Alright Mary: All Things RuPaul's Drag Race

All of Shangela's Game of Thrones references were terribly prophetic this week; much like many of the queens fighting for the throne, things took an unexpected twist for our professional comeback kid, landing her in ostensibly third place of a competition she was killing from the start. We spend quite a bit of time discussing how it all went down and what the response has been, highlights from the music video, and of course, all the nuance of that final lipsync...

Click-clack those ruby slippers, Mary--we're going to Oz! As a special bonus episode for all our Mary's this week, we're looking back at a little known movie called "The Wizard of Oz." And as a couple of veritable Friends of Dorothy, we queened out on the gay archetypes represented in the Scarecrow, Tin Man and Cowardly Lion, the power of Dorothy Gale and what home really means. Keen to get more bonus episodes like this in your life? We're putting them out every week for our Matreons--just ease on down to patreon.com/alrightmary for all the details!

It was a big week, Mary's! We talk about how things feel since discussing That Interview with Ru, Michelle's great interview with Vulture and some plans for our upcoming Patreon bonus episodes!

For your consideration, Mary! The Top 5 queens are gunning for Oscars and headed for Razzies in one of the most convoluted acting challenges in Drag Race history. Trixie shines as Sharon, Shangela and Bebe play themselves in wigs, and Kennedy plays the role Ben was supposed to send her home and play. Oh yeah, and Morgan stopped by. We spend an inordinate amount of time remembering bird themed runway looks, discuss the etiquette of meeting the queens at the airport, and of course talk about Shangie's fat suit.

RuPaul's recent comments about trans and cis female drag queens in his latest interview in "The Guardian" have been making waves on social media for all the wrong reasons, and we are here to break it down, Alright Mary style. We also take a deeper dive into BenDeLaCreme's self-elimination and other nuances we may have missed in our Hot Take recap of the last episode, answer some Mary emails and send you out with a Last Chance Lipsync you might recognize.

Oh hey kitty girl! It’s a special “hot takes” episode of Alright Mary—we’re queening out as the drama unfolds (well, in breathless (Mahoney) discussion during commercial breaks) when the eliminated queens return to not only get a chance to return to the race, but also to get some things off their chests (spoiler: it's not their breast plates). We discuss Morgan the adult, the downright curdling of Milk, Bebe’s nuance, and of course BendelaChrist, Savior of Drag Queens.

On this week's Nuance, the Alright Mary aftershow, we discuss the Best Supporting Actresses of Snatch Game through the seasons before diving into our hot takes on the Season 10 queens, based mostly on their Meet the Queens videos and what scattered knowledge we already have of the queens.

Soup's on, Mary's! This week the queens are literally designing soup cans, instead of any other possible pop art inspired design challenge they could have done for All Stars 3. We come to Aja's defense after RuPaul made her the scapegoat for all the Millenials she wants off her lawn, spend an inordinate amount of time describing what a Shop Rite Can Can Sale is, and celebrate the nuanced perfection of Bebe's second Diana Ross of the season. (There goes the Mole Theory...)

This week, we're talking about the recent Slate article regarding racial bias in the Drag Race community. We also explore the ongoing morality theme in the eliminations, the perils of pleasing the judges and the case for a potential top 3 this season. Plus: some upcoming Matreon episodes announced!

It's not a party without punch and it's not a season of Drag Race without Snatch Game! (Looking at you, All Stars 1....) The theme this season is Herstory: queer legends like Paul Lynde and Crystal Labeija, legendary divas like Grace Jones and Jenifer Lewis and royal queens like RuPaul and M(a)ya Angelou. (Also: Phaedra Parks, a queen in the making.) We have a moment of appreciation for Aja's Crystal, break down what went wrong with Trixie, debate the validity of Notegate aka "Get Out of my Station" and nominate Chi Chi as the unofficial Miss Congeniality of the season. (PS: leave the USB.)

We're bringing you a separate Alright Mary Untucked again this week! We discuss what Trixie's really doing back in the race, issues with the Handmaid's Tale allusions and an interesting theme emerging in these eliminations.

Our queens are looking for love in all the wrong reality shows this week with a pitch-perfect satire, "The Bitchelor." Bendelacreme and Kennedy get roses from us, but Milk's crazy stalker and workroom delusions about her performance were, well, a little thorny. We dig into everything that's wrong with "The Bachelor" franchise, our troubles with Trixie, Aja's runway redemption, those Game of Thrones references, and Kennedy's stellar work in that lipsync.

