challenges. But rather the bigger data/it being more common showing flaws, or at least things that can be viewed as flaws, that it has, like certain types of talents being more common than others or what type of performances are actually rewarded like the video here mentioned. And in the former case, it’s probably more so has to do with the girls trying to „play the game” and do what has proven to work before, than risk something that wasn’t tested and be put in the bottom cause it doesn’t play well in a talent show/Ru wasn’t a big fan of it.
I mean you could say that about anything on drag race
No they're still amazing...
Personally I enjoy the talent shows way more than I enjoy snatch game
For me, you immediately disqualify yourself from the top if your talent is lip syncing. Idk, it just feels like such an easy way out.
Yeah. I get that it's the main performing skill a lot of queens hone and obviously if they do their own songs is very good for branding etc, but... We literally see this every episode. I already know you can (or should be able to) do this. Give me something new.
This! Im so tired of 99% of the talents being lip syncing! Most arent that memorable anyway
I was so bored of all the lipsynced original songs on All Stars 6 talent show. Nearly every act was a mid energy lipsync, including Ginger Minj????? I was so confused that she didn't sing or do a funny song when she's such a powerhouse at theatre and comedy.
Wel update lol, Anetra and Sasha Colby? Well Anetra was wood chopping but Sasha? She did a lip sync
@@marcelooo2930 anetra's talent was nouging and karate chopping so she gets a pass.
Sasha didnt get top for her performance. Just safe
I loved Thorgy's Violin preformance, I was genuinely surprised she didn't get a higher placement.
Manila's talent show is soo frickin underrated. I mean c'mon she made a portrait and made it *UPSIDEDOWN* and made a matching *RUVEAL* !
I audibly gasped when she revealed it! AS4 had such a good talent show
@@Spagbolisnotme Good cast and competitors in general! All Stars 4 was soo underrated because the previous season of All Stars before that was amazing soo it kinda became overlooked. But looking back at it. It's a fucking good season. It's everythanggggg. And the gag of the century when Manila got eliminated. I think the only thing I'm not into is the double crowning but hey i love Trinity and Monét and they are bringing it on All Stars 7 soo I'm not mad about it. All Stars 4 has it. Great Talents, Great Queens, Great Drama, Great Lipsyncs and Great Season overall
Top 2 were her and Gia 100%
So y’all ain’t seeing the faded mark of paint on the portraits beforehand??
@@honeymangohoneymango4524 and? She still sold the fuck out of it and that itself is a talent
To this day, Ra’Jah’s makes me nervous every time. Sewing machines can smell fear and the ones on set at RPDR are notoriously busted, one little piece of dust in the bobbin case or one part getting jostled out of place as they set the machine up onstage and it would have all gone to hell for reasons completely unrelated to her actual talent level… but it worked for her, because she knows how to do it, because she’s Ra’Jah. All hail.
They can not only smell fear but also sense when someone is in a rush.
A lot like printers who also seem to always crap out when you most need them.
god my sewing machine at home throws tantrums all the time. I'll have the loose end of the thread not in the correct spot and suddenly the whole thing is unraveling and getting tangled.
For me, the worst judging I've seen for a talent show was on AS4. Everything was just so crazy.
While I agree AS4 was bad, nothing can compare to the absolute trainwreck that was Down Under's talent show
i feel like as6 had really weird judging
@@19nmiller1 I was just about to say that 🤣
@@19nmiller1 Down Under was a train wreck. Period.
Gia deserved the win
Thank you for mentioning Gia Gunn! Everytime I watch that episode I am dumbfounded as to how she didn't land top 2! It was so well done and also very unique!
I always react like Manila, so beautiful.
The queens do their talent shows twice, Gia and Latrice were said to had slip ups during one of those takes
Bob The Drag Queen said that stand-up comedy acts in the talent show challenge are so unsuccessful because it's so out of place. After seeing several high-energy dance routines, it's weird to see someone up there doing stand-up. It's much more successful in the right context, like if you're going to a comedy show or comedy club.
