[MB.]

Now with 100% less transphobia!

[you may have noticed that graphic design is not my passion]

With season 10 of Drag Race having just launched, and with the drama surrounding the riggory, tomfoolery and straight up buffoonery of All Stars 3 still lingering in the air like the scent of Kenney Davenport's puss, I figured it might be fun to run our own version, in which you get to choose (more or less) everything that happens. That’s right, you’ll have control of every twist, tuck and tantrum: each round, I’ll post a link to a poll in which you'll get to cast your votes on what will happen that episode, from who wins the challenge to who lip syncs for their life. Think of yourself as a drag dictator. Kim Jong UNHhhh, if you will. I’ll use the results to write the series (for example, I’ll pick from the top two vote-getters for elimination to sashay away, based on which makes more sense from a narrative point of view). You’ll also get to vote on your favourite and least favourite queens, which will also influence who lasts long and who does a Magnolia Crawford. Depending on how many responses I get, and also on whether or not my laptop decides to work, the episodes will be every two days or so, meaning this should all be wrapped up in about a month.

But what’s so “alternative” about this, Mr MB, I hear you ask? Well, that’s the thing. The queens you’ll be voting on won’t be the fierce and fabulous cast of season 10, but a specially-crafted group of brand new (and very real… well, as real as a drag queen can be under all that silicone) contestants, most of which have been plucked by yours truly from Instagram. I’ve done a bit of research to put together bios for each of them, and I hope they’ll be an entertaining cast for the gays of TiBB to use as their puppets if nothing else. They'll be taking part in original challenges, also concocted by moi, but those are the only things that are planned. Everything else will be squarely your fault.

Very shortly, I’ll be revealing the queens one-by-one, before posting the first survey of the season for you to have your say on this motley cRu (my puns will only get worse from here on out, so brace yourselves)

So gentlemen, start your engines, and may whichever woman a bunch of forum members arbitrarily decide to get behind, win!

-----

[just for clarification, I’ve spoken to Riley about this considering he’s also just launched a Drag Race game, and he’s fine with it, the darling that he is]

[RileyH]

this sounds great

[MB.]

Originally Posted by RileyH

this sounds great

Thanks boo!

I'll start introducing the queens in alphabetical order shortly. The theme of this season's promo lewks is individuality, meaning each queen has her own unique theme/background. C'mon VH1 budget!

[MB.]

Let's start with a bang...

Amanda Bang
from San Francisco, California



Not to be confused with the British queen of the same name, San Fran native Amanda Bang is described as the “gorgeous ghoul” of drag, and judging by her dark, horror-influenced style, she’s presumably one of those queens who wishes it could be Halloween all year round. Then again, her Instagram bio quotes a Jessie J song, so god knows where her inspiration really lies. Ever the creative queen, Amanda is no stranger to face paint, and can usually be seen in a pink or purple wig and distinctive black lip (she’s still in her goth phase, let her be). Bay Area queens like Amanda, Peaches Christ and Heklina are known for their dark humour and often less-refined drag style, which is perhaps why the only San Francisco queen to have appeared on Drag Race until now is Honey Mahogany (she tried, bless her). Can Amanda reverse the curse and put her city on the map?

The mug:



The looks:



The boy:



Here she is lip syncing to FKA Twigs’ Water Me:

Youtube video

[MB.]

Our next queen is dee-lightful...

Big Dee
from Long Beach, California



Big Dee (boy name Dennis Terrey), not to be confused with the Manchester queen of the same name, is a seasoned professional, which is a polite way of saying she's a old bitch. She’s a regular at clubs and bars across California, including the Velvet Lounge in Santa Ana, Hamburger Mary's in Long Beach and Micky's in West Hollywood (the latter of which is where you’ll also find Drag Race alumni as regular hosts and performers, including Morgan McMichaels and Raven), and has previously worked as a professional make-up artist, meaning she should know how to beat out a mug. Her other talents include comedy and creative lip syncs, the latter of which can be seen in one clip in which she performs Cher's Gypsies, Tramps and Thieves while dressed as Esmerelda from The Hunchback of Notre Dame. C'mon Victor Hugo fish!

The mug:



The looks:



The boy:



Here she is lip syncing to Shirley Bassey's version of Get the Party Started:

Youtube video

[Mokka]

Oh I love this MB!!

[Nicky91]

another wonderful thing from our icon MB

[MB.]

Originally Posted by Mokka

Oh I love this MB!!

Thanks Mokka

Also, after I've posted all the queens I'll link to each of their Instagram accounts, just in case anyone wants to see/stan/dickpig for themselves

[RileyH]

Amanda looks amazing, 2 good choices

[MB.]

Is that a bomb?! Oh phew, it's just Bombalicious...

