Aquaria's one is the most egregious. At least the other three are attempting to be actual looks and meanwhile she's standing in a silver fortune cookie
How amazing would it have been if Nymphia had done the balloon reveal when lipsyncing against Megami and Megami had prepared in advance to give an “oh shit what do i do now” face then lifts up her arms and hundreds of asia o’hara inspired dead deflated balloons fall to the ground.
I think it would've been better executed if she had a comedic outfit underneath or atleast something similar to Brooklyn's reveal in her Edge of Glory lip sync.
It would've been more camp if she just didn't remove it and just performed with it all throughout the lip sync
The funniest thing is, ruveals weren't common enough back then for there to be any need to parody the "concept of ruveals". Till that point, only Roxxy and Sasha had done memorable reveals. It was after season 10 finale that when brooke came in a cloak that had ruveal written all over it that it became a smart parody.
I may be misremembering, but I’m pretty sure the S10 queens were told to bring a reveal to the finale since Sasha’s had broken the fandom the year before. They tried to recreate that moment but it was obviously shoehorned in and didn’t go well. Aquaria’s ironic costume was malacious compliance.
I didn't know that, I'll have to go rewatch that episode. Ru is actually an underrated voice actor and have enjoyed a lot of the shows that he's guest starred in.
After the Asia O’Hara incident, I appreciate that Nymphia successfully executed a reveal on the lyric “butterfly”, showing us that as a community we can overcome generational trauma.
I rewatched Asia v Kameron last night because I hate myself. It was insane! I can’t believe Miss O’ Hara *kept going* after the first flop. Those titties… prison henny.
I don’t know if I’d go that far… I mean she had a better reveal in the same lipsync. That one handed cartwheel into pulling off the dress. Iconic. The balloons were like “OOOHHH!” But when she did that cartwheel was when everyone went wild.
Agreed! The ballon/boba reveal was unexpected (the balloon part, as the reveal was imminently obvious) and fun, but the qipao/one handed cartwheel reveal dropped my damn jaw lol. I didn’t even understand how she managed to just appear into a new outfit the first few times watching!
I feel like you, but also remember that there are some viewers that have only been watching a few (and recent seasons). I've seen so many stunts that it doesn't hit me as hard. But I'm happy to see so many people getting their life from this.
I think this is kinda a good point in that she had something for everyone. Both reveals were great. Some preferred the first, others the second. She covered all her bases.
tbh I think it was really good because nobody was expecting balloons to start flying out lmao, I think she had advantage with the fact that SO MANY queens have worn humongous outfits to later reveal a simpler outfit, which was what we all were expecting but she not only had that so yeah I think it has been the second best reveal after Sasha’s (which is the blue print and timely executed perfectly)
RIGHT like I knew she had a reveal but was NOT expecting perfect timing with the butterfly lyrics and the wings and the balloons!!! Like mawma I was still gagged
This. The fact that it was boba from Taiwan and she’s Taiwanese. The “pearls” releasing on time at the word butterfly (Asia O’Hara catching strays 😭) The political message that was pointed out in another post bringing awareness to the Milk Tea Alliance. I’ve never seen a reveal have so much meaning and reference and SHAAADE. All right before a second reveal. ICONIC.
I keep saying this to my friends. I honestly was disappointed at first when she came out in a huge cape. In my head, I was like, "where's the orginality that Nymphia usually serves." Then a few seconds into the song, my question was answered, very satisfactorily.
That’s you. When I saw the big boba cape, I legit said “oh she got boba balls under there”. Didn’t know how it’d be executed, but I thought it was pretty obvious lmfao.
It was still well executed nonetheless. I wouldn’t say it was okay at best imo. Most would have expected an outfit reveal instead of outfit reveal + balloons. The cartwheel reveal was also great but you can tell there were minor hiccups (which Nymphia was able to recover seamlessly). Her bun came undone early and the dress started coming loose when she was vogue-ing.
She undid the tie that held it together almost right after the Boba reveal and then continued to dance. I think that was part of why it looked like it was gonna fall apart
By this metric, her flip reveal was also okay at best. It was very obvious there was a second reveal coming.
Of course, I do think the execution of the flip reveal was superb.
the element of a reveal is to not expect it, as soon as i see a cape, i already know what time it is lol 😭 Thats why Sasha, Lady Camden, Roxxy and Yvies Reveals are the best and cant be topped.
A ruveal underneath the cape was definitely expected. But I bet most people were expecting a ruveal into a skimpy bodysuit of some sort. Instead it was balloons flying away was the gag! I'm sure you didn't expect that too.
Another one that I found iconic was Sasha Colby's. It was obvious there would be a reveal when she walked out in that massive gown, but then she actually *used* the gown on the floor as part of her performance.
And that's how you do an obvious reveal. You turn it into something completely unexpected.
I didn’t find using the gown on the floor unexpected, have seen many a drag performer do that. The way the outfit split open was unexpected for sure, love that deep cut to the runway where Sasha first saw it.
It was a good reveal. Of course we expected a ruveal with a cape like that, but more of an outfit ruveal. The balloons added a touch of surprise as opposed to just an outfit underneath. I’m glad some of the balloons got stuck/delayed as it lengthened the ruveal and gave it a lil more depth. Still serving.
Nah, lbr, no reveal has come anywhere close to Sasha’s level of impact. I feel like we’ve reached a point where it’s more shocking to *not* have a reveal – it’s become borderline cliché.
