Entertainment
The Best "Miss Vanjie" Memes Will Have You Shouting "Miss Vanjie" Right On Back
It is hard to not feel bad for the first person eliminated off of a reality TV show. Viewers don't really get a chance to meet them and they're often easily forgotten. However, memes and tweets about Drag Race star Vanessa Vanjie Mateo have proven she won't soon be forgotten. That's because her exit was one of the most iconic ever seen on any Drag Race season.
Loosing a lip-sync battle to Kalorie Karbdashian-Williams (who was then eliminated in Episode 2), Vanjie was devastated. Through tears on the show, she said that "to go home first is the worst" and she felt that she had let her drag mother Alexis Mateo down. In an interview with Billboard, she revealed that what she said was not planned and really had no inherent meaning. She was sad and that was just a genuine reaction from her as she left. "I decided to give [the judges] my name, and I said "F*ck it. Might as well have these b*tches remember me." So I just started screaming at the top of my lungs "Miss Vanjie," over and over," she said. "Hell no, there was no f*cking meaning ... And I was depressed as hell, so that's why I was looking so d*mn sad!” Despite there being no inherent meaning, that hasn't stopped fans on social media from making some meaning of their own through memes. But, to truly understand them, one has to watch Vanjie's mesmerizing exit from the show.
The Moment That Started It All
In case you missed the closing moments of Drag Race's first episode, here it is. This is where all of "Miss Vanjie" memes originated from. After she was eliminated, she simply backed up... repeating her name. This was the moment that has since captivated the Internet and lead to all this...
'Simpsons' Memes
The Simpsons and Miss Vanjie are a match made in meme heaven. In this meme, instead of the iconic Homer slinking into the bushes, he's been replaced by Miss Vanjie. Other Simpsons/Miss Vanjie crossover memes have included Bart Simpson having to write "Miss Vanjie" over and over again on a chalkboard.
Movie Tributes
Besides memes from The Simpsons, it seems most of the Miss Vanjie memes are based on various famous films. It seems that no movie is safe from becoming a Miss Vanjie meme. Above, one Twitter user posted several memes that are based on Arrival, The Shining, Titanic, and Call Me by Your Name.
Other movies that have gotten the Vanjie meme treatment include: Jumanji (Jumaaanji! Jumanji!) and Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri.
The Legend Of Bloody "Vanjie"
Have you ever heard of the legend of "Bloody Vanjie"? Me neither. But just look how far the memes have gone. The rather terrifying "Bloody Mary" legend frequently enacted as a coming-of-age right for teenagers has transformed into a meme. Instead of spinning around and chanting "Bloody Mary" three times, you simply need to chant "Miss Vanjie" three times and she'll appear behind you. At least, according to this tweet.
Celebrities Getting In On The Meme Game
Even celebrities are getting in on all of this Miss Vanjie meme action. RuPaul has made a number of tweets about Vanjie since her early departure from the show. And, Kathy Griffin showed her love with this tweet, simply saying, "OMG I can't stop saying it." Even Katy Perry liked a Vanjie meme, per Billboard.
Official Vanjie Holiday
Jujubee from Drag Race Season 2 and All Stars 1 couldn't help but react at Miss Vanjie, too. With how quickly Vanjie blew up on social media, it's easy to see why. Jujubee even went as far as to declare March 30, 2018 to be Miss Vanjie Day. Fans will surely be looking forward to celebrating it again next year.
Vanjie's Favorite Memes
Miss Vanjie is loving all of the praise and attention. In that same interview with Billboard mentioned above, she said that she is very thankful for it all. When she was asked if she thinks she'll get tired of hearing "Miss Vanjie" everywhere she goes, she was quick to shoot that down. "Miss Vanjie's what's putting me on the map, so I better learn to love it!" she said. "I mean, if it wasn't for that, I would've been just another first girl off! Thank god for Miss Vanjie!"
It seems that she's loving the memes as much as anyone on the internet. In a different interview with Vulture, she revealed she even has a pair of favorite Vanjie memes. The first is the one above, based on the movie Scream. But instead of Drew Barrymore's character answering the phone to the killer... it's Miss Vanjie's exit from Drag Race instead. Her other favorite meme is another killer she replaced in a horror movie. In this meme, she's replaced John (the would-be axe murderer) from The Shining. You can guess what she says when she busts through the bathroom door...
While Miss Vanjie may have been the first to leave Drag Race Season 10, it's clear she's made a mark on the series. With all this attention, it's hard not to imagine her not being asked to appear on another Drag Race season... maybe even All Stars. In an interview with Bustle, she said she'd appear on Drag Race again in a heartbeat.
“Hell yeah I would go back,” she says. “You wouldn’t even have to finish the sentence. I would be in the airport on the plane already.”
So, fans should keep making those memes, because it seems like Miss Vanjie isn't going to fade into the background any time soon.
