The season 11 finale of RuPaul’s Drag Race will air Thursday, May 30, on VH1. One of three highly deserving competitors will lip sync with all their glory for the title of America’s Next Drag Superstar during what will be an intense and very emotional battle. Silky Nutmeg Ganache will also be there.
Was this a great season? Not really. I recently ranked it as one of the lower seasons as the energy this group gave overall paled in comparison to seasons in the past. Was it a complete bust? No. There were some great moments throughout, and I generally enjoyed most of the girls that entered the werk room, notably Nina West and Yvie Oddly.
There’s something nagging me, however, that needs to be said. It’s been on my mind for the past year and many of my friends and fans of the show that I’ve talked to feel the same way about it … RuPaul’s Drag Race needs to take a long winter’s nap. We need a break from RPDR for a substantial amount of time as its light that was shining so brightly has dimmed to the point where it’s getting close to being pitch black.
Let’s recap January 2018 until now:
- January 25, 2018: RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars 3 premieres
- March 22, 2018: RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 10 premieres
- December 14, 2018: RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars 4 premieres
- February 28, 2019: RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 11 premieres
Way. Too. Much. To have four different seasons premiere in thirteen months is a lot. It gets to the point where the creativity that RPDR was once known so well for is now force-fed down everyone’s throats to where nothing is original anymore.
Then there’s the consistently boring repeated challenges, Snatch Game pandemonium which leads to so many fans being disappointed and the All Stars rules that never really work out the way many of us want them to (Shangela, Manila, etc).
RPDR used to be once a year. It helped us get to know each individual queen so much better and allowed the show to breathe at a normal rate.
Now everything is overkill: the fashions, the fighting, the unnecessarily forced drama (Gia coming for Farrah in AS4). I can go on and on.
Mind you, this takes nothing away from the talent that these queens have brought. They are wonderful and have become huge stars since making their debut on the Emmy-winning show. Past competitors that returned for All Stars also received a bump in their notoriety and their star power blossomed.
I’m just at the point where boredom is setting in and the dreaded shark has jumped. The show needs to recharge its batteries now. Don’t come back until March 2020. No more All Stars until 2022.
We want queens in AS5 that have been successful for years and not ones that left the werk room for five minutes only to come back. You can’t be an All Star that quickly.
DragCon is the exception here for waiting to see more Ru as it takes place IRL and not on our television screens. RPDR can go the distance for many years to come, I truly believe that. But I think it isn’t a bad thing to bring it back to how it was for many years where we only watched one season per year.
Let’s breathe, untuck, refocus, and pull ourselves together.
This is the opinion of one contributing writer and not that of Instinct Magazine or other Contributing Writers.
Do you know how to have a “long winter’s nap from RPDR?” It’s super simple. Turn the channel, or turn off the TV, or go outside. It’s really easy and doesn’t even require an article focusing on doing so!
I don’t have a “problem” with Ru’s DR. I just think the audience is ready for another show with drag. Less PAGENT hair, more ARMPIT hair. Less prissy south, more sissy San Francisco. Where Ru is a phenomenal speaker with great perspective, she is less of a WOW kinda dragger anymore. Her gowns would get her disqualified from her own show. Her wisdom is everything but her style is kinda dull. It’s great as it is but bring on alternatives. We. Are. Ready.
If ur tired of it, don’t watch it.
Trump was elected. I’m happy for the constant stream of RPDR.
It’s partially because we know what to expect from every episode,faux drama,faux fawning over every “celebrity” judge. And partially because it’s been on so long,it’s set in stone,but it’s also entertaining and enlightening and a landmark television program. It will be on for many years to come.
I’ve also heard this from many people. But I think the real culprit is the back to back airing of AllStars and Regular seasons. It feels like one season goes on forever (Dec ~ May in this most current cycle), so there is the sense of exhaustion and it all blurring together and competitions feeling repetitive.
Perhaps doing a regular season once a year in the Spring, and an AllStars every other year in the Fall might help each season feel more fresh and looked forward to.
And now, if we are needing a fix in between, we can watch the UK version ?
You’re not wrong. But once I get into the new season and figure out who is who, I’m in deep.
yes to March 2020 for RPDR
yes to a big break for RPDRAS at least until 2021
Would RuPaul care what we think? No…
I am more disillusioned with RuPaul Charles than with the show itself, ultimately he is who makes the last decision isn’t it?
Silky shouldn’t be in the final 4, looks as forced as Latrice always been safe.
This seasons was a mess I hope Yvie wins.
And always remember that Nina should had been Blac Chyna
RPDR Uk will be airing this year also. Lol I’m ok with it being in all the time. Nothing else good to watch right now.
Your argument seems to be we need a break from All-Stars. I totally agree there. All-Stars should be on a year-on-year-off schedule.
I disagree about season 11 though. This has been a great group of queens serving up over-the-top drama, shady confessionals, quality looks, and one amazing lip sync (and a horrible one). Producer f*ckery has frustrated me, I feel Vanjie and Silky were saved from the bottom a few times and Shuga’s bottom placement was bull**** on the magic show. Still it was a strong season, if not on the level of 4-6.
I agree that there needs to be a gap because having it constantly on doesn’t give us anything to look forward to, thus the show is less exciting. However, I do feel that whoever wrote this article is being a bit dramatic. The show could be much more creative and fresh, but it’s not like a chore to watch nor is the light nearing going “pitch black”.
I must agree To some point but on The other hand she’s all we have: she might have Lost a little bit of that magic sparkle, but bringing all these queens To us has been heroic. Talking about RP. And we need this show: our friends and families do, In large it brings us Lgbtq – People together. It’s like Madame X: what ever your opinion we can’t go on without her as she is larger then life.