I think part of the reason the queens in the later seasons held back more was also because of the fandom. The fandom has become so toxic so they may be more careful because you dont want the wrong edit and image of you presented and then the fandom starts attacking them and their family with the negative and sometimes violent messages.
Yeah, i definitely agree. They've seen over the seasons/years how the Fandom has gone after queens they thought have done or said something wrong, in their opinion. The so called fandom is so dang toxic! I mean come on, look at the people/"fans" that send death threats to queens and then go next level and find out their parents/families social media or even phone numbers and send them hate and death threats too. SMDH. It's just a drag TV show people, why take it so dang seriously to the extent of threatening queens AND their families? I'll never understand their thinking.
i hate how incredibly toxic and aggressive this fandom has become. I as a 16 year old girl have had a 40 year old man call me a straight cis cunt who has no idea what she’s talking about, and that I have to stay in my lane as a woman. ONLY FOR DEFENDING A QUEEN WHO GOT DEATH THREATS! not only is that increadably inappropriate and creepy, but also sexist and wrong. they keep making assumptions about queens and the people who support them, like I‘m neither straight nor am I cis. I‘m just glad that there are still these people like you guys who know how toxic all of that behavior is
@@paulirosa2075 The behavior of that person is deplorable and they should be ashamed. The ignorance and lack of maturity of these people is sad. You dont have to like every queen but the fact that they are so immature that they cannot handle their dislike in an adult manner is horrible. And then to attack others who dont think the same again shows their immaturity. So many have become online gangsters because they are behind a screen and dont have to deal with the ramifications of their actions. They need to start implementing some form of punishment when this occurs especially the death threats. This type of behavior shouldn't be tolerated or accepted. I'm sorry you even had to go through that
Im not a Plastique fan by any means but slipping in and out of an accent is pretty typical for billingual people, especially those who have moved around and picked up different English accents. I personally slip into my home state accent sometimes, though what comes naturally to me is quite different and I think that's what she meant, not that she was "faking" an accent
I have that. I'm from Brooklyn, so when I'm back in NY, I sound more like my old self. When I'm home in Ohio, I tend to code-switch, enunciate, and sound more Midwestern. When I'm with my Latino family, I tend to roll my R's and drop my S's with more of a Hispanic twang, but when I'm with my Arab side, my P's and V's become B's and F's. And being around my Jamaican friends, I can't help but speak Patois (my father also spoke Patois growing up, so it's natural to me). When you move as much as I have, and grow up with a diverse community, you're bound to pick up those dialects.
Yes that's what I thought. I'm Bilingual aswell and of course In my native language(dutch) I speak like a dutch person. I think that's what Plastique meant, I know now after so long people don't notice or almost don't notice that I'm dutch anymore, but speaking english in a dutch accent is still super easy for me because that IS how I speak naturally without thinking about it.
Fans want the queens to show their “true self” and as soon as they do the fan base wants to bully them off the internet so i understand why queens like Kameron would prefer to not let it all out
She apparently wasn't a singer either... *proceeds to win Madonna challenge* She really wasn't a comedian either... *proceeds to win snatch game* I don't hate her, but Mera hit the nail on the head, how can you connect with someone who's telling you what you want to hear
@@yepitsthatguy5278 She's very talented, but no one wants to watch someone say 'I'm about to win this' then win every single episode. I think she knew her strengths and wanted to play them down
@@jude_illusion yeah, but being good at most of the things and claiming that you are bad at them is also not so well received, it's like in school: "Oh no I didn't study for this test" and receives the best grade
As a gay Asian person, I understood Plastique’s story. In Asian families, especially if you were born a male, you have alot of expectations to meet especially since she is an immigrant. And like being anything apart from cis-straight person, it’s considered shameful and cursed. However, especially with their male heir, your family would consistently erase the fact that you are anything else from “normal”. Like they will still love and support you, but will pretend like you aren’t part of the LGBTQIA+ community. I hope that makes sense, love your videos btw!! 💖
As a Asian person as well, Plastique’s story makes sense to me. I think the voice she used in the show with or without accent are both her voices, there’s no “True” voice or “Fake” voice. Sometimes accent would be stronger, sometimes there’s no accent. And I really appreciate her aesthetic can be recognized and liked by so many people (according to her instagram and TikTok followers) because I think her aesthetic is not “Asian stereotypes” aesthetic, her aesthetic is something that Asian people can really relate to. Therefore, I am so glad her appearance on the show, she is very representative.
