RUPAUL'S DRAG RACE: RUPAUL'S ROAST (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.
The guest judges for this episode are actor Leslie Jordan and Absolut Vodka mogul Jeffrey Moran. Jade has been eliminated and Coco Montrese feels in jeopardy due to having been in the bottom two twice. Alaska feels threatened since she has yet to win a challenge and doesn’t want to be “supporting cast” to the winners. This causes her to break away from the “Rolaskatox” clique, causing some dissension between her, Roxxxy, and Detox. RuPaul arrives for the mini-challenge and each contestant is given the chance to “read” each other, delivering brutal honesty and criticism to each other. RuPaul awards Alaska victory in the mini-challenge, and RuPaul announces that the main challenge is a roast of RuPaul himself. They must write and perform material for the roast, targeting RuPaul, the judges, and each other. They are to work in tandem with comedienne Nadya Ginsburg, musician Deven Green, and writer Bruce Vilanch. Alaska is allowed to decide the order of presenters due to winning the mini-challenge. Alaska decides to confer with everyone about the order and places herself first since “no one wants to go first.” The contestants find it difficult to write jokes, particularly about each other.
During the writing process Michelle comes backstage to assist the contestants. Michelle is surprised that Alaska put herself first in the order, and believes it is an unwise decision. She speaks to the other contestants as well and gives them advice about how to proceed. Before she leaves, Michelle announces to the contestants that they will be roasting RuPaul in front of a live audience. Jinkx becomes nervous and her narcolepsy gets the better of her. The next day each contestant meets in private with the three guest “comedy coaches” and each one receives advice about their material. Jinkx gets tongue-tied and is advised to have fun with her material; Ivy Winters is advised to be more “vicious;” Alaska receives advice on making her material “easier to process;” Coco’s performance is advised to be less “mean-spirited.” Alyssa’s material in particular is singled out for being simply insulting without actually being jokes. Detox is advised not to rush, and Alyssa’s material is also criticized for being insulting and not particularly funny.
While preparing for the roast, Jinkx gets into an argument with several other contestants about her assertions that she is nervous about her chances of winning due to her struggling on the runway. The contestants assemble on the runway and the roast begins, introduced by Alaska. Each one performs their bit with various levels of success. Each of the contestants is evaluated by the judges after the roast, and they are sent back to the lounge while the judges deliberate. After a period of deliberation Coco Montrese is named the winner of the competition, and is awarded a custom gown and immunity from the following week’s elimination. Alyssa and Roxxxy and both called up for elimination. They have a lip-synching competition to Willow Smith’s “Whip My Hair,” and afterwards Roxxxy bursts into tears. She suddenly recounts that her mother abandoned her family when she was a child and she has never managed to overcome her feelings of worthlessness. RuPaul advises her that gay people “choose” their families, and that whatever happens, they are all family for each other. RuPaul decides not to eliminate either one of them, much to the collective relief of all the contestants. Commercials deleted.
Details
- NETWORK: LOGO
- DATE: November 30, 1999
- RUNNING TIME: 0:42:05
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: 116787
- 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
- Leslie Jordan … Guest
- Jeffrey Moran … Guest
- Nadya Ginsburg … Guest
- Deven Green … Guest
- Bruce Vilanch … Guest
- Coco Montrese … Interviewee
- Detox … Interviewee
- Alaska … Interviewee
- Jinkx Monsoon … Interviewee
- Ivy Winters … Interviewee
- Alyssa Edwards … Interviewee
- Roxxxy Andrews … Interviewee
- Willow Smith