NEXT ON NEEDLES

Now that the dust has settled on the most guarded season in Rupaul’s Drag Race history, the quick fan favorite and now winner Sharon Needles is ready to talk, sitting down with us during our cover photo shoot while painting her own face with nothing more than a dusty, cracked hand mirror and a warm PBR. As unlikely as it seemed in the beginning, the spooky queen won the popular vote by breaking the typical mold and wrapping herself up in an almost undead persona that, week after week, dominated the stage and proved to be the most versatile, poised and (strangely enough) glamorous. Now that she’s one of the most recognized faces in the underworld, the self-described punk rock sex clown from Pittsburgh is still learning how to deal with the sudden wave of cult-like fame. Aside from monopolizing all the proper categories, Needles’ secret weapon this season was her success in a widely unrecognized category—her awareness of a deteriorating social state and general lack of intelligence in the world. For as stupid and clueless as Sharon makes herself seem, she’s actually more eloquent and socially conscious than a lot of the world’s politicians. MORE: NEXTMAGAZINE.COM

 ALSO IN NEXT: Sharon Needles Might Be the Drag Race Girl-Of-the-Moment, But Season Three Winner Raja Can Still Pack Sugarland on a Thursday http://www.nextmagazine.com/content/sharon-needles-might-be-drag-race-girl-moment-season-three-winner-raja-can-still-pack