@@abbychen6560 I can def believe the accent thing, I slip into my native accent from time to time, but not "knowing pop culture"...she literally lives on TikTok lol. I'm not buying it.
@@abbychen6560 Also, it's her accent when she speaks english. As an asian as well, I speak english to my family and my asian peers in an asian accent but when I speak english to other people in the world I speak in my american accent
@@midnitehour1 I feel like it's an immigrant culture + age kind of thing. You can live in an immigrant household and you're only consuming your native media especially if that's what your parents are watching and if your friends in school are also only your race. Plus Plastique was 21 when she got on, she's only probably consuming current pop culture like ariana grande, etc. I'm pushing 20 and I only know some Mariah Carey but I have to literally seek the info, it's not being fed to me.
What about Silky? I mean, she admitted during the show that she was being over the top just to be re-cast if she happened to leave on the first episode 🤣
I would also maybe say Valentina; she was portrayed as a really sweet queen and tried to keep it up during the reunion but Farrah, Aja, and Shea were not having it
She is sweet though, but she's human and also had her bad moments like anybody else. Production didn't show both sides though bc they control the narratives of each queen. Let's not forget that in the reunion, we learn she shared her care package with the girls who were having trouble with their isolation. We also learn by an interview with Peppermint that Valentina would keep her company anytime she wanted to go down to the pool. If sweet Peppermint considers Valentina her "sister", then I'm going to trust her judgment. To clarify some things: When Valentina exited season 9, she became very vulnerable & went into a deep depression. She cut herself off from the world, so she didn't respond to texts or social media drama. Valentina chose to let them attack her & get villanized, rather than to admit her depression on TV -- that's the Latina pride, I tell you. It's why she told Farrah they'll talk about it later, which they did & made up once Farrah got the whole story. Anyhow, she does self-produce, but I wouldn't say that makes her fake. Drag is an intentional act of fantasy. Her drag persona is influenced by Telenovelas & Pageant Queens, so she plays up the insane diva role, yet people can't seem to separate her art from her own true personality. In any case, Valentina is a frickin millionaire. She knew exactly what she was doing. She absorbed the drama & merchandised the heck out of it. She a marketing genius, hunnay.
@@jeremias8650 but that's just alaska, alaska throws tantrums on the show, off the show, bob the drag queen has talked about one specific incident with her but she always puts it together when its time to perform. She wasnt self producing that is exactly who she is lol
Max explained it wasn’t British; it was elocution of the American English. Old American movies used such characterization, to portray the rich higher class.
It occurred to me that Katya could have stuck to the Russian Hooker character the whole of season 7 (and maybe used it as a shield against her anxieties) and if she had we probably would have gotten tired of it pretty quick. But she let enough of herself come through that people wanted more of her. And I think this is perfectly exemplified in her All Stars 2 finale speech, starting off with the accent for the comedy, and letting it go when it’s time for the emotional stuff.
I am one of them. I definitely can relate to their guarded attitude. If we don't need to speak, we'll just don't bother. And we can bottle up our feelings. Yup, that's introvert for you.
also Ilona Verley, she acted like she was a bitch when she was actually a sweetheart. She said that if she comes back to Drag Race she’s not going to play a character again, she’s just going to be herself :)
@@hectorp.c6955 yea she did address this on insta a few months ago around before the finale of CDR she said she was going through a lot and started acting out and doing a lot of cruel stuff and because of that some people that have worked with her may say negative things because of that she has been trying to better herself because she doesn't want to be that person anymore I think it was smart of her to address it before some random youtuber made a video about it
I went to high school with MAX and I was so bummed with how they were portrayed on season 7 and that the audience didn't get to know them. MAX is one is the nicest people you'd ever meet and is absolutely talented. I hope one day MAX will want to do All Stars and everyone would be able to see the real version of them.
