Spilling all of that 'Regency Period' tea, 'Bridgerton' continues to serve us opulent gowns and scandalous love affairs! Representing style and history, that 'Netflix' series serves 'High Camp!' Another Italian 'Drag Queen' smackdown? Yes! Shine bright like a what? Oh, smile why don't you?! That 'Renaissance Period' painting needed to crack her 'Mona Lisa' face! Oh, that's Drag!
Whalebone corsets galore, those cinched waists rivaled many a queen from that famous reality tv show 'Race!' Serving 'Regency' flare from the 1800's, 'Bridgerton' came into our lives during 2020, it was like a dose of much needed scandal! Distracted by the salacious statements made by 'Lady Whistledown', Bridgerton S1 showcased opulence by the coach load and I'm talking about the horse-drawn kind! Dripping in jewels, serving 'Her Royal Highness', 'Queen Charlotte' welcomed the dedicated debutantes to their first ball of the season. Set within grandeur, the elaborate ballroom party scenes allowed us to escape from the Lockdown life we were all living during that 2020 period of time. Known for her role in 'Derry Girls', 'Nicole Coughlan' played a very different character for sure! What did she have to hide? She did like putting her quill to parchment an awful lot! Was 'Madame Delacroix' even French? No, she wasn't! That French sounding dressmaker made her coins by acting like she was from Paris! Oh, the shade of it all!
Season One had taken our breaths away with scandalous love scenes, haste to say 'Daphne Bridgerton' married the right man! Season Two stayed true to the formula, this period show had put actors and actresses of color at the forefront of the production and with a second serving we wanted more! Representation for all! Who were those sisters from India? Looking for a husband for 'Edwina Sharma', the young Indian princess arrived at their new residency with her sister and mother. 'Kate Sharma', older sister to Edwina would show us the true meaning of 'forbidden love' as she found herself falling madly in love with 'Anthony, Viscount Bridgerton' even though the union wasn't destined at first for them. The same grandeur was served second time around, throughout the trials of that second rodeo, 'Lady Whistledown' revealed her identity to the viewers! An Irish lilt did we hear? Secrets and lies, secrets and lies! The sisters told their truth and Kate got her Viscount in the end! South Asian representation for the win! Drag it up for S3!
Exactly one year on from the debut season, 'Drag Race Italia' returned to my 'World Of Wonder Plus' screen! Season 2 possessed ten queens with the addition of an extra two episodes, keeping me glued to that European franchise across eight weeks rather than the originally aired six. Returning the judges did for the second time, just as savage and cutting like they had all been during the first season. Of course, it felt correct to see 'Chiara Francini' return! Photo challenges, Italian food inspired runways and much more transpired during the second screening of Drag Race Italia, I wanted more! Dressing up like Italian icons, 'Little Italy' saw the queens pull out their best 'food and art' themed runway concepts. An acting challenge? Yes, the queens pulled off a dramatic 'television drama' maxi-challenge for the win. Those lip-syncs were fierce, no crumbs were left on that main-stage runway! Fortune telling? Oh, they invited the queens from season one to have their palms read like professionals. No 'Enorma Jean?' Italia, that was some shade!
'Narciso' became the first queen to sashay away with 'Tanissa Yonce' signing her lipstick message not long after. 'Obama' became Italia's first queen of colour, her time on the race was much needed! Obama bowed out third. Snatch Game had me gagged once again, the second Italian edition felt less chaotic but 'Nehellenia' turned up the energy! Horoscope reading 'Panthera Virus' certainly did not! May the 'fourth' be with Panthera! A RuPaul themed 'Rusical' did not witness an elimination! I loved the sport inspired 'football team' makeover challenge, winning looks on the runway I did see but 'Gioffré' left the race with their mask firmly on! Hula-hooping whilst applying make-up? Yes, that mini-challenge was something else! 'Skandalove' bowed out just before the final four was announced, she had made a great comeback! The grand finale was strong, all four queens deserved that final episode for different reasons. 'Nehellenia', 'La Petite Noire' and 'Aura Eternal' served it right! Oh, I knew that 'La Diamond' would be victorious! S3?
