The Sellout

Wait, seriously? I can’t believe we’ve already gotten to the sixth episode! Sheesh!

But it was quite an episode, right? It’s interesting–we had a Latrice episode, then a Chad episode, and now Willam. And he deserves it, right? I can’t think of any other Drag Race contestant who’s proven so enigmatic, eliciting such confusion and bafflement. (We’ve got a lot of queens going by male names this season, so I can’t help but refer to them as male, forgive me)

The wet T shirt contest was an interesting challenge, getting the queens to put it all out there. Despite some of the queen’s reticence (most notably Sharon’s), the queens pulled it off with aplomb. (Well, except for Phi Phi, which was kind of satisfying) I couldn’t help but observe that the giant breastplates provided looked outrageous on all the queens, until we got to Latrice–given her size, they actually seemed pretty modestly proportioned to her. I only mean that in the best way, though, and the fact that she pulled all of that off with her highly absorbent padding just shows what a pro she is.

(Click this and the other images for even bigger, more fabulous versions)

The main challenge of this episode? It seemed very odd to me, especially given how confused I was from the start: A parade float, based on a color of the rainbow flag, relating to pride, but also fashion forward? That just seemed like a jumble of elements, especially because I didn’t understand who would be wearing the floats, and in what venue. (I had hoped the Pit Crew would model the floats, which was perhaps just wishful thinking) But the fact that they designated each queen’s color theme by handing out colored handkerchiefs was HILAAAARIOUS! If you’re not well versed in gay history, colored hankies pre-dated Grindr and Manhunt, but did largely the same thing–if you had a certain color dangling out of a certain pants pocket, it sent a coded message about what you were looking for to others in the know. Clearly, I’m vague on the specifics, but that’s solely because I’m not single. Otherwise I’d be googling the fuck out of those color coded handkerchiefs!

Anyhow, it was lovely to see Chad, Sharon, and Willam discuss some queer history with the other queens. And Chad was certainly lovely this week, clearly embracing the oversized spirit of the challenge:

I loved Chad’s showgirl look, particularly his “cougar” stripes.

Also, how adorable was that runway backdrop of greased-up manflesh, waving back and forth in sailor outfits? Good to see the Drag Race production budget put to good use! *Sigh* okay, gotta cool off.

Willam used his float really playfully, which totally worked. And yeah, he looked fabulous. But my problem with his runway outfits is that I’d much prefer some gaudy, outrageous accessories made in someone’s basement than all the designer shit he so proudly trots out. I’m just never compelled to draw him. But did he deserve to win? Yeah, probably.

Still, Sharon was a lot of fun. Her giant snake was fierce and I knew it would be fun to draw. Oh, wait.

I thought Phi Phi and Milan used their floats really well, too. Jiggly didn’t. Her giant orange merkin didn’t help, either.

I was crushed to see Milan lip sync a third consecutive time, since I think she’s fabulous. Her stripping down could be seen as a tired Drag Race gimmick, but given the spirit of Born This Way, I thought it was fitting. And he looked really cute, so that’s how I drew him.

I think Milan is a fabulous performer, and a gentle soul. He had a rough time on the Drag Race, but I’m glad he had the opportunity to strut his stuff! Even… three times in a row.