#rupaul's drag race down under spoilers

[dragandfashions]

Rupauls Drag Race Down Under S03 E01 Entrance Looks

[sexynetra]

I’m back bitches, this episode made me too mad I need to scream into the void (tumblr blog)

[t4yce]

YURI GUAII • drag race down under 2.05  belts, buckles and chains runway

[qnewslgbtiqa]

Hannah Conda says Drag Race UK vs the World final is 'mayhem'

New Post has been published on https://qnews.com.au/hannah-conda-says-drag-race-uk-vs-the-world-final-is-mayhem/

Hannah Conda says Drag Race UK vs the World final is 'mayhem'

Aussie queen Hannah Conda has officially made the final of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK vs the World, and she’s been sitting on the secret for an entire year.

Warning! Spoilers ahead

The Drag Race Down Under runner-up from Sydney joined UKvtW season two last year and across the entire season she’s done Australia proud.

Last week’s episode seven saw Hannah score her first win – and her first gold Ru Peter badge – after she flexed her stand-up skills in a wedding roast.

The win guaranteed Hannah a spot in the final and this weekend we’ll see Hannah and her sisters Tia Kofi, La Grande Dame and Marina Summers lip sync for the crown.

Speaking to JOY 94.9, Hannah said the roast could’ve always gone either way, but to her the strategy was obvious.

“It’s like, this could either fall apart and it’ll be the end, or this could work out in my favor and put me on a nice path to the win,” she said.

“I was thrilled that it went as well as it did. I was so happy. You’ve got to be very careful because comedy is subjective.

“Fundamentally, I think, now we know what RuPaul likes to laugh at. If you just put two and two together, you can kind of figure out what will get you through.

“Generally drag queens are self-absorbed and forget that they’re trying to impress the Supreme Mother Overlord!”

  View this post on Instagram

  A post shared by Hannah Conda (@hannahcondaofficial)

Hannah Conda talks Marina Summers lip sync

At the end of the end of episode seven, Hannah sent Scarlet Envy home, instead of eliminating Drag Race Philippines queen Marina Summers.

Hannah and Marina lip synced together the previous episode. Hannah told JOY despite the competition going on, the group of queens are very close.

“It was so much fun for me with Marina. She’s a very generous performer. It kind of felt at times like we were doing a duet,” Hannah recalled.

“I’m hopefully gonna go to the Philippines and see them all.

“I get the competition aspect of it, but I also want to just enjoy these people. I’ve looked up to them for years.

“I want to have fun, and part of the fun that I get out of drag is performing with others.”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Hannah Conda (@hannahcondaofficial)

Hannah’s in London for Drag Race UK vs the World finale

The Drag Race UK vs the World finale is this Saturday. We’ll finally find out if Hannah Conda manages to take out the crown.

“Everyone get on the Instagram and the socials and do #TeamHannah or #TeamHannahConda,” Hannah pleaded.

“It’s a lip sync for the crown, and it’s going to be edge-of-your-seat viewing. That’s all I can tell you.

“My finale runway… she’s gorgeous. I cannot wait for the world to see it. It’s so beautiful.

“It’s been a year now [since filming]. I’m just ready to see the mayhem unfold in the edit.

“I’ve got to be in London for the finale. I’m very excited to be there and I might be with one of my other sisters.”

Watch Hannah in the RuPaul’s Drag Race UK vs the World finale this Saturday (March 30) on Stan. Hannah Conda’s debut single Heart Breakthrough is out on Friday (March 29).

For the latest LGBTIQA+ Sister Girl and Brother Boy news, entertainment, community stories in Australia, visit qnews.com.au. Check out our latest magazines or find us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

[fununtitled]

RPDR DU S1 Ep.08 - Kiwi is a WINNER Baby! - FunUntitled Reaction

Aloha Drag Racers! Let's get straight into it -SPOILERS-👑RuPaul's Drag Race Down Under crowned a KIWI as their Season 1 Winner! Could anyone else really be the winner? Was this Finale really worth the 7 episode build-up? Come here our thoughts in this week's episode!

You can use our Linktree to listen to this old Podcast episode on your favorite site such as Spotify and YouTube!

