Top 10 Moments from RuPaul's Drag Race Season 5
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VOICE OVER: Lisa Yang
WRITTEN BY: Hannah Collins
These are the best moments from Season 5 of RuPaul's Drag Race! Repeat after me: Water off a duck's back. For this list, we'll be choosing our favorite things from the fifth season of “Drag Race” that still have us gagging to this day. We won't be including anything from “Untucked,” though, as those moments will be covered on a separate list. [Alyssa: “...Back rolls?”] For those who haven't got round to watching this classic season yet - beware of spoilers from this point on.
#10: The Perfume Commercials
One of the best parts of “Drag Race” is watching the hilarious results of a tough main challenge. In “Scent of a Drag Queen,” the remaining Season 5 contestants were tasked with creating perfumes along with commercials to sell them. These ended up ranging from the good to the “so bad it’s good.” On one end, there was Ivy Winters’ “Dress Code” trainwreck, Coco Montrese’s confusing “Ru Animale By Coco,” and Alyssa Edwards’ not-so-subtle “Alyssa’s Secret,” which has since been spun off into a popular web series. On the other, Detox’s “Heroine” was right on-brand, Jinkx Monsoon’s “Delusion” really painted a picture, while Alaska’s hysterical “Red for Filth” won the challenge and birthed a catchphrase.
#9: RoLaskaTox
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When Jinkx Monsoon beat Detox out of a place in the Top 3, she broke up one of the show’s tightest cliques. Though they were individually friends prior to appearing on “Drag Race,” together the trio became almost inseparable in the Werkroom and for most of the challenges. Their squad name, RoLaskaTox - a combination of their drag names - became a common entrance cry, as well as slogan material for Alaska’s DIY shirts. As the season went on however, Alaska took Michelle Visage’s warning against cliques to heart, and split the group up. Her RoLaskaTox past came back to haunt her when all three members returned for “All Stars 2,” which threatened to influence elimination decisions.
#8: “Black Swan: Why It Gotta Be Black?”
What season of “Drag Race” would be complete without a Rusical challenge? And in season 5, this ballet theme was the most challenging one we’d encountered. “No RuPaulogies” told the story of RuPaul’s life, riffing on both “Swan Lake” and “Black Swan.” The queens were split into two teams for Act One and Act Two, and Team Captain Coco shocked everyone by choosing bitter rival, Alyssa, for her group. Coco explained that this was purely tactical as Alyssa was the best dancer. Sure enough, the professional choreographer’s skills shined through in the final performance, with her “bad Ru” stealing the spotlight from Coco’s “good Ru”. It was definitely one the of most entertaining Rusicals ever.
#7: Lil’ Poundcake
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This foulmouthed little girl was the creation of Alaska and Lineysha Sparx. The proud mommies got together to make their evil bundle of joy for the mini challenge in the season’s third episode, where the queens were asked to turn dolls into child pageant contestants, complete with personalities and backstories. Lil’ Poundcake’s catchphrase was: “You’re not my real dad and you never will be” and her pastimes were definitely not age-appropriate. She won the challenge and Ru’s approval. Alaska went on to dress up as the character for her 2 in 1 look on “All Stars 2,” named her 2016 album after her, and recreated her in merchandise form for her fans.
#6: Jade Jolie vs. Alyssa Edwards
Alyssa Edwards didn’t just have Coco Montrese to contend with during her time on Season 5; she also clashed repeatedly with Jade Jolie. Though Jade put herself across as being “sweet,” she also admitted to us that she had a salty side, too, as we learnt from her spat with Roxxxy Andrews early in the season. Jade accused Alyssa of being someone who could “dish it” but never “take it” and she refused to let herself be “bullied.” In the Werkroom, the two dished plenty about each other’s drag, with accusations of jealousy and comments about body image fanning the flames. None of this was helped by Jade finding a friend in Coco, either.
#5: The “Malambo No. 1” Lip Sync
All through the season, Jinkx Monsoon struggled to impress the judges with her runway looks. After her “Sugar Ball” outfits landed her in the Bottom 2 alongside lip sync heavyweight, Detox, it looked like Jinkx’s “Drag Race” journey was over - especially given that the song choice was Yma Sumac’s “Malambo No. 1.” The Mambo diva was famous for her incredible octave range, and the track gave both Jinkx and Detox a seriously intense oral work out. To everyone’s surprise, Jinkx matched Detox’s precision, energy and comedic quirks at every turn, producing one of the most fiercely fought lip sync battles in “Drag Race” herstory. In the end, the underdog prevailed and Detox sashayed away.
#4:Jinkx Monsoon And Alaska’s “Snatch Game” Performances
“Snatch Game” is a highlight of any season of “Drag Race” and Season 5’s did not disappoint. Sure, there were the usual duds, but Alaska’s Lady Bunny and Jinkx’s Little Edie were two of the game’s all-time great performances. RuPaul was initially sceptical that either of them could pull off the characters. He warned Alaska that his old friend Lady Bunny was the funniest person he knew, while Jinkx was told that the lack of mainstream recognition for “Grey Gardens” - the documentary that made Little Edie famous - made her choice a big risk. Both queens proved Mama Ru wrong though, with Jinkx snatching a well-deserved challenge win. Roxxxy Andrews’ Tamar Braxton deserves an honorable mention, too.
#3: The First Ever Double Elimination
Shocking eliminations in “Drag Race” have become a rare but not uncommon treat. We’ve seen a disqualification, a self-elimination, more than one pair of queens sent packing, and more than one pair spared by RuPaul. The first double elimination happened in Season 5 and no-one saw it coming, especially its two victims: Honey Mahogany and Vivienne Pinay. The song was a Britney Spears classic: “Oops, I Did It Again,” which you’d think would have been easy for the girls to put some energy into. Vivienne had been frustrated by the strong personalities of the season while Honey was criticised for relying on kaftans. In the end, neither showed enough passion to stay in the competition.
#2: The “Whip My Hair” Lip Sync … Alyssa Edwards and Roxxxy Andrews both proved themselves to be fierce competitors in Season 5, and, when needed, fierce lip syncers too. In the “RuPaul Roast” episode, Coco claimed a surprising win while Roxxxy and Alyssa’s bad timing landed them in the Bottom 2. The song was Willow Smith’s “Whip My Hair,” and true to its headbanging spirit, the hair on stage was spinning around its wearers’ heads. Though Alyssa pulled out some great moves, Roxxxy had an ace up her sleeve: a wig reveal. The high energy of the battle was the complete opposite of Vivienne and Honey’s and in the end, Ru made the reverse decision. Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions. Jinkx Monsoon Helps a Veteran Monica Beverly Hillz Comes Out as Transgender Roxxxy Andrews’ Bus Stop Story
#1: Coco Montrese And Alyssa Edwards’ Rivalry
We love “Drag Race” for the artistry and the emotional highs. But we also love it for the messy drama. No season would be spicy without a pair of frenemies, and Season 5 gave us one of the most legendary of all: Coco Montrese vs. Alyssa Edwards. The minute they set eyes on each other in the first episode, the tension was on between the friends-turned-rivals, and we just had to sit and wait until it erupted. Their falling out happened over Coco taking over a pageant title that Alyssa had won, an issue they fought over on the show but never managed to resolve. Though they did work together, Coco eventually sent Alyssa packing.