I hear more and more talk from Drag Race contestants about instances where they wanted to do a specific act but the show rejected it for one reason or another. Not surprised it happened to Coco...I would have loved to see her more in her element as Janet. Makes you wonder what kind of show the queens would put on if there were no limitations.
gia's kabuki performance is probably one of my favorite performances in the entire franchise not even specifically variety show performances i mean of ALL the performances
I'm someone who prefers the technical skill over the "entertainment" when it's *checks notes* a talent show. Talent, or really just something you have immense skill in, takes a lot of time, practice, and knowledge. Seeing that displayed on stage IS entertaining to me. Listening to Jan sing, watching Gia perform, or Manila paint was far more entertaining to me than someone "singing" about how to tuck...
right? like there are _so many_ challenges on drag race that involve singing or dancing or being funny or whatever. this should be one challenge that's different in that it forces the queens to show us something _they_ can do that, ideally, no one else on the cast can do.
Thats why you should READ and see that Season 3-6's shows have been VARIETY shows and not talent shows. A variety show is a show with a variety of entertainment.
I know right? What kind of show it is they think? A drag queen show? Haven't they realised they're in agt? How dare them doing something funny or campy?
Also, something I’ve noticed is that the one on All Stars 2 was called the “talent show,” but since then, all of the All Stars ones have been “variety shows.” I swear they changed the name to justify giving wins to lipsync performances over more technical talents.
Coco was done so dirty by them not wanting to cough up the money for the Janet song she wanted to perform and for the format change because she would’ve sent so much of the cast home if she got to lipsync.
if i had a nickel for every time i've seen someone pretend to give birth during a Drag Race talent show segment, i'd have 10 cents. that's not a lot of money but it's weird that it's happened twice
Technically three time since Onyx birthed herself out of the egg and then the baby alien out of her
Lmao🤣
I want a variety show were queens are tasked with doing something other than dancing or lip syncing. Also it sucks that when they perform their own track WoW owns that track from there on out.
I mean Jimbo and Onyx basically created a whole ass other category: giving birth on the main stage. Can’t wait to see THAT pop up as a category for a talent show XD
Incredibly, I have done this talent and have the additional talent of raising children. This said, I have been known to throw ham slices at them…
jumbo trained as a professional clown and she was clowning for her talent. like classique clowning, it was beautiful
Classique Tiara
I’ve said this a million times but my favourite talent show performances are the ones that showcase a skill you wouldn’t normally get to show on Drag Race. Gia, Latrice, Thorgy, Trixie etc all showed skills they wouldn’t get to show on Drag Race otherwise and it was great
That’s the main reason I’m happy that the talent show has come to the regular seasons. It’s such a special opportunity for the queens to show off talents the show can’t feature because they’re too specialized or unusual.
maddy too
"Is she gonna jump from there?!"
One of the performances I will always defend is Maddy morphosis's, the guitar was great, it gave me the blues I'm looking for, I loved it so much, I wish that the talent show wouldn't only be all glitter, splits, kicks or singing
100% ! She gave me all the blues lesbian vibes I wanted. I do agree that she should have shown the judges (or the cameras) more visibly that she was playing with her mouth, but like? It was a vibe. It didn’t kill the energy, it just brought it to a chill, mellow place. I loved it.
i aggree! and she looked stunning
I know! It was so underrated!
I agree, as a queen she could do with more polishing but playing an instrument is an actual talent
Maddy was AMAZING
I think it's interesting you didn't consider Scarlet as a burlesque act. I feel like she continued on the tradition of burlesque (in the greater world as well as Drag Race) through cheekiness and an inventive gimmick. She is so smart when it comes to aesthetic presentation and I feel that she deserved a top spot for that one.
*In Finding Nemo yellow fish voice*: BUBBLES!
I'm still mad Silky was in the bottom for playing the piano. That's an actual skill and they just thought it wasn't entertaining enough.
Gia's as4 talent show would explain a lot. I'm not a Gia stan but that performance was actually good.
But the singing wasn't that good
The obsession with comedy really is something that has frustrated me about Drag Race over the years. I'm glad to see more and more people feeling this way.
I wish they would reward the more technical talents as well because, in my opinion, they are just as entertaining if not more. People like Mariah, Gia, Latrice, Manila and Jan really captivated me with both their technical ability and entertainment value. I’m glad Monet finally broke that curse in AS7 with her opera performance because her raw skill alone definitely deserved to be rewarded.
I think calling them variety shows rather than talent shows is a bit more accurate considering how they are judged.
I know the best or most memorable performances are the ones that divert from dancing and singing to showcase something original, but at some points I have found that it's so varied that I genuinely don't know how it should be judged (assuming they're all good)
I agree with how the balance of judging is frustrating. Regardless though, the talent show is one of my diehard favorite challenges. They're just so jam-packed I never get bored. I'm constantly revisiting my favorite performances.
