Filling in for David this week as he is sickening! No he’s just not feeling well boo boos. My turn to throw the shade mwhahaha! Last week, we finally saw some basic impersonator go home who should’ve left after he walked into the werk room the first episode. Nevertheless, he and his receding hairline are gone, and now we are down to an amazing top 4. Each have possessed some seriously strong skill sets throughout the season, and this might possibly be their strongest and most likable top 4 ever. [Read more…] about RuPaul’s Drag Race Recap- And Then There Were Three…
bianca del rio
RuPaul’s Drag Race Top 10 Turnt Up Runway Looks of All Time
Our favorite show on television to kiki about on Manhattan Digest is of course RuPaul’s Drag Race. Tonight is another sickening episode, where the cast of Little Women: LA join the seven remaining girls to do their interpretation of “The Wizard Of Oz”, with special guest Marc Jacobs and not so special guest Todrick Hall (sorry, not really. I don’t get his appeal). It is going to be another night of amazing looks on the runway, which brings us to another great Top 10 list of who we think had the most gag-worthly looks over the past eight seasons of RPDR. [Read more…] about RuPaul’s Drag Race Top 10 Turnt Up Runway Looks of All Time
The Top Ten Best Queens of All Time on RuPaul’s Drag Race
Let’s face it- RuPaul’s Drag Race has been one of the best reality shows ever, if not the best when it comes to highlighting the LGBT community in a positive light for the most part (season 7 taken out of this), and also put Drag Queens in a mainstream light that no one really saw coming before. The show has brought so many memorable phrases that straight culture has stolen because they can’t figure out their own shit, from “Hunty”, “All Tea All Shade”, and so much more that has practically become part of our everyday dialogue with each other. With 7 seasons (plus All Stars) under its belt and being a couple episodes of what is shaping up to being a fantastic season 8, memorable queens have come and gone that we have come to worship for more reasons than one. So question being, who has been the best of the best since the show premiered many years ago? How do we define best, really? For us, it is who did we come to love for many reasons on the show and their cultural impact post-race. We have come up with our top ten of the Best Drag Race contestants of all time. Do you agree? Disagree? Sound off. [Read more…] about The Top Ten Best Queens of All Time on RuPaul’s Drag Race
NYC Drag Superstar Sherry Vine Launches Queer TV Network
March is going to be one drag of a month, my darlings. With the premiere of the newest season of RuPaul’s Drag Race premiering tonight on LOGO, I wanted to check in with one of my favorite New York City queens Sherry Vine, who is doing some pretty big things of her own. What are these big things? Well, launching her own Queer TV network called gaySVTVworld! The network launched about two weeks ago and people are already buzzing about this legendary queen and the fun and new ideas she has brought to the table to this fantastic concept. [Read more…] about NYC Drag Superstar Sherry Vine Launches Queer TV Network
RuPaul’s Drag Race Premiere Event Blasts Through Stage 48
Get your engines ready, hunties, because our favorite reality show, RuPaul’s Drag Race, is revving up its engines for Season 8 in two weeks. To coincide with its premiere, they had a huge event last night at the one and only Stage 48 to showcase the 12 new queens vying for the title that have helped legends in the making from Sharon Needles to Raja win and go on to bigger and better things. Our guest writer, the handsome and talented Matt Belvedere, covered the event for Manhattan Digest, and got the inside scoop from all the new queens, and the old (I mean really old) ones including Bianca Del Rio (hehe). Check it out.
[Read more…] about RuPaul’s Drag Race Premiere Event Blasts Through Stage 48
Rupaul’s Drag Race Finale Party At Stage 48
So Kitty Girls, Rupaul’s Drag Race has completed yet another season under its belt this past Monday night. The fashionable and irreverent Violet Chachki took home the season 7 crown over the dark horse & sleeper of the competition Pearl and the funny, campy and stylish Ginger Minj. Although the actual finale that aired on LOGO Monday was taped from a previous week, the real crown was presented that night at Stage 48 right in Hell’s Kitchen. This isn’t the first time that Drag Race has held events for RPDR there, and is the perfect venue for this type of a show.

Even with the weather being as shitty as it was, fans and press alike showed up in droves to celebrate the season that was with several of its incredible contestants. In the press room, some notable guests outside of this years contenders included Season 5 and 6 winners Jinkx Monsoon and Bianca Del Rio as well as legendary New York City drag queen Lady Bunny who arrived in her signature oversized blonde bouffant.

Other big time players that showed up was entrepreneur & big time adult film star Rocco Steele and his buddy (and scene partner for Raging Stallion’s Clusterfuck 2) Boomer Banks, who performed a number with the ever so beautiful and polished Miss Fame.

