Is Dragrace Rigged? (A Look Into Producing A Season)
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- Опубликовано: 24 авг 2023
- Is Dragrace Rigged? That's a question that has been made by fans for many years, with every season that airs there's many discussions about which queens are being favored by production. Yet, what does this mean for the future of the show? In this video we delve into the topic, while trying to look at all sides.
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As well as asking if drag race is rigged, we should ask the eternal question:
Is it chocolate? 🍫
is it fashion?
is it pageant?
It's chocolate
It's fashion meets *burp*
It's fashion you guys
I became less upset about production's heavy-handed role when I accepted that RPDR is first a reality show and sixteenth a talent competition. I just feel bad for those super-talented contestants who invest so much (emotionally, financially, etc.) into being on the show and then fall victim to a predetermined storyline. They were NEVER going to make it, because they weren't selected to make it. It's just that no one told them that. It doesn't mean that talented queens make it only because they were chosen to. Sometimes those two factors just nicely dovetail. A lot of times, they don't.
I love your perspective.
Just know that even appearing on the show and becoming a Ru girl can mean you can build an actual career from just being there.
Charles Pierce, Danny LaRue, Craig Russell, Jim Bailey, et al worked the club circuit for 40 years and still didn’t get as big as some of these kids that didn’t make it past the first round. Good on them! And thanks to the upside of Social Media.
it’s to entertain first and foremost. unfortunately that can be at the expense of the contestants, but at this point they have to know going into it.
and even sometimes (on rare occasion, maybe) there are likely instances where the producers end up with queens who make it far or even to the finale who weren't predetermined to get that far, so sometimes it doesn't always go the same way
not sixteenth😭😭😭😭😂😂😂😂
I mean, I instantly knew S15 was not rigged when they sent the biggest shit stirring super star in the world home first episode.
I mean, she did lose the lipsync, so that part wasn't rigged
I’m an old (re)tired Drag Bartender who sang live while slinging cocktails at my bar in San Francisco in the 70’s and 80’s. Charles Pierce was a friend and mentor.
I’ve followed the show since episode 1 and have reveled in the growth, changes, and philosophical silliness Drag Race has shown, literally, to the world.
We are now juggernaut in show biz and as long as we keep our senses of decency and raucous good humor we will be where all the greats wanted to be. Charles Pierce, could have originated Vera Charles (aka Vernon) in “Mame” but Jerry Herman was over ruled by producers. Now Charles would tearfully, joyfully cheer Jinkx on Broadway and Alex Newel anywhere.
RPDR didn’t create theses phenoms any more than RuPaul invented drag…but it’s painted a face on it all that makes the world take notice.
And at 70, I’m vicariously, ecstatically, giggling-ly proud of us all…
Just don’t fu@k it up!
Stella Zafella
Thank you for this comment! It's so easy to forget how far the queer community and the drag artform has come, so it's incredibly humbling to hear that. You are awesome!
Beautiful comment. Thank you for sharing. Absolutely love the name “Stella Zafella” that got a good giggle out of me, hope you stay well and keep making wonderful memories in or out of drag 😸 big love to you from Scotland 🏴
@@TishyRose hi there! Second generation Scottish emigre. Family name Rankine (the ‘e’ happened at Ellis Island during processing). Always wanted to visit, walk the country side and see Edinburgh. Closest I’ve come so far was playing in Beyond the Fringe on US. College tour in 1987. But grandma and her wildly independent sister raised me on stories of Northern Scotland and taught me that stoicism and standing up and out are human qualities… not character flaws.
Love back to you and yours.
"In a way, the conversation around rigging can sometimes invalidate the talents of queens that actually make it far on their seasons" THISS!! People trying to invalidate Sasha Colby never sits right with me...
Every skinny white queen that actually deserved it (believe it or not, almost all of them did lol)
Same with Jimbo. She demolished AS8, there was a huge distance between her and second place.
@@OPPAWONTMARRYYOUthis comment sounded very pointed…but hey
There is nothing with any color queen. It’s a shame you view them as categories. Just because poc doesn’t win doesn’t invalidate a white queen. Your thoughts are mildly racist. And prejudice😂.
