Jujubee is the stage name of Airline Inthyrath, a professional drag performer, makeup artist, singer, and comedian from Boston, Massachusetts. She is best known for being a contestant on Season 2 of RuPaul's Drag Race. Her drag mother is Karisma Geneva Jackson-Tae.
She is heavily known as a fan-favorite and is remembered for her friendship with fellow Season 2 alumni, Raven. After Jujubee placed third in the second season, she returned to compete on All Stars 1, paired with Raven. Jujubee later placed in third/fourth place along with Shannel, while Raven placed second to Chad Michaels.
On May 8, 2020, it was announced that she would be competing in All Stars 5. Throughout the season, she consistently got positive critiques, contrasting heavily with her performance on Season 2 and All Stars 1. She finished the season as a Runner-Up alongside fellow competitor Miz Cracker, both losing to Shea Couleé.
Contents
Biography
Before competing on RuPaul's Drag Race, Inthyrath studied theatre in college.
Inthyrath is of Lao ancestry, something he has shown great pride in during his time on Drag Race. In addition to his fluency in Lao, he is also highly fluent in Thai and utilized words from that language when he told fellow contestants about how his uncle called him "kathoey", meaning "Lady boy," and then again during the "reading" challenge, describing Jessica Wild as to having a “dog face”. Jujubee is a native of Boston. Since Drag Race, Jujubee has been performing throughout the United States and Canada as part of the RuPaul's Drag Race Tour. She also appeared in the music video for RuPaul's song "Jealous of My Boogie" and in Xelle's music video "Queen".
Jujubee is a huge fan-favourite and arguably one of the most popular contestants ever to compete on RuPaul's Drag Race, alongside Willam, Raven and Bianca Del Rio.
She was known on the show for her fun personality, her makeup skills, her sense of humour, and her sensational lip-sync performances; eliminating three of her fellow competitors on Season 2, and winning 2 more lipsyncs in All Stars 1.
Her goal was to fulfill her dream of drag as a child and to prove to her deceased father that she could make it and become "America's Next Drag Superstar".
RuPaul's Drag Race
| Seasons Competed: | Season 2 | All Stars 1 | All Stars 5 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ranking: | 3rd | 3rd/4th | 2nd/3rd (Runner-Up) |
| Mini Challenges Won: | 1 (Ep. 7) | 2 (Eps. 2, 5) | 1 (Ep. 1) |
| Maxi Challenges Won: | 0 | 0 | 1 (Ep. 3) |
| Times Placed High | 3 (Ep. 2, 5, 7) | 1 (Ep. 1) | 4 (Ep. 2, 4, 5, 6) |
| Times Placed Low | 1 (Ep. 4) | 1 (Ep. 2) | 1 (Ep. 7) |
| Times in Bottom: | 3 (Eps. 6, 8, 9) | 3 (Eps. 3, 4, 5) | 3 (Eps. 5, 6, 7) |
| Times as Team Captain: | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Episode Eliminated | Episode 11 | Episode 6 | Episode 8 |
Jujubee was eliminated on the "Grand Finale" episode of Season 2, finishing 3rd.
The final challenge was to put together a music video for RuPaul's "Jealous of my Boogie" and to show off their final runway outfits for the season.
Jujubee was criticized for having too much of an over-the-top performance in the shooting of the music video. Merle felt that Jujubee lacked leadership in "fashion and beauty" compared to Raven and Tyra Sanchez. Jujubee's outfit was also the judge's least favorite of the week.
She was eliminated last and was pronounced as the second runner-up of her season. This left Raven and Tyra to be the Top 2, aiming for the title of "America's Next Drag Superstar."
Aftermath
Following the show, Jujubee has become one of the most popular Drag Race alumni. She appeared in the music video for RuPaul's song "Jealous of My Boogie", alongside fellow season two contestants Raven and Tyra Sanchez. She also was nominated for a NewNowNext award in 2010 for "Most Addictive Reality Star".
Jujubee has been a professor on all three seasons of RuPaul's Drag U, and has appeared a total of ten times, tying with season two contestant Raven. Her first win was in Episode 8 of Season 1 with a makeover of actress Charlene Tilton, who played Lucy Ewing on the TV series Dallas. Tilton's drag name was Lisa Mercedes. In season two, her second win was with nurse Lanell under the name of Angel Esprit.
In 2012, Jujubee was announced as one of the twelve contestants of RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars. In the pair selection, she and fellow season two queen Raven picked each other as partners and chose the team name "Rujubee" and placed 3rd/4th with Shannel.
