RuPaul's Drag Race season 8
Template:Infobox reality talent competition The eighth season of RuPaul's Drag Race began airing on March 7, 2016. Returning judges include RuPaul and Michelle Visage, along with Ross Mathews and Carson Kressley, who shared judging responsibilities on an alternating basis. Twelve drag queens competed for the title of "America's Next Drag Superstar". The prizes for the winner are a one-year supply of Anastasia Beverly Hills cosmetics and a cash prize of $100,000. The full list of contestants was revealed during the NewNowNext Awards on February 1, 2016.[1] The song "U Wear It Well" from RuPaul's album Butch Queen was featured in promotion for the show. On March 31, 2016, it was announced LogoTV renewed the show for a ninth season.[2] It was the last season to solely be played on Logo, as the show moved to VH1 for its ninth season, and RuPaul's Drag Race: All Stars Season 2 was broadcast simultaneously on VH1.
The theme song played during the runway segment every episode was "The Realness", and the song played during the closing credits was "Die Tomorrow", both songs from the album Realness.
The winner of the eighth season of RuPaul's Drag Race was Bob the Drag Queen, with Kim Chi and Naomi Smalls being the runners-up.
Cynthia Lee Fontaine returned on the ninth season as a surprise contestant to compete with the other 13 drag queens. She placed 10th overall for the second time.
Contestants
(Ages and names stated are at time of contest)
| Contestant | Name | Age | Hometown | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bob the Drag Queen | Christopher Caldwell[3] | 29 | New York, New York | Winner |
| Kim Chi | Sang-Young Shin[4][5] | 27 | Chicago, Illinois | Runner-up |
| Naomi Smalls | Davis Heppenstall[6] | 21 | Redlands, California | |
| Chi Chi DeVayne[a] | Zavion Davenport[7] | 29 | Shreveport, Louisiana | 4th Place |
| Derrick Barry | Derrick Barry[8][9] | 32 | Las Vegas, Nevada | 5th Place |
| Thorgy Thor | Shane Galligan[10][11] | 31 | Brooklyn, New York | 6th Place |
| Robbie Turner | Jeremy Baird[12] | 33 | Seattle, Washington | 7th Place |
| Acid Betty | Jamin Ruhren[11] | 37 | Brooklyn, New York | 8th Place |
| Naysha Lopez | Fabian Rodriguez[5] | 31 | Chicago, Illinois | 9th Place[b] |
| Cynthia Lee Fontaine | Carlos Diaz[13] | 34 | Austin, Texas | 10th Place |
| Dax ExclamationPoint | Dax Martin[14] | 31 | Savannah, Georgia | 11th/12th Place |
| Laila McQueen | Tyler Devlin[15] | 22 | Gloucester, Massachusetts |
Contestant progress
| Contestant | 1 [16] | 2 [17] | 3 [18] | 4 [19] | 5 [20] | 6 [21] | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bob the Drag Queen | SAFE | SAFE | WIN | SAFE | WIN | SAFE | WIN | BTM2 | SAFE | Winner |
| Kim Chi | WIN | LOW | SAFE | SAFE | SAFE | HIGH | SAFE | WIN | SAFE | Runner-up |
| Naomi Smalls | SAFE | SAFE | SAFE | SAFE | BTM2 | WIN | SAFE | SAFE | SAFE | Runner-up |
| Chi Chi DeVayne | SAFE | WIN | SAFE | BTM2 | SAFE | LOW | BTM2 | SAFE | ELIM | Guest |
| Derrick Barry | HIGH | SAFE | LOW | LOW | HIGH | BTM2 | WIN | ELIM | Guest | |
| Thorgy Thor | SAFE | HIGH | HIGH | SAFE | HIGH | SAFE | ELIM | Guest | ||
| Robbie Turner | LOW | SAFE | BTM2 | WIN | LOW | ELIM | Guest | |||
| Acid Betty | HIGH | HIGH | HIGH | SAFE | ELIM | Guest | ||||
| Naysha Lopez | ELIM | SAFE | ELIM | Guest | ||||||
| Cynthia Lee Fontaine | SAFE | SAFE | ELIM | Miss C | ||||||
| Dax ExclamationPoint | SAFE | ELIM | Guest | |||||||
| Laila McQueen | BTM2 | ELIM | Guest | |||||||
- The contestant won RuPaul's Drag Race.
- The contestants were the runners-up.
- The contestant was voted Miss Congeniality by viewers.
- The contestant won a challenge.
