Victoria "Porkchop" Parker

Victoria "Porkchop" Parker, stage name of Victor Bowling,[1] is an American drag performer and actor who came to international attention on the first season of RuPaul's Drag Race, and for being the first contestant eliminated from the series. Parker has been called one of the most successful drag queens in their post-RuPaul's Drag Race careers, and has been brought back to the show by RuPaul several times in homage to being the first elimination in the show's history. Bowling has appeared on television as both himself and Porkchop, and as a backup dancer for Miley Cyrus.[2] Parker has also won over 100 pageants and toured internationally as a drag queen.

Victoria "Porkchop" Parker
Victoria "Porkchop" Parker in 2017
Born
Victor Bowling

Anderson, South Carolina, U.S.
NationalityAmerican
Occupation

Early life

Bowling was born in Anderson, South Carolina, and raised in Fayetteville, North Carolina.[1] He attended E.E. Smith High School.[3] He was kicked out of his parents' home for being gay.[4]

Career

Pageants

Parker started doing drag pageants in 1990, with her first being the Miss Gay USofA at Large 1990. She has won over 100 pageants,[5] including Miss'd America 2013.[6][7]

Film and television

Parker was in the documentary Trantasia, which debuted in 2006. In 2008, he appeared in the documentary film Pageant with Alyssa Edwards and other queens detailing their experience on Miss Gay America.[8]

In 2015, Parker made a minor appearance along with Chad Michaels in an episode of 2 Broke Girls.[9] She was a backup dancer with 30 other drag queens for Miley Cyrus's 2015 VMA Awards performance.[5]

Parker was on the E! show Botched (Season 3, Episode 4) to fix the silicone problems with his nose, including a point where the skin was starting to decay.[10]

RuPaul's Drag Race
Performing in 2017

Parker was announced as one of the nine contestants for the inaugural season of RuPaul's Drag Race on February 2, 2009. She has been described as the season's only older and plus-sized queen.[11] Parker was eliminated during the first episode, becoming the very first contestant ever eliminated in the history of the show. She was sent home by Akashia.[12] Because of this, RuPaul always addresses her with "Hey Porkchop" during all of the Drag Race live reunions, starting with season 4.[13]

Parker has been brought back on the show by RuPaul several times, in homage to being the first contestant ever eliminated.[14] She appeared during the recap episode of RuPaul's Drag Race: All Stars 2 and was featured in winning queen Alaska's rap.[15][16] Parker was also brought back for the first episode of season 10 of RuPaul's Drag Race to help judge the mini-challenge.[17] In 2019 she appeared as a guest for the first challenge in the premiere of season eleven of Drag Race posing with Soju.[18]

In the first episode of RuPaul's Drag Race: All Stars 3, Vanessa Hudgens lip synced against "Porkchop", an actual pork chop, which RuPaul said was Parker.[19][20]

In March 2018, Variety said that Parker was one of the 10 most successful queens in their careers after the show.[21] She has toured internationally.[21]

As of 2018, Parker was still publicly vying for a spot on RuPaul's Drag Race: All Stars.[22] Daniel Welsh of Huffington Post wrote "we're surprised contestants like Jessica Wild, Ongina and even Victoria "Porkchop" Parker are still sitting on the shelf, waiting to be plucked up for All Stars."[23]

Personal life

Bowling was attacked at a gay bar which resulted in a gunshot wound and acid damage on his face, requiring surgery. He had silicone injections done by an unlicensed nurse in 1999, resulting in granuloma.[24]

He has been blocked by former President Donald Trump on Twitter.[25]

Filmography

Television
DateTitleCharacterWork
2006TrantasiaSelfDocumentary
2008PageantSelfDocumentary
2009–2020RuPaul's Drag RaceSelfReality television
20152 Broke GirlsProtesterSitcom
20152015 MTV Video Music AwardsDancer for Miley CyrusAwards show
2016BotchedSelfReality television
2017Hey Qween!SelfTalk show
2020AJ and the QueenPorkchopNetflix original

Music Videos
Year Title Artist Ref.
2020 Pink Pony Club Chappel Roan [26]

Web series
Year Title Role Notes Ref.
2013 RuPaul Drives Herself Guest [27]
Ring My Bell Guest [28]
WOW Shopping Network Recurring guest [29]
2016 The Pit Stop Guest [30]