Talent show as a first challenge is amazing as it ables queens to really brand themself (as long as production is willing to let them do what they want). I'm glad DRF (and season 14) allowed queens to have copyright songs in their performance. And also, I like when they let them brings partners (like in DRF or DRH). Keta's magic show would have been hard without a partners she already knew.
I wish these challenge wouldn't be competitive tho. How can you compare someone singing to someone lipsyncing, to someone doing stand-up ? The judging is always messy, but it's mostly because of the type of the challenge. Talent shows with top 2 placement and lipsync for the win would be the best format to me.
I still think Gia should have been given a solo win for her talent performance. There has never been something so beautiful and technical on Drag Race.
I will never, and I mean never, understand how Lemon was in the bottom during the Talent Show. Like, there were 3-4 that were OBJECTIVELY worse, im sorry but...it was garbage mama
FOR REAL
name names
@@makobell1702 Baga, Mo, Juju, Cheryl
will never forget how Kita and Elektra were put in the bottom over Karen, most insane judging I've seen on the show
Right? Karen and Art were the obvious bottom 2.
Kita’s was actually really good, it was something no one had done before, yet the judges expected amazing outfits one after the next, which isn’t what quick reveals are about, and they weren’t that bad anyway.
Much better than making a single balloon animal or eating a piece of cake 🙄🙄
@@hongkongfueynz3071 right and Elektra literally did professional dance who tf cares about her wig it was a talent show… it’s clear that the challenge outfits/wigs/styling only ever counts when the production wants it to aka when they want someone in the bottom
That episode had me yelling I was so ANGRY
Tbh it's strange how the show completely revolves around Ru's personal tastes.
I strongly think if she wants to make good TV the show needs to stop being forced in her direction.
"Make Ru laugh"
"Ru hates magic shows, only do acts she likes"
"Look the way Ru wants you to"
Can we stop? Drag has a much wider culture than RuPaul. 'And seeing all these restrictions makes me realize. . .Ru doesn't know shit about talent. :/
To be fair, the show is called “RuPaul’s Drag Race,” rather than something like “America’s Best Drag Queen” or “The Great Drag (Queen) Race.” The day it stops revolving around her taste is the day that she steps down as host.
@@WhatsBlissThat doesn't make it fair because Ru's show was one of the first shows that moved forward showcasing drag queens. Why should you do a lesser job of representing them just because it's your brand? For the longest time, SHE WAS THE ONLY BRAND.
Anyone can step in and make a better show now. Is that really worth it?
I just love that it is basically the most freedom queens are given to create something truly of their own. I really love it and wouldn't mind it becoming a staple like Snatch Game cause it really brings a lot of authenticity to the show 😊
Don’t forget about Latrice’s color guard, I mean that stuff is insanely hard and I’m surprised she even did a toss
She was doing color guard since she was in school so she had it down pat
I still feel salty for Mariah's. I found it so captivating but because it didn't necessarily show off a skill with spectacle value she wasn't rewarded for it. Also with the talent show being the first challenge it really sets some hierarchy early on, for better or for worse.
Paloma’s standup didn’t land into the bottom because it was very typical French humour, I could see it on popular standup shows. It was hilarious to me and my drunk friends, we were expecting her to win actually. The jokes might have been lost in [french joke] though.
Edit: She was parodying the equivalent of the new age rich white woman in the US but less cult-y and more scammy
Yeah same I was crying laughing at that performance but I think other countries might not find it as funny, especially when translation comes in the mix
I legit thought she would at least be top 3, to me it was THE BEST stand up routine given in the context of a talent show and I still think she wasn't there only because JPG really fell in love with Elips' dress, which, ok I guess
Honestly, I feel like one of the reasons comedy does badly is because people may not realise the amount of time and even learning that goes into crafting a sketch or set that is both technically good and knows the audience it is going to play out in front of. The reason why you only have escalation sketches doing well is that it's funny whilst still bringing the energy of something like a bitch track or live performance, where instead of a buildup to a split or the 'is she gonna jump from there' moment, you get the gradual crescendo into something like Willow Pill's toaster joke. There's a neater beginning middle end sort of structure and the audience is still surprised but satisfied by the performance, maybe even getting a good laugh out of it. That's just my thoughts idk
It became the “drop your new single that sounds like all the ones we’ve heard before” challenge
People at the party….and I’m wanting to dance….
