Tonight on
An extra special episode
Of "rupaul's drag race,"
As the final three queens...nina,
Bebe, and rebecca...
Prepare to battle it
Out for the title of
America's next drag superstar,
It's time to shift gears
And take a look back at
This season's highlights
And lowlights.
For the first time,
You'll see the audition tapes
Of our contestants.
- Mmm.
Still a size zero, bitch.
- Plus, some of
The most colorful queens
Who didn't make the cut...
- I am alaska thunderfuck.
- I am the glue g*n queen.
- I'm miss gay palm springs.
- Blah, blah, blah, blah!
- Dramatic
Never-before-seen outtakes.
- [Noisy laughter]
- Loca! I screw up, loca!
- Hey!
- And intimate inside dish
From our final three.
- I was supposed to model
As a man.
Some of the female models
Did not show up.
- My mom, she helped me
Break the news to my father.
- The first time that
I ever saw a drag queen,
I was grossed out and disgusted.
- Plus, more drama,
More secrets,
And more eye-popping beauty
Than you can stand, honey!
Because when it comes
To "rupaul's drag race,"
Too much is never enough.
- ♪ "Rupaul's drag race" ♪
♪ Gentlemen ♪
♪ Start your engines ♪
♪ "Rupaul's drag race" ♪
♪ May the best woman win ♪
- ♪ "R-r-rupaul's drag race" ♪
- ♪ Gentlemen ♪
♪ Start your engines ♪
- ♪ "Rupaul's drag race" ♪
- ♪ May the best woman,
Best woman win ♪
[Vehicles rush past]
- Hey. I'm backstage
At "rupaul's drag race."
Next week, we're gonna make
History as we choose
America's next drag superstar.
Now, that's some change
We can believe in, honey.
And speaking of history,
Our contestants stand
On the shoulders of those
Who came before them...
Queens who had something
Special to share
With the world, even
When the world
Wasn't ready to receive it.
Their history is our history.
Don't forget, it was
A drag queen that threw
The first brick that
Started the stonewall riots
And ignited the gay liberation
Movement.
That's right, honey.
If you're out, proud and living
The gay life, you've got
A drag queen to thank.
Drag queens have continued
To push the envelope
And use their size-13 pumps
To prop the door open
For a new generation of
Drag performers!
I'm talking about legends...
Artists in high heels
And lashes
Who have overcome discrimination
To express themselves
While entertaining us.
♪ Cover-cover girl ♪
- ♪ Cover girl ♪
♪ Stroll down the runway ♪
♪ Another payday ♪
♪ Cover of magazines ♪
♪ And when they see me,
They want... ♪
They all deserve
Our applause and support
For making the world
A better place.
♪ Walk ♪
♪ Now walk ♪
♪ Walk ♪
♪ Now walk ♪
♪ Walk ♪
♪ Cover girl ♪
♪ Cover girl ♪
- ♪ Cover girl ♪
- ♪ Cover girl ♪
♪ Cover girl ♪
♪ Cover-cover girl ♪
- ♪ Cover girl ♪
And the list goes on and on.
So it was no surprise
When the casting call went
Out for "rupaul's drag race"
That the tapes came pouring in.
Let's take a look at some
Of the colorful queens
That didn't quite make it
Into the competition.
- Aah! Grr.
- Oh, hi. Come on in.
So you want to know me
A little better, huh?
- Oh, my god!
Girl, you got to stop
Following me like
I'm on mtv's "cribs."
- Hi, guys.
This is my sidekick,
My twin brother joe.
That looks lovely.
- Ha ha.
- Look like a soccer mom.
- Heh heh.
- Hello. My name is sahara.
This is me as a boy.
Ya ya ya ya ya.
- I think that I will
Be good for the show...
- Blah, blah, blah.
- Because I'll bring
An element of sophistication.
- Hey! I'm alaska thunderfuck
From the planet glamtron.
- Where else are you
Gonna find somebody
Who is this genuine,
But also a c**t
When it needs to be.
- My life in a nutshell?
It's a big ass nutshell.
School, drag,
Miami public transportation,
Pilates, cupcakes, and face!
- My name is jessica dimon.
I'm a server by day,
A drag queen by night.
- I was always searching
For a way to feel attractive,
And it just wasn't happening.
- Fake vomit, fake blood,
Fake pooh.
- Here's your girl gone wild.
Whoo!
- My punani has a string in
The back to give me butt cr*ck.
- Guess what.
Rupaul told me I could
Be on the show already.
Right, rupaul?
- [Laughs]
Drag queens love to show
Off what we've got.
So almost every audition
Tape included a closet tour.
- Welcome to my closet.
It is a plethora of all things
Fun, fashionable, and fabulous.
- I love, love, love
Dresses, girl.
- So I have a little bit
Of latex here. Latex is fun.
Every girl needs some latex.
- This is my little j-lo dress.
It looks like there's
A body in here,
But it's just stacked
Full of hair.
