Snatch Game

Beyoncé, Lady Gaga, Eartha Kitt, Whitney Houston and Cardi B are the most impersonated celebrities on "Snatch Game", a frequent challenge on RuPaul's Drag Race and its spin-offs, having been portrayed three times each.

Snatch Game is a challenge held each season (starting with the second)^[1] of the American reality competition television series RuPaul's Drag Race, as well as its all-star and spin-off series RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars, Drag Race Thailand, RuPaul's Drag Race UK, RuPaul's Secret Celebrity Drag Race, Canada's Drag Race,^[2] Drag Race Holland, RuPaul's Drag Race Down Under, and Drag Race España. The challenge is a parody of the game show Match Game (known as Blankety Blanks in Australia and Blankety Blank in the UK), except in seasons four, five and six of All Stars, when the format was changed to parody the game show The Dating Game under the name Snatch Game of Love. The challenge tests the contestants' skills at celebrity impersonation and improvisational comedy. It is normally staged approximately halfway through the season, although the number of contestants still in the race at the time of a Snatch Game challenge may vary from season to season.

Snatch Game is commonly perceived as one of the most important and memorable challenges of the show and, in RuPaul's own words, the challenge separates "the basic bitches from the fierce-ass queens."^[3] It is rare, although not unprecedented, for a queen to win the entire season without having placed at least high in the Snatch Game challenge: across 24 iterations of the game to date, only five contestants have ever won the season after not receiving any critiques (i.e. being safe) in the Snatch Game episode, and only four contestants have ever won a season after being placed in the bottom for their Snatch Game performance.

Due to the show's format, impersonated celebrities are usually female, 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] two contestants chose to create the character of male public figures' fictional twin sisters, and several contestants have chosen to impersonate other people directly associated with the show, such as other past or present contestants, Michelle Visage or even RuPaul himself.^[5] For copyright reasons, queens cannot officially choose film or television characters,^[6] although some have selected real-world actresses while actually basing their portrayal on one of the celebrity's film or television performances rather than her real-world personality.^[4]

The challenge also typically brings in celebrity guests to serve as answer providers in the Match Game versions or bachelors in the Dating Game versions; the celebrity guests sometimes but not always also serve as mainstage guest judges at the end of the episode. However, some seasons have also used members of the show's regular judging panel, such as Michelle Visage, Ross Matthews, Carson Kressley or Rhys Nicholson, in lieu of outside guests.

RuPaul's Drag Race[]

Season 2[]

Tatianna won for her portrayal of Britney Spears (pictured in 2013).

The second season was the first to include the "Snatch Game" challenge. Alec Mapa and Phoebe Price were the guest celebrity contestants.

Season 3[]

Stacy Layne Matthews won for her portrayal of Mo'Nique (pictured in 2010).

The guest celebrity contestants for the third season's installment of "Snatch Game" were Amber Rose and Aisha Tyler, both of whom served as guest judges during the main stage competition later in the episode.

Season 4[]

Chad Michaels (left) won the challenge in season 4 for her portrayal of Cher (right).

The guest celebrity contestants for the fourth season's installment of "Snatch Game" were Loretta Devine and Ross Matthews, both of whom served as guest judges during the main stage competition later in the episode.

Season 5[]

Jinkx Monsoon won the challenge in season 5 for her portrayal of Edith "Little Edie" Bouvier Beale (pictured in 1975).

The guest celebrity contestants for the fifth season's installment of "Snatch Game" were Julie Brown and Downtown Julie Brown, both of whom served as guest judges during the main stage competition later in the episode. Jinkx Monsoon went on to win the season becoming the first contestant to win both "Snatch Game" and the show.^[7] Alyssa Edwards was criticized by RuPaul for her performance as Katy Perry, but was safe due to immunity she had gained the previous week. RuPaul later made her tweet an apology to Katy Perry.^[8]

Season 6[]

BenDeLaCreme (left, pictured in 2014) won the challenge in season 6 for her portrayal of Maggie Smith (right, pictured in 2007).

The guest celebrity contestants for the sixth season's installment of "Snatch Game" were Gillian Jacobs and Heather McDonald, both of whom served as guest judges during the main stage competition later in the episode.^[9][10]

Season 7[]

Ginger Minj and Kennedy Davenport won the challenge in season 7 as Adele (left, pictured in 2016) and Little Richard (right, pictured in 2007).

The guest celebrity contestants for the seventh season's installment of "Snatch Game" were Tamar Braxton and Michael Urie, both of whom served as guest judges during the main stage competition later in the episode. This edition of the "Snatch Game" marked the first time that there were two winners of the challenge, Kennedy Davenport and Ginger Minj. It was also the first time that a male character (not in drag) was impersonated when Kennedy portrayed Little Richard.^[11]

Season 8: Supermodel Snatch Game[]

Bob the Drag Queen won the challenge in season 8 for her portrayals of Uzo Aduba (left, pictured in 2014) and Carol Channing (right, pictured in 1973).