In 2020, Jujubee was announced as one of the ten contestants of All Stars 5, returning for a third time with fellow All Stars 1 alum Alexis Mateo.
Drag Name Origin
Her drag mother, Karisma Geneva Jackson-Tae, proclaimed that Jujubee will be her name, when she did an amateur competition and won. It turned out to be the fruit jujube. She didn’t like the name, but kept it because of its significance to Karisma.
Memorable Quotes
Season 2
- "What about me!? What about Jujubee?!?"
- "Jujubee's just this fabulous Asian girl, she's very like poppy and like, fashion-forward. She loves accessories and she likes glitter, 'cause it's wicked sparkly!"
- "I love women, I think they're amazing... I just don't want to sleep with them."
- "I just want to show them that we're not stupid, we're not uneducated, we have jobs, and I can cook!"
- "Everyone looks like a Country Diva, but then I see what Mystique is wearing. She looks like she's a big girl going out to a club."
- "I've never been blown like that in my life. (talking to Mike Ruiz and RuPaul)
- "I feel like I'm superhero diva and my power is glitter."
- "Tyra, she believes she's Beyoncé. And she doesn't want to hurt Beyoncé's feelings because somehow Beyoncé pays her bills."
- "Every time Raven gets to choose something and every time Morgan gets to choose something, it's I pick Morgan, I pick Raven. Like I'm surprised we don't have a name for them yet. Rorgan, Maven, Hey Morvans. Douche-bags."
- "Keep burning yourself bitch."
- "I think I have charisma, uniqueness, nerve and talent and so does Raven. Tyra has talent. Tyra is unique, I-i can see that. Nerve? She had the nerve to wear those ugly ass shoes, I give that to her. Charisma? I don't see any. She's just U.N.T."
- "Girl I know I'm gorgeous. You don't have to tell me anything, Miss Thing. Just get yourself some manners so you don't look so damn stupid." (to Tyra on the main stage)
- "I'm not nervous, I'll read a bitch. I will read ya ta filth!"
- "Miss Tyra, was your barbecue cancelled? Your grill is fucked up!" (said during the reading challenge)
- "And Miss Tatianna, Miss Honey. You think you're so soft? Not by the hairs of your chinny chin chin." (to Tatianna during the reading challenge)
- “Pandora. Can we talk about sun tanning?” (to Pandora Boxx during the reading challenge)
- "And let me tell you something, puerca. You won't understand this anyways: มึงหน้าหมา แล้วตัวมึงใหญ่คึสิตาย! (You have a dog face. Your body is HUGE!). Get my gist? Do ya understand?" (to Jessica Wild during the reading challenge)
- "And you! Legendary you think you are. Legendary? Looks like leg AND dairy!" (to Raven during the reading challenge)
- "Memoirs of a Gay-SHA!"
- "Meeeooww."
All Stars 1
- "I'm Jujubee. I like long walks on the beach, big dicks, and fried chicken."
- "I feel a little underdressed, I look like I work at the mall!"
- "I choose Raven, Raven chooses me. I'm happy."
- "I missed you bitch."
- "You know I love y'all, but I'm gonna take you, bitches, down."
- "I want fried chicken now."
- "Mimi, did you find that dress for sale? Half off? 75% off? Did it keep going down? Did you have a coupon?" (about Mimi's runway dress, on Untucked)
- "Girl, I'm a funny bitch, but I don't write no jokes."
- "Alexis Mateo, your look is really ghetto!"
All Stars 5
- "Third time's the charm." (entrance quote)
- "I've made it to top 3 twice, it is time to take the crown. Gimme the crown RuPaul! Can I have the crown? Please?"
- "Okay, I am so dressed for all your funerals, cus I'm gonna kill you all."
- "This Jujubee has stepped her pussy up. This is like I am the pussy staircase."
- "Mariah Paris Balenciaga. Great, you're here, so we have to change the name to 'RuPaul's Drag Race Some Stars'."
- ”Mayhem Filler. Sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I mean MEH-hem Miller."
- "Alexis Mateo. I don't wanna be shady, so I'm not gonna bring up your weight. But when you work, do they pay you in pounds?"
- "Okay, the crickets aren't even laughing."
- "♪Float like a butterfly, sting like a Jujubee♪"
- "Mariah! I found your size!" *Raises size 15 heels*
- "Are we the mean girls?"
- "RuPaul...what the fuck?"
- "...Sorry girl."
