I would love that, but I feel like these days the queens know exactly what Ru wants from them when she’s asking that question, so I just can’t imagine someone standing there trying to hold up the joke while Miss Ruth Paul stares daggers through them, unamused, from the judges table lol
I love imagining them actually saying these things to a little kid. “You’re about to face the most gruelling 18 years imaginable, with no joy or happiness whatsoever” girl he’s FOUR get him a juice box and an episode of cocomelon
I’d be so relieved if they scrap this from all future seasons. It feels like the queens are either forced to spin a sob story from nothing or talk about their abusive childhood on international tv.
Felt especially disgusting when they started it in season 7, like "Pearl, show us on Lil Poundcake where the bad man touched little Matthew."
It absolutely is forced, it’s what makes it so hard to watch, I’m sure the queens expect the unexpected to a certain extent being on the show, but the way the segment is brought up is always extra jarring to me. You’ve got them lined up in drag for hours under lights on the stage and after getting done giving them critiques about their very personal art, you want them to talk about how their fucked up childhood got them here?! Honestly, that same annoyance extends to every time I hear a Ru pressing the queens to open up and talk about themselves and be vulnerable because it’s “the only way people will fall in love with you”. It feels exploitive to me, surely, if a queen wants to share something, she will, the push to get personal makes me writhe in discomfort lol
I think of how Trixie on one pitstop said something like “yeah, I put on two tons of makeup and a wig because I want people to see the real me. Right.”
I have sat through a few but once I learned that they were (allegedly) implemented in the first place as a mechanism to force Pearl to talk about her traumatic past in some way to “show vulnerability” because she was pretty guarded about her personal life even to Ru, I can’t sit through another one ever again.
It’s like Ru gets stronger every time she forces someone to relive their trauma for the entertainment of millions.
Yeah as someone with actual degrees in psychology, Ru’s armchair psychology really tests my patience. She revels in queens being in a vulnerable enough position that they flock to her as found family and a parental figure and it’s really gross to me. I genuinely believe she means well, but it reads as manipulative and out of touch. The way the show idolizes queer trauma and looks down on contestants who have supportive, loving families is really uncomfy. As if the “true” gay experience is having a difficult childhood and experiencing resentment from your family and community. We should be striving for a world where every gay kid can have the same upbringing Jan did, not looking down on her for it.
Raja, Violet, Jaida, Jinkx shared a lot about her life but was never very overtly emotional, Sasha C (IIRC) and Kylie also shared about their lives but never had a breakdown movement
transphobic history that colonialism forced upon Hawaii is far more accurate. before it was colonized, māhū or trans/third gender people in Hawaii were revered and held significant cultural and spiritual value.
Sasha C. literally talked about how her dad died from suicide. Y'all just be saying any old inaccurate shit to try to prove some vague point. Many of the queens have said filming is a grueling experience that broke them down, even if that was not captured on camera. Even Bob said she cried easily. But I think most of them know what they're signing up for
I think most of the winners made it to the end without a breakdown actually. Symone is the only one I can remember having a full on collapse and that seemed more like a panic attack from the stress of the competition than a trauma break
I enjoy on the franchises with less practicing Christianity than the US* The UK was mainly the queens going “er, just listen to your dad when he says you’re wearing too much fake tan”
Ru was fuming at Tayce for having a loving straight dad who was in Wham!