[romansrace]

Drag Race Down Under is finally over! Finale Review spoilers:

Well, the right person finally won. It was touch and go there for a while, and even this finale seemed to be edited leading towards a Scarlet win (with Ru and the narrative at every stage explicitly excusing her and brushing exactly ‘what she did’ under the rug), but ultimately I imagine the producers backed off following the overwhelmingly negative fan response.

Thankfully, in my view, Kita did what I hoped she would and performed on this episode like Monet did in the AS4 finale. She gave great pageant answers to the questions put to her by Ru and Michelle and gave them everything they wanted - I suspect helped by her previous experience of reality tv production. Kita - and Elektra - handed the producers a narrative to justify her crowning on the offchance that they would choose to, and fortunately, due to the fan response to them, and to everyone else, I suspect - they went for it.

The storyline production on this season was terrible. Not knowing anything about any of the queens' backstories all season was bad enough. Trying to cram 3x as much as any normal episode in in the finale with both a psychobabble interview with Michelle and Ru and 'what would you say to little you' within the same 50 minutes with also a maxi challenge, full runway and finale lipsync was just wild and as an overcorrection just came too late.

Beyond the fan response, I really think Kita showed her professionalism and cleverness this episode. Paying tribute to Courtney's S6 wings was a good touch that showed her knowledge of the show's history. She came prepared with a gag for the final lipsync, something none of the others did. And throughout the season, she did make sure to show versatility - something that all the rest of the top 4 didn't nail as much.

I think Scarlet really failed on that front this episode and completely misjudged the tone of that final lipsync, and Karen... this really wasn't her format to shine. They were very kind to her final effort but it really wasn't it, was it?

As for Art I still don't know what they were going for with her. She performed well enough this episode that she probably could have challenged for the win on the girlgroup episode - aka the only episode she missed of the season. Her deleted tweet suggests (unintentionally) that possibly production tried to give her multiple chances to not get eliminated. But why not just do a double shantay in that case? I guess the Queens Down Under song was limited to four verses, and they had committed to doing it third? But surely they could have switched challenge order given that the song was a Ru song and didn’t need any guest to come in for it?

Ultimately, the season was a bit of a mess, but the queens were by and large, fun, interesting (especially post-show in interviews, lives etc. where they finally were able to give themselves some backstory) and charismatic. Was DRDU a great expression of Aussie and NZ culture and what sets its drag apart? Not really. But at least it did give a platform to 10 queens and some good guest stars from that part of the world to raise their profile and reach, and provided a valuable talking point - even if unintentionally - for some social issues that still plague our society and communities, even in spaces thought to be ultra progressive such as the LGBTQ+ community.

Congratulations, Kita Mean! Here’s hoping for a better season 2 - perhaps with Kita hosting?!

[dragracecentral]

The Winner of Drag Race Down Under: Kita Mean

[fuckyeahworldoftaika]

[duchessofostergotlands]

Wait so to quote RuPaul exactly, Elektra won "a luxury four night stay at a property of your choice in Australia or New Zealand." Does that mean Elektra can rock up at any house she likes and whoever lives there has to create a spa in their living room for her?

[me-wo-awasenaide]

RPDRDU S1 E2 SPOILERS

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Art is the second queen to go...this feels...wrong. This was like her villain origin story

[milky-moo]

🦘My thoughts on Drag Race DownUnder 🦘

EPISODE: 2

[jadelotusflower]

June 2021 Roundup

It's been a month of highs and lows. Every year my city holds a cabaret festival, and I've seen some truly amazing acts over the years - including Lea Salonga, Kristin Chenoweth, and Indina Menzel. This year's Artistic Director was the great Alan Cumming, and although due to covid he didn't quite get to curate the program he wanted to, the opening night Gala was still a highlight, as was Alan's DJ set at the pop-up Club Cumming afterwards, where there was much singing at the top of my lungs and dancing to pop anthems and theatre tunes. At one point Alan, dressed in a onesie and perched on the shoulders of a man wearing only sparkly short shorts, was carried around the dance floor while Circle of Life blared. Reader, I was delighted.