I think Kameron was holding back but not intentionally. She had an abusive boyfriend at the time and she just got into the most stress and pressure a queen would be put into so I think her mental health was just fucked.
What is this aesthetic vs. personality business? How about TALENT??? Watching Kameron Michael’s personality come out in her lip sync is what did it for me. Personality is not just what you reveal about yourself through conversations with the camera and fellow contestants, but how it comes through in your art.
People don’t understand plastique I am an Asian immigrant I’ve lived in an English speaking country for 6 years now I think what she meant is that she needed to consciously think about how she pronounce and speak in a certain way, which I still need to do to so that I don’t slip into an Asian accent.
I still do not know Gigi Goode. I'm surprised Ariel Versace is not on the list. Season 10 was so boring because it seemed all the girls were self-producing (Eureka is an example). Also where is Silky?
Never forget All Stars 2 self producer Alaska. She even said that she wouldn’t give them anything in interviews and confessionals and was focused in the work room and not interacting as much. Very Kameron not trying to say anything out of turn. She even said in an interview that a producer told her she won due to her breakdown, before the producers said she didn’t have a big enough story besides wanting to win.
i think there's a difference between focusing on the competition and being self produced. she was just totally obsessed with winning, hence the meltdown when she was on the bottom. i didn't find her personality changing that much between s5 and as2, she was talking more of where she was coming from internally, being that on s5 there was all the boyfriend-of-the-winner baggage. she didn't want to be caught failing as a competitor the second time around. it was not about being lovable, it was about winning, which is kind of the opposite of what we're talking about.
Well kameron just didn't want to get hate from the fans, I mean at the season 10 finale kameron tried to lose the lipsyncs cause on an interview on hey qween he said that if he were to win then people would hate him cause they wanted aquaria to win
I always liked and related to Kameron. I always worry about what people will think of me, regardless of the cost. For Kameron it was 100k. And some people like Eureka very much could attest to knowing / liking who Kameron was. I just felt so bad for them.
I think you should be a bit more careful discussing the Plastique's accent. Many bilingual people can switch naturally between 2 accents that they can do very well. However the mother tongue will always be a little more natural. It's not a matter of fakeness at all. It was actually handled super problematic on the show.
Some of these, especially Plastic and Kameron, I felt they just more shy and withdrawn, and had difficulties letting go of their insecurities, and I find it really odd and violent to call these people "fake". I loved Kameron because of that, because she was shy and had a hard time letting loose in front of people, just like me. Drag and LGBT+ communities can be so loving and accepting, so why do we insult people for having insecurities ?
I’m SHOCKED you guys didn’t talk about Silky. When i saw this video, that was the first name i thought of. She was waaaay extra and over the top, and if you listen to her and Vanjie’s podcast she’s so different
Brooke definitely cost herself the crown by holding back. She does have a drier sense of humor, but Yvie being so dynamic all season overshadowed how amazing Brooke was. Like damn she’s a judge and ain’t even won, so good. (Yvie definitely earned that win though)
I don't necessarily think Queens should be "forced" into sharing their life stories. Not everybody is comfortable sharing what trauma they went through or what are they political beliefs, etc. and I think the reason more and more ppl in general and the younger audience follows Queens bc of their "aesthetic" is because they understand that. U can have amazing aesthetic and make great gowns even without much money. Queens like Gigi, Utica, Shea... showed that with their ball looks, where they make gowns from random things. And u don't have to share anything personal with your looks. Also, I don't know about other people... but I am starting to care less and less about acting challenges and stuff like that because they are becoming more and more "old shows remakes" and as a person who doesn't give a single F... about old TV shows/movies... I don't understand the references and jokes. And it makes me angry when Ru or other judges read the Queens for not knowing that stuff when the shows/movies are getting older and older and Queens are younger and younger. (I know that the age limit is still 21, I meant that there are more and more younger Queens compeating in RPDR.) And I feel like you shoudn't need to know every "queer" or "queer friendly" show/movie in history to compete.
