The 20 Most Gag-Worthy And Iconic "RuPaul's Drag Race" Moments Of All Time
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This Friday, RuPaul's Drag Race will air its 200th episode. To celebrate, I'm taking a walk down herstory lane to revisit the most gag-worthy moments from the series proper. Before y'all come for me, this list does NOT include All Stars or Untucked. So, in NO PARTICULAR ORDER, these are the 20 most iconic moments from RuPaul's Drag Race that live rent-free in my head. Now...SILENCE!!! Bring back those moments...
1.Sasha's Rose Petals
OK, at the end of the day, I think there is at least one performance we can all agree on: Sasha Velour at the Season 9 finale. In the first-ever Lip Sync Smackdown for the Crown, Sasha knocked Shea Couleé in the first round with a shower of rose petals. It was unexpected, showstopping, and beyond brilliant.
2.Jinkx Monsoon's Little Edie
When I say "Snatch Game," you say, "Jinkx Monsoon." Yes, she returned for All Stars 7 and demolished this challenge for a second time, but I want to take you all the way back to the blueprint. This performance set the bar for all future Snatch Games thereafter.
3.Denali vs. Kahmora Hall
I love a lip sync where you can determine the winner within the first five seconds. The stakes were high: We were like two months into Season 13 and nobody had gone home yet. Denali and Kahmora Hall found themselves in the bottom, and Denali delivered one of the best Lip Sync for Your Life performances of all time. This video on YouTube clocks in at 5.7 MILLION views. At least 2 million of those are entirely me because I put this on the TV at every single pregame I show up to. Like, WOAH! Denali ate.
4.Miss Vanjie
The most iconic exit of all time. Hands down. Talk to the hand, talk to the wall, I don't care. This exit was so exceptional that she was immediately invited back for a second chance on Season 11. The grip you have to have on RuPaul to be offered a second chance on a regular season is astronomical.
5.Yvie Oddly vs. Brooke Lynn Heights
This is the best LSFYL of all time...right? I think it is. It has to be. Right? Sorry, not sorry! The girls are neck and neck from start to finish. This is the Olympics of drag.
6.Anetra's Talent Show
Do you smell that? Is something burning? Is that my...undying love and respect for current season competitor Anetra? YES. Anetra opened up Season 15 with a bang, walking that fucking duck straight to a challenge win. Just when you think another lip sync to an original song is going to put you to sleep, BOOM — Anetra sets the main stage on fire. I will never stop quacking about how good this performance is.
7.The First Double Elimination
Season 5 is one of the best seasons of all time and is filled with drag race titans, but there was one bump in the road. Here's the issue: The song was "OOPS!... I DID IT AGAIN." It is soooooo hard to mess that up. They didn't gag Ru a bit...for sure. Can we get this song back on the show so it can have a proper rudemption?
8.Willow Pill's Talent Show
The talent show performance that changed talent shows forever. Willow's obscure "Self-Care in Quarantine" set to "Only Time" by Enya is irreverent, smart, and cool. I understand nothing about it, and yet I understand exactly what it means. It's fresh every time I watch it. Queens will forever be trying to out-obscure each other after this talent show changed the game.
9."It's Chocolate"
Season 14 had a never-before-seen twist that involved the queens all choosing a random chocolate bar that could save them from elimination. June Jambalaya was the first to open a bar and the first to utter the words "It's chocolate" (followed by a horrible, sad horn sound). June, you will always be famous.
10.Violet Chachki's Tartan Reveal
Paramount Television / World of Wonder
Period.
11.Valentina's Maskgate
"I'd like to keep it on, please." Valentina had all the makings of a winner — promisingly charismatic, unique, talented, etc., and the fans were keen to see her make it all the way to the finale. Unfortunately, she found herself in the bottom lip-synching to "Greedy" by Ariana Grande and did not willingly take off the mask that was covering her lips. Thankfully, she was able to have her Ariana Grande redemption in All Stars 4.
12."Do I Look Upset to You?"
On the topic of Valentina, Shea had NERVE when she held her accountable for not commenting about her fans who were bullying other queens from Season 9. She may not have won this season, but she definitely won this reunion.
13.Anetra vs. Sasha
Yeah. We all saw it last week. We all looked it up and watched it a hundred times after the episode. Mother and mother had a mother-off. (Anetra already making this list twice, and we're only halfway through the season? Smells like a winner to me...)
14.Chi Chi DeVayne vs. Thorgy Thor
Rest in peace, Chi Chi, we miss you so much.
15.Roxxxy's Wig Reveal
Paramount Television / World of Wonder
Who remembers where they were? Roxxxy Andrews revealed a wig into a nearly identical wig. That's it...a wig...into exactly the same wig. Careers were ended, lives were changed, skin was cleared.
16.Category Is...
I'm including this because this performance marked an important shift from old-school to new-school Drag Race. This was the first time the queens performed verses live on the main stage for their final challenge. I'm sorry, but this challenge is SO good. THEY ATE. All four verses are iconic in their own right, and it led to the first-ever top four/LSFYL Smackdown for the Crown.
17.Ongina Opens Up
After winning the MAC Viva Glam maxi challenge in Season 1, Ongina shared with everyone that she had been living with HIV for two years. The room was quite emotional, and RuPaul told her that she is an inspiration. Life is a celebration! A groundbreaking and inspirational moment in queer history.
18.Monet's Split Fake-Out
Paramount Television / World of Wonder
Yeah, I don't feel the need to explain myself here.
19.Willam's Disqualification
The question is still on everybody's lips: What did Willam do? I'm really asking. Does anyone know? In the show's first-ever disqualification, RuPaul asked Willam to leave the competition immediately without lip-synching. Do not pass go, do not collect $100,000.
20."Not Today, Satan"
Paramount Television / World of Wonder
Finally, the meme that spawned a million memes...I'm happy to report that Candiace from Real Housewives of Potomac was NOT the first to use this iconic phrase. It was our very own Bianca Del Rio. The impact that these three words had on the culture is immeasurable.
