[Shaun]

81st Place: The Vixen (Season 10) - finished 7th

I think enough time has passed now to look back on the Vixen's tenure on Season 10 relatively objectively (probably because it feels like there has been 5 seasons since Aquaria won), so let's tackle the season's angriest queen.

I first became aware of the Vixen when she popped up in the music video (and indeed lyrics) of Shea Coulee's pretty good 'Cocky', and whilst she didn't really steal the show, she was someone many tipped to snatch the crown Shea deserved. As the host of 'Black Girl Magic' tours and gigs, she demonstrated a hugely woke and political side that Drag Race was in dire need of - too long the show had been sleeping on serious issues and allowing any and all political challenges to be yet another excuse to make dick jokes and throw boring shade at each other. By episode three of S10, though, it became pretty clear that Vixen wasn't really going to do herself any favours.

The feud with Eureka was obviously one of the main season talking points and many took her side because Eureka is annoying and overbearing (and obviously masterminded the whole thing by saying "I wanted to push her", because if there's one word that describes Eureka it's mastermind ) but like... everyone skims over the Untuckeds where she lashes out at queens like Monet, Asia and Monique for saying she wasn't delivering, was acting out of control, and coming across as too aggressive. It's not like Vixen was entirely friendless: Mayhem, Asia and Monique all tried multiple times to get her involved and at ease. She just had... a horrible temper and absolutely piss-poor people skills.

Youtube video

Which leads us onto the disastrous reunion showing, where she stormed offset and made Asia cry. Again, it was terribly en vogue to side with Vixen because Ru had very recently been on a run of saying terribly myopic and ignorant things (re: trans contestants, re: spirituality, re: forgetting queens' names) but if you actually look at the reunion and think she conducted herself maturely... then ok... act the fool, girl. Was she ganged up on? Sure, the whole debacle is reminiscent of a cornered animal lashing out, but let's not forget who she lashed out against and why.

The Vixen wasn't a victim: she was childish and vindictive. You can't blame the editing on her choosing to send Eureka home despite Eureka being top 2 of Snatch Game and having a great mermaid look, out of spite - you can't blame the editing on her calling everyone fake friends and bitches because they said she'd objectively performed the worst - you can't blame the editing on her trying to partner off Aquaria and Eureka and hope they'd sabotage each other whilst she fails to rehearse with Asia - and you can't blame the editing on her rolling her eyes, muttering childish comments and refusing to be professional or try to win tasks.

Long story short: the recent drama with Manila Luzon pretty much cemented my opinion of her.

She won the PharmaRusical challenge for no good goddamn reason (she didn't stand out as much as Blair, Dusty, Asia, Mayhem or Kameron, and her runway was half borrowed from Monique) and otherwise didn't really excel in any of the challenges. Her Snatch Game is an all-time low for the show, she BOMBED at the Bossy Rossy challenge (and should've lipsynced over Mayhem), she sucked at the DragCon panel challenge, and rightly got sent home for the Cher challenge (despite some unfair criticisms on her choreography). The only challenge I feel like she should've placed in the top for was her Week 1 look with the rubber tubes, but even then can you really argue she bested Cracker/Mayhem/Yuhua? It's a stretch. So yeah, I'm putting Vixen this low because she...just didn't do very well, and was a toxic personality.

I hope she grows up, though, because she's talented and dynamic. But there is just too much paranoid, ill-informed anger for me to even entertain the idea she is currently great.

Memorable quote(s): "Y'all already done seen: I walked in the door, "I'm here to fight". Y'all know I'm tough, y'all know I go there. So if you bring it over here, you should already have prepared...I was gonna come back."
Best Runway(s): Either her peacock 'feathers' runway, or the Glitterific one she went home in
Best Moment(s):