- I made this dress
For jessica all by hand.
- It was, like, an extra large,
But I guess their extra large
Is, um, normal size.
- It's about fabulousness!
- Of course, pursuing a life
Of drag can be challenging.
- Because I've been,
Like, a go-go boy.
Um, I'm a veteran
Of desert storm.
I was in the u.s. Navy.
- Went through a windshield
Of a car on my way home
From working at a nightclub
In west palm beach.
- Yes. My name is nicole,
My name is nicole,
And my name is
Nicole paige brooks!
[Cheering]
I'm a fairly normal gay man
With a 2-year-old son
Living in atlanta, georgia,
And wearing women's
Clothing for a living.
I don't really see
What the big deal is.
All right. Cut!
- Now that you've seen
Some of the queens
That didn't make it
To "rupaul's drag race,"
Let's take a peek at
The audition tapes of
The ones who did.
Take porkchop.
- And I'm gonna take you
Backstage and show you
A little bit
About what's back there.
- She proved
That big drag queens
And big hearts go together.
- My given name is
Victor bowling.
And I create the illusion
Of victoria parker.
But all of my friends call me
Porkchop, so I want you to, too.
- And speaking of hearts,
Jade melted mine from day one.
- I actually started
Performing as jade
In january 8th of 2003.
This is my mom. Without
Her, nothing is possible.
And, remember, without
Your support and your votes,
I won't be able to make it.
So make sure you click on
And vote, vote, vote
Every 24 hours.
And vote for jade, ok?
Love you much.
[Kiss]
See you soon.
- Some audition tapes
Were quirky,
But tammie brown's screamed
Quirky with a capital "q"!
- [Speaking spanish]
My god! You're so cute.
Would you like to come upstairs
For a cocktail after a while?
Yes. And it's so nice
To see you,
And to know that we're gonna
Be on tv together.
- [Laughs]
And then there's ongina,
A queen who's small in size
But not in soul and spirit.
Or in her ability to deep
Throat a hot dog.
- Oh, my god! Hi!
I'm gonna have a seat, so
I can tell you a little story.
Uh, me.
It's actually
Really therapeutic
For me to put on makeup.
I really like the transition
From a boy to a girl.
And becoming this person
That, I feel, is completely
A different person from
Who I am.
Mmm! Mmm! Mmm!
Still a size zero, bitch.
You can't do that.
- Now, one queen who was
Not afraid to speak her mind
Was miss akashia.
- Hi. My name's akashia,
Or eric.
I'm 24 years old.
I think that drag is
Entertaining.
I think that you need to be
An entertainer in all aspects.
A lot of people misconsume
That if you do drag,
You want to be a woman.
I don't. I'm happy who I am.
I like to entertain people.
I like the attention.
They just velcro snap
Like that...
So you could rip it off
For easy access.
And you can get touched...
Inappropriately, of course.
Does it make you a slut
If you...like everywhere you go,
There's a boy you want to touch?
Well, if you're not
Touching them, I guess not.
- I was wowed by shannel's
Vast knowledge
And a wardrobe that almost
Rivaled my own.
- Over here we've got
My shoe wall
Of a huge plethora
Of different shoes.
And along this wall is varied...
Of different types of gowns
And character costumes
And different types of
Illusions.
And on this wall, we have
Got different wigs from cher
To barbra streisand, madonna,
And even a tribute
To "star wars'" queen amidala.
A little bit of a wink
To the camera,
A little bit of a shoulder.
A little hand to the hip,
And a slight walk-off.
A little bit of a saunter,
If you will,
Over here into
My own personal drag domain.
And so until we meet again in
Los angeles, I'll see you soon.
Good night.
I'm here with my judges
Merle ginsberg and santino.
Hi, guys.
- Hi, ru.
- So I asked you guys
To come up with the top 10 most
Unforgettable fashion moments
On "rupaul's drag race."
Was it easy?
- Hell, no. Ha ha!
- Santino and I need,
Like, a lifetime
To get it down to just 10.
- Child, I cannot wait
To see who made the list.
So let the countdown begin.
- Coming in at number 10,
It's tammie brown.
You know, tammie has
A real obsession
With hollywood glamour.
And I think she kept
It simple and clean here,
And really just exuded her
Inner forties glamour goddess.
- Ok, the take-away I get
From tammie is how important
Her sense of history is.
Don't be afraid to explore
Old movies or music videos.
Discover your fashion icons.
- Number nine
Is the sultry jade.
- Ooh, yes! I remember this one.
Very "valley of the dolls."
- Yeah. It was a very
Kind of sex kitten,
"Barbarella" kind
Of sixties/seventies fantasy.
And she reminded me of
A young elizabeth taylor.
- Now, I remember being
A little distracted
By jade's tuck at the time.
But I have to admit,
Looking at it now,
It's the perfect blend
Of fashion and attitude.
It really takes my breath away.
