Five Times One Look Cost a Queen the Ball

[@myroyalart9246]

I feel like what also didn't help Trinity is that Eureka also had a crossguard looks which she absolutely dragged up with the Stawp and Strut sign, the giant rhinestoned whissle bad and a cartoony kid on her butt like it was in a car crash

[@CaliiiKiiing]

Yes Trinity ruined it

[@lyndonx]

I don’t think there was any helping that look, direct comparison or not, like that was bad even for real-life cross guards

[@cole7726]

Even if Eureka didn't have that, nothing would have changed. That look was unforgivable regardless of anything else.

[@JustEdgeOfficial]

Olivia Newton John Travolta was RIGHT THERE!!! One half Danny, one half Sandy?!? It would've been IT

[@yesx5197]

Oh shiiiiit, totally!

[@fukhyu3330]

I’ve always thought that! High camp right there

[@jerriana6727]

I think its hilarious how trinity went that realness with it 😂 i just love it

[@taylorbarnhart9882]

the performance sold it for me tbh. so camp and fun but i get why it didn’t win lmaoo

[@DiegoSanstwen]

Marina Summers in UKvsTW2. Her Villain look really flew over the judges' heads.

[@caratlove4107]

There’s that, and the show likely wanted to avoid a repeat of the first episode.

[@dirtyrat7181]

i still think she deserved top 2 with LGD 🤭

[@JmTKokish]

Not all local references are meant to be bring worldwide but kudos to her for bringing it.

[@bradlee6223]

Because it looked awful

[@jahjaii]

@@bradlee6223 dugong, the evil monster villain, is meant to look awful fr

[@19nmiller1]

This is a great list, but I disagree with Aja. Ru *hated* Aja's final look, to the point where she almost took it as a personal offense. Even if she had the best soup can with the most accurate branding possible, I think Aja would've been safe at best. Even then, they just really wanted her out of there so they probably would've put her in the bottom regardless lol

[@BambiTrout]

It really confused me about why they hated that look, because to me that SCREAMED Studio 54 - or at least my understanding of it, and most of the internet seems to agree. The common consensus seems to be that Ru wanted DISCO Studio 54, but the critiques were all about how Aja didn't know her references etc. even though when you Google Studio 54, you see a LOT of people dressed like Aja with the Brigitte Bardot hair. My opinion on the whole thing was that Ru just wanted Aja gone. She was supposed to be on the season with Valentina, and without her, they didn't have a storyline. They also never expected her to be so good after her mediocre performance on Season 9 less than a year earlier - she was meant to be filler, yet she turned out looks, gave great performances in the challenges, and showed a lot of growth both personally and professionally. They couldn't critique the look for its construction or how good it looked on her, so they instead made up a bunch of bullshit about bad references and Aja not knowing her history, relying on the fact that a young audience would trust Ru's knowledge and authority on the subject over Aja's. Based purely on performance in AS3, I think Aja deserved to be in the top over Kennedy and arguably Trixie too, but it wasn't meant to be, so she had to be canned.

[@lulu_belle__]

When Raja came out of that runway wearing the Olivia Newton John - Waters look I was like “what the f*** Raja” then she came out with that Amazing Gold Dress and I was like “WHAT THE F*** RAJA!!! She could’ve won.

[@dorotanowak2534]

hahahaha so accurate

[@doeeyes2]

She shouldve done "Olivia John Travolta" ... such a missed opportunity

[@clawtooth35]

@@doeeyes2 SERIOUSLY! Olivia Newton John Travolta was RIGHT THERE! Like make it like a steven universe fusion of Danny and Sandy.

[@PrisonHoney96]

Yeah I was cracked in two whole different ways. To be fair though I think even if that 2nd look was better, it’d still be a close fight between her, Jaida, and Trinity for top 2. Jaida and Trin also demolished.

[@eba9121]

I miss when the ball episode didn't include the entire cast. The top queens at the end of the season are usually the only ones who stand out in the end anyway. Tho think Spice was robbed from being safe. She wasn’t a top queen but I thought she looked better than most of the queens overall.

[@JW-vt9bd]

Even BIANCA thought Spice should’ve been safe 😭

[@ashtonb3642]

Shoutout to Scarlet in both AS6 and S11. I think her 'Trampy T&T' cost her in S11 (it was average), and in AS6, I'd say probably her 'Blue Collar' look (too conceptual maybe).

