[Shaun]

80th Place: Tempest DuJour (Season 7) - finished last

I couldn't really justify placing a first-eliminated queen any higher, but I adore Tempest. Of course, if you go by just season 7, she is quickly forgotten and not all that, but the cameos she's enjoyed on various World of Wonder videos and interviews I've watched with Hey Qween just cement her as a really smart, generous, loving person and someone with a fun sensibility.

It wouldn't be fair to ignore her stint on Season 7, though, and she had a pretty unfortunate run. I will say that Sasha Belle should've been in the bottom over her: SHE WORE A VISIBLE BLACK BRA. FOR A NUDE ILLUSION CHALLENGE. How dare you? But yeah she didn't do great, and her comeback episode was another makeover challenge so yeah... we didn't exactly get to see a full representation of what makes Tempest a good drag queen.

The brief moments we saw on the show highlighted how she had adopted two children, was a professor at university, and had recently (prior to filming) shrunk from 400lbs - but if you ever get the time, watch her interview on Hey Qween below where she discusses cruising in a heavily religious community (she used to be a Southern Baptist, and then a Mormon missionary), conversion therapy, living in Saudi Arabia, almost dying in a car accident and more:

Youtube video

See also: her and Mrs. Kasha Davis' stint as the "older Trixie & Katya" in one of the UNHhhh episodes (I'll look it up now: episode 38). Her Katyaisms are on point

So yeah, if you take a queen's worth to be purely how she performs on Drag Race, then sure she underwhelmed. But Tempest is, for sure, one of my favourites and a true unique

Memorable quote(s): "How old am I? Really."
Best Runway(s): Well... oh no wait there was a mini-challenge, so this counts
Best Moment(s): Jumping around helplessly behind Jaidynn Diore Fierce? Dropping a baby out of her vadge in her entrance?