References
  1. Ferber, Lawrence (December 25, 2008). "The Other White Meat". The Advocate. Retrieved February 23, 2019.
  2. Daw, Stephen (18 August 2018). "Porkchop Reveals 'Drag Race' Post-Elimination Drama & Hopes for an 'All Stars' Return". Billboard. Retrieved 18 July 2019.
  3. Hutson, Beth (June 23, 2018). "Victoria "Porkchop" Parker: From Fayetteville to "Drag Race" stardom". The Fayetteville Observer. Retrieved February 23, 2019.
  4. "'Drag Race' Legend Porkchop Shares Her Words of Wisdom". HuffPost. June 6, 2017. Retrieved March 7, 2018.
  5. "Meet All 30 of Miley's Day-Glo Dancers from Her Insane VMA Performance". MTV News. Retrieved March 24, 2018.
  6. Landau, Joel (September 22, 2013). "Miss Victoria 'Porkchop' Parker is Miss'd America". The Press of Atlantic City. Retrieved February 22, 2019.
  7. Key, Michael (September 26, 2013). "Miss'd America". Washington Blade. Retrieved February 22, 2019.
  8. "Victoria PorkChop Parker and Nina Bonina Brown Spill the T on HEY QWEEN". The WOW Report. June 5, 2017. Retrieved March 7, 2018.
  9. "Chad Michaels and Victoria "PorkChop" Parker Do Primetime TV on "2 Broke Girls"". LOGO News. Retrieved March 7, 2018.
  10. "The Botched Doctors Help a Patient With a Pork Chop Nose, Remove Star Implants on a Patient's Ribs & More OMG Show Moments! on Botched". E! Online. Retrieved March 7, 2018.
  11. Daems, Jim (2014-10-13). The Makeup of RuPaul's Drag Race: Essays on the Queen of Reality Shows. McFarland. ISBN 9781476618869.
  12. Megarry, Dainel (February 2, 2017). "Remember the first ever RuPaul's Drag Race lip sync for your life?". Gay Times. Retrieved February 23, 2019.
  13. "'RuPaul's Drag Race: Reunited': A preview chat with RuPaul". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved March 7, 2018.
  14. Sava, Oliver. "A middling Drag Race All Stars is elevated by the return of a fan-favorite". The A.V. Club. Retrieved March 24, 2018.
  15. Bourgoin, Jean-Maxime. "RuPaul et 25 de ses drag queens pour son anniversaire". Le Journal de Montréal (in French). Retrieved March 24, 2018.
  16. "13 "RuPaul's Drag Race" All-Stars Who Aren't in This Season". Seventeen. January 26, 2018. Retrieved March 24, 2018.
  17. "RuPaul Brings Back Katya, Porkchop, Kim Chi, Jujubee, Detox, and More to Help Judge the First Mini-Challenge of Season 10". VH1. Retrieved March 24, 2018.
  18. "'RuPaul's Drag Race' 11 episode 1 recap: Which queen was sent packing on 'Whatcha Unpackin'? [UPDATING LIVE BLOG]". Goldderby. 2019-02-28. Retrieved 2019-03-01.
  19. "The Most Gag-Worthy Moments From the Premiere of 'RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars 3'". Flare. January 26, 2018. Retrieved March 7, 2018.
  20. "'RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars 3' Recap: They're Back!". Instinct. January 26, 2018. Retrieved March 24, 2018.
  21. Turchiano, Danielle (March 16, 2018). "'RuPaul's Drag Race' at 10: Launching the Next Wave of Drag Superstars". Variety. Retrieved March 24, 2018.
  22. Daw, Stephen (August 16, 2018). "Porkchop Reveals 'Drag Race' Post-Elimination Drama & Hopes for an 'All Stars' Return". Billboard. Retrieved February 23, 2019.
  23. Welsh, Daniel (September 11, 2018). "'RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars 4' Line-Up: 6 Things To Note". HuffPost. Retrieved February 23, 2019.
  24. Cohen, Jess (31 May 2016). "The Botched Doctors Help a Patient With a Pork Chop Nose, Remove Star Implants on a Patient's Ribs & More OMG Show Moments!". E! News. Archived from the original on 19 April 2019. Retrieved 19 April 2019.
  25. Hatchett, Keisha (February 2, 2019). "Where Are Your Favorite Queens From RuPaul's Drag Race Season 1?". TV Guide. Retrieved February 23, 2019.
  26. Chappell Roan (2020-04-03), Chappell Roan – Pink Pony Club [Official Music Video], retrieved 2020-04-06
  27. Asea, Adam (October 7, 2013). "RuPaul Drives… Victoria PorkChop Parker". Worldofwonder.net.
  28. Asea, Adam (2013-08-08). "Victoria Porkchop Parker on Ring My Bell". worldofwonder.net. Retrieved 2020-04-04.
  29. Asea, Adam (2013-11-01). "Victoria PorkChop Parker on WOW Shopping Network". worldofwonder.net. Retrieved 2020-04-04.
  30. Avery, Dan (2020-05-03). ""RuPaul's Drag Race" Recap, Season 8, Episode 10: "The Realness"". NewNowNext.com. Retrieved 2020-04-04.
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