RuPaul’s Drag Race: 10 Issues You Didn’t Know About Alaska
Alaska is without doubt one of the most memorable and beloved drag queens to ever compete on RuPaul’s Drag Race, a lot in order that she was introduced again for All Stars 2 and ended up snatching the crown. After the present, Alaska led an extremely profitable profession, being featured on exhibits like Scared Well-known and @midnight, and even within the movie The Final Sharknado: It’s About Time.
However even with a lot Alaska content material obtainable on the market, there are nonetheless fairly just a few issues that the majority Drag Race followers might not understand concerning the queen of snakes. There are a number of curious tidbits that actually inform who the character of Alaska is, and even coincidences that followers might have by no means seen earlier than.
Proceed scrolling to maintain studying
Click on the button beneath to begin this text in fast view
Begin Now
10 ALASKA IS A MIXTURE OF BRITNEY SPEARS AND DIVINE
It could be laborious for RuPaul’s Drag Race followers to explain Alaska to the common passerby, however the queen actually has no drawback explaining who her visible references are.
Throughout an interview with the Philadelphia Journal, Alaska revealed that she has all the time seen her herself as “a combination of Britney Spears and Divine.” Divine is, after all, the drag queen who reached mainstream fame for her work with author and director John Waters. Most notably, the pair labored collectively in 1972’s Pink Flamingos, which went on to turned a cult hit.
9 SHE HAS BEEN ATTACHED TO SEVERAL GROUPS
Through the years, Alaska has demonstrated that she likes being in group settings quite a bit. Earlier than RuPaul’s Drag Race, Alaska based Haus of Hang-out alongside Cherri Baum and then-boyfriend Sharon Needles. Based on the queen, this was “a Pittsburgh-based collective of artists, freaks, drag performers, and all-around weirdos.” Then, whereas on Drag Race, Alaska began the group Ro-Laska-Tox with fellow season 5 contestants Roxxxy Andrews and Detox.
After successful All Stars 2 – the place Ro-Laska-Tox was reunited – Alaska went on to type the AAA Ladies with former Drag Race contestants Willam (season four) and Courtney Act (season 6). Collectively, the AAA Ladies headlined nationwide excursions and launched fairly just a few singles. However in case you suppose that Alaska was carried out with partnering up, you might be very fallacious. As current as 2018, this queen fashioned the duo Alaska & Jeremy, which launched the people album “Amethyst Journey.”
eight ALASKA’S AUDITIONING HISTORY ON DRAG RACE
When fascinated with Alaska’s trajectory earlier than, throughout, and after Drag Race, it’s laborious to think about another queen – apart from RuPaul himself – that has had a deeper reference to this franchise.
Based on Alaska, she despatched an audition tape to be on Drag Race each single yr till season 5, when she lastly made it on the present. Nonetheless, Alaska was already featured within the season four finale on account of the truth that her boyfriend, Sharon Needles, was competing for the crown. Based on RuPaul throughout an episode of his What’s The Tee podcast with Michelle Visage, the explanation that it took so lengthy for Alaska to be on the present is as a result of the queen was “too good, too high-brow, and too mental” for audiences in the course of the early Drag Race seasons.
After showing on season 5, Alaska launched the “Ru Lady” single that eternalized this label for Drag Race contestants, was the first-ever drag queen to be interviewed by RuPaul on his What’s the Tee podcast, and entered the franchise’s Corridor of Fame for successful All Stars 2.
7 SHARON NEEDLES AND ALASKA ARE VERY GOOD FRIENDS
The romantic relationship between Sharon Needles and Alaska turned very public when the previous queen competed on season four of RuPaul’s Drag Race. Not solely did Sharon point out Alaska by title fairly just a few occasions whereas on the present, however Justin (out-of-drag Alaska) was additionally current and proven in the course of the season four finale that topped Sharon because the winner. Nonetheless, after Alaska’s time on season 5 of Drag Race, the couple’s relationship went bitter, and so they finally broke up.
With that mentioned, it’s a widespread false impression that Alaska and Sharon Needles are in dangerous phrases. Really, the 2 turned one of the best of pals over time, usually posting photos that includes each other and sharing inside jokes each time they occur to be seen collectively in public.
6 ALASKA’S DRAG FAMILY TREE
The ins and outs of sure drag households will be fairly difficult for Drag Race followers to grasp. Nonetheless, that isn’t completely the case for Alaska, who has a fairly easy lineage in drag. Plain and easy, Alaska is the drag daughter of Jer Ber Jones, who started the “tranimal” artwork motion in Los Angeles within the 2000s.
