'RuPaul's Drag Race' season 10: A case in defence of Eureka O'Hara, America's next drag superstar
America's next drag superstar is about to be announced in the finale episode of 'RuPaul's Drag Race' season 10 and most of us hardcore fans already have a winner in mind. Unlike many other seasons of the reality talent show, this time around, picking a winner among the final four may be as difficult as picking your favorite winner among the eleven drag superstars that came before the soon-to-be-announced winner.
All four of the finalists have their unique strengths. While Aquaria is a polished fashion queen, Kameron Michaels is the underdog we are compelled to root for, and Asia O'Hara is the quintessential drag mother whose congeniality could inspire hundreds of young queens. On the other hand, Eureka O'Hara – no known relation to Asia - to me, has an amalgamation of all these qualities.
Eureka, in my opinion, deserves to be officially the next drag superstar for many reasons, but first, let us discuss the other queens' claims to the throne.
Aquaria
Going by statistics alone, Aquaria is the clear winner of the season. She has brought it in nearly every challenge and has not had to lip sync for her life even once. Despite her young age, her fashion references are far and wide, whether it is with the drag she brought from home and created from scratch in the work room.
She has also proved to be versatile, having shown her comedy chops in the Breastworld challenge. She even used her weakness to her advantage by emulating Melania Trump for the Snatch Game. She has never really had any blow-outs with anyone in particular and on paper she is the perfect winner.
However, Aquaria's personality restricts her from being a "queen of the people," which is a demand of the job as recent current f******g reigning says often. As amazing and futuristic as her drag is, Aquaria lacks the affability and warmth that America's next drag superstar must embody.
Nonetheless, Aquaria has all the makings of an 'All Stars' winner.
Kameron Michaels
Speaking of lack of warmth, Kameron aka trade of the season made it to the finals. From the very beginning she was written off as the muscle queen who could only pull off - as Phi Phi O'Hara circa season 4 would say – party city looks.
Despite a lukewarm beginning and a rocky end, Kameron's journey right about middle was admirable and that is what brought her till the end. She not only proved to be a looks and comedy queen but also a lip synch assassin, having sent home the likes of Miz Cracker and Monét X Change, who were both pegged to race till the very end.
Hers is the real underdog story, which is why many have a soft spot for her, however, like Aquaria, she too lacks the boisterous and warm personality that one would expect from America's drag superstar. Not to mention, she did not manage to garner a single vote from her fellow sisters who were asked to choose their winner from the four finalists.
Even as her online personality shines through, real-life muscle Barbie is not all that welcoming and while she can serve looks, we have not really seen her push the boundaries too much or expose herself well enough for us to fall in love with her. I would love to see her on 'All Stars 4', though.
Asia O'Hara
This seasoned – and oldest finalist – the queen is everything you would want in America's next drag superstar. She is not only supportive of all her sisters, she wears her heart on her sleeves and is not afraid to even stand up to Ru, as she proved during the reunion episode.
Throughout season 10 you can see every girl get an understanding ear, a lending hand or a supporting shoulder from Asia. She helped nearly everyone with their costumes ahead of maxi challenges and tried to sit down with The Vixen and explain to her the points of view of those around her.
Then again, she told Miz Cracker that she lacks the star quality that the others in the competition had and even tried to guilt trip those around her for not the help she willingly offered. She certainly is a queen to look up to and learn from, but she is more of a Miss Congeniality than a winner to me this season.
Projected winner: Eureka O'Hara
As biased as I am, Eureka has proved to be the true winner of the season, despite her long kick-off period. She came back after a knee injury from last season and unlike any queen who has been brought back before her, she stayed – nay, slayed - beyond three episodes.
She is a queen who learns from her mistakes and works her tuck off for the many victories she has had on both seasons. Despite her loud nature and conceited nature, she has made it a point to apologize to the people she offends – be it Sasha Velour or The Vixen. She has the decency to look ashamed when Ru calls her out for making the wrong choices.
Eureka is a comedy queen, a fashion queen, a looks queen and an underdog. She has the acting, singing and dancing chops, along with being quick on her feet. She has a warm personality that makes you feel loved and inspired even through a TV screen.
And, let's get real, it is high time a plus size queen got crowned as the winner of 'RuPaul's Drag Race.'
Don’t forget to catch the finale of 'RuPaul's Drag Race' season 10 at 8 p.m. (ET) on Thursday, June 28, via VH1, where one among the finalists would sashay away with a cash prize of $100,000 and a year's supply of Anastasia Beverly Hills cosmetics.