- Number eight...
Rebecca's backless mini-dress
From the girl group challenge.
Rebecca really knows
The use of having
A great fitting
Foundation garment
And the perfect bra.
And if you have that, you're
Able to carry off anything,
Even the little scrap of
Fabric
That she was wearing, you know?
- Sure.
- I thought this was
Actually rebecca at her best,
And very young.
- You know what?
I bet when mariah carey looks
In the mirror, this is
What she wants to see
Looking back at her.
- Coming in at number seven,
Miss bebe and her black
And white deco cat suit.
- Meow! Bebe la strange.
- This was a very eighties
Grace jones kind of moment.
- Oh, yeah! And with
All the right elements.
I mean, the the big
Brimmed hat,
And then the swarovski
Spider web underneath,
And the black glove
With the ring on it
That looked like a panther
On a leash.
Walking with a panther.
- This is just head-to-toe
Bold, show-stopping glam.
I'm getting all worked up
Up in here.
- Ha ha!
- Who's next?
- Number six is a salute
To the hair and makeup
Of miss nina flowers.
- Oh! Oh, ok.
- Nina wasn't going for
Something that was
Natural or subtle.
She wanted to just really
Exude this, like, punk energy.
- Nina's face, though, is
A study in contrast.
She's got the kabuki, you know,
Really white powdered face.
The really intense lined eyes.
And there is a beauty
Lesson people can take home
Here, which is if you make
Your skin look pale,
Your eyes are really gonna pop.
- I think the lesson here
Is fearlessness.
Nina dared to go where
No drag queen has gone before!
[Laughter]
- Each week, it was
Like a new episode of
"It came from planet nina."
And I love, love, loved it.
- Coming in at number
Five, ongina
In her white jacket and
Voluminous black gown that she
Wore during the viva glam
Runway challenge.
- But I really loved that she
Was giving us head, if you will.
[Laughter]
You work the headpiece
And the hat and little veils.
- Proportion is the key
To carrying off anything.
And ongina's petite frame,
She never overworked it.
She always balanced it right
And almost made herself look
Taller in a lot of cases.
- Ongina is like a walking
Electric billboard
For confidence, energy,
And hope.
And that is beautiful.
- Coming in at number four,
The snake lady herself,
Shannel.
- Her medusa look!
And, I mean, she really made
An amazing presentation.
I just can't get
This look out of my mind.
- Now, I've heard of snakes
On a plane,
But snakes on a drag queen?
Merle, what'd you think
Of this look?
- To me, shannel
Transforms herself from a man
Into living art.
But, you know, shannel is
A real competitor, and she is
Willing to do whatever
It takes
To make that vision
Come to life.
I mean, you've seen
The movie showgirls, right?
- Ha ha!
- Many times. Many times.
- You push a bitch
Down the stairs if you have to!
[Laughter]
- Coming in at number three,
Bebe in her amazing
Lion queen look.
- Oh, wow.
- You know, that hair
Was so big.
It was beyond the valley
Of tina turner hair.
And you know what they say
In texas?
- What's that?
- The bigger the hair,
The closer to god.
- Ooh! Praise jesus.
And don't forget
The incredible reveal
When bebe dropped that cape
And let us have
That k*ller body.
- And that ass.
You see that ass?
[Laughs]
- And if if you have
A k*ller body,
Do not be afraid to show it off.
- Number two
Is miss nina flowers
And that incredible red
Outfit with the obi sash.
- You know, that was drag
On a dime,
And so she did that for,
Like, nothing with no time.
And she mixed all these
Disparate elements, and yet
It came together so perfectly.
I really loved that outfit.
- It was an a-plus example
Of mixing and matching elements
To create something new.
- And that is really
What drag's all about.
It's taking what you got.
No money, but a big imagination,
And turning it out.
She was letting
These children have it!
All right. Here we are at last.
Who's number one?
- Well...
Hmm...
- It's actually a tie.
- The many looks
Of none other than rupaul.
[Laughs]
- Extravaganza!
- Me?
- Number one in the top
Oh, that black and nude gown?
Such great shape and movement.
And yet it looked very revealing
With the nude behind the black.
It was beautiful.
- But at the same time,
It was mia farrow
In "the great gatsby."
- That sculptural
Blue payette dress?
Oh, my god. The sash that
Just worked all the way down.
It was beautiful.
- I love it
With the platinum hair.
It really bounces
Off the platinum hair.
- That is my natural color.
Whoo!
- The maroon sequined
Stardust dress.
- Yes, the octoroon
Has entered the room.
- [Laughs]
- This is kind of saloon girl.
- It is. It's like miss kitty...
- Yes! Miss kitty.
- In, uh...
- "Gunsmoke."
- You know, '09.
- I love this. I think
This was my favorite one.
- And I like that gradient
Fade of the color.
That's a very dramatic look.
- Isn't that great?
- Fuchsia.
It's my favorite color.