With a jam-packed week of Drag Race adjacent news, we’re trying something new and giving it its own episode! We discuss Courtney Act winning Celebrity Big Brother, Michelle on Ireland’s Got Talent, and the rumors around what Bebe’s really doing on All Stars 3....

The queens are channeling their inner divas for a VH1 branded salute to RuPaul. But is there sabotage afoot? Thorgy’s back on the same conspiracy kick we saw on her season, but she MIGHT be onto something this time. We debate what more she could have done, whether Shangela and Bebe needed to do more, how Ben did so well and why Milk is doing all of that. Also: who really won that lipsync? We disagree considerably this episode, Mary’s!

It's officially All Stars season, Mary's! We already covered the first 15 minutes in Episode 84, so we get right into it with the reveal of the not-such-a-mystery queen! (We clearly just couldn't wait, so this episode is dropping a little early this week!) We get the highlights of a mostly successful reading challenge before settling in for a variety show--because if it ain't broke, why not kick things off the exact same way they did in AS2? Ben pulls a Bianca and sails through EVERYTHING, Aja has the comeback she deserves, Kennedy cartwheels onto a box and Chi Chi makes a choice about those shoes. Plus: the sad tale of the queen who forgot it wasn't Season 2 anymore. And yes, we talk about Vanessa Hudgens being really into voguing right now, before wrapping things up with a glorious Last Chance Lip Sync.

Mary's, the long-awaited meeting of the minds (MOYNDS, as the Squirrel Friends would say) has happened! Over many drinks, we queened on All Stars 3 kweens, their entrance looks, and our predictions for the season. But given the many drinks, we tangent considerably. To be honest, towards the end some of this is a real blur. (But oh my god, SO FUN.)

Ayo sis! The first 15 minutes of All Stars 3 have been released and we are giving you our hot takes on the nine returning queens, the Act One Guns scattered throughout, and our baseless predictions for Top 3!

The final four queens have a busy day of interviews, promoting signature cheeseburgers and even doing a 5 minute standup act at the Comedy Store. Such is the proverbial life of an All Star, in this final challenge before they finally give Chad the crown. We have an 11th hour moment of sympathy for Shannel, discuss Jujubee’s inner saboteurs, reflect on Raven the Runner Up and celebrate the wisdom of Cheri Oteri. Plus, we discuss Katya’s mental health break, Trisha Paytas in boy drag, and finally give Mariah Carey the Lip Sync moment she deserves.

The final four are giving us good vs. evil realness on the runway this week. Apparently if drag queens had super powers, they would involve magical lactating abilities, a strong focus on vaginal cosmetics and, of course, giving people spray tans. ("Can we talk about suntanning?" is suddenly prophetic!) We also discuss Disney gays, queer villains, and the expansion of the RPDR franchise, and wrap things up with a Last Chance Lip Sync that's working through some issues...

Our teamed queens form RuPaul cover bands with the addition of some celebrity daughter guest stars. Shannel is a crisis in choreography, while Raven and Jujubee try to convince Pia Zadora's daughter to wear drag makeup and Kelly Osbourne has the best day of her life.

Well Mary's, in this episode Latrice rummages headfirst in a garbage can looking for props, Chad whips out the mother of all Hunger Games references, and Jujubee wins a lip sync by just kinda walking around. We are knee-deep in All Stars 1 at this point! We also discuss queens on hookup apps, the pressure to be a cultured gay, and what kind of sandwich Janice Dickinson would be, before wrapping things up with a Last Chance Lip Sync that we, well, happen to like.

Instead of another round of Snatch Game this season, the queens are asked to pull out their best celebrity impersonations for a dragged up Laugh In. Yara gives us an inspired Charo, while Latrice proves that being the Oprah of Drag Race doesn't necessarily mean you can do a good Oprah and Shannel's Lucy is, well, a little loosey goosey. We Mary out on Tammie Brown, Latinx queens, father issues and spending the holidays in Trumplandia. (Stay tuned for a very special bop at the end, Mary's!)

