RuPaul's Drag Race: Snatch Game
April 29, 2017 10:24 AM - Season 9, Episode 6 - Subscribe
The queens impersonate celebrities in a TV game show; guest judges Candis Cayne and Denis O'Hare.
I'm with Michelle, I don't want to see you impersonate another queen for Snatch Game. Find a real celebrity!
I was bewildered that RuPaul seemed skeptical that a Liza impersonation would be funny. It was entirely predictable and they still laughed their butts off.
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 11:46 AM on April 29, 2017
I was bewildered that RuPaul seemed skeptical that a Liza impersonation would be funny. It was entirely predictable and they still laughed their butts off.
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 11:46 AM on April 29, 2017
I feel like Valentina was robbed by not being in the top 3; I agree that her celeb choice was limiting but it was also executed perfectly and hilariously.
posted by MCMikeNamara at 12:51 PM on April 29, 2017
posted by MCMikeNamara at 12:51 PM on April 29, 2017
NIGHT. OF. THREE. MADONNAS.
posted by TheWhiteSkull at 1:29 PM on April 29, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by TheWhiteSkull at 1:29 PM on April 29, 2017 [1 favorite]
Why why why was Aja not in the bottom? Her Alyssa was awful, her runway was cheap. It is time for that queen to go home.
posted by donnagirl at 2:16 PM on April 29, 2017
posted by donnagirl at 2:16 PM on April 29, 2017
Because she wasn't the worst of the worst? Other girls flopped harder.
This is a season that feels not like a race to the top, but like they're being chased by a lethargic bear: you can win by being faster than the slowest girl, and even she doesn't have to go that fast.
posted by filthy light thief at 2:54 PM on April 29, 2017 [3 favorites]
This is a season that feels not like a race to the top, but like they're being chased by a lethargic bear: you can win by being faster than the slowest girl, and even she doesn't have to go that fast.
posted by filthy light thief at 2:54 PM on April 29, 2017 [3 favorites]
Yeah, I was a little underwhelmed by this snatch game. There wasn't any real killer acts in the set. Like Liza was good, but she got precious little screen time. Marlene was a slow boil and the rest were just a bit meh. Like, I couldn't even tell you who the other queens impersonated by now, and I only watched it last night. Just....meh.
posted by Jilder at 7:39 PM on April 29, 2017
posted by Jilder at 7:39 PM on April 29, 2017
Well y'all are tripping, I liked this Snatch Game, I liked Marlene Dietrich and I even cackled at Judith Butler, in part because of the impression and in part because OF COURSE Sasha had fucking Judith Butler as a backup. Marlene Dietrich was actually a nice choice for the Snatch Game because her energy is so completely unlike the typical frantic mugging most girls opt for, so it stands out automatically. (It occurs to me that it's kind of a season of more introverted artists and nerds, in general... I don't know if "introverted" is quite right but Shea, Sasha, and Valentina all have a kind of studied, analytical quality. I'm into it but it's kind of a different vibe we're getting.)
I will say, Jinkx apparently did an amazing Marlene Dietrich at Battle of the Seasons in Berlin here. omg... So, big shoes to fill. But I liked Sasha's.
I will say, the production does seem super weird and random and it's not doing these girls any favors. There's none of the normal workroom drama and silly messiness -- it's all pared down in favor of the lesson-of-the-week "issue" stuff. That stuff used to (seem to) come up more organically and it just seems heavy handed at this point. I don't know if it was a conscious choice because of the political environment, or if it was the move to a (larger, presumably straighter) VH1 audience, or what.
The thing is, from Untucked this ep, we know it's not the girls' fault, because when they're just shooting the shit they're funny. And the stuff on the cutting room floor on Logo's site is gold! Nina has a paranoid moment and comes for Aja over her clown white makeup! Sasha reads Trinity to her face! Aja almost switches characters to Crystal LaBeija (which could have been ICONIC)! The queens realize they have double looks! I mean I'm very glad Peppermint got her moment of affirmation and that they kept it in, don't get me wrong -- but how come we don't have room for touching moments and messy boots drama and silliness back to back? Sigh.
posted by en forme de poire at 11:26 PM on April 29, 2017 [8 favorites]
I will say, Jinkx apparently did an amazing Marlene Dietrich at Battle of the Seasons in Berlin here. omg... So, big shoes to fill. But I liked Sasha's.
I will say, the production does seem super weird and random and it's not doing these girls any favors. There's none of the normal workroom drama and silly messiness -- it's all pared down in favor of the lesson-of-the-week "issue" stuff. That stuff used to (seem to) come up more organically and it just seems heavy handed at this point. I don't know if it was a conscious choice because of the political environment, or if it was the move to a (larger, presumably straighter) VH1 audience, or what.
The thing is, from Untucked this ep, we know it's not the girls' fault, because when they're just shooting the shit they're funny. And the stuff on the cutting room floor on Logo's site is gold! Nina has a paranoid moment and comes for Aja over her clown white makeup! Sasha reads Trinity to her face! Aja almost switches characters to Crystal LaBeija (which could have been ICONIC)! The queens realize they have double looks! I mean I'm very glad Peppermint got her moment of affirmation and that they kept it in, don't get me wrong -- but how come we don't have room for touching moments and messy boots drama and silliness back to back? Sigh.
posted by en forme de poire at 11:26 PM on April 29, 2017 [8 favorites]
Also, going in I was worried about Miss Colombia because I thought it would be kind of limiting. But fortunately, it turns out a traumatized beauty queen in the middle of an absurd tragicomic meltdown is essentially the role that Valentina was grown in a lab to play.
posted by en forme de poire at 11:30 PM on April 29, 2017 [7 favorites]
posted by en forme de poire at 11:30 PM on April 29, 2017 [7 favorites]
The Untucked discussion on baby hairs had me howling.
