RuPaul’s Drag Race season 10 episode 6 review: Drag Con Panel Extravaganza

On this week’s RuPaul’s Drag Race, the remaining queens had to prepare their own Drag Con panel and prove they could work an audience. But unfortunately, most of the girls fell flat on their painted faces.

As it is with every show, some weeks are better than others. On this week’s RuPaul’s Drag Race, I felt a little underwhelmed with all the panels, and honestly, kinda bored.

In theory, a challenge where they had to do a Drag Con panel sounded great. Not only was it practice for the queens who actually go to Drag Con, but it was a chance for them so show off their knowledge, while also being funny. The queens, in pairs of three, had to do a panel on either Hair, Face, or Body, then do a demonstration, and also take questions from a live studio audience.

Pretty much only one team managed to be both informative and funny, and handled the audience question with poise. That was Team Body.

Nobody wanted to be paired with Monet or Kameron for this challenge, because Monet was in the bottom two weeks in a row, and Kameron is quiet as hell in the workroom. They aren’t exactly the two best people to be with during a competition. But Eureka, who is known to talk way too much, decided she would take the rejects and they would do their panel on Body.

Once they got out on that stage, I was pleasantly surprised. Kameron proved in last week’s Bossy Rossy challenge that she is definitely funny, even if she’s not as big of a personality as someone like Eureka. But all three queens came out prepared. They each explained exactly how they pad their body to get their feminine shape, and the different challenges they all face. Kameron, for example, is the self-proclaimed “bodybuilder Barbie” so she has to exaggerate her padding to get that womanly figure and hide her muscles.

Say it together now: Proportionizing!

And I hate to say this, but Eureka nailed her role as mediator. She really kept things on track and overall, was just really charismatic. She didn’t talk over anyone or go on any tangents, or try too hard to be funny. When it came to the audience question, which came completely out of nowhere, she answered with confidence and without hesitation.

A man in the audience asked about the importance of drag queens in this political climate (clearly not related to padding your hips, but whatevs).

Without even a stutter, Eureka said it perfectly:

"I think in this political climate right now, we’re all afraid. For us, to escape maybe the trials and tribulations we went through in our lives, we do drag to celebrate ourselves, our femininity. People celebrate drag with us because it’s a way for them to escape, and a way for them to belong. In the political climate we’re in right now, none of us feel like we belong, truly."

Unfortunately, the other two teams had a tough act to follow, and they didn’t live up to those expectations.

Team Face had to discuss their makeup routines and give a makeup demonstration on a member of the Pit Crew, and they tried their best. They all discussed how they got into doing their own makeup and how they perfected their skills, which was good, but they didn’t have that same friendly banter as Team Body. However, Monique was hilarious the entire time.

I feel bad for Monique. Like she said in Untucked, this was another challenge where she could prove herself. However, she ended up in the middle of the pack again. If she had been on another team, like Team Body, with people more her speed, I have no doubt she could’ve won this challenge.

Then they got to their makeup demonstration and that’s when things unraveled. Monique demonstrated how to put on a blinding highlight. Then Asia and Aquaria were both doing demonstrations… at the same time. They tried to do way too much and were switching between each other at a breakneck speed.

For Team Hair, it only got worse. Right off the bat, it was awkward and uncoordinated. Blair kept disappearing into the background because Cracker and The Vixen are such strong personalities. But they didn’t shine either. They tried to be shady towards each other, but instead of coming off as funny, it read as mean.

Both Cracker and The Vixen are experts on the mic. Thus, they should know better than that, especially when they’re paired off with someone as sweet as Blair. In the end, they didn’t even really demonstrate anything. They barely talked about wigs, and they didn’t teach the audience anything, which was the whole point of this challenge!

That maxi challenge felt like it lasted hours, which isn’t a good thing. I’ve been watching this show for years, and it’s never a good thing when you’re bored watching a bunch of drag queens. Luckily, most of them redeemed themselves on the runway, where the theme was “Hat’s Incredible!” (Get it?)

Kameron was serving some Lady Gaga realness with an orbiting headpiece that was spinning around her head. Her outfit was a basic bodysuit and cape, but that headpiece really elevated the look. Monet kind of just resembled your grandma in her Sunday best going to church, but being on the winning team meant at least she was safe.

Once again Aquaria pulled out a unique look on the runway, solidifying the fact that the girl knows how to conceive a great outfit. She was dressed as a magician’s bunny, complete with a top hat and a very Cabaret-esque pantsuit.

For once, Asia didn’t come out in a tacky, mixed-pattern neon mess! She had a full dandelion headpiece and blew some dandelion fuzzies on the stage. Unfortunately, her dress was kind of blah, but everyone was too busy looking at the extravagant weed on her head (which I still lowkey loved).

It was no surprise that Cracker, The Vixen, and Blair were the losing team. Even after pouring out her heart to the judges about her traumatic sexual assault experience, Blair still found herself in the bottom two. The Vixen thought it would be Cracker in the bottom, but her outfit definitely pushed her over the edge.

Cracker was very elegant in an Eliza Doolittle inspired costume and a hat made of hair. The Vixen was in an outfit that was homemade and definitely looked it. Her looks never wow us, and this one looked especially unpolished. Her silhouettes are always similar. It’s always a bunch of things thrown onto a cheap bra or bodysuit. She should be doing better at this point, and the judges must agree because she was in the bottom right next to Blair.

It’s sad to see Blair go home, especially after her tearful confession to the judges. However, The Vixen knows how to stomp down a stage. She’s from the ball scene, so I knew right away that she would fight for her spot in this competition. It was a close call, though. Blair certainly wasn’t giving up, and she really gave it her all for her lip sync to Diana Ross’ iconic song “I’m Coming Out”, but I guess it wasn’t enough.

Thankfully, next week is Snatch Game, the moment we’ve all been waiting for all season. It definitely feels much later this season, but hopefully ,it’s a good one.Some queens can pick someone completely out of left field, like BenDeLaCreme’s Maggie Smith or Jinkx Monsoon’s Little Edie, and make them absolutely hilarious.

None of the queens this season are really known for their impersonations, like a Derrick Barry, Chad Michaels, or Coco Montrese. So, it’ll be interesting to see who these girls pull out. And to quote the ancient RuPaul proverb: can they make it funny?

Related Story: RuPaul’s Drag Race season 10 episode 5 review: The Bossy Rossy Show

Random Ruflections

• The whole episode I just kept thinking, “why isn’t it Snatch Game yet?!”
• “Walk into the club merch first!” – RuPaul
• “Sitting On A Secret” has to be one of the weirdest mini challenges ever. Why are they sitting on fish and marshmallows and fax machines?
• RuPaul, to actual 9-year-old Blair St. Clair: “I didn’t want to cuss in front of you.”
• Kameron finally got more screen time this week! She’s so brave for sharing her struggles with having muscles.
• “Monique Heart, the heart of season 10.” Monique is already campaigning for Miss Congeniality, and she has my vote.
• Asia O’Hara on her days as a Chanel makeup artist: “Day in and day out in Dallas, I was putting rouge on 70-year-old white women. And now I am a 70-year-old white woman.”
• Proof that Blair is really a child: “Let me take you back to three years ago, when I was 6 years old.”
• If these are the panels we can expect at Drag Con, you might want to return your tickets now.
• I think Aquaria’s bunny look might be one of the best of the season, tied with her looks from the Ball episode.
• Thank God Snatch Game is next week.
• And Bianca Del Rio is making an appearance! Werk!