Stella: Hello everybody and welcome back to my channel to another episode of Rinse Off, the weekly show where contestants share their final thoughts in regards to their time in the competition, their elimination or just what's going on in their personal lives. I am your host Stella Shaudy and this week I am joined by another person of British excellence, the LSFYL champion herself, ms. Carmella Fox. Please help me welcome the Queen of Lipsyncing, as the two of us renew our library memberships at Ms. Paint's Library.
So Carmella, how are you doing?
Carmella: I am fantastic considering I’ve just been booted off all stars! How are you doing?
Stella: Ah, I'm still in a phase of not being able to process that you guys are actually being eliminated on a weekly basis. I mean, when the promos came out, I thought nobody would be going home. Ever!
However, the reality of it is that one small misstep can lead to you being in the bottom and I truly believe that that was the case with you. I'm assuming it isn't the best feeling to experience, but what are your thoughts on your elimination this week?
Carmella: Well when I was working on the look, I wasn’t feeling super confident. I’d come up with the idea of an aged leather texture, but as I was drafting I kept worrying about not nailing the fruit enough in silhouette. So I changed it and picked a pose that I thought was interesting and showed off the inside a bit, but couldn’t get the head position right... basically what I’m trying to say is I know I was among the weakest this week, and I have enough qualms with my outfit to feel ok about it. It feels warranted, ultimately.
Stella: All Stars judging always comes down to the tiniest of mistakes. Your look was by no means bad. In fact, I enjoyed it and I'm sure many others did as well. The concept was very creative and the rendering was on point. Ultimately, I feel like it was the pose that didn't work in your favor, but the look itself stood very strong and would have been a contender for the win in any other regular season.
With that said, shall we go back to the beginning of this season: the auditions. What went through your mind when the season was announced and you saw the promo theme?
Carmella: Ever since s3 I’d been adamant about not doing all stars. I really wanted to make a fashion collection but that’s another story, heh. But nope, not all stars. I didn’t want to do it, and I didn’t feel I was qualified enough, despite what anyone told me, to contend alongside the likes of my castmates. When the auditions were announced, I was grabbed by the theme and was like, I’d love to do a look, but I probably won’t actually audition? So I started work, and I loved the idea I came up with and got super into it. And when it was done, and I’d talked things over with Sally (I call Russ/Sulphur Sally), I just realised I’d gotten to a point where I was a lot more comfortable with and accepting of how I fit into the community and my artistic credentials, and I just thought, hey, I like my audition look, I’ll just submit it and see what happens. I wasn’t really too worried about how I’d do or where I’d place, which is why I’m so cheerful right now!
Stella: That is a great mentality to have! Being complacent about your work has always been an aspiration of mine and I think other people's, too. However, I'm super glad you were able to audition and make it on because I truly feel like you had much more to show. In regards to the fashion collection, there's always plenty of time in the future and I'm sure you're going to slay us all at the next fashion week.
So, you've mentioned Sally/Sulphur as someone you've talked to during the process of auditioning; I know the two of you are really close and I'm sure you felt thrilled seeing each other being cast. Sadly, your journeys probably weren't what you were expecting, but as I've told Sulphur, numbers don't define you and I believe that you are truly one of the fiercest in the game.
Now tell me, how was it seeing the first challenge being a ball composed of three categories? What went through your head?
Carmella: Honestly, I knew there was a high chance I'd end up being an early out, but I banked on Sally making it further. I think I was more shaken by her elimination than my own!
Well, we knew there'd be a lot of work, but I don't think any of us expected a ball right off the mark. It was a strange one really, because we had plenty of time for it by ball standards, but usually, with the ball being near the end, you have a whole season to conceive and form your ideas. Like, even though I'd anticipated a redo challenge during the season, having it hit day one alongside two other categories, that was scary because while I knew what look I wanted to redo, I hadn't really thought about how I'd redo it.
I think I super lucked out category-wise. My name has a readymade element to create a look off of, and Epi's assignments were really thoughtful I felt. And as soon as I found out she'd given me 7 Deadly Queens, the idea just instantly clicked. Overall I wasn't too daunted by the ball, because the ideas flowed pretty quickly and I could just like, get to work and churn them out. I was more scared about the lipsync because every idea I came up with just wasn't the T. I'm glad I didn't need to use it!
