In ‘Survival of the Thickest,’ a Drag Icon Sashays Away with the Whole Show

Survival of the Thickest, the new Netflix series starring comedian and The Circle host Michelle Buteau, is a sweet, thoughtful, and effortlessly watchable series. Inspired by her collection of essays of the same name, Buteau plays Mavis Beaumont, an up-and-coming stylist in a relationship with a prominent photographer. Mavis’ life seems to be finally lining up the way she’s longed for—until she arrives home to find her boyfriend cheating on her.

When they say that there are no small parts, only small actors, they mean it—and Survival of the Thickest proves it. Peppermint, an iconic NYC drag queen, plays one of Mavis’ friends, who all help her find herself post-breakup. But Peppermint has the smallest role of Mavis’ friends. She doesn’t have a major story arc, and her character doesn’t go on any particular journey of her own. She doesn’t even appear in every episode. But that doesn’t matter: Every moment Peppermint appears in Survival of the Thickest, the show is better for it.

Peppermint’s is the kind of performance overflowing with so much charisma and charm that she towers over everyone else in the best way. Whenever Peppermint wasn’t on screen, I wondered why; when she was, I couldn’t take my eyes off her. Her work reminds me of a moment from one of my favorite Simpsons episodes: “Whenever Poochie’s not on screen, all the other characters should be asking: ‘Where’s Poochie’?” Just replace an animated dog with a glorious drag queen, and you have Survival of the Thickest’s best character.

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