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THIS IS NOT RUPAUL'S BEST FRIEND RACE
In season 7, Untucked moved to a different format. The show is no longer tied explicitly to Logo, but being released by World of Wonder on their YouTube channel. The set for Untucked is different and simpler, the show is released on YouTube, and it appears to be much less artificial. With this visible change, I have also seen a change in tone. Whereas the tone was previously cutthroat and conversation often got heated between queens, here we see much more of a sense of camaraderie between contestants. I would argue that this change is not a coincidence and results from the show being less scripted and controlled by the producers, making conversations between the queens feel more spontaneous and real. In many ways, the pressure is off. Untucked doesn’t really need to be that good, because it is not airing on Logo and therefore doesn’t need to draw viewers or sell advertisements. Maybe there is less prodding to get the big drama that has been characteristic of the old version of Untucked.
Personally I love the new Untucked. While the dramatic fights are fun, and I wouldn’t trade moments like this for anything, the new version is much more compelling on a weekly basis. The highlights of Untucked seasons 1-6 are great, but I find myself tuning out when watching many of the episodes. The manufactured drama can get a little tired. It feels predictable and the whole show seems like a waste of time.
In the new version, we see something more compelling than fiction, which is a glimpse into who the queens really are. Seeing the way they interact with one another in this time when they are taking a break between the runway performance and the elimination gives a lot of insight into who they are as people, rather than the impression they are trying to give in the regular show. I know that they know they are still being recorded, but I think because they are taking the time to escape from the pressure of the recently finished mainstage challenge, they tend to be a little worn out and therefore often a little more vulnerable.
“This is not RuPaul’s Best Friend Race!” The iconic line from Lashauwn Beyond in Untucked season 4 is one of those phrases that was quickly worked into the Drag Race lexicon and like others, we hear it often repeated throughout following seasons. In a fight with Jiggly Caliente, Lashauwn tells Jiggly she didn’t come to the show to make friends and doesn’t care whether or not she is liked. She came to win and “this is not RuPaul’s Best Friend Race.” This scene represents the catty and competitive drama that defined seasons 1-6 of RuPaul’s Drag Race: Untucked.
The show had a much more “scripted” feel as it was filled with blow-ups, petty fights, and over-the-top drama. Watching these episodes of Untucked, you could almost sense the prompts the the queens were given by the production assistants to stir up fights.
I could cite numerous examples of epic and memorable shade-throwing that went down in the “Interior Illusions Lounge” or you could simply refer to season 5 episode 2 “Lip Synch Extravaganza Eleganza,” where the queens performed lip syncs to past iconic moments from Untucked. Of course those lip syncs all drew from moments in the first four seasons. I could think of some more big blowouts in the Untucked episodes for seasons 5 and 6.
Moments like these are rare in seasons 7, 8, or 9 (so far).Starting with season 7, I noticed a change in tone of the show. In the past, the main focus of the show seemed to be drama whether it was breakdowns or screaming matches between queens. The new Untucked seems to focus on giving us a behind the scenes look at the queens. In my opinion as a fan, this is a much better use of Untucked.
I find often that my understanding of a queen can be changed by watching Untucked. For one example, when I first watched season 7 without watching Untucked, I hated Violet Chachki. I was upset that she won and thought she had absolutely zero personality. When I rewatched the season I watched the corresponding episode of Untucked after every Drag Race episode. I still hated Violet Chachki. But. I saw a little tiny sliver of humanity that made me understand who she was and what she was trying to do. For the first time I saw that she was not a total robot and realized that on occasion she actually feels things. I saw her actually be kind to other queens and talk to them as friends or at least peers.
I think that watching Untucked can have a huge impact on how you view the contestants, especially in the new format where they are tending to show a more genuine personality. In the old version, Untucked was an extension of the same over the top characters that the queens presented throughout the episodes of Drag Race, but here we see them taking a break from the drag performance and showing who they are as people.
The new take on Untucked is a refreshing change for viewers. Even more so in season 8, we see much more palling around backstage than trading barbs. It’s friendly, funny, and overall very fun. The queens are almost always downright nice to each other, and the season of Untucked is full of heart-warming moments of queens encouraging one another and expressing love and support. This happens a lot as the queens are trying to determine who will be lip-syncing for their lives. Especially in this season, queens often encourage their fellow contestants to try to bolster their confidence and even give them tips for the performance.
You could argue that people tune in to reality TV for the drama, but I think this version still has plenty to keep us hooked. Who can forget Derrick Barry’s heated defense of his hem all the way around the piece of fabric that he hot glue gunned to a swimsuit? Or Derrick Barry’s heated defense of the cut up pieces of paper that he hot glue gunned to a swimsuit? Or Acid Betty attempting to read Trixie Mattel’s makeup in her video message to Kim Chi? I feel the show has just enough of the fun drag queen drama that is entertaining, and it’s more fun because it feels real.
I’ll be interested to see what happens in season 9 of Untucked. The first two episodes have been slightly heartwarming so far with moments of drama sprinkled in as well.
I will continue to watch Untucked because of the added layer of context it gives to each episode. Being able to see the queens stripped of some of the facade that is key to the competition shows a softer side of their personalities and allows me to understand and appreciate them just a little bit more.
Looking back on Lashauwn’s comment from season 4, the new format seems to turn her iconic line on its head. Has Untucked really become “RuPaul’s Best Friend Race”?
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