So out of the fourteen girls from this past season, only a couple weren’t in attendance. Jaidynn Dior Fierce (which is a huge bummer because I really enjoyed meeting her at the premiere), Kandy Ho, Tempest Dujour, Max, Sasha Belle and Jasmine Masters were not in attendance. To be honest, out of that group the only ones I would’ve been interested in talking to would’ve been Tempest, Max and Jaidynn as Kandy brought nothing to the show, Sasha is boring and Jasmine did enough for herself to make her a villain throughout. Sorry, not sorry.

As for the girls who did show up to the meet and greet in the press room, I was surprised by how some were and not so surprised by how some behaved. First off, Pearl didn’t show up for press. I don’t get it. You are a freaking finalist, why aren’t you talking with the people that will write about you ESPECIALLY with you having an album coming out? Wasn’t really thrilled about that as I have attended finale parties in the past and the top three are always there. When it comes to Violet, I still have the same thoughts that I did when I met her at the premiere party- frazzled and not overtly nice. You don’t need to be, however she just seemed scattered and didn’t really stop for too long to let anyone really interview her. I am happy that she won, however these are things I will remember about her as you have to be amicable to a certain degree in order to make it far in anything with this industry. Just food for thought.

Ginger was absolutely incredible. She is beyond nice, hysterical and we had a great conversation about the season and so much more. I do feel as if she should’ve won the prize as overall she was consistent in my facets throughout the season, however I am still holding out hope that a big girl wins the prize eventually. Still not over Latrice losing S4. For as much shit as she got thrown at her this season, Kennedy Davenport couldn’t have been sweeter as well as poised and beautiful all at the same time. To be labeled the villain of this season when you didn’t really do anything villainous must be rough on a person, but she seems to be taking it in stride and was a fabulous person to chat with that night.

Trixie Mattel was hysterical as always, looking like a Katy Perry “Last Friday Night” inspiration decked in pink and wearing these incredible rollerblades. The makeup was overdone but in true Trixie style looked great on her. If Katya was in the final three I have no doubt that she would’ve won Miss Congeniality. Speaking of Katya, she looked ravishing in her black ensemble while sipping away on a red bull and giving everyone a big belly laugh with her great sense of humor. Finally, Mrs. Kasha Davis was a delight to talk to and I hope to see more from her in the future (especially if there is All Stars 2).

The night consisted of performances from the top six as well as the crowning moment where Violet was presented with the check for her win from Bianca Del Rio. Although many thought this was a lackluster season, the girls really did turn out some great performances and reminded us as to why they were cast on the show in the first place. Here is to hoping that S8 knocks it out of the park!