No one is trying to invalidate sasha colby. Sasha was the clear winner from the beginning, because no one could compete with her. But someone like chad michaels was an example of a rigged win. To make up for losing her season. Trixie mattel was a rigged winner after Ben dela left. It was obvious
I think there is an important difference between "in-season rigging" (weird choices, songs that clearly favor a queen, etc.) and "pre-season rigging" (unfair casting). AS8 and S15 are both instances of unfair casting; once in the context of the competition, Sasha and Jimbo had the talent to just bulldoze all other contestants (so, their win is 100% justified), but that's because production didn't cast any clear competition for them. Sure, Jessica and Anetra became fan favorites/frontrunners during the season, but that wasn't enough for them to win (although I would have very much liked both of them to win their seasons)
In your opinion other than Anetra and Jessica, who would could be a competition for Sasha and Jimbo?
@@Cyshixooooo i wanna know this too who do y’all think would be good competition for them??
They both had strong competition. Mistress and Luxx easily could’ve won another season. Jimbo had strong competition on AS8, but production formed the season to prevent that from happening. Darienne and Kasha were the only queens who could compete with Jimbo in comedy challenges, so they made sure to eliminate them quick before more and more comedy challenges came up
It’s crazy to me how y’all can’t comprehend that it’s NOT up to production to cast people 😂😂😂😂 if they don’t have the time TO film Drag Race how is that productions fault??? If Sasha Colby said “Man I got free time Ima audition” WHY WOULDNT YOU TAKE IT?! It’s like saying You won’t cast New York for ANY reality TV show when you know how legendary she is? Same goes for Allstars, not every Queen that could be competition is gonna drop everything and go on Drag Race. That’s just not how it works.
I’d like to see the alternate reality where Symone and Sasha Colby were cast on the same season
I think the biggest teller of the rigory is how you can tell who will be top 4. Sometimes wins go to queens who do well but no the best. Ex. Bosco getting the win over Deja in the Dragcon panel challenge. Even bigger example, Gotmik getting the win over Utica when Utica made undoubtedly the best look ever in the workroom. They give the wins to the queens production is going to put in the top 4, because they want the top 4 to be “evenly stacked.”
Agree, i feel like situations like Max getting eliminated early with 2 wins on s7 doesn't happen anymore because the wins are distributed mostly between the top 4-5 queens
@@goleon7671 Yup. Which is why when Aura won the acting challenge on S15 it was so out of left field because it was clear she wasn’t gonna be in the top 4 by that point that it didn’t even make sense for her to win.
It doesn't explain why they did Loosey so dirty after having 2 wins and arguably winning Wigloose and the Makeover but not taking it. I guess they REALLY wanted Luxxx in the finale
@@RNCHFND I think that’s the only explanation 😂 It was clear from the beginning Luxx was going to be in the top 4.
Rigged or not, notwithstanding rose colored lenses and new fans, most people would agree that the earlier seasons are preferred than the newer ones. It may be hard to distill if it’s the challenges, the chemistry between the queens, the guest judging, or which factor.
I'm not in the Drag Race community (but I like watching Drag Race-related content) so I'm surprised this is even a question, I thought it was a well-known fact.
It is, but the fandoms intelligence is that of a modern day toddler who knows a lot about using an iPhone but don’t have common sense. They want Drag Race to not have a production team 😂😂😂 and they really think that the show will be at the level it is now if Drag Race wasn’t a Reality TV show. It’s just crazy how much of a tantrum they throw when they realize Drag Race isn’t what they thought
Same
I don't quite agree with the jury thing. I think the Juries was actually just riggory against Bebe; they didn't want her to win again, but they didn't want to eliminate a former winner, so they had to have the queens do it. I think they were Fine with Trixie just being a finalist, but not eliminating Bebe themselves.
Exactly this. Crowning Bebe would’ve screamed favoritism, but eliminating her would’ve looked bad for the first winner. Shangela was just collateral damage
Thank you for saying this because people love to use the jury as the thing they brought for Trixie to win when it definitely was to eliminate Bebe.
i always thought it was telling how almost nobody chose shangela and something must’ve went on behind the scenes. now finding out abt all the shit she’s done it makes sense😭
What did she do? I just thought queens didn't like her competitive side and her "Nancy Drew" side.
@@MycenaeaI heard she's accused of r#pe/SA but so far she has denied it.
The only thing I remember was back when shangela promoted her own hand sanitizer but was seen partying (I think in Puerto Vallarta) with no mask or regard of social distancing
I'm sorry but you cannot convince me that Kandy's looks in AS8 earned her the placement she got. No way.
Since when have looks ever been the deciding factor of who makes it far in a season in recent years? I swear y’all only bring up looks mattering when it’s a queen you don’t like
AMEN!!!!!!
@@styles2535 IT'S DRAG. looks matter cause it's visual
That.... and Kandy is not that pretty. She look like a cabbage patch doll.