- Yeah?
- Really, it is. Beautiful.
- Yeah. Imelda marcos would die
For that dre...
Well, she is dead, isn't she?
[Laughter]
- You know, the cut of
The shoulder there
And the tight waist
Is really flattering.
- Lemon ice in the house!
- Mmm.
- Limonata!
- Mmm.
- I like the lemon hair, too.
- Loved it. I love the patterns.
I love the way that it
Just really...
- It was close to the body.
It was kind of more fitted
Than the other ones, yes.
- Hugged...
Body hugging, slimming.
You looked amazing.
You were poured
Into that lemon dress.
- Aw! I bet you say that
To all the hosts of shows
That you're on.
- Now, ru...
- Yes.
- I have to pose the question
That I know is
On everybody's mind right now.
- Ok.
- Which is,
Who were you wearing?
- I was wearing a fabulous
Designer everyone
Should know about...zaldi.
All six outfits
Were done by zaldi.
He is amazing.
He's done most of my costumes
Over the years.
- And he designed them
Especially for you.
- Especially for me. Absolutely.
Guys, thank you for that
Catwalk down memory lane.
- Thank you, ru.
- It was great.
- And if our top 10 picks
Have ruffled the feathers
Of just one fussy queen
Out there watching at home,
Well, then it's all
Been worth it.
Good job, you two.
This show was
All about realness.
But not all the realness
Made it to the screen...
Until now.
Children, prepare yourselves
For some juicy
Never-before-seen moments.
- Hello. My name is
Bebe zahara benet,
And I know my makeup is really,
Really not yet together,
Just because what this is
Called, is called cooking.
So when you do your highlights
And you do your cheekbones,
And your t-zones,
That you let this cook and sit.
And then when you're ready
To hit the stage,
You blend it all so it looks
Like just a perfect canvas.
- So you don't do any contour
Around your whole...
- I do lots of contouring.
- I've never seen you,
Like, use it around, like...
- I have it on there.
You just don't notice it.
I make it look natural,
Like a real woman.
- Well, are you trying
To say mine
Doesn't look like a real woman?
- Yours looks a little forced.
[Laughter]
- So I completely
Reshaped your jaw.
- Mm-hmm.
- It's much more feminine.
[Blow dryer running]
- Watch out for me
When I hit that stage, bitch.
- The girls were nothing
If not educational.
- Trying to cover the bird so
I don't get red again today.
See this?
I was trying to tell to ru...
- What is that?
- My underwear. Watch.
Pull it, it's gone.
- What happened?
- Oh, yeah.
- I don't tape. Ugh!
- Uh, where's
Your penis at?
- Right now, back here. Ugh!
But the nylons hold it.
- But some girls seem
Extra sensitive
About the tucking issue.
- There's some things
You just don't talk in public.
- Do you really have
To watch me undressing?
- Hey!
- See, my I don't want
My tucking and all that shown.
- He's, like, filming
Me while I'm readjusting.
- Oh, you don't bend
Your knees?
- Can you leave us alone?
- In my opinion, every great
Television show has
A catch phrase.
This one has several.
And they're all mine.
The judges will be looking for
Your charisma,
Uniqueness, nerve, and talent!
Say it again with me.
- Charisma, uniqueness,
Nerve, and talent.
- Gentlemen, start your engines!
And may the best woman win!
Win!
The time has come for you
To lip sync for your life.
For your life.
For your life!
And remember...
And don't f*ck it up.
Don't f*ck it up.
Don't...f*ck...it up.
I have two words for you.
- What?
- Extravaganza, eleganza!
- Eleganza! Opulence!
You own everything!
And one contestant's native land
Inspired me like none other.
Say it with me. Cameroon.
Cameroon!
In cameroon!
- Cameroon.
Now, you you come from cameroon!
- I come from cameroon,
Which is in west africa.
- Dig deep into your cameroon.
How about your macadoon?
- Just too african.
- I see africa.
Cameroon!
But the one contestant that gave
Me a run for my money was nina,
Or should I say la nina loca!
- Ay, loca, he look gorgeous
With those bumps on.
Work, loca. That's beautiful.
The second part
Was fierce, loca.
Did you see his feet?! I know...
Ay, you had no idea, loca.
But then I left it out.
His feet was hanging out
Of the high heel, loca!
High five, loca.
Loca. Be careful with my
Mango, loca.
- I know. Loca, it was blue.
- Work, loca.
- Que loca.
- Then there was the time that
Shannel averted a near juggling
Wardrobe disaster!
- There's too much going on.
- That doesn't really...
- And these are getting
In the way.
You know what?
It was fun, but the cuffs
Didn't really lend themself
To me juggling on the runway.
And I didn't want to be
In a corset.
And I like showing my body.
So I may be naked.
Now, ongina
Had an aversion to wigs,
At least on the show.
But backstage, honey, she
Couldn't keep her hands off
Everybody else's.
