God Bless Ame-Ru-ca! It seems that there’s not much time left to wait for my next Drag Race fix. I feel like we’ve only just finished the UK season and now RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 12 is just around the corner! With a new season of All Stars, talks of Drag Race Canada & Drag Race Australia, another Drag Race UK and Season 12, 2020 is shaping up to be a big year for all things drag, camp and gay.
I’m not going to spend too much time fluffing this post, let’s just get straight into it!
RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 12 – Meet The Queens video
Firstly, it seems they’ve put a lot of budget into this year’s promo. I can’t be the only person who thinks that this promo look is a long-awaited homage to the legendary Alexis Matteo.
The Americana theme was cool, the set was beautiful and the outfits were great. This is probably one of my favourite promos to date.
With the show being as big as it is now, you can bet that the challenges are going to be bigger than ever!
How great does this cast of queens look?! We’ve got a fun mixture this season.
Meet the Queens of Drag Race Season 12
Anyway, I’ve rambled on long enough, it’s time to delve into the queen’s looks and first interviews. I’ll be tooting and booting their promo looks and giving my opinions on their initial interviews. So let’s get started! DISCLAIMER – I will only tooting and booting their promo looks only, not their interview. But I’ll be giving my opinion on their interviews also.
Aiden Zhane, – Boot
29, Acworth, Georgia
It’s not the most unique look however I do quite like the fascinator and Aiden’s wig. The makeup was fun, the varied contact lenses didn’t really do it for me but overall I think she’s got a pretty interesting vibe. I think Aiden may have played it safe with her promo look so she can showcase her big looks for the show. Fingers crossed.
Initial Thoughts: I quite like her vibe. She has some fun references for her aesthetic and they’re not Kardashians or pop stars. It’s cool when somebody has an aesthetic that’s not based traditionally from gay culture so I’m very excited to see her runway looks. I think Aiden is going to be one to watch.
Brita – Boot
34, New York City
I wasn’t blown away with this look. The shape is nice and she looks great but I really didn’t like the colour or patterns and unfortunately, that’s a big part of it. It’s a type of drag look I’ve seen lots of times before (usually in a nicer print).
Initial Thoughts: Brita Filter is a pretty big name in the drag world and I think she’s going to do well in the competition. I think Brita has a fun personality but I was distracted by her teeth. The way she moves her mouth made me think her veneers were about to slip out.
Crystal Methyd – Toot
28, Springfield, Missouri
It’s a little bit Marie Antoinette and a little bit Coco the Clown. This is the sort of look I imagine a costume designer to create for a strumpet in some whimsical period musical in Paris. The spotted tights matched the explosion of pearl necklaces and bracelets. The ruched fabric and the length of the dress worked for me and the oversized red stole was pretty diva. So far I’m intrigued.
Initial Thoughts: Crystal has a very fun club kid aesthetic which I find so much more intriguing than a pageant queen. Creating unique looks will always impress me more than a traditional drag gown and I feel like Crystal will be full of fun references and kooky ideas. You can tell she’s heavily inspired by Party Monster and I’m here for that! I honestly really like her so far and I’m glad she said she doesn’t like doing body reveals and she prefers crazy costumes – that’s my kind of girl!
Dahlia Sin – Toot
28, Los Angeles
I love this corset and the matching gloves. The feathers are a great addition to it and it makes her look sassy as hell. The wig is stunning, the makeup is perfected and her body is right. My only critique would be the stilettos with a cut off sock thing. I wish it was a full boot because that open gap bugs me (yes I know it’s a cheerleader type thing, but I hate the cut off ankles).
Initial Thoughts: She looks like Aja, sounds like Aja, acts like Aja and the guess what? Aja is her drag mother! I really like Dalia’s look and I think she could bring some really interesting looks to the runway. If she’s Aja’s daughter, I’m fairly confident that she’ll be a good live performer. Let’s hope she can slay the acting challenges and Snatch Game because I have a feeling she might not be able to sew 😬. Also, can I just say that Dahlia looks lush!