Once upon a time, Drag Race tried pairing up the queens in teams and putting them through mediocre challenges for a handful of episodes before crowning the obvious winner. That’s right, Mary—we’re revisiting All Stars! This week, the returning queens show off their synergy with a couple photo shoots, but the first eliminated team is obvious from the start. A kooky Tammie Brown and some melodramatic Untucked unrest are our saving graces. Oh, and guess what, Mimi? We also go on an extended tangent about Suzanne Somers.

We are officially Team Tyra this episode, Mary's! We discuss why Tyra Sanchez is the underappreciated winner, the double standards that Raven benefits from, Tatianna letting loose, Jessica being everything that’s good in this world and Morgan’s perpetual stank face. Plus: what happened to Tyra after her season, and more importantly, why? Plus: what’s next for Alright Mary, queening out on some Drag Race adjacent news and a Last Chance Lip Sync worth asking about.

It's the original Haus of Haunt, Mary! Addams Family Values is a surprisingly queer movie--written by gay writer Paul Rudnick, it's full of brilliant one-liners, perfect reads and amazing women. We fawn all over Joan Cusack (and Anjelica Huston and Christina Ricci and Christine Baranski...), explore the queer undertones of Camp Chippewa and quote as many lines as we can remember. (Plus: info on how to get access to more bonus episodes like this via Patreon at patreon.com/alrightmary)

This is the main event, Mary, are you ready? The season finale of Season 2 has our top three snatching wigs (twice), having lunches with RuPaul that would never be served in season 10, and getting slap happy with the Grand High Witch herself in the filming of a music video. We discuss the origin story of Raven’s ice-y persona, Tyra’s newly tempered tenacity, why we love to sing into a mirror, and completely gag over Jujubee’s dramatic scene. And in case y’all wanted a twist (eh?), Colin discovers what the catchword “choices” really feels like coming out of his mouth. Alright, Mary?

Coat, bag, Mary! RuPaul is arguably one of the most powerful influencers on what drag is and does today--and we love powerful women with sway and something to say. So naturally we love "The Devil Wears Prada." (Longtime Mary's have also heard us quote it incessantly...) We dive deep into the drag of feminine success, the perils of balancing a career and a boyfriend who makes grilled cheese with $8 of Jarlsberg, and why we love Miranda Priestley so much.

The final four are serving For Your Consideration realness for this season's ball challenge, the Diva Awards. We gag over Tyra's mint dress, expose FurGate, revel in Tatum O'Neal's ethereal weirdness, give a moment of appreciation to country music, remember male nudity on HBO, and bid a fond farewell to Tatianna. Plus: who are the Tatianna's of the other seasons? And what's up with Merle tonight? Plus: a deep tease of some Alright Mary news and a last chance lip sync you're definitely gonna want on speed dial.

Mamma Mia! The queens are dolling up gay AARP members as their drag mothers in this season’s makeover challenge. While we love Stephen/Golda and the softer side he brings out in Raven, we are not here (oh, AT ALL) for Mother Boxx’s pervy shenanigans. We talk about how much we like Tyra now, our problems with Grindr culture, and this whole idea of being a “good gay.” Plus: some love for our sister podcast, recommendations that made Colin cry his eyelashes off and a bang-bangin’ Last Chance Lip Sync.

It’s a literal reading rainbow, Mary’s! The library is opened for this season’s reading challenge—and Jujubee immediately sets the bar. Then the queens are off on a whirlwind promotion of their autobiographies. Raven aims for the bestseller list while Tatianna struggles to spell (literally) and Jessica loves that drink. We Mary out on the importance of reading, debate Pandora’s struggles with Santino on the runway, hiss at the mere presence of Jeffrey Moran and learn a new deep cut catchphrase from Tyra. Stick around for a Last Chance Lip Sync you will absolutely not not love.

Rock out with your tuck out, Mary! The queens are channeling their inner Pat Benatar (or, Terri Nunn) to perform, in front of a live audience of unpaid interns, a hard rock version of Ru's "Ladyboy" (available on iTunes). We discuss what REALLY happened to Juju, Tyra's notoriously terrible performance, Tati's struggle with standing out, and good god girl... THAT LIP SYNC. Plus, we have a Moment of Appreciation for Sahara Davenport, some Drag Race adjacent recommended viewing, the #KimChiChallenge, and a Last Chance Lip Sync that runs deep, and also high. (It'll make sense later.)

