What Did This Week’s Eliminated ‘Drag Race’ Queen Think of Everybody Else’s Snatch Game?

If you don’t want to see which queen was eliminated after this week’s much anticipated Snatch Game challenge on RuPaul’s Drag Race, now is your chance to sashay away (for the moment, at least). After an episode where Nina Bo’Nina Brown finally got past her insecurities to bring a past Drag Race delightfully to life, while Peppermint sputtered her way through a Nene Leakes impersonation, it was last season’s Miss Congeniality, Cynthia Lee Fontaine, who was blown off the stage by Peppermint’s everything-but-the-kitchen-lip-sync to Madonna’s “Music.”

Cynthia was the surprise returnee this season, after having been eliminated last season just before she found out about a cancer diagnosis, Cynthia came back with her celebrated “cucu” large and in charge. Cynthia was also a catalyst for an incredibly moving conversation several weeks ago about the drag community’s connection (and hers in particular) to the Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando.

But after having to lip sync for her life last week, Cynthia couldn’t overcome a second consecutive underwhelming week, as her Sofia Vergara impersonation wasn’t quite enough to stand out.

In the wake of her elimination, Cynthia spoke to us about her take on the other queens’ Snatch Game performances, Pulse, and the legendary comedienne she almost impersonated.

What was different for you this time around?

Cynthia Lee Fontaine: I was more aware. I had the knowledge of what’s going on. I think that’s the biggest difference between season 8 and season 9.

Just more awareness of the competition itself, or what you need to bring to it?

Well, first it was about the production process. Second, I can tell you about me, I get well prepared. I think that you can see on the first month of the season that my looks were more put together, I think I was more focused on the challenges. So basically, myself, I was more prepared mentally, and I was more prepared about my tasks.

During the lip sync against Peppermint, while Peppermint is going off, bringing so much different style to that lip sync, what goes through your head while you’re watching that?

It was two different kinds of drag style, and I love that. I think we brought out of that lip sync something special that we hadn’t seen before this season. […] I think she’s a great performer. I got the opportunity to work with her — we actually worked together on her music video after the show, like two months ago. Her style is very New York, very comedy and very energetic. My only thing that I just disagree is, like, eating her jewelry? Her accessories? [laughs] In a lip-sync competition? So that’s not my drag style. But I’m so happy I got to lip sync against her. I’m pleased that she’s still in the competition, because she’s very professional, she’s very enthusiastic. And I wish her the best on the rest of the competition.

So early in the episode, we see Alexis giving her sense of the queens, and she talks about how she was waiting for you to show something other than Cynthia. Do you regret not taking bigger risks with your drag or maybe stepping more outside your personality, or was that not something that was gonna work for you.

You know what, to be honest with you, I think that my character was a bit misunderstood, maybe probably, we’ll never know. Because of course I’m Hispanic, and I want to represent my Hispanic community. So I don’t know that I didn’t take big risks; I think I gave it my all on the show. Mostly my main focus was to represent the Latino community. My character for almost 11 years in drag, it was about taking risks and not having any comfort zone. Even if I’m doing a performance and I maybe feel a bit uncomfortable, I do it and I did it and I have great results.

Were there any other celebrities you had considered for Snatch Game besides Sofia Vergara, or was it always going to be her?

I had five options. I had Carol Burnett. Carol Burnett is one of my inspirations for being a stand-up comedian forever now. I had Carmen Miranda and Dolores del Rio. The other characters are a bit related to my heritage as a Hispanic drag queen, but I wanted to take challenges and go out and explore new horizons. So that’s why one of my second options was Carol Burnett. Plus my ears, I have big ears! [laughs]

You appeared to express surprise that you were in the bottom two again. Was there anybody who you thought should have been there instead?

I love all my sisters. I love all my babies. But yes, absolutely. I love my Valentina to death, but I think her [Miss Colombia] Ariadna Gutiérrez was not so accurate in looks and in the character. I think she was a little bit overdramatic. I love my Aja, but her execution of Alyssa Edwards, if you compare that execution to Violet Chachki’s season 7 Snatch Game, it’s a huge difference. I suggested to Aja, “You should do Labeja.” From the history of drag queens in New York, and with that personality, right? That personality and that enthusiasm. I believe even Peppermint should not have been in the bottom two.

So you don’t think either one of you should have.

I think … it’s the Snatch Game. Again, I have not seen the episode, but it was very tough to watch. Because with more than a few characters, they did not execute their characters as well as we expected them to. I love my Farrah, [but] her Gigi Gorgeous … she could have given more energy and enthusiasm. I mean, Gigi is more relaxed and calm, but it’s the Snatch Game. They expect you to make your character funny. And even … I love my Shea Coulee, but I think her Naomi Campbell was too … eh, a little bit dry? A bit cold? I know Naomi Campbell is not a person who is very expressive, but however, like I said before, it’s the Snatch Game, and you’re expected on personality to exaggerate a little bit the details of the person you’re impersonating. I mean, that’s my opinion, but all of them are gorgeous. They look beautiful. The makeup work is phenomenal. Like one of my favorite makeup [jobs] on the whole season was Trinity Taylor’s as Amanda Lepore. It’s phenomenal to see her makeup, for example.

SO earlier in the season, we saw you talk with the other queens about your connections to the Pulse nightclub in Orlando and the attack there. How valuable do you think it is to have a space like Drag Race where you can talk about these things and the community can come together and support each other about these kinds of things.

Well, to be honest with you, I’m glad you asked me that question, because I feel that RuPaul is showing that we need to be free, and we need to be so confident about who we are in sexual orientation and sexual disposition. And what happened in our community should be disclosed on the show, to show to the rest of the world, not just our gay community, that we still stand. We need to be stronger than ever, and we need to understand our place. That our gay clubs and venues are safe places to be and safe places to interact and be happy.

Thank you so much, Cynthia.

Thank you so very much, mi amor. And remember, to all the people that are reading this article: stay positive and may your dreams come true! And you never know, you’ll maybe see this cucu in All-Stars season three?! You never know!