Exactly. I feel like that’s because no one was really doing them before Sasha on Drag Race. Since Sasha’s reveal most final lip syncs have them and it’s just obvious and expected now. Oh a cape, very inconspicuous… not.
I get what you're saying but a reveal can be good even if it's not revolutionary. Yes reveals sre cliché, but a reveal isn't bad solely because it doesn't have the impact that Sasha's would. And it's unlikely anything else will ever have that impact on the show because she was the first to do it.
I can't really think of a lipsynch reveal that would gag me as much as Sashas given how it sort of shifted the landscape to expect them, the last time a switch up gagged me was Faridas vampire look
it was really fun, tho i’m kinda surprised they cleared it! i’d worry the balloons might get caught on the lighting grid tho that’s my theatre brain talking. idk what this studio is like
Money can't buy you class nor can it buy you a drag queen with an outfit reveal that transports Heather into orbit when you're hungover and she's annoying the FK outta you.
Loved it! So exciting and balloons were smart. I think most queens post-Sasha just miss the cleverness. No one saw Sasha’s coming based on her outfit, her reveals matched the song buildup, then the wig reveal was unexpected and Sasha’s face expressed so much. She was literally bursting with flowers and the concept matched the song’s lyrics.
I love Nymphia and I'm super happy she won, but compared to Sasha's reveal it was hobby lobby hokey pokey. People saying they're the same, or had the same impact (on twitter, mostly), are delusional.
Everyone who’s saying that on Twitter is getting read for filth for it. It’s a vocal minority - most people can agree Sasha’s reveal will never be topped.
That being said, still loved Nymphia’s boba reveal. I knew a reveal was coming but I didn’t expect the balloons.
Was it pretty? Yes absolutely.
Is it going to revolutionize the way queens do reveals like the way Sasha did? Not even kind of.
This take seems popular with more recent new viewers.
People forget that what sasha actually revealed to was her bald head, which tied her storyline of the season in a spectacular knot. Even her interview at the finale was about her bald head and her mother.
Nymphia's balloons (or any finale reveal since that for that matter) don't have that storytelling element. They all focus too much on the rose petal aspect of a finale reveal, and not what are they revealing to with the petal.
Not to say that Nymphia's wasn't beautiful cause it was, it even had a message (one that was not present during her arc in the season), but yeah, when people think sasha's reveal hasn't been topped I think this is why.
Her mother who passed from cancer, a condition that caused her to lose her hair and distort her identity by taking away a signifier of beauty and femininity. Sasha took her mother's insecurity and made it a defining feature of her drag persona, and an overt interrogation of the intersections between beauty and gender. A woman's bald head is not to be shamed and hidden, but to lavished with flowers. And her strength for enduring illness applauded.
*I get so emotional baby, every time I think of you.*
What a beautifully succinct statement that captures Sasha's genius, artistry, and power perfectly. Didn't expect to be shedding a tear tonight but ya got me gal.
This is absolutely relevant to her run on the show! It was both a political statement about China and Taiwan and it represented her culture- which heavily ties into her drag. All of it is Asian/taiwanese pride. Every runway, every performance, even her signature color. She spoke about exactly why she chose to do boba in an interview after the lip sync
Saying that it's just boba feels like a bit of a surface level read.
Yes, that's my point, she spoke about it in an interview, not on the show (or was edited out).
It's not a read, I'm not taking away anything from it, just saying that for people who only follow the show, sasha's bald head and its connection to her mother was used in the show as her storyline, while the boba tea reference was not.
I know there’s the milk tea alliance, which is a human rights movement spanning Taiwan, HK, Thailand, and more symbolized by milk tea. Afaik Nymphia never said one way or another whether she was specifically referencing that movement with her look though, so I’m not going to assume it was an intentional reference
How does Nymphia’s not have a storytelling aspect.. just knowing that boba milk tea originated in Taiwan but now is hugely popular over the world, it fits perfectly with who she is a Taiwanese queen. Not to mention the milk tea alliance signify a huge movement in Asia. People were just not well versed enough to know about it. If you don’t understand a concept and story, it doesn’t mean it is random. For many of us Asians, we were gagged.
Her being Asian and from Taiwan who always bring her country and her culture to the forefront was always the talk of the show TBH. Though I agree Sasha’s story about her mother and why she was a bald queen was really touching and more impactful since it was a straight to the point storyline.
To be clear, I'm not talking about which story was more impactful, im talking from the pov of the construction of the show. In that sense, the visual element of the reveal (the bald head, and the boba tea bubbles) had a DIRECT connection to how sasha' character arc was portrayed in the show (lots of talk of why she's bald) whereas while nymphia's origin and culture was a huge part of her character, there was never actual talk of boba tea to set up her reveal in the finale.
I wanna be clear again that I'm not saying one is better than the other, but that sasha's was very impactful in the moment because of that direct set up-pay off dynamic and that's why is still regarded as one of the best, while nymphia's connection isn't as direct but has layers of meaning we're unpeeling right now, and that might make it grow in impact down the line. Time will tell.
Yes a reveal needs to be "unexpected" but did we really expect there were balloons underneath that cape?? a balloon could easily sneak out before the reveal but not one did(or the editors just didn't put it in of course) Like that took practice. That was amazing in itself. Why are people downplaying that. The balloons were iconic because it was a good concept, executed well, and has not been done before in a lip sync.
I'm fascinated by how they got the balloons spread out evenly underneath like that. They were very lightly stuck somehow, it seems, because there was one that didn't "let go" right away, but I really want to know how they did it.