I was also able to see his solo show Alan Cumming Is Not Acting His Age, which was hilarious and damn, he can sing!

As for the low, I was meant to fly to Sydney for the weekend to see Hamilton, a trip I have been looking forward to for almost a year, but had to be cancelled because of a covid outbreak and border closures. The tickets have been rescheduled, but I'm still kind of bummed about it (while completely appreciating the need for covid safety, especially when our vaccine rollout has been completely botched by our incompetent, corrupt federal government)

Anyway.

Reading

The Hundred and One Dalmations (Dodie Smith) - With all the bewilderment over Disney's Cruella, I decided to revisit the original novel which I first read as a kid. It's funny, I had very vivid memories of this book, or rather thought I did, particularly the scene where Roger and Anita have dinner at Cruella's house that fixed in my young mind as utterly disturbing with all this devil imagery and the implication Cruella was literally some kind of demon, which must have been either a) my overactive imagination or b) an illustration, because it's not as clear as I thought it was. The strangeness is there (food with too much pepper, Cruella's inability to keep warm, the walls painted blood red) but not the explicit demon imagery I had remembered. There is a part later in the book recounting the history of Hell Hall and the rumors of Cruella's ancestor streaking out of the place conjuring blue lightening, but clearly child me was reading far more into the book than was on the page.

But I still wish they'd gone with this version of Cruella's backstory, because to me an aristocratic, ink-drinking, heat-obsessed, possibly-demon spawn, high camp villain is more interesting and rings far more true than plucky punk against the establishment.

Smith clearly had Facts About Dalmations to share, and she does really craft a wonderful animal-based story that the Disney animated film is largely faithful to. Key differences include: Roger's occupation (he doesn't have to pay tax because he wiped out government debt somehow?!?), Pongo's mate and the puppy's mother is called Missis, Perdita is another dalmation who acts as a kind of doggie wet nurse, Roger and Anita both have Nannies who come to live with them (Nanny Butler and Nanny Cook), Cruella is married to a furrier (who changed his last name to de Vil). Also odd, on her first description Cruella is described as having "dark skin" but later in the novel her "white face" is mentioned, so I'm chalking it up to 50's descriptors not having the same meanings they do today.

The Duke and I (Julia Quinn) - After being just whelmed by the tv series, I wasn't really planning on reading the books, but I saw this on the top picks shelf at the library and damn, the top picks shelf is irresistible. This is very much Daphne's book (and I had known each in the series dealt with the different sibling) so many of the characters and much of the plot of the show is absent, as are some of the more baffling elements of the show like the Diamond of the First Water nonsense, which I always thought was a strange character choice in that it stacks the deck for Daphne when her character arc is better served as somewhat of an underdog (in her third season, the kind of girl who is liked but not adored), and the Prince subplot which was always far too OTT even for soapy regency romance.

It's a breezy, fun read (that scene excepted), even if the misunderstandings are contrived and I'm never going to take "I'll never have kids because I hate my dad" as a credible romantic obstacle deserving of so much angst.

Faeries (Brian Froud and Alan Lee) - A lovingly detailed and illustrated compendium of Faerie and its inhabitants, drawing from a range of European (but primarily Celtic) folklore and mythology. Froud was a conceptual designer on The Dark Crystal and Labyrinth, and the link is clear in the art as well as the focus on faeries as mysterious but oftimes sinister beings, where human encounters with them rarely end well. Lee has illustrated several publications of Tolkien's novels, and was a lead concept artists for Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings and Hobbit trilogies, and there is a touch of Middle Earth here as well, or rather the common inspiration of the old world. A useful resource for my novel!

Watching

The Handmaid's Tale (season 4, episodes 4-8) SPOILERS - So when I last wrote about this show in the Roundup, I was complaining it wasn't going anywhere. Well, I'm happy to be wrong because they finally changed things up with June finally escaping to Canada. That part of the plot following the survivors and their trauma has always been far more compelling than Gilead, and so it was a welcome development even if I side-eye some of the choices (none of these characters is seeing an actual licensed therapist why?).

