Lucky Starzzz Is Quick To Remind Fans She Wasn't the First (or Second) 'Flop' of Season 17 (Exclusive)

Way back on Feb. 2, 2009, on the premiere of RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 1, Victoria “Porkchop” Parker became the first ever queen to be asked to “sashay away” by Mama Ru. Since then, 16 more first boots have exited the main stage with Season 17’s Lucky Starzzz becoming the most recent “Porkchop” queen. The “Porkchop” moniker is a legendary one in the Drag Race fandom, although not one drag queens are aiming for when prepping for the MTV reality TV show. 

“I was hoping to last longer,” Lucky Starzzz tells Parade exclusively. “Unfortunately that’s just the way it worked.”

Despite her name, Lucky only became the Season 17 Porkchop through a series of unlucky incidents. After wowing the fandom with her colorful, melted crayon entrance look, Lucky went on to deliver an extremely strong talent show number in the premiere, a performance that she feels like deserved a win (more on that later). Then in last week’s Episode 2, Hormona Lisa was nearly eliminated. After losing a lip sync battle, the Tennessee queen was set to head home, but was saved by a stroke of luck thanks to a new dunk tank-themed twist RuPaul dreamed up. That meant that heading into Episode 3, a Porkchop had still not been named. 

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This week’s maxi challenge was a design challenge, something that on the surface seemed to be in Lucky Starzzz’s wheelhouse. However, rather than deliver something a bit more crafty, Lucky opted to create a more conventional gown and paint a more traditional mug. The result was disastrous and ultimately sent her home. 

“What got me was I changed myself,” Lucky Starzzz says. “But I hope that no matter how long I lasted, the world got to see my heart, got to understand my craft, and got to see that I am uniquely me.”

After her exit, Parade sat down with the newest Porkchop to discuss her ill-fated final runway look, if she’d like to return for All Stars and how she dreamed up her lemonade talent show number. 

Here’s Parade‘s full interview with Lucky Starzzz:

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Matthew Huff: Let’s talk about your outfit in the design challenge this week. You tried to go a more conventional route. What was the thought process in doing what you did?

Lucky Starzzz: That’s just because of the prompt and the materials. The prompt was to give opulence. Basically, you had to be a beautiful rich woman. But the thing is, I was inexperienced in that department. I don’t sew. I’ve always been a very crafty person. I have my own medium of drag. I just don’t use those materials. I’ve never done that aesthetic. I’ve done a traditional mug here and there, but that’s not what I serve. 

If you don’t sew a lot, how do you put your outfits together? What materials do you use and how do you build your costumes?

I use a lot of crafting foam, a lot of expanding foam. I sculpt with that. I sculpt a lot of my drag. I use a lot of hot glue. I do this little technique where I lay the hot glue on fabric actually, and then it will dry and look very gooey like lava or bubble gum or paint like you saw in Episode 1. I use a lot of unconventional stuff. I buy fabrics to craft with, but I don’t sew them. I will grab a basic bodysuit and spray paint it, polka dot it, highlight it, add depth at shadow. I would craft around it. I don’t really sew.

How did you get those outfits to Los Angeles on the plane? They seem extremely hard to pack. 

It was like a puzzle, putting stuff together to take to Drag Race. It’s the most unrealistic way of packing. It’s almost impossible to pack that much and make it big.

Going back to the premiere, what was it like filming the Squirrel Games? Was that the first thing you guys did? Was that where you met everyone?

I saw everybody at the Squirrel Games. I was like, “Oh my God, who are these people?” I recognized some faces from online. I also saw some new faces. I had never seen Jewels [Sparkles] before. It was crazy. It was wild. It was an amazing way to start the season.  was like, “Wow, I’m here, and we’re already starting so crazy.” It was so fun seeing all the familiar faces of the alumni.

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You also performed in the talent show on the first episode. How did you put that number together?

I had so many crazy ideas for the talent show. At one point I was going to be a marshmallow and roast and stretch myself out. I was gonna be a giant bed and give a metaphor of people making love in the bed. I was gonna be the pillowhead looking at them. Things were gonna be thrown. I had so many crazy ideas. The thing with the lemonade is a cartoon episode gone wild. Imagine a little children’s TV show of a lemonade jug making lemonade, but she’s selling something more. You know how in “Peanut Butter” by RuPaul she’s selling something at the corner? It’s a metaphor, and it was my favorite moment of the entire experience. I felt so proud.

Katy Perry was the guest judge that week. What was it like having her on set? Have you been a fan of hers?

I have always been a Katy Perry fan. I’ve always wanted her to be my guest judge. That was my fantasy dream, and it happened so that was wild honestly. It felt like a full circle moment. Joella was not the only Katy Perry fanatic there. Like I lived for Katy Perry.

You are the latest in a long line of iconic Porkchop queens. What does it feel like being in that club. Have you talked to any of the other Porkchops?

I would love to create a show called The Porkchop Show, and just bring all the Porkchops from all the seasons, and we perform numbers or do like a Porkchop fashion show? I didn’t expect to end up becoming a Porkchop someday in Drag Race. That was crazy to me, but it’s just the way it crumbles I guess. I’m disappointed about that. I didn’t want to be a Porkchop but you know what? At least I’m memorable. Also, I was not the first nor the second person to flop on my season. If anything I was the third, and I was not gonna even be the first to go. I ate the premiere, so it’s not like I went there and just did a mess. 

Do you think you should have been in the top the first week? 

I do think so. I don’t know if it should have been me and Susie [Toot] or me and Jewels, but I feel like I deserved a spot up there somehow.

If they called you, would you come back for an All Stars season? 

Oh yes! Of course I would. I would love to be part of an All Stars season. I love filming actually. Ss long as I’m not poor, and shopping again. If I do go back, I’m gonna be more unhinged than ever. I’m gonna be crazy, more colorful than ever. I’m going to just be like wild.

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