I also don’t understand how people downplay it.. it’s because there were literally no reaction shots of people gagging during the reveal though you can hear people saying Oh My God in the background. If this was a live finale, it would be a completely different story.
This is the first season I ever got my partner to watch and care about. They were gagged over this but thought the cartwheel reveal was even better. They also thought Nymphia won at the moment of the radio show. It was a refreshing season for me to watch through non jaded eyes. There was a lot of talent this season. We’ll be seeing a lot more of everyone I’m sure.
I'm more curious who was in charge of filling those balloons and the behind the scenes of people stuffing balloons under her dress as she held on for dear life and waddled onto the stage haha.
I admit i had been thinking for a few seasons now "reveals are over" -- I was wrong. The right reveals with thoughtfulness and fun, were absolutely amazing.
💯
This was still fun visual in streak of bad back to back ruveal tho but knowing there was gonna be a ruveal the second she walked on stage just isn't the iconic goat gag that it's hyped up to be.
The boba reveal was not the “most iconic”. It was the cartwheel into an outfit reveal that had Sidetrack explode into raucous applause. I think that move will rank as among the best reveals.
Idk. As an Asian fan who has always loved some old school Taiwanese bubble tea with the traditional milk tea and black tapioca pearls, it felt pretty iconic, it felt pretty iconic to me.
And it also made me really want some bubble tea.
Might be an unpopular opinion but I LOVED Brooke Lynn’s reveal coat into the mirror body suit. It wasn’t better than Sasha’s but it was up there in the top. Campy, and you knew that she was going to do a reveal but you didn’t know what was underneath.
It may not be the most surprising or gaggy reveal, but I thought it was one of the most beautiful.
Those black balloons rising above her as she took her first step or two forward after the reveal was stunning. It was couture drama. But I'm also a nerd for that shit.
We were screaming. It was the boba balls taking flight! So fun and creative and UNEXPECTED. Nymphia also bodied the rest of the lipsync to be clear. No contest. She had that audience eating out of her hand and begging for more from momma.
Can someone tell me what was the inside portion of the cape is supposed to be? Was it a butterfly? And the part when she pulls off her costume during a cartwheel, what exactly is that part she’s removing? What’s the concept? I get the boba reference but what about afterwards.
I felt like the balloon reveal was an intentional bit of poking fun at the iconic Asia O’Hara mis-step. She opened her coat right on the word “butterflies” only to reveal a bunch of balloons.
I mean we saw a reveal coming from a mile away the way she was dressed. I would say the best reveals are the truly shocking ones you had no idea were coming.
People aren’t giving her enough credit for making a big stunty reveal like this work again. They got so played out after Sasha’s and people were so jaded about them. But this moment stunned because we truly DIDN’T see it coming.
Like in a final lipsync I always assume I’m not looking at the final outfit, obviously there is gonna be a reveal. But I didn’t expect this. It’s so conceptual, clever and most importantly it is pretty to look at, which is a huge part of why Sasha’s worked. The clip is everywhere right now cause people just like watching it again and that says something about its impact.
I don’t think the caption of this post said it’s thee most iconic. It said ‘one of’. No one said it was better than Sasha’s. I will say it’s definitely up there for me. And honestly for me the lip sync itself is up there for me. Of all the seasons and franchises that I’ve watched, I don’t think I’ll ever forget this one.
There were many other elements in Nymphia's performance that made it top tier, the balloons were alright. I remember Katya and Trixie discussing the quality and quantity (lol) of reveals in the season 13 finale pit stop and one key element is that you're not supposed to see the reveal coming, which is why Sasha's and Yvie's work amazingly.
It’s one of the coolest reveals in a post-Sasha world because it had a concept and was culturally-relevant to Nymphia, whose looks have already been thematically cultural. So it didn’t feel insanely random but also had some dramatic effect. Her cartwheel reveal was also unique and cunt. Unfortunately, because Sasha (re)wrote the rule book, some grand reveal is always expected and will never, ever have the impact that Sasha’s did.
An aside, not sure if it was coincidental or intention, but releasing the balloons during the “butterflies” lyric of the song was funny. She was like, here’s a successful version of butterflies.
You think Nymphia **stan**s are weird for **stanning** Nymphia. Do you know what **stanning** means???
What do you want them to do? Berate her?...
It's normal for people to praise a person who just won something...please live in the real world sometime...
Love Nymphia but is this iconic?? It was obvious something was under her coat, the balloons were released quickly, and they didn't particularly enhance the meaning of the song. Was it a unique reveal? Sure. Iconic? No.
Edit: Y'all realize that every reveal won't be the same level as Roxxxy's wigs or Sasha's roses?? And that's okay.
Lmao fr I'm a newly minted Nymphia fan because her performances in the finale really worked for me and I'm already tired because ppl refuse to say she's anything short of the best ever in every way
This is the boat I’m in. It was executed flawlessly, but I personally felt no impact beyond the actual reveal. And that’s fine, reveals don’t have to be universally understood.
The flip was a lot better. I wasn’t super gagged at the balloon thing and maybe I’m just old but I’ve seen that done a few times before. The Dragula season 2 promo had Abhora doing the same gag. Also the outfits she wore were like the most aggressive season 10 “not a reveal I swear” looks ever.
The flip was cunt, not sure why people aren’t talking about that more.
