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There were many highs and lows during the ninth season of “RuPaul’s Drag Race,” but the Emmy contender ended with a finale that will remind anyone who watches reality competition TV who the true lip sync champion is. Two of the producers of the World of Wonder production, Tom Campbell and Randy Barbato (Fenton Bailey and RuPaul are two of the others), sat down a few days after taping the finale and reunion episodes to join the podcast to decompress the season. And it’s an important one in terms of Emmy consideration.

READ MORE: RuPaul: On Valentina And Trump’s ‘Dress-Up Good Old Boy’s First Time In The White House Drag’ [Interview]

Last year, RuPaul won the Outstanding Host for a Reality or Reality-Competition Program on his first nomination. The show’s move to VH1 has resulted in its biggest season yet – ratings wise – and its relevance in this politically charged era has been chronicled in a slew of prominent publications. The competition is fierce (an appropriate adjective if there ever was one), but if enough Emmy voters tune into the ending of the season the show may finally earn its first Outstanding Reality-Competition Program nomination. As for our podcast discussion…

Find out:

– Why Lady Gaga did the show.

– Why there was no elimination in the first episode.

– The pop culture inspiration for many of the challenges.

– How the control room reacted during shooting when Valentina asked to keep her mask on.

– Why there were less mini-challenges and one-hour episodes.

– Could Alyssa Edwards and Detox’s shows go to broadcast instead of YouTube?

– Are they surprised over Valentina’s popularity?

– Randy Barbato, “Nothing can prepare you for the reunion.” (He was right).

– How the finale is the “gay Super Bowl.”

– Why they went in this direction for the finale.

– How being on VH1 has opened up the door to landing lip sync songs and remixes they have always wanted and were previously unable to get.

– On the finale twist “Drag is unpredictable. Drag breaks rules. You have to watch this show because you never know.”

– The finale was not rigged.

– They did not have separate dressing rooms before the final lip syncs. But, they know how to hide things and “keep secrets from one another.”

– The finalists knew a couple of weeks before about the lip sync showdown and they were “thrilled.”

– Were the idea for the mirror reveal in “AS2” came from.

– “Never underestimate a drag queen.”

– Who are their dream future guest judges?

– What are their favorite episodes?

The season finale of “RuPaul’s Drag Race” airs Friday, June 23 on VH1. (Hint: Watch it somewhere with a big screen and tons of your friends. It’s something.)

You can listen to this episode in the Soundcloud embed below or on iTunes. If you do listen on iTunes please rate, subscribe and share it with your friends!

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