RuPaul's Drag Race (season 3) - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

RuPaul's Drag Race Season 3 is the third season of RuPaul's Drag Race
RuPaul's Drag Race
RuPaul's Drag Race is an American reality television series produced by World of Wonder for Logo. RuPaul plays host, mentor and inspiration for this series, which details RuPaul's search for "America's next drag superstar."...

, which began airing on January 24, 2011. Thirteen drag queens compete for the title of "America's Next Drag Superstar", a headlining spot on the Absolut Tour, a lifetime supply of Kryolan makeup and a $75,000 cash prize.

This season saw Michelle Visage

Michelle Visage

Michelle Visage is a singer and TV/radio host.-Career:Michelle was discovered in 1989 when she was asked to join Seduction, an R&B and dance vocal trio assembled by Robert Clivilles and David Cole of C&C Music Factory fame...

replacing Merle Ginsberg at the judge's table and Billy B., Mike Ruiz and Jeffrey Moran filling in for Santino Rice's absence during several episodes. (Billy B. filled in for four episodes, Mike Ruiz for two, and Jeffrey Moran for one)
Other changes made were the introduction of a wildcard contestant from the past season, an episode with no elimination, and a contestant was brought back into the competition after having been eliminated a few episodes prior.
A new pitcrew was also introduced.
Like season two of the show, each week's episode is followed by a behind-the-scenes show, Rupaul's Drag Race Untucked.

At the end of the fifteenth episode Raja

Sutan Amrull

Sutan Amrull , known also as Raja and Raja Gemini, is an American make-up artist and drag performer. He is best known for his work on the reality television show America's Next Top Model, serving as the show's make-up artist for nine cycles...

was crowned winner of the third season of the show.

Although a specific DVD release date has not been announced, Amazon.com is currently taking pre-orders.

Contestants

The drag queens competing to be "America's Next Drag Superstar" for season three of RuPaul's Drag Race are:

Age	2	3	4	5	6	7	9	12
36		IN	IN	IN			IN
25		IN	IN		IN		IN
30	IN			IN
26	IN	IN		IN		IN		IN

}
|-
|
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|25
| || style="background:lightpink;"| LOW || style="background:lightpink;"| LOW || IN || IN || IN || IN || style="background:lightsteelblue;"| || style="background:yellow;"| || style="background:orange;"| ||style="background:#aaa;" colspan="1"| || style="background:orange;"| || style="background:#aaa;" colspan="1"| || style="background:#aaa;" colspan="1"|
|-
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|29
| || style="background:yellow;"| || style="background:#966FD6;"| || IN || style="background:lightsteelblue;"| || IN || style="background:lightpink;"| LOW || style="background:#966FD6;"| || IN || style="background:yellow;"| || style="background:orange;"| ||style="background:#aaa;" colspan="1"| || style="background:#aaa;" colspan="1"| || style="background:#aaa;" colspan="1"|
|-
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|34
| || IN || style="background:yellow;"| || IN || IN || style="background:yellow;"| || style="background:lightsteelblue;"| || style="background:orange;"| ||style="background:#aaa;" colspan="1"| ||style="background:#aaa;" colspan="1"| ||style="background:#aaa;" colspan="1"| || style="background:#aaa;" colspan="1"| || style="background:#aaa;" colspan="1"| || style="background:#aaa;" colspan="1"|
|-
|
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|25
| || IN || IN || style="background:lightsteelblue;"| || style="background:yellow;"| || style="background:#966FD6;"| || style="background:orange;"| ||style="background:#aaa;" colspan="1"| ||style="background:#aaa;" colspan="1"| ||style="background:#aaa;" colspan="1"| ||style="background:#aaa;" colspan="1"| || style="background:#aaa;" colspan="1"| || style="background:#aaa;" colspan="1"| || style="background:#aaa;" colspan="1"|
|-
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|29
| || IN || IN || style="background:lightpink;"| || style="background:lightpink;"| || style="background:orange;"| ||style="background:#aaa;" colspan="1"| ||style="background:#aaa;" colspan="1"| ||style="background:#aaa;" colspan="1"| ||style="background:#aaa;" colspan="1"| ||style="background:#aaa;" colspan="1"| || style="background:#aaa;" colspan="1"| || style="background:#aaa;" colspan="1"| || style="background:#aaa;" colspan="1"|
|-
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|23
| || IN || IN || style="background:yellow;"| || style="background:orange;"| ||style="background:#aaa;" colspan="1"| ||style="background:#aaa;" colspan="1"| ||style="background:#aaa;" colspan="1"| ||style="background:#aaa;" colspan="1"| ||style="background:#aaa;" colspan="1"| ||style="background:#aaa;" colspan="1"| || style="background:#aaa;" colspan="1"| || style="background:#aaa;" colspan="1"| || style="background:#aaa;" colspan="1"|
|-
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|27
| || style="background:lightsteelblue;"| || style="background:lightsteelblue;"| || style="background:orange;"| ||style="background:#aaa;" colspan="1"| ||style="background:#aaa;" colspan="1"| ||style="background:#aaa;" colspan="1"| ||style="background:#aaa;" colspan="1"| ||style="background:#aaa;" colspan="1"| ||style="background:#aaa;" colspan="1"| ||style="background:#aaa;" colspan="1"| || style="background:#aaa;" colspan="1"| || style="background:#aaa;" colspan="1"| || style="background:#aaa;" colspan="1"|
|-
|
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|29
| || IN || style="background:orange;"| ||style="background:#aaa;" colspan="1"| ||style="background:#aaa;" colspan="1"| ||style="background:#aaa;" colspan="1"| ||style="background:#aaa;" colspan="1"| ||style="background:#aaa;" colspan="1"| ||style="background:#aaa;" colspan="1"| ||style="background:#aaa;" colspan="1"| ||style="background:#aaa;" colspan="1"| || style="background:#aaa;" colspan="1"| || style="background:#aaa;" colspan="1"| || style="background:#aaa;" colspan="1"|
|-
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|26
| || style="background:orange;"| ||style="background:#aaa;" colspan="1"| ||style="background:#aaa;" colspan="1"| ||style="background:#aaa;" colspan="1"| ||style="background:#aaa;" colspan="1"| ||style="background:#aaa;" colspan="1"| ||style="background:#aaa;" colspan="1"| ||style="background:#aaa;" colspan="1"| ||style="background:#aaa;" colspan="1"| ||style="background:#aaa;" colspan="1"| || style="background:#aaa;" colspan="1"| || style="background:#aaa;" colspan="1"| || style="background:#aaa;" colspan="1"|
|-
|}

The contestant won RuPaul's Drag Race.

The contestant was the runner-up.

The contestant won a challenge. RuPaul decided to award two winners in Episode 3. Winners in Episodes 2, 4 & 5 received immunity

Immunity (reality television)

Immunity in reality television is a concept that is widely used in weekly elimination-type reality television shows by which a contestant participating in such a show may not be "kicked off" or eliminated from competition in a particular time period...

in the next challenge.

The contestant was one of the best but did not win the challenge.

The contestant was one of the worst but was not in the bottom two.

The contestant was in the bottom two.

The contestant was eliminated.

The contestant was voted Ms. Congeniality by viewers.

Episode 1 was the casting special.
Episode 2 features the return of Shangela Laquifa Wadley, who competed in season 2 but was eliminated in the first episode of that season.
In episode 9, Carmen Carrera and Yara Sofia ended up in the bottom two but both got a second chance to stay as there was no elimination that week.
Episode 12 features the return of Carmen Carrera, who was eliminated in the same episode, making her the first contestant in the show's history to be eliminated twice in the same season.
Episode 14 features highlights and unseen footage from the last 13 episodes.

Guest Judges

(In alphabetic order by stage name and/or last name)

Billy B. (Billy Brasfield; celebrity makeup artist and star of the HGTV
HGTV
HGTV , is a cable-television network operating in the United States and Canada, broadcasting a variety of home and garden improvement, maintenance, renovation, craft and remodeling shows...

Mini-series "Hometown Renovation")
- Substituted for Santino Rice as a regular judge for four episodes.
Wayne Brady
Wayne Brady
Wayne Alphonso Brady is an actor, singer, comedian and television personality, known for his work as a regular on the American version of the improvisational comedy television series Whose Line Is It Anyway?, and as the host of the daytime talk show The Wayne Brady Show...

(actor, comedian, and singer)
Margaret Cho
Margaret Cho
Margaret Cho is an American comedian, fashion designer, actress, author, and recording artist. Cho is best known for her stand-up routines, through which she critiques social and political problems, especially those pertaining to race and sexuality. She has also directed and appeared in music...

(actress and comedian)
Eliza Dushku
Eliza Dushku
Eliza Patricia Dushku is an American actress known for her television roles, including recurring appearances as Faith on Buffy the Vampire Slayer and its spinoff series Angel. She starred in two Fox series, Tru Calling and Dollhouse...

(actress)
Carmen Electra
Carmen Electra
Tara Leigh Patrick , professionally known as Carmen Electra, is an American glamour model, actress, television personality, singer, and dancer...

