Recent Drag Race Alum, Tamisha Iman, Goes Viral For Upsetting The Standard
So if you’ve been curious why RuPaul’s Drag Race alumni and industry veteran, Tamisha Iman, has been trending overnight – let’s get you a fast recap. To keep you up to speed, Iman has been wanting to blow the lid off of her experience on the reality competition, but is aware that she is under contract and plans to spill all the secrets once that timeline dwindles.
In the meantime, Iman shared live on her social media platforms that she is devoting time to come after the show’s skeptical production, World of Wonder, and planned on reading, in particular, Drag Race alumni, Monet x Change and Bob The Drag Queen (to a lesser extent) after the two (primarily Monet) were what many people are labeling as unnecessarily rude to her while judging Iman’s runway outfits on the most recent season of the show. In a lengthy Instagram video, Iman states she’s coming hard for Monet as she has no right to judge anyone based on one’s appearances – subtly shading Monet’s lack of class within her outfit choices. Iman promised to deliver the ultimate read ‘Library is open’ moment in industry history. Her words were like foreplay and the internet was buzzing and ready to hear all that she had to say. However, when yesterday, the day the read was due, came around, Iman somewhat disappointed everyone tuning in when she revealed that she actually wasn’t going to be sharing any information at all…yet. If you want to catch yourself up in full, Iman’s full ‘prepare yourself’ video is below:
Iman promoted and reminded her audience and curious ears alike that she would be holding THE read on Tuesday at 5PM PST. Shockingly, anyone following her or the digital event got a notification an hour earlier that she was going live. Since initially coming after Monet and Bob, her online merchandise store had been hacked and orders had been eliminated or wiped from someone(s) within the fandom. Iman explained that she was not offering any refunds on her merchandise, but due to an employee’s sudden ghosting to the death of a family member, the purchases got backed up and she is correcting the issues herself. This was a primary focus within the hour that she spoke on Tuesday, but she also had to share with us that she was being censored – yikes.
According to Iman, “the powers that be” essentially sent her a cease and desist order telling her that she was under contract and not allowed to speak about production or any of the insider information she may have. She had harsh words for World of Wonder, but especially the Drag Race fandom that she called “the worst of any reality show fanbase out there. [They are] minions, gremlins, and pen pals. Who have tried to take the time to hurt her feelings, but failed.” Iman is offended that the fanbase tried labeling her transphobic, when her history proves otherwise. However, she did come out in support of Bob claiming the winning alum has been extremely supportive and “single handily helped the community build her social media and shed light on people of [who Iman is].” Yet, Bob was still wrong for some of her words and Iman will check anyone when they are wrong – and that should work vice versa.
Iman went on to say in her Tuesday night showdown that she is being completely censored because she’s ready to expose actual truths and she’s being prevented from saying those words from higher ups and cannot have the gossip (or truth) spilled live on YouTube, Facebook, or Instagram and instead is going to be having her digital talk show on her own website – but there’s a catch. Since Iman will not be offering her services for free on big tech’s public platforms, she’s going to be creating her own content with various Drag Race alumni who have felt scorned by the franchise and are afraid of backlash from not being protected. These videos will be hers to own – and she wants to ensure herself and the queens will get paid for their time. In doing so, she’s offering a monthly membership to view the videos, five of which are already completed, for $25 a month for members, or $15 for a single ticket viewing. She will be releasing the read we were promised today, Wednesday, on her website where Monet and World of Wonder will allegedly be put on blast. As if we needed further clarity, Iman claims to be done with Drag Race because “If you don’t feel welcome in someone’s house, you won’t visit them anymore.” She claims to not be lucky enough to have been a favored contestant, thus will not be participating in the antics any longer.
Believe, many of us were ready on our phones and computers for the promised “Read of the Century.” A lot of commenters believed they had been duped, perhaps by a team of Iman/Monet/Bob to get mass advertisement and public interest in Iman’s self-made platform – Iman did tell us she was going to show the alumni how to make a money on their own and without World of Wonder behind them. In a suspicious move, Iman’s Tuesday evening video was taken off of her social media accounts and now seemingly doesn’t exist.
With certainty, the Drag Race alumni reacted on their socials to Iman’s currently lackluster event with sarcasm, curiosity, support, and hilarity:
Minions, gremlins & penpals. @TamishaIman1 is gathering the girls. @WorldOfWonder cease n desisting. Didn’t work with me and it won’t work with Tamisha CLEARLY.
— Willam (@willam) May 4, 2021
WHAT DID I WATCH? 👀 @TamishaIman1 @monetxchange @thatonequeen
I need more information 🤓— Bianca Del Rio (@TheBiancaDelRio) May 5, 2021
yikes
— Adore Delano (@AdoreDelano) May 4, 2021
Some people have a lot of words that come out of their mouths with not much to say. 🤷🏼♀️🥂
— Pandora Boxx *insert former blue check here* (@ThePandoraBoxx) May 5, 2021
My disappointment after today’s reveal pic.twitter.com/wcyct1KHoP
— Kim Chi (@KimChi_Chic) May 5, 2021
Season eight winner, Bob, decided to do his own live with fellow Drag Race alumni, Eureka O’Hara and Shangela Laquifa Wadley, where they poked fun at Monet’s questionable outfit choices in season’s past and kept it very light-hearted. Bob, before entertaining, told his fandom to offer Iman support and love because they have no bad blood in between one another. However, Iman logged back onto Instagram live to take aim at her co-star on the most recent season, runner-up Kandy Muse, who was publicly mocking her at a club yesterday evening. In the video Iman shared, Muse claimed if Iman has been in the industry for thirty years, she should have tougher skin than to be sensitive about what someone says about her on a podcast. Muse then referred to herself as the “baddest bitch to ever walk up on RuPaul’s Drag Race.” Check out that video below:
Iman, in what she proclaimed would be her final public (and free) live video for awhile – noted her confusion as she saw Muse get ridiculed and get affected by the toxic fandom of the series. Iman pointed out that Drag Race gives misconceptions to the alumni about their place and drag artistry. Iman then wanted the audience to be reminded of the difference between her and the other girls – she doesn’t go around picking on people and bullying them. She believes Muse was one of the “chosen people” by production on her season to succeed, and is now living in a delusion. Iman admits she does have thirty years of professionalism within the industry on Muse, who has only had thirty seconds and likely won’t have anymore time to shine after that. Iman shaded Muse claiming the latter placed high on Drag Race because the show is extremely scripted and edited – and nothing else. To quote: “Anyone with common sense knows what type of person [Muse] is.” Which leaves it up to one how to perceive that comment. Iman believes Muse should be mindful of her actions as she’s getting in front of an audience of toxic fans, because they are egging on the bullying and childish behavior. Iman ended her latest live video telling she doesn’t want to be friends with Muse because she knows who she is and wants to stay as far away from her as she can.
Well, that should have caught us all up on this debacle as much as we possibly can be! If you’re curious to hear the rest of what Iman has to say, and comfortable with the price tag, or simply want to support a long-lasting and reigning queen like Iman, make sure to head to her website to find out how you’ll be able to watch all of her future, explosive videos.
Writer’s Note A: This is the opinion of one Instinct Magazine contributor and does not reflect the views of Instinct Magazine itself or fellow contributors.
Writer’s Note B: Iman and other noted drag queens within this article have been referred to she/her/hers as it relates to their presentation as a female impersonator and/or drag queen persona.
I’m…confused. Tamisha got a hero edit on the show and the fanbase loved her, from what i saw. So where is all this coming from?