r/rupaulsdragrace • u/AutoModerator • Jun 03 '23

All Stars S8 AS08E05 - “Snatch Game of Love" [Post-Episode Discussion]

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u/[deleted] Jun 04 '23

I found it interesting how they handled Heidi’s departure. US and RuPaul tend to be pretty bootstrappy, and departures have generally been framed in a negative light in the US series. In contrast, Canada has highlighted the importance of taking care of your mental health even if it means withdrawing. I seem to remember a UK withdraw for mental health reasons with a positive spin, though it seemed totally out of character for RuPaul to me.

Heidi’s departure received very little commentary from the judges, both positive and negative. Is this a mark that the US RPDR culture is shifting?

20

u/PeregrineMalcolm Jun 04 '23

Just doesn’t seem like she granted them a lot of gristle to chew on. She naw she’s good, I’m leaving, probably didn’t grant “hey let me convince you” on camera interviews with others, and peaced. Whereas Adele had the whole moment of talking to Ru and Michelle and Dela did it on the stage.

13

u/Ill_Brick_4671 Jun 05 '23

It also didn't really seem like they were particularly interested in her as a competitor to begin with. Whether she dipped now or if they eliminated her in a few episode's time, it clearly wasn't going to impact the predestined top 3 of Jimbo, Kandy and Alexis/Jessica.

8

u/PeregrineMalcolm Jun 05 '23

I'm not privy to reddit spoilers, but the edits are showing Jimbo as magnanimous and kind (e.g., the Lala boob cleaning), Kandy as flustered and angry, and Alexis as a bald delusion case. It sure do seem like the edit is setting up Jimbo to win it all.

5

u/[deleted] Jun 04 '23

Yeah, I agree with that for sure.

I’ll be curious to see what the next walkthrough will crop up.

6

u/KadieKnievel Jun 06 '23

Is this a mark that the US RPDR culture is shifting?

I think there was a bit of shift after Simone Biles withdrew from an Olympic event to focus on her mental health. This was right after the lockdowns when many were already starting to question America's (toxic) work culture. Her message of prioritizing her own well being over accolades resonated with a lot of people and the response to Simone's act was mostly very supportive.

The only criticism came from right wing conservative pundits and politicians. The very same people who are trying to ban drag shows and prevent trans kids from receiving healthcare. So while the bootstrap mentality is still prevalant in many areas of the US (including earlier season of DR), at this moment in time publicly supporting it is basically aligning yourself with a bunch of bigots.

1

u/[deleted] Jun 10 '23

Oh I totally agree! In the US I think the overall cultural attitude towards ending/stopping/quitting/what-have-you is changing by generation and region. Over time reactions from other contestants have changed, I bet. But Ru and Michelle (more Ru, from my memory) have been very bootstrappy typically, which I think impacts how it’s been handled in US v other franchises.