(actress)
Fantasia Barrino
Fantasia Barrino
Fantasia Monique Barrino commonly known as Fantasia, is an American R&B singer, Broadway and television actress who rose to fame as the winner of the third season of the reality television series American Idol in 2004. Following her victory, she released her debut single, "I Believe", which...

(singer, actress, and author)
Gigi Levangie Grazer (novelist and host of Logo's
Logo (TV channel)
Logo is an American digital cable television channel owned by Viacom's MTV Networks division. Launched in June 2005, the channel's programs are geared towards the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender community...

The Arrangement
The Arrangement (TV series)
The Arrangement is an American competitive reality television series featuring ten floral arrangers. The contestants face challenges in each episode to win the title of "America's Best Floral Designer" and win a prize package of a Smart Fortwo Passion Coupe and $25,000. The series began airing on...

)
LaToya Jackson (singer)
Debbie Matenopoulos
Debbie Matenopoulos
Thespina "Debbie" Matenopoulos is an American television personality and actress.- Early life :Matenopoulos was born in Richmond, Virginia, of Greek ancestry. Her birth name is Despina Matenopoulos, named after her grandmother...

(television host)
Mike Ruiz
Mike Ruiz
Mike Ruiz is a Canadian-born photographer, director, TV personality and former model and actor.- Early life :Ruiz, who is of French Canadian and Spanish ancestry, was born in Montreal in 1964, but raised in Repentigny, Quebec, Canada. After modeling for a decade he moved to Los Angeles to study...

(photographer, director, and reality television personality)
- Substituted for Santino Rice as a regular judge for two episodes.
Jeffrey Moran (Absolut Vodka
Absolut Vodka
Absolut Vodka is a brand of vodka, produced near Åhus, Skåne, in southern Sweden. Since July 2008 the company has been owned by the French firm Pernod Ricard who bought V&S Group from the Swedish government....

marketing/branding executive)
- Substituted for Santino Rice as a regular judge for one episode.
Arden Myrin
Arden Myrin
Arden Myrin is an American comedian and actress known for her role on the television show MADtv.-Early years:Myrin was born in Little Compton, Rhode Island, a seaside fishing village. She was the younger of two children; her father was an accountant, and her mother was a real estate agent. As a...

(comedian; former cast member of MADtv
MADtv
MADtv is an American sketch comedy television series. It licensed the name and logo of Mad, but otherwise had no connection with the humor magazine outside the animated Spy vs. Spy and Don Martin cartoon shorts and images of Alfred E. Neuman that the show featured during the late 1990s. Its first...

)
Sharon Osbourne
Sharon Osbourne
Sharon Rachel Osbourne is an English television host, author, music manager, businesswoman and promoter as well as the wife of heavy metal singer-songwriter Ozzy Osbourne....

(television host and reality television personality)
Susan Powter
Susan Powter
Susan Powter is an Australian-born motivational speaker, nutritionist, personal trainer and author, who rose to fame in the 1990s with her catchphrase "Stop the Insanity!" She hosted her own talk show The Susan Powter Show in the 1990s.-Life:Powter was born in Sydney, Australia in 1957, living...

(motivational speaker and fitness guru)
Amber Rose (model)
Rita Rudner
Rita Rudner
Rita Rudner is an American comedienne, writer and actress.-Early life:Rudner was born in Miami, Florida, the daughter of Frances, a homemaker, and Abe Rudner, a lawyer. Her mother died when she was 13. After graduating from high school at 15, Rudner left Miami and headed to New York City to embark...

(comedian)
Sara Rue
Sara Rue
Sara Rue is an American television actress. She is best known for the roles she played as Carmen Ferrara on the comedy-drama Popular and Claude Casey on the sitcom Less Than Perfect. She is also known as a spokesperson for Jenny Craig...

(actress)
Chloe Sevigny
Chloë Sevigny
Chloë Stevens Sevigny is an American film actress, fashion designer and former model. Sevigny gained reputation for her eclectic fashion sense and developed a broad career in the fashion industry in the mid 1990s, both for modeling and for her work at New York's Sassy magazine, which labeled her...

(actress and model)
Cheryl Tiegs
Cheryl Tiegs
Cheryl Rae Tiegs is an American model and actress.- Early years :Tiegs was born in Breckenridge, Minnesota but raised in Alhambra, California, and she graduated from Alhambra High School in 1965. She also attended the California State University, Los Angeles and became a little sister to the Sigma...

(model)
Lily Tomlin
Lily Tomlin
Mary Jean "Lily" Tomlin is an American actress, comedienne, writer, and producer. Tomlin has been a major force in American comedy since the late 1960's when she began a career as a stand up comedian and became a featured performer on television's Laugh-in...

(actress and comedian)
Alessandra Torresani (actress)
Aisha Tyler
Aisha Tyler
Aisha N. Tyler is an American actress, stand-up comedian, and author, known for her regular role as Andrea Marino in the first season of Ghost Whisperer and voicing Lana Kane in Archer, as well as her recurring roles in CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Talk Soup, and on Friends as Charlie...

(comedienne and actress)
Bruce Vilanch
Bruce Vilanch
Bruce Vilanch is an American comedy writer, songwriter and actor. He is a six-time Emmy Award-winner Vilanch is best known to the public for his four-year stint on Hollywood Squares, as a celebrity participant; in the entertainment industry he is best known as head writer for the show...

(comedy writer, songwriter, and actor)
Jody Watley
Jody Watley
Jody Vanessa Watley is an American, singer, songwriter, record producer, and founder of Avitone Records whose music crosses genres from Pop, R&B, Jazz, Dance and Electronic Soul....

(R&B/pop singer)
Johnny Weir
Johnny Weir
John Garvin "Johnny" Weir is an American figure skater. He is a three-time U.S. National Champion , the 2008 Worlds bronze medalist, a two-time Grand Prix Final bronze medalist, and the 2001 World Junior Champion....

(professional figure skater)
Vanessa Williams
Vanessa L. Williams
Vanessa Lynn Williams is an American pop-R&B recording artist, producer, dancer, model, actress and showgirl. In 1983, she became the first woman of African-American descent to be crowned Miss America, but a scandal generated by her having posed for nude photographs published in Penthouse magazine...

(actress, singer, and former Miss America
Miss America
The Miss America pageant is a long-standing competition which awards scholarships to young women from the 50 states plus the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands...

)

Episode One: Casting Extravaganza

The first episode shows behind the scenes of the casting process for the 2011 edition of "RuPaul's Drag Race." Featured are entrants that were not cast in the series. All the contestants are profiled. Raja reveals she has done make up for some pretty big names in Hollywood and her audition tape includes an endorsement from Adam Lambert

Adam Lambert

Adam Mitchel Lambert is an American singer, songwriter, and actor from San Diego, California. In May 2009, he finished as the runner-up on the eighth season of American Idol...

. India Ferrah shows us through video and old photos his early drag career which started at 14. Mimi and Stacy were premiered as the Big Girls of the Season. Phoenix talks about her start in drag. Venus D-lite and Delta Work are profiled, and it is revealed that they were chosen as a result of auditioning in front of RuPaul and Santino Rice at an open casting call in Hollywood, California.

Episode Two: The Queen Who Mopped Xmas

Season 3 begins with the introductions of 12 new queens vying to be "the next drag superstar". After the surprise revelation that the first eliminated second-season competitor Shangela has returned to be the thirteenth competitor in season three, the dolls receive their first challenge: a Christmas-card photo shoot on a trampoline (with Mike Ruiz

Mike Ruiz

Mike Ruiz is a Canadian-born photographer, director, TV personality and former model and actor.- Early life :Ruiz, who is of French Canadian and Spanish ancestry, was born in Montreal in 1964, but raised in Repentigny, Quebec, Canada. After modeling for a decade he moved to Los Angeles to study...

taking the pictures). Then it's off to a thrift store to stock up for their holiday-themed runway outfits. Ruiz, Vanessa Williams

Vanessa L. Williams

Vanessa Lynn Williams is an American pop-R&B recording artist, producer, dancer, model, actress and showgirl. In 1983, she became the first woman of African-American descent to be crowned Miss America, but a scandal generated by her having posed for nude photographs published in Penthouse magazine...

and Bruce Vilanch

Bruce Vilanch

Bruce Vilanch is an American comedy writer, songwriter and actor. He is a six-time Emmy Award-winner Vilanch is best known to the public for his four-year stint on Hollywood Squares, as a celebrity participant; in the entertainment industry he is best known as head writer for the show...

are the guest judges, joining regular judges Santino Rice

Santino Rice

Santino Quinto Rice is an American fashion designer and television personality. He is best known for his appearances on the reality television programs Project Runway, RuPaul's Drag Race, and On the Road with Austin and Santino.-Early life:Rice was born and raised in St. Charles, Missouri...

and Michelle Visage

Michelle Visage

(making her debut). India, Alexis, Phoenix, Mariah, Yara, Delta, and Stacy are declared safe. Mimi is criticized for her outfit's execution, but praised for the concept and is declared safe. Manila and Carmen are also safe, and Raja is declared the winner of the week. Venus and Shangela land in the bottom for their forgetful outfits and poor execution (this marks the second time Shangela has landed in the bottom two on week one). During the lipsync, Venus becomes unnecessarily rough. She throws her wig at the girls in the back and pushes Shangela numerous times. Shangela also removes her hairpiece and during the battle they are close to being half naked. RuPaul scolds the girls for the awkward performance before announcing that Shangela is safe and sending Venus D-lite home.