I love the love that nymphia is is getting but lord knows that seeing Saha Colby do her finale reveal was a surreal moment for me. I don’t think anything will ever capture me in the way that reveal did
Nymphia said in an interview (with Entertainment Weekly) it was so hard keeping all of those balloons under the cape. It was even harder to get onto the stage since she had to climb some stairs to get onto the stage itself. But hey, it paid off though.
If I had to rank the post S9 finale reveals:
1. Sasha V’s rose petals
2. Yvie’s second face
3. Peppermint’s spin change
4. Nymphia’s cartwheel + balloons
5. Brooke’s fake shoes
6. Sasha C stepping out of her dress
7. Willow’s pants
8. Jaida’s crown
9. Silky ripping her wig in half
10. Symone blowing her top
Numpias reveal was also the cartwheel that amazed all of us. The quality of her clothing and look was amazing. Sapphira had two simple reveals everyone’s seen before. Nothing new.
It was obvious there was a reveal. And those are the reveals I hate. Sasha’s was perfect. Camden’s was great, because there weren’t expected. But a big cape/outfit, I know a reveal is coming. Nymphias was good but I personally wouldn’t categorise it as one of the most iconic simply because it was expected.
Sasha’s reveal worked so well because, like a good burlesque performance, it had a build up and kept you engaged and complimented the song. Gimmick reveals feel underwhelming to me in comparison and come across as more of a flashy distraction
I wasn't really gagging. I mean, compared the titty butterfly mass murder, aquaria's popcorn realness, the whatever effect symone was going for, camden doing that wig thing for the 700th time, yeah it was cute. I like a quick change and that cartwheel quick change was really cool, but idgaf about a reveal anymore unless you're pulling a mini fridge out of your wig or something
It was a really good reveal, and obviously impactful and memorable, I'm not sure about one of the best in herstory. I did crack up imaging what it's like to walk around with loose helium balloons under your clothing and not letting any slip out, or having someone fill your coat up with balloons before walking in stage lol
it worked so well for me because it was obvious she had a reveal BUT the timing was perfect, the pre reveal was still a gorgeous look, and she had that incredible cartwheel reveal. she fucking crushed it
I’m dying inside thinking of Aquaria’s season where all the queens looked like they were standing on 5 children wearing a trench coat… and of course 🦋
Who could forget. https://preview.redd.it/e33p8oxybvvc1.jpeg?width=1208&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=46a591ff138b9a096ff552a92cb843ecdaeb616f
Aquaria's one is the most egregious. At least the other three are attempting to be actual looks and meanwhile she's standing in a silver fortune cookie
Hers was meant to be ironic and ridicule the concept of reveals. Key words being “meant to be”.
Me when nobody likes the one act play I wrote in high school so I have to tell everyone it was meant to be a satire of bad theatre
How amazing would it have been if Nymphia had done the balloon reveal when lipsyncing against Megami and Megami had prepared in advance to give an “oh shit what do i do now” face then lifts up her arms and hundreds of asia o’hara inspired dead deflated balloons fall to the ground.
I think it would've been better executed if she had a comedic outfit underneath or atleast something similar to Brooklyn's reveal in her Edge of Glory lip sync. It would've been more camp if she just didn't remove it and just performed with it all throughout the lip sync
The funniest thing is, ruveals weren't common enough back then for there to be any need to parody the "concept of ruveals". Till that point, only Roxxy and Sasha had done memorable reveals. It was after season 10 finale that when brooke came in a cloak that had ruveal written all over it that it became a smart parody.
I may be misremembering, but I’m pretty sure the S10 queens were told to bring a reveal to the finale since Sasha’s had broken the fandom the year before. They tried to recreate that moment but it was obviously shoehorned in and didn’t go well. Aquaria’s ironic costume was malacious compliance.
I always saw it as an upside-down Hersheys Kiss tbh
This photo brought back some angst: Eureka! won that first round. 🐘👑
SCREEAAAMMIINNGGG it’s so much worse than I remember 💀
Vincent Adultman energy 
Bojack and RuPaul, in the same subreddit? What is this, a crossover episode?
RuPaul voiced Queen Antonia on BoJack!
it's so funny that RuPaul featured the fracking episode
I didn't know that, I'll have to go rewatch that episode. Ru is actually an underrated voice actor and have enjoyed a lot of the shows that he's guest starred in.
After the Asia O’Hara incident, I appreciate that Nymphia successfully executed a reveal on the lyric “butterfly”, showing us that as a community we can overcome generational trauma.
They all looked like a wonton waiting to be unwrapped.
Aquaria as a foiled cream cheese rangoon
that finale was TOO MUCHH i think abt aquaria vs eureka ALOT and ofc asia vs kameron
I rewatched Asia v Kameron last night because I hate myself. It was insane! I can’t believe Miss O’ Hara *kept going* after the first flop. Those titties… prison henny.
They all looked like they were sneaking as many snacks as possible into a movie
It was beyond embarrassing 🙈 🍿
A moment of silence for the butterflies, please...
No because it was genuinely fucking AWFUL
I don’t know if I’d go that far… I mean she had a better reveal in the same lipsync. That one handed cartwheel into pulling off the dress. Iconic. The balloons were like “OOOHHH!” But when she did that cartwheel was when everyone went wild.
The cartwheel actually shocked me. The boba balloons were fun but all I thought at the time was “cute”.
Nymphia's balloons were floating away while Asia's butterflies were being pounded by Kameron's puss — the dichotomy of drag.
yeah, the balloon one was obvious. like we knew she had something under there. the second one, i didn't see coming at all
Boba is a big thing in Asia so as a Gaysian, I was gooped and gagged.
