RuPaul’s Drag Race: You gotta lip sync for your liiiiiiife!

Last week, Carmen Carrera was brought back from the dead and then sent sashaying away yet again. No one was sad to see her go. Raja was also in the bottom two, which was traumatic for her.

This week is all about the money. The mini challenge is to host RuVC, a home shopping network. The ladies have to get Ru to buy their products. Raja is up first and she looks jacked out. She is selling her “gaff” which is apparently a junk-strapping down apparatus. Manila is pitching MANila spray. She looks better as a brunette. Yara pitches hair that is also a puppet. Don’t ask me to explain it. Alexis is hocking her handmade butt inserts. Who do I call about this? I am in. Ru selects Yara’s hair piece. She wins money for the next challenge.

The main challenge is at a “Make That Money Ball”. The ladies will have to create three different looks—Swimsuit Body Beautiful, Cocktail Attire After 5 pm, and Evening Gown Eleganza. The ladies get to work and are generally stressed out about the amount of work they have to do. Part way through the day, Ru gives the gals another challenge. They have to choreograph a group number to kick of the ball (to La Toya Jackson’s “Just Wanna Dance”). It seems like Alexis is really struggling with her garments, and she threatens to leave the competition. She packs some stuff up, and leaves the room. But then she comes right back. What a waste of time.

Mainstage

Guest judges this week are La Toya Jackson and Gigi Levangie Grazer (I have no idea who this is, and she contributes nothing to the panel, so I won’t be looking it up). Standard judges are Michelle Visage and Mike Ruiz.

Raja: Her bathing suit is a gold bikini and she has sort of a tri-cornered hat made of money on it as well. Raja’s cocktail look is a bit weird. It is kind of a jumper thing, and she is wearing a birthday hat (like the cone type). The dress doesn’t do much for her and the hat is weird. Raja describes her evening look as 1930s, but it strikes me as more 20s. It is a cute halter dress with colorful paper fringe all over it. The dress is really pretty and moves well on the runway.

Alexis Mateo: Alexis’ bathing suit is a gold one-piece that looks pretty cute from a distance (they are all dancing around so we can’t really see the suits too well). Her cocktail dress is a fitted yellow strapless number. It fits her body pretty well, but her hair is pulled straight back into a bun and it makes her look a bit manly. Alexis’ evening look is somewhat oceanic. The dress is well-made and flatters her figure.

Yara Sofia: Yara’s bathing suit is a gold bikini as well, and she looks pretty cute in it. Her cocktail dress is a gold draped number with weird shit on the shoulder. It isn’t the best, but it isn’t the worst either. She has straightened black hair that makes her look like a regular, boring lady. Her evening gown is huge, owing to the extra paper money she had to build it. The dress is way over the top and “avant garde” (her words). It isn’t exactly terrible, but I wouldn’t say I liked it either. There is a lot going on (as with many of her looks).

Manila: Manila’s bathing suit is a black one-piece that has gold coins strung along it. It is not very pretty at all. Her cocktail look is a disco-inspired bat-wing type dress. It is spangly and pretty cute. I also like her hair with this one. Manila’s evening look is an Imelda Marcos-themed dress and it is pretty impressive. She has scrunched up dollar bills to make them almost look like flowers.

Judging

Yara is told that her elegant look is too busy and that her cocktail look was a little bit boring. Alexis’ bathing suit was not liked by the judges because it wasn’t flattering, and the same is said about her cocktail dress. Both dresses did make her look pretty stocky. They do like her evening look. The judges like all of Manila’s looks (and even praise the bathing suit, which I didn’t love). Raja’s cocktail look was not good (LaToya says it reminded her of a Pointer Sister). No other criticisms are given of her.

Ru asks each of the ladies why they want to be the next drag superstar, and the ladies give their best pageant responses. Manila is the winner of the challenge, and Raja is safe as well.

Yara and Alexis will have to lip sync for their liiiiiiiiiiiives. Their song is “I Think About You” by Patti LaBelle. Neither of the ladies impresses me with their lip syncing. Yara just takes off all her clothes and ends up laying on the stage and crying. Needless to say, that is an insufficient performance and Yara is sent sashaying away. Half of the judging panel is crying too. It is a bit weird.

This means that our top three are Raja, Manila, and Alexis.

More Fabulousness

•  “If she were to sit down in it, it would look like a pile of garbage”- Raja’s insight on Yara’s pile o money dress.
• “It’s like two canned hams fighting it out under a blanket”- Michelle on Alexis’ ass.
• When isn’t Manila’s look Imelda Marcos themed? I mean, I get that it is her thing, but it is a bit tiring.
• Raja gets emotional talking about how she wants to help people who want to be different, and Ru solemnly agrees: “The power (beat) of the Fuck You”. Hilarious.
• Michelle Visage was channeling Cher at panel today. Her long straight hair was hot.
• I am a little shocked that Yara went home—all she really had to do was actually lip sync the song and not devolve into a puddle of tears.
• I love Alexis’ attitude and I think she is hilarious, but it would take a miracle for her to win this thing. She just isn’t on the level of Raja or Manila.
• Sorry this recap is so late. I have been traveling and posting didn't happen. The finale was this week, and the recap for that will be up, as usual, next Wednesday.
• “You gotta lip sync for your motherfuckin’ life! It is pretty simple.” –Taryn’s wisdom knows no bounds.

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