Guest Judges: Bruce Vilanch
Bruce Vilanch
Bruce Vilanch is an American comedy writer, songwriter and actor. He is a six-time Emmy Award-winner Vilanch is best known to the public for his four-year stint on Hollywood Squares, as a celebrity participant; in the entertainment industry he is best known as head writer for the show...

, Mike Ruiz
Mike Ruiz
Mike Ruiz is a Canadian-born photographer, director, TV personality and former model and actor.- Early life :Ruiz, who is of French Canadian and Spanish ancestry, was born in Montreal in 1964, but raised in Repentigny, Quebec, Canada. After modeling for a decade he moved to Los Angeles to study...

and Vanessa Williams
Vanessa L. Williams
Vanessa Lynn Williams is an American pop-R&B recording artist, producer, dancer, model, actress and showgirl. In 1983, she became the first woman of African-American descent to be crowned Miss America, but a scandal generated by her having posed for nude photographs published in Penthouse magazine...
Mini-Challenge: Christmas Card Photo Shoot
Mini-Challenge Winner: Raja
Main Challenge: Holiday Thrift Store Drag
Challenge Winner: Raja
Bottom Two: Shangela & Venus D-Lite
Lip Synch Song: "The Right Stuff" by Vanessa Williams
Eliminated: Venus D-Lite
Farewell Message: "Don't Be Shady!! Be A Lady! Love Ya, Venus DLite"

The premiere episode drew 449,000 total viewers, 33% higher than Season 2's premiere.

Episode Three: Queens in Space

After the contestants learn that the theme for the week is sci-fi, RuPaul arrives in the workroom to issue the mini-challenge. The girls are asked to pair up with the person they feel they have the strongest psychic connection to (Raja & Delta, Mariah & Phoenix, Carmen & Manila, Alexis & Stacy, Shangela & India and Mimi & Yara) and are then separated by a screen. One team member must "use ESP" to guess the other person's fashion accessories; what color boa, what kind of jewelry, what color cat, etc. The winning pair is Mariah and Phoenix, with their reward being competing team captains for the main challenge.

For the main challenge this week, the girls split into two teams to shoot a trailer for the Drag Queens in Outer Space movie saga; the original film, From Earth to Uranus (Team Phoenix) and the sequel Return to Uranus (Team Mariah). Each team had to shoot a different scene, but with the same characters. The characters assigned were as follows:

Character	Team Phoenix	Team Mariah
Boobarella	Delta	Mariah
Hermaphrodite	Raja	Mimi
Tweaker	Manila	Yara
Lady TaTa	Phoenix	Stacy
The Twinbots	Carmen & India	Shangela & Alexis

Guest judges include Lily Tomlin

Lily Tomlin

Mary Jean "Lily" Tomlin is an American actress, comedienne, writer, and producer. Tomlin has been a major force in American comedy since the late 1960's when she began a career as a stand up comedian and became a featured performer on television's Laugh-in...

and Caprica
Caprica (TV series)
Caprica is a science fiction drama television series. It is a spin-off prequel of the re-imagined Battlestar Galactica, taking place about 58 years prior to the events of Battlestar Galactica. Caprica shows how humanity first created the robotic Cylons who would later plot to destroy humans in...

alumna Alessandra Torresani. Mariah's team won, with Alexis and Shangela sharing the title of the challenge winner. As a result of two winners that week, no immunity was given. Phoenix and Delta landed in the bottom two; Phoenix for her weak performance in the trailer, and Delta for her runway outfit, which the judges felt held little to no resemblance of anything futuristic or space-like. During the lipsync to Lady Gaga's "Bad Romance" Delta's personality radiated through while Phoenix fell back on trying to impersonate Gaga. Delta was declared safe and Phoenix sashayed away.

Guest Judges: Lily Tomlin
Lily Tomlin
Mary Jean "Lily" Tomlin is an American actress, comedienne, writer, and producer. Tomlin has been a major force in American comedy since the late 1960's when she began a career as a stand up comedian and became a featured performer on television's Laugh-in...

and Alessandra Torresani
Mini-Challenge: Psychic Challenge
Mini-Challenge Winner(s): Mariah & Phoenix
Main Challenge: Sci-Fi movie spoofs
Challenge Winner(s): Alexis Mateo & Shangela
Bottom Two: Phoenix & Delta Work
Lip Synch Song: "Bad Romance" by Lady Gaga
Lady GaGa
Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta , better known by her stage name Lady Gaga, is an American singer and songwriter. Born and raised in New York City, she primarily studied at the Convent of the Sacred Heart and briefly attended New York University's Tisch School of the Arts before withdrawing to...
Eliminated: Phoenix
Farewell Message: "Be You Bitches (Boots) Loves, Phoenix"

Episode Four: Totally Leotarded

For their mini-challenge, the queens were asked to create a fashion style using duct tape

Duct tape

Duct tape, or duck tape, is cloth- or scrim-backed pressure sensitive tape often sealed with polyethylene. It is very similar to gaffer tape but differs in that gaffer tape was designed to be cleanly removed, while duct tape was not. It has a standard width of and is generally silver or black...

. In groups of two (and one group of three) the contestants had to glamorize their black leotards using duct tape of various colors. The teams assembled were Carmen & Manila, Yara & Raja, Alexis & Mariah, Shangela & India and Mimi, and Delta & Stacy. Carmen and Manila form the best look, complete with duct tape iPods, and win the challenge. The reward given was competing as team captains for the main challenge.

The girls are informed that the main challenge will be two inspirational work-out videos. Carmen and Manila are team captains (due to winning the duct tape leotard challenge). Carmen chooses Delta, India, Yara, and Mariah, while Manila chooses Raja, Stacy, Mimi, Shangela, and Alexis. Guest judges include fitness guru Susan Powter

Susan Powter

Susan Powter is an Australian-born motivational speaker, nutritionist, personal trainer and author, who rose to fame in the 1990s with her catchphrase "Stop the Insanity!" She hosted her own talk show The Susan Powter Show in the 1990s.-Life:Powter was born in Sydney, Australia in 1957, living...

, celebrity make-up artist Billy B (filling in for an absent Santino Rice), and singer LaToya Jackson. After the runway presentation, Delta, Raja, Manila, Carmen, and Shangela are declared safe. Alexis wins the challenge and is given immunity for this win. Stacy, Yara, and Mariah are also declared safe. India and Mimi land at the bottom; India for her boring work-out segment and over-done look on the runway, and Mimi for putting in too much slapstick comedy, causing it to come off sloppy. During the lipsync, Mimi picks up India from in front of the judges table and carries her up to the stage against her will. Rupaul scolds Mimi, stating "Drag is not a contact sport!" before eliminating her and declaring India safe.

Guest Judges: Billy B., LaToya Jackson and Susan Powter
Susan Powter
Susan Powter is an Australian-born motivational speaker, nutritionist, personal trainer and author, who rose to fame in the 1990s with her catchphrase "Stop the Insanity!" She hosted her own talk show The Susan Powter Show in the 1990s.-Life:Powter was born in Sydney, Australia in 1957, living...
Mini-Challenge: Leotard Challenge
Mini-Challenge Winner(s): Manila Luzon & Carmen Carrera
Main Challenge: Produce a fitness video with workout expert Susan Powter
Susan Powter
Susan Powter is an Australian-born motivational speaker, nutritionist, personal trainer and author, who rose to fame in the 1990s with her catchphrase "Stop the Insanity!" She hosted her own talk show The Susan Powter Show in the 1990s.-Life:Powter was born in Sydney, Australia in 1957, living...
Challenge Winner: Alexis Mateo
Bottom Two: Mimi Imfurst & India Ferrah
Lip Synch Song: "Don't Leave Me This Way
Don't Leave Me This Way
"Don't Leave Me This Way" is an R&B/soul/disco song written by Kenneth Gamble, Leon Huff, and Cary Gilbert. First charting as a hit for Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes, an act on Gamble & Huff's Philadelphia International label in 1975, "Don't Leave Me This Way" was later a hit single for both...

" by Thelma Houston
Thelma Houston
Thelma Houston is an American singer-songwriter and actress. She scored a number-one hit in 1976 with her cover version of the song "Don't Leave Me This Way", which won the 1978 Grammy Award for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance.-Early life & career:Houston is the daughter of a cotton picking mother...
Eliminated: Mimi Imfurst
Farewell Message: "mimiimfurst.com 'life is too short to live someone else's'"

Episode Five: QNN News

For the mini-challenges, the girls were given the task of creating a scandalous red carpet photo. Being a news-related episode, the winning photos were shown on WOW Report (Carmen's revealing crotch shot) and NewNowNext (Stacy's wardrobe malfunction). The winners became the team leaders as news anchors for "The Morning After News" on fictionalized QNN. To mentor the girls, anchor Debbie Matenopoulos

Debbie Matenopoulos

Thespina "Debbie" Matenopoulos is an American television personality and actress.- Early life :Matenopoulos was born in Richmond, Virginia, of Greek ancestry. Her birth name is Despina Matenopoulos, named after her grandmother...

provided tips on personality and delivery. Kristin Cavallari

Kristin Cavallari

Kristin Elizabeth Cavallari is an American television personality and actress. She is best known for her starring roles on the former MTV reality television programs Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County and its spin-off, The Hills.-Early life:Cavallari was born in Denver, Colorado, the second of...

was on hand to be interviewed by the girls as well. Guest judges include Chloe Sevigny

Chloë Sevigny

Chloë Stevens Sevigny is an American film actress, fashion designer and former model. Sevigny gained reputation for her eclectic fashion sense and developed a broad career in the fashion industry in the mid 1990s, both for modeling and for her work at New York's Sassy magazine, which labeled her...