Agreed and her snatch game should've been a bottom placement over jessica....there was no character development and all she kept saying was " ill gut u like a fish" to push that she is a mob wife.
In my opinion drag race is never fair because nothing they do can be judged objectively in the first place because it often comes down to personal preferences and its not like they can compare scores to determine the winner of a challange for example.
Yea but fans made up a chart and so did RUclipsrs and now those RUclipsrs who made up a score system suddenly became brilliant scientists with knowledge beyond our imagination.
@@JoseSena-gs4tzthey’re jus scoring them based off of the judges decisions lol i think they mean like actually scoring their performances
i kinda do wish they did some type of scoring thing to determine the winner. i think it would cut down on the riggory accusations a lot because people would have something tangible to look at and understand why they made that decision instead of the judges just saying u win and ur in the bottom yk
I love Evie's dinosaur look, it's camp, it's stupid and she totally embodied it on the runway, it was great.
Yvie's?
@@morgandelarmes5211 It's just a phonetic spelling of her name. Calm down.
@@Kyoukichi I just made a question lmao, you gave it a lot of meaning girl, you are the one who should calm down lol
I loved it, it was campy and fun.
i hated it sorry.
You can tell production is influencing the outcome of an episode when they change the lipsync song at the last minute, to the benefit of one of the queens. It's happened many times, as reported by a lot of queens who have competed.
I do love it when people deny the obvious rigging. Alaska could quietly cough, and RuPaul would piss herself laughing and give her a challenge win.
Kandy said she didn't eliminate Jimbo because of hate she'd receive, and was thinking about future bookings.. Now that's someone I appreciate..😂.. A queen of color eliminating a white front runner?..You don't need a crystal ball to see her career, which she carefully crafted suffer..Fact!
Stop making it about race. Naomi eliminated Manila and she seems fine. Monét (through her fans) used her race to win and she's fine.
@@guillermo4687 Open your eyes pretty one.. It's about race whether you'd like to admit it or not.. Hence, Kandy’s point.. Girl please.. The race issues among the drag race fandom has been well documented.. You are clearly someone that does not deal with these issues like others, including myself.. Grow up.. Quickly, and get your head out of your boyfriend’s butt..🙄🤭
@@guillermo4687they are not. That it literal what kandy said. Stop hating on the messenger.
@@kogascool Gotta love white folks telling people of color it's not about race, when almost everything is..🙄.. They were Kandy’s words, not mine made at a Roscoe’s viewing party..
@@guillermo4687Except Naomi *did* get harassed very badly. She may have come back from it, but it took a while and it was hard to defend her at the time, people were beyond pissed at her and used it as an excuse to be racist and insult her family.
I'm like 99.99999% sure they cast Sasha colby planning for her to win
Yvies dinosaur look was campy and fun, but very basic. But she performed the hell out of it on the runway. And that's also apart of it. Coming out in the best dress but being boring can get very old after seeing it happen so many times. Yvie SOLD it.
I’d say Raja,Jinkx,Bianca,Miss Fame,Shea,Gigi,Gottmik,Bosco and Sasha Colby were cast as winners before the competition.
Actually, rumor has it Gigi originally got a pretty villainous edit before they had to trim down Shitty Pie.
The true rigga morris? That no one was killed at Stonewall!
Edit: Love your new intro. :)
Nobody was killed???
My theory is:
I think every reality TV show inherently has some riggory, otherwise it would be a sterile documentary. I’ve been watching RPDR since the earlier seasons and I would argue that the majority of the production’s decisions is based on how vast the queens’ fanbase is. Take a look at S15: as soon as the cast had been announced, everyone was screaming OMG SASHA COLBY MOTHER SLAY GET THE CROWN and so on, and unsurprisingly she did amazing during the season. At the same time, a queen like Anetra gained numerous fans instantly episode by episode, but at the end of the season her fanbase was still not comparable to the one of Ms. Colby. That being said, it was inevitable to give Ms. Colby the crown - or would the production rather disappoint her millions of fans? For sure her crown was well deserved, but she stepped into the werkroom with a HUGE advantage, in my opinion, which is fame. Fame = more people watching the show.
