RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 17 Whets Our Appetite

The queens are wet, there’s a dunk tank, and Katy Perry is also there.

Dec 12, 2024 - 18:00

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RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 17 Whets Our Appetite

Somehow, someway, it is time for another season of RuPaul’s Drag Race. Yes, it’s true, despite the near-constant presence of RuPaul on your TV sets, especially this year with the added bonus of Global All-Stars. The actual main show hasn’t been on since Nymphia Wind swept away the competition. Season 17’s cast was Ruvealed on December 4, with a water-themed promo shoot that has us saying, “Water? I hardly know her!” Just kidding; it’s just Michelle Visage still making that joke. This cast has everything: Someone who hand-delivered her audition tape to RuPaul, an alleged fish murderer, and a shocking lack of coastal elites.

Plus, we got a tidal wave of information on December 12: We’re talking newly Ruvealed guest judges, a wild twist, and a big ol’ teaser.

Have a teaser.

In the first trailer for the season, the show looks … big. Ginormous, even. Gargantuan. And we’re not talking about those wigs — we’re talking about the supersize stage! Seriously, this show’s budget is growing each season and the new innovations in set design are mind-blowing. Otherwise, there’s not much to chew on yet, without any context. Except, of course, for …

The twist.

You knew there was one coming. For starters, Rate-A-Queen is back — no surprise after the success of the dastardly Plane Jane versus the hero Nymphia Wind. But this season, there’s also a … Michelle Visage dunk tank. It’s officially titled the “Badonka Dunk Tank,” as it should be. We’ll let Ms. Press Release explain: “Following the lip-sync, each eliminated queen has a chance to receive immunity and save themselves from having to sashay away. Queens will choose from ten levers and if they pick one of the two levers that dunks Michelle, they get to remain in the competition. If not, they will be eliminated.” So basically, “it’s chocolate” but now with two saves. This sounds wet n’ wild!

Who are these girls?

Here are the girls’ bios, straight (hah) from WOW headquarters:

Acacia Forgot — Los Angeles, C.A. | @acaciaforgot
“This honky-tonk diva puts the country in California. Glitzy, glamorous, and with a penchant for blonde hair, Acacia Forgot has never met a rhinestone she didn’t like. Musically talented, as well as being a singer-songwriter, Acacia plays the guitar, piano, banjo and ukulele. Will this aspiring country star also become America’s Next Drag Superstar?”

Arrietty — Seattle, W.A. | @arrietty_theelf
“Arrietty hails from the House of Dubois — her drag mother is none other than Drag Race season 15’s Irene (The Alien) Dubois. Obsessed with the fantasy genre, this uniquely creative queen designs and sews her own outfits, often with a ‘futuristic elf’ aesthetic. Add in the ability to beat a mean mug when needed, and this talented, twisted queen is ready to go all the way in the competition!”

Crystal Envy — Asbury Park, N.J. | @thecrystalenvy
“With looks so polished, it’s hard to believe this makeup artist and drag queen has only been performing for three years. In New Jersey, Crystal swiftly dominated the club scene. Crystal Envy’s name comes as a mixture of their birth name Chris, and the fact that every outfit she wears is bedazzled and sparkly. This pageant princess commands a club crowd, but can Crystal hold that same command over the judges this season?”

Hormona Lisa — Chattanooga, T.N. | @hormona_lisa
“This southern bubblegum babe was infamously plucked from the crowd by RuPaul on the Atlanta stop of his The House of Hidden Meanings book tour, and invited to Hollywood. Now officially a part of the season 17 cast, this campy queen — inspired by Disney princesses and vintage screen sirens — hopes to catch the eye of RuPaul again, this time where it counts the most: on the main stage of RuPaul’s Drag Race!”

Jewels Sparkles — Tampa, F.L. | @thejewelssparkles
“Out of drag, this youthful queen has a sweetness and an innocence, and is a self-described ‘ditzy clumsy bimbo.’ But don’t be fooled — Jewels intends to enter the competition with intention and strategy. With influences that range from Ariana Grande to Priscilla Presley, to her Puerto Rican and Cuban heritage, you’d be foolish to underestimate this talented doll as merely a ‘look queen.’”

Joella — Los Angeles, C.A. | @thejoelladynasty
“Joella calls herself ‘The Slaysian Diva,’ and with her own unique style of drag, mixing traditional Chinese costume with street fashion and pop culture, you can see why. Having already won local West Hollywood drag bar contests, Joella is now ready to represent plus-size queens in the biggest drag competition in the world.”

Kori King — Boston, M.A. | @koriking
“This boisterous queen has rapidly risen to the top of the Boston scene, amassing a respectable TikTok following along the way. Only in the drag game for two years, Kori has already been awarded Boston’s Best New Performer to Watch award, and is the name on everybody’s lips. She is season 16 finalist Plane Jane’s drag sister, so expect a razor sharp wit, and somebody who tells it like it is!”