The guest celebrity contestants for the eighth season's installment of "Snatch Game" were Gigi Hadid and Chanel Iman, both of whom served as guest judges during the main stage competition later in the episode. This episode marked the first time a contestant portrayed two different celebrities as Bob the Drag Queen played both Uzo Aduba and Carol Channing. Bob went on to win the season and became the second queen to win "Snatch Game" and the show.

Season 9[]

Alexis Michelle (left, pictured in 2017) won the challenge in season 9 for her portrayal of Liza Minnelli (right, pictured in 1997).

The guest celebrity contestants for the ninth season's installment of "Snatch Game" were Candis Cayne and Denis O'Hare, both of whom served as guest judges during the main stage competition later in the episode.

Season 10[]

Aquaria (left, pictured in 2018) won the challenge in season 10 for her portrayal of Melania Trump (right, pictured in 2017).

The guest celebrity contestants for the tenth season's installment of "Snatch Game" were Audra McDonald and Kate Upton, both of whom served as guest judges during the main stage competition later in the episode. Aquaria went on to win the season and became the third contestant to win "Snatch Game" and the show.

Season 11: Snatch Game at Sea[]

Silky Nutmeg Ganache (left, pictured in 2019) won the challenge in season 11 for her portrayal of Ts Madison (pictured in 2017).

For season 11, the challenge was called "Snatch Game at Sea".^[12] The title change reflected a branding agreement with advertiser Vacaya, a cruise ship tourism operator, but the format of gameplay remained unchanged.^[13] The guest celebrity contestants for the eleventh season's installment of "Snatch Game" were Clea Duvall and Tony Hale, both of whom served as guest judges during the main stage competition later in the episode. This marked the second time a contestant portrayed two different celebrities as Nina West played both Harvey Fierstein and Jo Anne Worley. It also marked the first time no one was eliminated during the Snatch Game episode, and the first regular season where a queen who placed in the bottom (Yvie Oddly) went on to win the season.

Season 12[]

Gigi Goode won the challenge for her impersonation of Maria the Robot, based on the humanoid robot Sophia (pictured in 2018).

The guest celebrity contestants for the twelfth season's installment of "Snatch Game" were Daniel Franzese and Jonathan Bennett, both of whom served as guest judges during the main stage competition later in the episode. This marked the third time a contestant portrayed two different celebrities as Widow Von'Du played both Tina and Ike Turner. Aiden Zhane's portrayal of Patricia Quinn received backlash from the actress and her supporters for implying she was a substance abuser. Aiden Zhane was eliminated for her performance.

Season 13[]

Gottmik won the challenge for her impersonation of Paris Hilton (pictured in 2009).

The guest celebrities for the 13th season of "Snatch Game" were Raven and Victoria "Porkchop" Parker while Ts Madison guest judged the contestants' performances later in the episode.

RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars[]

Season 2[]

Alaska and Katya won the challenge in season 2 for impersonating Mae West (left, pictured in 1932) and Björk (right, pictured in 2008), respectively.

The guest celebrity contestants for the second season's installment of "Snatch Game" were former RuPaul's Drag Race contestants Jujubee and Raven. Alaska and Katya were named the top two All Stars of the week and after lipsyncing for their legacy Alaska was declared the winner of the episode giving her the power to eliminate a member of the bottom three and she chose Tatianna.^[14] Adore Delano quit the competition just before Snatch Game but in a prior conversation with RuPaul, she revealed she was going to impersonate Jan Crouch for the challenge.

Season 3[]

Shangela and BenDeLaCreme won the challenge in season 3 for their portrayals of Jenifer Lewis (left, pictured in 2008) and Paul Lynde (right, pictured in 1972) respectively.

The guest celebrity contestants for the third season's installment of "Snatch Game" were RuPaul's Drag Race judges Carson Kressley and Michelle Visage. In addition, Kristin Chenoweth joined the drag queens as an additional panelist, portraying herself. BenDeLaCreme and Shangela were named the top two All Stars of the week and after lipsyncing for their legacy they were both declared the winner of the episode, in doing so BenDeLaCreme became the first contestant in the series to win the Snatch Game twice.^{[15][16][17][18][19]}

Season 4: Snatch Game of Love[]

Manila Luzon and Trinity the Tuck won the challenge in season 4 as Barbra Streisand (left, pictured in 2018) and Caitlyn Jenner (right, pictured in 2015), respectively.

For the fourth season's installment, the format of the challenge was changed and was titled "Snatch Game of Love". Instead of parodying the television show Match Game as in previous seasons, this installment parodied the television show The Dating Game. Gus Kenworthy and Keiynan Lonsdale played as bachelors looking for love, and each interviewed four celebrity contestants (who were actually the queens doing celebrity impersonations). The bachelors could not see the celebrities as they were separated by a wall. After reading a series of questions and hearing their responses, each bachelor selected the celebrity of his choice. Kenworthy chose Jenner (portrayed by Trinity the Tuck) and Lonsdale chose Streisand (portrayed by Manila Luzon). Kenworthy and Lonsdale served as guest judges during the main stage competition later in the episode, where Trinity and Manila were named the top two All Stars of the week. After lipsyncing for their legacy Manila was declared the winner of the episode, and she eliminated Gia Gunn, making her the first contestant to be twice eliminated due to a Snatch Game performance.^[20][21]

Celebrities interviewed by Kenworthy:

Celebrities interviewed by Lonsdale:

Season 5: Snatch Game of Love[]

Shea Couleé (left, pictured in 2018) won the challenge in season 5 for her portrayal of Flavor Flav (right, pictured in 2014).