Married, William! The queens become blushing bridezillas in this iconic episode. Tyra "The Other Tyrant" Sanchez and Tatianna duke it out on and off stage, inspiring a plethora of classic quotes, memes and moments. We also get a makeup masterclass from Mathu, the effects of boy drag on the girls, some antiquated attempts to discuss marriage equality over the din of Tyra's singing, and an underrated lip sync from Sahara. We veer off on a couple tangents about Sheryl Crow, Project Runway and beta straight men, then wrap it up with some Read it On Reddit, love for local queens and an ironic Last Chance Lip Sync.

It seems like just yesterday Sasha Velour "rose" to victory at the Season 9 finale, and we're already welcoming in a new gaggle of queens! Well, not necessarily new. Former season standouts are back in the race for All Stars status, and we're so proud to see it. We rant, rave, and repeatedly tangent from what we hope to see from each of them, our much too early elimination predictions, and who we think should have made the cut.

We're finally here-- to the first ever Snatch Game, hunty where the queens give us their best (and worst) celebrity impressions. But first, we watch the queens bid on "drag essentials" in the style of the Price is Right where Jessica Wild is confused, Raven is over-confident, and Jujubee is pining for her boyfriend. We discuss Tyra's sensitivity, Tati's defense, and the original conflict-resolution story-line we see on Drag Race with Sonique and Tati. Wanna know who wins? Who cares!

The queens are giving us Red State realness this week with the classic commercial challenge selling Disco’s Extra Greasy Shortening to the masses. But first, an unfortunate eating mini-challenge that makes the workroom feel like a high school cafeteria in more ways than one. As we watch Mystique spiral this episode (culminating in a very uncomfortable Untucked meltdown), we discuss Tatianna’s true role this season, Raven’s karma, Tyra’s trolling, Jessica’s sexy chicken and just how drunk Tanya Tucker was under that hat. Plus, a Last Chance Lip Sync from the internet's favorite chicken nugget...

Marge Simpson trades in her classic green frock for a beautiful Chanel power suit (a heavily discounted find at the Ogdenville Outlet Mall) and finds out what happens when the world thinks you're rich. With a gaggle of country club wives dishing and reading over tea and bridge, Marge slaving over a sewing machine late into the night to repeatedly transform the dress (and herself) and a deep, underlying desire to fit in, we couldn't not give this classic its own episode.

The queens are tasked with using their brains and their beauty (but mostly their beauty…) to make it rain in this week’s Starbootylicious-inspired challenge. We discuss Tyra’s toxic team dynamics, Tatianna’s talent vs. experience, Raven’s star power, challenges that look for uniformity instead of uniqueness, and the nuances of glamorized sex work. Plus, some much needed venting on slactivism and current political discourse, all wrapped up with a Last Chance Lip Sync that’ll flood your basement!

The Season 2 queens are channeling their inner Scarlett O'Hara (of the House of O'Hara?) in this very Project Runway-esque sewing challenge. It's the Untucked conversation that gets us going in deep about misogyny in the gay community, which is particularly relevant right now due to some recent events which we'll also hash out. It's that kind of episode, Mary's! Plus, a Read it on Reddit PSA, our love for Marge Simpson, extended Alanis Morrissette puns and the return of Last Chance Lipsync!

It's Season 2 time, Mary's! This week, we get reacquainted with these legendary (legs and dairy...) queens and what our initial impressions are pre-recap. Will we love Jujubee any less, or Tyra any more? Have we been sleeping on Jessica Wild? Why didn't Raven win? All this plus RuPaul on Broad City, the Emmy's snub, Linda Simpson's "Drag Explosion" and a lightning round of trivia!

The Brady Bunch may be a bizarre version of a drag family, but with poor Jan battling her inner saboteur, Marcia serving us fish day in and day out and RuPaul being an inspiration while also plugging her book (and tape), we dive into how and why "The Brady Bunch Movie" is such a draggy movie. We also discuss the impact of the late Edie WIndsor, rumored Season 10 queens, how colonics work, the Best Supporting Actress Oscar and announce what we're reviewing next!