- The contestant received positive critiques but was ultimately declared as "safe."
- The contestant received judges critiques and was ultimately chosen to be safe.
- The contestant received negative critiques but was ultimately declared as "safe."
- The contestant was in the bottom two.
- The contestant was eliminated.
- The contestant returned as a guest for the finale episode.
Lip-syncs
| Episode | Contestants | Song | Eliminated | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Laila McQueen | vs. | Naysha Lopez | "Applause" (Lady Gaga) |
Naysha Lopez |
| 2 | Dax ExclamationPoint | vs. | Laila McQueen | "I Will Survive" (Gloria Gaynor) |
Dax ExclamationPoint & |
| Laila McQueen | |||||
| 3 | Cynthia Lee Fontaine | vs. | Robbie Turner | "Mesmerized (Freemasons radio edit)" (Faith Evans) |
Cynthia Lee Fontaine |
| 4 | Chi Chi DeVayne | vs. | Naysha Lopez | "Call Me" (Blondie) |
Naysha Lopez |
| 5 | Acid Betty | vs. | Naomi Smalls | "Causing a Commotion" (Madonna) |
Acid Betty |
| 6 | Derrick Barry | vs. | Robbie Turner | "I Love It" (Icona Pop ft. Charli XCX) |
Robbie Turner |
| 7 | Chi Chi DeVayne | vs. | Thorgy Thor | "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going" (Jennifer Holliday) |
Thorgy Thor |
| 8 | Bob The Drag Queen | vs. | Derrick Barry | "You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)" (Sylvester) |
Derrick Barry |
| 9 | All remaining contestants: Bob the Drag Queen, Chi Chi DeVayne, Kim Chi, Naomi Smalls |
"The Realness" (RuPaul) |
Chi Chi DeVayne | ||
- The contestant was eliminated after their first time in the bottom two.
- The contestant was eliminated after their second time in the bottom two.
- The contestant was eliminated after final lipsync of the season.
Guest judges
(In chronological order)[22]
- Nicole Richie (television personality)
- Ester Dean (singer/songwriter)
- Jamal Sims (choreographer)
- Lucian Piane (music producer)
- Faith Evans (singer)
- Tasha Smith (actress and comedian)
- Chris Stein (musician)
- Debbie Harry (singer)
- Chanel Iman (model)
- Gigi Hadid (model)
- Marc Jacobs (fashion designer)
- Todrick Hall (singer and internet personality)
- Thomas Roberts (journalist)
- Vivica A. Fox (actress)
- Amy Sedaris (comedian and actress)
- David Sedaris (writer)
Special guests
Guests who appeared in episodes, but did not judge on the main stage. (In order of appearance)
- Episode 1:
- BeBe Zahara Benet (winner of Season 1)
- Tyra Sanchez (winner of Season 2)
- Raja (winner of Season 3)
- Sharon Needles (winner of Season 4)
- Chad Michaels (runner-up of Season 4, and winner of All Stars Season 1)
- Jinkx Monsoon (winner of Season 5)
- Violet Chachki (winner of Season 7)
- Shannel (contestant on Season 1 and All Stars Season 1)
- Latrice Royale (contestant and Miss Congeniality of Season 4)
- Raven (runner-up of Season 2 and All Stars Season 1)
- Morgan McMichaels (contestant on season 2)
- Episode 2:
- AB Soto (musician)
- Episode 4:
- The Vivienne (winner of Drag Race's UK Drag Ambassador competition)
- Episode 5:
- Charo (musician and comedienne)
- Episode 6:
- Marc Snetiker (Entertainment Weekly journalist)
- Cast of Little Women L.A.
- Episode 7:
- Andrew Christian (fashion designer)
- Episode 9:
- Jayson Whitmore (director)
- Bianca Del Rio (winner of Season 6)
Episodes
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Original air date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 94 | Template:Ancor1 | "Keeping it 100!" | March 7, 2016 |
| 95 | Template:Ancor2 | "Bitch Perfect" | March 14, 2016 |
| 96 | Template:Ancor3 | "RuCo's Empire" | March 21, 2016 |
| 97 | Template:Ancor4 | "New Wave Queens" | March 28, 2016 |
| 98 | Template:Ancor5 | "Supermodel Snatch Game" | April 4, 2016 |
| 99 | Template:Ancor6 | "Wizards of Drag" | April 11, 2016 |
| 100 | Template:Ancor7 | "Shady Politics" | April 18, 2016 |
| 101 | Template:Ancor8 | "RuPaul Book Ball" | April 25, 2016 |
| 102 | Template:Ancor9 | "The Realness" | May 2, 2016 |
| 103 | Template:Ancor10 | "Grand Finale" | May 16, 2016 |
References
- ^ Avery, Dan (January 31, 2016). "The Cast Of RuPaul's Drag Race Season 8 Will Be Announced At New Now Next Honors". New Now Next. United States: Viacom International Inc. Retrieved January 31, 2016.