Gigi Goode – Toot
21, Los Angeles
I love this nod to Evil Knievel. The cape, the stars, the helmet, the flares – it’s all so American. I thought Gigi was really smart to come dressed as an American legend with a recognisable uniform rather than just wearing a red, white and blue outfit. I feel like this queen has some smarts and I’m excited to see what she’s going to do with each runway theme. She also looks like a cross between Morgan McMichaels and Blair St Clair.
Initial Thoughts: She’s absolutely stunning. I think she’s got a really nice personality and it’s cute that her mom makes her outfits for her. I feel like she’s got a really strong fashion eye and with youth on her side, she’ll be permanently looking for the next key trends and ideas. She’s going to be one to watch for sure.
Heidi N Closet – Boot
24, Ramseur, North Carolina
I’m getting some serious Octavia Spencer vibes from Heidi. It’s a cute 50’s dress but it’s quite dull. I would have loved it if she wore some 50’s shoes to go with the dress instead of the generic Drag 101 heels. I also hate those little cropped gloves that queens seem to be wearing these days. I hated it when I saw them in runway shows and I hate them just as much now. You’re not fooling anybody, it doesn’t give the illusion of a smaller hand.
Initial Thoughts: I’ve gotta be honest, I was shocked she said she was 24… I thought she was about 38. If Kennedy Davenport and Mayhem Miller had a love child, it would be Heidi. I’m not that fussed about her interview, to be honest, she didn’t really do much for me.
Jackie Cox – Toot
34, New York City
Loving this little retro number. Jackie’s attire reminds me of a TGI Friday’s waitress/Pan Am air hostess. There’s nothing much else I can say about this look, I just like it.
Initial Thoughts: I think she’s going to have some fun campy aesthetics but with some very interesting twists. So far I’m getting the vibe that she’ll be good at acting challenges, she’s giving me a fun theatrical vibe. First Iranian contestant as well, come through culture! She said she’s not the best sewer so let’s see if she can pull through enough to shine in other challenges. I’m really liking Jackie so far.
Jaida Essence Hall – Toot
32, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
I think this might be my favourite promo look this season. The dress fits her beautifully, the stripes are bold, the blue is the most beautiful shade and the gloves add an old Hollywood glamour to it. Pair this with the big hair, big jewellery and big tits and you’ve got a winning look. (Also her makeup is beautiful). Her look is giving me a cross between Lineysha Sparx and A’Keria Davenport.
Initial Thoughts: Jaida is a pageant queen and it’s not hard to tell why after seeing this look. She seems to have a cool energy and a self-awareness of what the ‘pageant queen’ label seems to be nowadays. I’m certain she’ll know how to turn a lipsync and maybe she’ll have a few other tricks up her sleeve. There’s something about her that intrigues me.
Jan – Toot
26, New York City
I like the fabric choice in this dress. The red polka dot mesh side slit in the dress is a cool addition and I quite like the torn looking layers to the bottom half of the dress. The white neck party is a little bit different and is a fun way of drawing your eyes up towards the face without going for a standard necklace.
Initial Thoughts: I really like Jan. She reminds me of a friendly hostess at a restaurant. “Hi, welcome to Chillis. I’m Jan and I’m going to be your server today!” Alexis Michelle is her drag mother and I can sort of see that through her energy. Based on her interview, this is the sort of person I want to hang out with.
Nicky Doll – Toot
28, New York City
It’s giving me some vintage Dior vibes and I’m here for it. I love the drama in the headpiece but I also love how simplistic it is. The outfit is really vintage and really cool. The only bit that turns me off is how thick the suspender part of the tights are. I would have loved the outfit to have had a really fitted long pencil skirt attached to it to give me that Parisian socialite look.
