Not only did Gigi’s Stars and Stripes runway look costumey, it also missed the runway prompt entirely - and not just because it had no Stars and Stripes. The runway prompt was American pride and she was literally dressed as a redcoat, British soldiers from the Revolutionary War. You honestly can’t miss the prompt any harder. They saved her because they knew she couldn’t lipsync and she was the production favourite that season, so no way were they risking losing her.
Not a Gigi Stan but the theme they say on the show isn’t always the wording they give to the queens so if the theme was American pride, they probably were just told make a look based off the colors red white and blue
@@theonlydahli yes bc she was doing a clear reference to the flag from an African American perspective, widow hit the prompt and did something different
@@logiebear911 agreed! i’m just pointing out the fact that the prompt couldn’t have been red, white and blue if Widow’s look was black and white, a reference to the BLM movement.
I feel your pain about Mrs. Kasha Davis. She *owned* the SNL challenge; she actually stole the scene from two scene-stealers! I'm sure her Snatch Game would have been amazing. Now I guess we'll never know.
Nina Bo'Nina's runway package felt like something extra special we had never seen before, and I remember waiting for the runways specifically to see what she would wear. Agree that in general Season 9 is where there starts being more emphasis on the runway or we start hearing "your runway saved you tonight" more
I think they really wanted to set the yvie vs brooke lipsync so it makes sense why they put brooke in the bottom instead of vanjie AND when she revealed, she looked ready for battle like she knew the slayage that was abt to happen
i've always been confused on this matter, because sometimes an amazing runway pushes a queen who already did amazing to the top, but a bottom queen can have an amazing runway and have it ignored. excited to see this video though!!
@@ohandthefrackingyeah, if the logic is that challenge determined bottom 3 and then runways choose who lip syncs…Kahmora had an AMAZING runway, even if her challenge performance was objectively the worst. So why didn’t the runway save her?
@@maxinesteuer1959 because in general everyone but Kandy and Joey Jay served on the runway so while she served THE best, its not like everyone looked like a mess doesnt really help that the other girls in bottom 3 were Denali and Lala Ri - who also were in top 5 of best looks of this weeks category so she really just stood out as "girl you ate but everyone else munched as much"
I don't think the judges respect Kasha's drag aesthetic. She is such an incredible performance queen, and it's a very different perspective than what (I think) the judges are looking for. It's almost like if there's no sexiness to it, they don't think it's good drag. Honestly, it's disheartening because it's like putting drag in a box--which is counterintuitive to what drag actually exists as in the real world.
I might argue that Kerri wearing the JLo dress is WHY she was in the bottom. Not because it was bad, but because it was a moment. It's not every day the producers get to make a moment where a literal famous piece of fashion history is on the runway, and they wanted to milk it and see it move.
Putting 2 queens of colour who made political statements on the runway on a politics themed challenge in the bottom, in order to save 2 white queens is such a bad look.
@@MaffyTaffyHaffygirl, you’re the one who commented that the only thing going for Luxx is that she’s black. I think you’re the one who is focusing on race too much 🤨
The Lupone blunder in your presentation will go down as an iconic slip up because I immediately thought of Bob & Willow’s “VIVIENNE PINAY?!” and Mo & Trixie’s “…Sheryl Canning” moments
Darienne looked literally amazing in the last episode and went home. Runways are my favorite part of the show so I always get upset when they’re not taken into account over some of the cringey challenges
I always thought that the runways served as tiebreakers when the queens who did the best or worst in the challenge were kind of even. But after watching more and more seasons it’s clear that production just uses it to favour queens they like or disadvantage queens they dislike.
I've never used the runway to judge a queen's perforance tbh. Some queens just have more money and better connections than others. What matters most to me in this regard is their ability to construct a look. I would say Lala Ri and Utica delivered runway packages from home that were about the same in terms of quality, but as we've seen, they're in completely different playing fields when it comes to actually making their own runway.
But then somebody like Nina Bonina Brown didn’t have much for her runways but made some incredible, unique creations. Does she not deserve some props for doing a lot with so little?
@@danielsimmich1858 I can appreciate how hard some queens worked to get their runways together, but to be fair, other queens with good money and good connections undoubtedly worked hard to obtain those things that provide them with good runways. I think it'd be hypocritical for me to discredit either methods, so I just consider both on the same playing field. For Nina, her costumes themselves weren't that amazing imo, it was her makeup that was truly phenomenal, the very best to grace the show. Obviously she deserves special praise for that since she was definitely working on her face before every runway, it's not like she brought removable face masks lol.
Also, even though she was really good in the second skit, she and Kandy had 0 chemistry during the monologue and MKD’s performance especially felt kinda forced.
I feel, as several people already have stated, that Heidi is being extremly overlooked, she could have won the last episode and The Ball. Justice for Heidi ❤
In the instance of crystal methyd being in the bottom 3 with dahlia and Nicky, but being saved. I think she was saved not only because of story or favoritism, but the amount of intrigue her unique drag had created to that point. I bet the judges were like ‘this is not the best look and she didn’t do the best but I want to see more.’
In the wigloose challenge I always felt that because they all done so well Ru asked who should go home and then put the two queens with the most votes in the bottom
It's pretty obvious that the runway ONLY matters when production faves (or in some cases, storyline) are in the top or the bottom. Gigi, Jimbo, Shea, Aquaria, Bosco, Crystal, Kameron, etc. They all were production faves.
