So, Raja might not have won last night’s newscasting challenge on RuPaul’s Drag Race — that honor went to the pineapple-perfect and politically incorrect Manila Luzon — but the episode, which saw the statuesque queen don three amazing looks, certainly raised this question: Does Raja already have the title of America’s Next Drag Superstar on lock for this season? The realness of this quandary lingered in my mind as I watched last night’s episode — I literally couldn’t stop thinking that thought, which is why I’m blogging about it in the wee hours of the morning and bringing the question to you, my dear EW.com readers. The evidence as to why I think Raja is the most fierce competition this season is clear as day when you look at the three-peat of insane looks above. Don’t you agree? In these three instances, Raja is serving all kind of different things — a bloody nasty red-carpet heathen; a dorky-cool newscaster; and Marie Antoinette. What can’t she do?
Of course, I’m probably going to eat my words in a few weeks with Raja goes shashaying out the door. It’s rare for the strongest contestant on a reality competition series to survive to the bitter end. Usually, they’re bumped off in oh-so-shocking elimination somewhere in the middle of the season. Considering that Raja won both challenges in the season premiere, she could certainly be headed down this path. But I have this feeling that producers are actually trying to meter her out a bit and just simply aren’t allowing her to win every single challenge, like she probably could. The case certainly could have been made for her winning last night’s challenge, what with all that realness she was serving through the episode. (Again, just see above.)
To touch on everything else that happened in last night’s episode a bit, though, I have to admit that I thought it was one of the weakest this season, which has been generally really strong. Was it the fact that it was sans Mimi Imfurst, my fave queen who was told to sashay away last week? Was it because everyone did basically the same thing in the episode-opening mini challenge? Was it because it felt like a redux since India Ferrah was yet again lip syncing for her life? (As any of you who watched know, she went home instead of her competition Stacy Layne Matthews, thank goodness!) Or, could it be that Chole Sevigny wasn’t exciting enough as a guest judge? Could be any —or all — of those things. All I know is that last night gave me a dark new phrase that I’m going to pull out in the future: “If you can’t hate yourself, how the hell you gonna hate anyone else?” I almost choked on my Cheerios when I heard Ru drag that twist on her now-famous end-of-episode saying during the Main Stage portion of the evening.
Lastly, this occurred to me last night while watching, too: Can you think of any show that puts blurring to use more than RuPaul’s Drag Race? Jesus, those gals just run around that workroom nekkid! Have they absolutely no shame? Wait, I can’t believe I even just asked that question. The editors of this show must constantly be worrying about a slipped…something.
Before I go, dear Drag Racers, let’s go back to my original question: Do you out there agree with my assessment of Raja as season 3′s front runner? Or am I totally nuts? Sound off below about that and any other burning issues from last night’s episode.
Tanner on Twitter: @EWTanStransky
More from EW.com:
‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’: It’s all about the big girls this season
‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’: Is any show on TV more cracked out than this?
‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’ season premiere: Can you believe RuPaul brought [spoiler] back?!?
‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’: Q&A with America’s Next Drag Superstar Tyra Sanchez
‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’ sashays into third season
‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’ on PopWatch
Yeah, considering I personally liked Venus DLite much better than that Shanjela, I was less than thrilled when Venus was sent away. So Raja not being the winner? That’s how it’ll go down. Just watch.
How RuPaul can thing he has raised the bar this season is beyond me. As for Raja, what a mess and sidekick Delta is no better. Mean and arrogant. Get rid of them. Bring back some class!! AKA, CHANEL, MORGAN. NINA AND RAVEN
Raven: Mean and Arrogant.
How does that not make sense. Your post is contradicting.
You wont be eating your words….DAMN IT cant stand Raja
Raja is attacking and abuseing, she needs to go. if she wins I will never watch again. Just what kind of person brags about screwing cab drivers
I agree with you. After watching the finale last night, I will never watch again. If the “New Drag” is the face of “Raja”, I don’t want it anymore. She’s supposed to be a famous make-up artist, yet more than half of the season, she barely looked like a girl. If drag has changed now to the “androgynous look”, I don’t want it anymore!! Look at Ru…in drag she is the epitome of feminine. Case and point!
Randy
I think Raja thinks he is the best. I agree, I can’t stand him. He is jealous of Shangela.
As soon as I recognized Raja during the premiere episode I knew she had the title won. She has so much reality show experience from being a pretty prominently featured make up artist on America’s Next Top Model. I love her and I hope I’m right!
Another person who likes Raja? Thank the LORD! She keeps it real, I get so frustrated when watching her with Shanglea [that girl be stupid and immature]. She’s not mean, she is confrontational and reveals the bull coming from everyone else.
Who the hell is CHOLE Sevigny?
And NO, Raja is not the frontrunner. Raja is mean-spirited, entitled, smug, pretentious, and frankly, not all that. Raven was that same way, but she had the actual fierceness to back it up. Raja is just a ridiculousy dellusional queen who THINKS she is better than anyone else.
I was rooting for Raja at the beginning b/c I recognized him as Sutan from ANTM. But now I don’t like him much. He is too opinionated and rude. Reminds me of Raven from last season who I couldn’t stand.