For more info on Drag Race, check out LOGOTV.com.
Rupaul’s Drag Race Season 7 Coronation June 1st In NYC!
Yes hunties… another season of Rupaul’s Drag Race is quickly coming to an end. The show, which started a little later than usual this year with a ton of changes including Untucked available only online, new judges and other thangs… will crown its winner on June 1st at 9pm on LOGO. Even though the finale is taped on the actual network, the real crowning will take place the same night right here in New York City!
With the final five being the strongest the show has had in recent seasons- Pearl, Violet Chachki, Ginger Minj, Kennedy Davenport and Katya as well as top six finalist Trixie Mattel will all be performing that night at Stage 48 (605 West 48th Street) where the winner will be revealed. To add even more fabulousness, the crown will be presented by last year’s winner (and best if I may so myself) New York’s very own Bianca Del Rio. The evening will begin at 8pm with a live viewing of the final episode followed by the official crowning of “America’s Next Drag Superstar” and check presentation. Then the winner and top five drag finalists will perform live, lip-syncing their way back into our hearts.
“It’s your last chance to see all your favorite girls from RuPaul’s Drag Race’s Season Seven together on one stage,” say Brandon Voss of Voss Events, the company producing the event. After the coronation, New York drag legend Lady Bunny will be on hand as the in house DJ and keep the party going all night long.
So whether you are rooting for the fierce fashions of Violet, the campy humor of Katya and Ginger, the little engine that could Pearl or the best Snatch Game impersonator this year Kennedy, chances are you will have a fun time and really find out who will win this race and continue on in the tradition of making this the best damn reality show on television.
For more information, check out Voss Event’s official website.
Jason J. Carter- On Drag Race, #SayWhat?! & More
Reality TV is the mainstay of television today, albeit it everything from housewives to little people to little people who are housewives. So what happens when luck and fate combine and you fall into being on the biggest reality show for four consecutive seasons- Rupaul’s Drag Race? No hunties, we aren’t talking about Michelle Visage’s Lace Front (No T, No Shade Miss Visage). We are talking about the uber handsome and insanely talented Jason J. Carter, who along with his equally stunning comrade Sean Morales has been part of the wildly successful show for four years in a row as the show’s Pit Crew. Now if you aren’t familiar with the show (which if you aren’t, you are basic. #sorryaboutit), Jason’s role on the show is to assist in many of the mini challenges and some of the main challenges for the drag queens competing to be America’s Next Drag Superstar.
As someone who has been a big fan of show since the get, I have also come to admire Jason for not only how handsome he is but how much he adds to the show as the “Pit Crew” themselves have really gone out and branded themselves in the process. I did my research on him and found out there is much more to this man than just a pretty face. Since his inception on RPDR, he has developed an award-winning TV mini-series called “#saywhat?!” which divulges into what is hot in pop culture currently, as well as making his stance in the modeling and acting world. I recently sat down with Jason to discuss his booming career, what his thoughts were of the most recent Drag Race season, and how he was able to find love in what some may think is a not so hopeless place. Take a look.
So even though Drag Race has made you famous, you had to start somewhere to get to where you are now. How did you get into the entertainment profession?
I used to host TV shows back from my hometown, Albequerque, NM and was also a Disc Jockey there. I uprooted myself to Los Angeles and focused on becoming a dancer, which was what brought me there originally. From there, I got into doing a ton of music videos and dancing with artists from the likes of Lady Gaga to Eminem. After that, I began teaching as a dancer in LA and progressed from there.
Besides Drag Race, you and a bunch of other extroverted folk developed a series called #SayWhat?! Tell me a little more about this.
#SayWhat?! (follow us on Facebook) is a bunch of different hosts (myself, Starr Session, Nicole Seidman and Jill Anenberg) coming together to talk about everything that is going on in pop culture. We all watch TV, see what is going on online and have a great knowledge of what is current in the world of entertainment. We say what people are thinking and take a a step further. The show is currently being distributed as webisodes online. The studio we use to film is in my house, so all the content you see is done in my home. Definitely something that all your readers should check out as we try to bring a different and unique take to each episode we develop.
Being a web series can have its perks as other one’s like Lisa Kudrow’s “Web Therapy” was picked up by a major network. Do you hope for the same for #Saywhat?!
That would be fantastic, but the future of television and viewing stuff is no longer on TV. Online is the future of media. Being picked up would be exquisite but online has more interaction with fans and ultimately more views. 5 years ago 1 million plus viewership was a flop, now it’s a success because people aren’t watching TV anymore. I want to build my brand online first because I’ll be more successful that way, however the sky is the limit for me so anything is possible.

Let’s talk about how you got involved on RuPaul’s Drag Race. What was the audition process like?
I jumped on for Season 3 of the show. I was a dancer, and was teaching a dance class in Hollywood and one of the producer’s friends was in my class. They approached me and said. “I have a friend who is looking for people for this reality show, are you interested?” I responded, “What show is it?” They wouldn’t say what it was. I gave her my info, emailed the pictures which they forwarded to the producer. After that I didn’t hear anything. Then after a while they reached out and said they liked my look and wanted me to come in for an audition. Thankfully I was off that day and went. They told me to bring some underwear, and I was like wait “Is this some gogo boy shit- casting couch?” I got over my initial hesitation, I went in, did my thing, and got cast.
There are a lot of people out there who really just see the Pit Crew as eye candy and don’t bring much to the show itself. What do you say to those critics?
I tend to not agree with how people feel that way. If you look at the show, there are so many people who have been able to brand themselves outside of RuPaul and the queens that compete on it. People like Mike Ruiz, Michelle Visage and Santino have been able to brand their name heavily due to the show’s popularity. The Pit Crew themselves have been able to make a name for themselves, especially this past season when two became four where Miles Davis Moody and Simon Sherry-Wood joined us. It strengthened our presence both on and off the show, and even myself and Miles did the CoverGirl video for RuPaul in the past year just to name one thing. At the end of the day, its all encompassing and benefiting the show and making it the success that it is today.
This past season saw New Orleans native and current New Yorker Bianca Del Rio snatch the Season 6 title. Being around the girls all season, do you think she was the strongest competitor to win the show this time around?
Absolutely. Bianca’s family is from my hometown of New Orleans and I couldn’t be happier that she won. She is a true example that you don’t need to rely on editing for the show to make you a hero or villain. If what you are giving them is naturally you then it makes for great television. Willam from Season 4 did the exact same thing, same goes for Latrice Royale. Adore would’ve been a fantastic winner as well, but she is a winner in her own right by breaking Billboard Records and becoming a huge star based off of that and many other things. The great thing about Drag Race is that you don’t necessarily need to win the show in order to become a star. I am a huge fan of Shangela and really admire how she has branded herself and in doing so has become one of the most successful queens to ever have been on it. And she wasn’t even in the top three so that says a lot about her drive and ambition.
I know you have been in love for multiple years with this one wonderful guy. That’s pretty impressive because even one year is 10 years in the gay world, so tell me a little bit about your relationship and how you guys met.
It’s funny, we actually met online. No not on something like Grindr, it was more of a fitness website. He reached out to me in their chat room, and after talking for a little while we ended up meeting for lunch. From then on we became inseparable. We have flaws just like any relationship, but I knew from the get go that he was a special guy and the way he has treated me has just been incredible. We are committed to each other and have a deep appreciation and understanding for one another as well. I just know that he is the one.
So it sounds like you have a lot going with the web series and Rupaul’s Drag Race. Anything else you wanna add?
I’m just happy being where I am now and am happy with what I have accomplished so far. The show has opened many doors for me but at the same time I am proud of how self sufficient in getting myself to where I am. As I have said before, sky is the limit for me and I am just happy to see what is next.
Rupauls Drag Race- Bianca Del Rio For The Win

