When Seinfeld‘s Elaine Benes spoke about who was sponge-worthy or not, she certainly wasn’t thinking in terms of what a drag queen from Brooklyn would one day wear on the runway of RuPaul’s Drag Race. That DIY season 10 dress may have soaked up a lot of mockery (and inspired a lot of memes), but its creator, Monét X Change, has proven herself to be such a fierce queen, versatile comedian and all-around likable entertainer that she not only survived #SpongeGate but continues to thrive in the world of Drag Race and beyond.
After being crowned a Drag Race All Stars winner on season 4, Monét X Change has toured internationally, hosted podcasts and hosted the recap series The Pit Stop, which her team is submitting for Emmy consideration in the structured reality category.
But once a Ru girl, always a Ru girl, and when RuPaul decided to create an all winners’ seasons of All Stars for 2022, Monét X Change was more than happy to return to the Werk Room for another go. “I’ll just go back and have fun,” says Monét of her decision to come back. “Why not?”
[Spoilers ahead for the fourth episode of All Stars 7.] Here, Monét chats with Billboard about everything from receiving the platinum plunger (which blocks her from receiving a legendary legends star the following episode, thereby slowing down her race to the finale), hosting The Pit Stop series and whether it’s hard to concentrate on walking the runway when the guest judge is a fox.
You finally got the platinum plunger at the end of this episode from The Vivienne. Did you know it was coming?
That shady, nasty British whore. [laughs] People say, “Monét, you had to know it was coming.” I really did not know. I had been doing my best to play the strategic game, the Monét/Survivor crossover we didn’t know we needed. The Viv blocked me, but she pretended to give it to Jaida [Essence Hall] first, a little subterfuge. So I thought “oh, it’s not me” and then I’m holding it in my hand. I thought, “I cannot believe that centuries ago, her ancestors colonized America, now she’s colonizing my time on Drag Race. This is crazy to me.” But no, it’s fine. [laughs]
Earlier in the episode, Jaida mentioned you were the only contestant, other than her, who had a star and had not been blocked. Do you think that contributed to you getting the block?
I think Jaida needs to keep my name out of her mouth! That’s what I think. Jaida absolutely put a little bee in The Vivienne’s bonnet about me. It’s fine. I’ve always been an overcomer, I’ve always persevered, and this time will be no different.
Is it hard not to be pissed at the person giving you the plunger?
Oh yeah, you definitely feel that because you don’t know what the challenge is coming the next week — it could be something you’re extremely good at. Then again, all of us are so good at so many of these challenges. Every week Ru would tell us, “It was incredible, you all did really well, and we are splitting the thinnest of hairs to find something.” But it’s part of the game you have to roll with.
How does it feel to be in the Werk Room competing with all winners as opposed to the other seasons you’ve done?
It definitely felt different in the room this time. In this, coming back as all winners, there was a lightness in the room. That sounds so whatever, but it really did feel like, girl, we have nothing to prove. I literally came to have fun. People are like, “But you want the money,” and sure. That would be nice to get a crown, but I already have one. Bob [The Drag Queen] and I do Sibling Rivalry, and every episode we’re like, “If I was in that challenge, I would do this.” That feeling never goes away. You always have that a little bit, so I was in the throes of watching season 13 and thought, “I’ll just go back and have fun, why not?”
While hosting The Pit Stop, did you learn anything different about yourself, as opposed to when you’re a guest or contestant on a show?
You get a chance to step back and see the bigger picture, like I would assume Ru does and the other judges do. You’re seeing it from a higher vantage point. There are certain things where I find myself making allowances for certain girls. Like if a girl I know has made all of her costumes, I treat that differently in my mind. Seeing it week after week, I’m so impressed. For girls who have the creativity to create these ornate things and sew all their costumes, that’s really impressive. Even if it’s not the greatest, the fact that you took your own hands and made all 12 of these things, I’m impressed by that and I do grade it on a scale a little bit.
When you were watching season 14 of Drag Race for Pit Stop, was there something where you thought, “Ugh, I wish I could have done that one”?
The Moulin Ru one. I love the Rusicals. My only change is that I wish they were singing live. Correct me if I’m wrong – and I’m sure if I am the fans will let me know – but I think season 10 was the last one where the queens were singing live; those were our live vocals. I would love to do the Moulin Ru but singing our live vocals the entire time.
I wonder why they stopped doing that. Maybe you guys were just so bad in season 10 they decided to can it.
Probably, girl. I mean, Asia [O’Hara]? [sings] “Bum-bum-bum, schnap out of it!” They were like, “Okay, we’re done.”
Was there anything during All Stars 7 where you really surprised yourself?
I would say Mike Tyson during Snatch Game. It was a gamble. I thought it could go really well or really bad, and obviously it went really well, but I was nervous to do it and surprised at the outcome. Honestly, [does Tyson voice] he just wants to f—k ’em in the ass.
If you had to be one of your two Snatch Game characters, Mike Tyson or Sheneneh Jenkins, for an entire week, who would you pick?
I grew up on the Martin show, my family watched it all the time. I realized that not everyone recognizes it – I don’t think Gen Z even knows who Martin Lawrence is – but Sheneneh Jenkins is one of my favorite characters on TV. It was one of my first introductions to drag, honestly. I would love some Sheneneh Jenkins in my life. They should bring Sheneneh Jenkins back – not Martin Lawrence doing it but someone else.
When you think of all the seasons you’ve been on, what’s your favorite Drag Race moment?
Oh my God, Naomi Smalls, All Stars 4. The fallout after sending Manila [Luzon] home. Her putting her beautiful white teeth to camera and saying, “Life’s not fair.” Girl, it sent me over the moon and I f—king love it.
What are you listening to these days?
Two things: Chanel’s “SloMo” from Eurovision, she represented Spain in Eurovision, watch the video on YouTube. And “Plan B” by Megan Thee Stallion. I have not heard a hard rap bop like that in such a long time. It’s so good, her wordplay is so dope in it. Megan Thee Stallion is not just body goals but life goals. She’s hot, she’s fierce; obsessed.
It is more distracting to walk the runway when someone super attractive, such as a Jeffrey Bowyer-Chapman, is sitting with the judges?
[laughs] It is. I’ve had a boner for Jeffrey Bowyer-Chapman more times than I care to admit. He’s very handsome. People who are conventionally beautiful like that, I’m like, “does it get annoying that people fawn over you?” I can answer that question for myself: It is. [laughs] In season 10, we had Kumail Nanjiani and he is so f—ing hot. Obviously he’s a straight man and married to Emily Gordon, but I was like, “what if you guys had like a break?” It’s a little hard when you have a very attractive gentleman there.