They are an easy way to produce narratives... but I also think they serve the function of potentially pushing you ahead if it is VERY close. Plus they are one of the best ways for the queen to show the audience who they are... So whether they affect placements or not, they certainly shape your public reception... which is more important in the end!
It's funny but I always think about season 3 in the exercise episode, where Yara gave us the iconic 'echa pa'lante' moment but Michelle mentioned how much she disliked her dress and she lost the challenge to Alexis Mateo who looked absolutely stunning in her gown. That's the first moment (as far as I can tell) of the runway holding someone back
Runways matter when production want them to matter, they are used as a last stitch effort to sway storylines. Plus, if Runways didn't matter, there wouldn't be the Fame Games.
15:15 I remember this runway critique super well because they acted like Gigi had one of the greatest looks of all time. It really confused me because yeah, it is just a bikini. Whereas Jan looked incredible and had the recreation down, but they kinda glossed over it to praise Gigi more. I'm really glad you pointed it out because I literally felt gaslit after that episode lol
I feel like nobody truly knows the answer to this question, including the queens, Ru, and the producers themselves.....but it is clear that the runway is taken into account to conveniently eliminate or elevate a specific queen for narrative purposes.
I’m so glad other people are talking about Kasha in the snl episode. I thought I was going crazy! To me she was such a standout in that episode. It was like she was an actual snl star that came in as a special guest for the week to play with the girls. Because of her runway I don’t think she necessarily needed to win? Jimbo winning is fiiiine and you know production wanted that Jimbo/pan Gina reunion. But I just wish Kasha got to be in the top and have the judges tell her good job. Especially since that could have saved her in the next episode, and she probably would have done VERY WELL in the trailer episode after that. Anyway I’m looking forward to your riggory video on this season cuz they started gaslighting us EARLY.
I feel like the thing with MKD is that not only you like her runway (for whatever reason😂) but also the notion that she was by far the best in the challenge also isnt as popular. I think her and Kandy were equally good and Heidi even did better than MKD.
I have to mention an episode that popped up in my mind when I saw this video. It is EP2 from de 1st season of Drag Race España. For those who don’t know, it is a girl group challenge and the runway was a tribute to La Veneno. The winner was Carme Farala (deserved) and in the challenge, Pupi Poisson also stood out a lot. But for the runway, Carmen was outstandingly good (pls look at her look it was amazing). In the bottom, something similar happened. Arantxa Castilla La Mancha (aka icon) was thrown into the bottom basically because of a look that was kind of lazy and didnt fit the prompt at all. That is why, even having a really good and memorable performance, she lip synced that episode instead of others like Inti, Dovima or Hugaceo, who didn’t really do that good in the challenge but had good runways.
A good example of the runway being a tiebreaker is in Season 6, the Snatch Game episode. Based on the challenge, the win could have gone to any of Ben Dela Creme, Bianca Del Rio or Adore Delano, but since Dela was the only one who properly fit the brief in the runway (the best RuPaul look), that's why she won.
Production uses runways to justify placements. If they want a queen to win and they have a good runway that episode they will praise them. If the queen slayed the challenge but their runway is crunchy they will often look past the runway to give give that queen a win.
Omg! I didn’t know that there was a costume store called “Party city”! I just finally - years later - understood the intended meaning of “Go back to party city where you belong!” 😅
RPDR uses the runway sometimes when they want to keep a queen or send a queen home. If you notice the critiques are never consistent, one queen is praised for her body suit with things pasted to it, and another queen will lose because she has a body suit with things pasted on it. That's how they justify sending a queen home or having them win the season, whichever the producers want.
i think one thing that wasn’t mentioned was the robbery of pandora boxx in (tbh all) her seasons, they would out her in the top but not let her win because “her runway wasn’t good” 🤷♀️
Queens have no control over when the runway matters or not. They are accessories to drive a storyline. So the queens’ best shot is to make their looks the best possible so when they are at play, they work in their favor, not the opposite. Drag race is a reality tv show. If it was meant to be a fair game, it would and could be audited by Ernst & Young. 🤷🏼♂️
Since the day one I'm thinking about this and still I have no clue. I can only say this for some seaons fashion it's more important for some not but at the end of the day, runways feels like an easy exploitable way for production to put queens in the bottom they don't want and save queens that they want. I hope its clear.
i feel like runways matter for winning over the public. queens that don't do well at challenges/weird editrs but have amazing runways seem to get beloved by the fandom!
Runways only matter when Ru says they do, even during challenges that are judged solely based on a queens’ appearances - so, the garment creation and makeover challenges.
I think a bikini is just a type of garment like a dress. Gigi’s bikini look while it appears simple is beautifully made and considering the styling choices of the nails and hair I think it makes for a more niche and original presentation. While Jan was more recognizably Michelle, she’s in a long black wig like most of the other girls. And I’ll say that is just a simple stretch dress (no more remarkable than a bathing suit). I think there is this idea of “no more bodysuits”, but i think it should be “no more bad bodysuits”. There are good and bad kinds of every type of garments lol
Off Topic: I was always confused as to why Kerri kept on the Versace dress for the lip sync, especially when she knew that if she were to damage it, she would be screwed. I can only assume it didn't come to mind at the time to change her outfit, or that she asked production if she could change, but they just said "no." Also did anyone notice that he said that Chi Chi did Patty LuPone in the Diva's Live challenge?