Jimbo's talent is actually called 'clowning', it's a type of performance style that is practised even within university settings for performance arts courses, and Jimbo does it really well!
I feel like queens who play an instrument are the most overlooked… and it’s rather frustrating :/ if we’re doing a *talent* show, then let’s not ignore the few queens who showcase actual talents, and I can’t put to words how mad I was when, say, The Countess, Silky, Thorgy, or La Grande Dame we’re just safe (I think all of them were safe or lower, correct me if I’m wrong)
I literally JUST realized Kita and Keta both did “magic” for their respect talent shows lmao
The talent show is one of the episodes tht bores me the most, mainly because it tends to be 85% lip syncs, as if we don't get enough of those during the season
Thank you for giving pole the respect it deserves! I’ve been doing it for 6 years, and that shit is NOT easy, especially if you’re doing a whole routine with transitions on the pole as opposed to individual tricks or spins with breaks on the ground in between. It’s cardio, strength, and technical and artistic ability
Bimini’s routine fucking blew me away. It’s my Roman Empire
My biggest complaint about Drag Race Talent shows is that so many queens do lipsyncs and then they get placed high. As a drag queen you should be good at lipsyncing so when you have a talent show you should try and do something different. But when queens show off their unique talents Ru doesn’t like it because it’s not exciting enough.
Jimbo's was not anti-talent, but the art of clowning. That was a well-written, crafted and tested performance.
Love your videos. It's so nice to see your channel grow 👌🏾💪🏾❤
You're the best Drag Race youtuber, and youtube content creator in general tbh. I really enjoy watching you and hope you get the success you deserve!
I still think this should be exclusive to All Stars tbh, now, since it's everywhere franchise-wise, it lacks value.
I think that's why they changed to Vartiety instead of Talent.
If it was AS exclusive we would have been robbed of España's
While I think that the critiques of how technical challenges don't get rewarded as often, I do think that the show has a point in prioritizing entertainment factor over other merits of a talent performance. As you've said, they have to sell the impact of the talent performance to the audience, and it's very hard to get good reactions from judges during serious or technical performances. Or unfunny comedy ones. Or singing, where the song isn't funny.
The problem that arises here then is, who is supposed to be entertained. I was immensely entertained by Gia Gunn's amazing traditional dancing, or Trixie's singer/songwriter or autoharp playing abilities, or Latrice's flag show (which was also very high energy) or Sharonne or La Briochées heartfelt singing or Soa de Muse's cabaret singing/acting. Not every form of entertainment is just constant laughs with so much movement that you are constantly distracted, some entertainment also make you stop, feel and think and I think that's also very beautiful and needs to be given credit
@@ecenbt : This is where "aiming for the widest audience" is usually the best strategy. Gia's performance left me cold because, well, I've seen it done better. She could have dragged up the performance a bit more? It didn't feel camp enough to fit the vibe of the show. But AS4's entire talent show is a mess tbh, I think Manila's talent should've won.
Singing only performances, with no backup dancers, need to be less earnest and more focused on the pageantry rather than the artistry. Trixie's AS3 talent show was mid because Trixie's song choice didn't highlight how entertaining her musical performances could be.
Overall, I think that Talent Performances are inherently subjective, and that part of the strategy is both knowing the audience and knowing the judges. Do something the judges can relate to, and fit the vibe of a bombastic variety show premiere that All Stars 1st Eps normally are supposed to be, and you should be fine. Make the most of what you can work with. Put in some backup dancers in skimpy outfits. I think Coco's number would have worked a lot better if she had a partner with her.
