Usually occurring about halfway through each Drag Race season, Snatch Game is commonly perceived as one of the most important and memorable challenges of the show and, in RuPaul's own words, separates "the basic bitches from the fierce-ass queens."[3] Winners of the show are often amongst the top performers in the Snatch Game,[a] though there are a few exceptions.[b]
Because they are drag queens, the show's contestants typically impersonate women, although there have been several instances of contestants choosing male celebrities whose public images were sufficiently flamboyant to fit in with a drag aesthetic.[4] Several contestants have chosen to impersonate other people directly associated with the show, such as other past or present contestants, Michelle Visage, or RuPaul.[5] Queens cannot choose copyrighted characters,[6] although some have ostensibly impersonated actors while actually basing their portrayal on one of the celebrity's film or television performances.[4]
The challenge often brings in celebrity guests who serve as answer providers and sometimes, but not always, also serve as the guest judges of the episode. However, some seasons have also used members of the show's regular production team, such as Michelle Visage, Ross Mathews, Carson Kressley, Rhys Nicholson or members of the Pit Crew, in lieu of outside guests.
Ginger Minj (left) won on season 6 for her portrayal of Phyllis Diller (right), becoming the second contestant to win the challenge twice.
Jinkx Monsoon (left) won on season 7 for her portrayals of Natasha Lyonne (middle) and Judy Garland (right), becoming the fourth contestant (tied with Trinity the Tuck) to win the challenge twice.
Trinity the Tuck (left) also won on season 7 for her portrayals of Lucifer (middle) and Leslie Jordan (right), becoming the fourth contestant (tied with Jinkx Monsoon) to win the challenge twice.
Jimbo (left) won on season 8 for her portrayal of Shirley Temple (right), becoming the sixth contestant to win the challenge twice.
Contestants of RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars and their imitations
WIN indicates that the contestant won the challenge and, for the All Stars format, the Lip Sync for Your Legacy.
TOP2 indicates that the contestant won the challenge, but lost the Lip Sync for Your Legacy.
RW (Runway win) indicates that the contestant won the runway challenge.
SAFE indicates that the contestant was declared safe by the judges.
BTM (Bottom) indicates that the contestant was up for elimination.
ELIM (Eliminated) indicates that the contestant was eliminated.
WEL (Winner eliminated) indicates that although the contestant won the challenge, they were the worst in the runway challenge and were subsequently eliminated.
DISQ (Disqualified) indicates that the contestant was disqualified after losing a lip sync to stay in the competition.
Cardi B and Jennifer Coolidge are the most frequently impersonated celebrities, with Coolidge as the only celebrity to be simultaneously impersonated by two competing queens in the same Snatch Game. Both queens who impersonated Mariah Carey and two of the five queens who impersonated Cardi B were eliminated, making them the only choices of impersonation subject to lead to multiple contestants' eliminations. Both of the queens to impersonate Ariana Grande, Celine Dion, Ellen DeGeneres, Nancy Grace, and Rue McClanahan, respectively, and two of the three queens to impersonate Lady Gaga were up for elimination due to their performances, but only one queen was eliminated for each. Two of the four queens to impersonate Eartha Kitt, and two of the three queens to impersonate Cher and RuPaul, respectively, landed in the bottom, but none of them were eliminated. Two of the three queens to impersonate Liza Minnelli won the Snatch Game, making her the first impersonation subject to earn multiple queens a win, while Joan Rivers became the second following season 15 of RuPaul's Drag Race.
The "Snatch Game" challenge has been called the signature challenge on the show.[15] Kevin O'Keeffe from Into discusses that the challenge isn't only about the celebrity impersonation and RuPaul looks for accuracy, humor and the idea of the character. He also states that the challenge tests a lot of different skills, such as the queens' ability to put on a different look from their signature one, and also their ability to be "funny on a dime".[16] RuPaul states each year, as the challenge is introduced, that the cardinal rule of the challenge is to make him laugh.[5]
Writing for Vulture, Bowen Yang and Matt Rogers state that "Snatch Game" is "the mother of all comedy challenges on a reality show" despite the varied results over the years.[17] On a more critical reception of the challenge, Josh Lee, for PopBuzz, argues that while the annual challenge has given viewers some of the best moments from RuPaul's Drag Race, it is starting to feel stale overall. He comments that recent celebrity impersonations in the challenge have been lackluster and the show should adapt and retire "Snatch Game" in future seasons of the series.[18]
Notes
^In the 48 seasons to include the Snatch Game, seventeen queens (Jinkx Monsoon [twice], Bob the Drag Queen, Aquaria, Alaska, Trinity the Tuck, Shea Couleé, Natalia Pliacam, The Vivienne, Envy Peru, Sharonne, Blu Hydrangea, Gisèle Lullaby, La Diamond, Ra'Jah D. O'Hara, Admira Thunderpussy, and Jimbo) who won the Snatch Game went on to win their seasons.
^In the 48 seasons to include the Snatch Game, only five queens (Yvie Oddly, Willow Pill, Trixie Mattel, Priyanka, and Lawrence Chaney) who placed in the bottom for the Snatch Game went on to win their seasons.
^Special guest Vincenzo De Lucia took part in the Snatch Game portraying Barbara D'Urso, intervening in various sketches making parodies about the character and the show Pomeriggio Cinque.
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