This show has always been difficult to watch given the subject matter, and that has not changed after the shift in power dynamics. I will give the show credit for showing a broad range of trauma responses, from Moira wanting to move on and not let it consume her, to June, a ball of rage and revenge on a downward spiral, to Emily, trying to follow Moira's path but being drawn to June's, to Luke, trying his best but utterly unequipped to deal with what is happening.

But it is very hard to watch June go down this path - raping her husband (I concede the show perhaps didn't intend for it to be rape, but that's what is on screen and framing it as just "taking away Luke's agency" doesn't change that), wishing death on Serena's unborn child, and orchestrating Fred's brutal murder by particulation, then holding her own daughter still covered in his blood and it getting smeared on Nicole's face (an unsubtle metaphor in a series full of unsubtle metaphors).

There are interesting questions being asked of the viewer, and the show (perhaps rightly) not giving any answers. I can certainly appreciate the catharsis of Fred getting what he deserves even if I personally find the manner of it horrifying, but where is the line between justice and revenge, is revenge the only option when justice is denied, when does a trauma release become cyclical violence/abuse - the show is, for now, letting the viewer decide.

Soul (dir. Pete Docter and Kemp Powers) - In a world full of remakes/reboots/sequels, Pixar is perhaps the lone segment under the Disney umbrella committed to original content. However, there does seem to be a Pixar formula at work directed to precision tugging the heart strings, and some of the film feels like well-trod ground. On the other hand, it's hard to criticise the risk of centering a kids film around the existential crisis of a middle aged man, even with the requisite cutesy elements (and of course, the uncomfortable pattern of yet another film where the black lead character spends a great deal of the runtime in non-human form - herein, an amorphous blob or a cat). But the animation is stunning, it successfully did tug my heart strings, and the design of the Great Before and the Jerrys is original and fun.

RuPaul's Drag Race Down Under - Drag Race is somewhat of a guilty pleasure for me, since I generally don't watch reality shows, and this is something I really enjoy even if I'm not invested in the fandom (which like many fandoms can be very yikes). This year it was time for the Australian/New Zealand (Aotearoa) queens to show their stuff, although it's been met with mixed reactions. Covid restrictions didn't allow for guest judges, relegating them to mere cameos via video calls, and its clear that Ru and Michelle really don't quite get all the cultural nuances - Aussie judge Rhys Nicholson was however always delightful. But it wouldn't be Australia without a racism scandal, with the great disappointment of the two queens of colour eliminated first, and one queen having done blackface in the recent past yet making it all the way to the top four.

In the end, the only viable and deserving winner was last Kiwi standing Kita Mean, and it was pure joy to see her get crowned. I do hope they fix the bugs and indeed do another season to better showcase AU/NZ talent.

Writing

A far more productive month - to try and get out of my writing funk I had a goal to try and write every day, even if it was only 100 words. While I didn't quite achieve a consecutive month, I did get a pretty good average, at least got something posted and two others nearly there.

The Lady of the Lake - 2441 words, Chapter 4 posted.

Against the Dying of the Light - 2745 words

Turn Your Face to the Sun - 1752 words.

Here I Go Again - 1144 words

Total words this month: 8082

Total words this year: 35,551

[t4yce]

yuri on the main stage in drag race down under 02.02

[artificialqueens]

San Francisco (Branjie) - Poppedthep

AN: Spoilers for the finale! Brooke and Vanjie the night [spoiler] wins. Slight AU of seating positions if you’ve seen the top four queens reaction video.

This is my first time posting here! If you enjoy this will likely be more on my AO3 account soon, under this author name. But wanted to come join in and post on AQ at least once as I enjoy the fic from everyone on here! Hello :)

Brooke is holding Vanjie’s hand when they find out Yvie wins.

Brooke is on the couch with the four, right hand on Yvie’s knee, Yvie’s on hers, both squeezing tight.

Jose is perched on the arm next to them with a drink, in boy clothes. He managed to blag his way in there with them, of course. No one says no to Vanjie.

He’s kept his distance all night, showing love to all the girls equally, but in the last second as Ru says “the winner of RuPaul’s Drag Race, America’s next Drag Superstar is…” Brooke feels Jose’s hand slip into her free one, linking their fingers and squeezing. She squeezes back, grateful, and doesn’t look away from the screen, tells herself whatever happens she’ll be okay.

