Television
'Drag Race's Raven Is About to Host Her Own Competition Show
Raven's Drag Race on deck?
March 16 2021 12:21 PM EST
March 17 2021 6:17 AM EST
MikelleStreet
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Raven's Drag Race on deck?
Maybe Raven is the true winner of RuPaul's Drag Race.
After finishing "Glenn Close but no cigar' in two seasons of Drag Race, Raven has gone on to do great things. Namely: the makeup artist has been crafting Ru's face. Since season nine, the star has been RuPaul's personal makeup artist and has gone on to become the head of the Drag Race makeup team, winning an Emmy for her efforts. Now, she's cashing in those credentials with her very own show.
'Are you stuck at home? Do you live and die for makeup?" she says in a new casting call video for her competition Painted with Raven. "Well I'm looking for you!"
The series, which will debut on WOW Presents Plus later this year, will include makeup artists from across the country competing virtually in a series of weekly challenges. The season's winner will receive a cash prize of $25,000.
"Makeup is something I've always been very passionate about," Raven said in a release. "It is what's ultimately started me on my drag career. I'm so happy to be hosting something I absolutely love to celebrate...a reality competition about FIERCE MAKEUP!"
The show joins other virtual drag competition shows. In 2020, Trinity the Tuck ran her Love of the Arts competition on Twitch. That saw performers compete on who could make the best video content to complete challenges. Earlier this month Alaska put on her Drag Queen of the Year pageant virtually as well.
Raven's launch comes after recent onscreen Drag Race appearances. She did the rounds with Ru in the Werk Room on Drag Race U.K., giving the queens a few makeup tips before appearing as a Snatch Game guest in the U.S. The cameos led some on social media to point out that her foundation appears markedly darker than what many remember her skin color to be. Raven has not responded to the criticisms directly but her Instagram comments are now limited. She also has since uploaded a series of posts of her saying "I just don't give a fuck," and "My philosophy on acceptance from other people is: 'Fuck other people.'"
"We are thrilled to launch an all-new competition series on WOW Presents Plus to find the fiercest makeup-artists across the country," Randy Barbato and Fenton Bailey of World of Wonder said in a release. They will serve as executive producer alongside RuPaul. "Raven has dazzled audiences worldwide and we are so excited to welcome her as our host on the journey to find the next emerging makeup superstar."
Painted with Raven is the first major competition platform for WOW Presents Plus. World of Wonder is also set to launch Queen of the Universe, a drag singing competition, on Paramount+.
RELATED | Raven Dedicates Emmy for 'Drag Race' Work to Mathu Andersen
Mikelle is the former editorial director of digital for PrideMedia, guiding digital editorial and social across Out, The Advocate, Pride.com, Out Traveler, and Plus. After starting as a freelancer for Out in 2013, he joined the staff as Senior Editor working across print and digital in 2018. In early 2021 he became Out's digital director, marking a pivot to content that centered queer and trans stories and figures, exclusively. In September 2021, he was promoted to editorial director of PrideMedia. He has written cover stories on Ricky Martin, Miss Fame, Nyle DiMarco, Jeremy O. Harris, Law Roach, and Symone.
Mikelle is the former editorial director of digital for PrideMedia, guiding digital editorial and social across Out, The Advocate, Pride.com, Out Traveler, and Plus. After starting as a freelancer for Out in 2013, he joined the staff as Senior Editor working across print and digital in 2018. In early 2021 he became Out's digital director, marking a pivot to content that centered queer and trans stories and figures, exclusively. In September 2021, he was promoted to editorial director of PrideMedia. He has written cover stories on Ricky Martin, Miss Fame, Nyle DiMarco, Jeremy O. Harris, Law Roach, and Symone.