I have been waiting for this for a while now. RuPaul's Drag Race Season 4 is underway as of last night and it should come as no surprise that I have been Team Needles since the first images were released. Toss in her initial bio video and call it a religion. In case you haven't seen it, it's worth pulling out the headphones and trying to stifle your laughter in a quiet library to no avail.






Last night, the queens showed up for the first meeting in the workroom and it was easy for me to pick out who else I've got my eye on and who's just annoying as hell. I love that big queen, Latrice Royale. Don't get her confused with Vogue editor-at-large, Andre Leon Talley. I want to see more from The Princess the way I saw Nina Flowers from Season 1 in the coming weeks and I feel assured that we will get that and more. Milan and Kenya seem like they have enough personality and beauty to do well, but I'm not getting attached. And I have to say I was fortunate to meet Chad Michaels last summer when she made a stop in Tuscaloosa for an event and not only is she a beauty and a flawless Cher impersonator, she was extremely genuine and no diva. I offered to carry her stuff for her and she politely declined and hauled her shit ton of equipment off into the darkness. Now she may have just thought this queen was going to run to the hills with all of her sequins if I got as much as a pinky toe near her stuff, but she was definitely a sweetheart and I think we will see her do very well and show the judges more than just an impersonator.

I will say the first mini-challenge was a photoshoot with daddy star-photographer Mike Ruiz in what resembled a shitty imitation of the McQueen S/S '99 runway installation featuring model Shalom Harlow. The winner of the challenge, Jiggly Caliente, was NO Harlow though. Fortunately, the real challenge of the week was the "Post-Rupocalyptic Couture" runway challenge. Everyone at Team Needles headquarters looked at each other and said, "Our bitch got this shit." And she delivered. You will have the episode on LOGO for the full effect, but I'm very pleased with how the season started. Sharon won the first week and some boring queen with a breast-plate left to be forgotten by 5 minutes ago. It's officially on my list to get up to Philly to party with Sharon whether she wins the competition or not. Catch next week's episode at 8 p.m. on LOGO!





Over and Out,
CampusQueer