Will Someone Please Explain Trixie Mattel?
Am I Missing Something?
GURL! Okay, as the LGBTQ community, we’re all pretty obsessed with RuPaul’s Drag Race. Yes, the series where lucky Drag Queens get to compete on a large platform to gain obsessive fans, only to forever be indebted to RuPaul. Seriously, none of these girls will ever top (#Wink) RuPaul, thus always playing second fiddle to their Drag Mother, Fairy Godmother, whatever they wish to call her. Their names will always come after Ru…which is such a genius marketing tool, right?! We’ve seen success from many of the Queens, including the always-on-point Alaska 5000, Celebrity Big Brother winner, Courtney Act, and the variety of content Willam has created. One of the series most branded Queens has been none other than current All Stars contestant, Trixie Mattel. Mattel has accumulated an incredible fan base of almost 1Million followers on social media with the help of the hit series, a web series, and music. I’m sitting here pretty dumbfounded, because for the life of me I can’t comprehend her popularity. Why?
WAIT! Before you start lighting your torches, hear me out for just a second. I am not a follower of Drag. I don’t attend the local shows, I cannot honestly tell you I have a friend in my life who is a (Drag) Queen, and the only amount of Drag I can tolerate is on Thursday evenings. Heck, my favorite Drag Queens are Stacy Layne Matthews, Sharon Needles, and Jinx Monsoon, so my taste is definitely not a part of the masses, but still not out of the ordinary! I knew nothing about Mattel before she stepped into Drag Race, but apparently she had a large following before she was labeled with the Drag Race brand. Okay, that I understand – from my hometown in Chicago, those Queens, including Drag Race’s Dida Ritz, were long hometown heroes before they walked into the Werk Room.
But, then Mattel appears in that Werk Room…and lost it all. She didn’t impress much of anyone, which is why she was eliminated early in her original Drag Race season. Only to be brought back and eliminated again in almost the blink of an eye. I wasn’t impressed by her web series, UNNhhh, as I’m not the audience for it. It’s where her popularity truly took off and then bam! She was pretty much becoming a strong staple in the LGBTQ community. Hell, she’s even had a Funko toy modeled after her – which is a stand out for any of the series contestants and everyone should be jealous of her for that! Then, for some reason as a handful of the Queens do, she comes out with music. Her voice wasn’t bad at all and I’m a sucker for Country, so I vibed with it a little bit.
“Hold on!” I thought to myself as Mattel was announced one of the contenders for the current season of Drag Race All Stars. Perfect! Finally I’ll get to see the buzz surrounding Mattel. Now I’ll be one of her many fans! Yeah, that still isn’t happening. I’m failing to see what the public sees in her, because from what I witness on television, I’m not impressed with her performances, laughing to any of her jokes, and am straining to determine why she was selected to be an All Star when she keeps flopping. You literally cannot argue with me that as many episodes as Mattel has been showcased, she’s been lackluster. I’m going to assume we’re in for a huge RuDemption storyline from her, because I cannot fathom this widely popular Queen being flatlined on the very show that brought her to the forefront of everyone’s attention.
Still though, I remain with my arms crossed wondering if I had missed a funny joke she’s told or if-if she was giving away like a million dollars to her fans or something. I feel like I’m the only person who doesn’t get Trixie Mattel and it’s bothering me quite frankly. I want to like her! I want to celebrate her like many of my friends do! But, come on – have I missed a train while I was distracted by other talent? If you can please help me try to understand Mattel’s popularity, you’ll forever have my appreciation. I seriously don’t get it – I am so confused! So, can someone break it down for me why the audience gravitates towards her mediocrity, missed jokes, and always-a-bridesmaid-vibe?
This is the opinion of one Instinct Contributor and does not reflect Instinct Magazine itself.
Sure, I can explain it for you:
You don’t follow drag, so you’re not into its many nuances and forms. There are zillions of different types of drag, each artistic expression. It sounds like you’re a fan of a certain type of drag, but are not a fan of other types of drag. The mistake you’re making is coming down on an individual because of their expression, because it doesn’t suit your “vision” of drag, which you’ve said that you do not follow. So it should be pretty clear what’s going on. Personally I don’t care too much for pure fashion queens, but as individuals they’re incredibly talented and beautiful, just not my thing.
