Snatch Game is a staple on RuPaul’s Drag Race, but they’ve been playing a twisted version of the game: Snatch Game of Love. Rather than just filling in the blanks in the original form, the queens have the added test of making their answers fit into the world of love, which hinders their comedy potential and forces them into a universe that their character may not fit. For those tried and true comedy queens, they’re able to overcome the twist. But for those already struggling in the comedy department, it’s just painfully cringy to watch. This season, between dueling Liberace’s, a poor attempt at an iconic John Leguizamo character, the dog that played Lassie, and a notorious Drag Race character, RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars 9’s Snatch Game went off the rails and lacked the laughs it deserved. RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars needs to go back to the normal version of the game, otherwise Snatch Game of Love will continue to bomb overall. Close that sugar wall for good!
For this season of RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars, the queens are using their drag for good! The eight super queens are competing for $200,000 to be donated to their charity of choice. With no eliminations to be had, this season’s drama will only be found through the shade they throw and who the winner of the week cuts off with the Ruby Snippers. With all the standard challenges seemingly part of the season, the queens will give fans the basis of the Drag Race experience, so they’re expected to bring their A-game in every single challenge and on every single runway.
Snatch Game of Love Continues To Backfire on ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’
One of the most classic challenges on RuPaul’s Drag Race is Snatch Game, a challenge that finds the queens doing their best celebrity impersonations in a twisted parody of the iconic Match Game. Usually engulfed in naughty lines and hilarious quips, this challenge hearkens back to the history of celebrity impressions that have played a major part in the drag scene for decades. No matter what happens, Snatch Game is a challenge that every single Drag Race contestant can be assured will appear during their journey on RuPaul’s Drag Race. That means there are no excuses not to bring an already perfected character ready to improv the house down boots. For some reason, the show has decided that for their All Stars contestants, they wanted to change up the format, forcing the queens to play a parody of The Dating Game. While it may seem minor, the decisions about selecting a character and how the character interacts with the bachelor change how Snatch Game is played. Future players now have to consider how the character they select would interact in a romantic universe.
Unlike a typical edition of Snatch Game, the cast is split in half to participate. By breaking up the cast, it does allow for more screen time for each queen. But when someone bombs, it shows, and when the laughs are missing, it affects the overall product. It forces the other queens to pick up the weight. The beauty of RuPaul’s Drag Race is it’s re-watchable. Viral clips have continued to be shared for years. There have been iconic moments in the history of Snatch Game that have defined Drag Race. When it’s the Match Game version, it’s easier to edit out the duds in the group. There is nowhere to hide in Snatch Game of Love — and that was more evident this season.
There Is a Different Strategy Behind Snatch Game of Love
As noted in the second episode of this season, this cast is filled with fashion queens. With a cast not necessarily known for complete success in comedy challenges, they should have stepped up their game before arriving on set. The RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars 9 edition of Snatch Game of Love was severely lacking. As RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars 4 co-winner Trinity the Tuck once wisely said, “Where are the jokes?” This challenge was cringe-worthy. Not even RuPaul could keep that smile active.
For the first time in the American version of the show, two queens opted to perform the same character: Liberace. For fans of the international versions of Drag Race, Canada’s Drag Race 4 saw Nearah Nuff and Kitten Kaboodle both portraying Jennifer Coolidge. Because it was the regular version of Snatch Game, they were forced to interact in character. It was fun and cute, but it caused them both to be compared. Regardless, when Nina West and Shannel wouldn’t back down on portraying Liberace, they were probably the best of the eight contestants. They both brought their own perspectives on the character, so the comparisons were not as bold as they were in Canada. But thankfully, by having an over-the-top character like Liberace, they saved the game by filling the awkward gaps of silence and botched attempts at comedy that their drag sisters suffered.
The strategy behind Snatch Game of Love goes beyond the strategy behind the regular Snatch Game. Not only do you have to select a character that can be funny, but you also have to implement dating-inspired answers. Selecting the right character is crucial. As is common on Snatch Game, regurgitating the celebrity’s lines is not enough. In fact, it may not even work. If the character’s infamous line has nothing to do with love, they can’t use it. And if they try to, they end up looking foolish and prepared in all the wrong ways. On the flip side, a smart comedy queen can adapt to the challenge at hand, but it may be limiting the full potential of the impersonation.
When preparing for RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars, they prepare for the standard game, but Snatch Game of Love is a different beast. Queens have to play the game through a different lens. Back on RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars 6, Pandora Boxx did an exceptional impersonation of Kim Cattrall that would have won on a regular edition of the game but she was not over-the-top to net a victory. Alexis Michelle’s Bea Arthur on RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars 8 was impeccable, but Jimbo’s Shirley Temple was just grander. This lineup would have been better suited for the regular version of the game because almost everyone was too passive. It’s quite fascinating that the strongest Snatch Game on an All Stars season since the format change was RuPaul’s Drag Race 7, which happened to be a return to the regular format.
Snatch Game has always been inspired by classic game shows because of Ru’s nostalgia for it. With new generations watching RuPaul’s Drag Race, it’s crucial to have those connections to the past so they’re not lost forever. While The Match Game version is the tried and true version, throughout the run of Drag Race, domestically and internationally, the game has tried various versions inspired by Laugh In and Family Feud; the Family Feud version has proven incredible on RuPaul’s Drag Race UK vs the World. But on RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars, when they stray to Gaff In and Snatch Game of Love, they’re risking the future of the game, as the fans are losing faith in the challenge. If the All Stars spin-off wants to veer away from the original format, we beg of you Ru, use Family Feud!
RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars 9 streams new episodes every Friday in the U.S.