The Most Memorable Snatch Game Performances on RuPaul’s Drag Race
RuPaul’s iconic reality competition franchise, RuPaul’s Drag Race, is known for its range of challenges and minigames ranging from lip syncs to elaborate fashion shows. RuPaul whips out the often-hilarious and dramatic ‘Snatch Game’ challenge as an occasion for the queens to put their improv skills to the test and strut their stuff in front of a live studio audience. In the Snatch Game, contestants impersonate popular celebrities and icons and face-off against each other in a parody version of ‘The Match Game’. It’s really no wonder that viewers tune in and laugh at the spectacle that is the Snatch Game, where the queens attempt to ‘out-wit’ their opponents with the most outrageous one-liners they can think of.
While there are some total fails and major duds, there are plenty of highly successful performances on the beloved franchise that have gone down in Drag Race herstory. In this article, we will take a look at a few of the standout Snatch Game performances that have shown why this is one of the key challenges of the series.
Top 5 Iconic Snatch Game Performances
- The Best: Sasha Velour as Marlene Dietrich
Sasha Velour reverted all of our expectations about the challenge with a remarkable impersonation of legendary cabaret star Marlene Dietrich. Her polished look combined with her underrated repertoire of one-liners, resulted in a complete knock-out performance. The then twenty-five-year-old star wowed the audience with her clever jokes and impeccable style. Judges such as Michelle Visage were so impressed, they questioned how she managed to come up with such hilarious lines that only had of Marlene Dietrich’s old-wealth persona draped all over them.
- The Runner-up: Bianca Del Rio as Judge Judy
Another frontrunner of the Snatch Game is the season six queen, Bianca Del Rio. She was remembered for her dead-on impersonation of the long-time favorite TV personage, Judge Judy. From her facial expressions to her poker-straight hair, Bianca Del Rio was an absolute spitting image of Judy Sheindlin. Not to mention, her delivery was pitch perfect, with Bianca Del Rio ad-libbing an impressive number of hilarious lines.
- Aquaria as Melania Trump
Aquaria’s season 10 Snatch Game performance was anything but conventional, as she took on a then-relatively unexplored impersonation of the First Lady of the United States, Melania Trump. She managed to imitate the Slovenian-American model’s accent, mannerisms and even her signature shrug. Aquaria took it a step further by crafting a witty immitation of Melania’s heavily-accented English.
4.Sharon Needles as Michelle Visage
In season four’s Snatch Game challenge, Sharon Needles debuted her brilliant take on Michelle Visage. Needles was able to rally Visage’s catchphrases with her own dry humor crafted out of her voice and witty gags. This made Needles the contestant to beat on that episode, as she secured many laughs from RuPaul and the judges, making this one of the Snatch Game’s classic performances.
- Jinkx Monsoon as Little Edie
The ‘Little Edie’ performance was most certainly one for the Hall of Fame of Snatch Game’s greatest hits. Jinkx Monsoon channeled the iconic look of Edith Bouvier Beale, a part of the famed Kennedy-Bouvier clan. With her skillful vocal impersonation of Edie and class-A one-liners, Jinks Monsoon left her competitors green with envy.
Though the Snatch Game has graced viewers with incomparable comedic brilliance, the challenge has also been used for more serious matters.
Using the Snatch Game for Seriousness
The Snatch Game has seen some queens donning brave drag personas in order to speak up about various issues and matters of importance.
1.Rosé as Bam Bam
In season 13, fan-favorite contestant Rosé decided to pay homage to Bam Bam, a beloved drag queen of the New York City nightlife. The challenge was used to showcase the appreciation Rosé had and still has for performance artists of color in the local scene. Her chosen look unpacked the lasting effects their contributions to the drag and nightlife communities have made.
- Jaida Essence Hall as Killer Mike
In season 12, Jaida Essence Hall tackled the challenge with a photo-realistic rendition of rapper, activist and political commentator Killer Mike Who in drag makeup, shaved beard and all. Through this impersonation, Jaida Essence Hall aimed to raise awareness for potential issues surrounding the voting and election process in the United States.
Drag fans often anticipate the classic Snatch Game episode with great enthusiasm, for more than just the comedic aspect of it. The challenge has time and time again been embraced as an outlet for queens to express themselves and their messages.
With these high-stakes performances, the Snatch Game has proven itself as a pivotal part of RuPaul’s Drag Race, uniting us all in laughter and, occasionally, in thought-provoking messages of social importance.