, Debbie Matenopoulos

Debbie Matenopoulos

and celebrity make-up artist Billy B. (filling in for regular judge Santino Rice, who was notably absent for a second consecutive week.)

Character	Team Stacy	Team Carmen
Anchor 1	Stacy	Raja
Anchor 2	Alexis	Delta
Weather Girl	Yara	India
Gossip Reporter	Shangela	Carmen
Roving Reporter	Mariah	Manila

Note: Although they worked as team, each member was judged individually.

Carmen, Alexis, Yara, Raja, and Delta were declared safe. Although the judges loved Manila's gown, they were afraid her stereotypical Asian reporter came across as offensive. Matenopoulos congratulated Shangela, stating she could easily get a job as an entertainment reporter. India's performance was deemed bland and painful to watch. Stacy, once again, was scolded for holding back. RuPaul commented that Mariah was not fully delivering on challenges and was "resting in pretty". Manila won the challenge, leaving India and Stacy to lip synch for their lives. Stacy's lip synch was seen as on point and she remained in the competition, while India sashayed away.

Guest Judges: Billy B, Chloe Sevigny
Chloë Sevigny
Chloë Stevens Sevigny is an American film actress, fashion designer and former model. Sevigny gained reputation for her eclectic fashion sense and developed a broad career in the fashion industry in the mid 1990s, both for modeling and for her work at New York's Sassy magazine, which labeled her...

and Debbie Matenopoulos
Debbie Matenopoulos
Thespina "Debbie" Matenopoulos is an American television personality and actress.- Early life :Matenopoulos was born in Richmond, Virginia, of Greek ancestry. Her birth name is Despina Matenopoulos, named after her grandmother...
Mini-Challenge: Scandalous Red Carpet Photo
Mini-Challenge Winner(s): Carmen Carrera & Stacy Layne Matthews
Main Challenge: Produce a morning news show
Challenge Winner: Manila Luzon
Bottom Two: India Ferrah & Stacy Layne Matthews
Lip Synch Song: "Meeting in the Ladies Room
Meeting in the Ladies Room (Klymaxx song)
"Meeting in the Ladies Room" was a huge hit single recorded by Klymaxx for the MCA label. Relying on an outside producer and songwriters, this song was recorded and released as the second single off their fourth album, Meeting in the Ladies Room...

" by Klymaxx
Klymaxx
Klymaxx is a female Pop/R&B band from Los Angeles, California.-Biography:Klymaxx was conceived and formed by Bernadette Cooper, who also chose the name. The dream of an all girl band became a quest she pursued after leaving college...
Eliminated: India Ferrah
Farewell Message: Never Give Up, You're all stars…India Ferrah

Episode Six: The Snatch Game

For this week's mini challenge, the girls were asked to play "S**t RuPaul Says" to win the opportunity to call a family member. Delta won the challenge but gave the prize to Shangela who wanted to speak to her grandmother. The group was then asked to impersonate celebrities on "Snatch Game". Initially, Stacy Layne Matthews intended to impersonate Anna Nicole Smith

Anna Nicole Smith

In 1992 Smith was chosen by Hugh Hefner to appear on the cover of the March issue of Playboy, where she was listed as Vickie Smith, wearing a low-cut evening gown. The centerfold was photographed by Stephen Wayda. Smith said she planned to be "the next Marilyn Monroe". Becoming one of Playboys...

but after receiving criticism from RuPaul, she chose to do Mo'Nique instead. The panel was judged by model Amber Rose and comedienne Aisha Tyler

Aisha Tyler

Aisha N. Tyler is an American actress, stand-up comedian, and author, known for her regular role as Andrea Marino in the first season of Ghost Whisperer and voicing Lana Kane in Archer, as well as her recurring roles in CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Talk Soup, and on Friends as Charlie...

Queen	Celebrity Impersonation
Alexis Mateo	Alicia Keys Alicia Keys Alicia Augello Cook , better known by her stage name Alicia Keys, is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and occasional actress. She was raised by a single mother in the Hell's Kitchen area of Manhattan in New York City. At age seven, Keys began playing the piano...
Carmen Carrera	Jennifer Lopez Jennifer Lopez Jennifer Lynn Lopez is an American actress, singer, record producer, dancer, television personality, and fashion designer. Lopez began her career as a dancer on the television comedy program In Living Color. Subsequently venturing into acting, she gained recognition in the 1995 action-thriller...
Delta Work	Cher Cher Cher is an American recording artist, television personality, actress, director, record producer and philanthropist. Referred to as the Goddess of Pop, she has won an Academy Award, a Grammy Award, an Emmy Award, three Golden Globes and a Cannes Film Festival Award among others for her work in...
Manila Luzon	Imelda Marcos Imelda Marcos Imelda R. Marcos is a Filipino politician and widow of 10th Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos. Upon the ascension of her husband to political power, she held various positions to the government until 1986...
Mariah	Joan Crawford Joan Crawford Joan Crawford , born Lucille Fay LeSueur, was an American actress in film, television and theatre....
Raja	Tyra Banks Tyra Banks Tyra Lynne Banks is an American model, media personality, actress, occasional singer, author and businesswoman. She first became famous as a model, but television appearances were her commercial breakthrough...
Shangela Laquifa Wadley	Tina Turner Tina Turner Tina Turner is an American singer and actress whose career has spanned more than 50 years. She has won numerous awards and her achievements in the rock music genre have led many to call her the "Queen of Rock 'n' Roll".Turner started out her music career with husband Ike Turner as a member of the...
Stacy Layne Matthews	Mo'Nique
Yara Sofia	Amy Winehouse Amy Winehouse Amy Jade Winehouse was an English singer-songwriter known for her powerful deep contralto vocals and her eclectic mix of musical genres including R&B, soul and jazz. Winehouse's 2003 debut album, Frank, was critically successful in the UK and was nominated for the Mercury Prize...

For the runway portion, the girls were asked to wear their favorite drag look. Raja, Alexis and Stacy made the Top 3 while Delta, Mariah and Yara finished in the bottom. This caused much controversy backstage because most of the queens disagreed with the judges' decisions. Backstage, tension heated up between Shangela and Raja. Shangela criticized Raja's impression of Tyra Banks, and Shangela complained that she and Raja used to be friends until the competition. Raja complained that in the past, Shangela had returned borrowed items damaged and had used her, and many of the others agreed that Shangela continues to get other queens to help her in the competition because her own skills are poor. Mariah became defensive during the critique, stating Carrera's version of Lopez was a bitchy version of herself and Luzon's Imelda Marcos was an "offensive Filipino". Stacy won the challenge, impressing the judges and restoring their faith in her. Delta and Mariah "lip-synched for their lives" to remain in the competition. Mariah missed many of the lyrics causing her to sashay away, leaving Delta to remain in the competition.

Off the set, the elimination created controversy in the media. For her farewell message, Mariah was shown writing "Condragulations Raja", causing gossip sites to believe Raja was the winner of the competition. During the related Untucked episode, it was shown the message further stated "Mug4Dayz". The message was related to her comments towards Raja, referring to her as a "washed-up runway model" and implying more personal criticism. In the following episode, the latter part of the message was displayed on the mirror.

Guest Judges: Aisha Tyler
Aisha Tyler
Aisha N. Tyler is an American actress, stand-up comedian, and author, known for her regular role as Andrea Marino in the first season of Ghost Whisperer and voicing Lana Kane in Archer, as well as her recurring roles in CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Talk Soup, and on Friends as Charlie...

and Amber Rose
Mini-Challenge: S**t RuPaul Says
Mini-Challenge Winner: Delta Work
Main Challenge: Celebrity impersonations in a Match Game
Match Game
Match Game is an American television game show in which contestants attempted to match celebrities' answers to fill-in-the-blank questions...

-style setting
Challenge Winner: Stacy Layne Matthews
Bottom Two: Delta Work & Mariah
Lip Synch Song: "Looking for a New Love
Looking for a New Love
"Looking for a New Love" is the first single from Jody Watley's eponymous debut album. "Looking for a New Love" became one of the biggest pop and R&B singles of 1987...

