Rounding out the safe queens are Crystal, Heidi, and Sherry. On the runway, however, Gigi slays as usual, narrowly escaping the bottom two. While her anxiety is certainly relatable, if the purpose of this season’s marketing is to encourage young people to vote, then is Gigi the best spokesperson for that message? To me, this episode represents a significant argument against the idea of America’s Next Drag Superstar Gigi Goode. Gigi struggles in the challenge, largely because, as Carson astutely points out, “to be able to parody something, you need a base knowledge of it.” It’s quite interesting that, given the patriotic promotion of this season, the current front-runner seems to be politically illiterate. “You simply call the hotline on the ExxonMobil website, and they’ll have someone drilling for natural gas on your Wyoming ranch within two weeks!” (Okay, some of that I made up.) He advises Gigi to stick with fashion, but it seems to do little to calm her anxiety. “Politics is not something to be afraid of it’s actually quite simple,” says Ru. As we learn in the walkaround, Gigi is scared of politics. One of the more interesting wrinkles in this tapestry of an episode is Gigi Goode. So if you’re feeling nostalgic for the good old days, you’re in luck! The structure and parameters of the challenge are still just as confusing, and most of the queens still have just as hard a time being funny. This challenge first appeared in season four, where it became infamous for a racist joke from Phi Phi O’Hara (and a subsequent legendary read from Latrice Royale). If this is the extent of Drag Race’s political activism, then I’m left with a serious case of red, white, and blue balls.Īfter a brief mini-challenge (because what captures the essence of our terrifying and confusing political landscape more than Cats?), we learn that the backdrop for this political-themed episode is a debate: Choices 2020. This episode jumps between the chaotic main challenge and serious social justice issues so rapidly, you’ll get whiplash. But how do you thoughtfully and meaningfully address political issues while at the same time maintaining the spirit of frivolity and ridiculousness that defines Drag Race? Unfortunately, RuPaul has no idea. From the American flag-themed season promo to the poster boards held up at the end of every episode, Drag Race badly wants to engage with this hyperpolitical climate. Drag Race clearly understands and appreciates its ability to influence millions of young people around the country. But with great power comes great responsibility. The little show that started as a hodgepodge of reality competition shows has now blossomed into a cultural touchstone.
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