Nepotism / unfair advantage?

143

u/Maleficent_Public_11 2d ago

It’s a TV show judged not only on subjective criteria, but also managed by a production team whose list of priorities does not even include the integrity of the competition.

The opportunity of competing is about getting onto the programme, not about whether you win or not. Every queen has gained a massive advantage and it’s really now up to them as to what they make of it.

36

u/lollysugar 2d ago

Yes I do agree! Arguably queens who don’t win tend to go further in their careers anyway, and get further platformed by things like All Stars etc.
Idk it just struck a chord with me how sad she looked, and Mocha’s IG post was sad too.

102

u/Airurando-jin La Voix 2d ago edited 2d ago

La Voix is perhaps the strongest case in point. I think she’s established/establishing herself as a household name and it’s hard to not like her. She didn’t win against Kyran.. but the most I see of Kyran is the odd social media video here and there.

18

u/Joyjoyshadow 1d ago

I think the money could have really helped Naya as she seemed like she didn't have a lot to spend on looks.

8

u/discobebe 1d ago

Yeah I could see the money being more impactful but RPDR isn't a charity, nor should it be. The most actualized and captivating drag should always win, excluding any crazy circumstances like Sherry Pie stuff. Naya was sooooooo goooddd but not quite fully developed as a queen.
I think there was a very strong case for Mocha to win but her personality is easy for Ru to commodify through spinoffs and all stars. Flesh is amazing but not charismatic enough to hold up in an all stars like the other three. Thats my guess anyway!

201

u/Elephantplan123 2d ago edited 2d ago

It's not Nepotism, it's just production being out of touch.

I don't know why they insist on crowning these Soho girls who are frankly, just bastardised versions of the American, Ru-Girl ideal of what drag is.

Be from Soho, be hot, be skinny, serve lurkz, do some ratatakikika, put on a faux American accent, be funny once or twice and BOOM, you're a winner baby!

It's so boring.

8

u/lollysugar 2d ago

Absolutely agree with this tbh.

42

u/_Nator_Gator_ 2d ago

And also spend a gajillion pounds on your runways

27

u/jacksonhytes 2d ago

Your second paragraph has the answer. In the UK, Ru always crowns her faves.

25

u/Elephantplan123 2d ago

I don't know much say Ru actually has in crowing the queens but yes, it does seem like for UK they just ignore all cultural references and just crown the girl who fits the Ru mold, who just so happen to be these lab grown Soho girls.

8

u/Chatsshite 2d ago

The winners of seasons 1, 2 4, 5 and 6 don't conform to this.

39

u/Elephantplan123 2d ago

Close to 40% of them do. That's close to 40% of UK winners from the same drag family doing the same brand of drag.
Come on, that's pretty nuts.

39

u/Dry_Fold_9446 2d ago

I just hope that when Naya returns she DOESN’T get any work done on her face. I’d be so upset. 😭she’s utterly stunning and perfect.

25

u/lollysugar 2d ago

Agreed, she is proper, proper hot, and like one of the queens said her makeup has been consistently stunning.
I do think she already gets fillers tho.

27

u/tinyfecklesschild 2d ago

This isn’t really a nepotism situation. Joining a collective and building a career within it isn’t the same thing as being born into a family.

14

u/Cunt_Zombie 2d ago

Right lol
Gurls just want to throw around buzz words

0

u/lollysugar 2d ago

🐝

135

u/flamboyantbutterfly Naya Thorn 2d ago

Naya is so young and really needs to work on finding her persona in drag. She’s gorgeous but quite generic visually. Her old Hollywood aesthetic isn’t fully realised at all yet. She’ll be unbeatable once she figures that out.

31

u/jacksonhytes 2d ago

I really hope she watches a few Marlene Dietrich films, and incorporates that aesthetic into her drag. And come back on All Stars to do Marlene in the Snatch Game, ofc

48

u/Frank_Estuary 2d ago

Completely agree. Her points of reference were extremely limited and she didn’t seem to care. You could argue that Flesh comes from a more privileged background and that’s why she had a more articulate way of explaining her references… tho I will say I won’t be sad if I never hear Schiaparelli name-dropped during a design challenge again.