Bombalicious Eklaver
from Baltimore, Maryland



Despite being one of this season’s older queens, the catchily-named Bombalicious Eklaver (boy name Ed Figueroa) only started doing drag a year and a half ago, having initially started making comedy videos that became popular in her home country. Originally from Manila, this Filipino queen burst onto the local drag scene and quickly took charge of it, fast becoming one of the top names in Baltimore and D.C. (I suppose the latter makes her the closest queen to Donald Trump this season, assuming none of the others play the role of Melania on the weekends). First and foremost a comedy queen, her drag style is at times gothy and sexy, but also emphasises the cultural aspects of her traditional Asian roots and isn’t afraid to make a bold statement (I’ll give you a clue: keep your eye out for snakes in the first episode). She may not be the most experienced of our queens, but she’s most certainly a hungry bitch.

The mug:



The looks:



The... ahem... boy:



Here she is lip syncing to Fergie’s London Bridge:

Youtube video

[MB.]

Originally Posted by Nicky91

another wonderful thing from our icon MB

Very kind of you Nicky

[MB.]

In the words of Vanessa Vanjie Mateo, get dese cookies...

Cookie Kunty
from Paris, France



In a season of firsts, Cookie Kunty (boy name Romain Eck) is the first ever French queen on Drag Race, unless you count Thorgy for not shaving her legs. Well, technically, Cookie isn’t French; she was born in Canada, and grew up in various different parts of the world with her nomadic parents (as a result, she speaks French, English and Spanish fluently). Having gained an interest in drag from drawing other queens, she moved to Paris to further her arts education, and subsequently made her name as a hostess on the drag scene there. She cites Japanese culture and the club kid scene as some of her biggest inspirations, as well as her sister, a transgender woman who used to be a drag queen. The pressure of representing an entire country doesn’t seem to be fazing this Cookie, who says that she uses champagne to clean her brushes, but will she crumble under the pressure of RuPaul’s Drag Race? She’ll have to risk it for the biscuit, that’s for sure.

The mug:



The looks:



The boy:



Here's an article (in French, so you may want to have Google Translate handy) on Cookie, although her surname breaks the swear filter so you'll have to type that in manually

https://garcon-magazine.com/2017/04/...lle-generation

[MB.]

They say Young hearts run free...

Eva Young
from Chicago, Illinois



Pharmacy student by day and drag queen by night, Eva Young (boy name Andy Zhang)’s high-end fashion and unclockable beats have seen her become the most Instafamous queen in this season’s cast, racking up over 56,000 followers. She describes drag as her creative, artistic outlet in contrast to her strict Asian upbringing, as her parents aren’t aware that their son is gay, let alone that she does drag. Her passion for drag began at the age of twelve, when she and her friend (Jacob Szymanski, aka fellow queen Harlet Wench) dressed up as zombie hookers for Halloween. Since then, she has appeared on Gia Gunn’s YouTube channel and has released a single with several of her fellow Chicago queens, including season 10’s The Vixen. Eva lists anime, specifically Sailor Moon, as one of her main inspirations, and hopes to become America’s first ever superstar drag queen pharmacist.

The mug:



The looks:



The boy:



Here she is lip syncing to Britney’s Gimme More:

Youtube video

[Mokka]

Oh Cookie!
I was hoping a Canadian would make your list as a here Toronto hosts about 20 clubs that have drag acts on any given night

[MB.]

Our next queen is one busy bee...

Honey Davenport
from New York, New York



Hailing from the legendary Davenport drag dynasty, pageant queen Sir Honey Davenport (boy name James Clark) has a lot to live up to as she prepares for her Drag Race debut (from what I could find, she’s the niece of Kennedy and Sahara. Don’t ask me how that’s supposed to work). In fact, connections to other Drag Race queens are a very important part of Honey’s backstory – she got her big break travelling the world as a back-up dancer for Peppermint, and she happens to be the drag mother of a certain Miss Monét X Change which, if nothing else, suggests that New York City isn’t as huge as it may appear. That being said, she’s something of a drag legend in her own right: she has her own band, sings live, is a DJ and has won both the Miss’d America Pageant and Miss Stonewall, so I’d imagine she has quite the crammed CV. This won’t even be the first time that West Philadelphia-born Honey has met RuPaul, as a misunderstanding at a book signing (in which Ru signed her shirt “to Honey” as opposed to “to the Hunties”) led to her drag name being birthed into existence.

The mug:



The looks:



The boy:



Here she is lip syncing to Stevie Nicks’ I Can’t Wait (werk Stevie! You better ****ing werk!):

Youtube video

[MB.]