Initial Thoughts: Our first Parisian queen. She’s definitely going to have a fresh set of eyes to the world of Drag Race and I think her French fashion references will give her an edge on the runway. Nicky just seems uber cool. I imagine her to be that widow with a huge veil over her head, smoking a cigarette on a stick mysteriously at the back of somebody’s funeral – like an enigmatic Bond Girl.
Rock M Sakura – Boot
28, San Francisco
I’m not a big anime fan and this is all that she’s really giving me. If Trixie Mattel was in Sailor Moon – this would be it. I think she will have some interesting looks on the show but her promo look doesn’t really do it for me. However, I do think it will point us in the direction of where she can go on the show.
Initial Thoughts: I like that she said that she’s more than a look queen. I believe her. I think she’s going to have some personality and a diverse set of skills. She also seems like a really pleasant person.
Sherry Pie – Toot
27, New York City
Camp. Camp. And camp. I love this look. It’s a really beautiful take on a classic drag vibe. The bunched striped flag through the body is a great addition to an already fun look. The huge drumstick sleeves and the big bustle of the skirt is giving me life! I also love the hair and the little fascinator that reminds me of something from Les Miserable. I think Sherry is going to bring you some fun modern twists on the classical campy drag vibe.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=36XUKA7cIqE
Initial Thoughts: I love this kind of drag and her personality. She’s theatrical, campy and kooky. I won’t lie, I was shocked when she said she was 27, I thought she was an older queen. Sherry really gives me a Jinkx Monsoon vibe with her kookiness and I can’t wait to see what she’s going to bring to the show.
Widow Von’Du – Boot
30, Kansas City, Missouri
I am really not feeling this outfit. The hareem pants are fine, I guess, but those dull white stilettos are a no. The top part of the outfit is a bit shit with nothing much to it. I’m not saying everybody has to try and be a Vogue editorial but this is just really quite bland.
Initial Thoughts: She seems nice… I’m not wowed by her visual but I do quite like her personality, I think she’ll bring some sass to the show.
Bonus Toot or Boot
RuPaul – Boot
This outfit gave me more of a Winter Olympics vibe rather than a patriotic ensemble. I personally would have loved if she reprised her confederate flag dress from Too Wong Fu.
So those are our queens, what are you all thinking so far? We have just over a month to wait and see what they’ll bring to the show and I can’t wait. I think it’s a pretty diverse cast this year so I’m sure we’ll get a lot of fun out of the girls.
Our ‘Drag Race Season 12’ Fantasy League
As you know, every season my housemate, Tom and I divvy out the queens and compete for points throughout the season. Find a friend and play along with us. We flipped a coin to decide who picked first then we took it in turns to pick queens based only on their promo look and initial interview.
The Points System
5 points to the winner / 3 points to runner(s)-up / 1 point to ‘safe’ queens / 0 points in the bottom / -1 point in the lipsync / -3 points to the eliminated queen.
We flipped a coin and Tom won so he got to pick first. Tom will be representing the RED team and I will be representing the BLUE team. Here’s how we chose:
1st Pick: Gigi Goode / Aiden Zhane
2nd Pick: Nicky Doll / Jackie Cox
3rd Pick: Jan / Dalia Sin
4th Pick: Brita / Sherry Pie
5th Pick: Rock M Sakura / Crystal Methyd
6th Pick: Heidi N Closet / Jaida Essence Hall
With there being 13 queens, we left one behind and we will score her points as an individual member (like we did with Vanjie last season). The remaining queen is Widow Von’Du and she will be the YELLOW team. However, just because Widow isn’t on a team, it doesn’t mean she can’t still score points. In fact, she may even do better than a lot of the other queens!
Play along, pick your queens with a friend and let me know how you get on throughout the competition. Start your engines and may the best woman win!
RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 12 will premiere on VH1 at 8pm on 28th of February. UK viewers will be able to watch the episodes each week the day after on Netflix.
And don’t forget:
