RuPaul's Drag Race: You Gotta Know Style

Last week, Carmen Carrera and her dull (yet hot) ass was sent shashaying away by Ru. This week, it is all about hair. First up, the girls get a mini-challenge where they have to create a headpiece out of stuff swiped from a gay beach. Does such a place really exist? I want to go. If it is anything like the gay discothèque (that is what the kids call it, I think), it is going to be awesome. All of the headdresses are ridiculous looking. Raja wins the mini challenge.

The full challenge for the week is to create three hairstyles: a classic look, a modern look (red carpet) and a fantasy hair extravaganza. The ladies get to work on their looks, and Ru drops in with a twist. The ladies also have to create a runway outfit made completely out of hair. Hilarious.

Mainstage

Guest judges this week are Wayne Brady (see also, Whose Line is it Anyway? and little else) and Fantasia Barrino. This Mainstage is actually three looks in one—details below.

Yara Sofia

Classic: Her classic look is a big brown afro, sort of styled to one side. There was some business in the workroom about how both she and Shangela did an afro, and each claimed the other was the copycat. Yara’s outfit it weird, but it works.

Modern: I don’t like Yara’s modern hair at all. She calls it Rhianna-like, which I guess it is, but it is just not very cute…it looks cheap (as does her shiny print dress, which isn’t helping things).

Fantasy Extravaganza: I know this look is supposed to be out there, but Yara’s is frightening. It just looks like a penis, and it coming at us. Her hair dress is likewise frightening…just a bunch of blonde poodle hair.

Alexis Mateo

Classic: This look is an old-hollywood type thing, and I think it looks pretty nice. Her dress is also cute and works her body.

Modern: This look is a bit out there. It is a “simple Mohawk” according to Alexis, but it is gigantic. And her dress is the worst. It is pink sparkly fabric with weird lines of black fur cutting across her body. Not good.

Fantasy Extravaganza: Her fantasy hair has a lot going on. It is black and pink, and it has poofs and jewels and god knows what else. It works pretty well, and her hair dress is decent.

Raja

Classic: Raja’s classic look is a 60s-inspried beehive with a little dress to match. She uses the term “sexcretary” which I have never heard, but enjoy.

Modern: this look is a blonde straight-ironed wig…it isn’t anything special

Fantasy Extravaganza: I like Raja’s fantasy look..it is very colorful and very her. The hair dress is cute and the hair is wacky, but it still works.

Shangela

Classic: Shangela’s classic look is a little bit vague…it is Spanish inspired, but I am not sure from which decade.

Modern: I really don’t like this modern look either. It is kind of just short ugly hair from the front, but then from the back we see that it is a hugely poofed out wedge. Not good.

Fantasy Extravaganza: Oh Christ. This is not good, people. Where to start? The hair is sort of a helmet, but with three ice cream cones sticking out of it (seriously, they are just cones). It wouldn’t be the worst if she had a decent dress on, but it is not good. Her dress is basically a bra made out of pretzel dough and then a thick leather belt with some sort of loaf of bread affixed to the front, and the loaf of bread has long black hair flowing out of it (and there is a similar stream of hair coming out the back). It looks like pubic hair that has been doused with human growth hormone. To use drag parlance, it is a busted mess.

Manila Luzon

Classic: Ru was concerned about this look because Manila went for both a Marie Antoinette look and an afro. In one. It is a cool hairstyle, but it is not classic.

Modern: This is the only modern look I liked, and it was just ok. It is long, black straight hair with bangs. My beef with it is that it is in sort of a ponytail and the ends are hanging at weird lengths, which makes it seem obvious that it is a wig.

Fantasy Extravaganza: Manilla’s fantasy look is a bumble bee. Yellow and black clown wig, bee costume made out of hair. I think this is Manila’s problem…she thinks that this is what Ru wants for fantasy, but Ru wants the more fashion-forward Marie Antoinette/Afro look for fantasy, and for Manila to understand what classic means. It is sort of like during the stand up comedy challenge, I just got the feeling that Manila didn’t quite get why her act was old and sad.

Judges’ Critique

Yara is told that her fantasy look is good and that her disco-themed afro classic look was stunning. Alexis gets some flack for her modern look, because the hair was crazy and not that pretty, and her modern dress was terrible. They do love her fantasy look (dress and hair). Raja is told that her modern look was cute and young, and the judges also like her fantasy look. They do tell her that she looks better with less makeup, which is true. She has a gorgeous face. Shangela’s classic and modern looks were not impressive, and her modern look particularly didn’t suit a red carpet. Wayne Brady delivers the fatal blow of telling her that it looked like she did her own hair. FOR SHAME! No one mentions how her fantasy look is a disgusting mess, but I think it is implied. Manila gets compliments on her classic look, but Santino in particular didn’t like her modern look. He says the gaudy necklace she wore made her shoulders look manly. Michelle Visage loves her fantasy look, but I maintain that it is Halloween costume (a good one, sure), and not couture.

In the final discussion, Fantasia agrees with me that Manila’s fantasy look was gross. Point, Barrino. Shangela is accused of having a 5 o’clock shadow, but Ru points out that it is just a problem with her make up (again). Wayne Brady thinks that maybe she should find another drag niche, because she is great at entertaining, but not so good at being dragfabulous.

Raja is safe, and Yara Sofia wins the challenge (and a gay cruise to Alaska. The locals in Seward are in for a bit of a shock when that Queen Mary docks). Alexis’ hair wasn’t great  and Shangela had some messy shit going on. Because of these transgressions (see what I did there?) they will have to lip sync for their liiives. They are syncing to Fantasia’s “Even Angels”. Nice of her to give them the song. Her guest appearance here has convinced me to get some of her music. The lip sync is pretty boring…the song is just a bit slow for a crazy syncing. Alexis is told to shante, and stay. Shangela is told to sashay, away. I think it was her time, for sure. Halleloo.

Oh boy…at the end of the mainstage, Ru announces that next week Michelle, Santino and Billy B get to pick a previously eliminated drag racer to come back into the competition. I don’t really want any of them to come back in, but I guess if one has to, I would pick either Mariah (because of the Paint your Wagon references) or Delta Work, because maybe she would be more fabulous with a second chance. If it is Stacey Layne, Carmen, or Shangela, I will not be happy.

More Fabulousness

• Ru: “Now, in the 40s, there was a rationing on latex titties”

Alexis: “Really?”

Ru (dead serious): “Yes.”

I still don’t know if she was joking or not.

• At the beginning of the show, Manila was wearing a shirt that said “I (heart) Manila”. Lame. Maybe it is just because I don’t like her, but I just thought the shirt made her seem a bit pathetic. It is one thing for a fan to wear that shirt, but I think this means she made the shirt herself, and then chose to wear it on TV.
• Ru’s mainstage look is amazing this week. The hair is kind of an early Shakira, but on a 7 foot tall and freaking fabulous queen. Oh and there are some hot feathers up in her hair too.
• “Thank you, Pancho Villa”. “Let’s go to the Columbian coffee fields with Juan Valdez” - Ru was all over Santino for his weird ten gallon hat with a 3 foot long feather coming out of the back of it.
• Wayne Brady was a very helpful guest judge this week. His comments were both relevant and insightful. Let’s invite him back.
• Last word goes to T, as always. "You gotta know style. Bitch couldn't tell a Manolo from a Bolo".

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