Gay retired college diver gags Paula Abdul on Canada’s Drag Race runway
The debut of Hazel on Canada's Drag Race showcased her vocal skills and eye for style as icon Paula Abdul was wowed. The post Gay retired college diver gags Paula Abdul on Canada’s Drag Race runway appeared first on Outsports.
Mark
From a performer’s standpoint, one of the most difficult aspects of the first episode of “Drag Race” is figuring out how to stand out from a giant pack of fellow queens almost every viewer is meeting for the first time.
Hazel, the drag alter ego of retired Florida State diver Aidan Faminoff, was one of 12 queens who had to solve that puzzle during the Season 6 premiere of “Canada’s Drag Race.”
She did it by showing an eye for runway design, a proficiency for speed lip syncing, and exuding near-constant enthusiasm for becoming part of Drag Race herstory.
While after one episode we still don’t know her quite as well as a few of the other queens who have already solidified their on-camera personas, Hazel provided enough evidence of her talents to indicate that there’s a lot more in store in the shows to come.
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For a runway where the category was “More is More,” Hazel stepped out in head to toe sparkling “Ice Queen But Nice” chic centered around an audacious glittery silver and feathered headpiece that made guest judge Paula Abdul gasp out an audible “WOO!”
Anytime your lewk can make a pop icon do an involuntary Ric Flair impression, you’re doing something right.
Combined with her sequined silver gown and striking “down to this booty hole” blonde wig, the whole ensemble indicated she understood the assignment. Her look was giving “dreamcatcher, but make it Frozen.”
Which, come to think of it, could not possibly be any more Canadian.
Hazel’s performance in the music video “Not Sorry Aboot It” also showed that she can hold her own with the other contestants. And her ability to patter-rap “dominating, captivating, liberating, advocating, educating, navigating, penetrating…yeah, I said it” helped her stand out from the rest of the cast.
In the end, it wasn’t enough to land her in the episode’s tops and she was safe.
Later in the behind-the-scenes “Untucked,” Hazel worried that the jacket she chose for her entrance look might have been “a basic b*tch moment” but admitted she loved it regardless. To be sure, it was somewhat plain but was also clearly a sports jacket, the only nod in the episode to Faminoff’s past as an NCAA diver.
Hopefully we’ll get to hear more about his athletic career as the series progresses.
Meanwhile, a few other contestants displayed strong personas out of the gate, and a few played to well-known Drag Race types.
For example, Toronto queen Van Goth immediately chose the path of “contestant who admits she could be the season’s villain and immediately tries to do all the villain things in two minutes.” Van Goth ended up winning the episode and because no one was at risk of sashaying away during the premiere, she got to join host Brooke Lynn Hytes for the finale to “lip sync…just for fun.”
Scratch what I said earlier. THAT could not possibly be any more Canadian.
Van Goth was part of the group of big personalities that stood out from the pack including all-around eccentric PM and drag queen/king Velma Jones. Hazel definitely fulfilled the “loud and full of energy” requirement for the gig but she still has to catch up to a few of them in terms of fully defining herself on camera.
Based on her performance in the music video and her eye for style on the runway, she should be able to shantay you stay for a while and grow to feel as comfortable in the Werk Room as she was on the springboard.
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The post Gay retired college diver gags Paula Abdul on Canada’s Drag Race runway appeared first on Outsports.
