Gloriously, last week LOGO greenlit a second season of RuPaul’s Drag Race that’ll air in early 2010. The collective gays here at EW couldn’t be happier at the prospect of another installment: bigger wigs, higher heels, more lip syncing for your life!
Like any good girl on the go, you gotta stay fresh: Bigger wigs, higher heels, more lip syncing for your life! Oh wait, I already said that… But seriously, we’ve got some ideas. Here are nine suggestions that should keep TV’s best—okay, only—search for the next drag superstar on top for season 2:
1. Ramp up the guest judges. There were some great guest arbiters in the first season: Michelle Williams of Destiny’s Child; Robin Antin, creator of the Pussycat Dolls; and Lucy Lawless, to name a few. Keep it coming. Might we suggest Candis Cayne, Cher, and Liza for season 2? Okay, that might be reaching a bit too far towards the stars. The point is, though: Keep the momentum going in this department. Find the best gay/drag icons you can. But don’t ramp the judges up too much. (We’re soooo picky, right?) It wouldn’t be a drag competition if there weren’t some measure of tragedy to the folks who sign on to help Ru tell the latest ousted queen to “sashay away.”
2. Now, really use those guest judges. Sadly, we only saw a few minutes of Michelle, Robin, and Lucy during their stints on the show. Next go ’round, how about a little more action from the folks who fill this role? Involve them in a challenge at least. And, if a guest does come in to help, make damn sure they’re on the judging panel, too. Question: Why was Charo helping the queens in a challenge, yet Maria Conchita Alonso then judging them? Same goes for Tori Spelling and hubby Dean, who showed up during the Oprah challenge, yet were sadly absent from the panel.
3. Take Santino and Merle out of the judging room. In the finale, we saw permanent judges, fashion journalist Merle Ginsburg and ex-Project Runway villain Santino Rice, doling out the week’s challenge to Rebecca Glasscock, Bebe Zahara Benet, and Nina Flowers. And we liked it—it’s fun to see these two wonky judges out from behind their oh-so-powerful table. So, how about we put Merle and Santino in the work room with the ladies a bit more? Maybe out on a photo shoot, giving advice? Offering their two cents as the queens put their look together for the week? Yes, yes, and yes. Please.
4. Show us more casting—earlier! Yes, between episode six and the finale, we got the special “rewind” hour that showed tons of footage from casting and other moments that hit the editing room floor. But, Drag Race, why don’t you take a page out of Top Model’s play book and show lots of ladies early on? The tragedy of those try-outs could go on for days, we’re sure, but give us a half hour of the best during the first episode, and we’ll be satisfied.
5. Temper the camp. Now that you’re all high-falutin’ and renewed for a second season, the tendency may arise to go out of control in the next round. Don’t do it. The camp in season 1 was just right, with the silly challenges and the great catch phrases. As Ru says, “Don’t f— it up!”
6. More photo shoots. There was only one true photo shoot in the eight episodes of season 1, and it was legendary, with the queens getting all wet and bothered while washing a car. More please.
7. Enlist a runway coach. The judging/runway sequences were great because the duds the queens wore were usually amazing. But the actual sashaying? Pathetic. As annoying as Top Model’s resident runway expert Benny Ninja can be, Drag Race needs to enlist someone like him to teach the contestants a thing or two about how to really work a catwalk.
8. Set the queens free! Surely, it was just budgetary constraints that kept Ru and the queens mostly in the workroom, on the runway, and hanging out in the Inner Illusions Lounge. But we viewers are claustrophobic! Let the contestants out of the closet and into the world in season 2! Whether that’s drag shows in New York City (might we suggest a resurrection of Wigstock?), LA’s fashion week, some Pride festival somewhere—we don’t care. Just don’t keep them cooped up on that soundstage any longer.
9. Bring back Ryan Heffington. There should certainly be lots more of Heffington, the ridiculous mustachioed choreographer who showed up — wearing purple heels, spandex pants, and a tank-top — in the finale to help Rebecca, Nina, and Bebe perfect the dance they’d perform in Ru’s music video for “Cover Girl.”
Welcome to our new elite affiliate; Lindsay Lohan Source. Be sure to check out the site.
The Nautica South Beach Triathlon, presented by Toyota, is April 5 in Miami Beach. The event will benefit St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, with a portion of the proceeds going to pediatric cancer research.
Celebrities scheduled to participate include Anna Kournikova, The Bachelor’s Andy Baldwin, Bryan Greenberg and six-time ironman champion Dave Scott and Alison Vincent and Michelle Aguilar from The Biggest Loser and more.
Participants will gather on South Beach before dawn, and former Destiny’s Child singer Michelle Williams will sing the National Anthem.
Thanks to Sofia for providing us with new magazine scans of Michelle. This time it is the new issue of Corduroy. I wish that I could find this shoot.
In 2006 Michelle was one the cover of ALO Hayati in the oct/dec. You can now buy this very rare magazine cover on ebay. Click here to go there. Thanks to Sofia, you are the best. 
Michelle was at the Boston Celtics vs New York Knicks game on February 6, 2009. She sang the National Theme before the game. I have added 13 beautiful pictures in the gallery.
Celebrated drag queen RuPaul is the host, mentor and judge for RuPaul’s Drag Race, Logo’s new reality series which will be the ultimate in drag queen competitions. The top 9 drag queens in the U.S. will vie for drag stardom as RuPaul presides over eliminations. Contestants include the nation’s hottest drag queens, including one voted in by you online.
Each week, joining RuPaul on the judges panel, are fashion journalist and best-selling author Merle Ginsberg and Project Runway breakout star and designer Santino Rice, plus a bevy of celebrity guest judges including: Bob Mackie, Michelle Williams (Destiny’s Child), and Lucy Lawless.
Born in San Diego, California, RuPaul is an actress and singer/songwriter who first gained fame in the 1990s when he appeared in a wide variety of television programs, films, and musical albums. RuPaul has on occasion performed as a man in a number of roles, usually billed as RuPaul Charles.
Watch new episodes of RuPaul’s Drag Race Mondays at 10pm on Logo.
