While fans called for her iconic lip-sync smackdown against Anetra to be a double shantay, Marcia Marcia Marcia insists that it was her “time” to leave the competition.
On the latest episode of RuPaul’s Drag Race, the Broadway queen landed in the bottom two for the first time after performing a stand-up routine in front of the panel, including rotating judge Ts Madison and special guest star Ali Wong.
To the beat of Doja Cat’s electropop rap anthem Boss Bitch, Marcia and Anetra served kicks, flips, splits and dips, as well as a gag-worthy summersault (slash Free Willy homage) and backbend combo (slash The Exorcist homage).
The lip-sync immediately went viral on social media; viewers hailed it as one of the best in Drag Race herstory, one that stands alongside the likes of Brooke Lynn Hytes vs Yvie Oddly, Alyssa Edwards vs Tatianna and Sasha Velour vs Shea Couleé.
Marcia tells GAY TIMES that the reception has been “pretty incredible”: “What makes a lip-sync really great is when there’s a level of cohesion between contestants. Anetra and I were fighting together to create something truly entertaining, and we definitely delivered!
“I’m not gonna lie, if you told me my elimination would be one of the brightest moments of my run on the show before we filmed… I’d be confused. I knew I did absolutely everything in my power to stay in the competition, and I could tell that the lip-sync was well-received, so yes, I was very satisfied.”
She continues: “Throughout the competition I told myself, ‘If I’ve done my absolute best, there’s nothing I can be upset about,’ and that mantra stayed fresh in my mind through my exit.”
Although both entertainers turned it out, RuPaul told Marcia to sashay away – a decision that was criticised by viewers.
“I’m very devastated that Marcia Marcia Marcia was eliminated when that lip-sync should of been a double shantay!” said one fan, while another rightfully said it was a battle that “will surely be written in Drag Race herstory”.
Although Marcia says it was “exhilarating” to hear fans demand for a rare double save at a viewing party, and that she would’ve been “honoured” to continue in the competition, she admits: “Part of me feels like it was my time to go.”
“While I had excelled in most challenges, I was – and still am – very new to drag, and still had a lot of learn about myself as a queen,” she explains. “Frankly, I’d rather go too soon and have the fans miss me, than overstay my welcome.”
With Boss Bitch and her lip-sync against Malaysia Babydoll Foxx to Anitta’s Boys Don’t Cry in the LaLaPaRuZa, Marcia has officially earned the title of lip-sync assassin. Her abilities on the stage came as a surprise to viewers – and her season 15 sisters – which Marcia says is a result of her “general demeanour”.
“People underestimate me across the board. I’m very competitive, but that part of me is more internal,” she says. “I’ve been performing for a very long time, so that’s where I feel most comfortable. If my fellow contestants didn’t pick up on that from the talent show or Snatch Game, that’s on them!”
Reflecting on her time on the series, Marcia is proud that she displayed her “silly, happy and weird” side alongside her weaponise-the-BFA aesthetic.
“I think the Marcia you saw on screen is very similar to Marcia in real life. I was able to show how multitalented I was, and how much I love drag and performing, so yes, I’d say I definitely showcased my true self.”
“Arguably the most difficult part” of her Drag Race experience, she adds, is how she’s expected to navigate her newfound fame on social media.
She says: “There’s so much support and positivity, but the negativity can get very dark, very quickly. I don’t think people are meant to know what everyone thinks about them all the time.
“You start to realize that people are so accustomed to sharing their opinions all the time, that they type without thinking, almost as if they don’t think we’ll ever actually see it, but we do.”
Post-Drag Race, Marcia wants “to do absolutely everything”.
“I definitely want to do more TV and film, theatre, music, fashion,” she reveals. “I may be dropping a little something this Friday, so keep your eyes open for that!
“I plan on taking advantage of the exposure the show has given me to do all the things I want to do, work with other artists I want to work with.”
RuPaul’s Drag Race season 15 is available exclusively in the UK via the streamer of all things drag, WOW Presents Plus, with new episodes dropping weekly from 2am GMT on. Subscribe now via https://uk.wowpresentsplus.com/
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