I agree with everything you said, except Raven. Yeah, too opinionated but because she could back it up it was deserved. I do not think she was not nearly as ruff as Raja is because Raven just really did not like one person. Her most nasty comments were saved for Tatiana.
No, I just watched Season 2 recently and saw Raven making nasty comments about Pandora Boxx (“I just don’t see a star”) and others. And, man, was Raven SO sickeningly jealous of Tatianna’s beauty.
Everyone commented on everyone but Raven had the most nasty comments for Tatianna.
Raven most definitely was NOT jealous of Tatiana’s beauty. That queen looked like a high school tranny. She was by far the worst makeup artist that has been on that show. Her face always looked yellow as hell!
I really don’t understand why you guys are saying that they are not good queens because they have bad attitudes. I have never met a queen in my life that was not a bitch. Its their right of passage. Its part of the social scene.
raven was thee best ever
I agree Raja is just a nicer version of Raven
Smarter than Raven. More and better reference points.
you got that right
Team Raja^_^ you are right, she is so fascinating and very creative, I love that… Raja is fantastic!:)
I think Manilla has it in the bag, and not just because she won tonight, but i think she will fit into more boxes than Raja which will be crucial as the comp goes on.
I really hope she wins!
but even if she doesn’t, it won’t be actually a loss… she has the love and support of glamberts who know that she’s the winner
Team Raja!!!
Is it just me or does Raja seem like this season’s Raven?
Raja doesn’t bring any realness… she looks like an emaciated male pig dressed like Posh Beckham. My money’s on Manila Luzon (“evil henchwoman realness” is going to be the name of my first born) or Delta Work.
As for the ‘Realness’ of Raja, I thought the same thing (where is her chest), she had that androgynous look but then I remember the dreaded Morgan McMichaels saying that in California the girls do not pad. They do not use pads to make them look curvy(hips or butt).
Yea. I do remember Morgan saying that. I didn’t put those together until just now. I think the difference between Morgan not padding and Raja not padding, however, is that Raja is about a foot and a half taller than Morgan. She has that supermodel of the world going with her body structure
If you think realness is what makes a drag queen, you’re missing out on, like, half of drag! (A half that is not often represented on Drag Race.)
Yes, I’ve noticed that as well. Season 1 had a much wider range of drag than 2 & 3- Ongina was gender-bend drag, and Nina Flowers and Tammie Brown were the more artistic/abstract types. Season 2 had better performers and Season 3 is almost too fishy. The only stand outs for me have been India, Manilla, Yara, and Raja. The judges aren’t consistent at all so Raja might be the next Nina Flowers. Actual talent doesn’t seem to win on this show. Team Raja though.
yes yes yes
Everyone thought Nina Flowers had the first season in the bag and she got a whole lot of First Runner Up Nothing (to this day, most people still think she was stunted out of that title).
Raja definitely knows what she’s doing, but on this show, that doesn’t mean a guaranteed title.
Exactly. It all depends on Rupaul’s arbitrary decision. Really, that’s ALL it depends on. Not a true competition, but still fun to watch. Hope Manila wins, but if the pattern of the first two seasons are repeated, it’ll be a Black dragon – Shangela or Mariah (who is pretty in drag, but boring).
Forget about the blurring, what about the overuse of soft lense?
In this tgirl’s eyes, Raja has it going the F*** on! It will be highway robbery if she doesn’t win!
Doesn’t anyone edit your work???
Love Raja and love the fact that she doesn’t pad or use the prosthetic boobs (way overused this seasons). She’s very high-fashion, which may not necessarily coincide with a drag queen title however but I would love to see her win! Yes, she can be bitchy, aren’t they all pretty much? Love the 2 big girls left, Mimi was uber annoying. Manila is probably Raja’s competition at the end, everyone else is kind of Meh. Love this show Ru and your play on your tag line. LOL. Chloe Sevigny is on Big Love, does a lot of indie movies (Boys Don’t Cry is one) and a fan of the gay community, that’s who she is.
I have it on very good authority from a previous Drag Race contestant that Raja does, in fact, win season 3. He spilled the beans recently, which ruined the show for my friends and I, so we have stopped watching. It’s no wonder this DQ didn’t last very long during his season. He’s such a B!TCH!
Oh, well thanx for ruining it for us too!
I know, right?
Who was the one who spilled the beans? I’d heard this after the 1st episode aired. But that doesn’t make it true.
They just advertised a chance to win a trip to go to the final show so I wonder if that is really true that Raja wins.
I visit the Dreamgirls Revue frequently at Rage in West Hollywood. Delta Work, Venus D Lite and Raja are all staples there. Delta and Venus both had somewhat of a leave of absence (of course nobody knew why they werent performing, then we find out they are on the show) but returned to the stage much sooner than Raja, once we found out that the three girls were on this season, we all assumed that it must have been in the winners contract that htey couldnt peform…who knows.
Sutan was touring with Adam Lambert this summer and fall. He left the tour for a while, presumably to film drag race, but returned in Sept. for the international leg. Do you know when Delta and Venus returned to performing?