Dumb Pop Culture Lists

I Know I Have Your Vote- RuPaul’s Stats Race, All Stars 5, Episode 4

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I’m aroused. Welcome back squirrel friends. This episode, I have to say, was not exactly a toot for me. I’m sick of the improv challenges and the runway was a bit meh. Did Cracker deserve to win? Sure- I thought she did well in the skit and on the runway. Did she deserve to win that lip-sync along with Morgan? That’s a no from me dawg.

Morgan’s appearance was unexpected, and I thought she came off very well. I have been wondering all season if the lip-sync assassin’s would include non-winner queens who haven’t been on All Stars yet and thus far the answer seems to be no (Morgan, Monet X Change, and Alyssa Edwards have all already been on an All Stars season and Yvie Oddly won her season and thus probably will not ever been on All Stars). If my theory is right, it means we won’t get popular well-regarded lip-sync assassins like Kameron Michaels but could potentially get some older queens like Manila Luzon or Latrice Royale.

Morgan’s appearance also seemed suspiciously serendipitous since it coincided perfectly with her best friend Mayhem Miller being sent home. Me thinks the producers planned this one. Anyway, after this episode, Jujubee remains in the lead on my list with a total score of 4, but Cracker is right on her heels with 3. Blair is next with 2, and frenemies Alexis and Shea tied are behind her with 0. India, meanwhile, is miles behind with a score of -4.

I’m a thoroughly broken wrong record at this point but- India has to go home this episode. She has placed in the bottom for both of the acting challenges we have had thus far, and Snatch Game seems very much like something she will struggle in. She’s proved me wrong every time, so we’ll have to see if she finally bites the bust!

If we look at the chart, it seems plausible that Blair could outlast Alexis. I continue to think Shea is being humbled in the judging so they can reward her later without her seeming like an overwhelming front runner. Though I’d love her to stay until the end, I think Alexis is more expendable in the producers’ eyes and is behind Blair in terms of the points. Hopefully Alexis and Shea can both have amazing Snatch Games and turn around their momentum. I think this week was an obvious effort from the producers to establish Cracker as a successful queen in the competition and she’s in it for the long haul.

Mayhem didn’t by any means dominate any part of All Stars 5, but I found her thoroughly enjoyable. She brought some fun humor and shade to the confessionals, wasn’t afraid to strategize and use the conventions of the game which made for some light drama. Overall, she seemed a lot more relaxed than she was in season 10 which was enjoyable as a viewer.

In addition to her personality, Mayhem improved vastly on her final placement from season 10. I tracked below the queens with the biggest improvements in terms of final placement from their original seasons to All Stars. Enjoy!

Queens Who Outdid their Original Placement on All Stars:

Queen	Original Season	All Stars Season	Original Placement	All Stars Placement	Difference
Shangela	2/3	3	12/6	3	Average 6 (9/3)
Trixie Mattel	7	3	6	1	5
Monique Heart	10	4	8	3	5
Monet X Change	10	4	6	1	5
Blair St. Clair*	10	5	9	TBD	TBD
Morgan McMichaels	8	3	8	5	3
Mayhem Miller*	10	5	10	7	3
Katya	7	2	5	2	3
Trinity the Tuck	9	4	3	1	2
Kennedy Davenport	7	3	4	2	2
Jasmine Masters	7	4	12	10	2
Gia Gunn	6	4	10	8	2
Detox	4	2	4	2	2
Aja	9	3	9	7	2
Shannel	1	1	4	3	1
Mariah Paris Balenciaga	3	5	9	8	1
Chad Michaels	4	1	3	1	1
Alyssa Edwards	5	2	6	5	1
Alaska	5	2	2	1	1
Latrice Royale	4/AS1	3	4/7	5	Average .5 (-1/2)
Manila Luzon	3/AS1	4	2/7	6	Average -1.5 (-4/1)

Shangela has the highest change in placement if you average her stints in season 2 and 3 and compare them to how she did on All Stars 3. For each queen who finished in the 3^rd/4^th tie that tends to happen on All Stars, I just rounded up and place them at 3. Shangela of course went home first in season 2, then improved to 6^th on season 3 and then got 3^rd/4^th on All Stars 3 (and definitely should have won). If you only count the most recent season for each of the queens who have been on 3 seasons, Shangela has a difference of 3 in her placements from season 3 to All Stars (Latrice Royale and Manila Luzon both did worse on All Stars 3 than they did on their original seasons, but improved upon their placement from All Stars 1 by 1).

Beyond Shangela, Trixie Mattel, Monique Heart and Monet X Change all have a difference of 5 in their placement in their original seasons and their All Stars season. Trixie Mattel is particularly impressive because she originally placed 11^th during season 7 and then reinterred the competition in the final 7 and placed 6^th. Trixie definitely rose meteorically in popularity after her initial appearance on season 7. Monet X Change placed a respectable 6^th on season 10 and went on to win All Stars 4. Monet did very well in All Stars 4, and I do not want to diminish her accomplishments at all. That said, she definitely profited greatly from Manila Luzon’s shocking manipulation and the double crowing at the finale. Monique Heart stands out as probably the best example of a queen who finished in the middle of the pack and vastly improved her placement on All Stars. Monique finished in 8^th on season 10 and made it all the way to the final 4 on All Stars 4.

Mayhem placed 10^th in season 10 and moved up 3 spots to finish 7^th this season. Blair St. Claire meanwhile is still in the competition and is bound to appear highly on the list when the season is over. It doesn’t seem likely that Blair will go this week (though it’s not impossible), but if she does, she would have improved upon her 9^thplace placement in season 10 by 3 to finish 6^th. Blair would have to make it to the final 2 to beat Shangela’s record of improved her initial placement by 6. I think it’s more likely she will tie Trixie, Monique and Monet for 5 by finishing in the final 4, but we’ll have to wait and see.

Mayhem was thoroughly enjoyable this season and I wish her well. Next week we have the snatch game of love! Until then! Let the music play!

Long Walks on the Beach, Big Dicks and Fried Chicken: All Hail Jujubee-She’s Finally a Winner Baby! RuPaul’s Stats Race, All Stars 5, Episode 3

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Welcome back! This blog’s All Stars 5 recaps are quickly becoming just a shrine to Jujubee and why not? She’s endlessly hilarious and entertaining and won this confusing episode.

This week the queens paid homage to the meme that was All Stars 4’s “Club 96” (which, btw, Valentina went home for- how soon failures become aspirational!) by creating their own Rutique hotel suites. It was thoroughly confusing whether the challenge was to create a sleek room or a funny skit, but aside from Jujubee’s wit I’m not sure anyone meet either metric. Either way, Jujubee took it as an opportunity to rewrite herstory’s mistakes and win her first challenge! In much sadder news, we had to say goodbye to the successful, the beautiful, the bottom (as she wrote on her mirror goodbye message) Mariah Paris Balenciaga. We also got a true scare when our frontrunner Shea Coulee was in the bottom.

The chart is wild as ever (typical of All Stars seasons) as Jujubee moves into the lead with 3, followed by Blair St. Claire who has placed high twice and has 2. Shea moves down to the middle of the pack after her bottom 3 placement brings her score back to 0, and India Farrah moves into the bottom with -2 after being the bottom for a second time in a row.

All of this makes it trickier than ever to do predictions. Will Shea be out for Alexis and Mayhem’s blood when she finds out she voted for them? Will the other queens find out about Mayhem’s alliance with India? Will Cracker continue to drive everyone insane (and cause ridiculously racist fans to target Alexis? So terrible)

Before we get to my predictions, I want to share a list I created during the pre-season. I ranked the queens by number of challenge wins, placement on their original seasons (I averaged the placements from All Stars I and their original season for Jujubee and Alexis), number of lip-syncs (since doing well in lip-syncs is generally a strength in All Star seasons) and number of Instagram followers. Then I added the queens’ placement on each list and saw who had the lowest total. The list is below!