- "What were you, twelve?" (to Blair St. Clair in Untucked)
- "You need feelings to cry." (to Miz Cracker)
- ''Don't talk about my grandma, bitch.'' (to India Ferrah)
- "My goodness, I would fuck me."
- "Second language my ass." (after Alexis says that she struggles sometimes because English is her second language)
- "Do you want a carrot?" (to RuPaul after winning the maxi challenge on episode 3)
- ''Do you wanna know what’s in my mind? ‘Cause I know you wanna know. I know you’re asking. What’s going through my mind right now is, ‘Oh, I miss my cats.’ They don’t judge me. They do! But they have to live with me. I feed them. I also scoop their poops. I feel like I would be a crazy cat lady if I had one more cat. But two is enough. For now. Meow meow, bitches.”
- "Could this be the babadook?"
- ”Come inside! I’ve said that before...”
- "Yes, you were asleep sweetheart." (to Blair St. Clair)
- *whispers* "I'm wearing the butterfly ring you gave me." (to Miz Cracker)
- "Here's a clap! Here's a clap for your performance!" *claps*
- "Perhaps, possibly, maybe."
- "Love has many lives, like cats!" (as Eartha Kitt in Snatch Game of Love)
- "The first thing somebody notices about me is my big, wet...smile!" (as Eartha Kitt in Snatch Game of Love)
- "I would sensually walk to the thermostat, and turn up the thermostat to a sensible 74." (as Eartha Kitt in Snatch Game of Love)
- "Ribbit! Ribbit! I am a lady frog, and you are a sweet prince... I am convincing you." (as Eartha Kitt in Snatch Game of Love)
- "Sorry I'm late, I didn't wanna come! Hahaha!"
- "My name is PING, but everybody in my family calls me AM-BURH!"
- "For the outdoor fish ride, I brought my famous potato salad with raisins, which I made with potatoes, and raisins."
- "I HATE this challenge!" (to Michelle Visage on the main stage on episode 6)
- "I wish I had one blonde joke, but she's sitting over there!" (to Miz Cracker during the Stand-Up Smackdown)
- "Michelle, I think of you the way I think of my mom... Resentfully."
- "Oh, I do declare, this is a dumpster fire." (about Blair St. Clair's Stand-Up Smackdown comedy routine)
- "White girl go first." (to Miz Cracker)
Trivia
- Jujubee is the first and only contestant in herstory...
- ... to be of Thai and Laotian descent.
- ... to have made it to a finale without any Maxi Challenge wins in a regular series (in Season 2).
- ... to be eliminated by RuPaul twice (in Season 2 and All Stars 1).
- ... to make it to the finale in three different seasons (in Season 2, All Stars 1 and All Stars 5).
- ... to be drunk during a lip-sync (in episode 6 of Season 2).
- This would take later affect on future seasons, as cocktails since get washed down with water and are limited in Untucked.
- Jujubee is the first contestant to survive three lip-syncs in her original season.
- She was followed by Alexis Mateo in Season 3, Coco Montrese in Season 5, Darienne Lake in Season 6, Kameron Michaels in Season 10 and Heidi N Closet in Season 12.
- She has the lowest Dusted or Busted out of all Drag Race finalists: -6, along with Raven, in All Stars 1.
- Jujubee is the third contestant to win two reading challenges, after Alaska and Latrice Royale.
- Jujubee has had the longest run across seasons before winning her first Maxi Challenge, having competed in 17 Drag Race episodes prior to winning a Maxi Challenge.
- Jujubee is also the queen to have competed in the most amount of episodes, at 24.
- Jujubee is the only contestant from All Stars 1 who returned to compete in another All Star season to make it to the finale.
- Manila Luzon, Latrice Royale and Alexis Mateo respectively placed 6th, 5th and 5th on their second time in All Stars.
- Jujubee holds the record for the most times being up for elimination across all seasons, with nine times in total (three on each season she was on).
- However, the only reason she holds this record is because of the twist on All Stars 5. Without it, she would arguably only have been up for elimination a total of 6 or 7 times, behind Latrice Royale, who was up for elimination a total of 8 times across her three seasons.
- Coincidentally, on All Stars 1 and All Stars 5 the last 3 competitive episodes was when she was up for elimination.
- Jujubee has been followed by the number 3 in her Drag Race experience.
- She has competed on three seasons (Season 2, All Stars 1 and All Stars 5).
- She placed around the 3rd placement every time she competed: she came in 3rd on Season 2, 3rd/4th on All Stars 1 and 2nd/3rd on All Stars 5.
