RUPAUL'S DRAG RACE: LIP SYNCH EXTRAVAGANZA ELEGANZA (TV)
Summary
One in this reality series featuring a competition between drag queens involving a variety of challenges to determine who will become a “drag superstar,” hosted by actor and drag queen RuPaul Charles.
This episode’s guest judges include actresses Kristen Johnson and Juliette Lewis. Following Penny’s elimination, the other contestants find a heartfelt farewell message from her scrawled in the dressing room. Tensions mount as Serena ChaCha discovers that many other contestants wish that he had gone home instead of Penny. RuPaul arrives later and announces the first mini-challenge: the contestants are divided into three groups and must lip-synch to several of RuPaul’s songs while standing behind cut-outs of RuPaul’s visage. Serena ChaCha, Detox, and Ivy Winters are named the winners of the challenge. RuPaul announces that the main challenge is a “lip-synch extravaganza,” involving the creation of videos recreating moments from past episodes of “Untucked.” The winners of the mini-challenge are named team captains and pick their teams for the main challenge. Serena ChaCha’s team is to be lip-synching to a video of clips from past seasons of “Untucked” featuring Raja, Delta Work, Shangela, Mimi Imfurst, and Mariah. However, problems arise when Jade Jolie, whom Serena ChaCha didn’t want in her team, feels as though he is being ignored and belittled by being given the role of Delta Work against his wishes. Detox’s team is also reenacting scenes from “Untucked,” involving Lashauwn Beyond, Jiggly Caliente, Phi Phi O’Hara, and Sharon Needles. Ivy Winters’s team involves recreating scenes between Morgan McMichaels, Mystique, Tyra Sanchez, and Tatianna.
RuPaul visits Serena ChaCha’s team and asks for a brief demonstration of their lip-synch routine. RuPaul criticizes Serena ChaCha’s apparent unpreparedness for the task. He also visits the other teams and asks for a demonstration from Ivy Winters’s team, and Lineysha appears to struggle with the exercise due to her speaking English as a second language. Serena ChaCha’s team runs into further difficulties during dress rehearsal due to the group’s increasingly strained cohesion and Serena ChaCha’s bizarre acting choices. Meanwhile, Ivy Winters’s team faces problems of their own when Lineysha’s behavior starts interfering with their rehearsal. However, the others admit that her performance as Tyra is spot-on. Detox’s team’s rehearsals go more or less well, although Monica starts talking her lines instead of lip-synching, throwing the rest of the team off. Elimination day arrives and Monica is clearly nervous and pensive, admitting that she doesn’t want to be in the competition anymore and that she is concealing some sort of secret.
The judges and contestants assemble for the main challenge, and the contestants show off their various looks. They then display their videos for the judges. The judges decide that Ivy Winters’s team put on the best video, and Lineysha Sparkx is singled out for her performance and awarded a prize and immunity from elimination in the following week. Ivy Winters’s team leaves and the other nine contestants remain on stage to face criticism from the judges. Serena ChaCha in particular is criticized for his drag outfit and for inept lip-synching. Monica is criticized for being “disconnected” in her behavior and she suddenly breaks into tears. She finally reveals her secret to everyone: she is a transgender woman in the midst of her transition, and concealed this fact from everyone. RuPaul advises her to believe in herself, calling her “fierce.” The other contestants accept her, and some admire her for coming clean about her identity. The contestants are sent away as the judges deliberate on who to eliminate. RuPaul calls up Serena ChaCha and Monica Beverly Hillz for potential elimination, and they duel each other in a lip-synching competition to the Rihanna song “Only Girl (In the World).” Ultimately, RuPaul decides to eliminate Serena ChaCha. Commercials deleted.
Details
- NETWORK: LOGO
- DATE: November 30, 1999
- RUNNING TIME: N/A
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: 116786
- GENRE: Reality
- SUBJECT HEADING: LGBT Collection; Reality
- SERIES RUN: LOGO - TV series, 2009-
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Fenton Bailey … Executive Producer
- Randy Barbato … Executive Producer
- Tom Campbell … Executive Producer
- RuPaul Charles … Executive Producer
- Pamela Post … Executive Producer
- Brent Zacky … Executive Producer
- Mandy Salangsang … Co-Executive Producer
- Steven Corfe … Co-Executive Producer
- Sara Kordy … Coordinating Producer
- Hollie Self … Field Producer
- Jennifer Stander … Field Producer
- Michael Rosen … Line Producer
- Joelle Hawkes … Associate Producer
- Bruce McCoy … Consulting Producer
- John Polly … Consulting Producer
- Nick Murray … Director
- Lucian Piane … Music by
- RuPaul Charles … Host
- Michelle Visage … Host
- Santino Rice … Host
- Kristen Johnson … Guest
- Juliette Lewis … Guest
- Serena ChaCha … Interviewee
- Monica Beverly Hillz … Interviewee
- Coco Montrese … Interviewee
- Jade Jolie … Interviewee
- Detox … Interviewee
- Honey Mahogany … Interviewee
- Alaska … Interviewee
- Jinkx Monsoon … Interviewee
- Lineysha Sparx … Interviewee
- Vivienne Pinay … Interviewee
- Ivy Winters … Interviewee
- Alyssa Edwards … Interviewee
- Roxxxy Andrews … Interviewee
- Delta Work
- Jiggly Caliente
- Lashauwn Beyond
- Mariah
- Mimi Imfurst
- Morgan McMichaels
- Mystique
- Phi Phi O'Hara
- Raja
- Rihanna
- Shangela
- Sharon Needles
- Tatianna
- Tyra Sanchez