If you ever walk by a gay bar on a Friday night and hear deafening screams, then don’t worry: No one is being hurt. You are walking by a RuPaul’s Drag Race watch party.
Now, if you already know what RuPaul’s Drag Race is, then great; and if you’ve already watched it, then that’s also great. On the other hand, if you don’t fall into either of the two former camps, then this listicle is especially for you. To put things simply, RuPaul’s Drag Race is essential viewing for anyone who wishes to learn what “hunty” means and, by extension, the nature of what it means to be human. It’s also a valuable source of community for queer people around the world and will likely save many queer people’s lives over the next four years – if anything, because it will remind them that they’re not alone. No matter how sad they get, there will always be thirteen queer people on a soundstage in Colombia sharing tearjerker stories about the time their dad caught them lip syncing to Cher and then subsequently embraced them.
That said, if you’re not already familiar with this reality competition in which queer people act, dance, improvise, lip sync, design, and scheme their way to becoming the Next Drag Superstar, then you’re in for a ride. Here are four reasons why you should start watching RuPaul’s Drag Race immediately.
One thing that distinguishes RuPaul’s Drag Race from other reality competition shows is that it demands immense, measurable talent from its contestants. The winning drag queens on this show don’t just have to sing, dance, act, design clothes, or charm the judges; they must do all of the above. As if that weren’t enough, they also have to participate in a celebrity impersonation challenge, dubbed the Snatch Game, which requires competing queens to deliver their best celeb impressions while delivering improvised one-liners in a fake game show. Not everyone soars in this challenge, but the ones who do are divine. In Drag Race’s many, many seasons, it has featured memorable and hilarious impersonations of Maggie Smith, Anna Nicole Smith, Cher, Little Richard, Judge Judy, and even Björk, to name a few. If you’re new to Drag Race, then you should know that Snatch Game doesn’t begin until Season 2; however, you’ll be hooked after you see it for the first time.
Since Drag Race is a competition, there are many drag queens who sadly don’t make it to the end. They don’t die; they’re just kindly removed from the competition by RuPaul. But before anyone goes home at the end of an episode, the episode’s two lowest-performing queens have to face off in a competitive lip sync. It’s more serious than it sounds. Emotions are high during these lip syncs; after all, the loser of the lip sync must abandon the competition, and their dreams, at the end. Thus, queens often bust out incredible dance moves during this segment of the series (which is officially called “Lipsync for Your Life.”) For reference, just see the Lipsync for Your Life in Season 11 Episode 8, when Yvie Oddly and Brooke Lynn Heights – both preternaturally talented dancers – contort and tumble across the stage, effortlessly performing moves that would otherwise be seen in a Cirque du Soleil show.
Ever since Season 5, when legendary Drag Race contestant Roxxxy Andrews pulled off her wig during a Lipsync for Your Life to reveal another wig, “ru-veals” have become a mainstay of the Drag Race Extended Universe. For additional gag-worthy ru-veals, see Season 7 Episode 1, when Violet tugs upon her sparkly amethyst gown and spectacularly ru-veals a red tartan onesie underneath. Also, you must watch the show’s Season 9 finale, which involves rose petals. I won’t spoil for you.
As I mentioned previously, this show has built an international community around its queer fanbase. There’s a reason for that. Ever since Season 1 when Ongina revealed that she’s HIV-positive, the show has made a habit of centering heartfelt stories about essential issues in the LGBTQ+ community. But Drag Race isn’t just educational for straight viewers; it’s also reaffirming for queer fans, who see their lives reflected and celebrated before their eyes. From Kylie Sonique Love’s Season 2 admission that she was trans, to Roxxxy’s blubbering Season 5 confession that she was abandoned at a bus stop, RuPaul’s Drag Race never holds back – and the world is all the better for it.
