Checkmate! 'The Masked Singer' Reveals Chess Piece's Identity!
Laverne Cox Unmasked: A Powerful Performance and a Touching Story
Big spoilers ahead for "The Masked Singer" Season 12, Episode 5 ("Barbie Night," airing October 23rd on Fox)! The big reveal? The incredibly talented and iconic Laverne Cox, star of "Orange is the New Black," was the celebrity behind the Chess Piece costume!
None of the panelists guessed right! Jenny McCarthy-Wahlberg thought it was Serena Williams. Ken Jeong guessed Issa Rae. Robin Thicke went with Misty Copeland. Rita Ora picked Tyra Banks. It was a total surprise. This demonstrates how difficult it can be to guess those celebrities while only using voice and clothing! The Chess Piece's own storyline was equally unexpected. And it deeply connects to that performance given. It was utterly powerful; that very important personal story had immense value which touched many of its viewers.
The Chess Piece's pre-elimination video package brought forth a profound and highly moving personal narrative involving Barbie dolls, exploring that difficult relationship with these toys during childhood and beyond: "As a kid, I was a rich target for others to tease," she revealed in her voice-over. "It seemed like every piece of me was something others could poke at. And, on top of that, I loved Barbie. But the part that hurt was that I wasn't allowed to play with her. The criticism and scrutiny continued over the years and made me question everything I love about myself." It gets so much more emotionally impacting as she speaks about finding healing; that power to reclaim her love for Barbie and use that joy in healing: "So, I had to take control of my own board and the one thing that helped me heal was the one thing I was missing all along: Barbie," she said. "I started buying them for myself and realized it's never too late to have a happy childhood, even decades later. And now, they even modeled one after me. Barbie can be anything. She made me and every woman feel like we can be anything too."
The Performance: A Powerful Anthem
Laverne Cox as Chess Piece performed Chaka Khan's "I'm Every Woman," a totally fitting choice considering her career; completely impacting those viewers watching her powerful performance and bringing that raw talent that audiences watching this show have been expecting from their contestants, many being huge names themselves! The choice fits perfectly.
Other Unmasked Singers This Season
This elimination leaves other major unmasked celebrities still around. But many have been unmasked!
- Leaf Sheep: John Elway
- Showbird: Yvette Nicole Brown
- Woodpecker: Marsai Martin
- Ship: Paula Cole
- Dust Bunny: Andy Richter
Several other singers still remain and will later reveal themselves later on!
A Look at "The Masked Singer" Season 12
This season already featured several themed episodes celebrating pop culture milestones like Barbie's 65th anniversary and Footloose's 40th. It has that great attention to various music themes, including one focused on Miley Cyrus; which creates very varied storylines throughout the competition.
Clues? They're smartly woven into costumes, song picks and stage actions— those creative decisions are important here. The fifteen celebrities are supported by past “Masked Ambassadors”, and you can’t miss that “Ding Dong Keep It On” bell—only one gets saved in those group finals. Get ready, as there is a significant amount of planned activities for the season, even more beyond what had already happened!
Conclusion: Laverne Cox's Powerful Message Resonates
Laverne Cox’s Chess Piece unmasking had significant value; showing how personal the motivations truly are! This performance transcended pure entertainment. It’s also become something intensely moving – the heartfelt vulnerability demonstrated throughout that amazing storyline and vocal performance delivers immense impact and resonated across multiple platforms! Her powerful story— that courageous narrative about facing adversity— and its incredibly personal connections have profoundly touched viewers, showcasing just how moving those personal accounts can be. She said her performance was meant to be a starting point in her journey to healing, further reminding viewers how the impact could linger beyond just a pure reality television show and continue influencing viewers, viewers' decisions and perhaps the production decisions in future shows.