You literally have to watch Flavor of Love and Rock of Love era for VH1 back in the good ole 2006-2010s. Was Flav REALLY looking for Love?? Or was miss New York doing the most for a man that slept with her and eliminated her??? When you listen to those contestants speak of their time on the show, you realize that all production wants to do is make a fun memorable TV show. They get carried away sometimes, but they really wanna spice things up and often give a hint to someone to what they SHOULD do for more screen time or to create drama. They have a vision and they want it to come true, but it’s not always how things go and that’s why some placements on shows make no sense. When it comes to crowning the Queen, they often do it based on who has a better story but in S15 case, Sasha Colby’s huge fandom is why it’s better to have crowned her then make her a runner up
I total agree! I don't think season 15 was rigged for Sasha to win because she is immensely talented and was going to be a frontrunner regardless. However, production, in my opinion, failed to create a competitive season for her. So it was obvious she was going to win which for me personally makes any competition reality show a little boring. Her win was well deserved but completely excepted. I think apart of the problem is not casting a core group of queens that are on the same caliber/level so the season feels competitive. By caliber/level I just mean experience and years doing drag. If Sasha is coming into the competition as the oldest with more experience in the industry, doing drag, and fame. On paper she's more likely to win and of course like you said would have the most fans rooting for her.
@@mariahwondersalot1980 This should be the next AS theme: same caliber! Totally agree!
I feel like the biggest examples of rigging or setting up a season for a queen to win was UK3 and Season 14. It was very clear production wanted Victoria Scone to either win or be in the top 3 with Krystal, so when she had to leave due to her injury everything just kinda fell apart. The same happened on season 14 with Kornbread. I remember watching them as they aired and thinking how empty and off the seasons felt
Let’s look at drag race Mexico they pull a lip sync for the win with Matraka and Gala out of nowhere just to save Cristian from lip syncing against Regina to not risking her from going home
The thing with s15 is that the riggory was non-sensical and production misjudged a lot of the queens they casted. They SWORE that Sugar and Spice would slay but they turned out to be bad at Drag Race and I and loads of other people wanted both of them gone asap and couldnt really care less about the twin lip sync - which is so, so, SO bad in every possible way anyway. The same happened with Dakota on UK4... they misjudged her as a filler queen from casting, and looks like they could swear that Jonbers and Black Peppa would do well in the competition. Well, that's not what happened and we all watched as Dakota was unfairly placed at the bottom more than once and then eliminated.
Back to s15, on top of what I already said, the rigging against Loosey was wayyyy too much. There were so many challenges were she did well and they just wouldnt acknowledge it just to push her to her limit and make her look delusional... Giving Sasha Colby the win for the interview challenge was the nail on the coffin for me. Because first of all, Sasha Colby did poorly on that challenge just handing her a win for no reason seems disrespectful. She is a WONDERFUL queen and she proved on many other challenges that she would go far. She does not need production pushing her to get there. And it is unfair to Loosey because she is out there doing her damn best just like every one else and like, for what? To be mocked by everyone? It was rigged as FUCK yes and that just doesnt sit right with me. I cant with drag race anymore because of these kind of things.
And in the last all stars they even rigged the fame game vote with the infamous multiplier twist I just say don’t waste the time of viewers if production choose the winner just say it! Lala is cool but she didn’t win that! That prince was for Jessica Wild.
I agree that fans are too quick to call "rigged" when the results don't align with their opinions on the queens, but otherwise I think this video is quite a naive take on production's intentions... you think they gave the queens the jury choice on AS3 out of the kindness of their hearts? No, it was probably to stop Bebe from winning. There's always an ulterior motive or intention from production and they do take risks, e.g. putting Shea in the bottom in AS5, but they always have a hand in everything and always have the option to throw in some crazy twist to save/bring queens back.
Jimbo was a favorite. She wasn't going to lose. At all.
Speaking to All Stars Ssn 8, the problem for me was less the presumed riggory of it all but more that a lot of the queens just did *not* seem to be having fun. I get that this is a job and a high stakes competition but when Heidi, who in every other thing she's done with Drag Race has seemed so happy and excited, just seems outright run down but the whole thing, it's hard to watch. I generally look at a lot of the production and drama as a sort of kfab but this season just was hard to parse, drama wise.
Admittedly I also really loved the super sweet energy of AS 7 with all the returning queens and no eliminations so it could just be the contrast. Either way, I hope the production team is really taking all the quitting to heart and doing something to make the whole thing feel less un-fun.
Most likely the reason why Heidi didn’t seem to be having fun was because of the turmoil she had to deal with at home. I’m guessing the reason why she participated in AS8 was because she wanted a change of scenery from what she was dealing with at home.