{{cite web}}: templatestyles stripmarker in|website=at position 1 (help) - ^ Jacobs, Vlake (March 31, 2016). "RuPaul's Drag Race Renewed for Season 9 and Casting Has Just Begun!". TVLine. World of Wonder. Retrieved March 31, 2016.
- ^ Fallon, Kevin (May 17, 2016). "Bob the Drag Queen, Winner of 'RuPaul's Drag Race,' Has Always Been 'Purse First'". Retrieved April 8, 2017.
- ^ Larkworthy, Jane (May 2, 2016). "The Many Faces of the One and Only Kim Chi". W. Archived from the original on March 11, 2017. Retrieved March 23, 2017.
{{cite news}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) Additional WebCitation archive on March 23, 2017. - ^ a b Swartz, Tracy (March 7, 2016). "Two Chicago entertainers competing on 'RuPaul's Drag Race'". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on March 8, 2016. Retrieved April 13, 2017.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ DiGuglielmo, Joey (June 8, 2016). "Naomi's 'Drag Race' behind-the-scenes tour". Washington Blade. Washington, D.C. Archived from the original on July 13, 2016. Retrieved March 23, 2017.
{{cite news}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ Weigle, Lauren (March 7, 2016). "RuPaul's Drag Race' Season 8 Cast". Heavy.com. Archived from the original on March 23, 2017. Retrieved March 23, 2017.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ "Bio". Derrick Barry official website. Retrieved April 1, 2017.
- ^ Rawles, Timothy (April 27, 2016). "Derrick Barry moves on from Vegas, Britney Spears, and Drag Race". San Diego Gay & Lesbian News. Archived from the original on April 28, 2016. Retrieved April 1, 2017.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ "All Stars: The Changing Face of Drag official website". Archived from the original on August 31, 2016. Retrieved April 1, 2017.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ a b Hegedus, Eric (March 7, 2016). "RuPaul still reigns supreme as 'Drag Race' hits 100 episodes". New York Post. Archived from the original on March 18, 2016. Retrieved April 13, 2017.
{{cite web}}:|archive-date=/|archive-url=timestamp mismatch; March 18, 2017 suggested (help); Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ Romano, Tricia (March 5, 2016). "'Yaas, Queen!' It's Robbie Turner's turn on 'RuPaul's Drag Race'". The Seattle Times. Archived from the original on March 6, 2016. Retrieved April 11, 2017.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ http://www.chron.com/entertainment/tv/article/Cynthia-Lee-Fontaine-gets-revealing-after-Drag-6992595.php
- ^ Hillesland (March 13, 2016). "Getting Geeky With 'All Geeks' At The Metro". Loyola Phoenix. Archived from the original on September 13, 2016. Retrieved April 13, 2017.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ Stapleton, John. "What's it like to be a drag queen in Gloucester? Ask Laila McQueen". The Boston Globe datre=February 18, 2016. Archived from the original on February 20, 2016. Retrieved March 23, 2017.
{{cite news}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) Additional Archive.is archive on March 23, 2017. - ^ Lee, Stephan (March 8, 2016). "RuPaul's Drag Race season 8 premiere recap: Keeping It 100". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved July 6, 2017.
- ^ Lee, Stephan (March 15, 2016). "RuPaul's Drag Race recap: Bitch Perfect". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved July 6, 2017.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
episode3was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Lee, Stephan (March 28, 2016). "RuPaul's Drag Race recap: New Wave Flashback". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved July 6, 2017.
- ^ "RuPaul's Drag Race Episode recap: Season 8, Episode 5". Bland Canyon. April 4, 2016. Retrieved July 6, 2017.
- ^ Sava, Oliver (April 11, 2016). "RuPaul's Drag Race journeys to Oz for a wonderful makeover challenge". Bland Canyon. Retrieved July 6, 2017.
- ^ http://www.newnownext.com/amy-sedaris-marc-jacobs-debbie-harry-and-todrick-hall-tapped-as-judge-for-rupauls-drag-race-season-8/02/2016/
