FROM left: Law Roach, Megan Thee Stallion, Jameela Jamil, Leiomy Maldonado and Dominique Jackson from the series, Legendary. | HBO Max via AP
LEGENDARY
isn’t above criticism JAMAL GROOTBOOM jamald.grootboom@inl.co.za
WHEN it comes to queer representation in TV and film, we have come a long way with regards to having storylines, characters and cultural aspects that have made its way to our screens. RuPaul’s Drag Race is one of the biggest reality TV shows in the world. Pose brought Black/ POC trans women to leading roles on a highly successful show and then we have Legendary that took ballroom from the streets to our screens. And while these shows have done a lot for a community that hasn’t been able to see themselves in a medium that previously ignored them, it has also spurred a
conversation about how we critique these shows. Legendary has come under fire for its second season, specifically for the judging. The first season had similar criticism with many viewers confused by the addition of Megan Thee Stallion and Jameela Jamil on the panel, as they have little to no knowledge of ballroom. While Law Roach rubbed many people up the wrong way at first, it was clear in season 2 he went back and did his homework and started giving critiques that make sense and help the houses on the show. One of the changes from season 1 was the implementation of a point system where the judges give
Tiffany Haddish on Legendary. | HBO
each house a score between 1-10 for their group. Along with individual categories where contestants had to receive 10s across the board with a single chop cutting them from progressing in the category. And the overall winner getting 10 points for their house. These accumulated points then determine who is the superior house and which two houses can take part in a Vogue Femme battle to see who stays and who goes. Now, while this might sound like a pretty fair system, cracks showed quickly. It became apparent to viewers and lovers of ballroom that there wasn’t a clear consensus if houses were being judged against e ach other or themselves.