I think your point that the producers just don't care as much about the outcome as the hardcore fans believe is right on. Lazy scripts, half-baked twists, etc and so on. They clearly need to put MORE thought into the outcome, not less.
The real question is: was it made of hair or tulle fabric?
I consider myself part of the audience that just takes the show at face value, because at the end of the day, it's just that, a TV show.
If everything played out as "fair" 100% of the time then it would be difficult to fully derive narratives from it. We wouldn't get the great underdog stories of Jinkx and Evie, we wouldn't get awesome villains like Raja O'hara and Phi Phi.
Like, I understand the impulse to take the show apart like it's a puzzle to try and figure how things went the way they did and to a degree that can be healthy and even fun. But if you get too stuck on doing that you risk missing the forest for the trees sometimes. This is a TV show first and a competition second.
Sasha Colby won because she was from an era of drag before Drag Race existed, she was also just that good and ultimately stuck in a room with a bunch kids. Sometimes it's really just that simple.
Survivor creates their narrative during the editing (even in returnee seasons) and it's mostly incredible television, so it's very possible to get great underdogs and amazing villains without interferring with the competition. Sure there are some "dud" Survivor seasons, but Drag Race has those too. But I'm not saying there's anything wrong with the way Drag Race do their show and it's been working wonders for many years anyway.
9:38 "If production really wanted a queen to stay they could have just kept them from lipsyncing to begin with"
They do this all the time. The few times they have two frontrunners or big personalities in the bottom 2 they pull out the double save. They present stakes and its entertaining thinking one of the big players will go home but then "Kandy, wait"
That's my biggest issue with the show. They present stakes but then undermine those stakes so it feels rigged. Like the lollapalooza in AS4 where both latrice and Mo got to stay. Either stick to what you said and one goes home or don't present those stakes at all. Things like that make it feel rigged because it is actually rigged. They try to anticipate what fans are going to like and give them that and they are often wrong bc we see thru the nonsense.
This sounds more like a personal problem then anything to do with the show 😂😂😂😂 it’s like a teenager saying “We know WWE is fake” uhhh yes the story is fake but the actions in the ring are real. It’s all real but the story 🤷♂️
@JoseSena-gs4tz "A personal problem" - that doesn't even make sense to what I said, come back when you have a more substantial rebuttal to my comment. Not all of us are entertained by fake and forced storylines
@JoseSena-gs4tz girl you're under every comment being combative you are really bothered by these comments huh
@@madisonmontgomery03 That IS a personal problem 😂😂😂😂 OMG, “we aren’t entertained by Reality Tv” why watch it??? And that is a personal problem because that is YOUR personal preference 🤭🤭 Anyways, tell me more
@@madisonmontgomery03 Bothered??? Me being straightforward and blunt is coming off combative and bothered??? 🤔🤔 or is it because you can’t handle the truth and someone not babying and working their way around a response 😁?? Get it together
I think the idea that production doesn't care about who wins and that the queens are just cast members they push through isn't fully right. Because of the contract these girls sign, WOW has huge earning potential in queens for years after airing. High potential queens who build passionate fan bases (and therefore generate more money down the road) would mean pushing specific queens through would be a lucrative investment for them.
my thoughts exactly
oh 10000000%
Yvie was an Alternative queen, not a "spooky" queen.
There have been seasons where it was obvious from day 1 who they wanted to win or who the top 3 or 4 were going to be, the producers treated the queens who made it to the end very differently from the rest of the cast from day 1 like on season 4,5 and 6 and 8. They produce to get the outcome they want even if it means treating certain queens like dirt or making them look deranged on screen.
yeah like bob's season. she was chosen and shielded. you know how michelle loves to tear down queens with weaker fashion? bob got away with A LOT. she wasnt a look queen back then. now she's super polished but back then, no.
They said F Thorgy, she’s mad and we love that
Drag Race is rigged since first season. Did everyone forget Rebecca Glasscock and Jade lip sync?
I feel rigging is more present in making the queens feel bad/off and getting a reaction than giving wins away, Jan, Heidi, Akeria never really getting that win/recognition creates more drama and a honest reaction
It got to a point I don’t root for anyone anymore.
i think that even though there might be a little bit of rigging here and there, most of the time it comes down to each people's opinions. Like you said, the fandom tends to call "rigging" anytime their favorite on the season doesn't win or another not so popular queen won instead. and i always wonder: why can't it just be that the judges just preferred one performance over the other? like why isn't that an option? why does it always have to be a scheme any time things don't play out how you want them to do? one clear example is people who say gigi goode's run on season 12 was rigged, because X queen could've won any challenge she did, but truly, all the times she did win a challenge, she was one of the best, and at the end of the day it all came down to personal preferences.