I bet Ladybunny’s stand up would blow your mind.
She’s funny, she unique and won’t apologise for it. That is why people like her, she unapologetically different and many stereotypes or gays who try to be the stereotype are uncomfortable around that.
Get over it, get over yourself. 5Gs
I think I needed your reply to actually get it 😉 you are right. Something did not fit my used picture and I decided to judge…. Not smart hehe. Aesthetics can be different
Agree: her make up and looks are like a clown, not beautiful: not like a queen, not like a woman. Bad parody.
I love Sasha Velour (smart and beautiful), Naomi Smalls (beauty), Bianka del Rio (super smart and fun), Sharon (creative), Valentina (beauty), Manilla Luzon and so on so on : so much aesthetics and hard work! Not just clown lines parody of a woman
Amen to the clown reference. And what is that line across her face supposed to represent? Don’t even TRY to explain the eye makeup, because I do not get it whatsoever. It looks like it a big black empty mess. This only is my opinion, so take it or leave it.
Seconded. I can’t even count how many queens have taken that stage with a quirky make-up style and got completely lambasted for it: “give us more glamour,” “what’s with the dots,” etc. And yet Trixie has painted the SAME EXACT FACE every single time I’ve seen her, and the judges just eat it up with a spoon. WTF? I’m so beyond bored with the knock-off anime doll, and I’m not convinced she could do anything else even with a gun to her head. I’m no make-up artist, but I’m also not on national television pretending to be.
Why write this negative
Why write this negative article then admit that drag isn't really your thing, you know virtually nothing about her, and you haven't even bothered to research prior to publication? Informed opinion should be part of this sort of 'journalism'. I like Trixie because she's smart and off the cuff funny. Btw if you think your taste in the drag queens you do like is somehow edgy, 2 of the 3 you mention are previous winners for their seasons on Drag Race. – so about as mainstream as drag gets.
I’ve never even so much as cracked a half smile at something she’s said. She isn’t even entertaining let alone funny. If lukewarm and unremarkable took the form of a drag queen, it would be Trixie Mattel. :'(
In all honesty, I feel the
In all honesty, I feel the exact same way about adore. I don't see in her what other people tend to see in her. But this is about Trixie. So for me, I didn't fall in love with Trixie during season 7, but I didn't mind her. She was interesting at best. It really was the web series that made me fall in love with her humor, her style and her quirkiness. And you have to admit, there aren't a lot of queens that do what she does. I've yet to hear about another queen that writes folk/country music, and pulls a significant amount of style inspiration from Dolly Parton. Speaking of her music, it's refreshing to see a queen produce music in any genre other than club music, so people are really drawn to that. Her style has really evolved from classic Barbie to a kind of 60's or 70's hippy Barbie, which I think is cool. Her humor isn't for everyone but I really like it. Also one big thing I didn't mention: the makeup. I'm not claiming that she invented that style of makeup (because she didn't), but she did popularize it. People are really drawn to her dramatic makeup, her giant wigs, and her overall girly-ness when in drag. These are all just my personal opinions.
He is not alone in this
He is not alone in this thinking. She is not funny… and her RuPaul impression was less than humorous it was dead in the water. And please Trixie stop with the white under eye shadow… it only worked once, for Donna Mills on Knots Landing….
I think I identify with her
I think I identify with her because she is from the midwest, and she does have a certain underdog vibe to her.
I am one of the people who got to know and love her through Unhhhhh. She and Katya make a hysterical pair, like Abbott and Costello for the disenfranchised!
I haven't heard her album but what little singing I've heard from her is not bad at all.
I guess it's her down home vibe and her overall quirkiness that gets me.
Haters gonna hate! Her appeal
Haters gonna hate! Her appeal resonates with the inferiority complex all us midwesterners feel toward our east and west coast counterparts, but alas we still rock our asses off and slay the damn game! If ur truly from chicago its probably sheer jealousy that a milwaukeean is outshining the windy city and just speaks to the well-documented rivalry between our two cities