It’s important to specify that it was only the Talent Show in AS2, and they changed it to Variety show because everyone hated the placements in that season saying “the people with actual talent were in the bottom or safe”
I don't really like gia but here performance was AMAZING
jack you are just SO GOOD. i feel so happy that you exist in this community! it's always a joy when you upload. :))))
I would have put Scarlet's bubble play in the burlesque category as well
i don't think, that the technical challenges are less likely to win. i wholeheartedly believe that the ACTUAL problem of the talent show is, that it's THE BEST TOOL for production. if you assume that all the girls are coming prepared and have two tries, you have the chance that ALL the queens are doing well in at least one try. and since it's really hard to objectively say that well-performed- talent-A is better than well-performed-talent-B, the production can get away with almost any top/safe-constellation that they would want for their narrative of the season. it's harder to say, that queen A deserves to be in the top over queen B in other challenges where the objectives are the same for every contestant because the individual differences appear more clearly to the viewer. but in THIS challenge, the comparison is considerably more difficult due to considerable diferences in each performance. how do you compare a bubble-burlesque-number, to a quick-sowing-gag or an acrobatic display of skill. it is literally comparing apples to oranges, and that ambiguity works in favor of the judging. usually points could be made for most of the queens to take a win. and considering the psychological effect, that we see the judges decision and therefor, at least on some subconscious level, find the decision to be valid and justifyable, the production can really get away with almost any outcome. and if we look at the queens who performed super creatively or showcased a very technical TALENT, then we come to notice, that most of the time, it's queens, that the production (allegedly) does not want to win or get far in the competition. they did NOT want gia to get far, they did NOT care for scarlet AT ALL. they very insanely impressed by mariah, but were like "ahh well fuck, we do NOT want her to excel in this season, this is someone else's season!"
so all in all, that is why i am usually very annoyed by the talent shows and it's judging (/editing).
Live singing is such a risk because 1) If you're a vocal performer that needs lozenges, etc. your fate basically rests in the PA's hands. It's the first day and they don't have a ton of time to process those requests + you're coming off of a flight that dries out your vocal chords. 2) They give out inner ears really inconsistently. Monet didn't get an inner ear which is pretty crucial if you want to hear yourself singing (otherwise it gets lost in a big room or beneath the track).
When I think of Drag Race talent shows my mind jumps to AS6 Talent show, AS4 Talent show and UK vs The World.
It's chaotic. On one hand I understand why RuPaul always picks the funny ones as the winner when they are genuinely very funny, but on the other hand is bouncing your breastplate to the song a talent in comparison to someone who sang their lungs out (and got placed safe) ? After the judges pick the top two, I'm convinced they just randomly select who did bad and throw some type of comment like "oh you came out here with no cinch" "oh we've seen this before". News flash, Michelle, but you've also seen a queen lipsync before yet she gets the top placement.
THE ENDING AAAHAHAHA!! another great vid 😍
I love you for putting Drag Race Holland in this video! It is often overlooked and that is such a shame. Thank you for that! Keta Minaj' magic performance was def my fave.
Tati’s is one of my favourite talents ever. It was so clever & unique. Plus she looks stunning
Not the Lemon riggery robbery I cannot deal with all the "your talent isn't original" as if jumps are original. SHE DID AN ORIGINAL SONG ON TOP OF THAT.
All Stars 4 Talent/Variety show results just don't make sense, and it showed how the season went, a mess.
They need to do something new with it TBH. I’m glad this newest season didn’t have one at the beginning of the season.
I know this was out before the talent show in AS7 - but Monet omg ... a very serious act and landing in the top. Her voice is amazing!
It’s such a smart challenge to do early in the season because it gives queens the opportunity to show their shtick. You’re given like, 2 minutes, some budget, and generous technical support to make it work. If you can’t really meet that challenge, how can you expect to have a career in performance?
And realistically, if Drag Race is a launching pad for queens to build a career on, a talent show can give a taste of what audiences might expect if they see that queen in a club or at their show.
It’s easily forgotten that drag IS the talent, not everyone is going to have a hidden talent
If I were on the show, for the talent show I would do gymnastics like Katya did, except I'm not half as flexible or physically capable. I'd make it funny with some tumbles, a cartwheels, maybe a headstand with a twerk, and try to do a split but fail on purpose to make the judges laugh
The main issue with it is that now they've just made it a 'Variety Show' and most of the girls just lip sync, dance or sing.. AS5 was a showcase of it because they even gave the ones who did a dance number backing dancers so they seemed a lot more impressive and the ones who actually had a unique talent fell to the wayside
You should rank the types of challenges! Maybe categorize them based on entertainment, general quality of queens’ performances, audience reception, etc. It’d be hard to rank them without those factors bc it’s very subjective otherwise
One of the reasons of why the challenge feels less epic nowadays is because of covid restrictions imo. I loved the energy of the audience watching the performances before, whereas now it’s a queen in a room that’s empty outside of the judges, with the exception of maybe the other queens watching
I appreciate how often you upload but please don't burn yourself out for us 😭💙💙💙💙
I loved your new version you did on this episode ,thank you for your thoughts
Down Under talent show gives me PTSD and I wake up crying in the middle of the night :)
The only two good performances in the bottom? OOF
Yeah Kita deserved to win, hers was original and entertaining, but the whole judging on Down Under ruined the entire season
Most robbed Queen of a talent show will always be Gia Gunn´s performance in AS4 .. She lost to Trinity´s tuck performance.. Why? .. And if the queens want to perform their song , sing LIVE ..
