Drag Race Down Under, part of the popular RuPaul’s Drag Race franchise, is filming in New Zealand. In their own words, local drag talent share what drag means to them and how it might be impacted by the show. RuPaul’s Drag Race is, quite simply, a television phenomenon. Love it or hate it, it has … Read more
We’re only a few weeks into the year, and already there are two new seasons of Drag Race. Are we in danger of reaching peak Drag Race? In the first month of this year, there’s been more RuPaul’s Drag Race than ever. The 13th season of the flagship US version debuted on January 2nd, the … Read more
They’re here, they’re queer, and they’re at a precipice of a new frontier in both entertainment and performance. We’re Here is the new Neon show that takes drag out of the city and into small town America, writes Dejan Jotanovic. Drag, as an artform, isn’t by any means new. It was common practice in Elizabethan … Read more
Sam Brooks recaps the third episode of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK, and wonders why some of these queens don’t know how to sew. This episode asks, and sort of answers the main question that millions of people across the world: why would you come on Drag Race and not know how to sew?! There is always a … Read more
Start your Chitty-Chitty Bang Bangs and may the best lady win! Sam Brooks recaps the first episode of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK. I still can’t believe this spin-off actually happened. What a world we live in. My first observation: RuPaul absolutely loves England and finds everything about it hilarious. This show is stuffed with more puns than … Read more
Every single Lip Sync For Your Life/Legacy, ranked. “Two queens stand before me. Ladies this is your last chance to impress me and save yourself from elimination. The time has come for you to Lip Sync For Your Life. Good luck and don’t fuck it up!” No, it’s not Game of Thrones. Eleven regular seasons, … Read more
We review the entire country and culture of New Zealand, one thing at a time. Today, Alex Casey and Jihee Junn give their thoughts on Dragfest 2019. With the growing mainstream success of RuPaul’s Drag Race has also come a deluge of drag superstars visiting New Zealand to perform in front of glittered-up and sold … Read more
Ahead of taking the stage for Dragfest in Auckland, RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars winner Trinity the Tuck spills the tea on All Stars, Caitlyn Jenner, and the truth behind Taylor Swift’s new music video. Trinity the Tuck can do it all. She can lipsync, she can dance, she can serve looks, and for a … Read more
Season 11 of RuPaul’s Drag Race comes to an end tonight, leaving a void in the souls of its massive fandom. But don’t put away your merch money yet – there are plenty of local acts waiting to steal your heart. In the immortal words of Jasmine Masters, RuPaul has fucked up drag. With the … Read more
Alex Casey talks to Courtney Act, host of Bravo’s The Bi Life, about her brand of political activism in the most unlikely of places – reality television. I don’t know if there is some kind of EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony) equivalent for reality television but, if there is, Courtney Act is already making her … Read more
At the end of a long week of anger and sorrow, you may need something soothing from your TV screen. If that’s the case, we can help. After the horrific events of last Friday in Christchurch, writing about television seems frivolous. But, if we use the power of television for good, it can offer us … Read more
New Zealand has its own drag reality show now, House of Drag – but how does it fare under the mighty shadow of RuPaul’s Drag Race? Sam Brooks tunes in. Once in a generation, a piece of work comes along that is so much of landmark, so much of a game-changer, that everything that comes along after … Read more
Alex Casey visits the chaotic House of Drag mansion, and meets the dragstars changing the face of local reality TV. At the end of the winding driveway of the House of Drag mansion, we are met with two drag queens luxuriating in nude underwear, eating cheeseburgers and dangling their feet in the enormous fountain. It … Read more
They’re the lost seasons of RuPaul’s Drag Race, but now they’re back for New Zealand’s viewing pleasure. Sam Brooks rounds up the early-episode moments that continue to live on in infamy. Season One, Episode One: Porkchop Porkchop! There are many reasons that Drag Race is remarkable, and one of them is that the first queen who … Read more
Been living under a proverbial rock for the past ten years and have never heard of RuPaul’s Drag Race? Don’t worry, Sam Brooks has you covered. Okay, so first up: A lot of you will know what Drag Race is. You will be obsessed with it already. You have a top five favourite queen, you have an opinion … Read more
Alex Casey interviews world famous drag queen Courtney Act, star of Guy Sebastian-era Australian Idol and runner-up on RuPaul’s Drag Race. I had a Transparent-style mic drop moment when I was informed by a friend that Courtney Act’s name was a pun. Cou-rt-ney Act. Coouurr tttnee Aaactt. CAUGHT IN THE ACT. With my mind in … Read more
It’s smartly written, hilariously weird and gloriously LGBT-positive. Sam Brooks explains why Ru-Paul’s Drag Race is the most uplifting reality show on television. “Gentlemen, start your engines! And may the best woman win!” How do you cover a show like RuPaul’s Drag Race, a show about to go into its eighth season with its own … Read more