Stella: I think the ball surprised everybody, especially being the first challenge of the season, but it kinda makes sense, to have it at the very beginning in order to give everybody a chance to participate. I thought you really did well and I've enjoyed your three looks so much. They were very thought out, very conceptual and very fashionable and that's what I loved about them. Also, as you've mentioned, I agree that Epinette really did everyone a favour while assigning the categories. You all delivered so many different visuals and ideas, it was unfair for anybody to go home.
Now, you get the results that you're safe. Were you satisfied with that placement or did you think you should have placed a little higher?
Carmella: Overall I was happy. I felt redeemed, especially from the audience reaction to my beard of bees redo. I felt like I really benefited from the ball’s premise of exhibiting different sides of your style to show your growth and your capability. I thought I might have been a high safe until the crits came out, and I was surprised that the one I had the least confidence in (namesake) was the best received. I thought my envy look would have been praised higher until Gii put forward the idea of a one-legged catsuit + matching boot combo, which I thought was dynamite and I wish I’d thought of it myself. I will say though, when I looked through the cast album, I couldn’t see a clear standout winner. I think Babz did a fab job and I agree that her looks accumulated to form the best overall showing, but everyone had highlights and areas I didn’t enjoy so much. I could have seen anyone in the top, which I suppose means that I could have seen anyone in the bottom? Yet I was still surprised.
Stella: I think you've just summed up all of my feelings towards this season. You're all competing at such a high level that anyone being the winner can be justified as well as anyone being the bottom. Each week gets better and better and it makes the judging more and more difficult.
Now, we arrive at week two. Only one look this time and it is a fun design challenge based on exotic fruits. Initially, I thought this idea would be much harder to execute than it actually was but judging by the looks this week, I don't think anybody missed the mark. There were all kinds of silhouettes, designs and interpretations present and it made me so proud to see you all deliver high fashion and runway-worthy looks.
Sadly, somebody had to be in the bottom and this time it was you and Bitte Bitte. What are your feelings on that?
Carmella: I knew I'd be in the bottom and probably lipsyncing, and I knew Bitte took a huge risk with the interpretation of the Rambutan's spines, so I had a feeling it would be us two. I don't think Bianca's was bad by any means, but definitely a less 'fashion' take in a challenge described as a fashion design challenge. But I can't knock concept being rewarded when that's what got me into the s3 ball.
It's a shame that risktaking so far has resulted in lower placements. With it being All Stars, I kind of got the impression that the judges wanted us all to build on what we're known for and use that to explore and expand, rather than just rehash the same old characters we had in our original seasons. It's always something of a spirit sap to go onto instagram and see the sheep gushing over the most obviously pretty looks and ignoring some of the more creative designs, and this week I did feel like one placement, in particular, was the epitome of rewarding mediocrity. Maybe I just don’t see what others do? But I like to think most of us have been pushed and will respond to the push by giving more and more, even when we’re in the top. Whereas if someone is giving the same old stuff they always do, and they’re in the top, it counters the ethos that is being cultivated in the rest of us. Does that make sense?
That said, I 100% stand by Sartana's win. It was my firm favourite look this week and I'm so glad she was rewarded for it. I definitely didn't mean Sart when I mentioned mediocrity!
Stella: Oh, I thought bringing drinks into the library was prohibited, but I see you've smuggled in some tea while no one was looking. May you pour me a cup while I ask who you referred to when you said that mediocrity was rewarded?
Carmella: Ahahaha well it’s not T if I leave you hanging! I feel like everyone on the cast has grown or evolved in some way since their original season, myself included. Some have a more drastic difference, such as Ambrosia, while others are more just tweaking and refining their style. But there’s one person who I’m yet to see anything different from, and that is Bettie. During s3, I felt incredibly belittled by her three wins in a row, especially because each of them were her, in my opinion, just churning out the same niche aesthetic. While I do feel my elimination this week was justified, I was disappointed to see she’d placed high for another red shiny catsuit with statement sleeves (see her ringleader look). Other people were safe/low for pushing their aesthetic and boundaries AND nailing their fruit, but this felt like something pulled out of her bag of tricks. I worry that she’s going to coast again while others are fighting tooth and nail to keep out of the bottom.
