RPDR 9 Episode 6: “Snatch Game” Review | Spoiler Alert
I can hear Andy William’s singing voice now….It’s the most wonderful time of the year. Welcome to the 9th ever Snatch Game! (Yes I’m including All Stars.) The fan-favorite Drag Race challenge that separates the true contenders from the rest of the crowd. Played like the classic gameshow Match Game, RuPaul has two contestants played by the guest judges fill in the blank of a hilarious sentence, and see if anyone from the celebrity panel (this being the queens dressed as celebrities) has a matching answer. The aim of the game for the queens is to do a witty impersonation or unique take on the celebrity they’ve chosen, and to make RuPaul laugh, while staying in character 100% of the time.
What I love about Snatch Game, is that it challenges the queens in every facet of the competition. It forces them to get into polished drag, get creative in which celebrity they choose, do their research, show off their acting chops and think on their feet. It’s always exciting to see who the girls choose to portray.
And this year, the girls hope to outdo the Season 8 girls’ Madonna-themed runway and avoid the disaster that was Kimono-gate last year (four queens doing the same “Nothing Really Matters” kimono look.) Let’s see how they fare.
AJA
The Look
This for me, was kind of a mess. Aja once again has better makeup than the previous weeks, however this ruffled look is not the most flattering and could have been executed in a more mature and refined way. It just kind of looked like pleated wrapping paper to me and I wasn’t very impressed. Props for originality though. No one last year or this year did anything like it. Good on you, Aja. But BOOT
Snatch Game
This Snatch Game performance was far from horrible, but did feel that Alyssa Edwards was a boring choice at this point. I am not a fan of the queens doing other past queens, but even moreso, I feel that it was a mistake on Aja’s part to play the same Snatch Game character that a former season winner had played. In season 7, Violet played Alyssa splendidly and was deemed safe during the episode. Meaning no one has yet tanked when it came to an Alyssa impersonation. So in order to stand out from Violet, Aja would need for her Alyssa to be 10x better and put her in the top 3 (Like how Chad Michaels, a professional Cher impersonator, knew she would do a better job of the role than Delta Werk and understandably took the risk of having a repeat performance)…but that didn’t happen.
And that choice told me that Aja isn’t quite in it to win it. It’s fine for a winner to play it safe during Snatch Game if thinking on the spot isn’t their strongpoint. In fact, that could be a terrific strategy considering Jinkx and Bob were the only Snatch Game winners to take home the crown in the history of the show. But what would the odds be that two winners of the show would both have played the same safe character on the Snatch Game? I don’t think Aja really thought of how that would come across. But oh well. She survived this round and that’s not an easy feat. Let’s just hope she steps it up next week.
ALEXIS MICHELLE
The Look
Alexis fascinates me. Out of drag, she is a youthfully handsome young man who looks ready to show you a good time at the club. But then as a drag queen, she can give you realness of a character in their 20s to a character in their 50s. And she understands the sensibilities and traits of today as well as yesteryear. I think she is a versatile (*ahem in Drag*) queen with a lot of sides to her. And I think that this garment shows off that she’s not afraid to put a modern twist on old classic styles of drag. She looked like someone who won for a performance as Liza Minelli. She fit the challenge, she fit the runway theme and she was drop dead gorgeous. TOOT
Snatch Game
This week, Alexis made it her mission to show the judges that she is a force to be reckoned with, and did not at all disappoint with her hilarious Liza Minelli impersonation. Sure Liza is easy to do, and everyone has their own variation of her. But Alexis proved to be the right person to bring Liza to this competition, and to the consciousness of thousands of youngins everywhere. She was unrecognizable as Miss Minelli and totally embodied what she was going for, much like the performance that put her on the map as Kris Jenner last week. You go Alexis! You’re one of the ones I’ve been rooting for from the start!
CYNTHIA LEE FONTAINE
The Look
While this was probably one of my favorite Cynthia Lee Fontaine looks ever, I still wasn’t very excited by it. Props for originality and doing something no one of either Madonna runway seasons have done, but unlike Valentina’s hometown look in the first episode, which was androgynous but still had a feminine sex-appeal to it, this one just screamed boy to me. I think it was a mixture of the choice in wig and shoes that made this outfit more masculine and less draggy…plus the accidental mustache Michelle had pointed out in this episode. BOOT
Snatch Game
If there were any Snatch Game character that I’d think would be perfect for Cynthia, it’d probably be Sofia Vergara. That’s why this was so frustrating. Cynthia has made the judges laugh before (take her princess runway or her news anchor skit,) and has been able to use her strong accent and “unique take” on the English language to charm the pants off of everyone. However, her performance as Modern Family star Sofia Vergara, was not at all charming and was instead awkward and long-winded.