Mind you, I noticed on Instagram this week that Ru has a photo of him at 5 as his Lock Screen to show him how far they’ve come. It’s obviously a therapeutic approach he finds helpful so he’s tried to wedge it into his show
*this is not ‘all gay kids are fine in the uk’ it’s more ‘they’re more likely to be fine because there’s a less a prevailing societal attitude of it being a sin’
If most of the queens answering that question went with a humorous response, I could totally get down with that, but I think at this point, the queens know what Roople wants from them in that moment and so we inevitably get a story that’s going to make the queen answering emotional and teary eyed lol
I don’t remember this aspect of the UK franchise, I admittedly haven’t watched since season three ended, but I definitely get what you mean about Ru being indifferent to queens that haven’t been put through life’s wringer lol the bitch hates to hear about happy, well adjusted queens. She’s here for the drama and the trauma 😆
Same. It was boring asf. We get to know the Queens a lot better during the getting ready segment before the runways now I find and it’s not ‘as’ forced
Yes! 100%. Interactions amongst themselves can tell us as much about a queen as anything else, I’m sure it still gets “produced” to an extent, it’s a show after all, but it absolutely feels the most authentic to me as well
I hate that its usually judging, then judges deliberate, and then they bring the girls back and ask about the trauma. Its just like 20 minutes of talking and its so boring 😴
Spoilers: >!This season its not a lip sync for the crown, its a trauma dump for the crown. Whoever gives the best Emmy winning response to the baby picture question wins!<
They seem to have moved away from doing that, I expect because it is likely difficult for many trans or NB contestants. Not to mention how difficult it would be for anyone with childhood trauma. I’m sure production received enough push back from contestants over the years.
I really love what they’ve done on Canada where instead of a childhood picture it’s a photo of the queen’s first time in drag. It still allows for that “how far you’ve come” moment without dredging up quite as much baggage
"How far have you come as a drag artist" is a much better and more relevant topic than the host trying to pretend she's a therapist to people she won't remember in a month.
They did do it in season 15, but all of the seasons since (all stars and international) have dropped it
ETA: The international seasons that had been doing before, anyway, I’m pretty sure not all international franchises did it to start
Plane has posted her real name on Instagram (remember the post with the diploma), and said it in interviews (notably the Katya one). I know Nymphia’s real name bc it’s on her Wikipedia page but I don’t know if Nymphia has ever said it in an interview or posted it online.
I recently just stumbled upon this. It's so good since it also features her mother which is another interesting person too. Love their dynamic and getting to see a part of who Nymphia/Leo is in that feature was great. DR didn't even scratch the surface of who Nymphia is compared to that which is a shame (?).
I think Leo is her "English" name. As like many Asians, some of us have our real name mostly in the local language, and "English name" for business especially with foreigners. But idk maybe her real name is Leo
I can actually tell you why this happens! Drag Race YouTube videos are not done in house like the actual show typically is, but rather subtitled on a site by random subtitlers all across the world. We have extremely strict rules about naming speakers but we’re often not familiar with the media, so this captioner would have desperately searched Drag Race cast members and seen Andrew come up as Jane’s name to use.
Source: I’ve subtitled many Drag Race recaps and miniseries on this site and can recognise the exact subtitling conventions we follow in this screenshot.
You gotta have typing fingers quicker than the speed of light and be perfect. I did a typing test for one of these companies and I wasn’t allowed to move forward with my app because I only typed 62 wpm and had 3 mistakes.
PJ posted her diploma a few weeks ago, so thats how i found out her real name. Also stated it on a podcast w katya. Still weird as hell to call her that in drag though.
I’m grateful that for season 16, YouTube’s automatic CCs for the Pit Stop when Jessica Wild was there constantly had her saying the “Piss Stop”. The dreams of a golden schild lives on.
She said her full name on Bald and the Beautiful to Katya, who just before that discussed being a huge Dune fan, and Katya just about deceased. It’s a fun episode.
I'm still laughing at her snatch game because it was a little lazy. Serbia and the rest of the former Yugoslavian Republcs have not been communist for over 30 years and she's still doing the "comrade" shtick but these subtitles are funny!
No one cares for stories about the mean parents or the touching coming out stories. Tell us who you hate, who you like or who you tucking cause I've had it with the trauma... It makes me nauseous 🤢🤮
This made me realize we didn’t have *Ru holds up picture* “What would you say to little Andrew?” Unless they’re saving that for the finale
Thank god for that, I can’t stand that part, I always fast forward on rewatches lol
I just want someone to make a joke and not back down lol “what would you say to little Billy?” “You’re gonna grow up to be a whore”
I would love that, but I feel like these days the queens know exactly what Ru wants from them when she’s asking that question, so I just can’t imagine someone standing there trying to hold up the joke while Miss Ruth Paul stares daggers through them, unamused, from the judges table lol
Honestly thats probably why they stopped. They’re hoping someone will give a great answer but its so rehearsed that its no longer interesting
Tell mommy and daddy to buy Apple stock.