It’s become quite interesting following the competition on both reddit and instagram and seeing how contestants are received on each platform. Admittedly, my character has been one of the more popular on the ‘gram this season, but I’m fairly certain there’s not been a category posted that Bettie hasn’t received the most likes for, the highest ratio of ‘frames’ to ‘shames’, or the most comments saying she was ‘robbed’. I get it, she’s pretty, she has a huge following, and she’s polished, and I’m not trying to devalue her, what she does is successful. But she literally sometimes gets 3x the positive response as the rest of the cast, and it’s all so blinkered. It must be enormously disconcerting for the other cast members to be constantly told that someone who isn’t breaking the boundaries they are has been ‘robbed’, or that she’s perfect/beautiful/Linda Evangelista from blind devotees who have no time for anyone else.
Now I’m not suggesting that the judges are playing unfair - I believe that, for the most part, they are thoroughly discussing the decisions they make and basing them on their own, genuine, personal opinions. But I worry that the backlash that they might face by giving Bettie a less favourable critique is going to make them be gentler. I think she needs to be held to the same standard as everyone else. Some people have said this about Bianca too, but I personally see it to a much lesser extent with her. I just want for the whole cast to be judged fairly and evenly, and I personally feel Bettie’s critique this week especially was extremely generous. It’s a personal opinion I know, and a very unusual one by instagram’s standards at least! But I’m not going to be happy seeing people go home before her for taking risks when she’s playing it safe. Thank you for listening to my big rant! I hope I’ve successfully fulfilled the drama quota for this episode of rinse off!
Stella: Darling, we've been Ms Paint's Best Friends Race for way too long, it was high time some drama got unleashed and set foot into the light. And coming from season 3's Ms Shade herself, it just can't get better. Kidding aside, I feel like you've expressed your viewpoints in a very respectful manner, to both the judges and your fellow contestant(s) and I certainly see your point and why it might be upsetting at times. You all deliver high-quality art, yet only one or two people get praised for it and that can't be a good thing to experience, especially in competition mode. Also to add fuel to the fire, it becomes worse when you feel like somebody might be, for a lack of a better term, "coasting", while you are being put in the bottom for taking risks, but that's how the cookie crumbles I guess. I'm sure we'll have a lovely debate about this in the comment section, so I'll leave it at that for now.
On a lighter note, I'd like to congratulate you on making it onto the first MPAR All Stars season, that in itself is a huge accomplishment. You've consistently proven to us that your ability to implement your real-life experiences, such as drag and lipsyncing, onto a piece of paper was never less than phenomenal and stellar. Also, your ability to read your fellow queens is a gift I'm glad you were able to share with us this time around, too. Your delivery and wit never cease to amaze me and I am so glad you were a part of this outstanding season.
Having said my piece, I'd like to give the last word to you. Is there anything else you'd like to say?
Carmella: Ahh you flatter me Stella! I think I’d like to end by basically reiterating what you’ve just stated. I’m so proud to have even made it onto All Stars, I’m really pleased with what I’ve made (though if I ever see an Akebi irl I’m throwing it at the nearest wall) and I’ve really enjoyed being a part of such an amazing cast. All of you are so talented and capable of such unbounded achievement (which is why I don’t want to see anyone gone easy on!) and I’m absolutely honoured to have been included as one of you all.
Thank you judges/mods for giving me this opportunity and for all the hard af work you put into manufacturing the best drag illustration/design competition on the Internet! I’d also like to give a blanket thank you to all the kind words on the lipsync post. Trust and believe I’ve upvoted them all, because it means such a lot to me that I’ve improved enough in the eyes of so many to have garnered that kind of reaction, especially after not feeling this kind of warmth at the end of s3.
Good luck to everyone still competing - I know what challenges lie ahead for you and I’m not envious! Part of me is relieved to have left so early, as I’m virtually out of ideas for the rest of the schedule! That said, if and when I’m inspired, I’ll be sure to play along, and I won’t be going anywhere any time soon! Thank you Stella for this interview, you’re already smashing this role so hard and it was such a pleasure to talk with you!
Stella: Thank you so much Carmella, I sure am going to miss you and I can't wait to see you pull out more killer looks in the playalong threads.
Well, there you have it folks. Another Rinse Off is concluded with the unfortunate departure of another brilliant queen. Make sure to follow Carmella (@officialmarcellafox) and me (@stellashaudy) on instagram and leave a nice comment while you're at it.
See you all next week!
Submitted June 24, 2019 at 05:42PM by Roboticpearl http://bit.ly/2WZXlbg
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