‘How (Blank) Was She?!’ The Definitive Ranking of ‘Drag Race’ Snatch Game Episodes by Season
Snatch Game has become something of a queer cultural phenomenon, anticipated with each new season seemingly as much as RuPaul’s Drag Race itself. Both queens and fans alike count down the episodes ’til it airs.
And while in recent seasons we’ve found ourselves a bit underwhelmed, we thought it best to look back at all the past seasons to uncover exactly what makes Snatch Game so great.
Below we rank every iteration of the Snatch Game, by season of RuPaul’s Drag Race:
12. Snatch Game Season 4
Latrice said it best. “The level of unprofessionalism — far too much.” Yes, Chad Michael’s Cher was iconic. Yes, Sharon Needle’s Michelle Visage was well-played and hilarious (even with a voice more like Harvey Feinstein). But everything else was a mess. Queens interrupted Ru. Snooki was grinding on Lady Gaga. Beyoncé was farting. All of which eventually led RuPaul to step in and tell Kenya Michaels to “calm your ass down.”
Funniest Q&A
RuPaul: Shy Sheila is so shy that she’s afraid to ___________ in public.
Cher (Chad Michaels): She’s afraid to … I don’t give rat’s ass because this game is boring the shit out of me. I don’t know why they book me on these chicken shit gigs. I’m a fucking Oscar winner.
11. Snatch Game Season 10
Not since Season 4 have we seen a Snatch Game meltdown so tragic. The interactions were stale. The awkward moments were painful. And for the third time we’ve learned: do not do Beyoncé. The three queens who did well (Eureka, Monet and Aquaria) did have some pretty funny moments, including Honey Boo Boo only drawing pictures. Then again, would any of them even make it into the top Snatch Game characters of all time? Probably not. Kameron and Miz Cracker were alright but so invisible they might as well have been sitting on the Untucked couches during the entire challenge.
Funniest Q&A
RuPaul: Did you hear about the new smartphone for drag queens? Instead of face recognition, it recognizes your _____________.
Honey Boo Boo (Eureka O’Hara): I don’t really know how to write so I just drew pictures. My Momma said if I don’t know what to do just start drawing. So I put, like, a star because I’m a star and I put my baby puppy because that’s a puppy right there.
10. Snatch Game Season 9
Season 9 gave us some high highs and some low lows — but more lows. Shea Couleé as Naomi Cambell reading Jasmine Masters (Nina Bonina Brown) was hilarious. Sasha Velour’s (as Marlene Dietrich) use of the term “Teutonic bisexual” was special. Alexis Michelle’s Liza Minelli will go down in the books. But so many of the characters were stiff. And while non-native English speakers continually face unfair disadvantages, especially in Snatch Game, Cynthia Lee Fontaine’s portrayal of Sofia Vergara was just brutal to watch.
Best Q&A:
RuPaul: The new American Horror Story is going to be the scariest one yet, it takes place in Lady Bunny’s ____________.
Jasmine Masters (Nina Bonina Brown): American who? If it’s not on BET, I don’t know what it is.
9. Snatch Game Season 3
Only one year into Snatch Game, the queens from Season 3 were still working out the kinks. Alexis Matteo’s decision to play Alicia Keys as a butch lesbian was completely out of the blue — and hilarious, like her spelling “douche” as “DUSH.” Mateo’s idea to flirt with the contestant (Amber Rose) was copied in later seasons by Katya and Sasha Velour.
Stacy Lane Matthews’ Mo’Nique was the first time we saw a queen play up more of a character than a celebrity. Raja’s Tyra, Manila’s Imelda Marcos and Carmen Carrera’s Jennifer Lopez were all good. Even Yara Sofia took her thick accent and turned it into a ridiculously bonkers impersonation of Amy Winehouse. And although she sounded nothing like her, more importantly she made you laugh.
Funniest Q&A:
RuPaul: Freaky Fanny is so freaky, instead of shaking hands, she shakes _____________.
Mo’Nique (Stacy Lane Matthews): A chicken leg in my face because the bitch knows I’m hungry. Bitch know it. I’m hungry as hell.
8. Snatch Game Season 8
Bob the Drag Queen playing two characters at once will forever be iconic. Derrick Berry’s Britney Spears was spot on (although like Chad Michaels, she does get paid to do it). Kim Chi’s Kimmy Jong-Un was the first fictional Snatch Game character we ever saw. And though some of the queens gave lackluster performances, the group as a whole definitely had some witty banter back and forth, with Bob leading the charge.
Funniest Q&A:
RuPaul: Sally the supermodel is so lactose intolerant, when the photographer says, “cheese” she _____________.
Carol Channing (Bob the Drag Queen): I just wrote corn. You know, there’s no dairy and it comes out the way you put it in, RuPaul.
7. Snatch Game All Stars Season 3
All Stars 3 had the makings to become one of the best seasons of Snatch Game ever. But that wasn’t the case. Chi Chi misspelled Maya Angelou’s name, Kennedy’s Phaedra Parks was leaps and bounds less impressive than her Little Richard and Trixie Mattel’s RuPaul puns were … anything but personable.