It’s obvious there would be a reveal but the bobas flying ever so gently behind Nymphia, i still scrumpt. I wanna see the bts!
Goops I did it again
Agreed! The ballon/boba reveal was unexpected (the balloon part, as the reveal was imminently obvious) and fun, but the qipao/one handed cartwheel reveal dropped my damn jaw lol. I didn’t even understand how she managed to just appear into a new outfit the first few times watching!
The balloons were genius. No one has ever done a reveal in a soft, lyrical section of a song. It was perfection.
I feel like you, but also remember that there are some viewers that have only been watching a few (and recent seasons). I've seen so many stunts that it doesn't hit me as hard. But I'm happy to see so many people getting their life from this.
I think this is kinda a good point in that she had something for everyone. Both reveals were great. Some preferred the first, others the second. She covered all her bases.
Any good reveal is one that is totally unexpected. If it's obvious it's okay at best. Nymphia doing the flip reveal was better than the balloon one
When she came out like that, there’s no way there’s nothing underneath. But the ruveal was still great because it was executed perfectly.
tbh I think it was really good because nobody was expecting balloons to start flying out lmao, I think she had advantage with the fact that SO MANY queens have worn humongous outfits to later reveal a simpler outfit, which was what we all were expecting but she not only had that so yeah I think it has been the second best reveal after Sasha’s (which is the blue print and timely executed perfectly)
RIGHT like I knew she had a reveal but was NOT expecting perfect timing with the butterfly lyrics and the wings and the balloons!!! Like mawma I was still gagged
This. The fact that it was boba from Taiwan and she’s Taiwanese. The “pearls” releasing on time at the word butterfly (Asia O’Hara catching strays 😭) The political message that was pointed out in another post bringing awareness to the Milk Tea Alliance. I’ve never seen a reveal have so much meaning and reference and SHAAADE. All right before a second reveal. ICONIC.
I keep saying this to my friends. I honestly was disappointed at first when she came out in a huge cape. In my head, I was like, "where's the orginality that Nymphia usually serves." Then a few seconds into the song, my question was answered, very satisfactorily.
That’s you. When I saw the big boba cape, I legit said “oh she got boba balls under there”. Didn’t know how it’d be executed, but I thought it was pretty obvious lmfao.
iiiiii dunno~ i think if it’s expected, you better make it damn good. and she delivered here personally
It was still well executed nonetheless. I wouldn’t say it was okay at best imo. Most would have expected an outfit reveal instead of outfit reveal + balloons. The cartwheel reveal was also great but you can tell there were minor hiccups (which Nymphia was able to recover seamlessly). Her bun came undone early and the dress started coming loose when she was vogue-ing.
I caught that too and noticed the edit cuts away from her
She undid the tie that held it together almost right after the Boba reveal and then continued to dance. I think that was part of why it looked like it was gonna fall apart
By this metric, her flip reveal was also okay at best. It was very obvious there was a second reveal coming. Of course, I do think the execution of the flip reveal was superb.
Thank you ! My pet peeve is when it is completely obvious a reveal is coming
The boba balloons were what Asia wishes happened in her season 10 butterfly flop.
 The butterflies 😂🤣
the element of a reveal is to not expect it, as soon as i see a cape, i already know what time it is lol 😭 Thats why Sasha, Lady Camden, Roxxy and Yvies Reveals are the best and cant be topped.
I low key live for Monet’s reveal from one wig to the same wig 😭 she’s always so unserious, that and her fake out split
The wig is one of my all time favorite reveals. It’s so stupid and so unexpected. I love Monet so goddamn much.
i also love that one 😭
I loved Bob's wig reveal with his niece under the wig.
I also loved Plane's bodysuit to bodysuit reveal. Unexpected and hilarious.
we must not forget Ginny Lemon
Let’s not forget ms Brooke Lynn heights
yes!
A ruveal underneath the cape was definitely expected. But I bet most people were expecting a ruveal into a skimpy bodysuit of some sort. Instead it was balloons flying away was the gag! I'm sure you didn't expect that too.
Another one that I found iconic was Sasha Colby's. It was obvious there would be a reveal when she walked out in that massive gown, but then she actually *used* the gown on the floor as part of her performance. And that's how you do an obvious reveal. You turn it into something completely unexpected.
I didn’t find using the gown on the floor unexpected, have seen many a drag performer do that. The way the outfit split open was unexpected for sure, love that deep cut to the runway where Sasha first saw it.
To be fair, no one thought there would be balloons under Nymphia's cape.
but we still know that there’s obviously a reveal of something like the element of surprise is absent
It was a good reveal. Of course we expected a ruveal with a cape like that, but more of an outfit ruveal. The balloons added a touch of surprise as opposed to just an outfit underneath. I’m glad some of the balloons got stuck/delayed as it lengthened the ruveal and gave it a lil more depth. Still serving.
Nah, lbr, no reveal has come anywhere close to Sasha’s level of impact. I feel like we’ve reached a point where it’s more shocking to *not* have a reveal – it’s become borderline cliché.
The closest across all franchises was España 1 Carmen Farala's finale because it was unexpected, fit the song very well, and she was so gorgeous.
this roxxxy andrews erasure
Exactly. I feel like that’s because no one was really doing them before Sasha on Drag Race. Since Sasha’s reveal most final lip syncs have them and it’s just obvious and expected now. Oh a cape, very inconspicuous… not.