[@ryanager8029]

I’d say her Blue Jean Baby look cost her the top spot in AS6.

[@ShabyUwU]

And in UKvsTW2 she had that awful shredded knight look in the 2nd category. 😭

[@marckanton3575]

scarlet should've won the monster ball idgaf

[@supercutsupremacy6633]

i love that u included trinity! her final look does not get enough attention. the look and runway presentation were both incredible

[@MrCyberGal]

I think the queen who lost the Season 11 Monster Ball by one look was Yvie, her third look was awful.

[@madeleine61509]

I think the video was focusing on queens who lost to one *brought from home* look... Otherwise the list would be 90% of the queens who didn't win the ball. It's easy to get a good look when you have weeks or months of preparation and the ability to hire professionals.

[@singerdude1992]

I'd argue Utice for the list. Her has undoubtedly the best constructed ball look made in drag race, but her dog was so busy and over the top, especially paired with her actual runway performance

[@Momofan69]

I liked Utica's look but like Violet has said, the presentation didn't fit the look, sure dogs but it was a more high fashion fancy dog, which wasn't what was presented.

[@anolty]

I don’t think Ru particularly liked the poop jokes that came with that look either. I think Utica being campy and ‘peeing’ on the runway cost her the win immediately.

[@verylostdoommarauder]

I understand that "I had a stroke reading that" is a common phrase online, but I feel like this title was the first time my brain actually failed to process something. True Garden Path sentence.

[@callumchristopher3024]

Yes Aja’s soup can was bad, but it didn’t cost her the win. The fact that she was in the bottom for this challenge shows that she was never gonna win it, even with a great soup can. Ru just didn’t respond well to the outfit she made, so that soup can really had nothing to with the fact that she didn’t win the challenge.

[@eba9121]

I think it was the hair that did her in for the look. It was very very 60s and didn’t match the category

[@lollol-ox6it]

@@eba9121 someone did the research and found out Aja was right, there are literally photos of ppl with that hairstyle from that period of time. Ru just picked on her for no reason. They probably booked her as a filler queen but when she turned out to be good they found a way to get rid of her anyway

[@dolphinswilltakeover]

@@eba9121 Trends in earlier decades didn’t come and go like they do now. A lot of trends during those times would last over a decade and bleed into other eras. Some trends from the 60’s would come over well into the mid 70’s.

[@royalcrumble2384]

​@@dolphinswilltakeover yeah, but if you get a category that's going for one thing, you go for the ideal of it. Some people in the 90s were still dressing like the 80s simply because they weren't updating their fashion, but that doesn't mean that you could come out dressed like Wham for a 90s category. Aja's look didn't match disco or 70s fashion, and that's what is meant by the category.

[@Violetta.h]

Scarlett’s blue gown was insane and that alone should’ve put her in at least the top of not THE WIN, because???

[@sunnygolightly9996]

Bob critiqued it on her video that it's a beautiful dress, but nothing about it says unconventional material, which is more of less the assignment.

[@keithtran7958]

Utica came to mind, although I think she lost due to questionable judging, not because her looks were worse than Gottmik's, but that's also debatable

[@eba9121]

I think Utica’s modeling is what killed her chances. Ru likes traditionally feminine and gorgeous drag. Utica looks were great but watching her act like a dog because she had a doggy bag concept or something was off putting lol

[@lucky-gn2sn]

Its because of how she sold the garments. She was basically moving too much that I can't properly focus on the details of her look. Yes, she was a dog bag on the 2nd look but that doesn't excuse her to also act like one on the 1st and 3rd look too.

[@dumptruck_babs]

Gottmik's first two looks were great, but her sleeping bag outfit was ASS. Sorry not sorry.

[@keithtran7958]

@@dumptruck_babs huh? Utica was the one with the sleeping bag outfit

[@Americarnaud]

Tbh I think that’s because they had no plans for Utica, and clearly wanted Gottmik to be a finalist. They kind of had equivalent first two looks, but Utica’s final look and especially the construction were clearly better than Gottmik’s

[@bladimirgonzalez3883]

I'm still thinking "Olivia Newton John Cena" could be an amazing approach on the AS7 ball

[@keeleycurtis710]

My personal favorite version is Dwayne the Rock M Sakura

[@terroslior7266]

Hard disagree about season 11. The winner should've been Scarlet or Ra'jah. Plastique was a distant third.

[@Jazy1993]

Let's be real, they only gave her the win to add to her storyline, specially because that same episode Ru had hugged her and told her "I'm your mom now".