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 5:42 AM on April 30, 2017 [3 favorites]
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 5:42 AM on April 30, 2017 [3 favorites]
Sasha Velour as Marlene Dietrich and Judith Butler was EVERYTHING. I'm totally here for a queen who can cite Judith Butler rather than someone having to ask "what's adjective". Peppermint's throwdown is also one of this season's highlights so far.
Also, I gasped at Valentina's Madonna look. So conceptual, so iconic.
posted by kariebookish at 9:37 AM on April 30, 2017 [8 favorites]
Also, I gasped at Valentina's Madonna look. So conceptual, so iconic.
posted by kariebookish at 9:37 AM on April 30, 2017 [8 favorites]
It's pretty gutsy to wear an outfit like that when you're then going to have to stand/sit around in it for *hours*. I loved seeing Valentina drape the robe across the ottoman before lying down backstage!
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 11:56 AM on April 30, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 11:56 AM on April 30, 2017 [1 favorite]
It was my partner's first time watching the show. As soon as Pepper Mint had her touching moment, he said "So she's going to be up for elimination this week." Usually both queens up for elimination have a touching moment, but they didn't get one out of Cynthia. Maybe there's no there there?
I feel like Ashley is being set up as the Bianca of the season in some ways. (Which I guess makes Sasha Milk?)
posted by rednikki at 3:24 PM on May 1, 2017
I feel like Ashley is being set up as the Bianca of the season in some ways. (Which I guess makes Sasha Milk?)
posted by rednikki at 3:24 PM on May 1, 2017
Usually both queens up for elimination have a touching moment, but they didn't get one out of Cynthia. Maybe there's no there there?
Cynthia was supposed to be performing at Pulse the night of the shooting but had to reshedule, and had a friend who'd come to see her among the dead. I think we found out about that a week or two prior to her elimination?
posted by Jilder at 1:30 AM on May 2, 2017 [1 favorite]
Cynthia was supposed to be performing at Pulse the night of the shooting but had to reshedule, and had a friend who'd come to see her among the dead. I think we found out about that a week or two prior to her elimination?
posted by Jilder at 1:30 AM on May 2, 2017 [1 favorite]
I agree that Sasha was over-praised for Snatch Game, though her runway was great.
Untucked continues to DELIVER this season. Trinity is so funny, I like her way more than I ever expected to.
Many on reddit and ONTD pointing out how odd it is—the main show is fun, but there's so much less personality than we're getting in Untucked or the bonus Logo clips. It's not like the queens aren't funny or fun to spend time with, but somehow we're missing out on fun workroom banter in the main show. Is it because the new VH1 version wants to focus on "issues"?
Cynthia is charming but I didn't need her to come back. She and Peppermint definitely deserved bottom two, and Peppermint literally annihilated her in the lipsync, wow.
I know Farrah is getting a loser edit but I have a soft spot for her. Glad to see Nina turning it around, I think her looks are so incredible; and Alexis finally got her challenge win, blah blah blah.
posted by Zephyrial at 9:16 AM on May 2, 2017 [2 favorites]
Untucked continues to DELIVER this season. Trinity is so funny, I like her way more than I ever expected to.
Many on reddit and ONTD pointing out how odd it is—the main show is fun, but there's so much less personality than we're getting in Untucked or the bonus Logo clips. It's not like the queens aren't funny or fun to spend time with, but somehow we're missing out on fun workroom banter in the main show. Is it because the new VH1 version wants to focus on "issues"?
Cynthia is charming but I didn't need her to come back. She and Peppermint definitely deserved bottom two, and Peppermint literally annihilated her in the lipsync, wow.
I know Farrah is getting a loser edit but I have a soft spot for her. Glad to see Nina turning it around, I think her looks are so incredible; and Alexis finally got her challenge win, blah blah blah.
posted by Zephyrial at 9:16 AM on May 2, 2017 [2 favorites]
I've been remiss in sharing Ariel Italic's weekly recaps- they're hilarious!
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 8:40 AM on May 3, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 8:40 AM on May 3, 2017 [1 favorite]
(MeFi's own, kinda!)
posted by en forme de poire at 9:24 AM on May 3, 2017
posted by en forme de poire at 9:24 AM on May 3, 2017
Apparently longtime RuPaul makeup and wig artist Mathu Andersen (Previously) is no longer working on the show. RuPaul's makeup is being done by Raven (season 2 contestant) and hair by Delta Work (season 3 contestant.) There is speculation (Mic opinion piece by Rose Dommu) about whether Mathu's departure was due to a falling out or because he's having health issues.
posted by larrybob at 11:25 AM on May 5, 2017 [2 favorites]
posted by larrybob at 11:25 AM on May 5, 2017 [2 favorites]
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Valentina's choice of Miss Columbia was so disappointing! I know she's got some comedy chops, so why she chose such a limiting character is inexplicable. But I thought her runway look was very witty and I loved how beautifully feminine she appeared, just through her movement and physical presence.
Peppermint can absolutely throw down on a lip sync, damn. I love it when a queen can bring joy and gusto to a LSFYL performance, instead of anxiety and desperation.
posted by merriment at 11:36 AM on April 29, 2017 [3 favorites]