Glamazonian Airways

Last updated
"Glamazonian Airways"
RuPaul's Drag Race episode
Episode no.Season 7
Episode 2
Directed byNick Murray
Original air dateMarch 9, 2015 (2015-03-09)
Guest appearances
Episode chronology
← Previous
"Born Naked"		Next →
"ShakesQueer"
RuPaul's Drag Race (season 7)
List of episodes

"Glamazonian Airways" is the second episode of the seventh season of RuPaul's Drag Race . [1] [2] The episode aired on March 9, 2015, and features a Rusical (musical theatre challenge). [3] Olivia Newton-John and Jordin Sparks serve as guest judges, alongside regular panelists RuPaul, Michelle Visage, and Carson Kressley. Moby and Jamal Sims also make guest appearances, the former to help judge the mini-challenge and the latter to offer choreography coaching to contestants for the main challenge.

Contents

Ginger Minj and Trixie Mattel win the episode's mini-challenge. Ginger Minj also wins the main challenge, and Sasha Belle is eliminated from the competition after placing in the bottom two and losing a lip-sync against Katya to "Twist of Fate" by Newton-John.

Episode

Rupaul Dragcon 2018-187 (41356426934) (cropped).jpg
Sasha Belle (cropped).jpg
Ginger Minj (left) was a winner of the episode's mini-challenge as well as the main challenge; Sasha Belle (right) was eliminated from the competition.

In the Werk Room, RuPaul greets the contestants and reveals the mini-challenge, which has the contestants "give face" while members of the Pit Crew use a leaf blower. Moby makes a guest appearance to help judge the mini-challenge. Ginger Minj and Trixie Mattel win, and therefore serve as team captains for the main challenge. [4]

RuPaul introduces the main challenge, which requires the contestants to perform a lip-synced (or spoken word) [5] and choreographed pre-flight safety presentation for Glamazonian Airways. [6] Ginger Minj's team includes Jaidynn Diore Fierce, Jasmine Kennedie, Kandy Ho, Kennedy Davenport, Mrs. Kasha Davis, and Sasha Belle. Trixie Mattel's team includes Katya, Max, Miss Fame, Pearl, and Violet Chachki. [7] While the two teams decide on roles, RuPaul meets with each group for status updates. The contestants receive choreography coaching from Jamal Sims on the main stage. Back in the Werk Room, the contestants get ready for the runway and discuss which skills they think a good drag performer should have. Later, Miss Fame shares about the experience of losing a family member to murder at a young age.

Olivia Newton John (6707495311) (cropped to look large).jpg
Jordin Sparks by Gage Skidmore.jpg
Guest judges Olivia Newton-John (left) and Jordin Sparks (right)

On the main stage, RuPaul welcomes fellow judges Michelle Visage and Carson Kressley, [4] as well as guest judges Olivia Newton-John and Jordin Sparks. The contestants perform the Rusical, which features members of the Pit Crew in the background, for the judges. The runway category is "Jet Set Eleganza", which requires the contestants to present "jet-set" looks. After the contestants present their looks for the judges, RuPaul asks those deemed safe to leave the main stage. The judges speak with the remaining contestants, then RuPaul asks the contestants to leave the main stage so the judges can deliberate.

Ginger Minj is declared the winner of the main challenge, with Mrs. Kasha Davis and Violet Chachki also placing in the top. Katya, Miss Fame, and Sasha Belle place in the bottom three, and Katya and Sasha Belle face off in a lip-sync to "Twist of Fate" (1983) by Newton-John. [8] Sasha Belle is eliminated from the competition. [4] She returns to the Werk Room to write a message on the mirror for the contestants using lipstick.

Production and broadcasting

"Glamazonian Airways" was directed by Nick Murray. The episode premiered on Logo TV in the United States on March 9, 2015. The episode's premiere was seen by close to 374,000 viewers. [9]

Sims has appeared on the show several times. He was a guest judge and choreographer on the eighth season's "Bitch Perfect" (2016), the twelfth season's "Viva Drag Vegas" (2020), and the thirteenth season's "Condragulations" and "Social Media: The Unverified Rusical" (2021). Additionally, he was solely guest choreographer on the twelfth season's "Madonna: The Unauthorized Rusical" (2020) and the thirteenth season's "Gettin' Lucky" (2021). On the sixth season (2021) of RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars, Sims was a guest judge and choreographer on "Halftime Headliners" and solely a guest choreographer on the finale "This Is Our Country".

