Ru Paul's Drag Race is No Drag

Now that the homophobic cloud of past 8 years is starting to lift, it seems like there's an ever increasing gaggle of gay shows on the air (hooray!). And I don't think it can get any gayer than Ru Paul's Drag Race. 

This hot tranny reality competition is definitely worth checking out. That is, if you like watching drag queens claw, cry and lip sync their way to become the "next drag superstar." Come to think of it, all the bitchiness and silicon reminds me of The Real Housewives of Orange County. Except the drag queens somehow seem more real.

Now, as balls-out fun as this show is to watch, these girls take the competition seriously. It's one of those shows where you get pulled in by the spectacle and hooked by the raw, human emotions. The early favorite (and mine) seems to be Ongina, but time will tell.

In the episode I watched last weekend, the girls had to create a persona based on The Queen of All Media, Oprah. Not an impersonation, mind you,  but their own take on what the big O represents. Following Oprah's career path they had to do an unrehearsed read of the news from a teleprompter (everyone had a tough time pronouncing Mamoud Amademajad), then they had to ad lib a pitch for a "favorite things" product followed by interviewing a surprise guest (Tori Spelling and hubby Dean). Now these girls are ALL personality, but the pressure was on and I couldn't help but feel their pain as they struggled through the challenges. It's hard enough even if you aren't wearing 6 inch stilettos (I'm guessing here). I won't spoil the ending, but you can catch all the episodes to date at Logoonline.com.

Like all truly great TV, Ru Paul's Drag Race entertains to teach. Whether that lesson is to look at drag queens with more understanding or how to properly tuck your junk is up to you. The important thing is it's a hell of a way to kill 30 minutes. Watch It.

Watch Ru Paul's Drag Race on:

Logo TV (Check local listings for availability/times)

Full episodes on LogoOnline