Today I’ll focus on RuPaul’s – er – Canada’s Drag Race, sorry still getting used to that.
Indeed, although the Crave original series Canada’s Drag Race, which premiered on July 2, is lacking the iconic host from the smash-hit RuPaul’s Drag Race (and the boatload of supplementary spin-offs), Canada’s effort remains strong.
Don’t get me wrong – I’m a little bitter the hilarious and charismatic RuPaul didn’t show up for Canada, other than some pre-recorded video hits, but we’ll take what we can get. (Canada’s Drag Race was filmed last year in Toronto, pre-COVID).
Worse still, RuPaul was there for RuPaul’s Drag Race U.K., but again, yes, I digress.
OK, with all of that bitter jealousy out of the way, I have to hand it to Crave: It has delivered a pretty solid Drag Race offering so far, although we’re only two episodes in as of this writing.
What is Canada’s Drag Race? Quick synopsis: 12 Canadian drag artists compete against each other in a series of challenges which range from design to dancing, comedy and more for the title of Canada’s Next Drag Superstar, $100,000 and a smattering of other prizes.
Each week one of the bottom queens is eliminated in a dramatic lip sync battle, where the panel of judges decide who gets to stay and which one sashays away. In the end, there can only be one.
I’ll admit I was cringing a little bit leading up to this, terrified Canada’s take on the series would lack polish and rely too heavily on cheesy Canadianisms (don’t worry, those are there), but so far it’s holding its own in the Drag Race pantheon.
It helps that the queens in the maiden season are really funny, each one bringing their own style to the art form.
One of the highlights is seeing how quickly they bonded over shared struggles and challenges they’ve faced as queer performers and using drag as a way to express themselves.
A particularly poignant moment from the second episode was Anastarzia Anaquway sharing their experience of being gay in The Bahamas, revealing they were shot multiple times because of their sexual orientation before seeking asylum in Canada. The fellow queens quickly shower them with love and it’s hard not to get choked up at that moment.
The challenges so far have been pretty in-line with other Drag Race shows, with a bit of a Canadian twist. For instance, in the second episode, the queens had to perform in comedic Canadian heritage moments, a dragged-up version of the iconic Historica Heritage Minutes.
Despite the show’s initial highs, there remains an obvious vacuum left by RuPaul’s absence. Canada’s Drag Race attempts to have three hosts/judges in the place of one. Although the majority of hosting duties seem to go to RuPaul’s Drag Race season 11 runner-up and proud Canuck Brooke Lynne Hytes, the two other judges, actor Jeffrey Bower-Chapman and model Stacey MacKenzie also vie for screen-time.
The guest host/judge each week also does the runway walk leading up to the elimination round, also kind of standing in for RuPaul’s role, so really four people are trying to do one person’s job, just like when CBC rebooted The National.
Next time around I hope they just have one of the three permanent hosts/judges take the lead and let the other two support.
Still, I’m glad Canada is doing Drag Race proud, even without RuPaul at the helm.
Last One Laughing
You know how sometimes out of sheer curiosity or boredom you click a random show to see how things go? That’s how I discovered the surprisingly brilliant Last One Laughing Australia on Amazon Prime Video.
Hosted by Rebel Wilson, 10 Australian comedians are locked in a room for six hours with the sole mission of not laughing, while trying to get their fellow comedians to bust a gut. The winner gets $100,000 in the end.
It seemed like a neat concept and I was blown away by just how funny the contestants were. I’m not super knowledgeable on the Australian comedy scene, but you don’t have to be at all to enjoy it.
The tension comes from not being able to laugh, which then makes the person want to laugh even more. Seeing them cringe and try to avoid eye contact, while insane antics are happening all around the room is so deliciously fun to watch. The marvelous Australian accents, clever bits and outrageous costumes add to the fun.
Caution, there is some partial nudity and the room they’re locked in becomes so filthy it’s a little hard to look at, but still worth it.
Floor is lava
Speaking of boredom, the Netflix Algorithm decided I might enjoy Floor is Lava, a silly competition show where teams compete in obstacle courses where the floor bubbles and bursts in fiery red liquid.
It’s obviously based on the childhood game – pretending the floor is lava and using counters, couches, anything to avoid touching the ground.
It’s cute for a bit and the courses themselves are cleverly designed, but it just gets kind of boring and repetitive after a few episodes. The constant, blistering commentary from the show’s host Rutledge Wood doesn’t help.
This one is safe to skip unless you really want some mindless fun, which I can understand given the state of the world right now.
Have a show you want me to check out or review, feel free to reach out via email or Twitter