Something I’ve noticed about Cynthia is that – because she’s one of the nicest people to ever grace this planet – she has a hard time making fun of others. When she is expected to read a queen to filth, she instead encourages them, compliments them and shows them love. Which is fine if you’re in the real world, (Lord knows we could use a bit more of that energy right now.) But in a performance competition like Drag Race, and in a cut-throat impersonation challenge like the Snatch Game, one must be willing to throw shade at whoever they’re impersonating, the other queens around them and even Ru and the judges themselves! And that’s not Cynthia’s style. I will give her kudos for being consistent, but that’s honestly not the attitude it takes to win this particular competition. And we must once again say farewell to Miss Cucu (and perhaps to the peace and harmony that has always taken place during Untucked and in the workroom,) and will be wishing her all the best throughout her treatment and her charity work. Goodbye, drag angel.
FARRAH MOAN
The Look
I loved this concept for the Madonna runway. Since Farrah didn’t go with a classic music video outfit, I thought it was extremely clever that she wore a different garment that Madonna had worn for the entire country to see. This superbowl runway costume was spot on from the garment to each and every accessory, and Farrah looked beautiful. It has been a while since she has stood out from the crowd in an immense way on the runway, and I’m glad to see it happen. I remember seeing her come out and thinking “Hmm I hate the length of the skirt though. It’s too long and unflattering.” But then I remembered that when I saw Madonna’s superbowl performance for the first time, I thought the same thing about the skirt! Great job Farrah. That’s my girl. Total TOOT
Snatch Game
Farrah’s performance as Gigi Gorgeous was far from horrible, but it was definitely a snooze. A bit like Jade Jolie’s Taylor Swift. Forgettable, while taking absolutely no risks. Gigi Gorgeous would have been a cool choice what with her taking over the makeup world as a trans icon. And Gigi does a lot of funny things that one could make fun of. Like throwing a ton of makeup behind her, describing pink things as “pomegranate,” and sometimes not doing the best job of pronouncing the names of ingredients on her packaging. When Willam used to roast her on The Beatdown, it gave me so much life. And I would have liked to have seen that sort of humor during Farrah’s impersonation. Oh well. She has survived another week at least.
NINA BO’NINA BROWN
The Look
This week, Nina was one of the four queens who had someone on the runway dress in the same Madonna theme as them. Nina and Trinity both donned their own versions of the Madonna Met Gala 2013 look, which I love. But Trinity’s was definitely more polished and elevated than Nina’s and the judges did not neglect to mention it. However, this was still a unique choice for both of them, and Nina did not at all rely on makeup tonight to slay us on the runway. Instead, she took the runway in a very different direction than Trinity. She vogued in, reminding me of Kia LaBeja and really got the crowd in my bar cheering. If I hadn’t seen Trinity’s version of this look, I’d give this one a toot. But due to the circumstances, this look will have to be a BOOT.
Snatch Game
She’s Jasmine Masters…and she’s got something to say, bitch. This week, Nina snatched eveyone’s weaves with a hilarious and risky Jasmine Masters impersonation. There was something so clever to me about the fact that she truly did what Denis O’Hare said she was doing: Expressing her discontent in the competition by playing a past contestant who was the “poster child for discontentment.” While I did think that her performance was accurate and funny, in my opinion she should have been deemed safe for this role and Shea should have been in the top three instead. More on Shea’s performance later, but in my opinion, Nina could really have taken Jasmine further as a caricature.
She could have contoured on a six pack and lifted her shirt to show it to everyone, she could have acted more like someone who’s had one too many Red Bulls that day like Jasmine, she could have brought a suitcase of food with her, or she could have even used more lines of hers. When Ru says “The next season of American Horror Story will take place in Lady Bunny’s ________,” I was expecting her to say “Her cocoon!” and ramble on for days repeating the same word.