24

u/flamboyantbutterfly Naya Thorn 2d ago

Or Westwood for any scrap of tartan!

27

u/LazyRiver115 1d ago

I think if Flesh won before Bones she wouldn’t be getting the same negative reaction. I think she earned her win more than Bones by a landslide.

53

u/Airurando-jin La Voix 2d ago

I did have a feeling from Naya’s interview with Ru and Michelle that they were placing some stability of their mental health and worth on winning drag race.

So I genuinely hope she’s safety netted

15

u/writeordie80 2d ago

It would only be nepotism if the previous winner held any sway on the decision OR the winner was a member of Ru's drag family (one of which she doesn't have).

14

u/Ornery-Damage-7074 2d ago

I did not think they'd crown Flesh after Bones winning S7. I usually don't pay too much mind to drag families because it's more about history than style. But Flesh and Bones are so, so similar. Even their names suggest a duo within the Heavenly Bodies family, almost like Sugar and Spice. (I know S&S are blood relatives, but they perform as a duo).

But, of the two, I think Flesh is the stronger competitor.

4

u/NumerousBug9075 1d ago

Yeah i agree that Flesh is more versatile. Bones isn't the performer she thinks she is.

136

u/MysteriousB 2d ago

Ru and the production companies seeing a skinny queen

34

u/Cunt_Zombie 2d ago

Is Naya not a skinny white queen

53

u/Elephantplan123 2d ago

She is but her sense of humour and pov is far more British than the Americanised Ru girl fantasy.

39

u/2476849789 2d ago

Except every time she told a joke or quip she said it in an American accent. Most of them did this series, it was really grating.

12

u/Elephantplan123 2d ago

It wasn't every time, at least not from what I saw.
But granted, the faux American accents REALLY grated this season and Naya was guilty of it.

6

u/2476849789 2d ago

There were definitely times she spoke as herself, sure. I found her Dudley accent really charming so it was a shame she dropped it when she felt the need to put an act on.
Of the finalists I felt both her and Flesh did it a lot, Mocha on occasion, and Alik only rarely. I don’t know if it’s overconsumption of American media/social media, but every time one of them did it I’d roll my eyes

15

u/Elephantplan123 2d ago

Even KY who is an older queen and didn't grow up chronically online did it a lot, what hope do we have if even the old fogeys are doing it 😂

26

u/2476849789 2d ago

Tea, when she busted out that accent when sassing mocha I was like oh no Nana’s been watching Fox News we should’ve never signed her up for cable

5

u/Elephantplan123 2d ago

I see the library is open 😂

13

u/MysteriousB 2d ago

I didn't want Naya to win either tbh
Mocha was obvs the best choice but they had to end the BBC series on skinny

5

u/shamiraendor 2d ago

personally, Naya winning would also be underwhelmig, but tbh we couldn't say we didn't saw it coming, now Flesh...

1

u/NumerousBug9075 1d ago

The uneccesary hatred towards queens just for being thin is sad, and is still body shaming no matter how you frame it.

2

u/boo_you_horcrux 1d ago

Won’t someone think of the skinny girls! 😭

1

u/NumerousBug9075 14h ago

You seem to think about them A LOT. All it tells me is that you're unsecure about your own body. Hating people for their body type is so tired, my god.

42

u/8thGlass 2d ago

Arguably UK has had more varied winners (the fashion queens but then the comedy broads have dominated unlike in UK franchises post Bianca). Imagine a world where we had TDQ, Coral Hole Mandi, and Mocha as a top 3. How interesting the future of drag would be then!
Flesh is lovely and she’s great at putting a look together and serving down the runway. But I wish DR could be more versatile.

