Another popular Drag Race contest is the "Reading is Fundamental" mini-challenge. More than halfway through a season, the remaining contestants all take turns standing in front of their peers and dressing them down with insults, no matter how biting or vulgar - all that matters is that they're funny. Some queens keep their competition in stitches while others flame out, and the most entertaining contestant is declared the winner. The reading doesn't begin or end with the challenge, though - all season long, queens take digs at each other. It's (usually) not done out of hatred, it's just part of the comedy of drag. Season six winner Bianca Del Rio was an expert - an experienced insult comedian, Del Rio spent the season dressing down her fellow contestants, but she was always there when they needed a helping hand. It's not personal... it's hilarious.
Scott Fried is a Slammy Award-winning* writer living and working in New York City. He has been following/writing about professional wrestling for many years and is a graduate of Lance Storm's Storm Wrestling Academy. Follow him on Twitter at https://twitter.com/scottfried.
*Best Crowd of the Year, 2013