Aja did come through as Crystal Labeija and taught some of the younger fans a little drag herstory. Shangela’s Jenifer Lewis was spot-on. And BenDeLaCreme’s Paul Lynde (another lesson in queer history) saved the entire show with quick wit, never missing a beat to play off other comments. DeLa also made history this episode as the only queen to have won two Snatch Game challenges.
Funniest Q&A:
RuPaul: I’m coming out with a RuPaul cookbook. It include my famous recipe for spaghetti and _____________ balls.
Paul Lynde (Ben DeLaCreme): Well Ru, I just said the ones I find the most delicious — anonymous.
6. Snatch Game All Stars Season 4
Right off the bat, Snatch Game of Love was a fresh change of pace. With a new set-up, and the queens able to answer with longer responses, each queen could better create their character (or in some cases bomb even worse).
Trinity the Tuck’s impersonation of Caitlyn Jenner is one for the books. But several of the queens gave noteworthy performances, including Naomi Smalls as Wendy Williams (and her iconic fall walking offstage) and Manila Luzon as Barbra Streisand. And while Valentina’s Eartha Kitt wasn’t necessarily “funny,” she did a spot-on job embodying the singer.
Funniest Q&A:
Gus Kenworthy: Imagine that you’re a car. Sell yourself to me.
Caitlyn Jenner (Trinity Taylor): Well, this car has had a lot of miles, honey.
5. Snatch Game Season 2
It’s almost impossible to compare the first Snatch Game to any other season. Because unlike the rest, these girls had no references to study. There was no Little Edie or Maggie Smith yet. But this also meant the girls had no boundaries to break, only to set. Tatianna’s Britney and Pandora’s Carol Channing are among the best Snatch Game characters ever. And honestly, clock Jessica Wilde’s RuPaul impersonation all you want, but I laughed 1,000 times more at her than Trixie Mattel’s version.
Funniest Q&A:
RuPaul: Fat Fanny the drag queen is so fat, instead of dollars she prefers to be tipped with _____________.
Britney Spears (Tatianna): Kevin liked to tip me in what he called his manbutter.
4. Snatch Game Season 5
Yes, this season had a few of the worst Snatch Game impersonations ever: Alyssa Edwards as Katy Perry, Ivy Winters as Marilyn Monroe, and Lineysha Sparks as Celia Cruz. But Season 5 was the first time we really saw the queens interact with one another in a funny way, not just relying on their answers. Jinkx Monsoon as Little Eddie, jumping into conversations, punchline after punchline, is one of the best impersonations to ever grace Snatch Game. Alaska’s Lady Bunny also pushed the challenge’s raunchiness, which has grown over time.
Funniest Q&A:
RuPaul: Hedda the hoarder is such a mess, when she opens her _____________, her personal massager falls out.
Lady Bunny (Alaska Thunderfuck): Well, Julie, I just wrote Anus.
3. Snatch Game Season 7
Kennedy Davenport changed Snatch Game forever with her impersonation of Little Richard. Men are now on the table because of her. And Season 7 also gave us one of the best ensembles ever. From Katya’s Suze Orman to Pearl’s Big Ang to Ginger Minj’s Adele, the queens truly came to play. Violet Chotchki’s take on Alyssa Edwards is arguably the best impersonation of a Drag Race contestant to date.
Funniest Q&A:
RuPaul: Rumor has it that they’re making a gay version of Batman & Robin. In this movie, the dynamic duo convert the Batcave into a _____________.
Little Richard (Kennedy Davenport): Well, you know me and Batman and Robin have a lot in common. I said a bathhouse with a dark room and a lot of gloryholes. There’ll be a lot of singing going on up in there. Awoooooo!
2. Snatch Game Season 6
There’s no question that the Snatch Game of Season 6 was phenomenal. Maggie Smith (BenDeLaCreme), Judge Judy (Bianca Del Rio) and Anna Nicole Smith (Adore Delano) seem untouchable as characters now. Bianca’s nonstop reads and DeLa’s response to Trinity asking her to “speak English” are some of the best examples of how great queens can keep the show upbeat and make even less funny queens interesting.
Funniest Q&A:
RuPaul: That Chelsea Handler is so wrong. She’s launching a new vodka, and it’s flavored with _____________.
Maggie Smith (BenDeLaCreme): Well, I’m unfamiliar with the work of Lady Handler, however I did think it would be rather amusing if there were libations flavored with citrus. Can you imagine such a thing?
1. Snatch Game All Stars Season 2
Will we ever see a Snatch Game so good again? Even the queens who weren’t the best would have landed safe in any other season. Alaska’s Mae West, Katya’s Björk, Phi Phi’s Teresa Caputo and Alyssa’s Joan Crowford are easily among the top 20 Snatch Game characters of all time. Honestly, the entire thing could have been Katya making screeching Björk noises. No other grouping has packed the punch of these ladies, and no other season will leave you laughing in tears quite like this one. It’s All Stars, baby.
Funniest Q&A:
RuPaul: Tammie Brown is so unusual, when she was abducted by aliens, she __________ them.
Mae West (Alaska Thunderfuck): She probes them with her Tootsie Loo. Why don’t you come on up and fuck me in the ass some time?
RuPaul: You don’t beat around the bush.
Mae West (Alaska Thunderfuck): What are you talking about? I beat around the bush all the time, Ru.