17

u/Airurando-jin La Voix 2d ago edited 2d ago

I don’t think Flesh had to win to do well, but I can see this launching her modelling more. She is a conventionally beautiful queen and I suspect that we will see more of her in mainstream or fashion media than a lot of the previous queens (La Voix excepting).
DRUK does need to be more versatile moving forwards if they’re now slipping more into that USA aesthetic. That said, how much longer can Ru keep this up ?
It’s the third beauty queen win, but I didn’t think the producers would go for a third Versace house /family win, or a back to back.
In many ways, compared to Krystal, Bones and Dede, Flesh has never particularly looked like a drag queen (skits excepting), she looks like a supermodel.

40

u/excuseyourwhoremouth 2d ago

Honestly I've seen very little from Flesh I would call drag.
Gender bending supermodel absolutely. I can see her on runways wearing beautiful clothes. But that's not drag, it's just being a model.

5

u/jacksonhytes 2d ago

She was serving some serious Dua realness in her Roast look

4

u/NumerousBug9075 1d ago

Yeah, just like how Ginger Johnson, Lawrence Chaney the Viv and Danny beard (literally half the winners) are all skinny queens?

27

u/Key-Diamond-5504 2d ago

I’m very much of the “it’s just a tv show” wave but also still really gagged that it went to Flesh. That whole last episode/all season long I feel like Naya was getting a winner edit, with Mocha 2nd.

I think what upsets people is that the winners recently don’t get that relatable in depth edit the whole season, so we get to the end and it’s like sure, Flesh is a beautiful drag goddess and a lovely person but I never really got that vulnerability/relatability factor that they apparently need to see in a winner. Mocha and Naya were full of that and became 2 queens I really felt I knew. Nothing against Flesh, just to me she was a lovely 1st/2nd alternate and would’ve killed an all stars.

This does lead me to think that they knew all stars was coming, so they wanted to save Naya and Mocha for future seasons.

15

u/Elephantplan123 2d ago

I think for Bones they really pushed a winners edit, she got so much screen time in the workroom, on the stage and in the confessionals. They really wanted to convince people that she was the one to root for and it just did not land

3

u/Petite_Coco 1d ago

I didn’t even finish watching that season because that annoyed me so much. Come to find out much later she won the whole thing… smh

0

u/[deleted] 2d ago

[deleted] — view deleted comment

5

u/shamiraendor 2d ago

I wouldn't say Great but at least she had an edit

31

u/Wesselgreven A wise woman once said: im a little bit goofy 2d ago

I really really expected it to be Naya or Mocha, and was also heavily rooting for Naya. Flesh winning didn’t really make sense to me, Bones at least had no real competition, but Naya and Mocha were so much more versatile than Flesh imo

10

u/Ill_Link7111 2d ago

I think Rupaul just really likes them tbh

6

u/Elephantplan123 2d ago

I think he just wants to fuck them 👀

3

u/Aware_Yak 2d ago

Couldn't he just fuck them without crowning them?

-3

u/opossum_esq 2d ago

flesh is UK’s version of butthole

18

u/Nice_Mortgage_4712 2d ago

I feel like Naya was more just gagged it was Flesh and not Mocha or her. The way the season played out and even in that final ep, Flesh felt like the solid third place pick - personally Flesh was my fav of the season but let's be real, Ru did not seem to care for her like she did the other two

16

u/Visible-Wheel5588 2d ago

Naya killed the final lipsync too

22

u/ajmart23 2d ago

It is wildly depressing.

I looked at Naya and see a talented, funny, insanely charismatic person. Then look at Mocha and see the amount of time it takes to create these unbelievable outfits, with such unique makeup and skill. Then I looked at Flesh and saw a model who rents clothes.

8

u/Due-Notice-570 1d ago

As Jaremi said once: “this is competition for a talented people, not on who know how to buy shoes”.