I think I see a HUGE cultural difference. To me the loud talkative queens seem more "fake" than these quiet queens listed here as "fake". In general in my culture loud talkative people are more likely to be seen as ungenuine - someone who chooses their words carefully and aren't vocal all the time seems more trustworthy. Like ...we see/feel the real person in their silence? Talkativeness can seem more like hiding, hiding behind all the noice, a facade, a role. I've had no difficulties relating to the quiet anxious types 😅 I don't see that at all as being fake. So no - I don't like them because of their looks. It sounds really weird to me that taking into consideration the possible consequenses of one's words and actions is being shamed like this. Especially as we have all seen how people can be ripped apart in social media for saying or doing the wrong thing.
I don't actually get the hate against Kameron, if you already know that a fandom is toxic and want to censor yourself, why is it being taken against them. Also being young is an excuse, but being experienced isn't? Wouldn't it make much more sense that someone would like to take control of their narrative w/ age and plenty of life experiences? Also, w/ Plastique's family support, coming from an Asian family, they can shun your life choices and chastise you for it behind closed doors, but once you get some sort of recognition out of it they'll show up, since they're your "family" after all. Also, is it a prerogative to open up about yourself? To feed drama? I mean I appreciate the candidness and attempt to connect, but they don't owe it to anyone. It's easy to call them out but if you think about it, would you really want to air out all of your dirty laundry on an international platform?
I think the issue with Kameron wasn't just that she was censoring herself, the other Queens felt really bad because after the show she basically ignored them, wouldnt talk to them, on her phone the whole time etc.
Gigis storyline was cut a lot cause of sherry. This season was spoiled pre sherry exposing to be a Gigi and Sherry rivalry. With Sherry probably being the good guy.
I read some rumors about it as well. It seems like Gigi was supposed to be some kind of villain and her younger aesthetic would crash with Sherry‘s old school aesthetic. Which is funny because even without editing, Sherry was really mean and bitchy a lot of times (joining on the Aiden bullying, making insensitive jokes about Parkinson’s even after learning about Chrystal‘s situation, sabotaging Jaida‘s stand up routine by going way past the one limit...) I‘m really curious how they would edit these scenes to make her the likebale protagonist
To be fair Kameron had some amazing looks as well as being hot which was enough for me lmao. But seeing her personality on social media has made me like her a lot more.
I think a lot of the self editing is the toxic fandom. Literally week to week I see people ragging on every single queen. You can’t say anything without someone jumping on you. People have genuine personalities all the time that get turned against them.
I think what Plastique meant when she said she found out about pop culture not that long ago was that she does know some stuff about pop culture but maybe not about Mariah because of that reason. Idk that’s what I thought it meant at least
As the seasons progressed and social media became HUGE, the fandom went CRAZY toxic. I kind of don't blame the queens for being "careful". I don't see a problem with not wanting to stir the pot all the time, like Kameron. Being a drag queen doesn't have to be about being loud and catty. sometimes, it's just about performing on stage. They're all different and special for different reasons I guess. Love them all!
This thing with Plastique: if you have a foreign accent mostly (not always) is your ultimate goal to get rid of it, because you dont want to be laughed at, stared at or even get in touble because of it. Just remmember when they dont understand Nicky Doll when she said hummus a little bit differently, nobody whats to experience that on everyday basis.
I'm really amazed that Silky You Know Who isn't on this list. From episode one she tried desperately to get her catchphrase to be a thing, made herself constantly the loudest voice in the room, on to then shy away at the reunion when called out.
Dela admits she was self-produced on Season 6. She had just seen Jinkx win, and more importantly, that people were coming to Jinkx's shows expecting "Water Off a Duck's Back" and the sweet, kooky underdog. Jinkx is a foul-mouthed, hard drinking, hard living, highly sexual persona...who is NOTHING like what we saw on Season 5. So Dela chose to stay "on brand" so as to not confuse the future audience goers.
It's mostly with the younger queens, they've grown up with the show and have seen what happens to queens after their seasons air. They don't want that to happen to them so they keep quiet and to themselves to avoid any negative backlash for anything when the season airs.
I think the "pretty" queens on this list have as many followers because Instagram is pretty superficial and their personality isn't as relevant to most when it comes to their posts
Kinda dissapointed you didn't adress Silky or Kandy being loud AF 'cause they know big personalities go a long way with the producers of the show. They gave Silky a lot of favoritism because they thought she was gonna be a fan favorite for being over the top.