" by Jody Watley
Jody Watley
Jody Vanessa Watley is an American, singer, songwriter, record producer, and founder of Avitone Records whose music crosses genres from Pop, R&B, Jazz, Dance and Electronic Soul....
Eliminated: Mariah
Farewell Message: "Condragulations Raja. Mug4Dayz! Mariah"

Episode Seven: Face, Face, Face of Cakes

At the beginning of the episode, the contestants are asked to do a tasteful nude photo shoot with photographer Deborah Anderson

Deborah Anderson

-Family and early life:Deborah Anderson is the daughter of singer Jon Anderson and Jennifer, and sister to singer Jade Anderson. On the 1983 Jon & Vangelis album Private Collection, Jon wrote the lyrics and sang "Deborah", a song dedicated to his daughter...

. Carmen won the challenge and was given the task to assign each contestant a cake. The main challenge called for a couture fashion ensemble modeled after the assigned cake. Furthermore, each cake had to be decorated to reflect the contestant's personality.

Queen	Cake
Alexis Mateo	Cheesecake Cheesecake Cheesecake is a dessert consisting of a topping made of soft, fresh cheese, usually on a crust or base made from biscuit , pastry or sponge cake. They may be baked or unbaked...
Carmen Carrera	Princess cake
Delta Work	Angel food cake
Manila Luzon	Carrot cake Carrot cake Carrot cake is a cake which consists of grated carrots mixed with batter. The carrot softens in the cooking process, and the cake usually has a soft, dense texture...
Raja	Chocolate lava cake Molten chocolate cake Molten chocolate cake, or lava cake, is a popular dessert that combines the elements of a flourless chocolate cake and a soufflé...
Shangela	Pineapple upside-down cake Upside-down cake An upside-down cake is a cake usually made in a pan with a curved bottom. Once cooked, turned over and allowed to set, the cake is eaten upside-down...
Stacy Layne Matthews	Red velvet cake Red velvet cake A red velvet cake is a cake with a dark red, bright red or red-brown color. It is usually prepared as a layer cake with either a vanilla, or chocolate flavor, topped with a creamy white icing or a cookie dough filling...
Yara Sofia	Strawberry shortcake Shortcake Shortcake is a sweet biscuit .Shortcake is typically made with flour, sugar, baking powder or soda, salt, butter, milk or cream, and sometimes eggs. The dry ingredients are blended, and then the butter is cut in and mixed until the mixture resembles cornmeal...

For the runway portion of the show, actresses Sara Rue

Sara Rue

Sara Rue is an American television actress. She is best known for the roles she played as Carmen Ferrara on the comedy-drama Popular and Claude Casey on the sitcom Less Than Perfect. She is also known as a spokesperson for Jenny Craig...

, Eliza Dushku

Eliza Dushku

Eliza Patricia Dushku is an American actress known for her television roles, including recurring appearances as Faith on Buffy the Vampire Slayer and its spinoff series Angel. She starred in two Fox series, Tru Calling and Dollhouse...

and make-up artist Billy B (filling in for absent Santino Rice) are the guest judges this week. During the critiques Raja, Manila and Delta received high marks from the judges, who also liked Yara's look, cake and make-up, while Stacy, Shangela and Alexis were admonished; Stacy for not looking couture, Shangela for her poor make-up skills, and Alexis for her awful design. Ru asked most of the queens who they thought should go home. Shangela replied Carmen, while Carmen and Delta both thought Stacy should leave. Stacy thought Carmen's look was not couture and she should be the one to go, while Raja wanted both Shangela and Stacy to go. After the judges' deliberation, Yara and Delta are safe, while Stacy is up for elimination. Manila is safe, and Raja is declared the winner this week. Shangela is also safe, along with Carmen, landing Alexis in the bottom 2 with Stacy. They perform to Amii Stewart

Amii Stewart

Amy 'Amii' Paulette Stewart is an American contemporary R&B/disco/dance-pop singer, dancer and actress most famous for her hit disco record "Knock on Wood". Stewart is the stepsister of actress-singer Miquel Brown and aunt to Brown's actress-singer daughter Sinitta.-Career:Amy Stewart was the...

's "Knock on Wood

Knock on Wood (song)

"Knock on Wood" is a hit 1966 song written by Eddie Floyd and Steve Cropper and originally performed by Eddie Floyd. The Eddie Floyd version peaked at number twenty-eight on the Hot 100, and spent one week at number one on the soul singles....

", Stacy being somewhat low-key while Alexis delivers high energy. RuPaul decides to keep Alexis Mateo, while Stacy sashayed away.

Off stage, a clique begins to form with Raja, Delta, Carmen and Manila referring to themselves as Heathers

Heathers

Heathers is a 1989 black comedy film starring Winona Ryder, Christian Slater and Shannen Doherty. The film portrays four girls in a trend-setting clique at a fictional Ohio high school...

, while Alexis, Yara, Stacy and Shangela were called "boogers".

Guest Judges: Billy B., Eliza Dushku
Eliza Dushku
Eliza Patricia Dushku is an American actress known for her television roles, including recurring appearances as Faith on Buffy the Vampire Slayer and its spinoff series Angel. She starred in two Fox series, Tru Calling and Dollhouse...

and Sara Rue
Sara Rue
Sara Rue is an American television actress. She is best known for the roles she played as Carmen Ferrara on the comedy-drama Popular and Claude Casey on the sitcom Less Than Perfect. She is also known as a spokesperson for Jenny Craig...
Mini-Challenge: Nude photo shoot with Deborah Anderson
Deborah Anderson
-Family and early life:Deborah Anderson is the daughter of singer Jon Anderson and Jennifer, and sister to singer Jade Anderson. On the 1983 Jon & Vangelis album Private Collection, Jon wrote the lyrics and sang "Deborah", a song dedicated to his daughter...
Mini-Challenge Winner: Carmen Carrera
Main Challenge: Create a fashion style inspired by wedding cakes
Challenge Winner: Raja
Bottom Two: Stacy Layne Matthews & Alexis Mateo
Lip Synch Song: "Knock on Wood
Knock on Wood (song)
"Knock on Wood" is a hit 1966 song written by Eddie Floyd and Steve Cropper and originally performed by Eddie Floyd. The Eddie Floyd version peaked at number twenty-eight on the Hot 100, and spent one week at number one on the soul singles....

" by Amii Stewart
Amii Stewart
Amy 'Amii' Paulette Stewart is an American contemporary R&B/disco/dance-pop singer, dancer and actress most famous for her hit disco record "Knock on Wood". Stewart is the stepsister of actress-singer Miquel Brown and aunt to Brown's actress-singer daughter Sinitta.-Career:Amy Stewart was the...
Eliminated: Stacy Layne Matthews
Farewell Message: "Be a lady! You're All Amazing. Stacy Layne 'Bryant' Matthews Jig..."

Episode Eight: Ru Ha Ha

In this week's mini-challenge, the cast were asked to "read" each other (popularized by the film Paris is Burning
Paris is Burning
Paris Is Burning may refer to:Film and television*Paris Is Burning , a 1990 documentary film*"Paris Is Burning" , the eleventh episode of Gilmore Girls first seasonMusic...

). Shangela wins the challenge, with her prize being to choose the order of the contestants for the main challenge. RuPaul announces that for the main challenge, the queens have to develop a stand-up comedy routine to perform in front of a live audience. In order to help them put an act together, they each get a one-on-one workshop with legendary comedienne Rita Rudner

Rita Rudner

Rita Rudner is an American comedienne, writer and actress.-Early life:Rudner was born in Miami, Florida, the daughter of Frances, a homemaker, and Abe Rudner, a lawyer. Her mother died when she was 13. After graduating from high school at 15, Rudner left Miami and headed to New York City to embark...

. Shangela later gives the girls the line-up for the show; starting with Raja, followed by Carmen, Alexis, Shangela, Manila, Yara and Delta. During the session with Rita, most of the contestants receive valuable advice from Rita on how to improve their stand-up routine, with the exception of Carmen, who had a hard time finding a basis for her routine and didn't receive any tips.

On the main stage, the contestants debut their comedy routines for the judges and the audience. Raja's set was based upon and inspired by the film Carrie. Carmen wore a soft sculpture

Soft sculpture

Soft sculpture is a type of sculpture made using cloth, foam rubber, plastic, paper, fibers and similar material that are supple and nonrigid....

fat suit and talked about secretly wanting to be a big girl, while Alexis came out as an energetic stripper version of herself, donning extremely large fake breasts. Shangela followed with her "post modern pimp-ho" character, and Manila's act focused mainly on a running gag of Sesame Street
Sesame Street
Sesame Street has undergone significant changes in its history. According to writer Michael Davis, by the mid-1970s the show had become "an American institution". The cast and crew expanded during this time, including the hiring of women in the crew and additional minorities in the cast. The...

and Mister Rogers' Neighborhood
Mister Rogers' Neighborhood
Mister Rogers' Neighborhood, also known as Mister Rogers, is an American children's television series that was created and hosted by Fred Rogers. The series is aimed primarily at preschool ages, 2-5, but has been stated by Public Broadcasting Service as "appropriate for all ages"...

allusions to homosexuality

Homosexuality

Homosexuality is romantic or sexual attraction or behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality refers to "an enduring pattern of or disposition to experience sexual, affectional, or romantic attractions" primarily or exclusively to people of the same...

. Yara's character was a sassy midget from Spain, while Delta's routine portrayed herself as a self-deprecating fat girl.

