WEEK OF RU, Season 2: Day 2
Tatianna was the most fascinating queen to watch when I was revisiting Season 2 of the Drag Race. She was such a complicated character -- young, but thoughtful. Inexperienced, but versatile and adaptable. The drama between her and Raven was one of the predominant storylines of the second season, and it was so gripping because it was so relatable. Tatianna was a fresh, young queen bursting with talent and surprising us at all the right moments. Raven was a seasoned, accomplished queen who felt like Tati hadn't earned her place in the cast. I could see both sides of the rivalry -- neither queen was the villain.
Tatianna very graciously answered some questions about her time on Season 2, and she proved to be even more reflective and thoughtful than I expected!
CHAD: There was a lot of discussion during the season about your experience as a drag queen. On one hand, you had been dressing in drag since you were a teenager, but on the other, you had only performed seven times prior to Season 2. What was it like to be on the Drag Race so early in your career as a performing queen?
TATIANNA: It was a little intimidating, especially because I embellished how much I had actually performed. It was actually like 3 times. After seeing all the girls on the first day, I assumed I wasn't going to last very long!
CHAD: Looking back on it, are you glad you were on the show so early, or do you wish you had been on a later season?
TATIANNA: I'm happy I got on, period! The only reason I have grown and progressed the way I have is because I was just kind of thrown into this business following the show, so I'm definitely happy I was on so early. Who knows what kind of queen I would be, or if I would even be performing now, without having my experience on the show?
CHAD: During Season 2, no one questioned your impeccable beauty, but some of the queens claimed you weren't taking your drag far enough. How has your approach to drag evolved in the years since Season 2?
TATIANNA: I've definitely come full circle. There was a moment where I was really piling on the make up and trying to be as costume-y as possible in an effort to be more "drag". Now I try to stay true to the realistic look I'm known for but also mix in different characters and looks to keep it interesting and fresh.
CHAD: Something that's always interested me about the Drag Race is that the best queens don't necessarily make the best reality TV stars. How do you think your personality played on TV? Would you have done anything differently after seeing the season aired?
TATIANNA: Well, for me, I feel a lot of the reason I lasted as long as I did in the competition was my personality and the drama I was a part of. If I could change anything, I would probably try not to care so much about having the other girls like me. To me, I came off a little whiny. But to my own defense, I was 21 years old lol... being almost 27 now, there are a lot of things I would do differently.
CHAD: You really, really nailed the Snatch Game. Like, it was perfection. Did you know what you were in for with that challenge? Had you ever done celebrity impersonations before?
TATIANNA: I honestly walked into that challenge really scared. I had never done anything like that, and I had never actually done an impersonation of anyone before. I didn't even really get a feel [that] I was doing so well until everyone laughed at the "I got lost" joke.
CHAD: Season 2 seemed to really put you through the wringer, highlighting a lot of drama between you and some of the other queens. Are there any favorite friendships or memories that we didn't see on screen?
TATIANNA: During my time on the show I got really close to Pandora, Juju, Jessica, and Sahara. I wish some of the times I spent with Sahara got highlighted a little more. She was hilarious and had my back a lot of the time.
[Chad’s note: I made some very minor edits for punctuation, spelling, and grammar. No content of Tatianna's responses was altered or omitted.]
Thanks so much for reading! Tomorrow morning, I'll share my new portraits of Pandora Boxx alongside my interview questions with her!
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