Bianca Del Rio should win more than any other queen… ever
So another season of RPDR is making it’s way to the finish line where one of the remaining 3 queens will snatch the title of America’s next drag superstar. In my opinion the show peaked in S4 with the best cast any season has had this far, and really hasn’t been as interesting as it used to be since then. This season’s queens for the most part were quite professional and even when they threw shade it looked forced and was just something for the camera (Minus Ms. Lake. Shady Elephant).
Now that we have the final 3 girls- Adore Delano, Courtney Act and Bianca Del Rio, it is semi up to the fans to pick who should win this season overall. Whereas I think Courtney should be switched out for Ben (stupid move on Ru’s part but I guess she will win Miss Congeniality so it’s all good) it is beyond clear cut to me who will and SHOULD win this season. And that is my New York City queen Bianca Del Rio. There are many facets & reasons as to why this is true, and here is why-
Best Of Both Worlds-
When it comes to the overall judging of style and personality, Bianca reigned supreme over the rest. Whereas she only had minor faults fashion wise this season (I didn’t think any of the outfits for the Glitter Ball were gag-worthy) she made up for it loud and proud with her fierce sense of humor, witty persona and the ability to read a bitch but back it up with factual info (Laganja anyone?).

The other two really don’t live up to her-
I love Courtney and Adore, they are great on the show and I’ve met both in person and feel the same emotion there. But it’s apples and oranges in my opinion. Courtney is more of a female impersonator and not a drag queen. Nothing she did besides the Broadway challenge really impressed me, and she already is a known singer so that should’ve been an easy one in the first place. She’s this seasons Chad Michaels- great and seasoned but not unique enough to win something like this.

Adore really was a huge pain in the ass in the beginning that I thought would’ve went home early due to her immature attitude and inability to do the basics a drag queen is supposed to do like sow & work well in group challenges. Her smartest moves were distancing herself from Laganja and Gia and really excelling where she needed to to get her to the end. At the same time, we’ve seen the campy young queens win the last two years, and it’s getting redundant, so it’s time for a change.
On another level-
I don’t think there has ever been a queen that has had this much smooth sailing (Ben’s term but she had a point) since Raja in S3 or Tyra in S2. There was never a point where she was at risk to lip sync, and even if she did they wouldn’t have sent her home as she is far superior overall than many of her competitors. The only queen this season that I felt was semi on par with her was Dela but she got stuck in this Minnie Mouse meets Dita Von Teese costumey thing that led to her demise. Darienne’s strong points was her humor, and Trinity was by far the best fashion wise this season but her excuses ruined her, just like Darienne’s inability to hear anything else besides her cockiness and next meal choices (hehe). Bianca never really got deep enough criticism to have to shift anything, and in a way didn’t even need this show to gain publicity as she was already pretty well known. Yet I’m glad she did and represented NYC to the fullest.
Tomorrow night we will see who will be crowned. Who is your choice to win S6? Check out the official site to vote and learn more about the queens. Oh and side note if Sean Morales is reading this- hit me up boo.
RuPaul’s Drag Race: Walk Like a Queen
Previously on Drag Race, we had big glittery balls and acted like these were all new challenges when they weren’t. [Read more…] about RuPaul’s Drag Race: Walk Like a Queen