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RuPaul's Drag Race season 1

2009 season of RuPaul's Drag Race

Summary

2009 season of RuPaul's Drag Race

Field	Value
season_number	1
bgcolour	#FF6256
image	RuPauls-Drag-Race-S1.png
caption	Promotional poster for season one
module1	{{Infobox reality competition season
host	RuPaul
judges	{{Plainlist
num_contestants	9
winner	BeBe Zahara Benet
runner_up	Nina Flowers
label1	Miss Congeniality
data1	Nina Flowers
num_episodes	9
network	Logo TV
first_aired
last_aired

RuPaul
Santino Rice
Merle Ginsberg

The first season of RuPaul's Drag Race premiered in the United States on February 2, 2009, on Logo, and ended on March 23 of the same year. Nine contestants were selected to compete in the running of becoming "America's Next Drag Superstar." The first season was filmed during the summer of 2008. The winner of the first season won a cash prize of $20,000, $5,000 worth of MAC Cosmetics, was featured in an LA Eyeworks campaign, and joined the Logo Drag Race tour. One of the nine contestants to compete on RuPaul's Drag Race, Nina Flowers was determined by an audience vote via the show's official website.

The theme song playing during the runway every episode was "Cover Girl" from RuPaul's album Champion. This season, and season one of All Stars, are the only seasons to not feature a "Snatch Game" challenge episode, in which the contestants must impersonate a celebrity of their choosing while improvising witty responses to nonsensical riddles, in a format similar to vintage game shows such as Hollywood Squares or Match Game.

The winner of the first season of RuPaul's Drag Race was BeBe Zahara Benet, with DJ Nina Flowers as the runner-up.

In late 2013, Logo re-aired the first season, which was titled RuPaul's Drag Race: The Lost Season, with featured commentary from RuPaul.

Contestants

Ages, names, and cities stated are at time of filming.

Contestant	Age	Hometown	Outcome
30	Minneapolis, Minnesota
34	Denver, Colorado	nowrap
26	nowrap	Fort Lauderdale, Florida	3rd place
29	Las Vegas, Nevada	4th place
25	Los Angeles, California	5th place
25	Chicago, Illinois	6th place
23	Cleveland, Ohio	7th place
28	Long Beach, California	8th place
39	Raleigh, North Carolina	9th place

Notes:

Contestant progress

Lip syncs

Legend:

Episode	Contestants	Song	Eliminated	1
Akashia	vs.	nowrap	Victoria "Porkchop" Parker	"Supermodel (You Better Work)"
(RuPaul)	Victoria "Porkchop" Parker
Akashia	vs.	Tammie Brown	"We Break the Dawn"
(Michelle Williams)	Tammie Brown
Akashia	vs.	Shannel	"The Greatest Love of All"
(Whitney Houston)	Akashia
Jade	vs.	Rebecca Glasscock	"Would I Lie to You?"
(Eurythmics)	Jade
BeBe Zahara Benet	vs.	Ongina	"Stronger"
(Britney Spears)	Ongina
nowrap	Rebecca Glasscock	vs.	Shannel	"Shackles (Praise You)"
(Mary Mary)	Shannel
BeBe Zahara Benet	vs.	Nina Flowers	nowrap	"Cover Girl (Put the Bass in Your Walk)"
(RuPaul)	BeBe Zahara Benet

Guest judges

Listed in chronological order:

Bob Mackie, fashion designer
Mike Ruiz, photographer
Frank Gatson, director and choreographer
Michelle Williams, singer and actress
Howard Bragman, writer and lecturer
Debra Wilson, actress and comedian
Gordon Espinet, make-up artist
Jenny Shimizu, model and actress
Lucy Lawless, actress and singer
Robin Antin, dancer, choreographer, and actress
Jeffrey Moran, Absolut Vodka marketing/branding executive
María Conchita Alonso, singer-songwriter and actress

Episodes

On the runway, Nina Flowers and Ongina receive positive critiques, with Nina Flowers winning the challenge. Akashia, Rebecca Glasscock and Victoria "Porkchop" Parker receive negative critiques, with Rebecca Glasscock being safe. Akashia and Victoria "Porkchop" Parker lip-sync to "Supermodel (You Better Work)" by RuPaul. Akashia wins the lip-sync and Victoria "Porkchop" Parker is the first queen to sashay away.

Guest Judges: Bob Mackie and Mike Ruiz
Mini-Challenge: Sexy carwash photoshoot
Main Challenge: Create an outfit made from items from the thrift store
Challenge Winner: Nina Flowers
Challenge Prize: A stay at Paris Hotel in Las Vegas
Bottom Two: Akashia and Victoria "Porkchop" Parker
Lip-Sync Song: "Supermodel (You Better Work)" by RuPaul
Eliminated: Victoria "Porkchop" Parker
Team Serving Fish performing "Say My Name" - Nina Flowers (hair), Ongina (choreography), Rebecca Glasscock (costume design) and Shannel (makeup)
Team 3D performing "Independent Women Part I" - Akashia (makeup), BeBe Zahara Benet (hair), Jade (choreography) and Tammie Brown (costume design)

On the runway, Serving Fish is praised as the winning team, with Ongina winning the challenge. 3D is named as the losing team, with Akashia and Tammie Brown being announced as the bottom two. They lip-sync to "We Break the Dawn" by Michelle Williams. Akashia wins the lip-sync and Tammie Brown sashays away.