Another Drag reference from my time spent in Paris, France? Why the hell not?! Try me! During my first morning in Paris I started my 'Destination' pursuit with a visit to the 'Lourve' to see a rather 'sullen portrait!' Famous for serving 'resting bitch face? Absolutely that! Queuing with the rest of those tourists, I was very sure that we all had one common goal to see the world famous 'Mona Lisa!' How Camp! Really? Yes! Elusive this painted lady continues to be, the 'Mona Lisa' was reportedly painted between 1503 and 1519. Sorry, but the girls on the 'Race' barely get 45 minutes to put their mug on but 'Miss Lisa' followed different rules! I swerve those 'Meet & Greets' because I don't want to put myself through that, I broke those morals because I thought about joining the line to witness the 'unimpressed' expression of the 'Mona Lisa'. Was I mad?! Quite possibly so! Speed walking like a maniac, I and the other hundred visitors to the Lourve headed for the 'Denon Wing' to see her. No, Lisa wouldn't be cracking no smiles for me! Rude!
Mad as it sounded, that 2022 version of the Mona Lisa stood behind glass casing because such people before us had lost their damn senses! I hate people sometimes! A replica? Sure, the version that was being served to us at the Lourve stood as a replica, where was the original hiding? Did she even exist? Honestly speaking, I wanted to know more about the woman, Lisa! Who was she? After some research, I found out that this 'Renaissance Period' painting took the image of Italian noblewoman, 'Lisa Gheradini'. Mysteriously, Lisa kept things on a level because little is known about her life during her 15th century existence. It's actually maddening to think how much hysteria this painting causes, the journey was chaotic to reach that painting for all but 30 seconds of viewing time. Lisa continues to look like she has been told major gossip with that mysteriously amused face that she serves forevermore. An icon? Miss Mona Lisa is a money-maker for Paris, clocking that grimace, she knows her worth! I'm sure of it! Mona Lisa, smile?
As 2023 waited in the wings, 2022 had one final 'Drag Race' season to serve us! 'Canada's Drag Race: Canada VS The World' turned up the music, the category was very much 'Disco Fever!' Featuring queens from four franchises within the 'Drag Race' machine, 'Canada VS The World' served Canadian, American, Kiwi and British talent for our nerve, it was a shame not to see a returning queen from Holland! 'Rita Baga', 'Stephanie Prince', 'Icesis Couture' and 'Kendall Gender' were ready to represent their Canadian maple leaf nation on home soil. Down Under's own 'Anita Wig'lit' manifested the hell out of that 'AllStars' dream once she sashayed away from her season in 2021! Her dreams came true with a whole lot of disco thrown in for good measure. Getting their 'Rudemption', both hailing from 'RuPaul's Drag Race UK Season 3, 'Vanity Milan' and 'Victoria Scone' had unfinished business to deal with. Oh yes, they did! From the good old 'U.S of A', 'AllStars 6' icons 'Silky Nutmeg Ganache' and 'Rajah O'Hara' both 'Ru-turned' again!
Diving right into things, Ru always says that reading is 'fundamental' but their 'Reading Challenge' was one for the books! No, it really was! The Snatch Game used the same format as 'UK Vs The World' had done, if truth be told it wasn't half as chaotic once played out in Canada! Trust! 'Rita Baga' brought the camp during those winning lip-syncs! 'Victoria Scone' broke down boundaries with her 'Fabio' Drag King extravaganza on the runway! The sisterhood came together when former winner 'Icesis Couture' called time on her return experience due to mental health reasons. 'Spy Queens' had me laughing out loud, that stunt pulled by 'Silky' had me in stitches! The runways were top tier and Brooklyn took notes, she did! Something felt more together with this second installment of the 'VS The World' series. Alliances were made, the closeness remained and thankfully there was no 'Pangina/Blu/Jimbo craziness like the UK served! With the UK and Canada through, I am sure Ru said 'Global AllStars?' Oh, I want more!
11 Drag Race Seasons In 2022? Yes!
Desperately Seeking Adventure