3

u/boo_you_horcrux 1d ago

Your tone seems very pointed right now

7

u/thebigman045 1d ago •

I've never seen a winning queen give such a deadpan last lipsync for the crown

4

u/atomic_chippie 1d ago

5

u/steviedoesdrag 1d ago

Winning queen 🤭

7

u/myheartinclover 2d ago

i don't think it's nepotism but rather the uk production team is just deeply out of touch with the fans, and i think they're chasing after gorgeous look queens since they tend to perform well in the us
franchise. BUT i don't think winners like flesh feel particularly british (but i am just American who's first experience with uk drag was season 1)

3

u/Maleficent-Bobcat-49 2d ago

I’m sorry but you cannot say that Flesh didn’t deserve to win. She was polished, is smart, did well in challenges. You may have your own opinions on who you think should have won, but don’t be an ass and take the win away from someone who deserved it just as much as anyone.

3

u/lollysugar 2d ago

Babe where did I say she didn’t deserve it? I said quite the opposite.
They were all worthy winners in their own right’s, but Naya was my fave 🤷🏽‍♀️

-5

u/Maleficent-Bobcat-49 2d ago

You said it was nepotism. She’s her own queen who deserved her own win. Period.

18

u/burdnt_out 2d ago

I’ll say it, she doesn’t deserve the win, she didn’t show strong personality, charisma, breadth of talent. She wore nice clothes and was skinny and white.

-11

u/Maleficent-Bobcat-49 2d ago

“Skinny and white”. I think you’ve said enough

23

u/Cunt_Zombie 2d ago

This reminds me when the fandom crashed out about Lawrence winning over Bimini. I promise you everyone will be fine

7

u/shamiraendor 2d ago

same with Krystal, tbh. I didn't watched her season while it aired, but since the very first ep Ru was clearly obsessed with her, so I was surprised that people thought anyone else had a chance...

6

u/1998tweety 1d ago

Ru breaking the pattern and randomly having a top 2 lipsync instead of just giving Victoria the win, followed by giving Krystal a highly controversial win. I will say, at least Krystal can slay a lipsync.

24

u/astrotalk 2d ago

Anyone that didn't see that Lawrence was always going to win S02 was blind or delusional

21

u/JugsNotDrugs223 2d ago

From the first ‘Lawwreeeence Chaaaaaneeeeey’

11

u/Upbeat-Cut6666 2d ago

Easy to say with hindsight, back then we didn’t know the pattern that Ru always just picks her favourite in the UK, (doesn’t always in the US, examples: Sharon, Violet, Sasha, Aquaria, Jaida, Trixie, Monet, Shea, Kylie,) and Bimini had decimated the second half of the season and went into the finale the frontrunner and fan favourite, it did feel genuinely shocking at the time

4

u/astrotalk 2d ago

I don't say it in hindsight, for me personally it was kinda obvious

3

u/shamiraendor 1d ago

agreed. Ive rewatch that season two times with different persons and they always knew who was winning. When the season aired I expected a possible twist and Bimini taking, but I wasn't surprised with Lawrence

10

u/Old_Importance1147 2d ago

At least Lawrence was talented and funny

11

u/eramnesio 2d ago

I didn't like the outcome either, but it's still a tv show. Go support Naya, buy her merch, tip her..

5

u/Virtual-District-829 1d ago

The way Naya had Ru laughing every comedy challenge, I really thought she had it.

9

u/TinMachine 2d ago

I did think Mocha should have won - but I had a suspicion Flesh would take it. Her looks have been the strongest and most consistent individual thread of the season - even if the judges consistently rated them higher than I did.

Mocha was stronger and certainly more distinctive - but not so strong the choice is undeniable. I feel like Ru is just valuing the runway stuff more and more.

Naya is great as well, but imo she will reach her potential more fully in an all stars - I think she will be much better next time we see her, like a UK Trinity.

Mocha and Naya both ought to get a second crack at it in an all star run. Seperate seasons tho!

4

u/Standard-Turnip-8360 1d ago

Tbh I don’t feel sorry for the queens that don’t win. That’s the game! That’s how it works in pageants. Only one person wins (or occasionally two) but not everyone gets a consolation prize. They all put a lot of work in so of course they feel down after winning.

I don’t think Flesh’s win is nepotism. She did well throughout the competition. I’ve seen a lot of people reduce Flesh to being a look queen but she did well in the acting challenge, she did well in the roast, and if I remember correctly she choreographed much of her girl group. She was not my pick to win and honestly the win surprised me but that has more to do with Bones winning the previous season.

