Rupaul’s Drag Race Season 4: Broke Down Showgirl vs. Party City.

(Right: Contestant Phi Phi O’Hara. Left: Sharon Needles.)

In case you haven’t tuned in to the show this season the final runway battle between good and evil should be enough to lure you into watching the season finale next week. The race is down to its last three contestants and lets just say this season finale will not be one to miss.

The ongoing feud between contestants Phi Phi O’Hara and Sharon Needles has been incredibly interesting to watch at the same time polarizing viewers to either team Phi Phi or team Sharon Needles.

The feud began after episode 8: Frenemies when Sharon Needles called Phi Phi , “a tired ass showgirl”and she shouted back flailing her arms in anger,  “bitch I at least I am a showgirl, go back to party city where you belong.” Ever since then the two have clashed whenever possible with nasty remarks that always flash back to that incident.

What explains their distaste for one another is their unwillingness to recognize each other’s characters as talent in the art of Drag. The underlying purpose of Drag is promoting self-acceptance and inner beauty and both of them have their own style and technique. But the question that may be difficult for some to answer is who is a better example of inner beauty?

While Phi Phi has crafted a more conventional “fishy” look –a look that incorporates effeminate behavior and glamorous dress– Miss Needles works with her own style of horror film inspired looks to shock and awe the viewers.

Phi Phi hasn’t had a chance to clarify what her comment meant. It may have to do with the fact that Miss Needle’s attire is so costume that it looks like she bought it at a party city retailer on Halloween. She could also be referring to the party city circuit or club scene in which many a drag queen make their names.

However, Miss Needles has constantly challenged the idea of outer beauty beyond the challenge of portraying a beautiful woman when in reality you have the body of a man. What better way to personify the type of physical stress some drag queens go through in order to augment there body than by walking down the runway with a needle in your hand and blood stained lips.

In the Rupoclypse episode she walked the runway in what looked like an ancient moth eaten robe with her signature pale face and white out eyes while spewing black liquid out of her mouth.

She has also faired better than Phi Phi in competitions like the Snatch game and Frock the Vote. She portrayed a much more believable satire of the show’s panelist Michelle Visage than Phi Phi’s Lady Gaga in the Snatch Game and actually provided some substance in her campaign jargon in Frock the Vote as opposed to Phi Phi’s complete nonsense Sarah Palin impersonation.

Miss Needles refers to herself as “the future of drag” priding herself in the fact that she is living proof that there are other styles of drag. But what’s interesting about her costumes is that she always tries to deliver some message beyond the intended one.

For example, in the episode where they each have to create a parade float she creates one in which one of her arms has a sleeve complete with a snake head and tongue that she swivels side to side. Her reasoning behind the float being that it represents nature because gays were hippies in the 70’s and there’s a huge snake on it because snakes are always feared for the wrong reasons. Phi Phi chooses to create a sci-fi look and attach the word “believe” to the side of her float. She looks stunning but somehow you just can’t help but think about Miss Needle’s float a little longer than Phi Phi’s and realize that there is definitely a deeper concept there.

Phi Phi constantly turns out stunning outfits and gives great face despite of her sometimes-hostile attitude. There is no doubt that she makes a pretty lady, however, Miss Needles delivers a little more punch on the intellectual side. All of these girls are amazing to watch but it looks like this last runway will be all about brains over beauty over age. As for who is the best example of inner beauty, I’d say the third finalist Chad Michaels takes the crown.

(Contestant Chad Michaels)

You can catch the season finale on logo tv on April 23 after a recap of the season next Monday the 16th.