- She is the only contestant in herstory to make it three times to the finale.
- She won a Maxi Challenge for the first time in episode 3 of All Stars 5.
- She lost a lip-sync for the first time in episode 3 of All Stars 5.
- She is one of the two only queens who competed in three ball challenges (along with Alexis Mateo).
- She landed in the bottom three times in each season she was on.
- She was the 33rd Drag Race contestant to reach 1 million followers on Instagram on August 15, 2020.
- Jujubee's final lip-sync look in All Stars 5 was designed by her fellow contestant India Ferrah.
- Jujubee has only been eliminated by another queen once on (All Stars 5, by Shea Couleé) after competing on three seasons due to RuPaul eliminating her in the finales of Season 2 and All Stars 1.
Gallery
Season 2 Looks
All Stars 1 Looks (as a team with Raven)
All Stars 5 Looks
Credits
Filmography
As herself
| Year | Series | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | RuPaul's Drag Race: Season 2 | Contestant |
| 2010 | Drag Race: Untucked! | Contestant |
| 2010 | NewNowNext Awards Pre-Show | TV Special |
| 2010 | 2010 New Now Next Awards | TV Special |
| 2010-2012 | RuPaul's Drag U | 11 episodes |
| 2012 | RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars: Season 1 | Contestant |
| 2012 | RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars: Untucked! | Contestant |
| 2013 | RuPaul's Drag Race: Season 5 | Episode: "Lip Synch Extravaganza Eleganza" (Archive footage) |
| 2013 | Drag My Dinner Party | Special |
| 2014 | RuPaul's Drag Race: Season 6 | Episode: "Countdown to the Crown" |
| 2015 | RuPaul's Drag Race: Season 7 | Episode: "Countdown to the Crown" |
| 2016 | RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars: Season 2 | Episode: "All Stars Snatch Game" |
| 2016 | Cocktails & Classics | Episode: Spice World Episode: "Mrs. Doubtfire" |
| 2018 | RuPaul's Drag Race: Season 10 | Episode: "10s Across the Board" |
| 2020 | Dragnificent! | |
| 2020 | RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars: Season 5 | Contestant |
Acting Roles
| Year | Series | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Drag Me Down the Aisle | Queen |
Discography
| Year | Work | Artist | Album | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town" | Jujubee | "Christmas Queens 4 " | Appearance on album |
| 2020 | "good juju: vol.1" | Jujubee | Solo (EP) | |
| 2020 | "good juju: vol. 2" | Jujubee | Solo (EP) |
Music Videos
| Year | Song | Song Artist | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | "Jealous of My Boogie" | RuPaul | Cameo |
| 2012 | "Queen" | Xelle | Cameo |
| 2018 | "Call My Life" | Blair St. Clair | Cameo |
Other Credits
| Year | Series | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2014 | RuPaul's Drag Race: Dragopolis 2.0 | Voice |
Awards and Nominations
| Year | Award | Category | Results |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | NewNowNext Awards | Most Addictive Reality Star | Nominated |
Videos
Lip Syncs
All Stars 5
Social Media
- Jujubee's Official Website
- Jujubee's Facebook
- Jujubee's Instagram
- Jujubee's Twitter
- Jujubee on Wikipedia
|
2nd: Raven • 3rd: Jujubee | |
|
4th: Tatianna • 5th: Pandora Boxx (Miss Congeniality) • 6th: Jessica Wild • 7th: Sahara Davenport • 8th: Morgan McMichaels • 9th: Sonique • 10th: Mystique Summers • 11th: Nicole Paige Brooks • 12th: Shangela | |
|
Emanuel Palmer • Max "The Body" Philisaire | |
|
Team Shad: Chad Michaels & Shannel • Team Rujubee: Raven & Jujubee • Team Yarlexis (5th): Alexis Mateo & Yara Sofia • Team Latrila (6th): Manila Luzon & Latrice Royale • Team Brown Flowers (7th): Nina Flowers & Tammie Brown • Team Mandora (8th): Pandora Boxx & Mimi Imfurst | |
|
Jason Carter • Shawn Morales | |
| Shea Couleé | |
| 2nd & 3rd: Jujubee & Miz Cracker | |
| 4th: Blair St. Clair • 5th: Alexis Mateo • 6th: India Ferrah • 7th: Mayhem Miller • 8th: Mariah Paris Balenciaga • 9th: Ongina • 10th: Derrick Barry | |
| Jason Carter • Bruno Carvalho • Bryce Eilenberg | |