Over time, Alaska went on to have two drag daughters: Nebraska and Nevada. RuPaul’s Drag Race followers will keep in mind that Nebraska first got here to be in the course of the season 5 makeover problem, the place Alaska made up Mackenzie Claude right into a drag queen. After the present, Nebraska saved on doing drag, and in addition entered a trouple relationship with Derrick Barry (season eight contestant) and visible artist Nick San Pedro.
5 SHE IS ONE OF THE FEW DRAG QUEENS TURNED INTO A FUNKO POP
For followers of mainstream franchises akin to Harry Potter, the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and the DC Prolonged Universe, gathering Pop! Vinyl collectible figurines has turn out to be second nature. Nonetheless, that was not all the time the case for RuPaul’s Drag Race followers, who solely noticed a few of their favourite queens turn out to be collectible gadgets as lately as 2018.
The three very first Drag Race-themed Pop! Vinyl collectible figurines launched by Funko have been RuPaul himself, Trixie Mattel, and Alaska. That means, these have been the three queens that – based on the corporate – followers had the very best demand for. Later, different queens have been added to the gathering, akin to Jinkx, Sharon Needles, and Katya.
four ALASKA HAS ONE OF THE BEST NUMBERS IN DRAG RACE HISTORY
Alaska has probably the most spectacular numbers within the historical past of the RuPaul’s Drag Race franchise. Between season 5 and All Stars 2, the queen gained six Maxi Challenges and solely landed within the Backside Two as soon as. Tied with Alaska is Angele Anang, who gained six Maxi Challenges in the course of the second season of Drag Race Thailand.
Then, we have now BenDeLaCreme, Manila Luzon, and Trinity the Tuck within the lead, all of whom have gained seven Maxi Challenges between their authentic seasons and their time on RuPaul’s Drag Race: All Stars.
three LIL’ POUNDCAKE WAS AVAILABLE FOR SALE
Through the Mini Problem on the third episode of RuPaul’s Drag Race season 5, the queens have been requested to create a life-sized doll that encapsulated their personalities. Alaska, who was teamed up with fellow contestant Lineysha Sparx, created a doll known as Lil’ Poundcake (actual title Gertrude Poundcakenstein). After the episode aired, the doll went on to turn out to be a viral success amongst Drag Race followers, and Alaska – the advertising mastermind that she’s all the time been – determined to capitalize on the doll’s success.
In 2017, the Lil’ Poundcake doll went on sale on Alaska’s official web site. The doll, which was 13.5 inches tall and retailed for $50, was featured throughout an episode of All Stars 2 and impressed the title of Alaska’s second studio album, “Poundcake.”
2 HER “HIEEEE” WAS COINED BY OTHER DRAG QUEENS
Alaska has a number of common sayings which have turn out to be a part of the RuPaul’s Drag Race vernacular, however it’s laborious to compete with the queen’s high-pitched greeting, “hieee,” that even RuPaul himself repeats once in a while.
Effectively, because the story goes, Alaska’s “hieee” was truly coined by two drag queens in the UK. Whereas some declare that Alaska stole it from them, these queens are literally pleasant. Furthermore, each time she was given the change, Alaska has referenced the 2 queens because the originators of the greeting.
We’re not Roxxxy Andrews, however we’re right here to make it clear. Based on Alaska, the enduring “hieee” was created by U.Okay. drag queens Coco Ferocha and Isis Mirage.
1 MICHELLE VISAGE AND ALASKA DEVELOPED A GREAT FRIENDSHIP
Many Drag Race followers and former contestants confer with Michelle Visage as a choose who is usually imply and important of sure queens. Nonetheless, it’s secure to say that this has not been Alaska’s expertise with the choose.
After showing on the fifth season of RuPaul’s Drag Race, Alaska and Michelle Visage went on to star in a stage manufacturing of The Rocky Horror Present in San Antonio, Texas. In it, Michelle performed Magenta and Alaska portrayed Dr. Frank-N-Furter. However because the story goes, the friendship between Alaska and Michelle solely grew off the stage as effectively.
As a matter of truth, in the course of the manufacturing of The Rocky Horror Present, Michelle Visage and Alaska lived collectively in San Antonio, TX. Based on Alaska, Michelle was instrumental in main her to sobriety and even served as a liaison between Sharon Needles and Alaska for the queens to have the ability to course of their breakup.