If they want a fashion queen to win, runways matter, when they want a comedy queen to win, runways don't. If there's a direct correlation between the type of winner and runway value, there is no rule of thumb.
The runway pretty much always comes in second for me in terms of importance. Unless the runway is the challenge. You could walk out in different colored plastic boxes for each runway and I wouldn’t mind as long as you’re talented in the challenges
I think that at least on first 2 seasons the runway mattered as much if not sometimes even more than the actual challenge, queens would have most of their critiques about what they were wearing instead of how they did in the challenge. This could also be result of those seasons having a pretty small budget so that the maxi challenges weren't the focuspoint of the entire show like they are now.
I think runways matter, whenever production wants them to matter.. like to justify saving a production favourite or to justify putting someone in the bottom when they don’t care for that queen.
Let’s not forget when kameron Michaels wore that GORGE runway for the tap that app challenge that saved her from the bottom.. all 3 bottoms that episode were deserved but kameron’s runway SAVED her drastically
That kasha davis dress was just HORRIBLE, I don’t understand why she keeps on bringing all those ugly clothes, like nobody told her? Or she didn’t ask for advice or anything? There’s no way nobody saw that ugly skirt before the runway She could’ve been without a bottom and just wear it as a body seguir and it would’ve been fine, but that skirt and shoes really looked so out of place
If Drag Race was fair (and we know it's not) they would have a rubric and scoring method to judge the queens main challenge and runway, and I think it should be around 60%-40%, respectively. They could even factor in make up, overall presentation as part of the scoring system. Other drag competitions do this. (Such as LDQSY)
Personally, I wouldn’t say that Kasha was the clear winner in that challenge. She did good but other queens were as good (if not better) than her in my opinion while also having solid runways.
Kerri belonged in the bottom of the episode in the J-Lo dress, I get that there are queens off TV who don't sew, make outfits and buy expensive shit. but to have a bunch of work done on your face/body and just be pretty and put on something a celebrity wore in the past isn't ''Drag for drag race'' she is STILL 100% a valid queen if she choose to identify with them but it was ridic that she would be kept from the bottom based on runway
I honestly think the Season 10 snatch game is THE episode to look at for runway importance in the later seasons- I think Monet loses any chance she has of winning after being in the top with the two best looks on that runway with Aquaria and Eureka (imo Aquaria was the best that week in the challenge but I can see arguments for all three winning) On the other hand, with the bottom three who all probably deserved to lipsync, Asia had the only look that really lived up to the theme, we know Monique made her runway in the workroom and The Vixen's look looked like it could have been made there as well tbh, so we see them in the bottom two. But atop that, there's the whole conversation of how Asia could even have lip synced with the prosthetic/mask as you would not be able to see her lips if it stayed on, and we saw in the next episode that when she takes the face off, there's no makeup underneath and a... unfortunately placed black line looking like a moustache. I think it's worth adding the caveat of when a queen's outfit actually stops them from being able to lip sync, because if you ask me, on challenge alone Asia and Vixen should have been the bottom two due to the interplay of their characters.
exactly, i always think about how asia's look saved her from the bottom but also probably production realizing she couldn't lipsync and wanting to save her. but also yea, i think monique was just as bad as asia and vixen
I just feel that runway matter when it fit their narrative. Many details dont matter when they like the queen too. They really didnt like Vanjie looks 'cause it was all the same, but it dont matter for Kandy right now. They didnt say a thing about Sasha wigs lace showing or real hair poking through. Other queens would have been rip to shreds.
Ive never understood people thinking that Monet could have won Snatch Game, it was pretty much a safe performance. There we’re just some people who were not as good.
U mean the s10 snatch game? How can u say her maya angelou was safe? Ur a hater if u actually mean that because u can see how much she was funny and how much ru was laughing. Is she supposed to be the winner? No. But it’s not safe😂
@@user-ke5rt3ji8c i didnt personally find it that funny, and I dont see how everyone else thinks she could have won it. Im coming from a place of curiosity, not hate.
@@Danidonehoo how do u not find it funny but find may west or bjork funny when all of them are copying characters u didn’t know about? It’s giving undercover hater
@@user-ke5rt3ji8c i just didnt find it funny, and i dont see how other people think she could have won. I get if you found it super funny, but i didnt get winner material in any sense of the word. Okurr.
They should, but its honestly on producers for not being more consistent about it. Also, if queen X and Y did a winning performance then the one in the better look deserves the win more imo. This was the Jimbo vs Kasha situation to me.
also, they know what the queens are going to wear on each runway, so they choose runway themes with who they want to push and who they want gone in mind
5:20 same situation happened on the Russical from s16 with Saphera and ... What her name? The winner? The Rachel Berry impersonator? They're like neck to neck for the win, But i think the reason Saphera didn't win was bc she was not so strong in the group performance.
Season 9. Farrah Moan being saved from the bottom 2 in Snatchgame because of her Madonna look which was almost the best of the night (at least the best executed, i liked Sasha's and Valentina's more)
just like with every aspect of this show, if you are not giving the production a good storyline that makes you worth saving, you are not gonna make it far
Runways only mattered when they wanted them to in the Logo era as well because in Shade the Rusical, the runway was the tiebreaker to give Courtney the win.