But the real question, is Drag Race fracking? 🤔
i think if the queens who were on the show are telling us it’s rigged then we should believe them. i’m sure there’s a ton of examples they could give us but probably won’t in fear of the nda or being shunned by wow. like the story naysha told abt how they tried to change the final lip sync song last minute to jimbos fav song n kandy flipped out is clear riggory lol
I want to listen to Naysha go off about production but when it’s from her it’s just SO bitter.
I forget which queen said it but “Naysha talks a lot for a girl who competed in 5 episodes and went home in 3 of them” ☠️
Kandy Muse consistently in the top two is RIGGA MORRIS.
Please give us more of those roxxxy cutaway pics, it might be my favourite part of this video ngl
Can you do a "There's something about... Delta Work"? It's incredible to see the following she has accumulated in the past few years and how the fans have just come around to how amazing she is
I mean a little rigor morris gurl is okay, but as long as it’s well produced and hidden so we just enjoy the show.
I think there are two other factors to take into account. First, it's the 15th year of drag race, and by now viewers have learn the patterns of how drag race is produced (recurring archetypes among the finalists, "twists", edits, etc) ; also the fact we can watch so many seasons per year and yet they feel mostly the same doesn't help. And second, we live in times when everything feels like bullshit, and the audience (especially the younger part) is a "no bullshit allowed" mode, so more likely to call out the productions. I believe drag race is more produced nowadays, but sometimes the riggory do make it more interesting, or at least I can see them trying. It's all balance, and I wish they were more focused on quality than quantity, but here we are.
I appreciate this video, I'm not done watching it yet, but it's a really good point that a lot of times people's ideas of 'riggorry' comes from them just not being happy that their fav didn't win. And YEAH! if we did get a season that was 'fair' everyone would say it was predictable like they did with as7 or as8 or s15 or pretty much any season nowadays
I do feel that some queens are given a pass because they're good representation or just good TV. I think the perfect example is Season 13. Now I love Symone, she did fine and I enjoyed gottmik and their runway looks. However, Gottmik should have been in the bottom for the disco challenge. Watch the video, they can't dance, they have zero rhythm and they even edited out their solo part because they were horrible. BUT because she was the first trans male contestant they wanted to keep her around. They also knew they had zero chance winning a lip sync. Then we have Kandy, who was fully eliminated but sense she was good for creating Drama they kept her. Ru didn't even try to make an excuse they just gave her a free pass cause fuck it.
Is the entire show rigged? No, but some of it is. Which really invalidates some queens accomplishments.
(And with what they don, the producers pretty much plant seeds for the toxic fans to hate on queens, either by giving them a villain edit or just giving queens a pass for people to get angry about. Like poor silky, should've gone home ages ago but production loved her and by the end of the season she was getting hated on hard.)
This exactly, it’s one thing to say that saying a season of drag race is rigged, invalidates the queen’s accomplishments, it’s another when when the riggory is being used to invalidate a queen/queens accomplishments or talents. That’s one of the biggest reasons as to why I do not like it.
The rigging can be really seen with the last minute lipsync change in season 5 for jinkx Vs detox to a song that jinkx had written on her application as a song she performs
Love your videos ❤
There are lots of questionable decisions on RPDR since All Stars 3… that’s why I keep saying Ben has always been the ultimate winner in my eyes … if she’d continued to the finale she’d have been voted out because she’d have single handedly eliminated almost 3/4 of the cast. Or would the jury of her peers not been an option if she stayed?? … and yes, we just watch drag race now just for the fun of it… most of us can predict the winner from the 3rd episode and so far we’ve not been not been wrong since all stars 3…
I think production 'rigging' or guiding the direction of the season is totally okay. However in later seasons they also discredit others for the benefit of the ones they want to push.
AS8 is a decent example. Heidi wasn't really feeling it in the first place, but she was overlooked and not given any highs and wins in favour of other queens they wanted to push. Whilst Heidi did fantastic she was discredited. Aside from her external problems I would've quit as well seeing that production isn't going to do me any favors.
That contradicts saying it’s not okay to favor other Queens and because you aren’t getting favored you are gonna quit?? I don’t think that’s how it should go 😂😂😂
@@JoseSena-gs4tz I get what u say yes haha. It's okay to favor other queens for the narrative they want to push, but it shouldn't be at the expense of other queens.