At first, I thought the list was totally useless when Derrick went home 4 episodes earlier than the list predicted. However, Ongina only went one week earlier than the list said, and Mariah was kicked off only one week later than predicted. Derrick underperformed and India is over performing, but otherwise, it’s not hard to see this list’s order coming to fruition. We shall see!

As for predictions for the next episode, hot take- for the 4^th blog in a row I’m saying India will go. It has to be her time, right? She’s defied every odd but- a TMZ themed improv challenge? Sounds like her walking papers.

If India finally falls, I think we could be in for a shock the following week. I want Alexis, Juju, and Shea to all be in the final 4, but I fear that Blair St. Claire and Miz Cracker could take up two of the spots. Blair has no chance of winning the season but has done well so far and seems like a queen that production would want to keep around. Cracker has proven herself to be a worthy villain who also has the white privilege to still redeem herself, which seems like a long narrative. All this makes me fear producers might think they don’t need Alexis for the long haul, which would be a mistake. Hopefully I am wrong! I also am hoping this week’s episode served to humanize Shea and make her less of an overt frontrunner, which is good for her chances at winning. Dead’s on favorites in recent seasons (Gigi Goode, Brooke Lynn Heights, Manila Luzon, BendelaCreme) have not wound up taking the crown, so some adversity is actually good for Shea long term (I hope). Here are my predictions!

Finally, for our list I turned to Instagram, on which there was much celebration that Monet Exchange, after her guest appearance as this week’s lip sync assassin, had now tied Trinity the Tuck for most all time lip-syncs on the show with 8. It is indeed true and congrats to Monet! I wanted to see the rest of that list, so you can find it below!

There are 30 queens at the moment who have competed in 4 or more lip-syncs on Drag Race. Jujubee is on the list having competed in 6, as are Alexis and Shea Coulee who have both competed in 4. All of them could move up the list if they win more challenges or make it to the end of this season. There is also a distinct possibility that many of the queens on this list could appear as lip-sync assassins (the three assassins we have seen so far- Monet, (8) Alyssa Edwards (6) and Yvie Oddly (4)- are all on the list).

For the top 12, who have all competed in 6 or more lip-syncs, I included one of my favorite lip-syncs that they competed in. Please enjoy!

All Time Lip-syncs

Monet Exchange-8

Trinity the Tuck-8

3. Bendelacreme-7

3. Shangela-7

5. Alyssa Edwards-6

5. Jujubee-6

5. Katya-6

5. Kameron Michaels-6

5. Latrice Royale-6

5. Manila Luzon-6

5. Raven-6

13. Alaska-5

13. Detox-5

13. Kennedy Davenport-5

13. Peppermint-5

13. Trixie Mattel-5

13. Monique Heart-5

18. Alexis Mateo-4

18. Bebe Zahara Benet-4

18. Brooke Lynn Hytes-4

18. Chad Michaels-4

18. Coco Montrese-4

18. Darienne Lake-4

18. Eureka O’Hara-4

18. Naomi Smalls-4

18. Ra’Jah O’Hara-4

18. Shea Coulee-4

18. Tatianna-4

18. Vanessa Vanjie Mateo-4

18. Yvie Oddley-4

Finally, a fond farewell to Mariah. She brought a unique and impactful performance to the talent show and lots of fun shady commentary. I wish she could have stayed longer (with the popularity of Legendary on HBO it feels particularly well-timed to have a queen who hails from the ball scene on the show) but am thankful we got her for a few weeks.

Til next time! Let the music play!

She Rocks Our Kitty World Like We’ve Never Seen: Shea Coulee Moves Up the All Time Wins List: RuPaul’s Stats Race, All Stars 5, Episode 2

Wow I couldn’t sleep last night- I just should have gotten some whiteout for my predictions last week. This season continued not to disappoint with an unexpected dramatic episode, mostly courtesy of the ever ruminating Miz Cracker. The queens worked in groups and had to write cheesy odes to their celebrity crush. It may be basic but I’m forever thirsty for Joseph Gordon Levitt.

When it all shook down, Shea fully obliterated the episode, winning the challenge and lip-sync to net $20,000. Poor Ongina struggled through Cracker’s seemingly random shade and a super inconveniently timed sore voice. She wound up sashaying, which is unfortunate, though even she agreed (it is indeed wildly to Bendelacreme yourself without the winning). I adore Ongina and wanted her to be on All Stars since the beginning so I’m sad to see her go. That said, Ongina has always had such a sweet and whimsical charm to her and competing so entertainingly bad on the show after spending many highly publicized years trying to get on feels weirdly on brand to me. She will be deeply missed.

On the chart, Shea Coulee deservingly and obviously stands in the lead now, followed by a huge tie. Mayhem Miller and Mariah Balenciaga now occupy the lowest spot after being safe episode 1 and in the bottom this episode.

It did my wrong this week but I’m still predicting India goes next. Snatch Game is fast approaching and I think she will go before then. Miz Cracker’s villain edit is fascinating and could hint at a lower placement than seemed probably going into the season, but it is too soon to tell. She has the talent, fanbase and whiteness to potentially weather some bad edits and still go all the way (think early All Stars 3 Trixie Mattel). Shea Coulee is the obvious front runner at this point, which makes me so worried she’ll meet the fate of other recent obvious frontrunners (Gigi Goode, Brooke Lynn Heights, Manila Luzon, Bendelacreme) and miss out on the crown. However, Shea would be an important and impactful winner, so I’m holding out hope.

Predictions:

Shea so fully dominated this episode, and it reminded me of just how successful her run was in season 9. In season 9, Shea won 4 challenges, which has only been achieved by 2 other queens in a regular season (Sharon Needles and Gigi Goode). That got me thinking- which queens counting both All Stars and regularly seasons have won the most challenges? Find that list below!

The 4 or More Wins Club:

Bendelacreme (6, AS3)-7 (5)
Trinity Taylor (9, AS4)-7 (5)
Manila Luzon (3, AS1, AS4)-7 (6)
Alaska (5, AS2)-6
Chad Michaels (4, AS1)-5
Shea Coulee (9, AS5)-5
Katya (7, AS2)-5 (2)
Shangela (2, 3, AS3)-5
Gigi Goode (12)-4
Sharon Needles (4)-4
Alexis Mateo (3, AS1, AS5)-4
Bebe Zahara Benet (1, AS3)-4 (3)
Detox (5, AS2)-4 (3)
Latrice Royale (4, AS1, AS4)-4

Bendelacreme, Trinity the Tuck Taylor and Manila Luzon have all won 7 challenges in all of their seasons of Drag Race. It is interesting that, with the format change this season, the odds of getting a win have decreased. You don’t have to be a statistician to realize that having 1 winner vs. 2 winners an episode makes it less likely for queens to win. I put in parenthesis the number of wins for each queen counting, for all stars seasons 2-4, only the lip-syncs they won. I thought this could potentially serve as an informal equalizer.

The cliff notes are: Shea is way up there on this list of all-time winners and is likely to continue to move up it as All Stars 5 continues. Shea needs 2 more wins this season to tie with Ben, Trinity and Manila for most all-time wins, and 3 wins to move ahead of them. Alexis Mateo is number 11 on the list but also could easily move up the list (it is not hard to envision her winning a challenge or two this season). Alexis, like Jujubee, Manila Luzon, Shangela and Latrice Royale, now has been on 3 different seasons of the show which gives her an advantage. I think the gifs last blog made it obvious that Jujubee is one of my top 5 queens ever (that list may be forthcoming- stay tuned!) but she is possibly the least winning queen in herstory. Jujubee has never won a challenge. Hopefully that can change this season!