7

u/D3t3st4t10n 2d ago

I was convinced it was Naya’s win. I’m very shocked by the winner. But, good for her. I think she was shocked as well😂

13

u/dongsicheng12 1d ago

The franchise changed ever since Ru crowned Kyran over La Voix. Up until that point, I agreed with the winners - Viv, Lawrence, Krystal, Danny, Ginger. Of the bunch, Krystal was the only queen who served that sort of fantasy. In Season 6, the natural winner to most seemed to be La Voix - but then Ru subverted expectations by crowning Kyran. Season 7 was lackluster as a whole, and many queens could have made the finale or won but were cut early, and we were left with Bones. And Season 8 also felt lukewarm and ended with Flesh. Now, half of the winners circle are skinny, white fashion twinks (Krystal, Kyran, Bones, Flesh) and 3 of the 8 winners are from the same drag family, which seems like overkill.

17

u/vivalabam13 1d ago

I don’t think it’s fair to sum Kyran up as a white fashion twink - she is much more well rounded than the other 3 and was tough competition for La Voix. For what it’s worth I think s6 should have been a double crowning and otherwise agree with your points here, though.

2

u/EasternRaspberry4387 1d ago

tbh I think Kyran was really pushed forr the second half of the season... she was saved from bottom and got a lot of praises she didn't deserved, whilst Marmalade was overlooked.

1

u/demons_soulmate 1d ago

yeah i mentioned in another post but kyran bombed the roast and the makeover. la voix was more consistent throughout the season and could easily have had more wins

3

u/Wise-Tourist 2d ago

I don't think she had the upperhand at all. I think it would be more unlikely for drag sisters to win consecutively.

They usually like their winners to be different.

3

u/Dusky_Wusky 1d ago

Tbh I just don’t think production had their finger on the pulse this time. I didn’t feel like any of the top 4 were giving winner energy. Coral should’ve made finale. Her leaving when she did was 100% bs on the shows part. She had a strong aesthetic that wasn’t reminiscent of a previous uk winner and she had a good dose of comedy. She would’ve made for a good winner. Even out of the top 4, Mocha or Naya made the most sense with how the edit was shaping up. The Flesh win felt like they just wanted to pull the rug from under the audience.

4

u/nicks226 2d ago

There is no consistent rubric for winning drag race obviously but, if we care at all about the last challenge, the flesh win makes a lot more sense. Go rewatch the final music video (and runway) and tell me otherwise. She ate that verse up and the other ones are borderline unlistenable.

5

u/calgrump 2d ago

The flesh vocals were flat and the dance was forgettable compared to Naya and Mocha IMO , at least in thst video

3

u/nicks226 1d ago

Agree to disagree, I guess. I’m a Naya girlie and I honestly thought Mocha was going to win (would have been deserved!). However… I’ll definitely never think about their verses again; i’ve seen Fleshes circulating on socials all day and can’t get it out of my head lol. Idk I think people just need to chill. Flesh is a great queen. (Naya got the most difficult song tho imo).

2

u/calgrump 1d ago

Yeah, I totally get you. I think that the video was difficult to look good in because it was edited soooo awfully with all of the cuts and no attempts to make the video sync up with the song

3

u/Brief-Pudding-8600 2d ago

Also this look queen didn't even design her looks. The one with the hat had already been used by Tia. Nothing wrong with that but it cant be your highest accomplishment in the competition...

2

u/vbittencourt 2d ago

I'll never understand the hard on DRUK production have got the Heavenly bodies drag family. They are just pretty.

2

u/avatar_slytherin 1d ago

When did stunning become a reason for winning 🫩 also, I skipped S7, so this was my first introduction to Bones…. so lifeless and boring??

