ALL STARS 2: Episode 2
Dixie Lynn Cartwright joins me this week to discuss the All Stars Snatch Game! She hosts screening parties in Chicago at Sidetrack, where she does terrible things to her audience during the commercial breaks. (Dixie is pictured here between Dante Hernandez andSeazerz Peazza at Sidetrack)
Chad: How are you? The screening party was fun!
Dixie: I'm good. Still recovering from attempting to play the Snatch Game with sober white girls.
Chad: Here's the thing: talking to drag queens is hard. Especially you. On camera in a bar full of judgy gays. Have some sympathy for sober white girls who can't tickle your funny bone on command.
Dixie: I call them all Megan and give them free alcohol. I don't see what's hard about that. Congrats, Megan! Here's your shitty Blue Moon!
Chad: Ha! So, aside from some underwhelming performances of the Snatch Game at Sidetrack last night, you liked the All Stars' rendition of it?
Dixie: In the words of Drag Race's favorite MENSA member.... ABSOLUTELYYYYY. There were duds, but no big whammy's. These girls play Snatch Game on tour. I've drunkenly watched a few on YouTube when I should be brushing my wigs, so I know the girls have had a lot of practice. Alaska, who always kills on tour, was Mae West. And when she initially said it, I was worried. It seemed an obscure choice. But she killed it.
Chad: Alaska completely dominated that Snatch. It wasn't even close!
Dixie: I love that she just kept pushing the ridiculous sexual stuff. I think that's what made her so successful. She picked a trait and stayed with it. Her character was focused. Which can't be said for middle-of-the-road Alyssa.
Chad: MIDDLE OF THE ROAD? Honestly, I thought Alyssa and Alaska should have been lip syncing this week.
Dixie: Now, Alyssa Edwards is one of my favorite people to hear words from... but here is what she did for Joan Crawford: Google search “Mommie Dearest quotes,” and then she just vomited them up at random. Her opening talk with Ru was just random quote after random quote. At one point in the game, Ru even said, "well that doesn't make any sense, but that sure is funny."
Chad: Well, yes. Alyssa being random is just Alyssa being Alyssa.
Dixie: Which is true. ALYSSA as Joan Crawford was funny because it was like watching a parrot who became a human for a day trying to do comedy. So, did Alyssa deliver a good Joan? No. Was she funny? Yes...because she is Alyssa.
Chad: So, I agree that she didn't give the same kind of powerhouse performance as Alaska, but something about the look, the expressivity, the absurdity, it left me with much more of an impression than any of the others.
Dixie: But what about Katya?! SHE'S. JUST. SO. FUNNY.
Chad: Yes, Katya is wonderful and hilarious. But I've seen a lot of absurdist Bjork impressions before. She did well, but it didn't feel as fresh and new.
Dixie: She was quick. She focused. It was solid
Chad: It was! I just thought Alyssa's was more exciting and unhinged.
Dixie: I loved it. AND when we watched her, we could relax. We KNEW she would kill it, so we could just enjoy it. Whereas with someone like Alyssa or Detox, you have a knot in your stomach.
Chad: What did you think of Phi Phi's Long Island Medium schtick?
Dixie: I think Phi Phi's Snatch Game MUST have had an edit in there somewhere... how was she safe with that? And wasn't it Ross who said how great it was? That was incredibly lackluster. She had some good IDEAS, but she didn't take it far enough. When Ru caught her writing the answer, I got the bit, but I didn't laugh, because she didn't take it far enough with Ru.
Chad: Right, I liked the overall concept of playing a fraudster psychic, but the actual performance wasn't anything exciting. I was shocked she wasn't in the bottom.
Dixie: I like Phi Phi. I was cheering her on BIG TIME in Episode 1.
Chad: I like her, too, but I just don't think she's standing out in this competition. At least she gets SOME screen time, as opposed to poor Ginger.
Dixie: Oh...Ginger. Who was she last night? OH! Tammy Faye. Yeah...it was good. I feel like when Ginger made her comment about the lackluster reputation she and the girls in her season get, she kind of reminded us all of why Season 7 is that season we all agree to just not talk about... She had some good lines, like the “panties filled with God's love.” But I don't know... Ginger always leaves me feeling like my panties could use more filling.
Chad: Ha! Yeah, she's very funny, very talented. She's very reliable and consistent, but rarely EXCITING.
Dixie: YES! So, so well said. I cannot deny her humor and talent, but she just doesn't make me cackle. I don't get excited to watch her. And now...the bottom 3....
Chad: Can we all agree that no drag queen should ever pick Nancy Grace ever again?
Dixie: Oh, Detox. My blessed Detox. WHAT HAPPENED?! She had all the lines down. She had the focus on child murder (ALWAYS a laugh riot). She looked MUCH better than Acid Betty's version, but it was not funny.
Chad: Now, what about Tatianna? I thought she started out with a few good jokes. But...
Dixie: Ariana, just like Taylor Swift and Pink, is a pop star without a personality quirk to make her funny. Britney was funny because it was early on in the series and playing just a dumb girl could work. SHE LOOKED STUNNING, and when she came on screen, Sidetrack erupted!
Chad: Right, she was legitimately good in Season 2. But girl was off her game this time around.
Dixie: She wasn't awful, though. I didn't cringe. I think she thought more about the look than the character. The whistle tones thing was funny, I'll give her that. When I sing, I don't kill dogs. I just make cats horny.
Chad: Right, she definitely has a quick wit, but something was just off. She spaced out.
Dixie: WAIT. We forgot the biggest tragedy of all!
Chad: Oh! Which?
Dixie: Doesn't that say it all? Roxxxy as Alaska.
Chad: Oh, Roxxxy. Yes...... She didn't even get the voice right.
