In Season 9 of RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars, no one is instructed to sashay away, and spectators are unsure how to react.
Everyone who watches RuPaul’s Drag Race is familiar with the format: amazing drag queens from across the world compete in challenges and fashion displays before being eliminated one at a time.
The layout is the same as for All-Stars, with the only difference being that these are returning queens who fans know and love. Season 9 features a vibrant bunch of prior contestants; the only change this season is that there are no rules.
While the queens will continue to compete for the crown, there will be no official eliminations, ensuring that all eight contestants appear in the finals. As you may expect, this has caused quite the stir.
On May 19, RPDR fans turned to Reddit to express their feelings on the lack of eliminations this season, and the consensus is split.
While some people welcome the opportunity to watch their favourite queens perform without the possibility of elimination, others believe that it entirely undermines the purpose of a competitive event.
A fan stated, “Definitely having the different rules refreshes things and I think giving queens who have built a career after their first season a chance to show it all off is appropriate and worth watching.”
Another fan objected, saying, “I’m really not liking it. It feels completely meaningless. There are no stakes, therefore no one has a motivation to push for anything. “There is no actual competition.”
The only previous All-Stars season in which this rule was enforced was Season 7, when Jinkx Monsoon successfully won the title.
When it comes to the RuPaul’s Drag Race franchise, one thing to remember is to expect the unexpected. Who knows. A queen or two may wind up self-eliminating over the season. Only time will tell.
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