Top 10 Alaska Moments on RuPaul's Drag Race

In 2013, the word “Hi” was forever changed with the entrance of this superstar in the making. With a horse mask and a neigh, it was a perfect introduction to Alaska’s specific brand of hilarious weirdness. From the very beginning Alaska’s story was compelling, as she clearly had big shoes to fill with her then-boyfriend Sharon Needles having won the previous season. It was clear from the get go that she was here to play and we were in for something special. We can’t say we knew what we were in for at the time, but we’d be lying if we said we weren’t intrigued.

Alaska slayed just about every challenge in “All Stars 2” but when she finally dropped the ball in the penultimate episode, she was a tad…upset. As a clearly passionate individual, the prospect of losing everything she’d worked for caused her to finally show some cracks in her near-flawless performance up until that point. It was an emotional high point of the season, as the other queens had to decide whether or not to eliminate Alaska, particularly in light of her behaviour. Alaska survived though, and was able to poke fun at the situation later. Every hero has her low point, right?

When season five reached its final three, Roxxy, Jinkx and Alaska were tasked with convincing the judges why they were the best choice for winner. When it got down to it, though, Jinkx and Roxxxy kind of copped out when it came to reading their competition. Alaska completely changes the tone of the episode with a dramatic but still hilarious monologue, which showcases her uniquely strange sense of humour. Though she wouldn’t come out on top this time, she made a good case for why she should be crowned, and why we should all be in love with her.

It takes a talented performer to dive into a character quite as well as Alaska does in this sketch. As a drag shequel to “What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?” Alaska’s Baby JJ pricelessly torments Alyssa’s Bland, which is even more of a feat when considering the fact that she had to basically carry the whole sketch on her own. The face manages to be both humorous yet somehow terrifying, while the voice hardly even sounds like Alaska. This is the closest “Drag Race” has come to “The Twilight Zone,” and only Alaska’s oddities could pull that off.

Alaska tends to use subversion as an integral part of her comedy, and nowhere is that on better display than her ad for her fashion tape. A transparently pretentious presentation puts the item’s uselessness and unnecessary price front and center, rather than doing anything to convince you of its worth. It was weird, it was stylish, and it earned our queen her fourth win of the season. But it did leave us with an impossible choice. Do we want the tape in stunning, fierce, or yellow?

One of the show’s most famous feuds was between Phi Phi O’Hara and Sharon Needles, who was Alaska’s boyfriend at the time. Naturally, Alaska took this as an opportunity to poke fun at her frenemy. As one of the first challenges we see Alaska do, she proved her boldness by portraying an argument she was directly referenced in. She’ll be the first to admit that it wasn’t a perfect performance, but no one could argue it was lacking in energy. It’s clear that she and Detox are having a blast with the scene, and the bloody kiss at the end is just the icing on the cake.

Years before Alaska invented her fashion tape, she debuted her perfume, Red for Filth. Once again showing her mastery of self-reference and self-deprecation, this ad is just as silly and random as we should expect by now. What’s better is that this earns the funnylady her first win of the series, after eight episodes of coming up short. This particular piece of Alaska branding would also be the origins of one of her greatest music videos. If nothing else, it should be clear by now that Alaska certainly has a fallback career in advertising.

If you’re a fan of Alaska, you know that Lil Poundcake is a big part of her legacy. Poundcake was first introduced in a mini-challenge that tasked Alaska and Lineysha with creating a child in a beauty pageant. They handily won the challenge, and Alaska would wear a look inspired by Poundcake upon her return and nail a lip sync looking somehow ridiculous and great all at the same time. Finally, Alaska would focus an entire bizarre and fantastic music video on the character. While we would like to think that Alaska would be a better mother than the one she portrays, we can’t say we don’t get a kick out of this persona.

Many of the most skilled queens to appear on the show have given us a wonderful Snatch Game performance. With Alaska, we got two iconic performances, first as the excellent Lady Bunny and then as the legendary Mae West. The voice for Lady Bunny may have been a strange choice, but the spirit of the character combined with impeccable comic timing branded it into our memories. Her Mae West performance ranks among the show’s all-time best impersonations, as she both embodies the character and brings her own unique charm. It’s easy for Snatch Game performances to be forgettable, even from some of the most talented queens, but Alaska has managed to reign supreme.

Before we reveal our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.

Alaska’s Song

Comedy with Alyssa

Roxxxy Puppet

Alaska’s Reads

Sugar Ball Looks

It’s fitting that this list began with Alaska’s first entrance and ends with the conclusion of her time on “Drag Race”. In her final challenge, she raps, nails some complicated choreography, and walks away with one of the most triumphant moments the show has ever seen. There’s a lot to love here, from the stylish blue look to the elegant final outfit and the cleverly ruined makeup. Just like Alaska’s time on the show, this final arc was funny, odd, and even emotional at times. She brought a unique level of skill to the show, and she elevated everything she participated in, resulting in the show’s best journey.