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
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The 10 Most Underrated Queens of All Time on RuPaul’s Drag Race
RuPaul’s Drag Race is continuing to pound the pavement with its seven remaining contestants after this lackluster episode of “Snatch Game” where Derrick continued to do the same thing every week to no affect and we are left wondering how awesome Cynthia Lee Fontaine would’ve been. Speaking of Cynthia, she is the one contestant so far this season that I think has been considered underrated, in terms of just how amazing her potential is. Getting eliminated for a role that wasn’t going to be funny no matter how you acted it (Empire challenge), she had a lot left to give and wasn’t given the chops or the TV time in order to prove how great she is. This can be said for the Top 10 list that I’ve created of queens that had a lot going for them while on Drag Race, but were overshadowed for so many different reasons. Some of these queens in my book could’ve gone the distance or even won the whole damn thing, but alas… didn’t. This is who I think deserved to get a lot more than they did, and who I root for to this very day. [Read more…] about The 10 Most Underrated Queens of All Time on RuPaul’s Drag Race
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
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.
RuPaul’s Drag Race Recap: Little Sister Come and Sit Beside Me
Coco’s super excited that Alyssa’s gone. She feels a weight is off her shoulder and Jinkx asks “Are you making another fat joke?” Everyone points out that Jinkx has won two challenges and people are starting to eye her. Roxxxy wants Jinkx out. [Read more…] about RuPaul’s Drag Race Recap: Little Sister Come and Sit Beside Me
RuPaul’s Drag Race Recap- And None For Gretchen Weiners
Last time on “Rupaul’s Drag Race”, Ivy won the singing challenge and Jade and her hair went home. Backstage, Jinkx is yammering about wanting the win, but how pretty Ivy looks. Roxxxy is already over it, and I’m a little over her already. Coco and Alaska both set up the We Haven’t Won a Challenge Club. Alaska complains about being in Sharon’s shadow. More after the jump.
Alaska says she’s taken Michelle’s advice and is really reconsidering not being a part of the whole RoLaskaToxx thing. Roxxxy starts out being miffed, but is interrupted by SheMail. It quickly becomes apparent we’re reading each other. Detoxx starts and Alyssa’s quickly the butt of most jokes, but is a good sport. Everyone reads Roxxxy, who tries to turn it around in a boring manner. Coco comes out with a swipe at Jinkx’ porkpie hat. Ivy makes a GREAT comment about Coco’s tang colored highlighting. The library is now closed, and Alaska wins the mini-challenge.
Ru comes to tell everyone that the main challenge is that they’re going to roast RuPaul. Uh-oh, it’s hard to be funny on cue. The Pit Crew serves drinks and everyone is told to let Ru have it. The gworls will be coached by Bruce Villanch, Nadia Ginsberg and Deven Green. Alaska, as the winner, gets to decide the order. She’s actually really nice about it and asks the other girls when they want to go and tries to accommodate everyone, which ends up leaving her as the opening act. Coco says that’s the hardest, but I think that the middle is where you get ignored.
Detox makes fun of Alyssa’s creative process and its damn on point since Alyssa is cracking herself up. Michelle comes in and everyone gay screams. First, Alaska, who starts out with a pretty good joke that has Michelle laughing. However, Michelle warns her that she’s being too nice. Roxxxy says that reading is something that she’s always done, but is warned to keep it funny. Ivy has nothing. Coco plans on just being herself. Alyssa is talking about reading as well and seems to be doing the same nonsense that Roxxxy’s doing.
Our guest judges are Leslie Jordan and Jeffrey Moran of Vodka fame. Oh, and it’s going to be live. We get a glimpse of Jinkx’ narcolepsy. The other queens find it hilarious.
Rehearsal time! Jinkx comes out and fucks the chicken during rehearsal. Ivy plays it very very very safe and is boring. Bruce looks weird tonight. Is he wearing a corset? Alyssa’s jokes are all out of place and way too mean. Coco’s playing it from the hood and is being another mean queen. Alyssa is the only person laughing. The judges don’t like her mean streak.
Elimination Day! Alyssa is super nervous and you can tell. Coco’s already being bitchy. Roxxxy, again, says she doesn’t believe in Jinkx.
Ru comes out looking like a giant, fabulous lime Jell-O shot. Leslie Jordan is scared; Jeffrey Moran is pretty and bland. Let the roasting begin!! Alaska is actually pretty damn funny. She opens with a joke about how Leslie’s slept with more gay men then Michelle and ends with a joke about the number of xs in Roxxxy’s name. Roxxxy comes out and attacks everyone and it’s just not funny. Coco comes out in character and has RuPaul on floor. He actually turned it around and does a damn good job. Jinkx is pretty solid. Ivy’s not bad, but certain will not be in the top. Alyssa makes everyone uncomfortable. Detoxx tries to not recycle jokes and fails and says the f-word a lot, but has some good moments.
Judges Critique!
Alaska is funny and it’s tough to go first, though her look is getting predictable. Leslie Jordan lovingly calls her knock kneed. Ivy looks good, but was unsure on stage and read her cards the whole time. Jinkx killed the judges (which we didn’t see as much of) and Michelle is genuinely impressed with the runway look. I’m happy. Detoxx was mean but had a twinkle in her eye the whole time, so it’s ok, but she screwed up too much. It should have flowed more. Alyssa was trying too hard and could have been a LOT funnier. In general, it was boring and humiliating but Leslie thinks she’s the prettiest girl in the bunch. Coco had a great concept and knocked it out. Roxxxy needed a much faster pace, bigger hair and was way too in her head.
Coco wins this one, which good for her! Roxxxy and Alyssa are in the bottom, lip synching to Whip My Hair. Roxxxy immediately takes off her pants and goes to take off her wig revealing ANOTHER WIG. Alyssa turns it out on stage. Afterwards, Roxxxy breaks down because she’s never been wanted. Ru says she’s wanted and tells them both to stay. Now we’re evened out and we’re the seven sisters! It’s like the Seven Samurai, only without the swords.
Check back here next week for another “Rupaul’s Drag Race” recap!