RuPaul's Drag Race: Untucked Season 4 Episode 4 Black Swan: Why It Gotta Be Black?

It's another intense episode of RuPaul's Drag Race: Untucked! as the queens gather backstage to decompress after their latest challenge. This week, they've been tasked with dancing the beloved classic ballet Swan Lake as part of the group challenge, and tensions are running high as some of the queens struggled with the technical aspects of the dance.

As they sit in the Untucked Lounge, emotions are all over the place. Jinkx Monsoon is overwhelmed and in tears after struggling with the choreography, while Phi Phi O'Hara is on edge after receiving some harsh critiques from the judges. Meanwhile, Sharon Needles - the season's resident dark horse - is quietly confident about her performance, but has her own secrets weighing on her mind.

As the queens begin to break down the events of the challenge, a heated debate arises about the casting of the ballet. Several of the queens take issue with the fact that the roles of the black swans were assigned to two of the show's queens of color, Kenya Michaels and Madame LaQueer. While some of the queens argue that this was a calculated move by the show and the producers, others point out that the queens themselves had a say in the casting and could have pushed to switch roles if they didn't feel comfortable.

The discussion becomes increasingly heated as the queens unpack their own experiences with race and representation in the drag world. Willam shares a story about being asked to whitewash her appearance for a performance as Marilyn Monroe, while Latrice Royale speaks about the tokenization she often faces as a larger black queen. Meanwhile, Jiggly Caliente takes issue with the way the conversation is playing out in general, feeling that it's unfair to single out the two queens of color for a discussion that involves the entire group of queens.

As the debate wears on, several of the queens become visibly frustrated and upset. It's a raw and emotional discussion that highlights the ways in which race and representation impact even the most seemingly frivolous aspects of pop culture.

Ultimately, the queens are left to grapple with the aftermath of the conversation as they head into the next challenge. It's a difficult and eye-opening episode, but one that serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of diverse representation and inclusion in all aspects of entertainment.