[@dolphinswilltakeover]

Literally this

[@ledasierra4234]

"Even Eureka." AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

[@grantmegan91]

I'm not sure why he said that tho. Eureka turns looks more than not. She's the proportionizing queen

[@givemetheloot8026]

I don’t think trinity’s crossing guard look cost her the ball. Instead, her final look saved her from the bottom. The first two looks were not good. Her second look was good in concept, but the length and cut of the pants was weird and so was the plain exposed bra. And then her first look is one of the worst runways in history. If she hadn’t turned something out for the last category she would have been in the bottom.

[@kimmeallay5043]

This is what I thought too!😊

[@dolphinswilltakeover]

Yea that blue look didn’t look like it was going to save her in this challenge.

[@franciscorosa1498]

Nina west's little shop of horrors costume is still one of my favorites

[@B8llie0]

TKB didnt even had heels omg she was ready to work

[@keeleycurtis710]

Right like those flat ass shoes… girl

[@Mister_Dollz]

Honestly, I think Raja should’ve done ‘Olivia Newton John Travolta’ and combined Sandy and Danny into one look.

[@shawnbay2211]

Omg yes 🫢 that is perfect.

[@RonnieStewartJr]

Even as a Sasha Colby STAN, I can agree Mistress was robbed.

[@kiayaoi]

your english teacher would be so proud of that opening statement king

[@anyelgarcia]

Very great video idea! I would say it also happened to Raja in the Money ball in season 3, where her first look was really bad but her look made out of Monopoly money was super amazing. Manila won deservedly but if Raja had a better first look it would have been hers for sure. Also Raja didn't lipsync in the performance thing they did, but yeah I still think they would have won with a better look.

[@bebe13]

Plastique's trendy trick-or-treater look ate.

[@hiatusmode989]

Raja’s Golden dress is the Final Boss Outfit…😍😍😍😍

[@briankulbaba]

5:18 oh I thought she was referencing Elle Wood’s Playboy bunny costume from Legally Blonde

[@MellowNasha]

Aja could have done … JUMP , she is gonna jump from there soup and had a warning that says : contains MILK 😂

[@ericc9466]

So the look where Plastique looked the prettiest she ever had on season 11 is why she didn’t win… The queen who lost the monster ball was Yvie Oddly with the look she made.

[@HammerShark2011]

YES

[@radlee974]

Personally, I’ll always kinda loved the fact that TKB read “realness” and said, “Oh, I’ll give you REALNESS!” lol. On the flip side, I’ll never forget people complaining about how robbed Scarlet and Jan were for their Blue Ball showings, however, I completely disagree. While, yes, both Scarlet and Jan each wore 3 absolutely *stunning* looks in the ball, I think that they each had the exact _opposite_ issue of TKB, which was a complete lack of ANY “realness”! All of the queens who did really well in the prompt (IMO) were the ones who dressed up as blue collar workers but made it camp/drag/fashion. Jan and Scarlet, however, turned themselves into fashionable tires (I _think_ anyway. She certainly looked nothing like a mechanic or pit crew member in anyway shape or form aside from, I guess somehow, the hair bun tires. 🤷🏼) and a highly fashionable circular/table saw, respectively. Like… I get what they were going for, but IMHO, they missed the mark. Even though both of their outfits looked great. 🤷🏼 Mmmmkay! Bring on the pitchforks! lol.

[@chelmrtz]

I really liked all 3 of Rajah’s monster ball looks

[@jesus-zf5gb]

Production should tell the queens which looks are going to be runway so they can budget accordingly

[@ricardoheinsar3105]

You leaving out Scarlet from season 11 ball and season 6 blue ball was a mistake. Definitely should’ve won both challenges

[@planeyjaney]

Scarlet made a habit out of constructing the most impressive look on a ball but not winning because of a bad look brought from home

[@JustEdgeOfficial]

In the top sure, but idk about "won". In season 11 her second and third look were great but her 1st one was just too basic, it felt like a bought Halloween costume for kids. And in the blue ball, she was alright and top material, just not winner.