Mary's, we just got home from DragCon and boy are our arms tired! Or something--the point is, it was a lot. It was EXTRA. And we've pulled it together just enough to tell you all about the crowds, the queens, and finally meeting Nick & Amanda of Squirrel Friends Cocktail Hour!

When Sasha Belle, standing there in a nude illusion that is neither nude nor much of an illusion, meekly tells Ru, "I think I misunderstood the assignment," she's actually quoting a deep cut from "Drop Dead Gorgeous." Which is only one of the many connections the 1999 cult classic has to drag. We dive into the subtext and nuance (of course) of the pitch black satire of the American dream and the pageant system, plus give some much-deserved love to a couple legendary queens, discuss our mothers' love for The Birdcage and take pictures of Johnny's cat sleeping in a KitNip box.

Long before Valentina was bitterly crowned "fan favorite" to the jeers of her fellow queens at the Season 9 reunion...there was the Season 1 reunion. This episode is not only the birthplace of "I don't see you walking children in nature!", it delivers one of the fieriest sermons from The Gospel of RuPaul: "You Forgot, Tammie!" Shannel is giving us Grindr realness in her hunt for validation, Santino is brutally honest to a fault, Porkchop is the adult in the room we need, and Akashia has a stain on her dress. Also--Chloe Dao, if you're reading this, WE remember you.

The top two queens (as well as Rebecca Glasscock) are just some choreography, rapping and a Tic-Tac lunch away from the crown. But first, a clip show! We discuss Rebecca'a downfall, the evolution of final challenges, third place queens, Merle's hat, Mike Ruiz being extra, Cazwell, The Poseidon Adventure, Joan Rivers, and the world's first glimpse of a now cult classic queen.

Why you gaggin’? They bring it to you every season! A ball challenge, that is. Season 1’s ball is essentially one long marketing campaign for Absolut, with the prickly image czar Jeffrey Moran popping up for the first time ever to judge and read some well-crafted ad copy. We discuss Shannel’s desperate need for validation, what Jeffrey would be like as a boyfriend, the need for more vogueing challenges, Bebe & Nina’s friendship, and that terrible speech Shannel gave on the runway. Plus, our thoughts on the rumored AS3 cast and YouTube sensation/female drag queen Trisha Paytas.

Every season has one--whether it's jocks, dads or little women, the queens have been giving makeovers since the beginning. In Season 1, they were tasked with turning butch female fighters into femme drag daughters--the more "real," the better. (We disagree.) We discuss what it means to be a "real woman," Rebecca the strategist, drag as a pathway for gender identity and why Bebe won that lip sync. Plus: we move briefly into Season 2 territory to explore why Tyra really won her season, and if she could win future seasons.

We spent much of Season 9 talking about the #longcon that was Valentina, but long before she stoned those tights and asked to keep her mask on, Rebecca Glasscock was pulling a long con of her own. We discuss the game we (and many of the queens) think she was playing, as well as Ongina’s emotional reveal on the runway, the embarrassment of Shannel, and the potential Rigger Morris of that LSYFL.

“We need to see more vulnerability!” didn’t start with Michelle Visage, as we discover this episode. While Akashia was self-producing as the villain, Shannel quickly learned she needed to self-produce some flaws in order to stay in the race. We discuss her epic wig reveal, plus a special round of Wig Reveal Trivia, a fond remembrance of the movie “Trick,” an unofficial Moment of Appreciation for Oprah, Bebe’s panther on the runway realness, and a couple last drops of Season 9 reunion T.

It’s the first group challenge of the series with the queens channeling Destiny’s Child in rival girl groups. They even have some inspiration at the judges’ panel with special guest judge Beyon—no, not Beyonce, Kelly Row—not, not Kelly Rowlands. Michelle Williams! We discuss the character of Tammie Brown, Akashia as the original self-producer and Shannel as one of many queens who wanted to win too much Plus: Dragula first impressions, fawning over Shelly Long and draggy actors.

We're going back to the show's humble roots this week with our deep dive into Episode 1 of the blurry terrain of Season 1. We look past the aggressive filter and shoestring budget to meet the legendary queens who paved the way for seasons to come of Ru Girls. We discuss who stumbles and who shines in the series' first sewing challenge. But first we share our thoughts on Sasha Velour's Nightgowns revue, give a moment of appreciation for two show-stopping queens, and discuss the effects RPDR has had on local queens.