Guest Judges: Frank Gatson and Michelle Williams
Mini-Challenge: Act out certain emotions and take pictures of themselves in those emotions with a digital camera
Mini-Challenge Winners: Akashia and Ongina
Main Challenge: Destiny's Child girl group battle
Challenge Winner: Ongina
Challenge Prize: A basket of chocolates courtesy of Karma and Vojeur Chocolate
Bottom Two: Akashia and Tammie Brown
Lip-Sync Song: "We Break the Dawn" by Michelle Williams
Eliminated: Tammie Brown

On the runway, category is Dress to Impress. BeBe Zahara Benet, Nina Flowers and Ongina receive positive critiques, with BeBe Zahara Benet winning the challenge. Akashia, Jade and Shannel receive negative critiques, with Jade being safe. Akashia and Shannel lip-sync to "The Greatest Love of All" by Whitney Houston. Shannel wins the lip-sync and Akashia sashays away.

Guest Judges: Howard Bragman and Debra Wilson
Main Challenge: Channel Oprah Winfrey in various television personality roles
Runway Theme: Dress to Impress
Challenge Winner: BeBe Zahara Benet
Challenge Prize: A Sonos stereo sound system
Bottom Two: Akashia and Shannel
Lip-Sync Song: "The Greatest Love of All" by Whitney Houston
Eliminated: Akashia

On the runway, BeBe Zahara Benet, Nina Flowers and Ongina receive positive critiques, with Ongina winning the challenge. Jade, Rebecca Glasscock and Shannel receive negative critiques, with Shannel being safe. Jade and Rebecca Glasscock lip-sync to "Would I Lie To You?" by The Eurythmics. Rebecca Glasscock wins the lip-sync and Jade sashays away.

Guest Judges: Gordon Espinet and Jenny Shimizu
Mini-Challenge: In pairs, give your partner a 30 minute makeover
Mini-Challenge Winner: Jade
Main Challenge: Write and film a Mac-Viva Glam commercial
Challenge Winner: Ongina
Challenge Prize: Mac-Viva Glam ambassadorship
Bottom Two: Jade and Rebecca Glasscock
Lip-Sync Song: "Would I Lie To You?" by The Eurythmics
Eliminated: Jade

On the runway, Rebecca Glasscock and Shannel receive positive critiques, with Rebecca Glasscock winning the challenge. BeBe Zahara Benet, Nina Flowers and Ongina receive negative critiques, with Nina Flowers being safe. BeBe Zahara Benet and Ongina lip-sync to "Stronger" by Britney Spears. BeBe Zahara Benet wins the lip-sync and Ongina sashays away.

Guest Judges: Lucy Lawless and Robin Antin
Mini-Challenge: Outlast your opponents in an endurance challenge
Mini-Challenge Winner: Rebecca Glasscock
Main Challenge: Makeover a female fighter
Challenge Winner: Rebecca Glasscock
Challenge Prize: Gift baskets from Curlisto worth $1,000
Bottom Two: BeBe Zahara Benet and Ongina
Lip-Sync Song: "Stronger" by Britney Spears
Eliminated: Ongina
BeBe Zahara Benet - Raspberry
Nina Flowers - Mango
Rebecca Glasscock - Citron
Shannel - Mandarin

On the runway, BeBe Zahara Benet and Nina Flowers receive positive critiques, with BeBe Zahara Benet winning the challenge. Rebecca Glasscock and Shannel receive negative critiques, and are announced as the bottom two. They lip-sync to "Shackles (Praise You)" by Mary Mary. Rebecca Glasscock wins the lip-sync and Shannel sashays away.

Special Guest: Charo
Guest Judges: Jeffrey Moran and María Conchita Alonso
Mini-Challenge: Vogue battle
Mini-Challenge Winner: Nina Flowers
Main Challenge: The Absolut Drag Ball
Runway Themes: Swimsuit, Executive Realness, and Evening Wear
Challenge Winner: BeBe Zahara Benet
Challenge Prize: A custom dress from Miami Elite Design
Bottom Two: Rebecca Glasscock and Shannel
Lip-Sync Song: "Shackles (Praise You)" by Mary Mary
Eliminated: Shannel
Guests: Merle Ginsberg and Santino Rice

On the runway, Rebecca Glasscock is eliminated, leaving BeBe Zahara Benet and Nina Flowers as the top two queens of the season. After they lip-sync to "Cover Girl (Put the Bass in Your Walk)" by RuPaul, BeBe Zahara Benet is announced as the winner, leaving Nina Flowers as the runner-up.

Main Challenge: Record a verse and film a spot for RuPaul's music video "Cover Girl (Put the Bass in Your Walk)"
Eliminated: Rebecca Glasscock
Top Two: BeBe Zahara Benet and Nina Flowers
Lip-Sync Song: "Cover Girl (Put the Bass in Your Walk)" by RuPaul
Runner-up: Nina Flowers
Winner of RuPaul's Drag Race Season One: BeBe Zahara Benet
Miss Congeniality: Nina Flowers

References

Shumaker, Jason. (August 18, 2013). "Gentlemen, Re-Start Your Engines...and May the Best Woman Win...Again!". [[Logo (TV channel).
(September 23, 2013). "Callie, dear...". RuPaul's Drag Race Facebook page.

Wikipedia Source

This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page.

2009-american-television-seasons rupaul's-drag-race-seasons 2009-lgbtq-related-television

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