The Reading Challenge

**The Reading Challenge**, also sometimes referred to as **Reading is Fundamental** is an infamous mini challenge where the queens have to read each other and throw shade. Since it was first introduced in Season 1, it was featured in every regular season as well as Redemption.

## Challenge's Timeline

█ The challenge never appeared in the season.
█ The challenge appeared in the season once.
█ The challenge appeared in the season once under another format.
## Challenge's History

While the reading challenge first appeared on the sixth episode of the first season of Morgyn's Drag Race, in reality it debuted an entire decade earlier on the second season of Rupaul's Drag Race, and the concept itself appeared some twenty years before that in an LGBT-focused documentary entitled; "Paris is burning". The segment in question features late Drag Performer Dorian Corey explaining the concept of 'shade' and 'reading', concepts that were largely unheard of outside of the drag scene, and to an extent the LGBT community.

Paris Is Burning ReadingDorian Corey explaining the concept of "shade" and "reading"
## Winners of the Challenge

Lapis - Season 1Bambina Von Bimbo - Season 2Moxie Mathers - Season 3
## List of Reads

* Season 1
* Season 2
* Season 3

### Episode 6: "Just Book It!"

**Mini Challenge Winner: Lapis**

**Caliente**

1. **to** **Shadow:** "Miss Crow, the other girls just tear you down for being nasty, and shady and mean, but you know I'm gonna pay you some compliments, (and) even though you might not be as young or as pretty or as likable as me you, oh wait - I guess that's it!
2. **to** **Lapis:** "Miss Lapis, now I know why they call you the 'Blue Queen'; because everything you do makes me blue!

**Lapis**

1. **to** **Caliente**: "Safe! Oh I'm sorry I meant 'Caliente'."
2. **to** **Galaxia**: "Ladies and gentlemen we've had UFOs before, but Miss Galaxia brings us something completely new and original a 'UFA'; Un-Funny Alien."
3. **to** **Icy**: "Miss Icy some people might say that you have a stone-cold exterior. But honestly, I just think you're a stone-cold bitch."
4. **to** **Exxtra**: "Exxtra, I know you're good at buying shoes and like being in movies and stuff, but are you actually good at like you know, drag?"

**Galaxia**

1. **to** **Shadow**: "Miss Crow or "Raven 2.0", oh I'm sorry, that's such an insult to Raven; she at least had two wins by this point."
2. **to** **Parsleigh**: "Ah yes and Parsleigh, the Ewoks called; I believe you're wanted on Endor."
3. **to** **Caliente**: "Caliente, just like the eighties film; (you) Earth girls are (too) easy!"

**Shadow**

1. **to** **Galaxia**: "Galaxia, when the other girls talk about you, they can't stop referring to you as "extraterrestrial", "crazy alien", "Xenomorph Queen". But when I look at you all I see is, "the Thing".
2. **to** **Exxtra**: "Exxtra, some career advice; (you) might consider changing your stage name to 'has been', since logically that's the next step after D-list, because you're already halfway there girl."

**Icy**

1. **to** **Caliente**: "Caliente girl let me tell you what you and a burrito both share in common; you're both spicy, you're both hot, and you both give me gas."
2. **to** **Galaxia**: "Miss Galaxia, Alf called; he wants his gig back."
3. **to** **Shadow**: "Crow girl, the epitome of resting bitch face. Are you sure it isn't really 'Buzzard' (in reference to her name at the time)?"

**Parsleigh**

1. **to** **Everyone**: "All you girls are SLUTS! There, I read you all to filth!"

**Exxtra**

1. **to** **Galaxia**: "Yea so Galaxia, people always rave about you being this great Sixam Queen, they always say 'oh Star Wars! Oh Chewbacca!' When I look at you, I just see 'Space Balls'."
2. **to** **Parsleigh**: "Yea Parsleigh um, the 'Jolly Green Giant' called; he wants his look back."
3. **to** **Lapis**: "Oh before I forget, Lapis - David Lynch called; he's very interested in hiring you to play BOB in the sequel to 'Twin Peaks'. He just said come as yourself, no prosthetics necessary."
4. **To** **Icy**: "Icy, thank you for finally letting us all know the answer to the ages old question; where has 'Eddie Murphy' been the past ten years?"

### Episode 9: "Drag Sorcery"

**Mini Challenge Winner: Bambina Von Bimbo**

**Bambina Von Bimbo**

1. **to** **Ella Geeh:** "Miss Ella Geeh, yeah that's a very CLEVER name elegy; sorrowful, mournful music. In fact your full name aught to be 'dirge', cos' your fucking career in drag is flat-lining honey."
2. **to** **Zaltys:**  "Interesting fact about my friend 'Miss Zaltys' here; the 'Z' is actually pronounced like an 'S', so 'Salt-ess', and the reasoning behind that is because she's a very SALTY bitch, but she doesn't want people to know."
3. **to** **Landyn Towers:** "Landyn Towers, our only remaining 'Britechester Brat;' I don't know why your Grindr profile lists you as a top, you've bottomed three times so far!"
4. **to** **Elle Emenoppe**: "Aaaand lastly and certainly least, Miss Elle Emenoppe; gosh what can I say about thee Miss Elle Emenoppe? Every time you come on to perform, that's when I use MY time to take a pee. Check it!"

