Catch up on episodes one, two, three, four and five.
It was not a night for the faint of heart.
The Dragula Ball (inspired by The Boulet Brothers’ Dragula, a drag competition show for horror/alternative queens, kings and beings) was the most gripping, nutso, disgusting thing I’ve ever seen — and it was everything.
The top five created three looks for three categories: Glamour, Horror and Filth. While talking with Judge Beep Beep outside, I realized I might be unprepared for what was about to happen.
“Last Dragula someone tried to puke on stage,” she said nonchalantly.
“Tried?”
The challenge, part 1: Glamoured
Virgo Frost-Belle was first to walk in the Glamour category, dressed in a Poison Ivy-inspired gown, her green undergarments and face aiding the green-skinned illusion. The dress itself was really impressive, three dimensional and moving with her walk, the dress seemed almost as alive as she did. A full train of pink-leafed ivy fell down her legs to the floor dramatically.
Ruth Lime wore another fantastically large black wig for her glamor look, but instead of going for a classic glamor style wrapped her torso in thick chains, a campily large padlock hanging off one. Around her hips was a chain linked thong, a teeth bearing, spiked skull serving as the cup, with tulle hanging down from behind its chin. On her right hand was a skeletal hand, grim reaper style, about three times bigger than her own. I’ll be honest — I didn’t get this one. Maybe I’m missing a reference? Someone help me out here.
Muuvie Premiere chose a Black Swan reference for her look, wide black tutu-ish skirt, dark wig, and a masquerade mask with red gory eyes. She had an interesting walk to go with it, and the garment was definitely goth ballerina chic.
Frisbee Jenkins also took a non-traditional approach to the challenge, wearing a black plain skin suit from the neck down but her face fully-painted as a pink sugar skull with gems emerging from her cheekbones like glittery stalagmites. Someone in a similar black skin suit, but this one with a pink skeleton body detail, held up her long pink bubble-braid, creating a headless horseman effect. It was a great idea, though I will say not as effective in the bright lights of the runway. In the dark backstage, it looked way more impressive.
Erotica Divine Belle crept on the stage hauntingly in what looked like velvet drapery. She embraced classic Hollywood glamour, and looked amazing in a deep red dress. She was supposedly wearing vampire teeth and contacts, but both were hard for me to see in the crowd. It looked more like a typical drag look without those details, but a well-done one, surely.
Part 2: The horror!
Things got serious in the Horror round.
Virgo, keeping with her DC Comics theme, wore an incredibly detailed Scarecrow outfit. Apparently the costume was made by Virgo and her friends, which was mind-boggling. It looked pro. She even had a glove with terrifying yellow syringe fingers. And it wasn’t just the outfit that made the look great, but how she modeled it. I was, like, scared.
Ruth’s horror look exemplified all the things I love about Ruth: the humor, the attention to detail, and the skill. She embodied a zombified homecoming queen in a blood-streaked, tattered dress, crazed wig with exposed brain, and a precariously balanced tiara. It takes a lot to make a disheveled look look intentional and well done, but she did it.
Muuvie went for an uncanny valley look. She had a stocking over her face with full makeup over it, a strange tight dress with vertical lines painted on and a bloody scarf connected at her wrists. It reminded me of the mannequin episode of the Twilight Zone: weird and unnerving.
Frisbee was evil Frosty the Snowman. Seriously. Clutching a beheaded Rudolph, wearing the scariest mask I’ve ever seen, but also in full-body drag — it was pretty bold for Frisbee. The long, thin carrot nose and the Kylie Jenner boots are not something I’ll be quick to forget.
The last look of the Horror runways was Erotica’s. The music, which had been pretty standard background music, shifted into a low-toned Black spiritual before she entered. Erotica emerged from the doorway of the bar in chains, bloodied and tattered shorts and shirt, made-up but in her natural hair, and barefoot. Erotica visibly shook as she walked down the stage, tears falling down her face soundlessly. The walk was slow, heavy, and when she arrived at the center she turned her back to the audience and lowered her shirt, showing SFX slashes across her shoulders. She exits and the music fades, the bar almost frozen, silent.