And she is. Jose screams and hugs Yvie with the rest of the four, and then hugs Brooke longer and tighter, leaving an arm around her waist, waiting until everyone is following Yvie out and no one is looking at them to catch her eye and mouth “You okay?”

Brooke nods and forces her smile even bigger, just to reassure him. She is. Of course she’s a little disappointed, that’s natural, but she’d sort of felt it coming. Suspected it. She’s made her peace with it.

Everyone goes out to the viewing party to watch the crowning, mingle, take photos. As soon as they get out there Brooke is hugging Courtney, who can’t stop crying. Jose runs off to shop his Levis freebies, floating around in those red plaid pants like a snack.

Brooke Lynn smiles graciously, makes the rounds accepting hugs and drinks and congratulations and compliments, as beautifully poised as though she is wearing the crown. A pageant-perfect good-natured runner up.

Brock is proud of what he’s done. He’s grateful for everything. There are good things ahead and he’ll be fine.

“Look at you,” Jose comes over and perches next to him on a bar stool later, when most people have left, plopping his big Levis bag on the bar. In this position his head is above Brooke’s and he leans down and says,

“You my winner,” against her cheek.

“Don’t tell none of them other hos,” into her ear.

He links his hands around Brooke’s neck and Brooke turns her face into Jose’s collarbone, smiling at the familiar warmth, resting her arms around his waist in their easy cuddle.

“Look at him,” Jose says to apparently no one, gazing at her fondly, possibly tipsy.

Jose looks down and back up quickly, mischief and invitation in his eyes.

“Want me to make you feel like the winner tonight?” he flashes a conspiratorial smile, all teeth and cuteness, speaking low enough the people passing on their way out can’t hear.

“Don’t you even worry baby,” he growls, wicked but soft, “I’m bout to make you feel like the real queen.”

He’s definitely not sober but aware of what he’s doing, shades of comforting and caretaking making his eyes soft beneath the mischief, even as his hand slips down the open back of Brooke’s gown to squeeze the top of her ass under the padding.

They’ve done it plenty of times when they’ve spent time together since the break up. More often lately since they’ve been seeing each other a lot. Now they’re on tour together it looks like there’ll be more ahead.

But Jose is sick today. Sore throat, stuffy nose, congested head, medicated and powering through it. No one could tell, he’s looking like distractingly fine trade in tight red plaid that leaves nothing to the imagination, but Brooke knows he’s not feeling his best.

“No, you’re sick, you don’t have to do that,” she protests, indignant on his behalf.

“I’m fine Mary,” Jose insists, “My pussy ready to pop twenty four seven, you know that. Don’t got to get ready if you stay ready,” he winks.

But he also sniffles and he smells like menthol throat sweets and he doesn’t insist very hard. Brooke can tell it’s more about being there for her in case her ego needs it than Jose really wanting it tonight.

“No, you rest up, get your beauty sleep,” she teases and she already knows what’s coming when Jose clicks his tongue and quips,

“Bitch I don’t need no beauty sleep. Look at this mug! Born beautiful, catch that” and snaps his fingers above their heads.

“That leopard catsuit though,” Brooke grabs his hip and gives him what she knows is a dangerously appreciative look but she just spent an hour rewatching how good Vanjie looked in that skin tight leopard print.

“Yeah?” Jose smirks proudly, pursing his lips, popping a shoulder.

“Yeah,” Brooke laughs, “And you know it,” she teases, “My best dressed.”

Jose tilts his head and purses his lips again smugly.

“Damn right I know it. Your best drag queen. Winner of Season Eleven. Cut the check, bitch!” he snaps the air again and Brooke laughs instinctively.

“Right. This tired old lady needs to get to bed,” Brooke detangles herself before they get any further into flirting.

She gives Jose a big kiss on the cheek and says, “Thanks though. Love you,” only avoiding his lips because she doesn’t want to get sick.

Jose says “Love you too,” tilting his head and watching her leave from the bar stool with the same tipsy, fond gaze.

He’s very cute. It blows Brooke’s mind how Jose can look like such trade out of drag when he’s such a pretty woman as Vanjie.

