Rupaul's Drag Race just ended its 5th season and I'm more hooked than I ever have been. From Alaska's high-pitched HIEEE yell to Jinkx Monsoon's vintage-inspired looks...wait. You've never seen Drag Race? Oh my word.
The brainchild of Supermodel of the World RuPaul, the show has brought drag queens to the forefront of reality television. It's like Showgirls meets Striptease meets Miss America that then got blended with a Las Vegas show...and it's a show that I can't recommend to people enough. If you ever have a conversation with me, expect that at least SOME of the lingo below will be thrown in for good measure (for friends who don't watch the show, I often confuse the hell out of them when I pepper conversations with some of these phrases).
Pageant Queen - A drag queen who performs in Drag Balls or Pageants as opposed to stage.
Comedy Queen - A queen who does comedy routines. Think of Dame Edna.
Don't F*ck It Up! - What Ru reminds the contestants during the final challenge each week (I say this one a lot for no good reason other than I LOVE it).
Condragulations - A congratulatory exclamation, generally said by Ru to winners of each week's challenge.
Reading - The act of humorously insulting another queen. When queens start to read each other, Ru will say, "The library is open. Reading is fundamental."
Shade - Gossip. Often, during reading sessions, queens will exclaim, "The shade of it all!"
Rupologize - This one, I think, speaks for itself.
Work - Girl, you betta work! This is the BEST exclamation when you are giving friends support. Work!
Have I mentioned how absolutely gif-able this show is?
Yes, that's a contestant ripping her wig off to produce....ANOTHER WIG.
I think the thing I love the most about Drag Race is that we live in a world where queens can become reality stars, and that these performers can find acceptance and love from their families where they may have missed it before.
So, if you are looking for something absolutely hilarious to watch after you tuck the kiddies in at the end of one of these long summer days (notice how much LONGER the days seem when you have to keep a child entertained all day?) Check out Drag Race, especially if you like your shows to end with a fashion show and lip syncing competition, and like RuPaul says, you have the Charm, Uniqueness, Nerve and Talent of a real queen (I'll let you figure that last one out for yourself).
So, spill it! Do you think you'll check out RuPaul's Drag Race?
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