Remember when they were talking about how much they love Crystal and were gaging about her monster look in the purple challenge? CRYSTAL WAS THE COW, JACKIE WAS THE MONSTER
I think if I was on there, I'd be careful about my workroom self too. There are always so many big personalities that it's hard to stand out that way, so let the talent and the looks do the majority of the work. After all, the challenges and the run way are what the competition is judged on ... if it was based on personality then Tyra may not have taken top spot! ;) (Tatiana in that bridal episode... iconic!) There's no denying that the self-produced queens mentioned in this vid' are incredibly talented. I also don't think you always need to be loud and proud in the workroom... for example, all it took for me to start noticing Kameron more was the calm he showed in removing a spider, whilst all the other queens ran off screaming lol!
Max, Kameron and Ben are my favorite queens from the franchise 🙈 Interesting that they are all in the list. I always could vibe with them and found them more authentic than many others
i’m one of those girls that grew up watching drag race, and you hit it directly on the bell end. i LIVE for an aesthetic queen. i appreciate literally all forms of drag, but i love a well constructed look.
I truly think there's nothing wrong with self-production. Expecting anyone in the public eye, even on "reality" TV, to be open and vulnerable at any time is too much.
I do relate to plastic about the whole changing voice/accent. That is very true for people who grew up with 2 languages. When I talk french with French people I do sound different than when I talk french with people from my country. And same for pop culture I did know some parts of France's pop culture but I was also clueless about very famous pop culture references in France even though I watched French media my whole life. Here thanks for coming to my Ted Talk :'D
I have to say something on the pop culture part though. As Asians, and knowing Plastique grew up in Asia, we literally are strangers to American pop culture during childhood. When you all had your time learning about Madonna, Mariah and Beyonce's personal lives, we also had our time learning about the personal lives of our local icons as they are the ones seen most in our tv screens. Yes, we know who Mariah Carey is because her music reached us, but we don't know Mariah Carey like you know her. We only begin to be immersed in pop culture as we mature, which is why we know about the lives of today's icons like Ariana and Lady Gaga but are completely clueless on the later divas.
Plastique wasn't lying when she said they didn't "know" about Mariah Carey where she grew up because they only knew about the songs Mariah Carey had. And to further prove this point, from where I'm from not even half of our population knows who Kanye West is AT ALL.
Okay, I have to defend Plastique here, because she is not a native speaker. While I may not be Asian, and also privileged enough to have a mother tongue with mostly similar sounds to English (German), it takes a lot of effort to speak the best English you can. Sure, most of the viewers probably don't care if you have a bit of an accent, but typically you want to speak the foreign language as good as possible, especially if it's something public, so I fully understand her on that part. There are many languages that are so different from English that it is near impossible to speak accent- free, so if you can't concentrate on that because you are in the middle of a fight, then it does make sense for your natural accent/intonation (that being how you speak if you don't put extra effort in) to show. Still an amazing video, as per usual, I just wanted to point this out, because this aspect specifically is unfair to count it as the same type of behaviour as your other examples.
So, according to these people any introverted queen is a "fake queen". OK, girls. They use constantly the excuse "we didn't know anything about their personal life" to target these queens as "self produced", but for example it was the same with Monet (beyond she is Bob friend) in all her seasons, but it's not called a fake queen in this video just because she's extroverted
"You're never not that character." Are you sure that's not just her then? Max spoke in an RP accent, and many people do this as a coping mechanism to be taken seriously, the feel more secure, and as a tool for success. I was bullied a lot as a child for my accent so I started speaking in an RP accent as a way to protect myself and control the narrative. I also found that it was beneficial to me upon presenting my work and entering the workforce. Perhaps Max's story is similar.
I really like your commentaries and reaction show! Although, I think on the topic of switching accents it can actually be a nuerodivergent trait. As an autistic women I know that characterisations, accents and repeat catch phrases can help neurodivergent people feel secure in social situations, but it doesn't make the person disingenuous simply because they have a switching accent. I found Max endearing and slightly misunderstood merely due to the audience's fixation on their bi-dialectical accent.
