Top 10 Most Unhinged RuPaul's Drag Race Moments

When it comes to weird and wonderful drag queens, there are plenty of icons to choose from. But Season 1 queen and “All Stars” returnee Tammie Brown arguably takes the cake. During a particularly charged “Untucked” argument between Mimi Imfurst and almost every other All Star, Tammie tries to lighten the mood with a little… improv? Naturally, her deliciously stupid non-sequiturs only confuse her co-stars. When she joins the fight and takes a dig at Manila Luzon’s Teletubby-esque runway look, she can’t help but come off as completely unhinged. But that’s why we love her, isn’t it?

Is she a chicken or a horse? Well, that all depends on how you interpret this. Watching this season 7 episode, it’s hard to imagine things could get crazier than the "Whatever Happened to Merle Ginsberg" acting challenge. But indeed, that’s what happens when Kennedy Davenport walks down the runway (or does she gallop?) in this ensemble. The look has become iconic for all the wrong reasons. It’s hard to really focus on one thing at a time here, with the little splashes of red, the dirt-brown fabric, and the tufts of horse hair everywhere. Almost funnier than her fashion faux-pas is Kennedy’s attempt to explain the deep and very meaningful inspiration behind it. We’ll have what she’s having.

Alyssa Edwards had to redeem herself after her terrible Snatch Game performance on Season 5. She came back for “All Stars” 2 with a vengeance… and a hatred for wire hangers. As classic Hollywood screen goddess Joan Crawford, Alyssa almost comes close to topping the one and only Faye Dunaway in wacky diva histrionics. The funniest thing about it though – aside from the eyebrows – is that nothing she says makes all that much sense. But as Ru puts it, it sure is entertaining. Hey, when you’re as funny as Alyssa Edwards, you can get away with not making sense.

Has a first out queen ever made a mark in this many episodes of a season? Vanessa Vanjie Mateo may not have lasted through all of Season 10, but her spirit and memorable exit line, lived on. Unable to think of anything else to say as she leaves the runway, Mateo decides to just repeat her own name three times. It’s like she’s summoning the spirit of a long-dead witch in a bathroom mirror! Well, let’s just say the catchphrase caught on. Repeated, remixed, and memed within an inch of its life, the quote is still one of the most memorable and deranged from the show’s many seasons.

Ah yes, the silence heard round the world. Ru has lost her temper with queens on more than one occasion. But few queens have the courage to fight back. During a now infamous workroom face-off, Season 7 contestant Pearl clearly resents Ru’s criticisms of her personality and lack of energy in the challenges. The host seems to want a breakthrough moment for the cameras. Pearl knows it, and just delivers sass right back. Naturally, rumors abound about backstage tension between the two. But even putting those aside, the moment is so uncomfortable that many of us still remember where we were when we first saw it. It’s like a glitch in the “Drag Race” matrix.

Talk about a lipsync that will live in infamy. When Season 10 finalist Asia O’Hara’s butterfly reveal does not go as planned, the cringe factor is ratcheted up to ten. In a moment, all her dreams of winning the crown are snuffed out in front of an entire audience. What’s worse is that the whole time, these lethargic butterflies are at risk of being stomped, slammed, and crushed under the weight of heels and padded thighs. Mo Heart’s horrified face in the audience sums it all up for us. It’s such an absurd ending to the contestant’s great season that even the butterflies seem stunned.

As one of Season 6’s most polarizing queens, Laganja Estranja was at the heart of some controversy. When things come to a head during the “Drag Queens of Comedy” episode, the Untucked Lounge becomes the site of one of the show’s biggest meltdowns. Laganja is accused of being phony and essentially having two different personalities. The heat soon gets to her, leading to a now-classic announcement. It’s difficult to watch, to say the least. Storming off in a whirl of tears and fury, Laganja seems legitimately broken by the whole experience. So, of course, folks quickly responded with memes, making sure the wild moment would never be forgotten.

Valentina is a trendsetter. She was refusing to take off her mask before COVID was even a thing. She’s also the first queen to make RuPaul literally stop a lip sync and ask for a retake. The second time performing Ariana Grande’s “Greedy,” it becomes pretty clear that Valentina just doesn’t know the words. It’s a moment that defies understanding for millions of fans. Why would she think she wasn’t going to get called out for covering her face during a lip sync? Why would a frontrunner just give up like this? There’s $100 000 waiting for the winner at the season’s finish line, and she had what it takes to get there! Perhaps she just wasn’t greedy enough to learn her lyrics?

Utica Queen is arguably the Season 13 queen with the most clockable theater kid energy, and that’s saying something when Rosé is standing right there. RuPaul’s innocent question about whether the Minnesota queen partakes in the consumption of certain substances inspires one of the longest pauses in the herstory of reality TV. Any boring ol’ Joe might just say “yes” or “no” – but not Utica. She decides to make a series of increasingly bizarre faces in response. Topping it all off is how RuPaul enters a state of euphoric laughter that takes over the room. Based on this moment, we have a pretty good idea of the answer to the host’s initial question!

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

The Cheerleading Challenge, Season 9
Drag Queens Were Harmed During the Making of This Ill-Conceived Challenge

Alaska’s Tantrum, All Stars 2
She Does Not Take Landing in the Bottom Well

Ornacia, Season 6
Before There Was Vivacious, There Was Ornacia… & a Hilariously Clumsy Reveal

BeBe’s “Drag Up Your Life” Performance, All Stars 3
She Delivers a Verse That’s Deliciously Bizarre

Ginny Lemon’s Exit, UK Season 2
This Queen Left the Stage During the Lip Sync, Without Any Explanation & Cackling to Boot

India Ferrah really gets carried away with this one. We mean that literally. When Mimi Imfurst starts planting herself between India and the judges during their lip sync, the latter goes down to the panel to make sure they can see her. But Mimi collects her like a stray puppy who wandered out of the yard, flings her over her shoulder, and carries her back to the stage. It’s giving unsafe working conditions. It’s giving lawsuit. In fact, it’s not giving. It’s actually deeply uncomfortable for everyone involved. The fact that it doesn’t devolve into an actual fight is probably the most shocking thing about it.