The judges unanimously loved Raja, Yara, Shangela and Carmen's routines. Alexis was called out for rushing through the routine and relying too much on her visual gag. Manila's look was lauded, but her act was called unoriginal, while Delta was criticized for being too nervous. After deliberating, Raja and Alexis are declared safe, while Manila is up for elimination. Shangela is deemed the best and wins the challenge. Yara and Carmen are also safe, which places Delta in the bottom two against Manila. Both queens were asked to lip sync to Donna Summer

Donna Summer

LaDonna Adrian Gaines , known by her stage name, Donna Summer, is an American singer/songwriter who gained prominence during the disco era of the 1970s. She has a mezzo-soprano vocal range. Summer is a five-time Grammy winner and was the first artist to have three consecutive double albums reach...

's disco hit "MacArthur Park

MacArthur Park

MacArthur Park is a park in the Westlake neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, named after General Douglas MacArthur and designated city of Los Angeles Historic Cultural Monument #100.- Geography :...

". Manila won the lipsync and Delta left the competition.

Tanner Stransky of Entertainment Weekly

Entertainment Weekly

Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...

called the lip-synch battle the "most cohesive lipsynch-for-your-life session [ever] in Drag Race history"

Guest Judges: Billy B., Rita Rudner
Rita Rudner
Rita Rudner is an American comedienne, writer and actress.-Early life:Rudner was born in Miami, Florida, the daughter of Frances, a homemaker, and Abe Rudner, a lawyer. Her mother died when she was 13. After graduating from high school at 15, Rudner left Miami and headed to New York City to embark...

and Arden Myrin
Arden Myrin
Arden Myrin is an American comedian and actress known for her role on the television show MADtv.-Early years:Myrin was born in Little Compton, Rhode Island, a seaside fishing village. She was the younger of two children; her father was an accountant, and her mother was a real estate agent. As a...
Mini-Challenge: "Read" (insult) the other contestants
Mini-Challenge Winner: Shangela
Main Challenge: Perform a stand-up routine in front of a live audience
Challenge Winner: Shangela
Bottom Two: Manila Luzon & Delta Work
Lip Synch Song: "MacArthur Park
MacArthur Park (song)
"MacArthur Park" is a song by Jimmy Webb, originally composed as part of an intended cantata. The song was initially rejected by The Association. Richard Harris was the first to record it, in 1968; the song was subsequently covered by numerous artists. Among the best-known covers are Donna Summer's...

" by Donna Summer
Donna Summer
LaDonna Adrian Gaines , known by her stage name, Donna Summer, is an American singer/songwriter who gained prominence during the disco era of the 1970s. She has a mezzo-soprano vocal range. Summer is a five-time Grammy winner and was the first artist to have three consecutive double albums reach...
Eliminated: Delta Work
Farewell Message: "WORK HEATHERS xoxo Delta"

Episode Nine: Life, Liberty & the Pursuit of Style

In the mini-challenge the contestants are asked to bedazzle

Bedazzler

The Bedazzler is a home appliance which is used to fasten rhinestones, studs, hunks, and patches to material, clothes and accessories.- History:...

black bras into something spectacular, and Manila wins. The contestants are then told they will be making 30-second promos themed around their love of America that will be shown to U.S. military members serving overseas. Each contestant will get ten minutes to film, with Manila getting an extra five minutes for winning the mini-challenge.

RuPaul tells the contestants to make it personal, but entertaining. Each contestant comes up with their own strategy. Carmen wants to speak seriously but entertain with her visual performance, Raja is unsure but wants to be humorous, Manila chooses to focus on the diversity of food in the U.S., and Shangela plans to be as funny as possible. Yara's father is part of the Army Reserves, but she does not want to focus on that in her performance, and Alexis is initially reluctant to discuss her former boyfriend because they broke up when he was sent overseas. RuPaul encourages her to use that experience, which she does to great effect in her video. During their preparations, Yara was also chagrined that after helping Shangela in previous challenges, Shangela was unwilling to help Yara when she asked during this challenge.

In their runway presentation, the contestants are told to dress in their most patriotic drag. Alexis wins the competition for her enthusiastic performance, and the judges note that her dress is fashioned from the U.S. Marine Corps dress uniform jacket her boyfriend left behind for her. Manila's money-themed dress was a hit on the runway, but her video failed to meet the judges' expectations. However, she is deemed safe. The judges felt Raja's video performance was lackluster, but pronounced her safe as well. The judges praised Shangela's video performance as energetic and entertaining, but noted her runway dress was poorly tailored and did not reflect a very patriotic feel. She was also deemed safe.

The judges criticized Carmen for her wooden and dull video performance. Although they loved her look on the runway, her facial expression and body language made them feel like she was bored so she was up for elimination. Yara's performance was high energy, but the judges questioned whether her "crazy Latina" persona would carry her through to the title, and she was also put up for elimination. Both contestants had to lip sync for their lives, but, after telling Carmen to stay, RuPaul also told Yara she could stay as well, becoming the first non-elimination challenge in the series.

Guest Judges: Cheryl Tiegs
Cheryl Tiegs
Cheryl Rae Tiegs is an American model and actress.- Early years :Tiegs was born in Breckenridge, Minnesota but raised in Alhambra, California, and she graduated from Alhambra High School in 1965. She also attended the California State University, Los Angeles and became a little sister to the Sigma...

and Johnny Weir
Johnny Weir
John Garvin "Johnny" Weir is an American figure skater. He is a three-time U.S. National Champion , the 2008 Worlds bronze medalist, a two-time Grand Prix Final bronze medalist, and the 2001 World Junior Champion....
Mini-Challenge: Decorate regular bras using rhinestones
Mini-Challenge Winner: Manila Luzon
Main Challenge: Film a patriotic message addressed to US military personnel overseas
Challenge Winner: Alexis Mateo
Bottom Two: Carmen Carrera & Yara Sofia
Lip Synch Song: "Mickey
Mickey (song)
"Mickey" is a 1982 U.S. new wave song recorded by singer and choreographer Toni Basil. Written by Mike Chapman and Nicky Chinn as "Kitty", it was first recorded by UK popular music group Racey during 1979...

(Spanish version)" by Toni Basil
Toni Basil
Antonia Christina Basilotta , better known by her stage name Toni Basil, is an American singer-songwriter, actress, filmmaker, film director, choreographer, and dancer, best known for her multi-million-selling worldwide #1 hit "Mickey" from 1982.-Early life:Basil was born Antonia Christina...
Eliminated: N/A
Stay Message: "I kiss Johnny Weir! Carmen Carrera"; "I'm still here! Echa Pa Lante xoxo Y.S."

Episode Ten: RuPaul-a-Palooza

This week's mini-challenge is a game of "Ru-sical chairs". It is exactly like musical chairs

Musical chairs

Musical chairs is a game played by a group of people , often in an informal setting purely for entertainment such as a birthday party...

except when the music stops, the chair-less queen must sing the next line in the song (All the songs being from RuPaul's album Champion
Champion (RuPaul album)
Champion is the fourth studio album from singer and drag queen RuPaul. It was released on iTunes February 24, 2009. The album is a mix of dance, electro pop, R&B, and hip-hop...

). If she gets it, she gets to eliminate one of her competitors; if she doesn’t, she’s out. When it comes down to 2 queens (Manila and Raja) and one chair, Manila is the last queen standing.

Ru announces that the main challenge this week has the queens performing a song for “RuPaul-a-Palooza”, and brings out Absolut Vodka

Absolut Vodka

Absolut Vodka is a brand of vodka, produced near Åhus, Skåne, in southern Sweden. Since July 2008 the company has been owned by the French firm Pernod Ricard who bought V&S Group from the Swedish government....

spokesman Jeffrey Moran. Each queen is going to record their own version of Ru’s new song, "Superstar", in one of six distinct musical styles, and since Manila won the mini-challenge, she gets to pick first and determine the order of the rest of the selections. The queens choose as follows:

Queen	Music Genre
Alexis Mateo	Hip Hop
Carmen Carrera	Reggae Reggae Reggae is a music genre first developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s. While sometimes used in a broader sense to refer to most types of Jamaican music, the term reggae more properly denotes a particular music style that originated following on the development of ska and rocksteady.Reggae is based...
Manila Luzon	Disco
Raja	Punk rock Punk rock Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
Shangela	Country Country music Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
Yara Sofia	Pop Pop music Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...

The queens arrive at the recording studio where they meet Ru's music producer Lucian Piane

Lucian Piane

Lucian Piane , also known by the Internet nickname RevoLucian, is an American composer and music producer. He has composed music for several films, television shows, theater productions and singers, and received a Recording Industry Association of America Platinum Album Award for his production...

. All of the girls deal with some difficulty while recording, from Shangela's overconfidence to Yara's inability to "sound" good. The following day the queens find mp3 players with their recorded songs, and all are pleased with the final products except Carmen, who thinks she sounds horrible. After lip syncing to their songs on the main stage, it is time for the judges' critiques. Only Raja received unanimous praise from the judges, while the other queens each got their share of criticisms. After some deliberation, Yara is safe and Raja is declared the winner of the challenge. Carmen's performance lands her in the bottom two again, while Manila and Alexis are declared safe. This leaves Shangela to lip synch against Carmen to Cher

Cher

Cher is an American recording artist, television personality, actress, director, record producer and philanthropist. Referred to as the Goddess of Pop, she has won an Academy Award, a Grammy Award, an Emmy Award, three Golden Globes and a Cannes Film Festival Award among others for her work in...