- [Laughs]
Back in the day oprah.
What is it?
- Ongina impersonating bebe.
- Hold on, hold on, hold on.
- Here we go.
[Laughter]
- Walk! Walk! Walk! Walk!
- Dance first. Dance first...
- You're scaring me!
- Backstage, the love vibe
Was incredible.
It was like the sisterhood of
The traveling tucking panties.
[Laughter]
- Gonna try to pancake...
- Spread it open...
- I'm not afraid anymore...
[Laughter]
Halfway through.
- [Indistinct].
- [Indistinct]
- Do you have it where
You want it?
Is that tight enough?
[Laughter]
- [Indistinct].
- Hey! Surprise, everybody.
Look who's here.
Ongina! Kiss, kiss.
- Mwah, mwah, mwah!
- Darling!
- Hello!
- Now, you're not here seeking
Revenge, are you, darling?
- No. I forgot my blade
In the car.
- Ha ha!
- So no revenge today.
- Well, since you are here, I
Have a little question for you.
- Ok.
- As a former competitor, who
Do you think has
The best chance of winning?
- Well, as you know, I developed
A really good friendship
With miss nina flowers.
- Mm-hmm.
- And I think she's fierce.
All of 'em are fierce.
- Yes.
- But I think nina flowers is
Fierce, and I really want to
See her take the crown home.
But you guys were
Always saying
How beautiful
Rebecca glasscock is.
But, you know, beauty
Can only take you so far.
- That's right, judge judy.
- And, as far as miss bebe,
You guys chose her over me.
So at this point, I really
Don't know who's gonna take home
The crown.
But they're all fierce
Competitors, and I love you all.
May, you know,
The best tr*nny win.
[Laughter]
- Good answer.
But, you know, of course, you're
Gonna have to tune in next week
With everyone else to find out
Who will win rupaul's drag race.
- Oh, I'm very excited.
- I'm so glad you dropped by.
- Thank you for having me.
- Air kisses, darling.
Mwah, mwah, mwah.
Ongina, everybody.
Now, each week while the judges
And I deliberated, the girls
Waited in the interior
Illusions lounge.
Feet were sore,
Egos were bruised,
And that's when the
You-know-what would hit the fan.
And the strain began to show
Right from day one.
- How bizarre was that!
- Kind of out there...
- When she said, you're safe,
But you have to take it up
A notch, I'm like,
How do you take it up a notch
When this is who you are?
- I had never in my life
Have trouble lip syncing songs,
But, of course, I've
Never learned them in a day.
- Thank you.
- Or even half a day.
- Thank you.
- I swear to god, I think
I brought, like, 22 costumes.
- 22 Costumes.
- 16 Pairs of heels...
- Yeah. I want to wear,
Already, what I brought.
And headdresses.
I mean, I have got some
Amazing, amazing things...
- These girls take their
Drag seriously.
- I'm here because I'm
A professional entertainer.
And I want to be able to
Give and to create showmanship
For the world to be able to
See that the art of drag is
Not about putting on a dress
And prancing around.
Because there is so much
More involved in what we are,
And who we are, as men,
As well as when we are women.
- I've studied my drag queens.
I know who they all are.
I really know this stuff.
And a lot of people
Are saying things,
And I'm like, uh, you
Don't know what's going on.
The thing is that's hard
For me is, like,
I don't have any tits.
I don't own a bra.
I don't have, like, any...
- So why is it hard for you?
- Because they want me to be
A little bit more feminine.
And, like, the wig,
I just started wearing.
So I don't even know how
To, like, make a hairline.
I can do it if
I have the training.
But I don't have the training
That you guys do.
- I'm larger than life.
That's what I am doing.
You know, what I mean? That's
My own way of presenting myself.
And if it's, like, wearing
A dress that goes all the way
Back there and hair that goes
All the way back there,
That is my drag, you know?
I'm not trying to fool
Anybody if I'm a man or woman.
Now, if you think I am,
Ok, thank you.
- Every week, you saw our
Contestants face criticism
From the judges.
But little did we know that when
They were in the green room,
They were critiquing us.
- You know, I want to know
Why I was safe
So that I can improve that.
- Maybe you know, what?
We could just ask her.
Say, listen, sister...
[Laughter]
"You tell us what's going
On 'cause we're big fans
Of yours, and we're
Here to represent."
And we already know that mr.
Santino is a little bit strong.
- Um, only for me.
- But he didn't even win...make
Sure you put that in there...
That he didn't win
And he's judging us.
- He likes to hear himself
Talk, as far as I'm concerned.
- Just talk, talk, talk,
Talk, talk.
- He was really hard, though.
- Two judges are telling
You one thing.
Another two judges
Telling you another thing.
What are you going to do?
- I do one thing
That they tell me one week.
And I come back the next week,
And I do what they tell me
To do, and I still
Get shut down for it.
And then it's, "oh, I like
The way you looked last week."