Dixie: I am a HUGE fan of her this season. The chip is off her shoulder and she's just f*cking gorgeous. But this was an epic fail.
Chad: It's hard to succeed as Alaska when Alaska is RIGHT THERE already stealing the show.
Dixie: Alaska is incredibly easy to impersonate. She's everyone's favorite queen to impersonate in casual conversation. But LORDt.
Chad: Wanna dish on the runway? Do you have much experience with... latex?
Dixie: If I did, I wouldn't be so well-known at the free clinic. Latex is kind of becoming its own genre in drag. I'm loving it. It makes me sweat just looking at it, but it's so much fun.
Chad: Is it expensive? Hard to find the right fit? Squeaky?
Dixie: It's a material that is difficult to work with if you've never done it. Katya's outfit was SO well thought out. It was SO Katya. It made me laugh, but she legit looked amazing.
Chad: Katya's was definitely a surprise. I don't think of her as someone who pulls out all the stops for a runway look, but she's clearly budgeting for it this season. Putting that Miss Congeniality money to good use!
Dixie: It was like her bearded drag from her season, Abraham Lincoln. She met the challenge while also being hilarious.
Dixie: Detox just looked incredible. Nancy Grace should've been looking for the bodies of the judges as she walked down the runway, because bitch SLAYED. The body shape. The headpiece. Her thigh gap. It was all so, so good.
Chad: Detox has delivered some of my favorite runway looks of all time. She has an edge and experimental side of her looks that just kills me.
Dixie: She is experimental without being sloppy. That's tough.
Chad: I sometimes wish she would bring that same precision and polish to her performances, though, right?
Dixie: Detox gets in her head during the challenges. I think she stands in her own way.
Chad: Agreed. I like her a lot, and I LOVE seeing more of her this season. I'm sure she'll be around for quite a while.
Dixie: Most of her body parts are only a few years old, so she'll outlive us all.
Dixie: Alaska was also very strong. I LOVED the eyes.
Chad: Yeah, it was somewhat simple, but it worked VERY well. Simple, but impeccably done.
Dixie: Yeah, gold star. Simple and striking. She killed this episode. Start to finish.
Chad: Absoluuuutely.
Dixie: I know that Tatianna's was straight out of a catalog, but SHE LOOKED STUNNING. It all worked for me.
Chad: Agreed. She looked absolutely perfect. You think we've seen the last of her?
Dixie: I don't think they're bringing people back. She keeps saying "revenge." I think they will have a hand in choosing the winner.
Chad: I feel like if anyone's going to come back, it should probably be Tatianna.
Dixie: I agree. And she needs it more than the other girls.
Chad: I was legitimately rooting for her after the first episode. They can't squander that potential! And right, as they've brought up several times, she's not as well known and could most benefit from the exposure.
Dixie: When she was chatting with Alaska, I wanted her to say, "I'm from an earlier season. I need this for my career. Detox and Roxxxy are doing just fine. Let the new fans get to know me." AND SHE'S INCREDIBLE. She deserves to be seen. Yeah, Sidetrack was NOT happy when she was sent home, not when Phi Phi was safe. The bar ERUPTED.
Chad: What did you think of the lip sync?
Dixie: JUST SO FUN. They are such favorites. When they were the top 2, Sidetrack's walls nearly collapsed from the cheers and screams. Seeing them lip sync together was just plain fun. We watched our favorite aunts duke it out, and I had a smile on my face the whole time. I LOVE watching the lip syncs this way, because there is no threat of elimination, so THEY are having more fun, WE are having more fun...it's just watching them show off.
Chad: Ha! Yeah, it was legitimately goofy and unpredictable. Did Alaska cut off her skirt? She had a blade hidden somewhere?
Dixie: Haha, no idea, but I loved it. Her weird final pose. It was all so great.
Dixie: Okay. The time has come. Adore. Where to start? First of all, I want to say that I love Adore. She's a fan favorite. I was psyched she was going to be on. But we need to be honest here. That was a dick move, dude. SO many queens would have LOVED to be there. Tatianna NEEDED to be there. And you just say, "I'm not getting the positive attention I'm used to... so, bye."
Chad: Ha! Based on what I've been reading, it sounds like she was in a shitty place at the time of filming. I think it's weird to go from colleagues to competitors, and even stranger to have Michelle go from being a maternal figure to your biggest critic.
Dixie: True, we don't know all the personal demons and such, but from a TV-only, superficial perspective... it was fucked.
Chad: It sucked. I felt bad for her, and I was disappointed.
Dixie: She seemed to be saying that she didn't know what to expect. Um. Yes you did.
Chad: I mean, yes, I agree. She should have known what to expect. But I do think shooting that show is incredibly stressful and surreal, and I'm not surprised that it can bring up powerful emotions, especially if you're already struggling with a lot.
Dixie: On her season, she was the underdog that kept getting by. As she did better, she played better. But now she is someone who is praised constantly. She comes on the show, is critiqued, and quits.
Chad: I agree, that's how it came across, and it's not great.
Dixie: I am SO upset that she won't be part of this season.
Chad: Well. Maybe Tatianna will come back and take her spot. Party!
Chad: Okay, that's all the stuff I wanted to talk about! Any other thoughts?
Dixie: Alaska is my All-Star and Jesus is Lord.
If that wasn't enough of Dixie for you, follow her on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. You can also find her this week at Dixie Wins A Talent Show (While Alexis Bevels Stage Manages) Tuesday, September 6 at Berlin. She also hosts Drag Race screening parties every Thursday and Beyonce Night at Sidetrack, September 14.
I should also mention that Sidetrack currently features a TON of my superhero and drag artwork all over their lovely walls, so you should stop by! I'll be selling my work there during the All Stars finale!
As always, you can find prints of my work at my Etsy store and support me on Patreon! Thank yew.