While most of the United States is glued to their flat-screen TVs every Super Bowl Sunday, there are a handful of people who are more interested in the party atmosphere, food, drink and glitzy Halftime performance productions than the actual score. Did someone say “goal!” oops actually we mean “touchdown!”
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So, for those of us that cared more about Mary J. Blige’s bedazzled bodysuit, gourmet snacking indulgences and touchdown-themed cocktails, DIRECTV and Thyrst Media came to the rescue. Taking over a sun-drenched rooftop in Venice, California we learned firsthand how some of our favorite drag queen superstars and Real Housewives royalty like to take in the big game thanks to DIRECTV’s Drag Bowl party.
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From Real Housewives of New York’s Sonja Morgan to Real Housewives of Orange County newcomer, Noella Bergener, to RuPaul’s Drag Race queen, Kerri Colby we learned about each star's favorite halftime show moments in history, plus spilled plenty of reality show tea!
Sonja Morgan, Ashley Darby and Noella Bergener kick off the Drag Bowl
While we might not have been paying attention to the Super Bowl LVI kick off, we were certainly all ears as Real Housewives royalty, Morgan of New York City, Darby of Potomac and Bergener of Orange County took the stage to kick off the boozy Drag Bowl performances.
Rupaul’s Drag Race star Kerri Colby is still living for Beyoncé’s 2016 halftime performance
Fresh off her run on season 14 of RuPaul’s Drag Race and shaking up the runway in Jennifer Lopez’s iconic archival Versace dress, Colby turned Super Bowl Sunday into boots the house down Drag Bowl Funday this year. Between a fabulous lip-sync performance and glasses of champagne, we spoke to Kerri about some of her favorite Halftime show moments in history. “There are so many,” gushes the Queen. “First of all the Super Bowl knows how to book a diva,” Colby told us matter-of-factly. However, the performance that got Colby “out my spirit and out my seat” was Beyoncé’s 2016 Super Bowl 50 Halftime show. “I will never ever forget Beyoncé’s Halftime Super Bowl performance. It was not only everything, but it set a note in my head for the trajectory of my life,” shared the Queen. Colby explained that she witnessed Bey’s performance during a time when she wasn’t allowed to watch entertainment that seemed provocative, as she grew up in a very conservative household. “No shade to anybody, but it’s not possible to level up from Beyoncé. She definitely set the standard.” In terms of the 2022 halftime show, Colby was quick to note that she was excited for every artist on the roster. “Eminem, lyricist! Dr. Dre, the G.O.A.T.! Mary J. Blige, oh b**ch she gives me my auntie fantasy!” exclaimed Kerri.
Noella Bergener is a Slim Shady stan through and through
Noella Bergener just wrapped her first season ever on the Real Housewives of Orange County and now after the explosive entrée into reality stardom, the fashion risk taker and first Black cast member on the series is living her best, one Drag Bowl event at a time. When asked who she was most excited to see during this year’s halftime performance, Noella was quick to drop Eminem’s name. She exclaimed, “I mean Eminem and the fact that this year he’s being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame!” The legendary rapper has played a huge part in Bergener’s music literacy. She told us one of her first essential pieces of music was the rapper’s Slim Shady EP, which she purchased around the age of 14. Plus, after seeing that iconic David Lachapelle image of Eminem and stick of dynamite in front of his crotch, Noella told us she was sold! The Real Housewives star has always admired Slim Shady’s ability to “bring rap culture and rock culture together.”
Additionally, after indulging in her excitement for Eminem, Bergener also filled us in on life post-season 16 of RHOC. “Honestly it was definitely a very scary thing to be so raw and real and vulnerable during such a crazy time in my life,” shared the reality star. Bergener noted how she hopes to never repeat what she went through this season and joked, “I hope to be very boring.” “My son being diagnosed on the spectrum, my partner of six-year leaving me, my dad passing, within the same four months… it was a lot to navigate, but at the same time there were a lot of great friendships that were bonded there. It was a great way to kind of just get out of my head and get out of my bed,” said Noella. Now looking back at the version of herself on TV, Noella is grateful to have “documentation of human growth.”
Real Housewives of New Jersey star, Margaret Josephs, has her very own podcast here on Audacy. Listen to Caviar Dreams, Tuna Fish Budget with Margaret Josephs now!
Ashley Darby was all in for Mary J. Blige
After a whirlwind of a sixth season on Real Housewives of Potomac and a surprise reunion show with Nicki Minaj, Ashley Darby was living in the electrifying moments of Sunday’s Drag Bowl. For Darby, her highlight of this year’s Halftime show was being able to see Dr. Dre and Eminem reunite. “I can’t really think about Eminem without Dr. Dre,” explains Darby. However, the Potomac original Housewife noted that she is also a major May J. Blige fan. “I’ve always been a fan. I can probably sing like 10 Mary J. Blige songs right now. So to see my girl having a halftime show, to be the only female performer, that’s a big deal!”
Touching on powerful women in music and on the wrap of Real Housewives of Potomac season 6, Darby gave us a taste of what it was like to share a reunion with Nicki Minaj taking over Andy Cohen’s hosting duties. “She was the shade queen!” exclaimed Darby. “I didn’t know anyone could be as shady as Andy.”
“When Nicki came it was a little surprising to know that a superstar and icon like that knew us and knew who we were and knew about my kids and my husband,” explained Ashley. Darby said that getting to speak with Minaj and her fellow castmates was “a really cool, a-ha moment.” The reality star also told us that the women of Potomac were completely surprised when they brought Minaj out as a host. Darby explained that there had been “something in the pipeline” about Barbie making her way onto a reunion couch, but ultimately they believed her schedule wouldn’t work out for filming. Ashley said it was surreal when the rap diva made her surprise entrance on the set. Darby joked that she had to pinch Robyn Dixon because they couldn’t believe it was real.
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