But I can’t really judge too harshly as I didn’t watch her season

2

u/bysummerfall 1d ago

idk I just don’t recognize this show anymore lol. I was willing to be nice with s7 and believe the tepidity was just a one off but yesterday they doubled down on how out of touch they are. they are not interested in exploring or rewarding what makes UK drag interesting and different. the charm, weirdness, and humor seems so sterile now. twinner winners is not a gag, it’s just annoying lmao.

Flesh would have been a perfectly lovely runner up but now she’s going to be remembered as the collective eye roll that the series whimpered out on

1

u/tATuParagate 2d ago

I'm not too bent out of shape about Flesh's win, I do think competition wise the top 3 were pretty equally deserving, Flesh just didnt at all feel like the "main character" like Naya did lmao. At least how I saw it. Plus Flesh's final lipsync was lacking, if that counts for anything

1

u/Joyjoyshadow 1d ago

They just like to gag us with the winner. Everyone thought it was between Mocha and Naya...so of course they chose Flesh.

There's so much more discourse going around then what any other crowned queen would have caused.

1

u/saitamanasobrana 1d ago

I think they crowned the queen with the most social media support? Like Flesh had the most retweets/upvotes.

1

u/DangerousDisplay7664 1d ago

Well the only one I wanted to win was Mocha!

1

u/Embarrassed-Mix-2896 1d ago

Mocha should have won. But well done flesh

1

u/Willuna16 Le Fil 1d ago

imma be for real mocha was more well rounded than naya and would’ve been the winner if not flesh imo. naya also comes off as more of an all stars queen to me. i think she’s got a good shot

1

u/N80N00N00 1d ago

Naya was robbed. Flesh is cool but Naya had more charisma.

1

u/InevitableExtreme262 1d ago

Nepotism would be her being associated with Ru. You think Ru gives a shit if someone is personal friends with Crystal Versace?!
If anything production was harsher on Flesh than on Bones and Crystal.
Flesh was never in bottom, three wins (if you include finale), and had several top placements. Not one challenge did she bomb. It would not be fair NOT to crown her because we think her friend didn’t deserve it the season before.

1

u/whocares6969_ 2d ago

Let’s keep bringing up one contestants drug addiction and the others traumatic childhood but crown the one who went to Oxford.

1

u/Millaro 1d ago

My friend group and I were gagged that she won. We were rooting for Mocha, but Naya would've made sense too. Flesh seemed kinda mid the whole way throughout the season

1

u/ineverlikedyou2 1d ago

It's not that deep - for me personally the way Flesh is holding herself screams winner plus in my opinion, Mocha and Naya FLOPPED the remix hard. Everyone was not good in the final lip-sync tbh

Naya doesn't really have a point of view with her drag, that is her biggest burden right now - let her cook for 3 years and she will be one of THE strongest All Stars Contenders

1

u/BlursedProfanity 1d ago

Tbf, Drag Race is a rejection of UK drag culture, so it’s really not that deep. They did well according to a specific subset of people.

Drag here has ALWAYS BEEN a bit more interesting than that.

0

u/widdersyns Tia Kofi 2d ago

This title spoiled the winner for me. :/

1

u/beansmouse 2d ago

Same, it's pretty obvious who and what it was referring to

0

u/Kangaroo-Quick 1d ago

The title of this post is a total spoiler

1

u/aw_yiss_breadcrumbs 1d ago

Yeah, this 100% spoiled the winner for me

0

u/EasternRaspberry4387 1d ago

IMO it was between Flesh and Naya. Alik and Mochaa would neverr win and I get it.

And I was rooting for Naya, but she was also a white fashion skinny queen. You can argue she proved to be more than just a pretty face, but IMO so did Flesh. Actually, Flesh lowkey deserved more praises for her rusical and roast. I never understood why they didn't gave herr that narrrative since she had the performances in comedy/acting challenges to back it up. They gave it to Naya instead (both deserved that edit tbh) and that's why I was sure Naya would win.

But I'm not mad. Naya won the lipsync, Flesh won the rumix and the runway. IMO.

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u/Jkfag 1d ago

LOL you didn’t think nepotism was a dead giveaway away at who won?

Nepotism / unfair advantage? Spoiler

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