What's With Me and RuPaul?
March 17th 2010 17:57
Am I too square or middle of the road, for RuPaul’s Drag Show?http://www.logotv.com/shows/rupauls_drag_race/season_2/series.jhtml I don’t know. Monday night, I was sitting at the edge of my seat, as Jujubee, a 25 years old voluptuous drag queen from Boston Massachusetts, was l-l-l-lip-synching for her life! How dramatic, I didn’t move an inch. On Monday night’s episode a Rock n Roll Challenge aired. According to RuPaul’s Drag Show webpage, “the queens rocked out on the main stage when they're challenged to sing live” in front of guest judges Terri Nunn of Berlin and Henry Rollins.
Terri Nunn’s job was to make rockers out of the drag queens. I really did not know who she was when I was watching the show but the contestants gave her a lot of respect. Her big hit was the love song, “Take My Breath Away” from Top Gun, not very rocky. Ok, she’s not Janis Joplin but she tried to superimpose, the soul of rock n roll on a very not rock and rock crowd. To be honest, I did not know who Henry Rollins was either, am I too straight-laced? Well, if you are like me and clueless, he’s an old punk rocker, radio guy, and storyteller.
It was captivating how Jujubee walked into the competition that night with bedrock full of confidence then suddenly choked as she hit center stage to rock out. She fizzled out and the judges were blunt about her poor performance. In the moments ticking before the final decision, Jujubee was freaking it. Someone was going to be eliminated and she knew she was on the chopping block to go home. Jujubee was in complete desperation of redemption as she was sentenced to “l-l-lip-synch for your life “. This is an interesting concept, Lip-syncing For Your Life. This part of the show is a raw battle of wills and talent. Two contestants are up for elimination and to save their can they have to lip-sync like no tomorrow. I don’t know what it is, the throwing abandon to the wind or the complete desperation. I don’t care; it’s amazing to watch. The queens crisscross the runway lip-syncing as wigs and headpieces fly into the air, cheerleader style splits occur, pirouettes whirl with dramatic poses and desperate hands grasp the air saturating the stage. The battle is as fierce as any boxing, wrestling or tennis match you will ever watch. The anguish on Jujubee’s face and utter, “give it all you got” in her performance of lip-synching for her lifeline to stay on the show was priceless. She won and I loved it!
How come I love this? Something in me is fighting for Juju’s redemption almost like I’m fighting for mine own. It does not matter what show it is: Survivor, American Idol, Biggest Losers, The Bachelor or So You Think You Can Dance, I crave for the “Average Joe” to come out on top. What did we do before reality shows? My spouse says we yearned for Publisher’s Clearinghouse winnings. Watching these shows is the Big Bang Theory of life in one swift swoop; if I win I will be on top of the world ma. Systematically, my humdrum life continues, kids, shopping, dinner and in the evenings on the edge of my couch I shift into stiff competition that leaves me invigoratingly full of life and accomplishment. RuPaul’s Drag Show and shows like it, keep me dreaming. When my favorite contestant gets kicked off, I remain standing no matter what. I can stay home and watch JuJubee get humiliated without injury. The next week, I pick a new champion and I continue to dream and win and win until the show is over. It’s a win, win situation. So, I watch…
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