Popping culture: Little Edie is reincarnated on RuPaul’s Drag Race

Kudos to Jinkx Monsoon. Boo to the queens who didn’t know who Little Edie was.

On the latest episode of RuPaul’s Drag Race, the lovely — and narcoleptic — Ms Jinkx Monsoon was getting ready with the rest of the queens for this year’s edition of the Snatch Game, where each queen dresses up as various celebrities and characters. Well, Ms Monsoon decided to perform her own homage to the kookiest of all high- (and low-) society dames, Little Edie Beale, of the famed Grey Gardens.

Now in my book, if you’re a gay man and don’t know who Little Edie is, then that is unfortunate. If you’re a drag queen who makes it onto RuPaul’s Drag Race and you don’t know who she is, then you, my child, are — if I can appropriate a term — ovah.

When Jinkx announces her character to the rest of the crew, many of them don’t know who she is. Some of the younger (read: inexperienced) queens may be given a little slack for not knowing about Beale, her mother, the Bouvier-Kennedy-Onassis connection, the house, the cats and the raccoons. But for queens like Coco? That’s just sad.

Monsoon is genius in the game, throwing shade in ways that goes right over some of those ladies’ heads.

Gawker has video of the episode, or you can watch the whole thing on OUTtv. And really, you should watch the whole thing.

Journalist, writer, blogger, producer.

Keep Reading

The cover of Ace Theory; Ryan Fitzpatrick

A new book says asexuality is more radical than you think

“Ace Theory” melds academic research and anecdotal evidence, presenting a bold new portrait of asexuality we desperately need
Black and white illustration of several men in underwear splayed out along a staircase

Inside the scramble to save the Tom of Finland House

Allegations of mismanagement, coastal rivalries and an old Nazi scandal could bring down a vaunted cultural institution 
Marlon James in front of the Disappearers book cover

Marlon James’s disappearing act

The superstar author’s new novel, “The Disappearers,” has gained buzz beyond belief. He’s earned it
Samantha Josephs in front of the cover of 'Carrying'

Samantha Josephs gets dirty

The author of “Carrying” talks writing erotica, trans pregnancy—and her novel’s upcoming movie adaptation
Advertisement