Part three: Absolute filth
They took a 40-minute break to allow the contestants to change and prepare for the final number, and as “212” by Azaelia Banks played over the speakers I watched several volunteers lay down a large tarp.
I’m going to be honest, ya’ll. I am a retired germaphobe. Each week, I try to come on here and give you a true rendition of what went on the stage — it’s a noble profession, a responsibility, a calling. But I swear to God, half the time I had my hands over my eyes for this final number. Here’s what I saw between my fingers.
Virgo was in the most insane costume I’ve ever seen. She crawled onto the stage with a Mad Scientist type of balding hair, inside an unsettlingly gray, sort of Lumpy Space Princess meets Hunchback of Notre Dame bodysuit. She clutched a raw fish in her hands, and I became fully convinced this was a Gollum cosplay; I keep screaming “SMÉAGOL” really loudly. It did occur to me this wasn’t in keeping with her DC-themed night, but why not. Anyway, I have since been told it was a Penguin reference. Not my brand of geek, but respect. She crouched and took a bite of the raw fish, spitting it in the direction of the judges.
Ruth skipped out on stage in a maid costume with a mop bucket. She dipped her mop gently in the bucket and then began wiping the studio floor with it. She pulled an empty cup from somewhere — this is when I start to squirm — dipped it into the mop water and drank it. If that wasn’t enough, she flipped up her skirt and removed a feather duster from her, you know.
Muuvie wears a translucent raincoat splattered with blood over tightie whities. She drags an axe on stage and reaches into her underwear. Now, I didn’t look because I was still shell-shocked from the Ruth thing, but I think there was a blood element and maybe gummy worms that did not look like gummy worms, but in either case she ate them.
Frisbee came on stage with a trench coat and opened it to reveal a huge wall of Twinkies on either side. Suddenly two men emerged from the audience, ran on stage and started force-feeding her Twinkies. I’m pretty sure that other stuff happened in the realm of the Twinkie thing, but you better believe I had my eyes closed. I am literally going to puke even thinking about it.
Erotica doesn’t walk, but is pushed onto stage as she wears a leather kink mask that covers everything but her mouth. More people flood the stage with yellow handkerchiefs and they (through water bottles held conveniently at their crotch) imitated… well, you know.
It was the craziest night yet. And a really good night for freak weirdos, myself included. It’s this kind of thing that Studio is missing on the reg: cool, insane, out-of-pocket gay art.
The judges all had mostly positive things to say about everyone. Lil Kimmy Blaque, the only Black judge out of the main panel, took some time to speak to Erotica on her deeply emotional Horror performance.
“That is horror to Black people,” she said, looking Erotica in the eyes.
From the crowd a random white lady decided to speak up — always a great sign.
“Horror to everyone, not just Black people!” she yelled, in a probably unintentional “all lives matter” type of cadence. Kimmy took the time to address it.
“I don’t see any white people in chains,” she said, double-downing on her statement.
Later, after the rest of the critique, Kimmy told the crowd that Myla had asked if she and Beep Beep should critique the Horror look: “I said, ‘don’t say a word on that — you stay quiet.’”
Virgo and Ruth were announced as the winners of the week and, because we’re unfortunately at the splitting-hairs part of the competition, Erotica and Muuvie found themselves on the bottom.
Now, if you’ve got the time, you have to go watch the final lip sync between Ruth and Virgo. It deserved primetime TV. Not kidding. They had amazing chemistry, told a story and were captivating. When they announced Virgo as the winner, and maybe I’m wrong, but I swear I saw a fear in her eyes. I wouldn’t blame her either; it’s a hard choice.
Eventually, Virgo chooses Muuvie to go home, and as Muuvie gets emotional on the stage, the crowd cheers for her. She really was a favorite of so many this season.
“Don’t be mean or I’ll heckle you,” Kimmy said as she announced next week’s challenge — The Roast of Lil Kimmy Blaque. You can bet your ass I’m going to be there with a bucket of popcorn.
It’s the top four now and things are really starting to get serious. Make sure you stay up to date through the final stretch!