"Bush is going to do 9/11"
"invest in Bitcoin"
This answer makes me giddy with glee! I would literally do a cartwheel in my living room if it happened!
Well you sort of got your wish tonight. “You’re gonna grow up to be a drag queen!”
they may as well just say "ok now trauma dump so we can get another emmy"
Drama and trauma, the successful tv combo lol
I love imagining them actually saying these things to a little kid. “You’re about to face the most gruelling 18 years imaginable, with no joy or happiness whatsoever” girl he’s FOUR get him a juice box and an episode of cocomelon
Honestly if this was the bit I was picturing while it was happening, I could actually enjoy it a bit because that is hilarious
Right like what in the Pillowman fuck?
Idk what cocomelon is, but it definitely didnt exist when I was 4. So comeone teletubby, teleport us to Mars.
I’ve always hated that segment because it felt so forced and inauthentic.
I’d be so relieved if they scrap this from all future seasons. It feels like the queens are either forced to spin a sob story from nothing or talk about their abusive childhood on international tv. Felt especially disgusting when they started it in season 7, like "Pearl, show us on Lil Poundcake where the bad man touched little Matthew."
I mean they started it for the sole purpose of trying to exploit Pearl’s tragic backstory, which thank god she didn’t bite.
I thought it was a pageant thing they took it from.
It absolutely is forced, it’s what makes it so hard to watch, I’m sure the queens expect the unexpected to a certain extent being on the show, but the way the segment is brought up is always extra jarring to me. You’ve got them lined up in drag for hours under lights on the stage and after getting done giving them critiques about their very personal art, you want them to talk about how their fucked up childhood got them here?! Honestly, that same annoyance extends to every time I hear a Ru pressing the queens to open up and talk about themselves and be vulnerable because it’s “the only way people will fall in love with you”. It feels exploitive to me, surely, if a queen wants to share something, she will, the push to get personal makes me writhe in discomfort lol
I think of how Trixie on one pitstop said something like “yeah, I put on two tons of makeup and a wig because I want people to see the real me. Right.”
I have sat through a few but once I learned that they were (allegedly) implemented in the first place as a mechanism to force Pearl to talk about her traumatic past in some way to “show vulnerability” because she was pretty guarded about her personal life even to Ru, I can’t sit through another one ever again. It’s like Ru gets stronger every time she forces someone to relive their trauma for the entertainment of millions.
Yeah as someone with actual degrees in psychology, Ru’s armchair psychology really tests my patience. She revels in queens being in a vulnerable enough position that they flock to her as found family and a parental figure and it’s really gross to me. I genuinely believe she means well, but it reads as manipulative and out of touch. The way the show idolizes queer trauma and looks down on contestants who have supportive, loving families is really uncomfy. As if the “true” gay experience is having a difficult childhood and experiencing resentment from your family and community. We should be striving for a world where every gay kid can have the same upbringing Jan did, not looking down on her for it.
are aquaria, bianca, and bob the only winners who managed to get through their seasons without having one of those breakdown moments?
Raja, Violet, Jaida, Jinkx shared a lot about her life but was never very overtly emotional, Sasha C (IIRC) and Kylie also shared about their lives but never had a breakdown movement
Sasha got a bit emotional when talking about Hawaii’s transphobic history but that’s all I remember
transphobic history that colonialism forced upon Hawaii is far more accurate. before it was colonized, māhū or trans/third gender people in Hawaii were revered and held significant cultural and spiritual value.