In summary: if you're producer's fav, it matter to boost you (get you a win or save you from the bottom), and if you're not producer's fav, it matters to throw you under the bus (rob you a win or kick you out)
When I judge Drag Race episodes I do it as if the runway's highest ranking queen gets half of the points of the amount of queens. Like, if the queen is the worst gets a 0.5, if she's the second worse one, gets 1 point, and so on. And I add that to the points I gathered from the maxi Challenge, in which the minimum is 1 point, then 2, and like that. I think it's fair, because it can really affect for good or for bad, but the spotlight still is on the challenge performance. I mean, they bring all these expensive costumes, their DRAG, literally who they are, to be ignored? You can't just rely on looks, of course, but make it make sense. There is no explicit saying in this so they can manipulate placements as they please, nothing new. I think judging with numbers, rankings and marks is the fairest option, tho I know there are things that just can't be judged this way, so always open to change. Although pre Season 9 or so, looks were kind of pedestrian drag, weren't made from designers and was more of what they wore to the club, so low key they didn't really matter back then (also there were more sewing challenges so we could focus on fashion in other ways) I kinda miss when teir packages weren't perfectly crafted from the jump and a lil round the edges, and it would be super satisfying when arriving to All Stars all finessed and polished.
i feel runways matter when they want to either save a queen that production likes or eliminate queens who may not be the most likedby production
100percent
This is the only correct answer
Pretty much
Full tea
Clock that tea
i am never getting over alexis gathering everyone to say “I cant believe you didn’t tell me my dress was ugly”. iconic
and even telling farrah "no, you cant go to learn ur lipsync song that u need to do to stay in this competition" to say it is CAMP
It’s a competition girl 😂😂
Not only did Gigi’s Stars and Stripes runway look costumey, it also missed the runway prompt entirely - and not just because it had no Stars and Stripes. The runway prompt was American pride and she was literally dressed as a redcoat, British soldiers from the Revolutionary War. You honestly can’t miss the prompt any harder. They saved her because they knew she couldn’t lipsync and she was the production favourite that season, so no way were they risking losing her.
Not a Gigi Stan but the theme they say on the show isn’t always the wording they give to the queens so if the theme was American pride, they probably were just told make a look based off the colors red white and blue
@@richardruvalcaba8901 Widow’s look was not red white and blue though
I screamed when I saw she was a Redcoat. Its like going to a ball runway wearing a bikini.
@@theonlydahli yes bc she was doing a clear reference to the flag from an African American perspective, widow hit the prompt and did something different
@@logiebear911 agreed! i’m just pointing out the fact that the prompt couldn’t have been red, white and blue if Widow’s look was black and white, a reference to the BLM movement.
I feel your pain about Mrs. Kasha Davis. She *owned* the SNL challenge; she actually stole the scene from two scene-stealers! I'm sure her Snatch Game would have been amazing. Now I guess we'll never know.
Nina Bo'Nina's runway package felt like something extra special we had never seen before, and I remember waiting for the runways specifically to see what she would wear. Agree that in general Season 9 is where there starts being more emphasis on the runway or we start hearing "your runway saved you tonight" more
It was, they did her so wrong.
You forgot Brooke's AMAZING runway reveal not saving her from the bottom 2 during snatch game...i mean Vanjie was also pretty bad lol
I think they really wanted to set the yvie vs brooke lipsync so it makes sense why they put brooke in the bottom instead of vanjie AND when she revealed, she looked ready for battle like she knew the slayage that was abt to happen
I mean like, it was a predictable reveal and a bikini. Imo wasnt that impressive
@@jeppaahteisko1078 I’m sorry but let’s not tell lies and act like that reveal was predictable lmao
@@jeppaahteisko1078lol I know you lying calling that predictable. Everyone. EVERYONE was living for that reveal when it happened.
@@jeppaahteisko1078 no one knew 😭 she did it so fast stahp it
i've always been confused on this matter, because sometimes an amazing runway pushes a queen who already did amazing to the top, but a bottom queen can have an amazing runway and have it ignored. excited to see this video though!!
biggest example of amazing runway not saving a queen: Kahmora Hall in trains for days
SAY HER NAME 🗣🗣 SMINTY DROP
btw i wanna clarify she deserved her BTM2 position since she was the worst by a big margin
@@ohandthefrackingyeah, if the logic is that challenge determined bottom 3 and then runways choose who lip syncs…Kahmora had an AMAZING runway, even if her challenge performance was objectively the worst. So why didn’t the runway save her?
@@maxinesteuer1959 because in general everyone but Kandy and Joey Jay served on the runway so while she served THE best, its not like everyone looked like a mess
doesnt really help that the other girls in bottom 3 were Denali and Lala Ri - who also were in top 5 of best looks of this weeks category so she really just stood out as "girl you ate but everyone else munched as much"
Side note, Trinity's runways on all stars 4 were amazing. So were Manila's.
Trinity ALWAYS serves on the runways and specially design challenges, I really admire how hard working she is
It was never the same and always refreshing. I kept looking forward to her runway looks every episode
Trinitys runways are top tier better than manilas imo. I wish the fandom would give Trinity her tens with the runways. She came to PLAY on as4
yes truly, one of my fav queens
Manila runways were brilliant in AS4!!!
I don't think the judges respect Kasha's drag aesthetic. She is such an incredible performance queen, and it's a very different perspective than what (I think) the judges are looking for. It's almost like if there's no sexiness to it, they don't think it's good drag. Honestly, it's disheartening because it's like putting drag in a box--which is counterintuitive to what drag actually exists as in the real world.