Brooke waves “Feel better,” blowing another kiss over her shoulder and heads back to her room to listen to Nina’s album on Spotify again with Courtney.

Hours later it’s two am. Courtney left at eleven and Brock is in bed but can’t sleep. He stares at the ceiling, his thoughts racing with what’s to come next. It’s hard to plan for. It’s so unknown. It’s all good things on the horizon but he feels a looming dread for no rational reason. The crown would have given more structure and certainty to his post-show path. Things will still be good, he knows they will, but there are so many unknown variables now.

He really needs to sleep. They’re flying early, have Vancouver tomorrow night. He can’t make his brain turn off. The dread is growing, forming into anxiety.

He needs a distraction from his racing thoughts. The best distraction he knows conveniently happens to be staying a few doors down.

Brock doesn’t want to bother him at two am when he’s sick. But he did offer earlier…..

He tries to sleep for twenty more minutes before he gives in and texts Jose:

Hey, are you awake?

Am now bitch. Whats up?

Wanna come visit for a bit?

Minutes later Jose knocks his door. Brock answers shirtless in sleep sweats, not bothering to turn on any lights other than the bedside lamp.

Jose is in boxers with a robe loosely around his shoulders and raises his eyebrows when Brock opens the door, running his eyes down Brock’s chest to the v above his sweats.

“Change your mind?” he smirks.

Brock opens the door wider to let him in before answering, wary of not giving anyone the chance to spot him there and get even more involved in their personal lives than everyone is already.

Jose scoots past him smirking, keeping eye contact, their hips brushing with just sheer cotton between them. Given that they mostly touch in drag these days, it’s overstimulation. His dick twitches involuntarily and for a moment he’s overwhelmed with wanting to grab Jose, run his hands all over him.

But he really didn’t ask him to come over for sex. Jose is sick. He’s in a weird headspace. Neither of them are really in the mood for it. He just knows the spirit that is Vanjie will be able to distract him from his thoughts, lighten his mood.

“No,” he laughs, “I didn’t change my mind.”

Jose’s eyebrows shoot higher, doubting.

“I swear,” he protests. “I just couldn’t sleep. Wanna talk for a bit?”

“Okay,” Jose nods warily, getting softer and more serious, waiting to see what Brock needs from him.

“We can get in bed if you want. Then you can fall asleep if I’m boring you,” Brock says.

Jose huffs a laugh and says, “Okay,” again, and gets in the left side of the bed, the side he always used to take, putting his phone face down on the bedside table.

Brock slips in the other side. They lie down on the starchy hotel pillows and turn to face each other.

“So how you feelin?” Jose asks softly, looking him over.

“Good. Weird,” Brock shrugs.

Jose nods and sniffles, suppresses a cough.

“Are you okay?” concern makes Brock’s voice soft.

“Mmhmm,” Jose answers, shifting on the pillow, sniffling a bit more. Brock reaches to the bedside table and hands him a tissue.

“Thanks,” Jose blows his nose.

“Sorry to get you out of bed when you’re sick,” Brock’s voice is naturally soft and gets softer with worry. Jose never doesn’t look good, but he’s starting to look noticeably sick. Brock will feel bad if he’s sicker tomorrow because of him.

“We in bed now, ho,“ Jose has a small smile. “Anyway I don’t mind. Wasn’ really sleeping.”

Brock feels an involuntary smile spread and he was right about his choice of distraction.

“You better keep them nasty toes over there, though, or I ain’t being held responsible for my actions,” Jose jokes, pleased when Brock properly laughs.

He lasts all of two minutes on the opposite side of the bed before he scoots over to Jose like a cat for a cuddle.

Jose opens his arms and Brock shuffles down and rests his head on Jose’s smooth chest, feeling arms wrap tightly around him.

He just breathes there for a moment, calmer, safer, comforted already.

“Don’t freak out. You did so good. I’m proud of you. Everybody proud.” Jose says soothingly. His hand strokes across the tired muscles in Brock’s back.

“You gonna be fine. You’ll get so many gigs. People love you.” His hand strokes through Brock’s hair, scratching at his scalp and Brock leans into it, rubbing his cheek against Jose’s chest.