Reception

Allison Shoemaker of The A.V. Club , classified the episode with a B+ rating with "still highly entertaining, skimped on the personality in favor of fashion". [6] Bernardo Sim from Out , included the main challenge in a list of fifteen moments "that prove ... season 7 was actually iconic". [5] Writing for Screen Rant in 2019, Sim deemed the episode the season's best and said: "By many standards, season 7’s 'Glamazonian Airways' is considered one of the best Rusicals in the entire series, being both funny and quirky. What's more, because it was that season’s second episode, this was a great opportunity for the queens to show off their potential early on." [10] In 2024, Stephen Daw ranked "Glamazonian Airways" fourteenth in Billboard 's list of the best Rusicals to date. He wrote, "Glamazonian Airways is another rare swing-and-miss among the Rusical challenges. Especially when compared to later entries on this list, this season 7 challenge failed to take off." [11]

Related Research Articles

<i>RuPauls Drag Race</i> (season 7) Seventh season of RuPauls Drag Race

The seventh season of RuPaul's Drag Race began airing on March 2, 2015. RuPaul and Michelle Visage returned as judges, while the space previously occupied by Santino Rice was filled by new additions Ross Mathews and Carson Kressley. Matthews and Kressley were only both present for the season premiere and took turns sharing judging responsibilities. Shawn Morales, a member of the Pit Crew since the third season and Simon Sherry-Wood, a member in the sixth season, did not appear this season and were replaced by Bryce Eilenberg. Like the previous two seasons of RuPaul's Drag Race, the season featured 14 contestants competing for the title of "America's Next Drag Superstar", a one-year supply of Anastasia Beverly Hills cosmetics and a cash prize of 100,000 dollars. The season premiere debuted with a live and same-day viewership of 350,000, a 20% increase from the previous season. On March 20, 2015, it was announced that LogoTV had given the series an early renewal for an eighth season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ginger Minj</span> American drag performer

Joshua Allen Eads, better known by the stage name Ginger Minj, is an American drag queen, actor, singer-songwriter, and reality television personality. After achieving recognition for placing as the runner-up on the seventh season of the reality television competition series RuPaul's Drag Race, Minj returned to compete on the second and sixth seasons of RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars. Minj has acted in three Netflix productions—the comedy feature film Dumplin' (2018), the animated series Super Drags, and RuPaul's fictional series AJ and the Queen, and has acted in numerous theatrical productions. Minj appeared in the 2022 film Hocus Pocus 2, the sequel to Hocus Pocus. Minj has released three studio albums—Sweet T (2016), Gummy Bear (2021), and Double Wide Diva (2021).

"Trump: The Rusical" is the fourth episode of the eleventh season of the American reality competition television series RuPaul's Drag Race, which aired on VH1 on March 21, 2019. The episode has contestants deliver Rachel Maddow impressions for the mini challenge, and perform a musical parody of Grease about Donald Trump and the women in his life and cabinet for the main challenge. The musical features choreography by Yanis Marshall, and sees Donald Trump portrayed by former contestant Ginger Minj. Maddow appears as a special guest; Joel McHale and Tiffany Pollard serve as guest judges, alongside regular panelists RuPaul, Michelle Visage, and Ross Mathews.

"Bitch Perfect" is the second episode of the eighth season of RuPaul's Drag Race. The episode's main challenge is a Rusical inspired by Pitch Perfect. Ester Dean and Lucian Piane are guest judges, and Jamal Sims is the guest choreographer.

"Born Naked" is the first episode of the seventh season of RuPaul's Drag Race. Directed by Nick Murray, the episode originally aired on March 2, 2015. Kathy Griffin serves as a guest judge. For the fashion show mini-challenge, Mathu Andersen and former contestant Alaska Thunderfuck make guest appearances, the latter impersonating Anna Wintour.

"ShakesQueer" is the third episode of the seventh season of RuPaul's Drag Race. It originally aired on March 16, 2015. Kat Dennings are Mel B are guest judges. The episode earned Mathu Andersen a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Makeup for a Variety, Nonfiction or Reality Program.

"Spoof! " is the fourth episode of the seventh season of RuPaul's Drag Race. It originally aired on March 23, 2015. Jessica Alba and Lucian Piane are guest judges. Kennedy Davenport wins the episode's challenge, and Trixie Mattel is eliminated from the competition after placing in the bottom and losing a lip-sync against Pearl.

"The DESPY Awards" is the fifth episode of the seventh season of RuPaul's Drag Race. It originally aired on March 30, 2015. Isaac Mizrahi is a guest judge. Kathy Griffin also makes a guest appearance to coach the contestants for the main challenge.

"Ru Hollywood Stories" is the sixth episode of the seventh season of RuPaul's Drag Race. It originally aired on April 6, 2015. Merle Ginsberg and Ariana Grande are guest judges.

"Conjoined Queens" is the eighth episode of the seventh season of RuPaul's Drag Race. It originally aired on April 20, 2015. Nelsan Ellis and LeAnn Rimes are guest judges, and former contestant Latrice Royale also makes a guest appearance for the episode's mini-challenge.

"Divine Inspiration" is the ninth episode of the seventh season of RuPaul's Drag Race. Directed by Nick Murray, the episode originally aired on April 27, 2015. Demi Lovato and John Waters are guest judges. Lucian Piane and Our Lady J also make guest appearances, helping the contestants during rehearsals.

"Prancing Queens" is the tenth episode of the seventh season of RuPaul's Drag Race. It originally aired on May 4, 2015. Rachael Harris and Alyssa Milano are guest judges. The episode was directed by Nick Murray.