[@pattyofurniture694]

Not a ball, but on Thailand they disliked the look of a queen so much, she WON snatch game and still went home in the same episode

[@strawberryqueen0382]

Mind blanked on what “look” was referring to and just assumed this was listing time a literal “side eye” or “mean look” cost something

[@jakubpuchalski2583]

Im so sorry but ajas soup can was very on brand. It had its flaws but her entire aesthetic on all stars 3 and online before the season (after s9 ofc) was this anime kawaii, pastel cutesy drag. Her soup can WAS on brand but the judges needed to send her home that episode Also trinities second look wasnt even good. That 3rd look saved her from the bottom

[@SpyV_]

It was on brand but it was very poorly designed, it had basically nothing there, felt way too basic and still lacked a few more elements that could resemble Aja's style

[@Momofan69]

It was on brand in that it was just uninspired, bland, confused, and didn't commit. I bet Aja could make a better one now.

[@dolphinswilltakeover]

I Houston describe Aja’s drag as cutesy anime kawaii pastel drag. I think that’s one of her interest, and sometimes she’ll dress that way, but predominantly she was not doing drag in that type of style, enough to say it was her brand.

[@GoadGoadGoad]

Great video! The background music gets really distracting at times though

[@elsteel6270]

I’d also love to see the reverse where a single look was enough to put them in the bottom 3, or a single look that saved them from the bottom 2

[@susioeandno1else]

Raja should have been top 2 for that week... fight me

[@miguelbonome6801]

Truuuueeee

[@donniesumling8549]

Nah. If Jinkx has a more believable before and after look, something isn't adding up

[@ItGirlCaliiopx]

Trintity and Jaida were waaaaay ahead of the rest of the cast. Raja's Olivia Newton John Waters look was hideous and unpopular opinion but the only good part of her third look was from the waist up. The skirt was just some fabric wrapped around her

[@garbagedotjpeg1713]

one miss is all it takes was right there sis 😔

[@Wild-Speer]

I had one shot and I blew it

[@RylandTucker]

5:17 * Elle Woods from Legally Blonde

[@merri..]

regina was also a playboy bunny

[@RylandTucker]

@@merri.. I know but plastques look here was a Elle Wood reference specifically

[@thebumpercar1344]

There's only been two balls in DRPH, and the more recent one in S3 seems to have had the prompt/category changed for the first look, since everyone brought out a superhero-inspired look but the category was "store"...

[@ahaziahjoshua1397]

I'm haunted by Miz Cracker's hair bikini.

[@krazykittymatt]

I LOVE Anetra even with her most polished looks theres just always ONE thing that throws the look off. Like with her crystal dress that wig was terrible. Also her strappy shoes that she insists on wearing with almost every look, or that spike helmet thing that makes her face look longer

[@nicoboggs1517]

It's factually untrue that Aja's soup can "cost" her the ball. Despite how clearly she should've been in the top, Ru and the judges hated her other look too.

[@nighthaunter2619]

Honestly, if not for the design part, Jinkx might've won tha ball as well. her VW and her Whatever happened to Jane Fonda were beyond superb!

[@p00pdragon]

I think aja’a can should of been branded to her love of harajuku because she’s the best harajuku fashionista of the franchise

[@iheartyaoi4240]

It's a pretty universally agreed opinion that Trinity and Raja were likely both afraid to do Rupaul Charles Manson and Olivia Newton-John Wayne Gacy.

[@planeyjaney]

I would have also given the s15 ball win to mistress

[@jt4351]

Yes, Raja's gold look is LIGHTYEARS ahead of her overhyped Marie Antoinette.

[@tubthungusbychumbungus]

All of this just confirms there was absolutely no merit behind robbing utica of her win because she was too kooky on the runway

[@sdpc9182]

How about the converse of this concept, in which the winner of the ball won primarily because of a look they brought and someone in the bottom ended up there for similar reasons? Season 6 immediately comes to mind. Adore arguably won because she knocked banjie girl bling out of the park (look of the ball no doubt) and everyone else came up short (to the point that I suspect the initial prompt wasn't banjie girl) and none of the made in the workroom looks were spectacular. In fact Dela arguably had the best in that category (even won Top Toot of the Week from Raja and Raven) but admittedly it wasn't that much better, or would even qualify as great. Her other 2 looks were probably 2nd worst to mid at best in each category though. I still call shenanigans (I think they saved the top 3 they wanted from being sacrificed to the lip sync assassin Ms Lake, who was EASILY the worst of the ball) and think Courtney got a free pass, but just MHO.

[@MilesToGoGo]

I will never get over Raja missing the Top 2 on AS7 that was the first one I thought of when I saw the title of the video

[@Franco-z1c]

Her Vanna White Realness and Realness of Fortune looks were amazing, but her B &A look needed more work.

