Be angry about Manila Luzon leaving, but don't be angry at Naomi Smalls
Last night's episode of "RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars 4" saw one of the most shocking and unjust eliminations in the entire 14-season run of the show. Manila Luzon, who had been pretty much Ben-de-la-Creming the season was eliminated by perennially-safe Naomi Smalls. One of the phrases, among many, that I've learned from this show is "in your feelings", and I am very in my feelings about this.
A lot of those 'in my feelings' feelings I've had since the episode aired have been against Naomi. I saw her as two-faced the way she praised Manila as this superstar who she looked up to when she was a kid, and in the entire show Naomi seemed so respectful, courteous, earnest, and grounded. I also recalled her underwhelming reception this season and wondered how she had the right as some lowly peasant to oust the one who was in line to take the throne.
However, despite Naomi not having won any challenges until now, she's actually been performing brilliantly and has been grossly under-praised and under the radar. Her win finally in the makeover challenge was a well-deserved triumph, and her lipsync showed that there's a lot more to Naomi than pretty much anyone imagined. It's just a shame that in her moment of glory she chose to get dirty and create the most baffling upset since Alaska sent Tatianna home for not lending her a shirt.
Maybe Naomi got rid of Manila to clear her way into the final with less competition. Or perhaps Manila wasn't humble enough when Naomi was praising her. Or maybe Manila's fawning over her husband was just too annoying to handle. I’m angry about it, but I won’t be angry at Naomi. That's because this is only a TV-show. And ultimately it's probably wisest and also easiest to look at "Drag Race" as such and not as a real or fair competition. If we're all talking about the shocking elimination of Manila Luzon then the show has succeeded. And if it turns Naomi into a villain, as the previews for next week suggest, then finally Naomi will be elevated from another boring looks queen.
It does all come at a cost though — most fans don't look at this as a manipulated reality TV and now whoever who takes the crown will be seen as an undeserving imposter, which frankly is true. Just like Shangela was the true winner of AS3, Manila is the true winner of AS4 — now go change that picture wall already!
By the way, loving Monique Heart and you can't go too wrong with Trinity, but I'm still in my feelings. Come on, RuPaul, just do the right thing and give Manila the prize anyway, it's your damn TV show!
