weaponizing that BFA

This old video of a ‘Drag Race’ queen out of drag has everyone gooped & gagged

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Image Credit: Amanda Tori Meating / ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race,’ MTV/World Of Wonder

We’re off to the races with Season 16 of RuPaul’s Drag Race, and we’re in that exciting phase of the competition where long-term story arcs begin to click into place, and the queens we may have judged a little too soon have the ability to truly gag us.

One such queen is Amanda Tori Meating who, despite that brilliant drag name, had a rough go of it in her premiere.

Almost immediately, her effusive personality, conspicuous breastplate, and questionable makeup choices made her a target of the other queens. Hell, even Mama Ru was reading Amanda, telling her she was “prettier out of drag” when they met in the Werk Room. Ouch!

However, after she ditched the purple makeup, something happened in episode three, “The Mother Of All Balls”—Amanda kind of slayed! Not only did her ball package present a much more polished version of her drag (that Michelle Visage grey hair streak reveal? Pure genius!), but she also proved she could dish out the shade as much as she could take it.

Related:

Seeing the cast of ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’ season 16 in & out of drag will leave you gagged

Behind the mug: Get a look at the faces (and more) of the queens competing on ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’ season 16.

In last week’s episode of Untucked (which, if you’re not watching, you’re only getting half… well, you get it!), she found herself on the sharp end of Plane Jane’s schtick, the barbed Boston queen rather bluntly stating she wasn’t connecting with Amanda’s looks. Many of the other queens came to her defense—having quickly warmed to their sister’s heart and humor—but she showed us she could fend for herself. *Cue the SHADE rattle*

In other words, if you’re not stanning Amanda Tori Meating yet, what’s wrong with you???

But wait—there’s more surprises in store with this one! Earlier this week, Twitter X user @nicoisking unearthed an old musical theater and acting reel video of Amanda’s from college where she’s performing a number from Bridges Of Madison County.

Now, are we shocked that Miss Amanda is a queen with a musical background? Oh heavens no, not at all—we clocked her theater kid energy the second she walked into the Werk Room, and watched her weaponize that BFA in her spirited “My Kitty” talent show number.

What’s more surprising is that Amanda once had a masc phase. The hair was short and clean-cut, the biceps bulging, and that henley top? Oh, girl was in her “Sean Cody” era (according to one fan). As @nicoisking writes, the revelation was “blowing [their] mind,” and other X users—including fellow Season 16 queen Xunami Muse—agreed:

So, yes, go ahead and feel your feelings—thirst away—but one thing that feels important to note is that, though the video is still public and readily available, it is a few years old we don’t know how Amanda identifies out of drag (the queen has “she/they” pronouns listed on her verified Instagram profile).

While she hasn’t made a public comment on the video, or yet talked about her musical theater past on the show, it’s notable that the one X post Amanda did like related to this internet discovery is a quote-tweet remarking that she “looks happier now.”

And it’s true! Amanda clearly came to the competition with a good head on her shoulders, open-hearted and confident that her drag aesthetic and charming personality would win over fans far and wide… no matter what Plane Jane says.

As one X user (who claims to have met Amanda back in her theater days) writes, “it’s nice to see Amanda so confident and fluid in their skin.” And we have to agree!

With this week’s Maxi Challenge set to be a return of “RDR Live”—a live sketch comedy challenge clearly riffing on SNL—we’re ready for Amanda to surprise us yet again and put those performance chops to good use.

In the meantime, let’s back in the glow of more Drag Race fans discovering the joy that is Amanda Tori Meating:

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