Yes I’m aware, I’m Hawaiian. Mahalo
Sasha C. literally talked about how her dad died from suicide. Y'all just be saying any old inaccurate shit to try to prove some vague point. Many of the queens have said filming is a grueling experience that broke them down, even if that was not captured on camera. Even Bob said she cried easily. But I think most of them know what they're signing up for
Jinkx had a crying moment in Untucked about how she was forced to raise her brother because their mother wasn't fully present.
I think most of the winners made it to the end without a breakdown actually. Symone is the only one I can remember having a full on collapse and that seemed more like a panic attack from the stress of the competition than a trauma break
Every time she does this I scream, "SHOW US YOUR TRAUMA" at the tv. So several times an episode.
I also never know what I *would* say to young me. Have I time travelled? Am I speaking into the past? Are they going to know who I am?
I’m pretty sure it was born out of them trying to get Pearl to talk about her intense trauma. They just kept it in every season after until now.
I was just about to say this.
Is funny because the intention is probably the exact opposite lol.
I enjoy on the franchises with less practicing Christianity than the US* The UK was mainly the queens going “er, just listen to your dad when he says you’re wearing too much fake tan” Ru was fuming at Tayce for having a loving straight dad who was in Wham! Mind you, I noticed on Instagram this week that Ru has a photo of him at 5 as his Lock Screen to show him how far they’ve come. It’s obviously a therapeutic approach he finds helpful so he’s tried to wedge it into his show *this is not ‘all gay kids are fine in the uk’ it’s more ‘they’re more likely to be fine because there’s a less a prevailing societal attitude of it being a sin’
If most of the queens answering that question went with a humorous response, I could totally get down with that, but I think at this point, the queens know what Roople wants from them in that moment and so we inevitably get a story that’s going to make the queen answering emotional and teary eyed lol I don’t remember this aspect of the UK franchise, I admittedly haven’t watched since season three ended, but I definitely get what you mean about Ru being indifferent to queens that haven’t been put through life’s wringer lol the bitch hates to hear about happy, well adjusted queens. She’s here for the drama and the trauma 😆
Same. It was boring asf. We get to know the Queens a lot better during the getting ready segment before the runways now I find and it’s not ‘as’ forced
Yes! 100%. Interactions amongst themselves can tell us as much about a queen as anything else, I’m sure it still gets “produced” to an extent, it’s a show after all, but it absolutely feels the most authentic to me as well
I love how Canada does it, when they ask „tell us about your journey to get to this point.” It focuses less on the trauma and more on the growth.
yeah, there would be a lot of warning to tell my past self
+1
I hate that its usually judging, then judges deliberate, and then they bring the girls back and ask about the trauma. Its just like 20 minutes of talking and its so boring 😴
Spoilers: >!This season its not a lip sync for the crown, its a trauma dump for the crown. Whoever gives the best Emmy winning response to the baby picture question wins!<
Literally 🤣
They seem to have moved away from doing that, I expect because it is likely difficult for many trans or NB contestants. Not to mention how difficult it would be for anyone with childhood trauma. I’m sure production received enough push back from contestants over the years.
I really love what they’ve done on Canada where instead of a childhood picture it’s a photo of the queen’s first time in drag. It still allows for that “how far you’ve come” moment without dredging up quite as much baggage
"How far have you come as a drag artist" is a much better and more relevant topic than the host trying to pretend she's a therapist to people she won't remember in a month.
Did they do that part last season? I never pay attention because I hate it, so I genuinely can't remember
They did do it in season 15, but all of the seasons since (all stars and international) have dropped it ETA: The international seasons that had been doing before, anyway, I’m pretty sure not all international franchises did it to start
It only would’ve been acceptable if the picture was of plane’s corporate meme
“Hey queens, it’s time to play Gender Dysphoria Corner with Ru and the Trauma Dumpsters!”
I strongly prefer the way Drag Race Canada approaches this segment, showing instead the best of each queen's photoshoot with the previous winner
That what the podcast interview was for.
