RuPaul’s Drag Race is currently getting dragged by the show’s fans after the official YouTube channel uploaded a ‘holiday special’ animated video that was hit by instant backlash after fans accused it of being made using AI. The video has now been taken down, for unknown reasons. But before the show could remove the video, fans quickly made clips of the post on social media and some of the biggest Drag Race fans have been absolutely blasting the content. Here’s everything that’s gone down with the Drag Race YouTube getting hit with AI allegations and why there’s been so much backlash.
It was an animated ‘holiday special’
The RPDR channel just uploaded a AI animated special, and I just don’t get why they didn’t just hire an artist to do the whole thing… it looks soulless pic.twitter.com/ziKfT373CJ
— GreenGay
(@GreenGayYT) June 30, 2025
The YouTube short featured Jinkx Monsoon and Plasma from the show and showed the pair of them rowing a boat through Drag Race clips – when the animated pair become ‘real’. It’s quite clear from watching it though why this is getting allegations of AI, as the Drag Race YouTube channel clip whilst simulating the real life faces of Plasma and Jinkx looks a bit … off.
One comment from GreenGay who runs a popular Drag Race YouTube and fan social media account said “The RPDR channel just uploaded an AI animated special, and I just don’t get why they didn’t just hire and artist to do the whole thing. It looks soulless.”
I will celebrate drag race’s good moments and criticize their bad. And this is BAD
Drag race is a show thriving off the creativity of queer artists both on screen and behind the scenes. Instead of using artists we were given AI slop that looks like awful. Y’all do better please pic.twitter.com/ftj8myNJFR
— JackFed (@JackFedYT) June 30, 2025
Similarly, Drag Race content creator JackFed also branded the YouTube video as “AI slop”, saying “I will celebrate Drag Race’s good moments and criticise their bad. And this is BAD.
“Drag Race is a show thriving off the creativity of queer artists both on screen and behind the scenes. Instead of using artists we were given AI slop that looks awful.”
Even moments in the now removed video that show real life clips from Drag Race episodes, such as the below one of Jinkx, have been edited. The face in this picture in the screenshot above is completely different to how Jinkx looked in that episode.
The real image of Jinkx is pictured below:
It’s all just very bizarre. No comment has been made from the show, Jinkx or Plasma regarding this upload – but Plasma did repost follow alumni Megami saying “AI could never recreate a masterpiece like this. Support real artists!”
AI could never create a masterpiece like this. Support REAL artists! https://t.co/O6LIV4rI5h pic.twitter.com/YU1fqJHaAm
— Megami thee Stallion
(@MegamiNYC) July 1, 2025
Why did the video get taken down?
As of right now, it’s unclear. If you try and click on the video on the Drag Race YouTube channel, it tells you that the video is now private.
The Tab has reached out to World of Wonder for comment.
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