Holly Chen

The judging and format has made this show pretty unwatchable for me. I began watching Rupaul's Drag Race because I had seen clips circulating online. At first I thought there would be a lot more cattiness but I was pleasantly surprised to find the show's main goals is to highlight the art, talent, and personal experiences/stories of members of the LGBT+ community. Does the show still have issues with inclusion? Yes, but I think the show is constantly evolving to better address those issues. On the original show it also feels as if the judges genuinely do want to help and uplift the queens. Critiques are not meant to tear the queens down with no suggestion for improvement. However that doesn't seem to be the case on Canada's Drag Race. Many of the judges critiques are not helpful and both low-key and high-key insulting to the queens who have spent a lot of money and effort to be there. Moreover, the judges do not seem to be offering advice for improvement and their critiques are not consistent. They're acting as if the audience is deaf, blind, and stupid. Why is production trying to gaslight the audience into agreeing with the judges? The format is also a mess. Instead of one figurehead who is perhaps one of the most significant and well-known person in the drag world, they have three judges who seem to share the responsibility equally. There is really no one to focus on and it doesn't seem like anyone actually has any authority. I think most people LGBT+ or cishet enjoy watching drag race for the artistry and to watch members of marginalized communities be uplifted rather than torn down. Therefore, this is an extremely disappointing miss.