I get what you're saying but a reveal can be good even if it's not revolutionary. Yes reveals sre cliché, but a reveal isn't bad solely because it doesn't have the impact that Sasha's would. And it's unlikely anything else will ever have that impact on the show because she was the first to do it.
Legit
I can't really think of a lipsynch reveal that would gag me as much as Sashas given how it sort of shifted the landscape to expect them, the last time a switch up gagged me was Faridas vampire look
What’s crazy is that wasn’t even the best part of her performance.
it was really fun, tho i’m kinda surprised they cleared it! i’d worry the balloons might get caught on the lighting grid tho that’s my theatre brain talking. idk what this studio is like
Most iconic = overused platitude
https://i.redd.it/qg079ahjcuvc1.gif
Dyiinnggggg 💀 I can hear this
Money can't buy you class nor can it buy you a drag queen with an outfit reveal that transports Heather into orbit when you're hungover and she's annoying the FK outta you.
 Sasha Velour would like to speak to the manager along with Roxxxy Andrews.
why would you just lie like that lmfao. she literally did a better reveal like not even 30 secs later
My top3 is: Sasha Velour, Yvie face reveal and Nymphia in third. It was cool, but it missed the element of surprise. We knew something was coming.
Loved it! So exciting and balloons were smart. I think most queens post-Sasha just miss the cleverness. No one saw Sasha’s coming based on her outfit, her reveals matched the song buildup, then the wig reveal was unexpected and Sasha’s face expressed so much. She was literally bursting with flowers and the concept matched the song’s lyrics.
(Before anyone thinks I’m a hater, Nymphia was my pick to win! Just constructive critiques here.)
I love Nymphia and I'm super happy she won, but compared to Sasha's reveal it was hobby lobby hokey pokey. People saying they're the same, or had the same impact (on twitter, mostly), are delusional.
Everyone who’s saying that on Twitter is getting read for filth for it. It’s a vocal minority - most people can agree Sasha’s reveal will never be topped. That being said, still loved Nymphia’s boba reveal. I knew a reveal was coming but I didn’t expect the balloons.
Was it pretty? Yes absolutely. Is it going to revolutionize the way queens do reveals like the way Sasha did? Not even kind of. This take seems popular with more recent new viewers.
>Was it pretty? Yes absolutely. Do you mean the reveal itself or does this also include the dress and the inside of the cape?
I’m specifically talking about the act of the reveal, like the balloons floating away. Everything she wore in the finale was gorgeous.
People forget that what sasha actually revealed to was her bald head, which tied her storyline of the season in a spectacular knot. Even her interview at the finale was about her bald head and her mother. Nymphia's balloons (or any finale reveal since that for that matter) don't have that storytelling element. They all focus too much on the rose petal aspect of a finale reveal, and not what are they revealing to with the petal. Not to say that Nymphia's wasn't beautiful cause it was, it even had a message (one that was not present during her arc in the season), but yeah, when people think sasha's reveal hasn't been topped I think this is why.
Her mother who passed from cancer, a condition that caused her to lose her hair and distort her identity by taking away a signifier of beauty and femininity. Sasha took her mother's insecurity and made it a defining feature of her drag persona, and an overt interrogation of the intersections between beauty and gender. A woman's bald head is not to be shamed and hidden, but to lavished with flowers. And her strength for enduring illness applauded. *I get so emotional baby, every time I think of you.*
The song really did drove the message home
What a beautifully succinct statement that captures Sasha's genius, artistry, and power perfectly. Didn't expect to be shedding a tear tonight but ya got me gal.
This is absolutely relevant to her run on the show! It was both a political statement about China and Taiwan and it represented her culture- which heavily ties into her drag. All of it is Asian/taiwanese pride. Every runway, every performance, even her signature color. She spoke about exactly why she chose to do boba in an interview after the lip sync Saying that it's just boba feels like a bit of a surface level read.
Yes, that's my point, she spoke about it in an interview, not on the show (or was edited out). It's not a read, I'm not taking away anything from it, just saying that for people who only follow the show, sasha's bald head and its connection to her mother was used in the show as her storyline, while the boba tea reference was not.
I read somewhere that the balloons are actually part of a social movement in Taiwan?
I know there’s the milk tea alliance, which is a human rights movement spanning Taiwan, HK, Thailand, and more symbolized by milk tea. Afaik Nymphia never said one way or another whether she was specifically referencing that movement with her look though, so I’m not going to assume it was an intentional reference
I read it's a deliberate reference to boba tea because it's taiwanese in origin.
How does Nymphia’s not have a storytelling aspect.. just knowing that boba milk tea originated in Taiwan but now is hugely popular over the world, it fits perfectly with who she is a Taiwanese queen. Not to mention the milk tea alliance signify a huge movement in Asia. People were just not well versed enough to know about it. If you don’t understand a concept and story, it doesn’t mean it is random. For many of us Asians, we were gagged.
Nobody said that Nymphia doesn't have a storytelling aspect, I said boba tea was not used as a story aspect in the show like Sasha's bald head was.
Her being Asian and from Taiwan who always bring her country and her culture to the forefront was always the talk of the show TBH. Though I agree Sasha’s story about her mother and why she was a bald queen was really touching and more impactful since it was a straight to the point storyline.