's "Believe

Believe (Cher song)

"Believe" is a song by American recording artist Cher. It was released on November 24, 1998 as the lead single from her twenty-third studio album of the same name. It was written by Brian Higgins, Stuart McLennen, Paul Barry, Steven Torch, Matthew Gray, and Timothy Powell and produced by Mark...

". Shangela out battled Carmen and was chosen to stay, while Carmen was sent home.

In the next episode, the queens say that Carmen wrote messages to each of them. One message visible to viewers is "Shangela, shablam across the board." Also visible is the message "Heathers better win."

Note: Santino Rice is noticeably absent in this episode as well.

Guest Judges: Jeffrey Moran, Jody Watley
Jody Watley
Jody Vanessa Watley is an American, singer, songwriter, record producer, and founder of Avitone Records whose music crosses genres from Pop, R&B, Jazz, Dance and Electronic Soul....

and Carmen Electra
Carmen Electra
Tara Leigh Patrick , professionally known as Carmen Electra, is an American glamour model, actress, television personality, singer, and dancer...
Mini-Challenge: "Ru"sical Chairs
Mini-Challenge Winner: Manila Luzon
Main Challenge: Record a single and perform it before a live audience
Challenge Winner: Raja
Bottom Two: Shangela & Carmen Carrera
Lip Synch Song: "Believe
Believe (Cher song)
"Believe" is a song by American recording artist Cher. It was released on November 24, 1998 as the lead single from her twenty-third studio album of the same name. It was written by Brian Higgins, Stuart McLennen, Paul Barry, Steven Torch, Matthew Gray, and Timothy Powell and produced by Mark...

" by Cher
Cher
Cher is an American recording artist, television personality, actress, director, record producer and philanthropist. Referred to as the Goddess of Pop, she has won an Academy Award, a Grammy Award, an Emmy Award, three Golden Globes and a Cannes Film Festival Award among others for her work in...
Eliminated: Carmen Carrera
Farewell Message: "Heathers better win."

Episode Eleven: RuPaul's Hair Extravaganza

Guest Judges: Wayne Brady
Wayne Brady
Wayne Alphonso Brady is an actor, singer, comedian and television personality, known for his work as a regular on the American version of the improvisational comedy television series Whose Line Is It Anyway?, and as the host of the daytime talk show The Wayne Brady Show...

and Fantasia Barrino
Fantasia Barrino
Fantasia Monique Barrino commonly known as Fantasia, is an American R&B singer, Broadway and television actress who rose to fame as the winner of the third season of the reality television series American Idol in 2004. Following her victory, she released her debut single, "I Believe", which...
Mini-Challenge: Create beach-themed hairpieces
Mini-Challenge Winner: Raja
Main Challenge: Design three outfits for a hair show, featuring one outfit made entirely from wigs
Challenge Winner: Yara Sofia
Bottom Two: Alexis Mateo & Shangela
Lip Synch Song: "Even Angels" by Fantasia Barrino
Eliminated: Shangela
Farewell Message: "Always live your dreams and believe in second chances. Halleloo! Love Shangela"

Episode Twelve: Jocks in Frocks

As the episode begins, RuPaul reveals that Carmen Carrera is returning to the competition after being unanimously voted back by the other judges. The queens move on to the mini-challenge in which they play RuPaul's version of the dunk tank

Dunk tank

A dunk tank, also known as a dunking booth or dunking machine, is an attraction mainly used in funfairs, fundraisers, and personal parties. Basically, a dunk tank consists of a large tank of water, over which a seat is suspended...

, the Badonkadonk Dunking Machine. Alexis Mateo wins the challenge after managing to dunk Yara Sofia fourteen times.

RuPaul next announces the main challenge: The queens must make over five masculine, heterosexual jocks as their drag sisters. Alexis Mateo gets to choose which queen gets which jock for winning the mini-challenge. As a twist, RuPaul reveals the queens must also dress their jocks as cheerleaders and perform cheers about safe sex. The jocks soon discover the challenges of drag as the queens teach them to walk, paint, and tuck their way to the top. Carmen decides to show off her jock's body as an expression of her own drag persona, Raja tries to bring out the fierceness in her quiet jock by using a classic movie look, Alexis is hit on by her jock as she transforms him in her own image, Yara works on getting her jock to match her spicy, sexy runway style and Manila is frustrated by her jock's antics but is helped by his eagerness to learn.

The queens and their new drag sisters first perform their safe-sex cheers for the judges (including guest judges Margaret Cho

Margaret Cho

Margaret Cho is an American comedian, fashion designer, actress, author, and recording artist. Cho is best known for her stand-up routines, through which she critiques social and political problems, especially those pertaining to race and sexuality. She has also directed and appeared in music...

, Sharon Osbourne

Sharon Osbourne

Sharon Rachel Osbourne is an English television host, author, music manager, businesswoman and promoter as well as the wife of heavy metal singer-songwriter Ozzy Osbourne....

and Mike Ruiz

Mike Ruiz

(filling in for absent Santino Rice)) and conclude with their runway performances. Alexis Mateo and her drag sister are critiqued for their cheer being too busy but are praised for their mirror-image appearance. Manila is declared the winner of the challenge after she and her sister Fuchsia Luzon dazzle the judges with their Chinese doll look and hilarious cheer routine. Raja is critiqued for her drag sister Enigma's poor runway walk and for losing the judges during their cheer. Yara Sofia and her sister are praised for their runway look despite not having as dynamic performance as the other queens. The judges fawn over Carmen's personal look but critique her choice in wardrobe for her drag sister's muscular build. Alexis and Yara are declared safe while Raja and Carmen must lip-sync Paula Abdul

Paula Abdul

Paula Julie Abdul is an American singer-songwriter, dancer, choreographer, actress and television personality.In the 1980s, Abdul rose from cheerleader for the Los Angeles Lakers to highly sought-after choreographer at the height of the music video era before scoring a string of pop music-R&B hits...

's "Straight Up." After a particularly sexy performance (with the heterosexual jocks cheering them on backstage, as seen in Untucked) Raja is asked to stay and Carmen is once again sent home.

Guest Judges: Mike Ruiz
Mike Ruiz
Mike Ruiz is a Canadian-born photographer, director, TV personality and former model and actor.- Early life :Ruiz, who is of French Canadian and Spanish ancestry, was born in Montreal in 1964, but raised in Repentigny, Quebec, Canada. After modeling for a decade he moved to Los Angeles to study...

, Margaret Cho
Margaret Cho
Margaret Cho is an American comedian, fashion designer, actress, author, and recording artist. Cho is best known for her stand-up routines, through which she critiques social and political problems, especially those pertaining to race and sexuality. She has also directed and appeared in music...

and Sharon Osbourne
Sharon Osbourne
Sharon Rachel Osbourne is an English television host, author, music manager, businesswoman and promoter as well as the wife of heavy metal singer-songwriter Ozzy Osbourne....
Returned: Carmen Carrera
Mini-Challenge: Dunk-A-Queen
Mini-Challenge Winner: Alexis Mateo
Main Challenge: Dress heterosexual athletes in drag
Challenge Winner: Manila Luzon
Bottom Two: Raja & Carmen Carrera
Lip Synch Song: "Straight Up" by Paula Abdul
Paula Abdul
Paula Julie Abdul is an American singer-songwriter, dancer, choreographer, actress and television personality.In the 1980s, Abdul rose from cheerleader for the Los Angeles Lakers to highly sought-after choreographer at the height of the music video era before scoring a string of pop music-R&B hits...
Eliminated: Carmen Carrera
Farewell Message: "Good bye AGAIN!! Best of luck to everyone. Turn it out & don't be a sprepper! xoxo Carmen"

Episode Thirteen: Make Dat Money

The final four begin this episode with a mini-challenge of creating a marketable drag product from their own wardrobe and then deliver a sales pitch on RuVC. (A parody of the real life QVC

QVC

QVC is a multinational corporation specializing in televised home shopping. Founded in 1986 by Joseph Segel in West Goshen Township, Pennsylvania, United States, QVC broadcasts in five countries as QVC US, QVC UK, QVC Germany, QVC Japan and – QVC Italy to 200 million households...

.) Raja chooses her gaff (also known as a Cache-sexe

Cache-sexe

A cache-sexe is an item, often a small garment, that covers its user's genitals. The most common style, seen in Western G-strings and Japanese Fundoshis, has a triangle of material attached at the corners to straps or strings around the waist and between the legs, that fasten the triangle over the...

), Manila her MANila hairspray, Yara Sofia selects her "Pop-It-On" hairpiece and Alexis Mateo picks her hip and butt pads. Yara wins the mini-challenge, as Ru announces the main challenge — to create three looks for three distinct categories: Swimsuit Body Beautiful, Cocktail Attire After 5 and Evening Gown Eleganza, which must be made out of 1 million Ru Dollars. The girls must also perform a choreographed lip-sync to "Just Wanna Dance" by guest judge LaToya Jackson. During the prep, Alexis begins to doubt why she is still in the competition and leaves the workroom briefly, but returns later.

