We've heard your feedback loud and clear; we should be celebrating queens, not ranking them!
When it comes to RuPaul's Drag Race, there have been over a hundred brilliant queens giving up their personal time to entertain us, and battle it out for the title of America's Next Drag Superstar. Because of the way reality television works, however, some of our favourite drag queens have been sent packing before really being given the opportunity to shine, or were never given the props they deserved on the runway.
Fortunately, Drag Race has gotten to a point where you can launch yourself from the platform whether you're there for a single week, or the entire run, so early boots have had the opportunity to showcase their talents away from the series. Here are seven of the best underrated queens (in no particular order), who were told to "sashay away" way before their time...
7. Mrs Kasha Davis
"There's always time for a cocktail!" As soon as we heard Mrs. Kasha Davis' iconic phrase, we knew she'd be a queen after our own heart. Eliminated in the fifth episode of her season, she went on to tour internationally with her fellow contestants, and self-released a brilliant EP titled, It Takes a Lot of Balls to Be a Lady! She even teamed up with Season 6 winner Bianca Del Rio, starring in her second feature-length movie, Hurricane Bianca: From Russia with Hate. There's no word yet on whether or not she's ever been approached for a season of All Stars, but she would be an incredible pick!
6. Acid Betty
Though she was incredibly sharp around the edges, Acid Betty's talent is undeniable. Her elimination in Season 8 of Drag Race felt a little out of place and unfair; she had one of the most inventive Madonna runway looks, and her lip syncing skills were amongst the best of the season. Going up against Naomi Smalls however, was going to be tough for anybody. Still, Betty has made good use of her star power following her run on the show, making a cameo appearance in TV series The Path in 2018, and continuing to impress with her stellar and eye-catching looks across social media (and of course at her gigs).
5. Jaymes Mansfield
The gymnastics tumble heard across the world... Jaymes Mansfield was the very first queen sent packing in Season 9 of Drag Race, but that didn't stop an avid following of viewers from watching her every move from that point. As a huge wrestling fan, she lights up YouTube with commentary on everything from wasted talents, to the hottest wrestlers on Instagram; a true queen delivering something for everybody. Her wit and dry humour is as quick as ever, and she has left many wondering whether it's better to be a fan-favourite first boot, than a queen eliminated in a second or third episode.
4. Dusty Ray Bottoms
Okay, so the lip sync to Nicki Minaj's Pound The Alarm was incredibly erratic, but an argument could be made for Dusty Ray Bottoms that she was simply trying to emulate some of Minaj's own performances. She met her lip syncing match in Monét X Change, but it's the criticism on the runway that we feel was considerably unfair. Turning out some looks that will stick with us (those Summer and Martian looks? Stunning!), and delivering a unique makeup style that was hounded by Michelle Visage (we love you, but different is good Michelle!), she left an impact on the show that has helped elevate her success following her season's broadcast.
3. Joslyn Fox
"Wonk wonk!" When Joslyn Fox was booted from Drag Race, we all certainly let out a mighty, "Gasp!" Despite placing sixth overall, Joslyn didn't win a single challenge, which many fans have said is a real travesty upon rewatching Season 6. BenDeLaCreme even pipped Fox to the title of Miss Congeniality; something Fox had admitted she'd had her eye on since the second episode of the season. To this day, fans have campaigned for Fox to end up on a season of All Stars, but so far, we've had no joy. Let's hope she signs on the dotted line at some point in the coming years!
2. Dida Ritz
Another queen who made it to sixth place without winning a single challenge is Dida Ritz. Season 4's judges didn't love a lot of Ritz's looks, especially her aesthetic and the way she put herself together, but it's fair to say that in the years since her appearance, she has really honed in on her makeup especially, effortlessly serving face. It's Ritz's lip syncing skills that are amongst the best the show has ever seen, however. Check out her performance against The Princess of Natalie Cole's This Will Be (An Everlasting Love), in front of the late, great music icon herself.
1. Thorgy Thor
Editing really did a number on Thorgy Thor! Though she failed to take home the title in both Season 8 and All Stars Season 4, Thorgy was, for many of us, unfairly judged on her performances. Her take on Stevie Nicks for example, wasn't even close to being as bad as some of the All Stars judges made out. It was this that got her sent home, and has been marked as one of the most controversial decisions in the show's herstory. Still, Thorgy hasn't let all of that get her down. She now takes her Stevie impression on the road, and was even asked to appear in an episode of Amazon Prime original series, Mozart in the Jungle. Her skills with string instruments are truly shocking; the first time you see her pick up a violin is a jaw-dropping moment. Last year, Thor started her own "Thorchestra", which she'll hopefully tour around the world before too long!
MORE: The seven best library reads in RuPaul's Drag Race herstory!
Tagged in RuPaul's Drag Race