This performance felt more like Nina being Nina, rather than a true impersonation of Jasmine. Jasmine is so talkative, energetic, almost childlike in how excited she gets and always has a very unique way of expressing herself. I needed more of that energy to feel like this was not just Nina being kind of bratty. But with that being said, it was still very enjoyable to watch. Good for Nina for taking the risk of playing her in the first place.
PEPPERMINT
The Look
While this look was ok, Michelle was so right when she mentioned it’s the third week in a row of Peppermint wearing her signature color, pink. At this point, the hair, the dresses and the overall silhouettes are starting to blend together in my memory. Plus she did the same Madonna concept as Shea. And while Peppermint’s was better in that it was more true to the look, the quality threw it off. This was not a good week for Miss Peppermint. So I personally cannot wait for her to come out in that huge Leigh Bowery-esque red and white peppermint candy outfit that we’ve seen in the promo! So glad she won the lipsync so that I may see that outfit on the runway, rather than hanging on a rack next to Michelle Visage in Whatcha Packin’. But BOOT
Snatch Game
I’ll be honest…of any Drag Race Snatch Game character ever, I have never known who a character was less than Nene Leakes. But I have seen her memes and gifs and know that she makes people laugh all the time with her catchphrases and mannerisms. So it’s unfortunate that Peppermint didn’t make us laugh at all in this Snatch Game epic fail. When a character has catch phrases, and even a professional relationship with Donald Trump from competing on Celebrity Apprentice, it seemed like low hanging fruit to do this character properly! I don’t really have anything to say about this performance, except that my head just about exploded watching it, girl.
Let’s Get Personal
This week, we focused in on Peppermint and her becoming trans after drag made her realize her true identity. Peppermint in the workroom is very likable and willing to share personal stories with us, which make us root for her. And yet when she’s performing, she doesn’t really show much personality or show that loveably hilarious side we see in her confessionals and while she interacts behind the scenes with the girls. Peppermint is a music video drag legend, and I hope that she steps it up so that we can truly see what she’s made of before it’s too late.
SASHA VELOUR
The Look
This is the kind of Madonna outfit I’ve been waiting for. Something that really represents her edgy sex appeal and fearlessness to incorporate sex and lingerie into fashion as a pop star. This Erotica look was perfect in Sasha staying true to her sense of style. It’s exciting to see her branch out more and more with her makeup and fashion as the season goes along, and I’m so glad that I’m starting to see the high fashion quality of her promo look. This was my personal favorite look of the week, and I cannot wait to see what else Sasha wears this season. TOOT
Snatch Game
Hello, 911? I’d like to report a robbery. While I was very happy that Alexis won for her Liza Minelli impersonation, I thought that this Marlene Dietrich impersonation deserved a win as well. Unfortunately, Drag Race wasted their double snatch game win on Ginger and Kennedy in Season 7. You know, when Kennedy played a man…but I digress. I thought this was such a spot on and smart choice for a Snatch Game character. Reminiscent of the subtlety and intelligence of Jinkx’s Little Edie or Bendelacreme’s Maggie Smith. Not a lot of people know who Marlene Dietrich is, so this will be one of those performances that will send young people Googling their hearts out.
Everything was also spot on from the accent to the delicate, sarcastic and calm demeanor she presents. And I love that she mentions Marlene’s infamous bisexuality and tendency to seduce just about everyone around her. It shows that Sasha is in it to win it and that the cogs are always turning with her. I love her and I’m obsessed with this performance.
SHEA COULEE
The Look
In my opinion, this look took away from Shea’s fantastic Naomi Campbell impersonation. I’m not a huge fan of people dressing in this outfit for a Madonna costume, as Madonna didn’t do too much to the “Diamonds are a Girl’s Best Friend” Marilyn look to create this “Material Girl” look, so when people wear it as a costume, I always think they’re doing a Marilyn costume rather than a Madonna one. And to add insult to injury, Shea added black shoes and long black gloves to the look. This was not enough of a change to make it a unique choice, but enough to make it distracting and a bit confused looking. BOOT
Snatch Game
S to the H to the E to the A to the hold it….Coulee! Naomi Campbelling these hoes to the crown…okay?
