By Bebe Zahara Benet
If you're like me, you're sad about "RuPaul's Drag Race" getting closer to its finale. But what makes me happy is getting the chance to talk to the queens I've enjoyed watching all season. Queens like Tatianna, who I think handled the stress of the show exceedingly well considering she was the target of significant shade from some of the other girls. Tatianna told me she wanted to take the "Race" plunge during season one, but at only 20, she was too young! "I vowed I was not going to stop trying until I made it."
I wanted to know how someone so young stayed grounded in a very tough competition. "I just kept (thinking) in the back of my head, I was chosen for a reason," Tatianna explained. "I pushed everything aside when I got on the main stage. I did make great friends. Juju, Pandora and Jessica were all great."
Not on that list? Raven! I wanted to know what their relationship is like now. "We don't have one," Tatianna said. "When I left the show I had a lot of negative feelings toward her," she told me. "Since watching the show I have even more negative feelings toward her. If you feel so on top of it, why spend so much time on what I'm doing? Concentrate on yourself."
So what did Tatianna think of Tyra? Does she feel Tyra's behavior is based on her age?
"Me and Tyra are the same age," Tatianna said. "I don't necessarily think it's young. She came into the competition with a kind of strategy being the way she was. I don't think she's a bad person, but just a little misguided in the way she was acting toward her competition."
That is some smart analysis. Almost as smart as Tatianna's Britney impersonation, which I think was one of her top moments on the show. "At first I was really scared," she said. "When I did it I was surprised how easy it came out of me. I was really proud of myself."
Tatianna knew the last challenge was going to be a tough one for her since it required her to come up with three looks. "Throughout the whole season the judges didn't particularly enjoy the clothing I brought," she said. "I thought, Do I have enough clothes for this? I had to make something."
Clothes were an issue, but so was the lip-sync for her life. She explained that the show gave them all the songs to memorize about a month before production, but this week's song was changed out three days prior! "All the lyrics are ad libs," Tatianna explained, "So I tried to distract them from my mouth!"
It's great Tatianna used the show to learn more about herself and drag. I can't wait to see how she evolves. She's a trooper!