Exactly.
I might argue that Kerri wearing the JLo dress is WHY she was in the bottom. Not because it was bad, but because it was a moment. It's not every day the producers get to make a moment where a literal famous piece of fashion history is on the runway, and they wanted to milk it and see it move.
Then it should’ve been a double save. It was awful for Alyssa to have to be sacrificed just to see an Iconic moment from another Queen.
@@pictureperfect3211Alyssa was going to go home no matter what imo. They weren't going to send another queen home.
@@egg_2705 but they didn’t need to is the point. There were like 5 or 6 episodes where no one went home.
gigi goode wearing a red coat for stars and stripes when the redcoats were the british is SO beyond funny to me.
Patti Lupone is such an iconic diva!! However, ChiChi actually did Patti Labelle. You said the wrong diva, but hey A for effort 😅 (great video btw)
Came into the comments to check if anyone said it yet. Would love a Patti lupone performance. Shame we haven't had one yet...
I came here looking for this comment. I had a moment at home lol
I came looking for this comment
@@brandonwilson2874 lol same!!
This is a good reminder that someone needs to do Patti LuPone on Snatch Game -- even if nobody know who she is if they do her right, it will work!
Putting 2 queens of colour who made political statements on the runway on a politics themed challenge in the bottom, in order to save 2 white queens is such a bad look.
You making everything a race matter is such a bad look
@@MaffyTaffyHaffygirl, you’re the one who commented that the only thing going for Luxx is that she’s black. I think you’re the one who is focusing on race too much 🤨
OOP! Clock that tea.
@@ary2972 LMAOOOOO not the gag of the century
@@ary2972 get her, Jade
The Lupone blunder in your presentation will go down as an iconic slip up because I immediately thought of Bob & Willow’s “VIVIENNE PINAY?!” and Mo & Trixie’s “…Sheryl Canning” moments
Melania is one of the funniest Snatchgame characters. Monet was funny, but Aquaria was prepared on a Jinkx level for her Snatchgame win.
I love that you’re seeking justice for Kasha Davis & that you’re so unashamedly, unabashedly, unapologetic for it! 💕💕
Kasha's net gala look is giving effie trinket ready to send 2 more kids into the hunger games
I think the runway only matters when either production wants it to matter (to save or sacrifice someone) or as a tie breaker but usually it doesn't
😅😅
Not Patti LuPone😭😭😭 gurl you're having a Charol Canning moment! Chi Chi was doing Patti LaBelle!
Darienne looked literally amazing in the last episode and went home. Runways are my favorite part of the show so I always get upset when they’re not taken into account over some of the cringey challenges
I love the effort you put into your videos, big fan of yours
thank you so much!
I think the main reason why Mrs. Kasha Davis didn’t win was because production wanted the Jimbo and Pangina lip sync.
I can't believe you didn't mention Kandy's Beast Couture from S13! That was terrible but they laughed it off.
When I saw it I was like wtf lol
I always thought that the runways served as tiebreakers when the queens who did the best or worst in the challenge were kind of even. But after watching more and more seasons it’s clear that production just uses it to favour queens they like or disadvantage queens they dislike.
I've never used the runway to judge a queen's perforance tbh. Some queens just have more money and better connections than others. What matters most to me in this regard is their ability to construct a look. I would say Lala Ri and Utica delivered runway packages from home that were about the same in terms of quality, but as we've seen, they're in completely different playing fields when it comes to actually making their own runway.
to quote Nicole Byer: Utica made her sleeping bag gown in the same amount of time it took Lala Ri to glue bags onto her corset
@@ohandthefracking Nah, everyone got 1 day, but Utica definitely got 1 week while Lala Ri got 1 minute 😜
But then somebody like Nina Bonina Brown didn’t have much for her runways but made some incredible, unique creations. Does she not deserve some props for doing a lot with so little?
@@danielsimmich1858 I can appreciate how hard some queens worked to get their runways together, but to be fair, other queens with good money and good connections undoubtedly worked hard to obtain those things that provide them with good runways. I think it'd be hypocritical for me to discredit either methods, so I just consider both on the same playing field.
For Nina, her costumes themselves weren't that amazing imo, it was her makeup that was truly phenomenal, the very best to grace the show. Obviously she deserves special praise for that since she was definitely working on her face before every runway, it's not like she brought removable face masks lol.
It wasn't just Kasha's look that prevented her from winning. Jimbo's look was iconic, it was all winners level imo.
Agree but Kasha at LEAST could have been high. Production was definitely ~at work~ keeping her safe, IMO!
@@monique4645 in both episodes too…she was great in both yet safe, safe, out…like tf
Also, even though she was really good in the second skit, she and Kandy had 0 chemistry during the monologue and MKD’s performance especially felt kinda forced.
Girl…I know u didn’t say it’s all winners level..
U can compliment jimbo without being delusional cuz u will get her dragged with this crazy comment “it’s winners level imo” 😂
You missed a super important point for Shea being pushed in the Rusical. Nina wanted to be Blac Chyna and Shea winning would bring more drama.
I feel, as several people already have stated, that Heidi is being extremly overlooked, she could have won the last episode and The Ball. Justice for Heidi ❤
"asia wearing BIG BIRD"
"chi chi as patti LUPONE"
ILLITERATE!!!