Like I get wanting to give Lala the design-redemption, but damn... she just improved to the bare minimum but still should've been low and not high.
The problem for me is not that much that the show is rigged (“produced” would be a better word). TV programs have to be edited in general. Just like movies or music.
The main issue with recent seasons is that it shows too much. Ru looks less invested, a lot gets mechanically recycled from season to season.
Sad to say maybe but after 15 years on TV RPDR feels a little dry and stale.
Making it top four honestly is a meme at this point. There's always at least one queen not deserving to be there since probably season 11. Worst offenders are obviously season 11 and season 13 but All Stars 8 really gave those seasons a run for their money. :(
i love how you pronounce “azure” 😭 when i heard it i was like ooo that’s a pretty name
Such a coincidence how the bestfriends always have a dramatic lipsync against each other..
*cough* sugar and spice *cough*
Catching a vid this early is like a lil treat
I just watched this and now I want this editing deepdive but focused specifically on UK Versus The World 2 because the finale caused A LOT of reactions today
I liked the way you explained this. Perhaps pure fairness is too straightforward, making a season boring. But viewers being overly aware of this, we want less producing. We want more fairness and less favoritism. But if we get that, would we then complain the show is too predictable? As you say, it needs that perfect balance.
Just thinking about it a bit, the one way they could add fairness would undoubtedly result in the show being boring is this: make all of the challenges the same for every single season. What do I mean?
We already know that certain challenges are a staple, such as the Snatch Game, a Rusical, a roast, a talent show, and an acting challenge, but other ones come in and out on a season-by-season basis. If every season had the exact same challenges, you'd not only filter out the queens who would know that the simply aren't equipped for certain things (such as unfunny queens for the roast, musically-challenged queens for the Rusical, or those who couldn't act their way out of a paper bag for the acting challenges), but you'd get a greater amount of multi-talented queens who can do it all (or most), rather than a smattering of queens who specialize in one area (such as runway looks), or those who are merely competent at many (the queens who would never win or make top 4, but aren't bad enough to be eliminated 1st or 2nd).
The only issue is that, because of the nature of the judging, there's no way you can adequately be fair in terms of ranking the importance of each challenge, a win, or lip-syncing ability. If Ru gets in a mood for a season where she's focusing on runway looks, you could have a queen who can sing, dance, lipsync like no other, and tear the roof down on Snatch game, but if the runway looks aren't there, at best she's just safe. Because the ranking of importance of the challenges and the requisite skill sets are so nebulous (for example, does it make sense for a queen who can't sew like Jinkx, or someone who themselves admit can't lipsync well like a Bianca or Jimbo, to be winners?) even if you were to normalize all of the challenges for every season (with the only change between seasons is the order, to avoid frontrunning), you'd still run headlong into the wall of biased judging.
I would take it being an actual competition as possible any day over the other option lol
The intro always makes me cackle 😂😂😂
Ate this video up
I have to disagree, production would have lost the long game if Kandy sent Jimbo home, it was already clear from the Promo that Jimbo would win. I'm not sorry, this was Jimbo's season and prod knew that from casting, please.
hi i have literally watched every single one of your videos but the first video listed on this channel is "aja spilling the tea on all stars 3" but in that video you mention other videos you have done in the past so where can i find those vids cus i wanna watch them bc ive watched all of your vids
The show isn't rigged per say but often certain factors are taken into consideration by production. This could include age, race, gender, backstory, drag style, favouritism etc to name a few. Of course this is not to devalue anyone that performs great on their season, but there is usually a little something extra about certain queens that takes them further than others, and the production will tap in to that.
I love that shot of Bendela in the jury, she looks stunning
alyssa hunter’s mirror mirror look was so fucking incredible
The absolute nerve of questioning sasha colby's win
Especially from Anetra stans....
@lucasamm I agree the ball and the interview wasn't hers to win but did she slay the finale song and lipsync YESSS
She did do well, but the whole season came across like the Sasha Colby season. She didn't receive the criticism that a lot of queens have for the same things.
Her interview and ball wins were very questionable. Nevertheless, her win in the finale was pretty much deserved.
yayy greengay upload
So I dont really mind when Ru is elevating a queen she really sees it for her...
What I DO mind is when they do it for a queen they think WE will see it for them... I mean, let me choose my fave for myself lol leave us alone
That hilarious Ross Matthew’s zoom in will haunt me for the rest of my life
Riggory was definitely at play in the last two All Stars seasons, although I think the right winners were crowned. The real issue was the number of raggedy lip syncs, and how they may or may not have counted towards the final results. Monet's final lip sync against Jinkx, for example, was quite pointless.