The fifth season of All Stars continued the Snatch Game of Love format from season 4, with celebrity guests Tommy Dorfman and Jeffrey Bowyer-Chapman portraying this year's bachelors. Dorfman chose Walter Mercado (played by Alexis Mateo) and Bowyer-Chapman chose Flavor Flav (played by Shea Couleé). On the main stage, Couleé was named the winner of the challenge and owing to a twist in the judging format, all 5 of the other contestants were up for elimination, in spite of Jujubee and Alexis receiving positive critiques. India Ferrah was eliminated for her portrayal of Jeffree Star.

Celebrities interviewed by Dorfman:

Celebrities interviewed by Bowyer-Chapman:

Season 6: Snatch Game of Love[]

Ginger Minj (left, pictured in 2018) won the challenge in season 6 for her portrayal of Phyllis Diller (right, pictured in 1973).

The sixth season of All Stars once again used the Snatch Game of Love format, with celebrity guests Cheyenne Jackson and Fortune Feimster portraying this year's bachelors. Jackson chose Phyllis Diller (played by Ginger Minj) while Feimster chose none of the contestants, picking Cheyenne Jackson instead. On the main stage, Ginger was named the winner of the challenge (becoming the second contestant to win the Snatch Game twice, alongside BenDeLaCreme) while Pandora and Trinity were named the bottom queens. After winning the lip sync against lip sync assassin Heidi N Closet, Ginger chose to eliminate Pandora.

Celebrities interviewed by Jackson:

Celebrities interviewed by Feimster:

Drag Race Thailand[]

Season 1[]

Natalia Pliacam won "Snatch Game" and the runway challenge, while Année Maywong, JAJA, and Petchra lost the challenge with Petchra being eliminated.^[22]

Season 2[]

Tormai won the snatch game. Srimala lost the "Snatch Game." The bottom two, however, were Srimala and Tormai. Angele won the runway challenge. The winner of the "Snatch Game," Tormai, was eliminated.

RuPaul's Drag Race UK[]

Series 1[]

Baga Chipz and The Vivienne were the winners of the first Snatch Game of the UK series, portraying Margaret Thatcher (left, pictured approx. 1995) and Donald Trump (right, pictured 2017), respectively.

The guest celebrity contestants for the first series' installment of "Snatch Game" were Lorraine Kelly and Stacey Dooley.

Series 2[]

Bimini Bon Boulash was the winner of the Snatch Game of the second UK series, portraying Katie Price. (pictured in 2014)

The guest celebrity contestants for the second series' installment of "Snatch Game" were Gemma Collins and Michelle Visage.

Canada's Drag Race[]

Season 1[]

Jimbo was the winner of the first Snatch Game of the Canada series, portraying Joan Rivers (pictured in 2010)

The first "Snatch Game" on Canada's Drag Race differentiated itself from other iterations of the franchise with a short introductory segment which depicted the characters arriving at the Snatch Game studio and being interviewed on the red carpet by Traci Melchor in a parody of her role on eTalk.^[23]

The guest celebrity contestants were Colin McAllister and Justin Ryan.

Drag Race Holland[]

Season 1[]

The guest celebrity contestants were Carlo Boszhard and  [nl].

Season 2[]

Keta Minaj and Vivaldi were the winners of the second Snatch Game of the Holland series, portraying Sophie Anderson (left, pictured 2019) and Nikkie Plessen (right, pictured 2015), respectively.

The guest celebrity contestants were Carlo Boszhard and  [nl].

RuPaul's Drag Race Down Under[]

Season 1[]

Anita Wigl'it won the Snatch Game episode for her impersonation of Queen Elizabeth II (pictured in 2007).

Due to filming restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic, the first Snatch Game in RuPaul's Drag Race Down Under featured regular judges Michelle Visage and Rhys Nicholson as the celebrity contestants, instead of bringing in outside celebrities.

On the British broadcast, a joke regarding Prince Phillip was removed due to his death weeks before the broadcast, while one of the jokes regarding Prince Andrew was removed for unknown reasons.^[24][25]

Drag Race España[]

Season 1[]

Killer Queen won the Snatch Game episode for her impersonation of Isabel Díaz Ayuso (pictured in 2019).

The guest celebrity contestants were  [es] and  [es].

Most frequent impersonations[]

Reception[]

The "Snatch Game" challenge has been called the signature challenge on the show.^[26] 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".^[27] 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.^[15] 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.^[28]

References[]