Kasha is legit snl material she was the best part of rdr live
In the instance of crystal methyd being in the bottom 3 with dahlia and Nicky, but being saved.
I think she was saved not only because of story or favoritism, but the amount of intrigue her unique drag had created to that point. I bet the judges were like ‘this is not the best look and she didn’t do the best but I want to see more.’
In the wigloose challenge I always felt that because they all done so well Ru asked who should go home and then put the two queens with the most votes in the bottom
I like when the runways break a tie or when the queens were so good in the challenge that the runways is the only thing that the judges can look at.
It's pretty obvious that the runway ONLY matters when production faves (or in some cases, storyline) are in the top or the bottom. Gigi, Jimbo, Shea, Aquaria, Bosco, Crystal, Kameron, etc. They all were production faves.
They are an easy way to produce narratives... but I also think they serve the function of potentially pushing you ahead if it is VERY close.
Plus they are one of the best ways for the queen to show the audience who they are... So whether they affect placements or not, they certainly shape your public reception... which is more important in the end!
It's funny but I always think about season 3 in the exercise episode, where Yara gave us the iconic 'echa pa'lante' moment but Michelle mentioned how much she disliked her dress and she lost the challenge to Alexis Mateo who looked absolutely stunning in her gown. That's the first moment (as far as I can tell) of the runway holding someone back
Runways matter when production want them to matter, they are used as a last stitch effort to sway storylines. Plus, if Runways didn't matter, there wouldn't be the Fame Games.
15:15 I remember this runway critique super well because they acted like Gigi had one of the greatest looks of all time. It really confused me because yeah, it is just a bikini. Whereas Jan looked incredible and had the recreation down, but they kinda glossed over it to praise Gigi more. I'm really glad you pointed it out because I literally felt gaslit after that episode lol
I feel like nobody truly knows the answer to this question, including the queens, Ru, and the producers themselves.....but it is clear that the runway is taken into account to conveniently eliminate or elevate a specific queen for narrative purposes.
I’m so glad other people are talking about Kasha in the snl episode. I thought I was going crazy! To me she was such a standout in that episode. It was like she was an actual snl star that came in as a special guest for the week to play with the girls. Because of her runway I don’t think she necessarily needed to win? Jimbo winning is fiiiine and you know production wanted that Jimbo/pan Gina reunion. But I just wish Kasha got to be in the top and have the judges tell her good job. Especially since that could have saved her in the next episode, and she probably would have done VERY WELL in the trailer episode after that.
Anyway I’m looking forward to your riggory video on this season cuz they started gaslighting us EARLY.
Me too! I felt exactly the same. Kasha was my clear winner of that challenge (not considering runway).
I really wanted to witness Kasha slay in the tv trailer challenge! 😭
I feel like the thing with MKD is that not only you like her runway (for whatever reason😂) but also the notion that she was by far the best in the challenge also isnt as popular. I think her and Kandy were equally good and Heidi even did better than MKD.
Thank you
I honestly think Naysha was the best in the challenge and am so confused by her bottom placement
@@zachklieman2141 Oof wouldn't go THAT far but I wouldn't have sent her home, either.
@@beevonerd They were all very good, I thought Layla Ri and Jaymes were also great, but I still think Naysha was easily the best
I have to mention an episode that popped up in my mind when I saw this video. It is EP2 from de 1st season of Drag Race España. For those who don’t know, it is a girl group challenge and the runway was a tribute to La Veneno. The winner was Carme Farala (deserved) and in the challenge, Pupi Poisson also stood out a lot. But for the runway, Carmen was outstandingly good (pls look at her look it was amazing). In the bottom, something similar happened. Arantxa Castilla La Mancha (aka icon) was thrown into the bottom basically because of a look that was kind of lazy and didnt fit the prompt at all. That is why, even having a really good and memorable performance, she lip synced that episode instead of others like Inti, Dovima or Hugaceo, who didn’t really do that good in the challenge but had good runways.
Agree! There is something so charismatic about Arantxa that tugs at my heart strings. I was devo when she left 😔
A good example of the runway being a tiebreaker is in Season 6, the Snatch Game episode. Based on the challenge, the win could have gone to any of Ben Dela Creme, Bianca Del Rio or Adore Delano, but since Dela was the only one who properly fit the brief in the runway (the best RuPaul look), that's why she won.
This is legit why people forget that Bianca didn't win the snatch game 😂
Production uses runways to justify placements. If they want a queen to win and they have a good runway that episode they will praise them. If the queen slayed the challenge but their runway is crunchy they will often look past the runway to give give that queen a win.
Same thing with bottom placements
Omg! I didn’t know that there was a costume store called “Party city”! I just finally - years later - understood the intended meaning of “Go back to party city where you belong!” 😅
RPDR uses the runway sometimes when they want to keep a queen or send a queen home.
If you notice the critiques are never consistent, one queen is praised for her body suit with things pasted to it, and another queen will lose because she has a body suit with things pasted on it.