I think it depends on the season. I watched a vlog by Alexis Stone a few years ago receiving a call to join drag race before season 2 started filming. She recorded the call and the woman who called her said she would likely make it to the finale. so.. who knows lol
I just love your Channel. Love all your videos
unrelated to the video but the amount of roxxxy andrew's face meme in this is making me so excited for as9... since we know peppermint isn't going back (yet) it'd be gaggy to see if season 5's finalists all become winners first before season 9
I think obviously sometimes production makes choices to create a narrative they want. But I think fans watching sometimes underestimate things like, how different a performance or a runway look can present live in the room during filming vs on screen later, and even just how much opinion can just vary. Sometimes, RuPaul and the other judges really see something in a queen that viewers don't. And sometimes the fanbase in general really falls in love with a queen and I just don't get it. Sometimes what some people think of is blatant and consistent rigging in one person's favour, I would say is just breaking ties in favour of a queen they're already invested in. And sometimes it genuinely is rigged. And maybe not every difference of opinion needs to be the end of the tucking world.
Love your content
are we gonna ignore the random roxie andrews photos? Its killing me 😂😂
having a cup of some greengay tea this morning
💚💚💚💚
"Ben Dela" herself. Such an icon lol
Everytime the judges gagged over Yvie Oddly's looks, I would think "man, they would LOVE Dragula". The quality and creativity of looks on that main stage is incredible.
It’s a reality tv competition, the point is making a tv show. Do producers always make the right choice? In the viewers mind sometimes no, but for producers who are there and seeing it in real time it’s a different perspective. Also it’s a tv show, like can we just enjoy it for the tv it is. The queens are fabulous and I’m just glad they get to showcase their talents and looks and we get to watch
If riggory means there's producer involvement in how the competition shakes out, then yes there is riggory. That doesn't necessarily have to be a bad thing though. I think it varies A LOT how much producer involvement there per season and what that producer involvement entails, since producers aren't psychic and they can only predict how a season will go. At the end of the day it's a TV-show and they're going to try to make the TV-show as appealing to audiences as possible through the use of storylines, thus the competition is not always going to be 100% "fair". Also, what is fair to one person may not be fair to the other.
I think each queen that got to the top had help at least once during their season.
Sorry but the way 90% of jimbo‘s „looks“ were just boobs and boobs as a derrière- I do not see what y‘all saw in her.
She had amazing runways but a simple blonde bimbo?
Lucy LaDuca was predictable and generic to y‘all - but jumbo wasn‘t same? Okaaaay
Also perhaps not produced but Ru in RPDRUK clearly and openly picks favourites
Morris, who's morris? Rigor mortis girl! And yes, dragrace is rigga morrissed the house.
i don't think production cares that much about any specific queen placing in the top or winning from the beggining, they just 1. don't want another manila situation (in terms of backlash from eliminating the frontrunner) and 2. they just care about getting an interesting storyline, if a queen gives it to them then they will "keep her" long enough for it to develop
Fans always want the older seasons and their judging back... But even in season 1 they had a queen making it much further than many fans say she should've when they rewatch it. There's always a subjective element to it and nearly every reality show has it, even if it's a competition for a big prize.
I have to say completely unrelated to the content, I scream every time a Roxy edit pops up on the screen. This is my favorite new addition to the vids lmaoo
In all fairness, Salina was really, really loud to the point of annoying.
I love your videossss
Is it me or does Ru dislike Broadway Queens? They might as well be Puerto Rican. (Nina Flowers was arguably robbed, she was ahead of her time like fart jokes, and drag as a contact sport. WTF with Jessica Wild's phenomenal All Stars run met with...sorry girl we're doing top two this season?!)
I feel like Dela knew that she was the clear winner and decided to say fuck you to the producers with that.
New here, love the content. Can someone explain the meme(?) of the woman with the Champagne flute in the limo? Right answer appreciated. Wrong answers welcome.
minute??
It’s about ratings and awards for the show. It’s not been about the queens for a while.
As seasons are scripted from top to bottom, every episode. There is ZERO ROOM for anything spontaneous.
If you don’t smoke anymore are you even Greengay?
People tends to forget that the competition name is “RuPaul DR” and that name itself a brand. A well positioned brand. So as the winner of the show it will become a “brand ambassador” production needs to take care of eod the image that winner is going to give to RuPaul itself.
Literally everyone in the last all stars tried to walk out