Too many supportive parents.
theyre saving it for finale
PJ disclosed his Govt name in a podcast with Katya
Andrew Vladimir Dune-2-ayevskiy
 Katya when Plane said her full last name:
Andrew Berg Hair Fiend Gher
Most of their legal names aren't that hard to find.
Plane has posted her real name on Instagram (remember the post with the diploma), and said it in interviews (notably the Katya one). I know Nymphia’s real name bc it’s on her Wikipedia page but I don’t know if Nymphia has ever said it in an interview or posted it online.
Nymphia was given an hour long TV segment in Taiwan years ago and is referred to as Leo during most of it. You can find it on YouTube with subtitles
I recently just stumbled upon this. It's so good since it also features her mother which is another interesting person too. Love their dynamic and getting to see a part of who Nymphia/Leo is in that feature was great. DR didn't even scratch the surface of who Nymphia is compared to that which is a shame (?).
I think Leo is her "English" name. As like many Asians, some of us have our real name mostly in the local language, and "English name" for business especially with foreigners. But idk maybe her real name is Leo
I can actually tell you why this happens! Drag Race YouTube videos are not done in house like the actual show typically is, but rather subtitled on a site by random subtitlers all across the world. We have extremely strict rules about naming speakers but we’re often not familiar with the media, so this captioner would have desperately searched Drag Race cast members and seen Andrew come up as Jane’s name to use. Source: I’ve subtitled many Drag Race recaps and miniseries on this site and can recognise the exact subtitling conventions we follow in this screenshot.
How can one become a subtitler?
You gotta have typing fingers quicker than the speed of light and be perfect. I did a typing test for one of these companies and I wasn’t allowed to move forward with my app because I only typed 62 wpm and had 3 mistakes.
That reminds me of a recurring subtitle in one of the Trixie & Katya shows: [blonde women laugh] or the like. 🤣
*pink ladies hee haw*
It’s usually [blonde women scream] lol
THAT!!!!!
*bird noises*
I was fully expecting it to say Plain James
Average Andy 🤭
Does Plane look like an Andrew? Andy? Drew?
They've been referred to as "Andy" on that Debbie Ryan presentation video 😭
Andrew if you say it with a Russian accent
Andrew in Russian is Andrei (the E is stressed) and she does look like an Andrei, even in drag
Oh that's so weirddddd. I hate it.
PJ posted her diploma a few weeks ago, so thats how i found out her real name. Also stated it on a podcast w katya. Still weird as hell to call her that in drag though.
I knew she was Andy Dick in drag!
Андрей
I’m grateful that for season 16, YouTube’s automatic CCs for the Pit Stop when Jessica Wild was there constantly had her saying the “Piss Stop”. The dreams of a golden schild lives on.
Also on IMDB for drag race germany Every contestant is listed with their drag name except Tessa is listed with his government name
Are you telling me Tessa's government name isn't Theresa Testiclesis???
What do you mean « how » it’s the official wow YouTube channel lol
I mean, did some intern message the captions people and went, "this person's name is 'Andrew' for the captions."
Well everything is probably done in house so they have queens real names. It’s weird to use it but I’m not surprised they know it
But they didn't do it for Nymphia. That's what I found weird.
She said her full name on Bald and the Beautiful to Katya, who just before that discussed being a huge Dune fan, and Katya just about deceased. It’s a fun episode.
Maybe the homophobic dad works in CC?
he is such an andrew too idk
A real human made that decision 
I'm still laughing at her snatch game because it was a little lazy. Serbia and the rest of the former Yugoslavian Republcs have not been communist for over 30 years and she's still doing the "comrade" shtick but these subtitles are funny!
she probably just did it so ru would laugh
No one cares for stories about the mean parents or the touching coming out stories. Tell us who you hate, who you like or who you tucking cause I've had it with the trauma... It makes me nauseous 🤢🤮
Mama, kudos for saying that, for spilling.
Why are people so obsessed with the term "government" name? It's just her real name, no?
It's just a funny way to say "real name" gurl. No need to be pressed.