Let's get this show on the road:
#10
Ginger Minj
“What show did I sign up for?!”
I feel rude for ranking Ginger as my least favourite queen of the season, I really do. It is not representative of any ill-feelings or dislike I have towards her, but mainly due to the fact that she was an inconsequential part of All Stars 2. You could argue that her elimination trigerred the drama between Alyssa and Phi Phi, but I think prior to Ginger's elimination there was still tension between the two of them that would have probably amounted into a similar scenario, regardless.
Anyway, Ginger is a talented queen. There is no denying that. A great example of her talent is when she sings. If anyone has not watched the video of her singing 'I am What I am' to a crowd of LGBT+ people (including Harvey Fierstein) then you need to. It's Ginger Minj at her best, and especially lovely considering that she performed the song not long after the shootings in Orlando.
I fondly remember watching videos of Ginger perform pre-RPDR, once it had been announced she'd be appearing on season 7. I distinctly remember her lip-syncing a medley of Spice Girls songs, and watching a rather compelling performance as Professor Sprout (YouTube it, honestly). I was excited to watch her on season 7, and I had high expectations.
However, she did not connect well as a character on a reality TV show. I do not know if it is because I went into the season wanting to like her, but there was something about Ginger that had me quite disappointed throughout. Did she display her talent? Yes. Was it enough for me to say that I was a fan? Not really. I am not one to be bias against the 'older queens' just for the record, but she did not come off as likable as I wanted her to be. She is definitely not amongst the worst queens to grace Drag Race, but honestly, there is a substantial number of queens I would have liked to have seen on All Stars 2 before Ginger.
Granted, I understood why was chosen to be an all-star. Some people feel she should have won her season, but with the new wave of RPDR-fans there were a lot of unhappy people that used the 'she's bitter and old so we are not going to like her' mentality to favour the younger and prettier contestants. That's why i loved her first few moments in the work room this season. Saying "Apparently all you need is a corset to win" is perfect shade, and what the show is all about. I was ready for the Ginger that I wanted to love the first time around, and I think she deserved to prove a lot of her haters wrong (as if most of them are not stubborn enough to change their minds
).
Sadly, that first moment is where it peaked for Ginger. I'm not going to disparage her journey throughout the competition. There were moments where you could tell that Ginger was trying her best, and really wanted to stand out amongst her other all-stars. It was not meant to be. She was essentially a filler queen for this season. As harsh as the term is; she was (slightly) done dirty by the editors. To the point where she was practically invisible for the entire second episode, despite giving a pretty good snatch game. Her singing in the first episode was great, but was inferior to Adore's talent. That was then overshadowed even more by the drama that went down on the main stage.
When it came to the third episode, her elimination was written all over from the beginning. We had a whole episode of Ginger, which most of us knew would end in her inevitable elimination. Still, nothing. I cannot exactly pinpoint what problem I have with Ginger, but ultimately she does not translate to good or enjoyable television. I admire her shadiness, but if you are going to be shady then take it to the next level. There might have been an abundance of moments where we could have seen that, but I did not see it. As unfair as it sounds, I can only go by what I am watching and there really was not much of Ginger for me to even have an in-depth analysis of how I perceive her...despite being a pretty complex person? Plus, not many people were going to care if you were eliminated over a fan-favourite, whether it was unfair or not. I’m glad Alyssa made that decision on the basis of making the competition interesting and not following a guideline that was set-up at the beginning of the season
In conclusion, I would say that Ginger is probably a great queen outside of the show. Like many (most) of them, she excels in a working environment that is separate from Drag race as a TV show (reality or entertainment). I imagine she is probably a really down to earth gal. She's super-talented, just not my cup of tea as a TV personality. It’s a shame we did not get to see her develop more throughout this season. I think as a character she was treated worst by the editors in terms of not providing their best potential to be entertaining, and it is a shame we never got to see her lip-sync this season or really become a frontrunner as she was in season 7.
Best Moment: I struggle to find one that has not already been mentioned in the write-up.
Worst Moment: Being bitter towards Alyssa for getting rid of her over Katya, but then with her next breath saying that she would not have let Katya go?
Still in the running: Coco Montrese, Adore Delano, Phi Phi O'Hara, Tatianna, Alyssa Edwards, Roxxxy Andrews, Katya Zamolodchikova, Detox Icunt & Alaska Thunder**** 5000