"Hello, Kitty Girls!" is the eleventh episode of the seventh season of RuPaul's Drag Race. It originally aired on May 11, 2015. Santino Rice and Rebecca Romijn are guest judges.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">And the Rest Is Drag</span> 12th episode of the 7th season of RuPauls Drag Race

"And the Rest Is Drag" is the twelfth episode of the seventh season of the American television series RuPaul's Drag Race. The episode was directed by Nick Murray and first aired on Logo TV on May 18, 2015. It was followed by an episode of the companion series RuPaul's Drag Race: Untucked.

"Madonna: The Unauthorized Rusical" is the seventh episode of the twelfth season of the American reality competition television series RuPaul's Drag Race, which aired on VH1 on April 10, 2020. The episode has contestants perform a musical about Madonna for the main challenge. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Winnie Harlow serve as guest judges, alongside regular panelists RuPaul, Michelle Visage, and Carson Kressley.

"Viva Drag Vegas" is the twelfth episode of the twelfth season of RuPaul's Drag Race. The episode focuses on the Las Vegas show RuPaul's Drag Race Live!

"Condragulations" is the second episode of the thirteenth season of RuPaul's Drag Race. It originally aired on January 8, 2021. Choreographer Jamal Sims is a guest judge.

"Social Media: The Unverified Rusical" is the eighth episode of the thirteenth season of the American reality competition television series RuPaul's Drag Race, which aired on VH1 on February 19, 2021. The episode's main challenge is a Rusical about social media. Choreographer Jamal Sims is a guest judge, and Anne Hathaway also makes a guest appearance.

"Gettin' Lucky" is the fourteenth episode of the thirteenth season of RuPaul's Drag Race. It originally aired on April 9, 2021. Jamal Sims is a guest choreographer. The episode earned Nick Murray a win in the Outstanding Directing for a Reality Program categoy at the 73rd Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards.

"Halftime Headliners" is the fourth episode of the sixth season of the American reality competition television series RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars, which aired on online streaming service Paramount+ on July 8, 2021. The episode has contestants impersonate famous singers and musicians and lip sync to a medley of RuPaul songs, inspired by Super Bowl's Halftime Shows. Jamal Sims served as guest judges, alongside regular panelists RuPaul, Michelle Visage and Carson Kressley.

References

  1. ↑ Carpentier, Megan; Rushe, Dominic (March 10, 2015). "RuPaul's Drag Race recap: season seven, episode two: Glamazonian Airways". The Guardian . ISSN   0261-3077. Archived from the original on March 22, 2020. Retrieved February 1, 2024.
  2. ↑ Ehrman-Dupre, Joe (2015-03-10). "RuPaul's Drag Race, Season 7, Episode 2: 'Glamazonian Airways'". IndieWire . Archived from the original on March 4, 2024. Retrieved 2024-03-04.
  3. ↑ Malice, Michael (March 10, 2015). "'RuPaul's Drag Race' 7×2 Recap: Glamazonian Airways". Observer . Archived from the original on December 5, 2022. Retrieved February 1, 2024.
  4. 1 2 3 Lee, Stephan (March 13, 2015). "'RuPaul's Drag Race' recap: 'Glamazonian Airways'". Entertainment Weekly . Archived from the original on November 8, 2020. Retrieved February 1, 2024.
  5. 1 2 Sim, Bernando (March 1, 2023). "15 Moments That Prove 'Drag Race' Season 7 Was Actually Iconic". Out . Archived from the original on January 16, 2024. Retrieved February 24, 2024.
  6. 1 2 Shoemaker, Allison (March 10, 2015). "RuPaul's Drag Race: "Glamazonian Airways"". The A.V. Club . Archived from the original on October 2, 2022. Retrieved February 1, 2024.
  7. ↑ Libby, Katie (March 10, 2015). ""RuPaul's Drag Race" Season 7, Episode 2: Glamazonian Airways". City Magazine. Archived from the original on February 24, 2024. Retrieved February 24, 2024.
  8. ↑ Dior, Chiffon (March 10, 2015). "Talking Drag Race With Chiffon Dior: Episode Two "Glamazonian Airways"". Werrrk. Archived from the original on March 25, 2023. Retrieved February 24, 2024.
  9. ↑ Metcalfe, Mitch (March 9, 2015). "Top 25 Monday Cable Originals (& Network Update): 3.9.2015". ShowBuzzDaily. Archived from the original on March 12, 2015. Retrieved March 25, 2015.
  10. ↑ Sim, Bernardo (2019-11-29). "RuPaul's Drag Race: The Best Episode In Every Season, Ranked". ScreenRant. Archived from the original on December 25, 2019. Retrieved 2024-02-26.
  11. ↑ Daw, Stephen (2024-02-21). "Every Rusical from 'RuPaul's Drag Race,' Ranked Worst to Best". Billboard. Archived from the original on January 12, 2024. Retrieved 2024-02-26.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.