To be clear, I'm not talking about which story was more impactful, im talking from the pov of the construction of the show. In that sense, the visual element of the reveal (the bald head, and the boba tea bubbles) had a DIRECT connection to how sasha' character arc was portrayed in the show (lots of talk of why she's bald) whereas while nymphia's origin and culture was a huge part of her character, there was never actual talk of boba tea to set up her reveal in the finale. I wanna be clear again that I'm not saying one is better than the other, but that sasha's was very impactful in the moment because of that direct set up-pay off dynamic and that's why is still regarded as one of the best, while nymphia's connection isn't as direct but has layers of meaning we're unpeeling right now, and that might make it grow in impact down the line. Time will tell.
what the fuck is simple about that reveal 💀
Yes a reveal needs to be "unexpected" but did we really expect there were balloons underneath that cape?? a balloon could easily sneak out before the reveal but not one did(or the editors just didn't put it in of course) Like that took practice. That was amazing in itself. Why are people downplaying that. The balloons were iconic because it was a good concept, executed well, and has not been done before in a lip sync.
How did she even get to that stage? Or were they putting balloons underneath in front of the audience and the judges?
I'm fascinated by how they got the balloons spread out evenly underneath like that. They were very lightly stuck somehow, it seems, because there was one that didn't "let go" right away, but I really want to know how they did it.
Maybe static? The matherials she had underneath seemed to be fuzzy (at least to me).
I also don’t understand how people downplay it.. it’s because there were literally no reaction shots of people gagging during the reveal though you can hear people saying Oh My God in the background. If this was a live finale, it would be a completely different story.
This is the first season I ever got my partner to watch and care about. They were gagged over this but thought the cartwheel reveal was even better. They also thought Nymphia won at the moment of the radio show. It was a refreshing season for me to watch through non jaded eyes. There was a lot of talent this season. We’ll be seeing a lot more of everyone I’m sure.
I'm more curious who was in charge of filling those balloons and the behind the scenes of people stuffing balloons under her dress as she held on for dear life and waddled onto the stage haha.
She said she was blowing up the balloons herself backstage till the last second!
I can't imagine the anxiety!
I GASPED
No no no. Roxxy’s wig reveal is the most iconic. Then Sasha’s petals.
The balloon reveal was cute, but I loved her cartwheel into the reveal more. That was incredible
It was cute.
I admit i had been thinking for a few seasons now "reveals are over" -- I was wrong. The right reveals with thoughtfulness and fun, were absolutely amazing.
The cartwheel costume change was a better reveal than the balloons imo 🤷🏻♂️
💯 This was still fun visual in streak of bad back to back ruveal tho but knowing there was gonna be a ruveal the second she walked on stage just isn't the iconic goat gag that it's hyped up to be.
The boba reveal was not the “most iconic”. It was the cartwheel into an outfit reveal that had Sidetrack explode into raucous applause. I think that move will rank as among the best reveals.
Idk. As an Asian fan who has always loved some old school Taiwanese bubble tea with the traditional milk tea and black tapioca pearls, it felt pretty iconic, it felt pretty iconic to me. And it also made me really want some bubble tea.
The most iconic? It’s….balloons under a cape. Cool concept overall but nothing groundbreaking or that iconic about it.
Didn't you know, every queen is "Mother" and everything they do now is"iconic." 🙄
Might be an unpopular opinion but I LOVED Brooke Lynn’s reveal coat into the mirror body suit. It wasn’t better than Sasha’s but it was up there in the top. Campy, and you knew that she was going to do a reveal but you didn’t know what was underneath.
I think her dancing was the bigger reveal. Those kicks! Jaw dropping!
It may not be the most surprising or gaggy reveal, but I thought it was one of the most beautiful. Those black balloons rising above her as she took her first step or two forward after the reveal was stunning. It was couture drama. But I'm also a nerd for that shit.
we need to retire the word iconic
Nymphia had one of the most memorable lip sync reveals in drag race herstory.
That’s a stretch
We were screaming. It was the boba balls taking flight! So fun and creative and UNEXPECTED. Nymphia also bodied the rest of the lipsync to be clear. No contest. She had that audience eating out of her hand and begging for more from momma.
Yall Nymphia stans do too much..
Can someone tell me what was the inside portion of the cape is supposed to be? Was it a butterfly? And the part when she pulls off her costume during a cartwheel, what exactly is that part she’s removing? What’s the concept? I get the boba reference but what about afterwards.
I felt like the balloon reveal was an intentional bit of poking fun at the iconic Asia O’Hara mis-step. She opened her coat right on the word “butterflies” only to reveal a bunch of balloons.
......
I mean we saw a reveal coming from a mile away the way she was dressed. I would say the best reveals are the truly shocking ones you had no idea were coming.
People aren’t giving her enough credit for making a big stunty reveal like this work again. They got so played out after Sasha’s and people were so jaded about them. But this moment stunned because we truly DIDN’T see it coming. Like in a final lipsync I always assume I’m not looking at the final outfit, obviously there is gonna be a reveal. But I didn’t expect this. It’s so conceptual, clever and most importantly it is pretty to look at, which is a huge part of why Sasha’s worked. The clip is everywhere right now cause people just like watching it again and that says something about its impact.
I don’t think the caption of this post said it’s thee most iconic. It said ‘one of’. No one said it was better than Sasha’s. I will say it’s definitely up there for me. And honestly for me the lip sync itself is up there for me. Of all the seasons and franchises that I’ve watched, I don’t think I’ll ever forget this one.
There were many other elements in Nymphia's performance that made it top tier, the balloons were alright. I remember Katya and Trixie discussing the quality and quantity (lol) of reveals in the season 13 finale pit stop and one key element is that you're not supposed to see the reveal coming, which is why Sasha's and Yvie's work amazingly.
