Monday, April 1, 2013

'Scent of a Drag Queen' by RuPaul's Drag Race

This week the queens were put to the test and had to show off their marketing skills. If there's one thing a queen must be good at in this business it's that they have to be the best self-promoter they can be. If you can't brand yourself and market yourself to the general public then you'll be left in the dust. Where're Rebecca Glascock or Nicole Paige Brooks now? Queens like Manila and Sharon are prime examples of why this episode is so crucial to the show. Let's get to it, shall we?
Let's just come right out and say it: this week's mini-challenge was the best in the history of the show. I dare you to argue with that. For the mini-challenge, Ru brought in underwear designer Andrew Christian (who supplies the Pit Crew with their weekly fashions) and a whole slew of half-naked Andrew Christian models. You may recognize a few of them, such as the adorable Colby Melvin and my personal favorite Sean Paul Lockhart (who you may know as Brent Corrigan...). The boys were split up in two groups, and the queens had to match one guy from one side to the guy who was wearing the matching underwear on the other side. It's your classic memory game, just played in a more fun and entertaining fashion. In the end, Miss Ivyyyyyyy Winterrrsssssss won the mini-challenge and won a phone call home.
For the main challenge, the queens must create and market their very own fragrance. The queens actually sit down with an array of scents and work to create a fragrance that represents who they are. They also must create a commercial spot for their fragrance. It's clear that some queens like Alaska and Detox are going to excel while Ivy, Alyssa and Roxxxy are having a more difficult time. This task requires brains and creativity, and it's no easy feat for any of the girls.

Coco's first huge mistake was naming her perfume after RuPaul. Why would you do that when you're trying to represent yourself and your individuality? Then, the fact that her background was the same as her outfit was stupid because it was way too much cheetah print. Coco completely missed the mark with her fragrance ad.

Alaska was the star of the show this week. Her perfume, by far, had the most clever title and concept. I mean, you don't get much better than "Red: For Filth." Plus, her ad was hilarious and actually made me want to buy the fragrance. It was the most marketable of the seven.

Detox completely slayed this competition, and was definitely my second favorite. I think out of all the contestants, her fragrance was the best representation of who Detox is. "Heroine" plays off of her name as well as being a heroine. And let's face it, her ad was a parody of real fragrance adds which made it 10x funnier with the soft, spoken word angle that she took.

Alyssa fell short this week. She did not have a concept at all so she basically came up with "Alyssa's Secret" in an effort to make it seem like she had a concept. Her ad was a mess, and it was just bad. I love Alyssa, but she needs to pick it up if she wants to stay in the competition any longer.

I absolutely loved Jinkx's ad and fragrance. She stuck to her guns and went the camp route, and it payed off. Yeah, it may have been a bit bawdy, but the dirtiness was missing this week so it fit in perfectly. Jinkx is going to have a long career after this show. And it's also good to note that Jinkx is the only contestant in Drag Race herstory to be in the Top every single week. Are we looking at the Season 5 winner?

This was one of Roxxxy's worst weeks while being at Drag Race. She was not funny, she was not creative, and she just wasn't good. This seemed very predictable for her, and she also seemed out of it. It definitely seems like she's given up which is a shame because in the beginning she was a huge contender for the crown.

Oh, Ivy...what was that? Everything about her fragrance ad was atrocious. This is where the performance queens are separated from the pack, and sadly Ivy is one of those middle-pack contestants that has officially overstayed her welcome. She didn't have a clear vision, and that hurt her. I absolutely adore Ivy, but it's time for her to go.

Coco Montrese
Coco's runway look I actually liked a lot and was one of her better looks, and I think this saved her from being in the Bottom Two. I'm so done with Coco, as I think the rest of the viewers are. She takes offense at everything, and can't just get along with everyone. I'm tired of watching the Coco-show every week.

Alaska
Alaska finally listened to the judges and gave us something different. This is exactly what she needed to revitalize herself in the competition. With this fierce look and her amazing commercial, there's no doubt she'll finally win a main challenge.

Detox
I definitely think this is one of Detox's weaker looks, but I don't think it was as horrible as some people thought it was. It looked a bit rough around the edges, but it was different and edgy. I like Detox because she's different and stands out, and that's exactly what this look did: it made a statement.

Alyssa Edwards
Alyssa is serving Sue Ellen realness. If any of you have watched the 1980's prime time soap opera Dallas then you'll know exactly what I'm talking about. I think this look was great for her, and definitely gave her a few brownie points that were missing from her awful fragrance ad.

Jinkx Monsoon
I am in love with Jinkx's look this week. It's a little bit of everything that makes her special. She is definitely a front-runner in this competition, and I would actually die to see a comedy queen snatch the title of America's Next Drag Superstar. If there's anyone who could do it, Jinkx is the (wo)man for the job.

Roxxxy Andrews
Roxxxy's runway look this week is horrible. I don't know what she was thinking when she chose to wear this. It did nothing for her body and just looked tacky. Please Roxxxy, step it up! I want you to be here for a few more weeks.

Ivy Winters
This is by far the worst look Ivy has brought to the main stage. I don't know what this look had to do with her fragrance campaign at all. It was just bad, and sadly, I think this is the end of Ivy.
Alaska rightfully won this challenge, finally getting her first win. Alyssa and Ivy fell into the Bottom Two and had to lip sync for their lives. Both did a good job, but Alyssa made the runway her bitch and outshone Ivy. Ivy was finally told to sashay away which is sad but was bound to happen soon enough.
This week's Untucked was largely uneventful. It started off with a war between Coco and Jinkx as Coco insulted her which got all the queens to come to Jinkx's defense. Other than that, it was a Coco-centric episode with her getting a video message from her husband which was touching. Other than that, nothing happened. Next week the girls get an acting challenge as they have to act in a Spanish telanovela!

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