RECAP: ‘Drag Race Down Under vs. the World’ Episode 6
We’re down to the Final 6 of “Drag Race Down Under vs. the World,” and while I think virtually any of the 10 queens in the cast could have made it to this point, I think this is more or less correct. (I desperately wish that “Drag Race Espana” icon Estrella Extravaganza could have made it, but I get it.) It’s a wonderful group of queens, which makes sense as this has been a wonderful season.
Before we get into my recap of Episode 6, I do want to address something that came to light on social media this week. “Down Under” queen Art Simone, a frontrunner on this season, came forward about the bullying and death threats she has been receiving from a specific part of the “Drag Race” fandom. While Art did not name that fandom specifically, the implication is that it is from fans of M1ss Jade S0, the “Drag Race Philippines” queen who is also a frontrunner this season. Art has been getting torched online for her make-up style — a style that I love, it’s unique to Art’s style of drag, it’s graphic and interesting — and has apparently had numerous posters wishing her actual harm because of…her make-up style? Doing well in the competition? It’s insane.
Let me repeat that: this behavior is insane. It is literally crazy. Normally I would ask people engaging in that kind of behavior if they are OK, but there’s no point here — if you are wishing a drag artist death because of their make-up, or because they are giving your favorite a run for the competition, you are clearly not OK. You have completely lost touch with reality. There is a lot of fucked-up shit in the world right now, and if that is how you are using to spend your time, all you’re doing is making the world more fucked up. This isn’t the behavior of fans, it is the behavior of trolls. It’s unacceptable and it is honestly so embarrassing. I cannot even conceive of what kind of loser you need to be to even entertain that behavior, much less actually take the time to do it. Get a hobby. Get a life. Suck a dick. Like, for fuck’s sake. To put it in Gen Z/Alpha terms: this behavior is corny. And it is genuinely hurtful to the queens receiving it.
If this does somehow involve Jade, it’s a little complicated. Jade is going through a difficult time personally right now, and I have tremendous empathy for her. But it is worth noting that her followers launched similar online bullying campaigns right before this cast was released, targeting fellow Pinoy crossover queens Marina Summers and Eva LaQueen for…reasons that frankly did make any sense to me. I don’t know if Jade is in a place where she can engage with this right now. But if she is, she really does need to get involved and make it clear that this is unacceptable. She isn’t responsible for the actions of her followers, but her silence when it is brought to light is a separate issue that can and should be addressed. This will impact her reputation, her legacy as a RuGirl, and possibly her ability to get booked. Nobody is going to want to work with a queen who brings the possibility of this kind of negativity and drama in her wake. That’s tea.
With that out of the way, let’s dig into my thoughts on Episode 6, the horror acting challenge. SPOILERS AHEAD!
Want to watch “Drag Race Down Under vs. the World”? You should be! You can catch stream it now at Wow Presents Plus.
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After a mini-game involving Pit Crew dudes in briefs — always welcome — a spinning wheel, spanking, and cash, we got to the main challenge: the queens would be split into pairs to act in a trilogy of short horror films. It’s similar to the “All Stars 2” Final 6 challenge, and like that one, pretty much everyone delivered here. I thought there was very little difference between the top-placing team and the bottom-placing team, and I personally thought the Safe team should have won. We also had a wild runway that combined both horror and a shocking reveal. Let’s break it down.
Michael Marouli & M1ss Jade S0
Michael and Jade got the “X-Files”-inspired bit in which they were horny women who get abucted and probed by aliens. Jade put on a specific affect for this, which I thought was smart and ambitious, and mostly worked. Michael was very much herself but it worked brilliantly here. I thought the two of them did well, but they would not have been my top team. I wonder if the runway was a deciding factor here. Michael gave us a gonzo look with massive hands, a headpiece with more hands suspended in it, and finally a chest-burster application. It wasn’t exactly subtle or refined, but it had big runway impact and would absolutely kill at a club. Jade gave us a fascinating spider-demon-alien concept with numerous prosthetic applications. The application work itself was a little rough around the edges, but this was a look that was unlike anything else I’ve seen on “Drag Race” and delivered on the brief spectacularly.
Art Simone & LaLa Ri
Art and LaLa got a possessed-doll storyline, and I thought the two of them killed this. Art was really funny and completely invested as the possessed partner, and LaLa was largely very good as the friend trying to exorcise the demon. LaLa’s diction and speaking tempo was an issue, but I thought she took direction well to mitigate it. My one knock on this act was the panty bit at the end — I have no idea what was supposed to be happening there. On the runway, I thought Art gave us the most sophisticated look of the night, although I don’t know if it had the same visual impact as some of the other looks. The outer saboteur element was very cool, but I kept losing it due to the filming angles. The beating heart was very cool, but I think it may have been too small to read on the runway, and we have seen similar concepts a few times (although I think this was among the more successful). Was LaLa’s “shock” element her kicking a skull out from under her dress? If so, not great. But I very much liked the look and LaLa was great in the presentation.
Flor & Vybe
Flor and Vybe got a zombie apocalypse storyline, and personally, I don’t know what more they could have done with this. I thought they were both funny here — I especially loved Flor’s delivery. I did see what the judges were saying about the two of them having less of a clear chemistry than the other teams, but that was really splitting hairs in my opinion. I agreed with the judges that Vybe’s cloak was the best part about her look, and once it came off, the look was a significant downgrade, and the eye application wasn’t super successful.
The panel this week was joined by “Drag Race UK” S2 winner Lawrence Chaney, who I am always glad to see. We are overdue for another All Winners season, and Lawrence is near the top of my list for whenever that gets cast.
Ultimately Michael and Jade were the Top 2, Art and LaLa were Safe (LaLa was confused about this, as was I — they had the most successful challenge performance), and Vybe and Flor were Bottom 2. Michael and Jade lipsynched to “UK Hun?” by the United Kingdolls, the girl group song from “UK2,” and this was CAMP. “Drag Race” producers, please revive other iconic rumixes and girl-group songs for future lipsyncs. The whole thing was like a fever dream. Michael threw himself into the lipsync, while Jade twirled and whirled around the stage. It was pretty clear she knew none of the verses (in her defense, lots of words in another language, and heavily accented at that), while Michael knew every fucking lyric of that song. I was crushed that Bimini’s verse was cut, but at least we got her, “Somebody do a death drop of summin’!” coda, prompting Michael to end the song doing exactly that.
Ultimately, after 4 times in the Bottom 2 in 6 episodes, it was finally Flor’s time to go. Of the remaining contestants, that feels correct. She had a rough run, but she also had a few bright moments. I also don’t think she did poorly in the challenge on which she went out. So I hope Flor is proud of her time in this season.
What do YOU think of “Drag Race Down Under vs. the World”? Which queens are you rooting for? Drop your comments below!
