{"id":140730,"date":"2026-02-21T03:18:07","date_gmt":"2026-02-21T03:18:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/140730\/"},"modified":"2026-02-21T03:18:07","modified_gmt":"2026-02-21T03:18:07","slug":"how-queens-should-prep-reality-blurred","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/140730\/","title":{"rendered":"how queens should prep \u2013 reality blurred"},"content":{"rendered":"

Snatch Game is RuPaul\u2019s Drag Race\u2019s signature challenge, like Top Chef\u2019s Restaurant Wars, Project Runway\u2019s unconventional materials challenge, or handling Jeff Probst\u2019s balls<\/a> on Survivor. <\/p>\n

The Snatch Game began as a parody of Match Game, asking the queens to take on the role of celebrities in the game show. That means they have to do impersonations while giving improvised answers to questions. The most important part, however, is making RuPaul laugh. <\/p>\n

Some queens can do that with incredible impressions, like Jinkx Monsoon\u2019s Little Edie and Mon\u00e9t X Change\u2019s Maya Angelou. Others have found success by portraying fictional characters, like Yvie Oddly as the Boogeyman<\/a> or Jewels Sparkles as Miss Bigfeet<\/a>, or conceptual characters, like Bonnie Ann Clyde\u2019s Cher <\/a>chair<\/a> on Drag Race UK.<\/p>\n

\"ARuPaul hosts Snatch Game during RuPaul\u2019s Drag Race season 7.<\/p>\n

On Drag Race season 18, Myki Meeks did an amazing Drew Barrymore and Nini Coco won with a David Attenborough impression (though I didn\u2019t think was as good as Drew or Discord Addams\u2019 generic pope). <\/p>\n

Even knowing that Snatch Game is coming, it\u2019s a tough challenge to prepare for, because the best parts are improvised in the moment. And the queens frequently struggle to be present, responding in the moment to what\u2019s happening around them while staying in character.<\/p>\n

Maybe that\u2019s why the producers keep playing with the formula, like \u201cSnatch Game of Love\u201d for Drag Race All-Stars and this season\u2019s \u201cThe Snatch Game of Love Island,\u201d on which they had to flirt with real-life boyfriends and actors Froy Gutierrez and Zane Phillips, and actor Chris Renfro.<\/p>\n

Ru\u2019s advice this episode was \u201chave fun with it\u201d and \u201clet it flow.\u201d How useful! During judging, Ru said, \u201cI don\u2019t know how many times we\u2019ve told these kids: make it your own.\u201d But how do you do that, Ru? Thankfully, Nicole Byer has explained how. <\/p>\n

Nicole Byer\u2019s Snatch Game formula<\/p>\n

\"NailedNailed It! host Nicole Byer in season 3, episode 1 (Photo by Adam Rose\/Netflix)<\/p>\n

On Mon\u00e9t X Change\u2019s podcast<\/a> last fall, actor and comedian Sasheer Zamata and Nailed It host Nicole Byer discussed improv and Snatch Game. <\/p>\n

Both Sasheer and Nicole are talented improvisers. \u201cI\u2019m sure y\u2019all watch the fucking improv on Drag Race and y\u2019all are like, Jesus Christ, this is insufferable,\u201d Mon\u00e9t said to them. \u201cI know you hate it.\u201d <\/p>\n

Nicole said, \u201cIt\u2019s not insufferable. They just don\u2019t teach game. And then when a queen does really well, you\u2019re like, why was that so funny? It\u2019s because they were playing one singular thing and coming back to it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sasha said, \u201cThere\u2019s already so much happening on the show. That\u2019s a lot to ask\u2014and you have to be funny.\u201d That is a lot to ask!<\/p>\n

Mon\u00e9t said \u201cthere should be a crash course, because I never\u2014I\u2019m from fucking opera school. We didn\u2019t do improv or anything like that.\u201d <\/p>\n

I agree completely: I think Drag Race needs to give the queens some improv training and coaching<\/a>, just like they do for acting, dancing, and singing.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s when Nicole agreed (\u201cThis is my issue with the Snatch Game: just explain game to queens.\u201d) and shared her simple strategy for impressions and making that into a game:<\/p>\n

\u201cFind three things that you like about that person.\u201d<\/p>\n

After you do that, she explained later, \u201cYou just plug it in.\u201d Okay, so maybe that doesn\u2019t seem simple! But Nicole then did a real-time demonstration using Gayle King as the character: <\/p>\n

Nicole: \u201cWhat\u2019s three funny things about Gayle, or three things you know about Gayle?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat she\u2019s Oprah\u2019s best friend.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nicole: \u201cOkay, so you\u2019re going to respond a lot with, Well, Oprah said\u2026.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat\u2019s the second thing about Gail?\u201d<\/p>\n

Mon\u00e9t: \u201cThat she hosts the morning\u2014that morning show. Is she morning?\u201d<\/p>\n

Nicole: \u201cMaybe some of your answers are like, I don\u2019t know. I burned out. I was up so early this morning.\u201c<\/p>\n

Nicole: \u201cWhat\u2019s another thing about Gayle?\u201d<\/p>\n

Mon\u00e9t: \u201cOh, she went to space.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nicole, as Gayle King: \u201cBoy, I have not adjusted to the gravity down here. Oprah said\u2026.\u201c<\/p>\n

\u201cY\u2019all should be writing that shit down,\u201d Mon\u00e9t said. Yes indeed! <\/p>\n

Improv is still an art and skill that takes practice. But you can see how this system would work well on Snatch Game. <\/p>\n

Imagine if Kenya Pleaser had three things about Lizzo\u2014rather than zero, because horniness wasn\u2019t it\u2014and remixed those as part of her answers? Or look at how Myki Meeks did exactly this with her Drew Barrymore character. <\/p>\n

All of reality blurred\u2019s content is independently selected, including links to products or services. However, if you buy something after clicking an affiliate link, we may earn a commission. Learn more.<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Snatch Game is RuPaul\u2019s Drag Race\u2019s signature challenge, like Top Chef\u2019s Restaurant Wars, Project Runway\u2019s unconventional materials challenge,…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":140731,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[37],"tags":[9,24,63,122,124,123],"class_list":["post-140730","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-queens","tag-new-york","tag-new-york-city","tag-nyc","tag-queens","tag-queens-headlines","tag-queens-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/140730","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=140730"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/140730\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/140731"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=140730"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=140730"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=140730"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}