That's how they justify sending a queen home or having them win the season, whichever the producers want.
i think one thing that wasn’t mentioned was the robbery of pandora boxx in (tbh all) her seasons, they would out her in the top but not let her win because “her runway wasn’t good” 🤷♀️
Queens have no control over when the runway matters or not. They are accessories to drive a storyline. So the queens’ best shot is to make their looks the best possible so when they are at play, they work in their favor, not the opposite. Drag race is a reality tv show. If it was meant to be a fair game, it would and could be audited by Ernst & Young. 🤷🏼♂️
Since the day one I'm thinking about this and still I have no clue. I can only say this for some seaons fashion it's more important for some not but at the end of the day, runways feels like an easy exploitable way for production to put queens in the bottom they don't want and save queens that they want. I hope its clear.
i feel like runways matter for winning over the public. queens that don't do well at challenges/weird editrs but have amazing runways seem to get beloved by the fandom!
I don’t care what anyone says Bob wearing the robot suit on the pit stop, she was stunning, hot, my favourite Bob look
crystal methyd’s look was actually great just not everyone understands it’s brilliance 💕
Yeah I always use them as a tiebreaker for when I can’t decide who I think should win
Runways only matter when Ru says they do, even during challenges that are judged solely based on a queens’ appearances - so, the garment creation and makeover challenges.
Juju’s 3 in 1 look was so bad even she was shocked about the win 😂
Unfortunately, I feel like runways are really up to the production to either use it or ignore it, for the better or the worst.
I think a bikini is just a type of garment like a dress. Gigi’s bikini look while it appears simple is beautifully made and considering the styling choices of the nails and hair I think it makes for a more niche and original presentation. While Jan was more recognizably Michelle, she’s in a long black wig like most of the other girls. And I’ll say that is just a simple stretch dress (no more remarkable than a bathing suit).
I think there is this idea of “no more bodysuits”, but i think it should be “no more bad bodysuits”. There are good and bad kinds of every type of garments lol
I learned runways didn’t matter when Tatianna won snatch game wearing a tube top from F21.
same as Jinkx and saying that as her big fan tho
your content is so gooood. Would LOVE to hear you talk Survivor.
Gigi is the ultimate production fav.
You said it, it only matters when they want it to.
Off Topic: I was always confused as to why Kerri kept on the Versace dress for the lip sync, especially when she knew that if she were to damage it, she would be screwed.
I can only assume it didn't come to mind at the time to change her outfit, or that she asked production if she could change, but they just said "no."
Also did anyone notice that he said that Chi Chi did Patty LuPone in the Diva's Live challenge?
Production probably said no. If i'm not mistaken queens can't change their look on regular seasons.
lmao yes i caught the patty lupone!! its the lack of culture peeking thru
Sis. Did kahmora change against Denali? Its production
I'm glad I'm not the only one who felt like Kasha's Net Gala look wasnt that bad
I really appreciate you defending Akeria and Kasha.
If they want a fashion queen to win, runways matter, when they want a comedy queen to win, runways don't. If there's a direct correlation between the type of winner and runway value, there is no rule of thumb.
Loved this! Thank you Drag Detective! ❤
Imo, runway doesn’t matter when production already has picked their favs 😘😎
aka runways matter when it fits with production’s design for the season
It should matter every week but realistically it only matters when producers need to rig
The runway pretty much always comes in second for me in terms of importance. Unless the runway is the challenge. You could walk out in different colored plastic boxes for each runway and I wouldn’t mind as long as you’re talented in the challenges
“Yes … yes I will” added to my Rolodex of quotes …
I think that at least on first 2 seasons the runway mattered as much if not sometimes even more than the actual challenge, queens would have most of their critiques about what they were wearing instead of how they did in the challenge. This could also be result of those seasons having a pretty small budget so that the maxi challenges weren't the focuspoint of the entire show like they are now.
Ooh, I thought you wanted to start with S09 because of Miss Peppermint It Is Fashion *BUUUUUURRRRPP!!!* 😂😂😂
I think runways matter, whenever production wants them to matter.. like to justify saving a production favourite or to justify putting someone in the bottom when they don’t care for that queen.
Let’s not forget when kameron Michaels wore that GORGE runway for the tap that app challenge that saved her from the bottom.. all 3 bottoms that episode were deserved but kameron’s runway SAVED her drastically
Mayhem also had a really beautiful gown to be honest, but i am also on opinion that Mayhem/Yuhua were clear bottom 2
I mean how are we supposed to forget, it's literally in the video..
That kasha davis dress was just HORRIBLE, I don’t understand why she keeps on bringing all those ugly clothes, like nobody told her? Or she didn’t ask for advice or anything? There’s no way nobody saw that ugly skirt before the runway
She could’ve been without a bottom and just wear it as a body seguir and it would’ve been fine, but that skirt and shoes really looked so out of place
🙌
If Drag Race was fair (and we know it's not) they would have a rubric and scoring method to judge the queens main challenge and runway, and I think it should be around 60%-40%, respectively. They could even factor in make up, overall presentation as part of the scoring system. Other drag competitions do this. (Such as LDQSY)
Personally, I wouldn’t say that Kasha was the clear winner in that challenge. She did good but other queens were as good (if not better) than her in my opinion while also having solid runways.
Kerri belonged in the bottom of the episode in the J-Lo dress, I get that there are queens off TV who don't sew, make outfits and buy expensive shit. but to have a bunch of work done on your face/body and just be pretty and put on something a celebrity wore in the past isn't ''Drag for drag race'' she is STILL 100% a valid queen if she choose to identify with them but it was ridic that she would be kept from the bottom based on runway
I honestly think the Season 10 snatch game is THE episode to look at for runway importance in the later seasons- I think Monet loses any chance she has of winning after being in the top with the two best looks on that runway with Aquaria and Eureka (imo Aquaria was the best that week in the challenge but I can see arguments for all three winning)
On the other hand, with the bottom three who all probably deserved to lipsync, Asia had the only look that really lived up to the theme, we know Monique made her runway in the workroom and The Vixen's look looked like it could have been made there as well tbh, so we see them in the bottom two.
