Padded for the gods... or not » ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’ attracts controversy surrounding banned dress Roshni Riar Staff Writer Warning: Spoilers ahead! uPaul’s Drag Race: All Stars season four has been a fierce, dramatic, and unexpected season. While the cast reveal was subject to scrutiny due to the oversaturation of All Stars seasons in the past year, this latest season has been widely enjoyed and viewed by many. This popularity is thanks to the fabulous queens who have all brought their A-game to the competition. Manila Luzon—season three runner- up and All Stars One contestant—made a triumphant return to the show, dominating both challenges and runways with her creative, campy drag and sense of humour until her recent and controversial elimination. Approaching the midway point of the season, episode four—titled “Jersey Justice’— contained the assigned runway theme “Curves and Swerves: Padded for the Gods.” The queens were challenged to bring their interpretation of the prompt to the runway in a creative, well-executed look. Luzon hit the runway in a minimally padded, pink, “rococo Chanel” inspired dress. Many were confused by the look, given that it didn't seem to fit the runway or reflect Luzon’s usual over-the-top style. Inan Instagram post after the episode aired, Luzon explained that the outfit she wore on the runway was her backup dress because she was not allowed to wear her original idea: a maxi-pad-themed dress. Taking to Instagram, Luzon showed off the dress that the Drag Race production team regarded as “in bad taste.” Created by the respected drag designer and seamstress Lady Hyde, the dress in question is an elegant red gown witha white maxi-pad made of fabric affixed to the front. A circle of red fabric slowly drips down the bottom of the pad until it blends in with the refined trumpet skirt of the dress. Luzon’s signature hairstyle—a black wig with a blonde stripe at the front—is redone with a blonde wig and a red stripe to further emphasize the campy imagery. “I was really looking forward to wearing this gown that I think celebrates a perfectly normal human experience! Many of my fans are young women who may feel pressured by society to be embarrassed by periods,” said Luzon in the Instagram post’s caption. Fellow All Stars Four contestants Monique Heart and Monét X Change shared their thoughts on the show’s decision to stop Luzon from wearing the maxi-pad dress. Monét X Change supported Luzon in acomment on her Instagram post: “I was sooo mad when you couldn't wear Brittney MacDonald Have an idea for a story? Mlifeandstyle@theotherpress.ca this on the runway!! Such a powerful statement that would embolden women [and] normalize [menstruation].” In an episode of Review with a Jew hosted by Drag Race alumni Miz Cracker, Monique Heart explained that Luzon firmly maintained her belief in the message behind the dress off-camera and wanted to wear it, regardless of whether production was uncomfortable with it or not. Heart said that the answer to Luzon’s protests was, “If you [wear] it, we're going to blur you out.” The show threatening to blur out Luzon’s dress, in my opinion, underscored their unwillingness to support the encouragement and normalization that Luzon wanted to put forward to viewers. Fans took to the internet to question Drag Race’s motives, expressing their concern at the perceived misogyny surrounding the decision. The show itself has yet to respond to the criticism. With Drag Race now airing on VHi, its reach has expanded to more viewers than ever. Each episode of All Stars Four averages approximately half a million views, according to data from website ShowBuzzDaily—menstruating and female-identifying viewers making Tea time » Exploring an English tradition in Vancouver way, more and more businesses all life & style // no. 9 e Platonic Valentine’s Day e Valentine’s Day looks by the budget e The Spicy Jalapefo McChicken ..and more! Photo via @manilaluzon on Instagram up close to half of those views. Many fans questioned why production would choose to alienate and not celebrate such a significant part of the fanbase. Concluding her Instagram post, Luzon reaffirmed her intention with the dress: “It’s empowering to teach young women about their bodies, encourage them to celebrate them AND to question people who tell them not to! My goal with this look was to normalize menstruation by looking sick’ning even if I was on my period!” Currently, Luzon’s Instagram photo of the maxi-pad dress is the most popular post—currently sitting at 361,000-plus likes and over 16,000 comments—of any drag queen to come from RuPaul’s Drag Race. of several small finger sandwiches, a Life & Style Editor Photo by Brittney MacDonald Wr I say the words “high tea,” many people’s automatic response is to picture a cottage in some English countryside, probably with two elderly women enjoying a few small cakes over a pot of steaming Earl Grey. Little do these people know that high tea might be Vancouver's newest culinary craze. Taking inspiration from traditional English high tea, as well as the far more dessert-orientated high teas popularized by alternative Japanese Lolita fashion, high tea in Vancouver is becoming a ready staple with plenty of options to go around. Numerous cafes and coffee shops have taken to serving a decadent high tea as a means of attracting customers during the mid-afternoon lull, and they're not just bringing in the old and grey crowd. People of all ages seem willing to try the experience. Why this is, I am not sure. It’s possible that people long fora classier bygone era—or perhaps it’s just because tiny sandwiches are really good. Either around the city seem to be willing to try their hand at this tasty 2 to 4 pm compliment. Traditionally speaking, high tea is supposed to occur at 4 pm. However, much like Vancouver’s take on brunch, some leeway has been allowed. This leeway has been extended to also blend the lines between traditional high tea and what the 19th-century English would term “afternoon tea,” or “low tea.” Traditionally, high tea is meant to be more like what we today might term supper or early dinner—a hearty soup or stew, with a strong tea to wash it down. Meanwhile, afternoon tea is what we mistakenly associate with “high tea”—lounging in the living room, cake stands of small treats, and a pretty porcelain pot of some sort of light brew. However, over the last couple of centuries as this tea tradition has spread out of the British Isles, the names have become mixed up and the term “high tea” has been adopted to describe the lighter, daintier variant of meal. Current high tea menus around Vancouver are generally set up the same. The light meal usually consists round of palate cleansers like lemon tarts or scones, and then finishes off with a few sweet cakes. Though it doesn’t sound like a lot of food, I would not recommend going on a partially full stomach. The portions might be tiny, but there are a lot of them to munch your way through. As an avid tea enthusiast, I have explored several high tea offerings around the city. My favourites are The Secret Garden Tea Company in Kerrisdale and Patisserie Ftir Elise located in the downtown core. I prefer these because of their delicious vegetarian options, and because they are relatively inexpensive compared to other places. Both of these places are fairly traditional in terms of the atmosphere. If you're looking for something a little different, I suggest Laurence & Chico Café on Robson and Bute—it’s been on my personal “to try” list for a while, and it’s very highly rated on Yelp. Another possibility if youd like a more contemporary vibe is TWG Tea Salon, also downtown—it’s a little less pink and pastel (if that’s not your thing), and their tea selection is huge.