pie-in-the-sky

Drag Race is one of my favorite reality TV shows. Basically, it is the only one I watch regularly. I don't have cable, so I make sure I watch with friends and whatnot. Yep. I actually sit with people and eat popcorn and dish about the queens and the attires and the lip sync for their lives. In front of a TV. I know, shocking. But  I think it's a show better shared with others. I have watched each and every season. So when I learned that one of the queens currently taking part on RPDR season 12 had been disqualified from the contest I was stunned. This is unchartered territory.

“In light of recent developments and Sherry Pie’s statement, Sherry Pie has been disqualified from RuPaul’s Drag Race," a spokesperson for VH1 tells Billboard via email. "Out of respect for the hard work of the other queens, VH1 will air the season as planned. Sherry will not appear in the grand finale scheduled to be filmed later this spring.”

BILLBOARD

What the hell? I was totally ready to enjoy the season. Maddie had already ranked Sherry as a top five queen, quick in wit and with an awesome wardrobe created by Florence D'Lee, who also designs for other queens in the season, previous contestants and drag queens unaffiliated to RPDS. And one of my first thoughts was that there is going to be a domino effect following the announcement by WOW during the second episode, when Sherry Pie made her entrance. And that the other queens taking part in the season may be affected. And the designers who made clothes for her. And so on. Damn.

The gist of it all is that Joey Gugliemelli (Sherry's real name) catfished many people and had them send  him videos of themselves performing sex acts and even injecting themselves with substances in order to be part of a bogus casting process. And Gugliemelli apparently publicly accepted responsibility for his actions. So yeah. Some sex predator kinda shit. In the age of the #MeToo movement. And I am worried the fact that Guglimelli fucked it up before being cast in the series, is going to affect the other queens taking part in RPDR this season.

There is a lot at stake for the queens who make it to RPDR. And many, many drag queens would absolutely love to be cast in the reality show series. Their profiles are raised, they make more money, they are able to show their potential as artists, monetize their image and perform all over America and abroad. And this glitch is bound to affect the reminding queens. The whole season may be tainted by the presence of Sherry Pie. And I'm mad about it. How dares she?

I'm mad because I think the one spoiled apple should not taint the whole batch. I know the season has already been filmed, but I hope that they edit Sherry Pie out as much as possible (and that may be a feat because she may make it all the way to the top ten). I think she should be edited out because she must not have the huge platform Drag Race will provide her. As of today, she still has more than forty thousand followers on IG. What gives? Wasn't she canceled? So no backlash? I don't know how many followers she had before the news broke but forty thousand plus followers does not sound like chopped liver. Yeah, I know some queens have many, many more (Gigi Goode has 182K, Jackie Cox 99K). But still.

I hope the producers are able to minimize Sherry's presence in the series. I really don't wanna see her. I hope the other girls get to show what they can do and the sickening looks they have obviously prepared. I have watched the first two episodes and I'm gagging with the eleganza. There seems to be a lot of talent involved in this season and I am here for it. The thing is, this development may make the selection process get more stringent, but at the same time, it may open RPDR to be more inclusive, as in casting more tans girls? I don't know. All I know is that hopefully the show will go on and we will be able to enjoy this season as we have enjoyed previous ones.

And that's my rant. Oh and fuck Joey Gugliemelli and his predatory ways.

XOXO