A second fond farewell to Ongina. They are rare, but she is a queen that I hope makes her way back into the competition in the inevitable eliminated queens resurrection episode. Enjoy her watchapackin and the seemingly never-ending press tour that is Derrick Barry throwing shade.

Until next week- let the music play!

Getting Paid in Pounds: RuPaul’s Stats Race, All Stars 5, Episode 1

Well, would you LOOK OVER THERE! It’s been just a few weeks and like in the very important real world, a lot has happened in the world of RuPaul’s Drag Race. The gorgeous Jaida Essence Hall rocked the runway and quite deservingly won the season 12 crown. For those wanting a quick stats debrief here ya go:

Jaida is the 5^th black queen and 8^th queen of color to take the crown. She becomes the 4^th winner to win her season without winning the most challenges, and the first winner from Milwaukee. Jaida was behind Gigi Goode on my chart, but sheesh am I happy with this outcome. Stats are stats America but they are made to be proven wrong! Congrats to Jaida and all the (eligible) queens of season 12 who brought smiles to us all during hard times.

So now, let’s turn our attention to All Stars 5. I have to start by saying that I am THRILLED with this cast and loved the first episode. I’m also very happy so far with the twist and look forward to seeing some fierce lipsyncs courtesy of the secret assassins.

That said, I’m hoping to be wrong but am a seasoned biter viewer and have begun steeling myself for frontrunners to unjustly fall later in the season as we have seen so often before on All Stars. Can’t you see already the potential foreshadowing for lil Blair St. Claire to send home her idol Jujubee? I’d legit set fire to the rain if so and am hoping by typing it I’ve rendered it impossible (most of my predictions have definitely proved untrue thus far so here’s hoping).

Anyway, I love this season so far.

The twists in All Stars makes it hard to predict and difficult to track data wise. But I’m relishing the opportunity to be a statistical “pussy stairclimber” as Jujubee so aptly put it. Here is the chart as it stands after episode 1.

For some All Stars herstory, Chad Michaels and Alaska won season 1 and 2 respectively while leading on the chart. All Stars 1 had the team tomfoolery so technically Chad was tied with Shannel for the lead, but we knew all that season that Chad was the favorite of that team. Season 2 was actually far less close statistically than “Katya was robbed” twitter hashtaggers would have you believe (calm down- Katya is one of my top 5 favorite queens). Alaska won 4 challenges to Katya’s 2 and finished the chart with 7 points to Katya’s 2. Detox was actually ahead of Katya with a total score of 4. Alaska is one of my top 5 queens ever too, but I would’ve been very down for a Katya win.

Season 3 and 4 is where things get a lot more twisted and less statistically sound. All Stars 3 of course had the whiteout heard round the world as the frontrunner BenDelaCreme eliminated herself. Dela had a score of 10 and 4 wins when she quit- peaks that nobody else in the season climbed. The second season 3 twist, the jury that sliced the final 4 down to the final 2, also goes wildly against the stats. Shangela had 3 wins to the 2 of Trixie Mattel and Bebe Zahara Bennet (Kennedy Davenport only had 1). Shangela and Bebe were tied for the lead on the chart at the final 4 and found themselves the two eliminated by the jury. Trixie did actually statistically have the lead ahead of Kennedy (though imo she fully lost that final lipsync).

In season 4, Naomi used the rules to teach Manila the lesson that “life’s not fair” when Manila had the most challenge wins (3) and was leading on the chart with 6 (she was ahead by Trinity the Tuck by 3 at the point when she was eliminated). At the final 4, Trinity the Tuck, Monet Exchange and Monique Heart were all tied with 3 challenge wins, but Trinity was leading on the chart with 5. Monique was actually ahead of Monet on the chart so statistically should have been the second crowned queen in the double win. Not brown stunning right?

So all of that brings us to All Stars 5. How will this twist effect the stats? Well, All Stars definitely isn’t RuPaul’s Best Stats Race (no shit sherlock). The rules this season definitely encourage strategizing (we already saw that weird India-Mayhem alliance in the first episode) and potentially give individual queens power to kick off their biggest competitors. However, I think the group vote could possibly make the results less volatile. Democracy sometimes works right? Definitely hard to believe during these times of course.

So here are my predictions. Remember- I predicted Crystal Method to win so- it’s likely not at all correct, it’s just drag.

Yes, I think India will go home next. Ask Tatianna if it’s possible to win the first challenge and go home the next week (spoiler- it is). India had a great first episode and showed off what a dynamic performer she is. However, she just doesn’t have a lively personality on TV. I think that will easily cause her to struggle in acting challenges and go home. The big question is if Mayhem will be involved or be true to their alliance.

Mariah easily could and in my opinion should have won the first episode talent show. Her performance was timely and profound, and was also the most unique performance. I love Mariah and want her to go far, but I think either her or Mayhem are bound for an early exit. Since Mayhem has struggled already, it may be a more compelling narrative for her to stage a comeback and Mariah to flounder.

I’ve written too much already about these predictions but two last points- I adore Ongina and if I had my wish, it would be her, Shea, Juju and Alexis in the final 4. But she struggled the first episode and I just don’t think a long run is in the cards for her. I am hopeful Shea can get her well-deserved win but am nervous- I think I’ve sufficiently established that All Stars is a dangerous and often unfair game.

Somehow, I got through this whole blog without talking about Derrick Barry! She indeed did it again. She provided a wild amount of drama and shade. If you want more, check out this insane episode of Monet Exchange’s show where Derrick shows she’s fully not over the India drama. Derrick brought the drama in the premiere and for that we are forever thankful for her service. And this gives her more time to continue her studies on Stonewall!

Until next week friends! Let the music play!

Losing is the New Winning! How Much Does Track Record Matter? RuPaul’s Stats Race, Season 12, Episode 12

Baby we made it! We’re in the finals everyone! But first, we had a wildly overblown (and incredibly ill-timed) commercial for the Drag Race Vegas show. I was sad not to get a traditional final 5 song, but this episode had its good moments. It all ended with an enjoyable if unextraordinary lip-sync where Crystal used J lo’s round about travel itinerary to send home miss Jackie Cox. Jackie was the right queen to go, but I will always appreciate the persianality that she brought to this season. It seems like viewers can also now finally say farewell to Alison Mossey, I mean Sherry Pie. I’m glad that weird uncomfortable chapter is over.

That leaves us with this final chart: Gigi Goode leads the pack with 8 points, Jaida is 2^nd with 6, and Crystal is 3^rd with 2. Does this mean Gigi has it in the bag? There’s been a lot of talk about track record in recent episodes, so let’s look into the past to see if it actually matters!

