Why do we hate smart people?
In defense of Suzie Toot
In the context of today, with anti-intellectualism on the rise, people believing reddit before their doctors, it should come as no surprise. And yet, this has always been a thing. Nerds, dorks, eggheads - in our youth we bully those with brains. In politics, “educated” is thrown at coastal elites as insult. We don’t trust know-it-alls (she says as a reformed one).
Why do we as a collective hate smart people?
Personally, I believe that intelligence and creativity are both muscles. As with any sport or skill, there will be those naturally who succeed in either area. But with enough time and practice, anyone can grow their smarts and be intelligent. I also don’t necessarily think the current structure of school in the US is designed for every student in mind and often those who struggle the most just need a different path.
Whatever.
It’s Friday. Which means it’s Drag Race Day.
From the moment that tapdancing twink crossed my screen I was hooked. As a former hoofer, I cannot resist a time step. And not only were her shuffles and flaps crispy, she was funny. Reciting the Gettysburg Address in morse code? Genius. From that first episode, it was clear that Suzie was a contender and the other girls knew it.
Blame it on the edit all you want, but the other girls all had something to say about Miss Suzie. If I ever do a rewatch, I might track how many times she’s mentioned in confessionals. Even when her track record failed to match the storylines in their heads, Suzie was the frontrunner and they were coming for her.
Each challenge, Suzie came with a plan. Even if it was out of her comfort zone (um design), she’d find a reference and make it work. All the while, she seemed to do it with a smile and love of whimsy.
Suzie was far from perfect. Snatch Game was her chance to shine and boy oh boy did she miss the mark. It wasn’t because she chose a “too niche” character. It’s because the jokes weren’t funny. She made the same scissors joke twice and it never landed. Miss trained thespian was not being present in the moment. Missed opportunities galore. Not a single mention of ‘the guttah’, Skid Row, Downtown, Audrey II, Seymour, somewhere that’s green, etc. etc. etc.
Suzie wasn’t even my favorite this season; that title goes to Miss Butthole herself. But she was someone who did her homework, came prepared, and had fun. She brought her own unique charisma, that theater charm, and she was good. Charisma, Uniqueness, Nerve, and Talent. Isn’t that what this show’s about?
And the makeover episode? (Tangent: I do miss the scramble of having to design/make a new outfit for that challenge) We got to see a new side to this overthinking queen, watching her compare her own relationship with her mother with the others in the room. We saw someone striving for their dream and looking for love and affection at the same time.
Beautiful. Tragic. Art.
Look, I get it. Suzie knows she’s smart, she makes sure you know she’s smart, and she makes sure you know she knows she’s smart.
Can’t the same be said for the pretty queens? Who are beautiful, know it, and make sure you know it too. Sam has told us several times that she is beautiful. What about the self-proclaimed comedy queens? Kori (don’t hate me) is hilarious but didn’t win a single comedy moment. Do I need to mention The Slaysian Diva herself and her claims she’s known for opulence (were the opulent looks in the workroom with us)?
Why is it only bad when someone is cocky about their brain?
I’m glad she got her flowers in the end. And I’m glad it wasn’t to Liza with a Z. She got to show how well rounded she really was. And she did it with a clown face, for all the girls who didn’t get her immaculate references earlier in the season.
Anyway, if Onya Nurve doesn’t win, we’ll ride at dawn.