The choreography rehearsal for the number is rough for Manila and Raja, who feel Yara's choreography is too difficult for them. On the main stage, the number goes off without a hitch in front of LaToya, Mike Ruiz

Mike Ruiz

(filling in for absent Santino Rice) and Gigi Levangie Grazer. During the judges critiques, each girl has a problem with at least one look. Yara's "Evening Gown Eleganza" look is critiqued for having a bit too much, and her cocktail dress presentation lacked punch. Alexis Mateo's swimwear and cocktail dress were noted for being too simple, but the judges loved her gown. Manila's three looks are critiqued positively (with her only detractor being from LaToya, who thought her hair was too big) and Raja's cocktail outfit was too plain for the panel.

Before dismissing the girls, Ru asks each of them why they deserve to be America's Next Drag Superstar. Yara levels with the judges and tells them she is broke and needs the money to move to America. Alexis makes her case for her imperfections but her desire to continue. Manila wants to carry her message of love to everyone if she wins. Raja makes the case for the LGBT youth and wanting to share her story, and leave her legacy. Manila is declared the winner of the challenge, Raja is safe. Alexis and Yara fall into the bottom two, having to lip-sync to Patti LaBelle's "I Think About You."

During the lip-sync, the pressures of the competition get to Yara (who in the "Untucked" felt unfairly negatively critiqued, as compared to Raja) who completely gives up, shredding her Eleganza look, and breaking down, crying on stage. Alexis is told to chante, crying at the thought of sending her drag sister home, while Yara sashays away.

Guest Judges: LaToya Jackson, Mike Ruiz
Mike Ruiz
Mike Ruiz is a Canadian-born photographer, director, TV personality and former model and actor.- Early life :Ruiz, who is of French Canadian and Spanish ancestry, was born in Montreal in 1964, but raised in Repentigny, Quebec, Canada. After modeling for a decade he moved to Los Angeles to study...

and Gigi Levangie Grazer
Mini-Challenge: Create a marketable drag product and deliver a sales pitch for it on fictitious home shopping network "RuVC
QVC
QVC is a multinational corporation specializing in televised home shopping. Founded in 1986 by Joseph Segel in West Goshen Township, Pennsylvania, United States, QVC broadcasts in five countries as QVC US, QVC UK, QVC Germany, QVC Japan and – QVC Italy to 200 million households...

"
Mini-Challenge Winner: Yara Sofia
Main Challenge: Perform wearing dresses made out of money
Group Lip Synch Song: "Just Wanna Dance
Just Wanna Dance
"Just Wanna Dance" is a single by American singer La Toya Jackson. It is taken from her yet-to-be-released album Startin' Over. It peaked at #13 on the US Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart, making it her highest charting single.-Song information:...

" by LaToya Jackson
Challenge Winner: Manila Luzon
Bottom Two: Alexis Mateo & Yara Sofia
Lip Synch Song: "I Think About You" by Patti LaBelle
Patti LaBelle
Patricia Louise Holte-Edwards , better known under the stage name, Patti LaBelle, is a Grammy Award winning American singer, author and actress who has spent over 50 years in the music industry...
Eliminated: Yara Sofia
Farewell Message:"Echa pa' lante, no mires pa' atras, pa' coger impulso, and you know what f&%k you haha" (English: Move forward, don't look back, and gain impluse) These are the lyrics to songs by singers Thalia's "Echa 'Pa Lante" ("Move Forward") and Hector Lavoe
Héctor Lavoe
Héctor Juan Pérez Martínez , better known as Héctor Lavoe, was a Puerto Rican salsa singer. Lavoe was born and raised in the Machuelito sector of Ponce, Puerto Rico. Early in his life, he attended a local music school and developed an interest inspired by Jesús Sánchez Erazo. He moved to New York...

's "Todo tiene su final" ("Everything Comes To An End")

Episode Fourteen: RuPaul Rewind

A look back at the highlights, low-lights and previously unseen footage from the first 13 episodes. Chaz Bono made a cameo appearance during the episode's opening scene as a cameraman. Season two winner Tyra Sanchez as well as runner-up Raven

Raven (drag queen)

Raven is an American drag queen and reality television personality from Riverside, California. He is best known as a contestant on second season of RuPaul's Drag Race...

and Jujubee

Jujubee (drag queen)

Jujubee is an American drag queen and reality television personality from Boston, Massachusetts. He is best known as a contestant on Season 2 of RuPaul's Drag Race.-RuPaul's Drag Race:...

returned to the provide their opinions on the season's highlights.

Episode Fifteen: Grand Finale

The final three return to the workroom where Michelle Visage

Michelle Visage

greets them and delivers the final challenge — costarring in the music video for Ru's song "Champion." During rehearsals, each of the girls also has a 'lunch' of tic-tacs with RuPaul and reflects on what got them to the finale. Raja and Manila have some issues with the choreography, but both manage to pull it together for the shoot directed by Mathu Andersen. The music video shoot proves difficult as Raja continues to forget parts of her choreography, Manila has issues with intimacy with members of the pit crew and Alexis has no profile during a silhouetted portion due to her constant movement.

The final main stage presentation has the queens in their favorite looks. After walking the runway for Ru, Michelle and Santino Rice

Santino Rice

, and being critiqued on their performance in the "Champion" video, RuPaul asks each of the finalists to give positive and negative critiques of themselves and the other two finalists. Alexis compliments Raja for her runway walk, but feels she is hard to read. For Manila, Alexis says she wanted to punch her, before she got to know her. And for herself, Alexis wishes she could be less hard on herself, even though she is a fighter. Manila's critiques start with Alexis, saying she is a fantastic performer but her drag doesn't excite. Raja is fashion but too editorial, and Manila says she, herself, can be stubborn at times, although she feels is a versatile performer. Last up is Raja who feels that while Alexis is talented, she doesn't think outside the box. To her, Manila is entertaining, but she needs to grow. And for herself, Raja feels she can recognize she is beautiful. (No con is discussed during the episode).

After deliberating, Alexis is eliminated from the race, leaving Manila and Raja to lip-sync for the crown to RuPaul's "Champion." Ru makes her decision, declaring Raja the winner. Manila is out, and breaks down backstage, having been so close to the prize and having it snatched from her. Raja is crowned and walks the runway as America's Next Drag Superstar as Ru, Michelle and Santino cheer her on.

Main Challenge: Participate in the filming of the music video for RuPaul's song "Champion"
Eliminated: Alexis Mateo
Farewell Message: Always know your place. The jig is up!!! Siempre, Alexis
Lip Synch Song: "Champion"
Runner-Up: Manila Luzon
Farewell Message:
Winner of RuPaul's Drag Race Season 3: Raja
Raja
Raja is an Indian term for a monarch, or princely ruler of the Kshatriya varna...

Episode Sixteen: Reunion

The queens of RuPaul's Drag Race reunite for the first time since the shooting of the series. In this reunion special, all thirteen contestants return to give their take on what happened during the show. Plus, the girls confront the judges and each other and RuPaul reveals that Yara Sofia is the winner of the title of Miss Congeniality. One issue brought up was the "Heathers" issue. The four "Heathers" stated they branded themselves this way in fun and did not take it seriously, while many of the other contestants felt that what they did ranged from "stupid" to downright hurtful and took offense to the whole issue. As part of this, Shangela justifiably confronted the "Heathers" while Stacy Lane Matthews remained hurt and offended. As a peace offering for offending her, Raja gave her the "Heathers" necklace (which all the "Heathers" had on) from around her own neck and helped put it on Stacy. Another issue brought up was Mimi Imfurst's action of picking up and carrying India Ferrah during episode four's "Lipsync for You Life." Mimi stated that as part of her drag show, she regularly picks up and carries an audience member during the performance and therefore felt that she did not do anything wrong. RuPaul again told Mimi that what she did was not in going with the spirit of the show, to which all the other queens agreed.

U.S. television ratings

Episode	Title	Viewers (in millions)	Households¹	Ages 18–49¹	Network
2	The Queen who Mopped Xmas	0.449	-	0.4/1	LOGO
3	Queens in Space	0.560	0.3/1	0.3/1	VH1
4	Totally Leotarded	0.478	0.3/1	0.2/1
5	QNN News	0.537	0.4/1	0.3/1
6	The Snatch Game	0.503	0.3/1	0.2/1
7	Face, Face, Face of Cakes	0.486	0.4/1	0.2/1
8	Ru Ha Ha	0.483	0.3/1	0.2/1

¹Based upon point/share system for Nielsen ratings

Nielsen Ratings

Nielsen ratings are the audience measurement systems developed by Nielsen Media Research, in an effort to determine the audience size and composition of television programming in the United States...

. The first number represents the percentage of households within the population viewing the program (known as points). The second number (known as shares) is how many households were expected to view the program, within the population. For example, Episode 8 has a point/share of "0.3/1". This means .3% of households viewed the program from the expected 1%, showing .7% of the show's audience were watching a different program.

External links

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Official Facebook page

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