You forgot the Countess' piano ;( It's one of the best talents ive seen on a talent show.
Just realized SIlky also played it.
was the charity challenge not a talent show in as7? wasn’t that what made it such a gag? that the finale rested on their talent show performances, which was now the final challenge instead of the first?
Even if the judging is off sometimes, I agree with the video, it's a great opener challenge to get to know the cast... i hope they keep it, atleast for now
I love the poll dancing ones!! Listen I used to say “everyone can dance on a poll that’s easy” welp my ass got drunk at the strip club and tried dancing that pole and let’s just say my thighs and arms were burning not to mention the next day I was covered in bruises!! Now I throw more money when I go 😂😂😂😂
Talent shows will always be one of the hardest challenges to judge because each performance is just so different, so someone is always bound to get "robbed" or whatever. A live audience can also make a difference in the judging because it does affect the judge's perception of how well a queen did.
Anyways, my fave talent will always be Tatiana's. Close runners-up would be Willow and Jimbo. Best overall talent show lineup? Toss up between AS3 and España because at the very least everyone did ok and no one flopped hard
I don't like the talent show. The more interesting performances are overlooked or in the bottom. Also, lip syncing should not be a talent, literally every queen can do that and often does it just to be safe. The episode I look forward is the make-over or the balls.
I mean I wouldn't say every queen can do that as we've seen on the show a few times pretty bad lip syncers.
@@MarioMVasilev even if they suck at lip sync, they still can do it
I really hate talent shows where the queens lip sync and dance to an own song or just sing, its so boring. I literally slept half of the all winners talent show bc it was almost the same thing
Scarlett Envy's brand kind of is bubbles, she walked out in ep2 or 3 of s11 with 2 bubble guns for the zodiac sign runway as a pisces
“This piece _aheugh aheugh_ “
España's season 2 talent show was iconic. Not sure how many suitcases the girls are allowed or how they brought their own backup dancers but I LIVE!
Burlesque is my favorite category, Bosco was SO GOOD and it was my favorite of the episode.
I'm so into voguing again
I'm usually excited for them and can't wait too see what people are bringing to the competition.
So the best talent show was from drag race España
for the live singers, alaska and ginger were HIGH for all stars 2
I loved Bosco's burlesque. She is so captivating to watch. I loved it.
I actually loved Kerri Colby’s jump rope and was surprised a lot of people didn’t like it! But Gia’s performance…my god. Brilliant. Jaw dropping. That’s an actually talent, along with Thorgy playing the violin. I mean, it makes sense that a lot of Queens are going to do singing/dancing talents because that’s what they are talented at, that’s why they are drag queens, but it would be nice to see them think outside the box and think about their other talents they might have if singing and dancing was off the plate.
I used to look forward to Talent Shows, but nowadays every drag wants to sing, and not every one of them are good, so it all comes up as unoriginal for me. But i still speak to this day about AS2's talent show.
Every queen who performed an original song placed safe
Except for serena
My talent show will be a shot-by-shot recreation of Isabelle Adjani's subway scene in Possession.
Spoilers for AS7 Talent show below.....
But 7 of the 8 girls doing original songs is just a fucking joke. Imagine how tired we are
During orion's talent show, everyone was laughing the whole time (she said that on mera mangle)
Personally, I don't enjoy the talent shows that much tbh. I find they go on a bit and if they're lipsync/singing/dancing, they kind of feel like the lipcync for your life that we get at the end of every episode anyways- So the episode just kind of feels repetitive. Also, I find the energy of the room during the talent shows to be a bit weird tbh. IDK, I often feel like there's one 'stand out' performance and quite a few just like 'meh' moments. But love the queens and their talents anyway. Jimbos and Tatianna's stand out most for me tbh lol- I'm not a dancer as u can tell haha
The talent show is one of my favourite challenges 😅
But I do usually dislike the judging lol. Usually when I rewatch the talent shows I stop watching before the judging.