[Shaun]

41st Place: Phi Phi O'Hara (Season 4, All Stars 2) - finished 3rd and 7th, respectively

A lot of time has passed since people felt strongly about Phi Phi O'Hara and her status as the most-loathed queen of all time has long been handed to various other substitutes. But when Drag Race was a little more real, and queens weren't so heavily self-aware and fearful of coming across as a sociopath bitch with rage issues, Phi Phi was by far the biggest monster the show created. And a lot of the fan response was justified, but naturally, many others took it far too personally on Willam/Sharon's behalf and just... yeah, silly things.

So I won't sugar-coat the Season 4 edit: it was horrific and she did and said awful things. Repeatedly calling Willam and Sharon talentless, setting Jiggly Caliente up to fail in the Dragazines episode, and going absolutely mental on most Untuckeds made her TV dynamite, but also gave us probably the only ever "finale" episode where more than half of the audience are actively rooting for a queen to fail. Sure, most probably hated Silky in S11 but the reception at the finale was civil enough (whether the boos were edited out, or not, remains to be seen). But there is no purer form of schadenfreude than the wooping and screaming in the S4 finale when Willam coughs the word "bullshit" over Phi Phi's half-assed apology. A truly iconic moment, and not just for the cut to a then-largely-unknown Alaska in the audience looking completely shellshocked

Youtube video

So yeah, aside from all of the drama, Phi Phi just... didn't shine anywhere near as much as Chad and Sharon and was always doomed to be the trailing finalist; having only won two episodes and one of those was the disastrous Dragazine challenge (I sincerely hope every single person involved with editing those front covers was fired on the spot, that was a MESS). I also question her win of the Bitch Ball since she wore Kenya Michaels' Nicki Minaj outfit for a "daytime doggy park realness" look that is just...what? Huh? Sharon won that episode hands down. But Phi Phi did well at the wrestling challenge, was snubbed in the Rupocalypse premiere (my top 3 from that first challenge were Sharon, Milan and Phi Phi. Lashauwn just looked weird and the Princess' was too clean) and did fine in the other performance challenges... bar Snatch Game.

It just all gets a bit murky and unfortunate with All Stars 2 because she could've - like Roxxxy - come in and redeemed herself and really set herself up for a boost in popularity. But she seemed too neurotic, too cautious and paranoid of what everyone was saying and doing, and a background in pageant drag meant that she was always naturally going to play a few mindgames with the other girls since it was still a competition. I will say in her defence, I think she was right about most "controversial moments" that arose on the show: Alyssa Edwards is and was handed too many free passes "because she's Alyssa" and is otherwise a bumbling fool who isn't trying as hard as the other girls. Roxxxy Andrews was probably making a dodgy choice with Sofia Vergara for Snatch Game, and whilst she did change her mind and bomb as Alaska partially due to Phi Phi's advice, it's harsh to lay the blame for that at Phi Phi's feet.

The story of Phi Phi on Drag Race is largely unfortunate because the talent is undeniably there: her 365 Days of Drag on Instagram was incredible, she can sing and dance and is pretty quick-witted... she just got put in two of the best seasons of all time where there were clearly bigger talents on display and more likeable ones too. Was she right to send a big middle finger to the shady production? Absolutely, but she also brought a lot of it on herself and needed to just... either take it easy, or play up a ridiculous loudmouth-bitch character that the fans could've responded to. Like Yvie Oddly.

Memorable quote(s): "AT LEAST I AM A SHOWGIRL, BITCH. GO BACK TO PARTY CITY WHERE YOU BELONG."
Best Runway(s): Oh, hands down the "2-in-1" look from All Stars 2. She had some KILLER runways in All Stars but that shift from Prince Charming to Belle was astonishing. Close 2nd: her space-age blue alien with the massive gold gun
Best Moment(s): I still get a little tingly feeling in the Lee Dawson recap (back when they were good) of the Alyssa vs. Phi Phi fight with the simmering kettle sound effect and explosive I SAID I FELT moment

Remaining queens
Acid Betty - Alaska - Alexis Mateo - Alyssa Edwards - Asia O'Hara - Bebe Zahara Benet - Bendelacreme - Bianca Del Rio - Bob the Drag Queen - Chad Michaels - Courtney Act - Darienne Lake
Detox - Eureka - Ginger Minj - Jinkx Monsoon - Jujubee - Katya - Kennedy Davenport - Latrice Royale - Manila Luzon - Mariah - Monet X Change - Monique Heart - Nina Bo'nina Brown - Nina Flowers
Raja - Raven - Roxxxy Andrews - Shangela - Sharon Needles - Shea Coulee - Stacy Layne Matthews - Tammie Brown - Tatianna - Thorgy Thor - Trinity the Tuck - Willam - Yara Sofia