S12: Gigi-8, Jaida 6, Crystal 2 (Gigi 4, Jaida 2, Crystal 1)

S1: Nina 5, Bebe 3 (Bebe 2, Nina 1)
S2: Tyra 9, Raven 3 (Tyra 3, Raven 2)
S3: Raja 7, Manila 7 (Raja 3, Manila 3)
S4: Sharon 8, Chad 5, Phi Phi 3 (Sharon 4, Chad 2, Phi Phi 2)
S5: Jinkx 8, Alaska 6, Roxxxy 5 (Jinkx 2, Alaska 2, Roxxxy 2)
S6: Bianca 10, Adore 2, Courtney 2 (Bianca 3, Adore 3, Courtney 2)
S7: Violet 6, Ginger 6, Pearl 0 (Violet 3, Ginger 3, Pearl 2)
S8: Bob 4, Kim Chi 4, Naomi 3 (Bob 3, Kim Chi 2, Naomi 1)
S9: Shea 9, Sasha 8, Trinity 4, Peppermint -1 (Shea 4, Sasha 2, Trinity 3, Peppermint 1)
S10: Aquaria 5, Eureka 4, Asia 2, Kameron -2 (Aquaria 3, Eureka 2, Kameron 1, Asia 2)
S11: Yvie 4, Brooke 7, A’Keria 4, Silky 5 (Yvie 1, Brooke 3, A’Keria 2, Silky 2)

Key:

Green= Queen with the most points (most challenge wins) won

Black= Queen tied for most points (tied for most challenge wins) won

Red= Queen who did not have the most points (did not win the most challenges) won

As you can see, only 3 times in Herstory has a queen who wasn’t leading on the chart won it all (Bebe Zahara Benet (season 1), Sasha Velour (season 9) and Yivie Oddly (season 11) won their seasons without leading the chart at the end). Additionally, if we just look at most challenge wins between the finalists, the only winners who didn’t win the most challenges their season are Sasha and Yvie.

The modern finale method of a lip-sync round robin clearly has changed the precedent that winning the most challenges and being ranked the highest throughout the seasons guarantees a queen the crown. Add in the twist that this year’s zoom finale will likely have a different format than the last 3 seasons., and it’s clear that any of the 3 final queens this season has a chance.

With that in mind, I’m going to go out on a limb and predict that Crystal Methyd will take it. Gigi seems like the most obvious choice, and Jaida is incredibly deserving of a win (it would be very rewarding to see a pageant style queen of color finally take the crown). But Crystal is the consummate underdog and has had such an appealing upward trajectory throughout the season. It is also the perfect season to shake things up and crown an unconventional winner. Add in her immense popularity on Instagram and twitter, which the producers no doubt noticed before they filmed the finale, and I think we could get a surprise Crystal win. She will definitely then cover that crown in glitter!

For one of my final lists this season, I was inspired by Gigi Goode, who has made it to the final 3 without lip-syncing for her life at all. Sherry Pie of course also made it to the final 4 without having to lip-sync, before the producers decided on her disqualification. I wondered how often queens who made it to the finale without lip-syncing had won the crown. Find the list below!

Season 12: Gigi Goode, Sherry Pie

Season 10: Aquaria (Winner)

Season 9: Sasha Velour (Winner)

Season 8: Kim Chi (2^nd/ 3^rd)

Season 7: Violet Chachki (Winner)

Season 6: Bianca Del Rio (Winner), Courtney Act (2^nd/ 3^rd)

Season 5: Alaska (2^nd/3^rd)

Season 2: Tyra Sanchez (Winner)

Season 1: Nina Flowers (2^nd)

5/9 Have Won

5 out of the 9 queens previous to Gigi and Sherry who made it to the finale without having to lip-sync have won. Kim Chi, Courtney Act, Alaska and Nina Flowers all made it to the finale without lip-syncing and then did not win. Thus, it is likely that producers planned for Gigi or Sherry to win the season, but shakeups have happened in the past. Is this a case that Gigi will win this season? It definitely makes her the obvious choice, but as I described above, I don’t necessarily think that means she will win.

What a lovely season it has been my dears! We have the reunion and finale in the next two weeks, and then we’ll be on to All Stars and Canadian drag race! Goodbye Jackie, miss Cox if you nasty. We will forever remember your merkin and your hot boy bod. With that, let the music play!

Dump It! Is This The Greatest Top 6 EVER? RuPaul’s Stats Race Season 12, Episode 11

We’re back back back again. Crystal Methyd finally make it big this week: winning the challenge and becoming the latest queen ever to win her first challenge! Check out that list below.

Latest First Challenge Wins:

Crystal Methyd (Season 12)-Episode 11 (final placement TBD)
Nina West (Season 11)- Episode 10 (finished 6^th)
Miz Cracker (Season 10)- Episode 10 (finished 5^th)
Yara Sofia (Season 3)- Episode 10 (finished 4^th)
Heidi N. Closet (Season 12)-Episode 8 (finished 6^th)
Peppermint (Season 9)- Episode 8 (finished 2^nd)
Alaska (Season 5)- Episode 8 (finished 2^nd)
Plastique Tiara (Season 11)-Episode 7 (finished 8^th)
Coco Montrese (Season 5)- Episode 7 (finished 5^th)
Phi Phi O’Hara (Season 4)- Episode 7 (finished 3^rd)
Raven (Season 2)- Episode 7 (finished 2^nd)
Naomi Smalls (Season 8)- Episode 6 (finished 3^rd)
Jessica Wild (Season 2)- Episode 6 (finished 6^th)
Rebecca Glasscock (Season 1)- Episode 5 (finished 3^rd)

It was great to see our lovely Debarge evoking weirdo finally end up on top, but so devastating to see Heidi go, especially after she exposed us to so many different opinions on potato salad. Heidi is far and away my top choice for Miss Congeniality and I hope to see much more of her light and joyful humor in the future. It was sad to see Jaida end up in the bottom for her weird Pee in pageant short story, but at least it led to the best lip-sync since Widow vs Gigi in week 1.

With Jaida ending up in the lip-sync, we find ourselves with a 3- way tie for 1^st on the chart between Jaida, Gigi and Sherry. Crystal is in 4^th but only behind by 2 points, and Jackie is far back bringing up the rear. Though last week I pointed out that upsets can happen towards the end of the season, at this point Jackie is far enough behind that she seems a sure bet to go next. Interestingly, if Crystal or Heidi had gone 5^th, I would have predicted that they would be reinstated them for the finale after Sherry Pie’s disqualification. Conversely, Jackie Cox is such a bizarre contestant in that she is thoroughly likable, but not a queen that elicits passionate responses from the fans. Thus, I think at the finale, we will have Crystal, Gigi and Jaida as a final 3. I will make my final winner prediction next blog. For now, check out my predictions below!

RuPaul said in this episode that this was her favorite top 6 ever. What an easy prompt! I got to work adding up the scores of the final 6s (so this is each queen’s cumulative score for the season at the week when there were 6 queens left) and got the following results:

Top Top 6s:

S11: Yvie 5, Brooke 7, A’Keria 3, Silky 7, Vanjie -4, Nina 2=20
S12: Crystal 2, Gigi 6, Jackie -1, Jaida 8, Sherry 6, Heidi -2=19
S9: Sasha 6, Peppermint 1, Shea 9, Trinity 3, Alexis 1, Nina -2=18
S7: Violet 2, Ginger 7, Pearl -1, Kennedy 6, Katya 4, Trixie 0=18
S4: Sharon 7, Chad 5, Phi Phi 3, Latrice 3, Dida -4, Willam 2=16
S2: Tyra 5, Raven -2, Juju -1, Tatianna 1, Pandora 4, Jessica 5=12
S6: Bianca 8, Adore 2, Courtney 4, Darienne -3, Bendela 3, Joslyn -3=11
S3: Raja 5, Manila 1, Alexis 5, Yara 2, Carmen -4, Shangela 2=11
S10: Acquaria 4, Eureka 2, Kameron 2, Asia 0, Cracker 2, Monet 1=11
S5: Jinkx 7, Alaska 4, Roxxxy 1, Detox 1, Coco -2, Alyssa -3=8
S1: Bebe 2, Nina 4, Rebecca 0, Shannel -1, Ongina 4, Jade -1=8
S8: Bob 4, Kim 3, Naomi 1, Chi Chi -1, Derrick -2, Thorgy 3=8

Chart Link (posting again in case you want to peruse yourself!):

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1uS-Rn8T4swoXXx6BelSudGTw345RQxHkEOex2LljQJE/edit#gid=835264910

So, Ru was almost right! Statistically Season 12 is the second highest scoring final 6 ever, with last season’s 6 being the best ever. This is widely different than how I would rank them. I can only think that is perhaps a sign of the growing formulaicness of the show. In recent seasons, the final 6 queens seem to be getting to the final 6 without having to lip-sync or be in the bottom as many times as queens in earlier seasons. Fuck early season’s queen’s drag, right? Jokes on the producers because I think this definitely makes recent seasons more boring.

