Everyone’s favorite celebrity couple, Neil Patrick Harris and David Burtka, are the hosts of Hulu’s new reality show, Drag Me to Dinner. DMTD is described as “a riotous, format-busting, fourth-wall-breaking, unapologetic sendup of traditional reality competition shows!” Think Nailed It! meets drag.
Each deliciously addictive episode features two pairs of drag queens who compete to throw the most fabulous drag dinner party, complete with entertainment, decoration, food, drinks, and a kitschy theme. DMTD is hosted by NYC drag king Murray Hill, and ‘judgers’ include actress Haneefa Wood, drag superstar Bianca Del Rio, and Neil Patrick Harris. Contestants compete to win the grandest prize, the Glorious Golden Grater (because one team is great but the other is ‘grater.’) Hilarity ensues.
Fair warning, this highly amusing and slightly madcap cooking competition might not be the one to watch if you want to work up an appetite or build your chef skills, but if you are looking to laugh, groan, cringe, laugh some more, and generally forget about anything else for 45 minutes, this is the show for you.
The focus is definitely more on showmanship than food, with episodes featuring such creations as “Boxed Chardonnay in a pineapple” and “Cheese volcano.” Full disclosure, the production team makes most of the food off-camera. This is probably a good thing, as it allows the contestants more time to throw shade and double entendres, which is where their real talent lies. David Burtka, who is actually a professional chef, is definitely the most culinarily inclined member of the cast. One contestant noted “This is the first time I’ve really cooked,” and another, when asked if a dish was edible, responded “Well, everything’s edible…if you eat it.” Can’t argue with that logic.
Each 45-minute episode of DMTD is jam-packed with glitz, innuendo, and general hilarity, but the show also (very briefly) touches on some more serious notes. For example, a musical performance by drag queens Sherry Vine and Jackie Beat features the line “Don’t get it twisted, for your information. This is old school drag, not appropriation.” Which hits especially hard in the current political climate. But don’t get it twisted, DMTD is not about political statements. It’s about charmingly joyful kitsch, ludicrously fabulous self-expression, pure unfiltered fun, and (sort of, kind of) food.
All ten episodes of Drag Me to Dinner season one are available for streaming on Hulu.