**Ella Geeh**

1. **to** **Bambina Von Bimbo**: "Bambina Von Bimbo; more like 'Manny mon Mimbo! ...Bon-Nipple!"
2. **to** **Zaltys**: "Zaltys, an alien? Ha! More like an EXTRA-terrestrial!"
3. **to** **Landyn Towers**: "Now I know your name isn't 'Brandon Flowers', LANDYN TOWERS; because you're no 'Mr. Brightside!"
4. **to** **Elle Emenoppe**: "And Elle Emenoppe, you can count the alphabet, OMG! Basic!"

**Zaltys**

1. **to** **Bambina Von Bimbo**: "Bambina Von Bimbo, your looks are always designer and so on point, and (y'know) flowing and gorgeous. But what is the point when it's all rented?"
2. **to** **Ella Geeh**: "Ella Geeh? I'm just gonna call you requiem; because that's what we're all going to be playing because your career is in a fucking dead fall!"
3. **to** **Landyn Towers**: "Waldorf, how ya been holding up since Statler's been gone?
4. **to** **Elle Emenoppe**: "And little Elle Emenoppe...are you still here? Are you lost? The exit's that way!"

**Landyn Towers**

1. **to** **Everyone**: "I'm going to describe each and every one of you bitches by a variety of UK common pests!"
2. **to** **Bambina Von Bimbo**: "WEASEL!"
3. **to** **Ella Geeh**: "Ella Geeh? More like WASP!"
4. **to** **Zaltys**: "Adder. SNAKE!"
5. **to** **Elle Emenoppe**: "Miss Elle Emenoppe well let's see...HEDGEHOG! For days honey!"

**Elle Emenoppe**

1. **to** **Bambina Von Bimbo**: "Bambina Von Bimbo, she likes to call herself 'Bambi' akin to the beloved Disney cartoon character. Though I can assure you, your career isn't going to take off like Bambi. It's gonna take off more like Bambi's mother; it's going to be shot dead!"
2. **to** **Ella Geeh**: "Hi uh Ella Geeh? Yeah 'the Muppets' called, you are wanted on the set of 'Sesame Street'. That's out this door, down the street, round the corner to lot number five. You can't miss it!"
3. **to** **Zaltys**: "Now Zaltys you're such a smug cunt for someone who's only won like two challenges."
4. **to** **Elle Emenoppe**: "Well they were deserved..."
5. **to** **Zaltys**: "Oh no no honey I'm not arguing that, I'm just saying (that) you're really SMUG for that fact! I mean we still have this episode and the finale, you could still go home tonight! (Whispers) Go home tonight! Phone home!"
6. **to** **Landyn Towers**: "Landyn Towers, well I don't have much of an opinion of (mock British accent) 'Britechester'; I think you have really shit taste in friends, I think that Ephedra is a deplorable cunt! But you're not so bad, even if you kinda walk like a bow-legged pirate-cowboy, I think you're alright."

### Episode 7: "Yadda Yadda Yadda"

**Mini Challenge winner: Moxie Mathers**

**Pavo**

1. **to** **Everyone**: "Pavo knows he is going to win, Pavo knows this because every one of you is BASIC compared to him!"

**Tawny Breckenridge**

1. **to** **Moxie Mathers**: "Moxie Mathers, my Del Sol Valley sis; hey you can go home now! You already broke Bubbles Chablis' record ages ago!"

**Damiana**

1. **to** **Mint Cookie**: "Oh I've got a read for Miss Mint Cookie; you a gringa perra (white dog)!"

**Delilah Deveraux Duprix**

1. **to** **Kim Brulee**: "Kim Brûlée? Seems like 'Kim Bitter' would be more appropriate!"

**Hera Tic**

1. **to** **Mint Cookie**: "Mint Cookie, 'BMW' girl; 'Body. Made. Wide!"

**Kim Brulee**

1. **to** **Delilah Deveraux Duprix**: "Miss Delilah Deveraux Duprix, after seeing you in drag I understand why Copperdale has a high suicide rate."

**Kyoot**

1. **to** **Mint Cookie**: "Mint Cookie...you need one!"

**Mint Cookie**

1. **to** **Damiana & Kyoot**: "Kyoot, Damiana; the mall is down the street and to the left okay hons? Leave the drag to the professionals alright?"

**Moxie Mathers**

1. **to** **Kim Brulee**: "How about we put you in a box Kim Brûlée? Cos you're gonna lose!"

## Trivia

* Of the three challenge winners (not counting Redemption), two of them would go onto win the season (Bambina Von Bimbo & Moxie Mathers).