Anyway, check out my list below! I explain briefly why I placed each season where they are but it’s a very casual, subjective list. It’s not personal, it’s just drag. I tried to rank them by how I felt about all the queens in their seasons, and not how I view them here and now in the present.

My Top 6s:

#12: Season 11: Yvie, Brooke, A’keria, Silky, Vanjie, Nina

I love Vanjie but she underperformed this season. Nina was fun but didn’t do anything that knocked my wig off. Yvie, Brooke and A’keria all provided some amazing moments, but weren’t necessarily queens I rooted for, and Silky was an absolute nightmare. Collectively, that places this 6 at the bottom.

#11: Season 1: Bebe, Nina, Rebecca, Shannel, Ongina, Jade

Ongina, Nina, Bebe and Shannel were queens worthy of being foremothers of a dynasty, but Jade was a bit lowkey, and Rebecca was a true monster.

#10: Season 7: Violet, Ginger, Pearl, Kennedy, Katya, Trixie

In retrospect, this was a pretty dynamic final 6. These queens have all gone on to have exciting and successful careers. But when I think back to season 7, at this point Trixie had just returned without doing much that was memorable, and Pearl and Kennedy had both struggled much of the season. Katya’s humor, Violet’s runways, and Ginger’s acting were all highlights, but there’s not much else to get excited about with this final 6.

#9: Season 8: Bob, Kim, Naomi, Chi Chi, Derrick, Thorgy

Thorgy’s hipster quirk drove me insane in season 8, as did Derrick’s passive-aggressive whining. Chi Chi was a true favorite of mine, and I loved Bob and Kim. Naomi looked great but didn’t show much personality this season.

#8: Season 12: Gigi, Jaida, Crystal, Sherry, Jackie, Heidi

Ru wasn’t too off base- this top 6 is nothing to scoff at. Gigi and Jaida have been bright highlights on the runway, and Crystal and Heidi are thoroughly lovable in the challenges and interviews. Jackie is an incredibly inoffensive queen, and worthy of thirsting after as a boy. Of course, the incredibly awkward and uncomfortable low point here is Sherry Pie.

#7: Season 10: Aquaria, Eureka, Kameron, Asia, Cracker, Monet

Eureka annoyed me this season with her off-camera racism and on camera stale catchphrases. Cracker was funny at times but so stiff overall (and not in the good way). I came to really love Kameron for her quiet beauty, Asia for her quick humor and unique style, and Monet for her dynamic performing. Additionally, Aquaria was an amazing force on the runway. This feels like a top 6 whose queens collectively have the talent and charisma of a bad ass pop girl group.

#6: Season 4: Sharon, Chad, Phi Phi, Latrice, Dida, Willam

This top 6 was chock full of talent- only Dida Ritz, whom I admit I love, sticks out as being a bit (ok, very) basic. Phi Phi’s attitude of course is another problem in this final 6. Sharon, Chad, Latrice and Willam were all very strong contenders and endlessly fun to watch.

#5: Season 6: Bianca, Adore, Courtney, Darienne, Bendela, Joslyn

Season 6 is one of top 3 favorite seasons OF ALL TIME, so I surprised myself by placing the final 6 this low on the list. Joslyn Fox is definitely the weakest here, though I adored her humor and weirdness. Darienne Lake, who is super funny now but was fairly unbearable to me this season, is the one who drags this down for me. That said, Courtney, Adore, Bianca and DeLa were all signifigant standouts for me.

#4: Season 9: Sasha, Shea, Peppermint, Trinity, Alexis, Nina

Alexis is the Jade Sotomayor or Dida Rtiz here for me- the one not really holding their weight. Nina was a dynamic shining star that burned out by the time we got to final 6. But Peppermint was really gaining steam at this point in the competition, and Sasha, Shea and Trinity all brought a lot of great moments on the runways and challenges all season.

#3: Season 2: Tyra, Raven, Jujubee, Tatianna, Pandora, Jessica

So much to love in this top 6. Jujubee’s unending charisma, Pandora’s humor, Jessica’s effervescent joy, Raven’s fierce makeup, and Tatianna’s sassy charm. Tyra’s stank attitude brings it down a bit, but at least she still had some killer lewkes,

#2: Season 3: Raja, Manila, Alexis, Yara, Shangela, Carmen

I think of this as being a quintessential final 6. You have two distinct teams: The Heathers (Raja, Manila and Carmen) and Yaralexis + Shangela (Yara, Alexis and Shangela). Carmen is the weakest, but still beautiful and fun to watch. The other 5 are all dynamic and beautiful performers.

#1: Season 5: Jinkx, Alaska, Roxxxy, Detox, Coco, Alyssa

6 amazingly talented queens, and tons of drama as a cherry on top. AND BACKROLLS! What’s not to love?

We have high hopes for Ms Heidi Ho after the season! We wish her endless blessings and high amounts of favors. Next week is the now infamous final 5 song. Let’s hope it’s more like Hey Kitty Girl, and less like Super Queen. Until next time! Let the music play!

Killing the Lights- Ranking Every Double Shantay You Stay in Herstory. RuPaul’s Stats Race Season 12, Episode 10

Hello hello. We’re back back back again. This week was makeover week and served full on Drag U realness by dragging up some super lady fans (Opal Methyd, Janet the Planet and Lil Snacki were my favorites). Jaida Essence Hall came out swinging again for another win. That pulls her ahead of Gigi and into the first-place position on the chart. Gigi and Sherry are now tied for 2^nd, Crystal moves into a solid 4^th and Jackie falls down to 5^th. Meanwhile the newly named Heidi Aphrodite brings up the rear. Check out the chart below!

For my predictions, I’m switching things up a bit this week (its 2020 and it’s important to be versatile!). Often in the weeks leading up to the final 4, we see surprise eliminations and queens who are not performing the worst go home. Nina West was a whooping 6 points ahead of Vanessa Vanjie Matteo on my chart last season the episode before she went home in episode 11. In season 10, Miz Cracker was actually ranked first on my chart the episode before she went home in episode 11. Thus, though it seems a foregone conclusion that Jackie or Heidi will go next, I’m going out on a glittery limb and saying Crystal may be the shocking sashayer. The ONLY reason this would make me happy is that it is a pet peeve of mine from a logical standpoint when they save someone in a double shantay or bring them back (think Kenya Michaels in season 4 and a billion other examples) and then immediately eliminate them the very next episode. Hopefully I’m wrong and our awkward Debarge impersonator goes the distance, dancing til the morning light if you will. Check out my predictions below!

We did not have an elimination this week, but though she’s not my favorite- Ms. Jacqueline Cox stays giving me content for this blog. She made a wild claim in Untucked (which took extreme will power to forge my way through after a surprisingly pleasant Secret Celebrity Drag Race episode), that being part of a double shantay is a distinct honor and is only bestowed upon really great lip-syncs. I compiled the list of every double shantay below, and after it give my controversial and of course totally right opinions on which are the best and the worst.

