Top 10 Moments We Found Out A Drag Race Fashion Queen Could Do Comedy

It was the neck crack heard around the world. Season 15’s Sasha Colby had the girls gasping for air as soon as she entered the Werk Room. Seriously, the fierce Miss Continental was a serious threat to snatch the crown, and to no one’s surprise, she did. But a “Drag Race” winner has to be able to do more than just serve looks. Sasha earned her first win of the season during the first acting challenge. Playing the role of God in a parody infomercial, she would crack her neck to signal every scene transition. If RuPaul’s howls of laughter were any indication, it never got old.

Before she had us “looking over there,” Jaida dominated the runway, but she was well aware the acting challenges weren’t her strongest suit. That is until she found her groove selling the “Luxuratuck.” Jaida’s cheesy commercial is exactly the kind of dumb and delusional drag humor RuPaul and the judges love. She played to her strengths as a look queen, and found a way to translate that into some great jokes. Although she didn’t win this challenge, she continued to grow as a comedian. She would go on to win the following week’s presidential debate challenge with her endlessly quotable performance.

Speaking of politics on the mainstage, Season 8 finalist and noted fashion icon Naomi Smalls surprised everyone with her smear campaign. The week 7 challenge was to create slanderous ads against their fellow competitors. Despite some skepticism from the other queens, Naomi sank her teeth into the challenge. Her campaign platform played on her obsession with looking good, including a promise to provide “free restylane for all.” This brand of shadiness also spilled over into the Werk Room. While Bob the Drag Queen’s feud with Derrick Barry got a lot of screentime, Naomi’s digs at the Britney Spears impersonator were just as cutting.

Her fashion and performance skills were on point, but it was the morning talk show challenge that established the Season 9 contender from Chicago as a true triple threat. Alongside eventual winner and fellow fashion queen turned comedic genius Sasha Velour (xref), Shea secured her first win of the season with a DIY cooking segment in the morning talk show challenge. Shea and her partner played up the sexual tension of two hosts making a particularly gross chocolate and lettuce salad, adding a humorous touch with a sensual piece of broccoli. The entire set fell apart with laughter as soon as Ross Matthews yelled “cut.” It was the perfect ramp-up to Shea’s powerhouse performance as Blac Chyna in the next episode.

Did someone call for an eye-con? Season three champion Raja was funny in the Werk Room, but that doesn’t always translate to success in the comedy challenges. Her Tyra Banks impersonation for the Snatch Game was a smart choice because it came from personal experience. Playing on Banks’ rumored feud with fellow supermodel Naomi Campbell, Raja’s foul-mouthed tirades and wacky mood swings toed the line between loving tribute and outright disrespect. However, we’d be lying if we said we didn’t love every minute of it. To this day, some fans think she was robbed of a rightful win for this episode… and Raja would agree with them.

This season 13 finalist gave us some of the most gag-worthy runway looks ever seen on the “Drag Race” mainstage. However, she also delivered an unexpectedly clever impression of an oft-imitated socialite and reality star. Every queen probably thinks she has a Paris Hilton impression. But to truly get the underlying brilliance of a person like that, you have to be a little bit of an airhead yourself. That’s what makes Gottmik’s rendition here so lovable. The performance is not polished or overthought. Gottmik simply delivers jokes that are original, authentic, and spontaneous, with just the right amount of cuckoo bananas sprinkled on top.

Kim Chi was already semi-famous when she stomped into the Werk Room. Even a casual fan might have seen her makeup and fashion artistry on social media. But when she hit that first confessional and came up with one of the worst puns in “Drag Race” herstory, and then couldn’t stop laughing at herself, we knew we were in for a treat. It’s like RuPaul says. If you can’t laugh at your own jokes, how are you gonna laugh at somebody else’s? Despite her sweet and soft spoken demeanor, Kim Chi could cut up and throw major shade with the best of them.

She may have had some of the most elegant and fashion forward runways in the cast, but some queens doubted Gigi Goode due to her youth and presumed inexperience. For a while, her biggest comedic impact was a fairly convincing performance as a corpse. However, when it came time to play the Snatch Game, Gigi took a huge risk by choosing to play Maria the Robot, a copyright-dodging version of the real Sophia robot. With adept physical comedy, unbelievable character immersion, and amazing banter with Ru and the other queens, Gigi demonstrated a comedic prowess that even some seasoned performers would struggle to achieve.

The word “fact’ry” has taken on a whole new meaning, all thanks to Symone. Every garment the eventual Season 13 winner wore down the runway was a statement piece. But the statement she made in the Hallmark Channel parody “God Hates Flags” was that she was as funny as she was fashionable. The self-titled Ebony Enchantress gave us everything we needed as the red-headed flag factory heiress, Red Flag. Posturing and shimmying as she delivers her lines, Symone found the rhythm of the quirky character right away, and delivered. It was so funny that there were moments during the challenge where RuPaul’s wheezing laughter almost drowned out Symone’s lines.

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

Manila Luzon, “QNN News”
Manila’s News Correspondent Scored Some Laughs & Ruffled a Few Feathers

Trinity the Tuck, “Draggily Ever After”
Trinity’s Sassy Sidekick Totally Stole the Show

Trinity K. Bonet, “Drag Queens of Comedy”
This Season 6 Queen Ditched the Self-Sabotage & Slayed the Stand-Up Challenge

It takes more than just an accent to make a good impression, but having it certainly does help. Season 10 winner Aquaria portrayed former First Lady, Melania Trump for the Snatch Game, and proved there was more to her drag than just looks. Although, with what she brought to the runway, that would have been more than enough. Her Melania is a smoky-eyed robot who wears a lot of junky jewelry and who seems completely oblivious to the impact of her offensive remarks. It was a big moment for the eventual winner. Throughout the season, Aquaria talked a big game and exuded immense confidence. With this performance, she proved she had the talent to back it up.