- I fully agree. Because
I took all of their advice
That they gave me, and they
Didn't like it either.
- "She looks a little draggy."
Well, I'm a drag queen!
- [Laughs]
- But you know, what I really
Loved about these girls?
They were just as hard on
Themselves as they were on us.
- Loca, I suck today.
- And that's what they're
Judging you on. That's it.
- I sucked. I sucked, loca.
I suck!
- They don't know you
As a person.
They don't know you as...
- I suck today!
Are you listening to me?
- But still...
I suck!
- I f*cked it up
Altogether completely.
- I thought I sucked.
And they said I did fine.
- For me, the best thing
To do is just to bow out.
Me being here is serving me
No purpose
Because nothing I'm
Doing they like!
- But it wasn't
All gloom and doom.
After the channel
Your inner oprah challenge,
The contestants were
As giddy as schoolgirls.
- [Laughs]
- Hey...girl.
[Laughter]
[Cheerful screaming]
- What is your name?
- Ha ha!
The worst mistake.
Because point it and record.
[Laughter]
Are you taping this? Loca!
The card said,
"About the hit tv."
- Ok!
- Loca, I say, "hiv."
[Laughter]
- What?! What?!
- Loca! I screw up, loca!
- Whoo!
- But in between the dishing,
The laughter and the tears,
Our queens took
A little time out
To lend each other
Some support.
- Sister, take this energy
And turn it
And make it positive.
Even if it's not for
The competition, for yourself.
Take the energy.
Take the bad energy
And make it positive.
- I think when you're a big
Person, you you just have
To realize who you are and you
Have to strut what you've got.
Embrace who you are
No matter what size you are.
That's what counts.
- I was awful
In the choreography...
- It wasn't that you didn't try.
And that's why, you know...
I'm not one that likes to
Interrupt a judge
When he's giving a critique.
But I did have to tell them
That you did spend hours.
- I've seen you perform. I love
It. I think it's hilarious.
- Thank you.
- You did a lot of work.
- Thank you.
- You know what makes
Nina so fabulous,
Is that her look is so intense.
- Victoria, she has
An understanding and a talk
And a walk that really
Works well for her.
- I wouldn't have had
This face
If shannel didn't paint
Me today.
But the fact that I'm
Learning so much from you guys,
I want to take it to the next
Level where you guys are.
Do you know what I mean?
- You are truly serving
Them exactly what they want.
And serving them everything that
You are, and you are flawless.
- Girls, let's not forget
That we are the chosen nine,
And we're making history,
And we're the first cast of
"Rupaul's drag race."
So we are already all winners.
- Then none of us need to leave.
[Laughs]
You know, sometimes
The reality shows, they do that.
You know, where they
Decide no one will leave.
Why can't it be like that?
[Chuckles softly]
- Sorry, shannel.
You are all special.
But there can only be one
America's next drag superstar.
After six grueling episodes,
Bebe, rebecca, and nina have
Made it to the final three.
And what a wild
Ride it's been.
To get you up to speed,
Here's a fast forward recap
Of this season. Let's go.
On the first day, the carwash
Photo sh**t tested the girls'
Ability to shine under pressure.
For the first drag on a dime
Challenge, the girls pulled
Their looks together and
Plunged into their first
Runway competition.
We saw beauty, quirkiness,
Sluttiness,
And a few drag faux pas.
At the end,
We had our first winner.
Nina flowers, you are the winner
Of this week's challenge.
[Applause]
- Thank you so much.
- And I had to tell
Porkchop to sashay away.
Continue to do what you do best
And inspire the children.
Next up, we divided
The remaining 8 girls into two
Girl groups.
[Applause]
- I won! I won! I won! I won!
- Work it, babe.
- As with girl groups throughout
The ages, there was
Plenty of diva bitch realness.
- I don't want to
Be taking your job away.
- Let me just say, you just did.
- Shut the f*ck up.
Every competition needs
A bitch, and that bitch is me.
- Girl, I'm not putting
Hair on my head.
I don't do that.
- Then the girls found out that
Our extra special guest judge
Was none other
Than michelle williams
From destiny's child.
[Stuttering excitedly]
Michelle...
[Excited screaming]
- Yeah!
- The next day,
The two teams faced off
In a girl group showdown.
- ♪ Yea, yea, y-y-yea ♪
- ♪ Yea, yea, y-y-yea ♪
♪ Yea, yea, y-y-yea... ♪
- ♪ All the honeys
Who are making money ♪
♪ Throw your hands up at me ♪
- Ongina's team sailed through,
But akashia's team got panned.
And so did akashia.
- Talk about, like,
A bad apple.
You, like, radiate a bad energy.
- I just saw a messy man.
- Ooh!
- In the end, akashia
And tammie had to lip sync
For their lives.
- ♪ Break the dawn ♪
- ♪ Hold back the sun,
Don't let it come♪
♪ Ain't stopping for no one... ♪
- You mother f*ckin'
Broke the dawn!