Regular Seasons:

Yara v. Carmen (3)
Sharon v Phi Phi (4)
Roxxxy v. Alyssa (5)
Darienne v. BenDeLaCreme (6)
Farrah v. Cynthia (9)
Kameron v. Eureka (10)
Yvie v. Brooke (11)
Heidi v. Jackie (12)

All Stars

Raven v. Jujubee (AS1)
Alyssa v. Tatianna (AS2)
Shangela v. BenDeLaCreme (AS3)
Monet v. Manila (AS4)
Monique v. Latrice (AS4)

It is interesting that the show had a double save every season from season 4-6, and then took a break from them in season 7 and 8 before jumping back into them for seasons 9-12. Perhaps the idea lost some of its appeal after the bland double-save between BenDeLaCremecreme and Darienne Lake in season 6. Season 8 is also a bizarrely short season compared to the others, so it isn’t surprising that they skipped the double save. All Stars has consistently had a double shantay each season and had 2 in All Stars 4 (one allowed for Latrice Royale to enter back into the competition without Monique Heart having to go home). 2 of the All Stars double shantays (Shangela vs. BenDeLaCremecreme and Monet Exchange vs. Manila Luzon) were double wins and didn’t save anyone from elimination. Below find my rankings for favorite double shantays! I also say who I would give the win to if these had not been double shantays.

My Ranking of Every Double Shantay You Stays:

Disclaimer: I respect all of these queens and this is all just my opinions based on the episodes of the show.

13. Farrah Moan vs Cynthia Lee Fontaine (Season 9)

This is hot steaming trash. This double shantay only occurred because Eureka O’Hara had to go home due to an injury. I hate Meghan Trainor’s music because of her blatant cultural appropriation (Kara Brown provides fabulous explanation of this here). Beyond that, Cynthia Lee Fontaine legitimately didn’t seem to know any of the words. Farrah Moan’s bopping along in that green coat was adorable, but that’s hardly enough to sustain this performance. This feels like one we could have easily awarded to Farrah for me.

12. Darienne Lake vs. BenDeLaCreme (Season 6)

There’s nothing particularly wrong, but also nothing extraordinary or gag worthy about this one. In Season 6, producers tried to create a high stakes rivalry between Darienne and DeLa, and narrative drama sometimes does really heighten lip-syncs. That, sadly, is not the case here. Season 6 was full of some truly epic lip-syncs (think Joslyn Fox and Laganja Estranja synchronous drop splits) and this one did not stand out. I would award this one to Darienne for her engaging facial expressions if we needed a single winner (though selfishly as a Dela super fan I am glad that we did not).

11. Raven vs. Jujubee (All Stars 1)

Here’s where I may start to make enemies. I get a lot of grief from friends for my unenthusiastic reaction to this lip-sync. I’ve even been accused of being cold and heartless (I’m lucky to have friends who bestow such sweet compliments upon me so readily). I adore Raven and Jujubee, but I wish they had pulled it together to do a little dancing and movement- both are such great lip-syncers and those outfits are incredible. Either I am heartless, or the stakes just didn’t feel authentically high enough to me to warrant wasting this iconic song on 2 minutes of crying. Either way- it’s my list and I got no tears left to cry! If I had to pick a winner, I would pick Raven because she looked cooler.

10. Heidi N. Closet vs. Jackie Cox (Season 12)

So, here’s where we really evaluate Jackie’s claim that their lip-sync was epic- to that I say MEH. My favorite lip-syncs have multiple things I love about them (both performers doing well, a great song, a great narrative) and in this one there are only two things I admire. I love this song and thought Heidi, looking gorgeous in her disco get up, matched the song’s energy very well. My main problem is with Jackie. While I thought that Jackie’s performance had energy and was interesting, it didn’t seem to match the song at all to me. In fact, the only reason I knew what she was trying to portray a woman with obsessive creepy intentions was because she said it directly to the camera in an interview. I think she needed to interact with Heidi or someone else more and make more pronounced murderous movements in order to clearly get her character across. Heidi won this one for me.

9. Yara Sofia vs. Carmen Carrera (Season 3)

This one has the distinction of being the first double shantay ever. It is super fun and a good example of a lip-sync where both queens do well. Yara knows all the words and delivers them with expression and engaging dancing. Carmen, in a total narrative twist, also knows all the words and matches Yara’s energy well. In true relying on that body form, Carmen gets off the stage and kisses guest judge Johnny Weir, much to Yara’s chagrin. It’s not the most dynamic lip-sync, but it is a fun one and one of the only ones ever in Spanish. I’m glad this one was a double shantay but would pick Yara if I had to choose a winner.

8. Shangela vs. BenDeLaCreme (All Stars 3)

This one wasn’t super high stakes but was a lot of fun. You can tell in this performance that Shangela and DeLa are both seasoned and expert performers. They are so expressive and funny. DeLa licking her chapstick and Shangela reading her book with wide-eyed naivete are two highlights for me. It does get a bit grabby on DeLa’s part at the end (it gives me some PTSD from Alaska’s handsy All Stars 2 lip-syncs), but Shangela handles it like a pro by throwing tic tacs at her and transforming it into a hilarious moment. I do wonder how Shangela felt about the grabbing and am not surprised these two queens have some mild beef. I prefer their lip-sync from this season to Jump, but this one is fun. If I had to choose a winner, I would go with Shangela.

7. Monet Exchange vs. Manila Luzon (All Stars 4)

Talk about a truly wild song choice. Again, this one is pretty low stakes in that neither was going home. However, Monet and Manila are both lip-sync experts in my book and it is a pleasure to see them both conquer this tricky number (so much scatting!). It’s like a master class in well-timed expression. I love both of their performances, but I’d give this one to Manila.

6. Monique Heart vs. Latrice Royale (All Stars 4)

This one is high energy and both Monique and Latrice do big reveals and splits. My gripe is that this one feels a little too formulaic to me. The days of reveals and splits in lip-syncs being shocking innovation is long gone. At the same time, this one is very enjoyable to watch and both queens did a great job. I particularly enjoy Monique’s wig reveal and Latrice’s hair flipping while down in her split. I would give this one to Monique by a (orange) hair.

5. Kameron Michaels vs. Eureka O’Hara (Season 10)

Things I didn’t ever think I would see: two drag queens doing synchronized splits while dressed as elderly women. Both Kameron and Eureka had great performances in this one. I am not a Eureka fan, but based solely on this performance I would give it to her. That said, I am glad this one was a double shantay.

4. Sharon Needles vs. Phi Phi O’Hara (Season 4)

This one ranks so high because of the narrative drama in this lip-sync. Sharon and Phi Phi had vicious clashes during season 4, and they both desperately wanted to send each other home. The shock in Sharon matching Phi Phi’s energy was amazing and felt deeply rewarding as a viewer. Phi Phi did flips and tricks (and lost her wig which now would be a MUCH bigger deal), but Sharon was funny and energetic. I would give this one to Sharon.

3. Roxxxy Andrews vs. Alyssa Edwards (Season 5)

I love so much about this lip-sync. Allyssa’s amazing sharp movements. Roxxxy’s amazing hair flips. Most of all, I love that this random Willow Smith song spawned one of the most well-regarded lip-syncs ever on the show. This of course is well remembered for being the first lip-sync featuring a hair reveal and inspired many future wig stacks. This one is really tough to pick a winner for and I’m very glad it was a double shantay. If I had to say a winner, I would pick Roxxxy.

2. Yvie Oddly vs. Brooke Lynn Heights (Season 11)

This is one of my favorite lip-syncs ever. Brooke and Yvie made it a nonstop thrill ride. I love Yvie’s hairspray application into cartwheel reveal move, and Brooke’s bored fingernail check during her full split. There isn’t much to say- this is perfection. It’s cruel really to have to pick a winner, but Yvie has the slight edge for me.

1. Alyssa Edwards vs. Tatianna (All Stars 2)

This is not only my favorite double shantay lip-sync- it is my favorite lip-sync of all time on the show. What’s not to love? I adore both the queens, they match the song super well with their performances, and the narrative twist of Tatianna keeping up with Alyssa is priceless. It was exactly the right call to keep them both (and spawned so many great gifs) but if I had to pick, I’d go with Tatianna.

