RECAP: ‘Drag Race Down Under vs. the World’ Episode 7
It’s the makeover episode of “Drag Race Down Under vs. The World.” I have bitched and moaned numerous times on my recaps about how I find this challenge deeply flawed, and that in reality it’s typically a way for Production to remove a contestant they don’t want moving forward, or hype up a contestant they want to give a push. I don’t think any of that is true here. I didn’t see the heavy hand of Production involved in this makeover at all, I thought the judging was completely fair, and the queen who did the worst went home.
It also addressed a specific criticism that Michelle Visage has received regarding her judging of the makeover on numerous different franchises. Michelle has weirdly become the arbiter of “family resemblance” in the makeover challenges, and her rubric is…finicky. Some times she expects the makeover partners to look identical, other times if they’re too similar it’s an issue. But none of that was a problem here, because in a smart twist on the makeover formula, the state goal was NOT family resemblance. It was for the queens to create a best friend. A seemingly simple side step resolved any number of issues I’ve had with this challenge, and I would love to see this approach taken for makeovers across the Runiverse.
Read on for my recap of Episode 6 of “Drag Race Down Under vs. The World.” 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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The makeover partners this time were Aussie beach bums. The irony here is, of course, this season was not filmed in Australia or New Zealand. It was filmed in a new studio in Portugal which, for reasons that escape me, is apparently now no longer available to “Drag Race” (between this and the Colombia stage created specifically for Paramount’s international seasons, a LOT of money was spent on long-term filming solutions that ended up being short term). Most of these makeover partners were hired to appear on the season as Pit Crew or in mini-challenges, and one brought his partner. They were all quite butch and quite handsome, making for a relatively consistent challenge level for the queens. I only had one question:
This was a fairly low-drama makeover episode. Everyone was on board with the process, everyone was excited and embraced the challenge (which also included a group performance to the very catchy “Bosom Buddies” number from “Down Under” Season 2). So I’ll just quickly go over the results, from most successful to least.
Art Simone: Art gave her partner a zebra-inspired, 80s beach fantasy that felt highly inspired by Pizazz from The Misfits — I say this with total admiration and respect. They looked great, they had a great little gimmick with the towels. Literally no notes.
Michael Marouli: Michael went super campy with massive inflatable tits and asses. It worked and was silly fun. I think the costumes did most of the heavy lifting here, but it was smart and gave the judges and audience exactly what they wanted.
Vybe: I loved the print on Vybe’s costumes, which gave us a color-splashed Versace fantasy. I thought the different complementary cuts worked great. The issue came with the wig line and some of the make-up application, which ranged from dodgy to highly questionable.
M1ss Jade S0: The thing about Jade is that she can wear pretty much anything and look incredible in it. Not the case with a makeover partner. I don’t even know how to describe the outfits Jade brought. Scraps of fabric wound around their bodies with seashell accessories? I guess? Jade looked amazing, but her partner looked awkward and uncomfortable — she did not have the proportions or uninhibited cunt energy to pull that look off.
LaLa Ri: LaLa was at a disadvantage here, because she can barely do her own make-up and wigs. That sounds mean, but it’s honestly the truth. I just rewatched her original season, 13, this past week. I actually think LaLa’s make-up and wigs have gotten worse since then. There may have been an improvement for “All Stars 8,” but the backslide going into this season has been notable — let’s just say, not a surprise that she retired from drag prior to coming back for this. LaLa’s makeover was one of the crunchiest in the history of “Drag Race.” God bless her partner, who handled it all with grace and aplomb even after it looked like someone painted his face with a mason’s trowel. Good lord.
Art and Michael were named the Top 2, and lipsynched to “Who Do You Think You Are?” by the Spice Girls. Readers, I have been manifesting a lipsync to that song for YEARS. And these two pros did a good job with it. It’s a song that doesn’t stop for a goddamned second, and I was impressed that both of these queens kept their energy up. Michael notably did not change from the inflatable runway costume, and used those built-in props to great effect during this number. I think that ultimately is what gave him the win, but the performance itself was also very good. (I don’t think this song is something Art would ever perform on her own accord.)
While it probably would have been smartest for Michael to eliminate Jade, who is the biggest threat of the Bottom 3, he chose to eliminate the worst-performing queen in this challenge, which was LaLa. That was probably the right call from a self-preservation standpoint, because I guarantee you, any queen that eliminated Jade would face swift and brutal backlash on social media. It was also the right move, because this was LaLa’s third time competing on “Drag Race,” there had been no growth from “All Stars 8” — I genuinely think her aesthetic has gotten worse — and it was between her and Vybe for the worst track record in the Bottom 3.
Which is not to say that LaLa did not have good moments on “DUvs.” She was epic in the Rappin’ Roast, she was quite good in last week’s acting challenge, and — as she always has been — she was a delight in talking heads and the work room. LaLa has incredible charisma and is a fierce lipsync performer. My suspicion with LaLa is that drag as an artform is not her passion, it is merely a vehicle she uses to get booked as a live performer. The live performance — rapping, dancing — is where she comes alive, and her seemingly total lack of interest in improving her make-up or fashion skills is a totally unsubtle hint that she’s just getting into drag to get booked. Just my suspicion. I think she is super talented and so lovely, but I also don’t think she really cares about the next drag superstar of any country, much less the world.
That gives us a Final 4 of Art Simone (4 wins, no bottoms), Michael Marouli (4 wins, no bottoms), M1ss Jade S0 (3 wins, 1 bottom), and Vybe (1 win, 3 bottoms). It’s a great group of queens, any would be a great winner. My gut tells me Michael Marouli has the momentum and the energy to take the crown, but Art could have the edge as the hometown queen, and Jade is a huge wildcard. I adore Vybe, I really think she’s one of the best queens from “Down Under,” and I don’t think that track record is a fair reflection of what she brought to this competition — but it is the track record she has.
Who do you think will win? Who do you WANT to win? Let us know in the comments!
What do YOU think of “Drag Race Down Under vs. the World”? Which queens are you rooting for? Drop your comments below!