- Ah! Ha ha!
- Buenas noches.
- The next morning,
The survivors had to ramp it up
For the next challenge.
You have to create
Your own oprah inspired look.
The girls had to recreate
Oprah's early career
By reporting the news
From a teleprompter.
Repeat after me,
[Annunciating slowly]
Ahmadinejad.
- Today in entertainment news,
Pop star britney spears
Was caught
In an illicit affair with
Iranian president
Mahmoud ah-hah-mah-nayjad.
[All struggling
In pronouncing "ahmadinejad"]
- Finally came the interview
With the adorable tori and dean.
- Action.
Tell me about your h-i uh, h...
- Do you have hiv?
- Ha ha!
- No, no, no.
I f*cked up big-time.
- Was motherhood really all
That you had...expected it to be?
Is it harder
Than what you had expected
Or is it kind of, you know,
Right where you had planned
It to be?
Or had you really planned...
Or did you even know?
- Oh, my god. You just asked...
- Six questions at once.
- So many questions at once.
[Laughter]
- The next day on the runway,
There were thrills, chills,
And spills.
Bebe won the all-important
Immunity.
But disaster struck when akashia
And shannel had to lip sync
For their lives!
- ♪ No matter what they take
From me ♪
♪ They can't take away
My dignity! ♪
[Echoing sounds
Of foot stomping]
- But like a true diva, shannel
Turned tragedy into triumph.
- ♪ The greatest love... ♪
- And it was akashia's turn
To sashay away.
When the girls came in the next
Day, the tension was white-hot.
I want to see your viva glam.
So your challenge this week is
To star in your own screen test.
Ten minutes. Start now!
- Can you put a price on life?
- Yeah! Whoo! Get it, girl!
- Beauty doesn't only come from
The exterior,
But also from inside you.
- Look into our hearts.
Look into our soul. Fight.
Because we care.
- Educate, donate,
And celebrate.
Because life is a celebration!
- But no one was prepared
For what happened
When ongina won the challenge.
[Applause, ongina sobbing]
- I have been living with
Hiv for the last two years
Of my life,
And this means so much to me.
[Sobbing]
You have to celebrate life.
You keep going.
- The show must go on.
And one queen had to go home.
Jade, sashay away.
- I'll see you.
With five contestants left,
Everyone knew they were
In for the fight of their lives.
Little did they know
That meant a real girl fight.
- Let's go, let's go, let's go.
- Go! Go! Go! Go! Go!
- Rebecca, the last
Queen standing,
The champion!
- Whoo!
- After rebecca kicked ass,
The contestants had to transform
The girl fighters
Into drag daughters.
Rebecca won,
So ongina and bebe
Had to lip sync for their lives.
And bebe turned it out!
Ongina, though this breaks
My heart to say, sashay...
Away.
When the final four regrouped,
Their mini-challenge recalled
The great drag balls of history.
Today's mini-challenge
Is a vogue-off.
♪ Stroll down the runway ♪
♪ Another payday... ♪
Ooh!
[Laughter]
Nina flowers,
You've won this challenge.
This time, they had
To create looks
Based on absolut vodka flavors.
Now, for those who
Didn't really sew,
It seemed like meltdown time.
- I don't even know
Where to start.
- How do you make this go up?
- I don't even know where
To begin to do all of that.
I'm not a seamstress.
- Me either.
And things got a little
Extra caliente
When our special guest
Star charo stopped by.
Yeah!
[Excited chatter]
- All right, girls.
You need to incorporate
Your real fruit...ha ha...
Into your evening gown
Presentation.
- Ugh.
- In the end, bebe turned
The tide...
- Bebe, you're the winner
Of this challenge.
And shannel made a request
That shocked the nation.
- I don't want to be
Here anymore.
- Rebecca blew us away when
She lip synced for her life,
And it was shannel's
Turn to sashay away.
[Applause]
And that brings us to right
Here and right now.
And the best of the best...
Our top three finalists: bebe,
Rebecca, and nina,
Will walk away with
The title of america's
Next drag superstar.
The winner will also receive
A feature photo spread
In "paper" magazine,
A portrait taken by renowned
Photographer greg gorman
For the l.a. Eyeworks legendary
Designer eyewear campaign,
A headline spot on the absolut
Pride tour across the usa,
Plus a cash prize of
$20,000 Courtesy
Of absolut vodka
And mac cosmetics.
If you think you know everything
About our three finalists,
Think again.
Because behind their fabulous
Faces and fierce facades,
There's a whole lot of heart
And soul you've never seen...
Until now.
- I always tell people that drag
Artists are more men
Than women.
Look at what a drag artist has
To go through
In being who they are.
You need to have a lot of
Courage, a lot of personality,
A lot of guts to be able
To go out there.
Because you're going to get
Criticism from everybody.