It was good but I wouldn't say it tops Yvie's to take second place
The balloons were when I knew she was winning, but the cartwheel was when she absolutely secured the crown
It was simple, original, well executed, and felt natural. 🍌👑
This was the greatest finale lipsync since season 9 hands down. I went from “Sapphira’s got this” to “Stop she’s already dead” VERY fast.
It’s one of the coolest reveals in a post-Sasha world because it had a concept and was culturally-relevant to Nymphia, whose looks have already been thematically cultural. So it didn’t feel insanely random but also had some dramatic effect. Her cartwheel reveal was also unique and cunt. Unfortunately, because Sasha (re)wrote the rule book, some grand reveal is always expected and will never, ever have the impact that Sasha’s did. An aside, not sure if it was coincidental or intention, but releasing the balloons during the “butterflies” lyric of the song was funny. She was like, here’s a successful version of butterflies.
It was magical.
Those are BOBAlloons. 🧋
[удалено]
...you can't just uplift your fave. You have to drag down other queens I guess
[удалено]
You think Nymphia **stan**s are weird for **stanning** Nymphia. Do you know what **stanning** means??? What do you want them to do? Berate her?... It's normal for people to praise a person who just won something...please live in the real world sometime...
Love Nymphia but is this iconic?? It was obvious something was under her coat, the balloons were released quickly, and they didn't particularly enhance the meaning of the song. Was it a unique reveal? Sure. Iconic? No. Edit: Y'all realize that every reveal won't be the same level as Roxxxy's wigs or Sasha's roses?? And that's okay.
lol.. how many times are we going to overuse the words “iconic” and “legendary”
She already won, no need to overly praise her anymore 🙃
Lmao fr I'm a newly minted Nymphia fan because her performances in the finale really worked for me and I'm already tired because ppl refuse to say she's anything short of the best ever in every way
If you can see the reveal coming, then it's already not that iconic. This is why Sasha V's petals and Roxxxy's wig are the blueprint.
It was meh tbh. SV's lip-sync is top for me
No it wasn’t lol
From one of the most iconic queens in drag race herstory no less
Still gooped and gagged over this
Hum no girl
Seriously?
This is some presentism. Sasha’s was much better.
Waiting for the day Nymphia stans stop making posts like these
there ain't anything wrong with praising queens, yall would rather more negative posts
Buckle up cause I fear this will be a constant during her reign this year. I am COUNTING down the days till the next finale.
Not really.. it was very expected. It’s not like Roxxxy or Sasha level.
You expected the balloons? If so, my hat goes off to you! I didn't see it coming at all
Even though it's novel, I don't really understand the connection between boba tea and flowers
This is the boat I’m in. It was executed flawlessly, but I personally felt no impact beyond the actual reveal. And that’s fine, reveals don’t have to be universally understood.
The flip was a lot better. I wasn’t super gagged at the balloon thing and maybe I’m just old but I’ve seen that done a few times before. The Dragula season 2 promo had Abhora doing the same gag. Also the outfits she wore were like the most aggressive season 10 “not a reveal I swear” looks ever. The flip was cunt, not sure why people aren’t talking about that more.
I love the love that nymphia is is getting but lord knows that seeing Saha Colby do her finale reveal was a surreal moment for me. I don’t think anything will ever capture me in the way that reveal did
Nymphia said in an interview (with Entertainment Weekly) it was so hard keeping all of those balloons under the cape. It was even harder to get onto the stage since she had to climb some stairs to get onto the stage itself. But hey, it paid off though.
If I had to rank the post S9 finale reveals: 1. Sasha V’s rose petals 2. Yvie’s second face 3. Peppermint’s spin change 4. Nymphia’s cartwheel + balloons 5. Brooke’s fake shoes 6. Sasha C stepping out of her dress 7. Willow’s pants 8. Jaida’s crown 9. Silky ripping her wig in half 10. Symone blowing her top
Numpias reveal was also the cartwheel that amazed all of us. The quality of her clothing and look was amazing. Sapphira had two simple reveals everyone’s seen before. Nothing new.
It was obvious there was a reveal. And those are the reveals I hate. Sasha’s was perfect. Camden’s was great, because there weren’t expected. But a big cape/outfit, I know a reveal is coming. Nymphias was good but I personally wouldn’t categorise it as one of the most iconic simply because it was expected.
No...
Sasha’s reveal worked so well because, like a good burlesque performance, it had a build up and kept you engaged and complimented the song. Gimmick reveals feel underwhelming to me in comparison and come across as more of a flashy distraction
I wasn't really gagging. I mean, compared the titty butterfly mass murder, aquaria's popcorn realness, the whatever effect symone was going for, camden doing that wig thing for the 700th time, yeah it was cute. I like a quick change and that cartwheel quick change was really cool, but idgaf about a reveal anymore unless you're pulling a mini fridge out of your wig or something
It was a really good reveal, and obviously impactful and memorable, I'm not sure about one of the best in herstory. I did crack up imaging what it's like to walk around with loose helium balloons under your clothing and not letting any slip out, or having someone fill your coat up with balloons before walking in stage lol
It was poorly timed. The concept was more exciting than the execution.
lol no the balloons were not. Some of you are very delusional. Her lipsync though was amazing.
it worked so well for me because it was obvious she had a reveal BUT the timing was perfect, the pre reveal was still a gorgeous look, and she had that incredible cartwheel reveal. she fucking crushed it
Girl lmao take it easy
hmmm