I think it's time to introduce some L'Whor and order... (sorry)

Jessica L'Whor
from Aurora, Colorado



As you may be able to tell from her promo look, Denver’s Best New Queen on the Scene 2016 Jessica L’Whor (boy name Zachary Sullivan) describes herself as a drag chameleon and tries not to stick to one particular style, as she enjoys surprising her audience (hence why she has such a penchant for costume reveals). Able to switch between sci-fi-inspired alien looks and classic glamour, her versatility, dark make-up and dramatic, long lashes set her apart from the crowd. She moved from Fort Collins to the larger city of Aurora, where she rather bravely lives in a house full of other drag queens, but works predominantly on the Denver scene alongside queens such as Nina Flowers, Felony Misdemeanor and Yvie Oddly (you may want to keep that particular name in mind). She says that red is her favourite colour, and tries to wear something red for every performance even if the audience can’t see it (c’mon knickers!)

The mug:



The looks:



The boy:



Here she is lip syncing to Meghan Trainor’s Me Too:

Youtube video

[MB.]

[Gia Gunn voice] you lady boi? you lady boi?

Lady Boi
from Dallas, Texas



Lady Boi started doing drag aged 17 in her small hometown in Missouri, and skipped four months’ worth of Fridays at school so she could perform. Today, she’s one of drag’s biggest rising stars, having appeared on Hey Qween, and has managed to maintain her profile despite losing her apartment and most of her possessions in an arson attack last October. She lists her biggest inspirations as Lucille Ball, Dita Von Teese, vintage cartoons, 90s supermodels and Willam Belli (she fairly recently appeared on Willam’s web-series Paint Me Bitch and gave her a makeover – I’d recommend watching the video, if not just because Alyssa Edwards shows up halfway through), which I’m sure you’ll agree is quite the eclectic mix. The only video on her YouTube channel isn’t of her lip syncing or doing a make-up tutorial, but a clip of Evan Peters jacking off in the shower on American Horror Story. There are also videos on her Instagram of Katya licking her nipple and of her dancing on stage to The Same Parts with a giant pink penis cannon. The bitch knows her audience.

The mug:



The looks:



The boy:



Lady Boi’s episode of PMB with Willam:

Spoiler:

Youtube video

Here she is lip syncing to Donna Summer’s Bad Girls:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Instagram (@instagram) on Feb 3, 2020 at 9:42am PST

[RileyH]

oh wow Lady Boi is stunning

[MB.]

Let's get foxxy! Wonk wonk!

Nicole Lynn Foxx
from New Orleans, Louisana



Nicole Lynn Foxx (boy name Louis Moore) is something of a regular on the nightclub and cabaret scene in The Big Easy, having been performing in drag there for seven years. Prior to that, she studied vocal music at the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts, where she also performed in operas. Taking inspiration from divas such as Grace Jones, Tina Turner and Natalie Cole, as well as her favourite TV show Star Trek, she describes her drag style as "fun and dramatic with high energy and sometimes a vintage twist.” She has a keen eye for branding, and already has her own range of multicoloured merchandise, so we may have found this season’s entrepreneurial fish. From what I can see, her lip syncing is as tight as Trinity Taylor’s tuck, so any queens who find themselves in the bottom two against her may want to pray for a miracle. At least she can give her fellow queens t-shirts with her face on as a parting gift after she eliminates them.

The mug:



The looks:



The boy:



Here she is lip syncing to Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds:

Youtube video

[MB.]

Originally Posted by RileyH

oh wow Lady Boi is stunning

The purple mug in the centre had me just a little shooketh when I saw it, I must admit

[MB.]

Bueno, Julie, acabo de escribir "ano"...

Rafaella Pop
from Madrid, Spain



Although Rafaella Pop is a big name on Madrid’s gay nightlife scene, she’s perhaps one of this season’s more mysterious queens: I wasn’t able to find out her boy name or come across any photos of her not in drag, so she seems to keep her cards close to her silicone chest. What was apparent from my research, however, was that she’s first and foremost a musical queen, having released a Spanish-language pop single and accompanying music video, and that she can certainly serve a lewk. She’s also Drag Race’s first ever Spanish queen, meaning that there’ll likely be some competition with fellow Europe-dweller Cookie Kunty this season. Think of it as a mini Eurovision, but slightly less gay. Amusingly enough, there’s one interview in which Rafaella is described, in Spanish, as "a ripe peach in the middle of a field of green lettuce", which I’ve absolutely no doubt will catch on as a nickname. I think it was a compliment, anyway.

The mug:



The looks:



She doesn’t seem to exist as a boy, although I probably just haven’t Nancy Drew’d well enough. Anyway, just assume that she’s as pretty and Spanish out of drag as she is in it.

Here she is performing her debut single (c’mon production value! Courtney Act hew?):

Youtube video

[MB.]

She's creepy and she's kooky, she might drive a Suzuki, the Addams family...