- When we first saw bebe's
Audition tape, you could tell
That this was a quiet,
Determined person
On the inside
And an indestructible
Drag diva on the outside.
Now, you've seen her
Gorgeous gowns, her startling
Transformations,
Her incredible hair.
But who is the queen behind
The doll we call bebe?
- My name is nea marshall kudi.
I am from cameroon.
I was not the typical
Masculine cameroonian man.
When I was growing up,
I used to wear my mom's heels.
I would go into, like,
Her armoire
And try on different things.
Just because
I was very intrigued.
- Nea became bebe
Almost by accident...
During a fashion show.
- I was supposed to model
As a man.
Some of the female models
Did not show up,
And there was that shortage.
That's when I got into,
Like, full drag.
Like, being a female.
And it was just something
Where I think my performance
Was really good.
It created bebe right there.
My parents actually,
They were very encouraging.
And their only concern was,
"If this is something
You want to do,
Be very successful at it."
I don't think there's
More you can ask.
- Our next finalist is cut
From a very different cloth.
- I am jorge flores,
Aka nina flowers.
I'm a great entertainer,
And I will prove it.
- Nina's look may have
Been severe,
But her audition tape was
Simple, direct,
And from the heart.
I grew up in bayamon.
That's a small town
In puerto rico.
Latin culture is very macho, so
It was hard to be called names.
I have a wonderful family
That were very loving.
And I came out when
I was 16 years old.
My mom, god bless her soul,
She helped me break
The news to my father.
And he ended up thinking
That, well, what can I do?
[Laughs]
- Like bebe, nina didn't
Go looking for drag.
Drag found her.
- I discovered drag when I
Was in school
For makeup artist.
And we would practice in pairs.
And that's how I discovered
That I could change with
Makeup, and look
The way that I look,
Which is fabulous.
- At first, the judges were
Concerned that nina was
Too extreme
And couldn't connect
With her feminine side.
- I don't think she could do,
Like, a soft, elegant, feminine.
- Maybe nina's drag inspiration
Gets lost on a real woman.
But as the competition
Progressed, the judges were
Wowed time and time again.
- Utterly original.
- And it was so consistent
From head to toe.
- Yeah. I love
The whole mohawk thing.
- But I have to give her props
For becoming more feminine.
Her personality shined through.
- She always surprises us.
- You are the winner.
- Nina flowers, you have
Won this challenge.
- Whoo!
No matter what happens, I
Already feel that I'm a winner.
I have met some incredible
People through through
This event,
And every day that goes by,
I'm learning.
And that is awesome.
- Our third finalist is as
Different from nina
As nina is from bebe.
The alluring, the beautiful,
The fabulous rebecca.
- People have this preconceived
Notion that if you do drag,
You're loud or you're out there.
Me, myself as javier,
I'm actually very shy,
And not in your face.
[Laughs]
My drag persona allows me
To maybe do things
That I wouldn't normally do.
- Surprisingly, rebecca's drag
Life got off to a rocky start.
- The first time that I ever saw
A drag queen, I was grossed out
And disgusted, and wanted
Nothing to do
With drag queens at all.
But I think that was just,
Like, an initial reaction.
The very first time that I
Dressed up in drag...ha ha...
I looked so awful.
And I still have that picture,
Because...a reminder
Of where I came from
And how far I've come.
All my family knows
That I do drag.
There was a point in time
That they did not approve,
But now my mom has turned
Into my biggest cheerleader.
And my straight older brother
sh**t all my performances
On video.
And it makes me happy.
I think they're happy with that.
- All the judges were struck
By rebecca's undeniable beauty.
But at first, we had trouble
Seeing the personality
Behind the pretty face.
- She just needs to take
More risks
With some of her movements.
Just being beautiful
Isn't enough.
- Yeah, she hasn't figured
Out what to do with her body.
- She stopped being glamorous.
- She was also not high energy.
Just didn't work.
- But in the end, whether
She was channeling oprah,
Winning the drag
Daughter challenge,
Or out-pummeling the others,
Rebecca showed she had the guts
And determination
To be a true drag champion.
If anything comes out
Of this show,
It would be for other
People to see
Maybe something
That inspires them
Or sheds some light
On what it really is to be
A female impersonator
And do drag.
- Well, there you have it...
The fabulous final three.
My girls.
[Laughs]
I couldn't love 'em more
If I had hired a surrogate
To carry them for me.
[Laughs]
Now, this is rupaul telling
You at home, don't f*ck it up.
Join me next week for the grand
Finale of "rupaul's drag race,"
And find out who will be crowned
America's next drag superstar.
And remember,
If you can't love yourself,
How in the hell you gonna
Love somebody else?
Can I get a amen up in here!
[Laughs]
01x07 - Extra Special Edition
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RuPaul plays the role of host, mentor, and head judge for this series, as contestants are given different challenges each week.
RuPaul plays the role of host, mentor, and head judge for this series, as contestants are given different challenges each week.