If I were grading these lip-syncs, I would give 1-3 on my list an A+, 4-7 an A-, 8-11 a B, 12 a C, and 13 a D. If we average all that together, it comes out to 82, or a B-. So, was Jackie’s claim that double shantays are saved for only amazing lip-syncs true? Not Today Satan. Even so, it is certainly true that some of the best lip-syncs of all time have been double shantays.

Next episode, Whoopi Goldberg herself is here to guide the queens through their own one woman shows. Hopefully they avoid danger, girl. Until then! Let the music play!

Is Winning the First Episode A Gift or a Curse? A Retattle to a Retitle to a Rebuttal- RuPaul’s Stats Race Season 12, Episode 9

We’re back back back again. Was that worse than an actual political debate? It’s hard to say- LOOK OVER THERE! This episode’s highlights came from Jackie and Jaida, but there were a lot of rough points too. Jackie served Eartha Kitt realness, overdid it with her Canada jokes, and then was unfairly forced to defend the entire Muslim religion as well as her own identity as a queer muslim to Jeff Goldbloom, a rich cis gendered straight white male who is just asking to be eaten by a dinosaur. Jackie handled it calmly and with grace. In the midst of all that (not to mention the straight-audience pandering “Secret Celebrity Drag Race” nightmare that came after), Jaida Essence Hall managed to pull out a win by playing to her audience- the bitches. We also said goodbye to Widow Von’Du, whose Amy Klobuchar realness didn’t sway the judges, who decided to stick a fork in her.

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There’s some fun movement on this week’s chart. Jaida’s win combined with another low-ranking week from Gigi Goode leaves them tied for first. This is the first time Jaida has ranked first since episode 2. Sherry falls back to 3^rd, while Crystal pulls even with Jackie for 4^th after another high ranked week. Heidi is still bringing up the rear, but our soft and supple goddess is only 1 point behind Crystal and Jackie. The gap in points makes it clear (Roxxxy Andrews style) that Gigi, Sherry and Jaida are shoo ins for the top 4. Any of the remaining 3 could join them. Since Crystal and Heidi have the momentum, I am still going with Heid in the top 4, Crystal 5^th and Jackie as the next to get the aboot, as she might say. Find my updated predictions below!

Though Jackie and Jaida clearly played prominently in the episode, I want to take this week’s blog to analyze something else- whether winning the first challenge is a gift or a curse. It is hard to remember back to “Im that Bitch” and the Nicki Minaj of it all, but Widow Von’Du did win the first episode of this season. Where does her 7^th place finish fall in terms of other queens who won the first challenge? Find the list below!

1^st Challenge Winners:

Season 1: Nina Flowers-placed 2^nd

Season 2: Morgan McMichaels- placed 8th

Season 3: Raja- Winner Winner Chicken Dinner

Season 4: Sharon Needles- Winner Winner Chicken Dinner

Season 5: Roxxxy Andrews- placed 3^rd

Season 6: BenDeLaCreme- placed 5^th

Season 7: Violet Chachki- Winner Winner Chicken Dinner

Season 8: Kim Chi- placed 2^nd

Season 9: Nina Bo’Nina Brown- placed 6^th

Season 10: Mayhem Miller- placed 10th

Season 11: Brooke Lynn Heights- placed 2nd

Season 12: Widow Von’Du- placed 7^th

Average Place of Winners of the 1^st challenge over 12 seasons: 4^th (46/12=3.83)

In seasons 1-8, winning the first challenge was almost always a guarantee of a spot in the finals, and even led many queens to a crown. Raja (Season 3), Sharon Needles ( Season 4) and Violet Chachki (Season 7), all won the 1^st challenge and went on the win their seasons. Nina Flowers (Season 1), Roxxxy Andrews (Season 5) and Kim Chi (Season 8) all won the first challenge and went on the occupy a spot in the finals. In the first 8 seasons, only Morgan McMcihaels (season 2) and Bendelacreme (season 6) won the 1^st challenge and did not go on to make the finals.

However, in recent seasons the 1^st challenge winners have had less success. In season 9, Nina Bo’Nina Brown won the 1^st challenge but went on to place 6^th. In season 10, Mayhem Miller won the first challenge but placed 10^th, the lowest placement of any 1^st challenge winner ever. Brooke Lynn Heights from last season is the bright spot- she is the only 1^st challenge winner in the last four seasons to make the finals-she placed 2^nd in season 11.

So why did Widow fall short? It is interesting to note that both seasons that featured double premieres, 6 and 12, had 1^st challenge winners who did not make the finals. In season 6, the winner of the 2^nd premiere group was one Bianca Del Rio, who of course went on to take the crown. This season’s 2^nd premiere winner, Jaida Essence Hall, seems likely to make the finals, and possibly could even follow in Bianca’s footsteps. Perhaps breaking the queens into 2 groups increases the opportunity for a non-finalist to win the first challenge, since there is a smaller pool of queens in that first group. It could also be more difficult to build momentum off of a win the first episode when you don’t get to compete in episode 2.

There are a few possibilities for why a first challenge win’s value seems to have decreased in returns over time. Seasons in general are longer now than they used to be, so the 1^st episode is further away from the finale, meaning momentum has plenty of time to disappear in the time after the 1^st episode (see Nina Bo’Nina Brown). The first challenge is also almost always a fashion challenge, but recently the seasons have been filled with acting and comedy challenges. A queen can win the 1^st challenge who is great at fashion but struggle in skits (see Mayhem Miller). Finally, it’s worth noting that in 3 out of the last 4 seasons queens of color (Nina Bo’Nina Brown, Mayhem Miller, and Widow Von’Du) have won the 1st challenge and then been kicked to the curb in the middle of the season. We need to keep a watchful eye on this trend, as the show certainly has a history of overlooking queens of color (see Shea Coulee, Manila Luzon and Shangela) and may be creating a weird new racist archetype- the queen of color who wins early and then falls victim to their “inner saboteur”. That would unfortunate and gross.

Anyway, we’re glad our Missouri firecracker showed up and showed out this season. Widow came into the season with by far the least Instagram followers, and stayed for a whopping 9 episodes when many thought she would leave first. Check out her song “Yes Bitch! She Might Be” and know, she will always still be serving looks when she’s eating those fries.

Until next episode! Let the music play!

Am I The Trade of the Season? When You Win but Are Still the Worst- RuPaul’s Stats Race Season 12, Episode 8

Hello Hello! Well that Jantasy sure turned into a nightmare. Here’s the sitch: I love RuPaul’s Drag Race (almost as much as puppets) but love making a robust and superfluous list even more. I started this chart (because of my thriving romantic life…jk) to try to see if there were any correlations between being ranked lowest based on the cumulative season’s results and who sashayed away- short take- there is but the homegirl who is rated lowest often doesn’t go home.

Though the remaining episodes of Season 12 be as few as the number of wigs in Aiden Zhane’s closet, each week I will update my predictions of the elimination order (based on no prior knowledge- not today spoilers) and delve into one particular item or fact on the chart. Below are my predictions this week for the remaining queens’ elimination order.

So, what is the chart and why’s it gotta be stats? The key to the chart is here and hopefully fairly simple- I allot 2 positive points for a main challenge win, 1 positive point for any queen ranked high, zero for safety, 1 negative point for being ranked low, and 2 negative points for lip-syncing for your lyfe and winning. I have not incorporated All Stars data at this point because LIFE’S NOT FAIR. This chart was birthed to try to predict who would go next, so I don’t calculate scores for a queen the week they are eliminated. Thus, we’ll never know if Jan really did rule the world (jk- her ending score would have been zero- pretty reflective of how little the judges paid attention to her).