I loved this Naomi Campbell impersonation. Shea looked beautiful, she sounded accurate, and she perfectly played the bitchy and rightfully conceited version of Naomi Campbell we all imagine in our heads. The jokes she told were so in character and consistent, that I really believe she should have been in the top 3 over Nina. From mentioning she doesn’t “taste a day over 15,” and that she borrowed her Cricket phone from Nina’s Jasmine character, whom she addresses as “Chris Rock,” I was gagged by this performance and shocked when it didn’t get the attention I felt it deserved. But that might be due to the lackluster runway. We shall never know. Plus, they wouldn’t let someone win three challenges in a row on this show. But she was so close!
TRINITY TAYLOR
The Look
Once again, Trinity slayed me with her gorgeous version of the Madonna 2013 Met Gala look. She was giving me Harajuku realness in her plaid suit and the adorable black bob, and I was not mad about it. Like I’ve always said: Trinity never looks the same twice. And her paint is getting softer and prettier as the season goes by, in contrast to her promo photo and workroom entrance look. TOOT
Snatch Game
Trinity looked fantastic, and once again, different from how she’s ever looked before. And that’s why I’m surprised that this queen who is poised to be a frontrunner is playing it safe with the Snatch Game. Her jokes were funny enough, but unfortunately, they were more jokes about how Amanda looks rather than how she acts and what her presence is. But it was a great nod to this club kid icon and will go swimmingly in this season with the upcoming alleged Leigh Bowery runway category. Somewhere out there, Sharon Needles is crying that this got three seconds of airtime.
Let’s Get Personal
Not sure if it’s the silicone or just the way she is, but Trinity has seemed very withheld and unemotional for the most part this season. But finally this week, she opened up about a very unique situation she was in long ago. She mentions that at points in her life, she thought she might be trans. And that she experienced much pressure from the people around her to fully transition in order to look more feminine and take her drag to the next level. And how through much self-exploration, she realized that it personally wasn’t right for her, and that she’s now glad she didn’t go too far with it on a whim. I think this is a great message for anyone out there on the fence about transitioning, or feeling pressured to transition.
The best message I think anyone could spread at a time like this would be to do what makes you honestly happy. If that means transitioning, great. If that means being a drag queen or cross-dressing in your spare time, great. This time of people having more means and resources for transitioning is incredibly fulfilling for those who know that they want it. Yet at the same time, it can also set arbitrary standards for the way in which a person is allowed to express themselves looks-wise. And I think it’s great for Trinity to bring that up. Transitioning should be a gift to those who know it’s right for them, and not a tool to pressure or invalidate others who are unsure about it. Good for her for knowing what she wants.
VALENTINA
The Look
I’m not even sure how to begin discussing this look. Valentina gagged me and gave life all at the same time in this Madonna Sex Book ensemble. That is such a famous photo of Madonna and is such a creative way of going about the theme. And while some have called it lazy for essentially being a look compiled of two black bars glued to her, I completely disagree. If she had walked out there with just two bars glued to her and a random blonde wig on, I would have called it a cop out. But she was bronzed for days, her hair was gorgeous, the shoes were right, the body and tuck were en pointe, the purse was perfect and the way she walked was very accurate too. This is an example of something that may look simple, but is anything but. TOOT
Snatch Game
Don’t cry for me, Valentina!
This was honestly a pretty great choice for Valentina. It was a concept that gave you a chuckle immediately just by looking at it, it was safe with the number of obvious jokes it provided and it paid homage to her Latin roots, as many of Valentina’s presentations do. When she called RuPaul “Steve Harvey,” the bar I was in erupted with laughter. And people seemed to be shocked that she wasn’t in the top 3. It’s almost halfway through the season and Valentina is still one of the top fan favorites this year. Is it possible that she’s going for a Violet Chachki strategy to the top? Where you win one of the first challenges in order to stand out and then play it safe to the top 3? We’ll just have to wait and see.
And be sure to check out Raven and special guest Naomi Smalls in Fashion Photo RuView below, to see if they agreed with me at all on these runway looks! Disappointed that I don’t get to see Raja’s full opinion on these looks, but maybe that’s for the best. With Raja not here to rip them to shreds, I guess these season 9 queens will get to…live to tell, after all.
Thank you guys so much for checking out this recap. Be sure to give me a like on Facebook and subscribe to my YouTube channel if you’re enjoying these reviews. I review Drag Race every week and also update this blog and my YouTube channel with other drag queen footage from around San Francisco. Bye, lovelies! This is Sydney reminding you to spay and neuter your neighbors. See you next time!