[@calamityradio]

I feel like season 9 counts as well, since even the judges were divided on who deserved to take the win between Sasha and Shea.

[@sdpc9182]

No that's an example of the final look deciding the winner regardless of the previous categories. Shea's Village People look is one of the all time best looks created in the workroom, not just visually stunning but creatively deconstructing the construction worker. Brilliant.

[@marcoc7388]

Tbh, I feel it's unfair the queens are not given the heads-up about the looks that are specific to the Ball. I mean, it's even good for their wallets as they would know which looks should they polish more and would even be helpful to create "collections" of looks like what Scarlet tried to do in the Monster Ball from S11 (I'm still convinced Trinity K thought the first look was intended to be used in a mini-challenge). I only see benefits, however, I guess the producers do not want to risk queens not pulling out bad looks for the Ball.

[@totoro1585]

I think Raja could have saved it, if she would have gone campier and made her whole face John Waters. With moustache and short hair, but kept the outfit itself.

[@Bigyeet1106]

Plastique and Brooklynn are funny cause Plastique should've won the monster ball and Brooklynn should've won the farm to runway challenge, so they basically traded

[@anavictorianormie]

I was sooooo pissed, because Raja's is my absolute favorite of that Ball (biased? Maybe), but the Olivia Newton-John Waters was such a miss...

[@Marinamiy.a]

Trinity was wearing snickers. That was a NO

[@macaronisex]

Tbh Raja’s before and after look still annoys me to this day like she is THEE original fashion queen of Drag Race and the best she could come up with was that?

[@annacat7084]

Is no one going to talk about yvies crazy Vanna white look?????

[@homepc6654]

AJA's doesnt fit this category cause AJA's Studio 64 look they hated as well, so even if he had a great soup can, he wasnt going to win anyways.

[@HammerShark2011]

The look was incredible it was the best of the night like no one came close

[@homepc6654]

@@HammerShark2011 may have been the best, but the judges werent into it for whatever reason

[@HammerShark2011]

Baby why lie Plastique would have never won the monster ball it was Yvie’s win but unfortunately her final look just wasn’t as clean

[@poshislove]

Monster Ball should have been Scarlet's win tbh.

[@dolphinswilltakeover]

Plastique’s monster look was the most subpar, even over the bunny costume. At least with the playboy bunny u can appreciate the reference she’s making and it was cute and well executed. But skull teeth and hollowed eye sockets for the monster ball is so over done and predicatable, pretty skull paint goes viral on IG every Halloween. Also her costume just looked very cheap, like part city cheap, even the bunny costume looked way more expensive than her monster costume.

[@marco.a13]

tbh I think Kylie should've won the ball

[@kittens_shades3901]

Love the commentary but the background music is so annoying and unbearable

[@jameseswinter3893]

Hernandez Robert Harris John Miller Sarah

[@goliaboi]

well this was hard to watch

[@VanAntony-l3k]

Lopez Laura Clark Anna Gonzalez Shirley

[@raulportela5454]

I don't know why y'll act like Ra'jah's first look was good... 🤢

[@craigresendes2403]

I watched the Season 15 ball at a gay bar and the biggest cheer of the night was Mistress’ beach ball look. The fact that she didn’t win was mind-blowing.

[@shanel4294]

Plastiques one also doesn’t fit too well

[@LyricSnowe]

This put me to sleep. Thanks

[@Wild-Speer]

Good night

[@tylerpattenden4593]

I thought the look Trinity made looked AWFUL. The bodice was too long, the fit was awful, the styling was wrong. It looked a hot shit mess like Honey Boo Boo meets Breaking Bad.

[@koujibiites]

firsst :3

[@cassandrarocha7369]

They were just handing Sasha wins undeservingly

[@thirdeyyye]

This is probably an unpopular opinion, but...I did not like Raja's ball look that was constructed in the work room. It was really top heavy and swallowing her up on that end. She gave herself no shape in the waist area by not being cinched, and I did not like the trim on the skirt part of the garment.

[@travisbarron7218]

Raja STILL deserved to be in the top even with that second look. Her last look was absolutely better than Trinity's and Jaida's and her Vanna White look was also the closest one (even Vanna was gobsmacked at how good it was) so she beat both of them in 2/3 of the categories and yet somehow still lost to them. It made no sense.

[@radosawrusnak7700]

Charles II has lived in the 17th century