But atop that, there's the whole conversation of how Asia could even have lip synced with the prosthetic/mask as you would not be able to see her lips if it stayed on, and we saw in the next episode that when she takes the face off, there's no makeup underneath and a... unfortunately placed black line looking like a moustache. I think it's worth adding the caveat of when a queen's outfit actually stops them from being able to lip sync, because if you ask me, on challenge alone Asia and Vixen should have been the bottom two due to the interplay of their characters.
exactly, i always think about how asia's look saved her from the bottom but also probably production realizing she couldn't lipsync and wanting to save her. but also yea, i think monique was just as bad as asia and vixen
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I just feel that runway matter when it fit their narrative.
Many details dont matter when they like the queen too.
They really didnt like Vanjie looks 'cause it was all the same, but it dont matter for Kandy right now.
They didnt say a thing about Sasha wigs lace showing or real hair poking through. Other queens would have been rip to shreds.
Also Bom Bae for CDR on Snatch Game! Even Brooke was like "But that RUNWAY LOOK" and they gagged. As such, she was only Low!
I can't agree with Ms. Kasha Davis being robbed Jimbo's runway was beyond amazing and the performance was great. So Jimbo deserved the win
Cameron Michaels is just so talented, I wish she'd come back to stay she's been my favourite queen ever since her season
Ive never understood people thinking that Monet could have won Snatch Game, it was pretty much a safe performance. There we’re just some people who were not as good.
U mean the s10 snatch game? How can u say her maya angelou was safe? Ur a hater if u actually mean that because u can see how much she was funny and how much ru was laughing. Is she supposed to be the winner? No. But it’s not safe😂
Here yall go again 😂
@@user-ke5rt3ji8c i didnt personally find it that funny, and I dont see how everyone else thinks she could have won it. Im coming from a place of curiosity, not hate.
@@Danidonehoo how do u not find it funny but find may west or bjork funny when all of them are copying characters u didn’t know about? It’s giving undercover hater
@@user-ke5rt3ji8c i just didnt find it funny, and i dont see how other people think she could have won. I get if you found it super funny, but i didnt get winner material in any sense of the word. Okurr.
When you called chichi as patty label patty lupine I lost it😭😂😂
basically if the production like them, they'll be saved for their look and if not, no matter how good their looks are they won't be saved
They should, but its honestly on producers for not being more consistent about it. Also, if queen X and Y did a winning performance then the one in the better look deserves the win more imo. This was the Jimbo vs Kasha situation to me.
21:24 chi chi was portraying patti labelle, not lupone
You said Chi Chi Devayne was Patty Lupone... You mean Patty Labelle.
Patti LaBelle. Chi Chi rocked out as Patti LaBelle. It would have been interesting to see her try her hand at Patti Lapone though!
also, they know what the queens are going to wear on each runway, so they choose runway themes with who they want to push and who they want gone in mind
5:20 same situation happened on the Russical from s16 with Saphera and ... What her name? The winner? The Rachel Berry impersonator? They're like neck to neck for the win, But i think the reason Saphera didn't win was bc she was not so strong in the group performance.
Season 9. Farrah Moan being saved from the bottom 2 in Snatchgame because of her Madonna look which was almost the best of the night (at least the best executed, i liked Sasha's and Valentina's more)
tldr: the runway matters only if production wants it to matter or if production doesn't want the riggory to be that obvious.
just like with every aspect of this show, if you are not giving the production a good storyline that makes you worth saving, you are not gonna make it far
A clear choice for me of this would be jorgeous winnings that design challenge
Runways only mattered when they wanted them to in the Logo era as well because in Shade the Rusical, the runway was the tiebreaker to give Courtney the win.
This was the example I was thinking of as well.
In summary: if you're producer's fav, it matter to boost you (get you a win or save you from the bottom), and if you're not producer's fav, it matters to throw you under the bus (rob you a win or kick you out)
Gigi literally dressed as a British soldier for the Stars and Stripes runway. 💀
When I judge Drag Race episodes I do it as if the runway's highest ranking queen gets half of the points of the amount of queens. Like, if the queen is the worst gets a 0.5, if she's the second worse one, gets 1 point, and so on. And I add that to the points I gathered from the maxi Challenge, in which the minimum is 1 point, then 2, and like that. I think it's fair, because it can really affect for good or for bad, but the spotlight still is on the challenge performance. I mean, they bring all these expensive costumes, their DRAG, literally who they are, to be ignored? You can't just rely on looks, of course, but make it make sense.
There is no explicit saying in this so they can manipulate placements as they please, nothing new.
I think judging with numbers, rankings and marks is the fairest option, tho I know there are things that just can't be judged this way, so always open to change.
Although pre Season 9 or so, looks were kind of pedestrian drag, weren't made from designers and was more of what they wore to the club, so low key they didn't really matter back then (also there were more sewing challenges so we could focus on fashion in other ways)
I kinda miss when teir packages weren't perfectly crafted from the jump and a lil round the edges, and it would be super satisfying when arriving to All Stars all finessed and polished.