“Thanks,” he sighs softly. “It’s just not knowing. Everything starts now and I want to make the most of it, do the best I can. I don’t want to miss anything or fuck anything up or…” he exhales his perfectionist frustrations with himself in a sigh.

“You won’t fuck anything up. You’re amazing,” the rhythm of Jose’s hand in his hair and the lull of his voice is relaxing. The certainty in it makes him feel strong, makes him believe him. Something about his energy just oozes positivity around them, even when he’s not making jokes.

“Take it one thing at a time. Gotta slay this tour first. You will, you’re fierce. Keep doin them Lives talkin it up with the fans. You good at that.”

The pads of Jose’s fingers draw circles on Brock’s scalp and he feels like he could purr.

“Then we going to Europe with Miss Nina West. Girls on tour. Girls gone wild! London baby!” Jose’s voice gets playfully raucous and Brock looks up and sees Jose looking down at him hopefully, trying to make him smile, so he does. Jose blows him a kiss in the air. Brock blows one back and settles his head back down.

Jose plays with his hair in silence for a while. The hotel mini fridge hums. As though he senses Brock’s intrusive thoughts starting to creep back Jose starts talking again softly,

“You not on your own. You got an amazing team. You got Steve and Courtney and your mom. You got Plastique, Nina, Rajah, Tynomi. Gia, Brynn, Farah, all your friends,” his breath hitches slightly before adding, “And me.”

“Thanks, Big Guy,” Brock sighs again, softer. The nickname slips out accidentally, he feels Jose twitch involuntarily at it beneath him. He presses a kiss into Jose’s chest and feels Jose kiss the top of his head.

“We all believe in you. You a winner baby. And I done this shit before. I’ll help you.” Jose’s fingertips smooth over his brow, flattening out invisible lines before dipping back into his hair.

“Thanks,” Brock murmurs again, truly grateful. “You’ve already helped me so much already,” he says on a yawn.

His thoughts are finally quietening down and allowing him to get sleepy. He yawns again into Jose’s warm skin.

“Get excited, bitch. This gonna be a good year,” Jose sniffles again. Brock feels his chest shake as he suppresses a cough.

“Yeah, it is,” Brock wills himself to believe it. He stretches to the bedside table to hand Jose another tissue. The air away from Jose is so much colder, even just those few inches of bed, and he feels immediately relieved to snuggle back down close.

“It’s gonna be good,“ he repeats to himself.

"Gonna be real good, bitch,” Jose is yawning now too.

He falls asleep not long after on Jose’s chest, lulled by gentle affirmations and gentle fingers on his scalp.

[romansrace]

Drag Race Down Under: did the producers REALLY think we would stan Scarlet?

Several episodes now,but most notably episode 7, have seemed to really lean into 'poor Scarlet being hard done by by those nasty Kiwi girls' at multiple points. I think at this stage most of us are resistant watchers &/ coming in and taking our own interpretation of events. But what the show portrayed to us was essentially:

Kita winning the mini challenge and using it to behind Scarlet's back screw Scarlet out of the placement that she wanted

Elektra and Kita conspiring together to disadvantage Scarlet (implied: the deserving front-runner)

Elektra alleging all season that if it came down to it, she could out-dance/out-perform Scarlet but being proved wrong, and it being hammered home by all the judges that she is just worse all round at drag than Scarlet. While the cast when asked who deserves to go home suspiciously don't bring up Karen's poor track record, Art's prior elimination or Scarlet's racism

Elektra and Kita getting 'what they deserved' for trying to disadvantage Scarlet by then appearing in the B2 together while Scarlet won

To me watching, as someone for whom Elektra and Kita are both very sympathetic, the narrative seemed to be setting itself up to be Elektra and Kita overcoming an overconfident rival. But the judging and the overall result - as well as the framing week on week - suggests that that wasn't the intended interpretation at all!

And that's only the start of how the Kiwi girls have been portrayed as villains 'breaking in' to Ru's originally conceived Drag Race Australia.

Is this Drag Race finally going full mask-off?

[dragracecentral]

Art Simone in G'day, G'day, G'day [ 1.01 ]