I do not agree that Kameron was being fake. I see a lot of introvert qualities in her which I relate to. When you are quiet and do not talk to people they can take it in many different ways. I believe that she was just in this background taking in what everyone else was doing and processing it silently. I can totally relate to that personality because that it exactly how I react in situations that can be stressful and require a lot of thought to succeed. I also believe that Kameron would have easily won her season if she wanted to. I DO AGREE that she was holding back in the finale, but that was because she could not handle the fame/backlash that she was getting.
I think it's worth noting with Jackie when she tried to say it was aidens fault she was getting bullied because she's quiet and her calling widow out for not preparing for snatch game.
When I wake up every morning I look for your upload first! Thanks for your content! You’ve kept me sane during the pandemic. And I’ve been in and out of the hospital (non covid related) and you’ve helped kept me positive! Big THANKS!
I'll never understand the Gigi Goode hate. She's talented, smart and beautiful. She wasn't just a look queen and she kicked ass in most challenges. To me she never came off as bitchy or cold, just a no-drama queen. Why is that bad?
This video was oddly educational for me. I am 21 and only recently really got into drag race (season 12 is my first) and I never really picked up on the fakenes/1 note things that some my favs do. It was solely based off aesthetic such as Gigi and plastique. So that I you for giving me this other perspective about what should be important in queens and people in general :)
The idea that Dela wanting to be congenial is some kind of character flaw is so.... f*@!ed up. What's so terrible about being congenial? Especially if she's sincerely congenial, albeit while keeping people a bit at arm's length.
I was very let down by Scarlett's comment about stating where you stand on politics. that's none of your business and that will never be anybody else's business except for your own so don't ever expect for somebody to just put their political views out for the world.
Bianca Del Rio was so good at producing herself no one even mentions her in lists like this. She just happened to have that touching moment with Adore please... and she just happened to be doing one of Ru's idol in snatch game yet again please. She knew without those "kind" moments she would easily be the villain of the season. Shes a smart queen.
Y'all are saying it like it's a problem. Baby, no. I'd rather edit myself, than leave it to the producers. I mean they created a mental breakdown moment for Max on the show. Of course you want to be in control and present the best part of yourself. Can you blame them? The real tea is that this show is often seen as the only way to jumpstart your career as a queen. If this would be acting, you wouldn't feel this type of pressure. Cause you're thinking 'This is not the only part that I'm gonna get, I'll get others to really showcase my talent' In drag, tho, it looks like the pressure is immense. Make it or break it kinda thing. Wouldn't you want to make it outta there?!
I've never cared about the fashion aspect of Drag Race, I prefer the queens that are campy and relatable. Anyone can wear an expensive gown, but not everyone can entertain at that next level.
Also cheryhole got called out, now later the queens redacted but fake was her first story line befire everyone realised no that’s just Cheryl and we love her for it
Ben is the one I wholly disagree with. Many moons ago, my sister lived in the same complex as Boy Ben and he truly is just very sweet and nice. Helpful to fault, so anxiously kind, wouldn’t talk shit or gossip about anyone else in the building no matter what was going on. Dela’s a genuine gem.
There's definitely a common thread between most of these queens in that they come from a theatre (specifically, music theatre)/dance background. It's a real trap in theatre training where you're taught to show up as "what 'they' want," as a young person in performing arts. Then you go to a training program in university where you're "broken down"... it's kind of a life of mind/ personality fkery. I feel for those theatre queens that were on the show still in their perfection deconstruction phase...
Also the idea that before season 7, the winners have huge and comedic personalities is a lil . . . Like, Bebe, Tyra, and Raja, I wouldn't describe any of them like that.
The difference between DeLa and the others is that Ben was only a character as Dela and not in the werkroom or confessionals. Laganja had moments out of that character but only because she FORGOT to keep doing a character lol
I don't really blame Kameron. We've seen a have almost career-ruining effects on Queens. PhiPhi for example got so much hate for so long she even quit drag. Max has said she couldn't get jobs anywhere after her season because they made her look so mentally unstable. The Vixen was right all along and they gave her a very dirty edit.
I don’t like the subject of this video and I don’t think you’ve really understood the queens you’re talking about. I wish you hadn’t recorded this to be honest. It makes me sad to see you both speak about people in this way.