Lana Ja’Rae - New York, N.Y. | @lanajarae
“Lana’s drag mother is Luxx Noir London, from season 15 of Drag Race, so expect a level of fierceness from this fashionista! Luxx saw Lana competing in a New York drag competition and was so impressed, she approached her backstage and asked if she could adopt her on the spot. Bringing legs and body to the main stage, Lana is ready to strut away from this competition with a crown!”

Lexi Love — Louisville, K.Y. | @mslexilove
“Lexi Love is a full-time ‘playmate’ at Play, Louisville: a bar known for its high-energy drag excellence. As a performer, Lexi knows how to turn the party up — but she’s also someone you’d love to kick it with. Having survived a period of homelessness and drug addiction, she has emerged a stronger and more independent queen, and is ready for the rebirth of Lexi to take over the world!”

Lucky Starzzz — Miami, F.L. | @theluckystarzzz
“Born in Havana, Cuba, Lucky Starzzz is an expressive, colorful, living cartoon! Lucky’s drag meets at the intersection of club kid and camp, and this resourceful queen uses as much paper and spray paint as she does sequins and rhinestones. Lucky describes her drag as ‘a venus fly trap in a room full of roses.’ Can Lucky’s eye-catching creativity catch the eyes of the judges this season and win her the crown?”

Lydia B Kollins — Pittsburgh, P.A. | @foreheadbrows
“To understand this absurdist, unique queen, you only need to know that the ‘B’ stands for b*tthole. Named after Winona Ryder’s character in Beetlejuice, Lydia Deetz, and inspired by Tim Burton, John Waters, and David Lynch, Lydia B Kollins is a queen who values creativity over perfection. Will the judges find Lydia’s looks BOOTYful, or will her time on Drag Race be a disASSter?”

Onya Nurve — Cleveland, O.H. | @onyanurve
“Smashburger cook by day, enchanting and in-demand drag artist by night. Onya Nurve got bitten by the performance bug in high school, and took an artistic career path to drag via a B.F.A. in painting from the Cleveland Institute of Art. A comedic actress as well as being able to belt out a tune, Onya represents a real threat in this competition!”

Sam Star — Leeds, A.L. | @samstarqueen
“Stunning, stylish, SOUTHERN! Sam is quite the Renaissance queen, having trained in musical theater, and being a retired gymnast/cheerleader who can do back handsprings! With polished makeup skills and a gorgeous mug, Sam has gone on to win an impressive number of pageant titles for such a young queen: It’s no surprise to learn that Trinity the Tuck is her drag mother and mentor.”

Suzie Toot — Fort Lauderdale, F.L. | @suzie.toot
“Suzie’s uniqueness is her greatest strength in drag. A professional tap dancer, with a look rooted deeply in 1920s and ’30s fashions, Suzie describes herself as the ‘cross section between Betty Boop and Lucille Ball.’ A skilled actor with a wild sense of humor and excellent comedic timing, Suzie hopes to wow the judges with her quirky take on drag!”

Where’s everyone from?

Well, for starters, there’s the fact that so few of the queens come from either New York or L.A. Despite previous seasons having up to six New York girls in the cast, this season has only Lana Ja’Rae. L.A., meanwhile, has just Acacia Forgot and Joella. Fully half of the main-season winners thus far in the show’s run have hailed from those two cities, so it’s a little surprising to see those drag scenes comparatively underrepresented. In their stead, we have three separate Florida girls and a whole lot of South. You know … if they were avoiding Yanks and Dodgers, we’d assume that they’d have room for at least a Chicagoan. (Aunty Chan, we long for you.)

Any notable queens?

Well, as mentioned in her bio, Hormona Lisa already has a connection to RuPaul — she went viral after Ru told her she was on the show during the book tour this year. Being ambitious pays off! Let’s hope she can put her money where her virality is. On another note, New York’s own Lana Ja’Rae enters the scene already embroiled in controversy after she recently competed in a pageant with a live goldfish in her heel, leading some to cry animal cruelty online. Incredible synergy for this promo to have a water theme after that.

Who’s judging?

The main judging panel is hole-ding strong: Ru will be joined by Drag Race Down Under head judge Michelle Visage, the hilarious Ross Matthews, style icon Carson Kressley, and T.S. “Not the Bore Worms!” Madison. They’ll be joined in the season premiere by former mega pop superstar and current pop singer Katy Perry. After that, guest judges include Doechii, Sandra Bernhard, Julia Schlaepfer, Paul W. Downs, Hunter Schafer, Quinta Brunson, Jamal Sims, Law Roach, Adam Lambert, Betsey Johnson, Whitney Cummings, Sam Smith, Jerrod Carmichael, June Diane Raphael, and Tracee Ellis Ross.