Though Jan’s elimination this week was sad (but to be clear I’m still only crying because Brita went home) and also a statistical upset (she had the highest previous week score of any queen sent home this season so far), I want to focus on something other than her elimination this week. Something a little more soft and supple.

Heidi N. Closet won the main challenge and provided a much-needed end to the string of 5 episodes that either Sherry Pie or Gigi Goode won. However, even after netting 2 positive points for winning, Heidi remains ranked the lowest on our chart, with a total cumulative score for the season of -1. I wondered how often this had happened in history- how often has a queen won the week’s challenge yet still been ranked lowest on the chart? How does this bode for Heidi’s chances to make the final (if of course she’s not taken down by MOOD SWINGS and hair loss first).

Winning but still being the worst has only occurred 3 times previously in drag race herstory: Asia O’Hara’s win for the bizarre Westworld spoof “BreastWorld” in episode 9 of season 10, America’s most wanted Robbie Turner’s win in the “New Wave Queens” challenge in episode 4 of season 8, and Coco Montrose’s win for the RuPaul Roast in episode 7 of season 5.

Let’s start with Coco. Like Heidi, Coco lip-synced twice in season 5 prior to her win. There was a drought of low-ranking queens in early season 5, because many of the queens who won lip-syncs went home the next episode. There was also the double elimination of Vivienne Pinay and Honey Mahogany. Thus, Coco Monterse was ranked lowest for most of the season (from episode 3 through episode 7) partially because nobody else stayed long enough while performing badly to rack up an impressively low score. Coco placed safe every week she didn’t lip-sync in all of the episodes before she won, which netted her no positive points on the chart. Winning the roast finally moved her out of the basement for episode 8, though she found herself back there when she lip-synced against her nemesis Alyssa Edwards in episode 9. Coco then left the competition, placing 5^thoverall for the season, in episode 10.

3 seasons later, Robbie Turner had a much more turbulent and short Drag Race ride. Robbie assumed the lowest ranked spot on the chart in episode 2, after placing low and just barely avoiding lip-syncing for her atrocious poodle outfit in episode 1. She remained in the lowest ranked spot until she sashayed away in episode 6. Like Coco, she also suffered from the lack of other persistent bottoms (can you imagine) and a double elimination in episode 2 (RIP Laila McQueen and Dax Exclimationpoint). Aside from her win, she never placed higher than safe. Two episodes after he win, in episode 6, Robbie went home (she placed 8^th overall for the season).

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Next is the most puzzling case: Asia O’Hara in season 10. Asia’s tenure as the supreme statistical bottom of season 10 was significantly less than that of Robbie or Coco. She only held on to the lowest spot for 2 weeks, in episodes 8 and 9. Eureka O’Hara and Monet Exchange spent the majority of the beginning of season 10 in the lowest spot, with Eureka occupying the role from episodes 2-4 and Monet taking over for episodes 4-6. Asia fell into the lowest spot after both Eureka and Monet staged comebacks, of which Eureka’s was truly epic (she was ranked high, safe and won 2 challenges in the four weeks after she lip-synced in episode 2) while Monet’s was more steady (after lip-syncing for the second time in a row in episode 3, Monet went on to place high the next 4 episodes). Asia differs from Coco and Robbie in that she had already won a challenge and went 7 weeks without being ranked lowest prior to her stint at the bottom began in episode 8. Asia also made it further in the competition than either of those two queens- immediately climbing out of the lowest rank after her win in episode 10 and going on to make it to the final 4 and the finale.

So, all of that leads us to Heidi. Is she more of a Coco, a Robbie, or an Asia? Heidi assumed the lowest ranking spot on the chart after she lip-synced for her second time of the season and set the longtime holder of the basement spot, Brita, home in episode 7. Thus, Heidi statistically is most similar to Asia, having a short tenure in the bottom spot prior to her win.

The current state of season 12 is all a bit in flux, what with the disqualification of Sherry Pie and the uncertainty of the finale with the pandemic. But Heidi now joins Widow Von Du, Jaida Essence Hall and Gigi Goode as the only queens to win a challenge this season (and she is the first non-Sherry or Gigi queen to win since episode 1 and 2). Heidi has the dancing and comedic chops to go far, though her last big potential hurdle will be the makeover challenge. With her win, she has momentum that queens like Widow Von’Du are sorely lacking right now.

Thus, I think Heidi’s trajectory may be most similar to a queen who never was a winner bottom- – Monet Exchange. Monet had a rough start to season 10, lip-syncing in episodes 4 and 5. But her incredibly lip-syncing allowed her to survive those battles, and afterward she steadily pulled herself out of the bottom, as she managed to place high in every episode after episode 5. She placed 6^th place (she went home in the makeover challenge which hopefully will not be a fate our hydrating Heidi shares). Heidi is a strong lip-synced like Monet, and unlike Monet has now won a challenge. So, though she may have only made 9k las year, I think Heidi has a solid chance to make it to the final 4 this season.

Anyway, let’s all worry about Heidi now. Here is the link to the spreadsheet if you want to spread them facts like Peanut Butter: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1uS-Rn8T4swoXXx6BelSudGTw345RQxHkEOex2LljQJE/edit?usp=sharing

See you next time! Let the music play!

Welcome to Dumb Pop Culture Lists .WordPress.com

Hello! Thank you for visiting this blog. A little about me: I love reality tv, pop stars and even occasionally some sports. I am a gay cat owner currently going insane from social distancing. I have always loved making lists about pop culture- as a tween, I obsessively read the Billboard Hot 100 Singles Chart each week and then balanced it with my own tastes to create my own highly-detailed and color-coded top 20 countdown (this TLC song had a wildly sucessful run).

This blog will be a source of shared data and analysis from various lists I create. Most will be about RuPaul’s Drag Race, the Real Housewives and female pop divas. Am I satistician? No. Am I even that good at excel? No. Would I like to look past that and get into it? Of course.

I’m coming in hot at the end of this season of RuPaul Drag Race but plan to post a blog for each remaining episode of season 12. As Natasha Bedingfield might say, the rest is still unwritten. Thank you again for checking the blog out and please enjoy this wild 5th Harmony video and marvel at how it effortlessly depicts the mania of working from home.

Queen	Predicted Placement
Gigi Goode	Co-Runner Up
Jaida Essence Hall	Co-Runner Up
Crystal Methyd	Winner

Queen	Predicted Placement
Jackie Cox	5^th
Sherry Pie	Final 4 but
Crystal Methyd	Final 3
Jaida Essence Hall	Final 3
Gigi Goode	Final 3

Queen	Predicted Placement
Crystal Methyd	6th
Jackie Cox	5^th (4^th after Sherry’s DQ)
Sherry Pie	Final 4 but
Heidi N. Closet	Final 4
Jaida Essence Hall	Final 4
Gigi Goode	Final 4

Queen	Predicted Placement
Jackie Cox	6th
Crystal Methyd	5^th (4^th after Sherry’s DQ)
Sherry Pie	Final 4 but
Heidi N. Closet	Final 4
Jaida Essence Hall	Final 4
Gigi Goode	Final 4

Queen	Predicted Placement
Widow Von’Du	7th
Jackie Cox	6th
Crystal Methyd	5^th (4^th after Sherry’s DQ)
Sherry Pie	Final 4 but
Heidi N. Closet	Final 4
Jaida Essence Hall	Final 4
Gigi Goode	Final 4

Queen	Predicted Placement
India Ferrah	6
Alexis Mateo	5
Blair St. Claire	4
Miz Cracker	3
Jujubee	2
Shea Coulee	YOU’RE A WINNER BABY!