Valentine Addams
from Chicago, Illinois



Valentine Addams is doing double duty this season, representing both the big girls and the Latinx queens (she originally comes from Mexico and now resides in Chicago, although she describes herself as a "fairy succubus princess from one of Neptune's moons", so I’m not entirely sure). Like several other of this season’s queens, Valentine first did drag for Halloween at the age of 21, and was initially encouraged to perform by fellow Chicago queen Trannika Rex. Her drag name derives from her boy name, Valter, and her love of The Addams Family, although she acknowledges that her style has become considerably less gothy over time. She lists Shea Couleé, Kim Chi (both of which are also from Chicago) and Trixie Mattel among her close drag friends, so she should have received plenty of good advice on how to make it to the end in the run-up to Drag Race.

The mug:



The looks:



The boy:



Here she is lip syncing to Las Ketchup’s The Ketchup Song, dressed as a bottle of mustard:

Youtube video

[MB.]

Move over Bebe, there's a new Tribal Queen in town...

VinChelle
from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania



This won’t be the first crown that Philly drag queen VinChelle has had her eyes on, as she was the winner of Mimi Imfurst’s Drag Wars in 2015 (her! Mimi Imfurst! I could not believe it) and 2017 Philadelphia Drag Queen of the Year. A seasoned club host, comedy queen, vocalist, dancer and “lip sync extraordinaire”, VinChelle describes herself as a mixture of Tyra Banks, Beyoncé, Whitney Houston, Wendy Williams, Wanda Sykes, Whoopi Goldberg, and NeNe Leakes, so I can only assume that she’s incredibly rich. Despite taking inspiration from such larger-than-life divas, her fashion also often reflects her pride in her traditional African heritage and she nicknames herself the Tribal Queen, a side to her drag that she’s chosen to show off in her promo look. Originally from the African nation of… erm, Nashville, Tennessee, VinChelle, having changed her drag name from her original moniker of Shea Butter Werk, moved to The City of Brotherly Love with a theatre degree in order to pursue her dream of stardom. Will she make it big on the Drag Race stage?

The mug:



The looks:



The boy:



Here she is lip syncing to Fifth Harmony as Michelle Obama (who she cruelly left off that list of celebrities that she likens herself to):

Youtube video

[MB.]

I'm going to break this alphabetical order thang I've been doing especially for our penultimate queen, because in the words of Madonna, we need a Holiday...

Drü Holiday
from Dallas, Texas



Drü Holiday (boy name Andrew Clemens) is more than just a pretty face; at 20 years old, she’s the youngest queen to ever step foot on the Drag Race stage, meaning she’ll be on the cranberry juice for Untucked, yet she is already an accomplished, national award-winning artist. Take that, Sasha Velour. She’s also not a particularly scrawny queen either, and by the looks of things she spends any time not in drag in the gym, so take that, Kameron Michaels. Drü’s drag is heavily inspired by her passion for art, resulting in her quirky, vintage cartoon-like aesthetic style (she says she draws fashion inspiration from cartoon villains, such as Ursula from The Little Mermaid, the Evil Queen from Snow White and Sedusa from The Powerpuff Girls) and trademark drawn-on, colourful eyelids. It also turns out that I’ve followed her (boy) Twitter account out of thirst all this time without realising, from which I’ve learned that she’s a fan of Lady Gaga, Amy Winehouse, mermaids and tattoos. Lots and lots of tattoos.

The mug:



The looks:



The boy:



There don’t seem to be any videos of her lip syncing or performing online yet, so instead here are some more photos of boy Drü for all you thirsty queens out there.

Spoiler:

[MB.]

Finally (insert a gif of Nina voguing here), it's time to meet our final queen, and oddly enough I think I know who it is...

Yvie Oddly
from Denver, Colorado



Yvie Oddly (boy name Jovan Bridges) says her first taste of drag was dressing up as a dead hooker in high school, with her mom as her pimp, which may explain why she defines her drag aesthetic as being built on shock value rather than conventional glamour. Having previously dabbled with drag, her decision to commit to her art was made when she first saw Sharon Needles on Drag Race. Ever the resourceful queen, she enjoys working with unconventional materials, and has made outfits out of trash bags, zip ties and already-chewed chewing gum. Her first taste of success came when she won the 2015 Ultimate Queen Competition in Denver, and has since gone on to stake a claim in the shifting drag scene there: she hosts her weekly show The Oddly Hour at a bar where she also bartends during the day, and often incorporates topics of politics (telling stories, for example, about the Dakota Access Pipeline), religion, race and even leg-shaving into her performances.

The mug:



The looks:



The boy:



Interview in which she talks about the "gentrification" of drag, and explains why she did blackface despite being African-American herself

Another interview, starring boy Yvie:

Spoiler:

Youtube video

Here she is lip syncing to a 90s hip-hop medley:

Youtube video