Over the years, RuPaul’s Drag Race has evolved from a small series into a global phenomenon, and dozens of quotes have gone down in herstory. Since the premiere of RuPaul’s successful franchise back in 2009, RPDR has grown to culturally impact society as a whole, thanks to its diverting mix of drama, entertainment, education, and acceptance. Now, on RuPaul’s Drag Race season 15, the original American series has not only introduced reality television fans to hundreds of talented performers, but has helped to launch these contestants into stardom.
Many big personalities are stuck on one set each season. Therefore, a few queens from the series are not only remembered for RuPaul’s Drag Race quotes, iconic lip-sync reveals, and funny confessionals, but their impact on the show itself. From serious moments of shade to unintentional reads, many quotes uttered throughout RuPaul’s Drag Race have gone from small-scale references to full-out daily mantras. Although there are so many iconic moments that could take hours to rank, there are some memorable moments that have continued to stand out, year after year.
There have been dozens of exit lines uttered by eliminated queens. However, no farewell statement has made more of a cultural impact than Vanessa Vanjie Mateo’s RuPaul’s Drag Race season 10 sign-off. Vanjie, the drag daughter of season 3 alum Alexia Mateo, unintentionally affected the rest of season 10, and single-handedly changed RuPaul’s life, when she repeated her name as she exited the main stage. Vanjie’s quirky but catchy phrase was frequently mentioned by Michelle Visage, RuPaul, and the other queens as the episodes progressed; Vanjie’s popularity later led to her return on RPDR season 11.
Willam’s disqualification on RuPaul’s Drag Race season 4 ultimately led to her being blacklisted by RuPaul entirely, but before her untimely exit, Willam delivered one of the great comebacks in herstory. Throughout the competition, Phi Phi O’Hara was heavily critical of two competitors: Willam and eventual winner, Sharon Needles. After Phi Phi received harsh criticism on the runway, she used that frustration to go after Willam’s personality, talent, and overall drag persona. William’s unemotional reply not only shook Phi Phi, but the entire RuPaul’s Drag Race fandom.
Phi Phi’s rant against Willam walked so Aja’s displeasure with Valentina on RuPaul’s Drag Race season 9 could run. Like the season 4 duo, Aja was jealous of Valentina’s success in the early stages of the competition, especially when Aja received negative feedback for her main stage look. When Valentina was asked what the judges said about her backstage, Aja summarized the encounter in a monologue that quickly went viral. “Did you stone those tights? Oh, she’s smiling! They eat her up every time she’s on that damn stage! She could walk out there in a f****** diaper and they’d be like, ‘Valentina, your smile is beautiful!’” Aja ranted in a moment that immediately solidified her status as an iconic RuPaul’s Drag Race contestant.
While Phi Phi and Aja’s rants made for great television, it’s Shangela’s speech from RuPaul’s Drag Race season 3 that culturally reset the drag community. After Mimi Imfurst attempted to channel Leigh Bowery with her outer space runway look, Shangela and Mariah criticized her for not being glamorous. Mimi immediately became defensive, and before viewers knew it, Shangela was accused of having a sugar daddy who supported her drag. “I don’t have a sugar daddy. I’ve never had a sugar daddy. If I wanted a sugar daddy, yes I could probably go out and get one, because I’m what? Sickening!” Shangela went off. Before solidifying the iconic moment with a thrown drink, Shangela even made sure to say that Mimi, “could never have a sugar daddy because you are not that kind of girl!”
Although Alyssa Edwards remains one of the most popular queens, her fatal flaw on RuPaul’s Drag Race season 5 was that she could dish it out, but couldn’t take it. Alyssa and CoCo Montrese frequently butted heads throughout the competition, due to their past as Miss Gay USA competitors, but Alyssa was also critical of CoCo’s friend, Jade Jolie. After Alyssa took one too many shots at Jade backstage, the normally quiet queen blasted Alyssa’s mismatched silhouette before she exclaimed, “Girl you had rolls all over the place in the back, it was disgusting!” While CoCo’s gleeful, “Get her Jade!” became a memorable quote in itself, it was Alyssa’s shocked, “BACK ROLLS?” that became one of the great exclamations uttered on RuPaul’s Drag Race.
Thorgy Thor’s elimination was one of the biggest moments of RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars season 3, after her honest reaction made its way around the Internet. Thorgy, who portrayed Michael Jackson on RuPaul’s Drag Race season 8’s Snatch Game, was criticized by the judges for how she channeled singer Stevie Nicks in that week’s musical challenge. As a Stevie fan, Thorgy was visibly annoyed at her position in the bottom two, so when she was ultimately eliminated from the competition by Shangela, Thorgy made her disdain loud and clear. While Thorgy’s exclamation was a spur-of-the-moment utterance, it was relatable, and became an instant hit. People loved to say those famous words.
Adore Delano’s quirky personality and lovable charm stood out on RuPaul’s Drag Race season 6, but the former American Idol contestant mostly became known for two things throughout the competition: being a Libra, and being down for a good time. Although she started off as an underdog, Adore took criticism well, and eventually made her way to the finales, but not before her catchphrase, “Party!” became a RuPaul’s Drag Race staple that’s still used today. Not only did Adore release a successful single based on her mantra, but Katya Zamolodchikova later used the line to hilariously shut down Alaska’s meltdown on RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars season 2.
From, “Need help packing? Beat it, queen!” to, “I got bills to pay! I got dogs to put through college,” eventual winner Bianca Del Rio undoubtedly delivered the most quotable moments throughout RuPaul’s Drag Race season 6. As a talented seamstress, and even better insult comic, Bianca’s ability to read anything and anyone dominated almost every challenge, panel critique, and werkroom conversation. Bianca’s confessionals were where she truly let her opinions fly, however, so when Australia’s Courtney Act subtly came for Bianca’s repeated designs, Bianca made it clear she was not for the tomfoolery. “Not today Satan! Not today,” immediately became the biggest utterance of RuPaul’s Drag Race, with Bianca’s exclamation even frequently used outside the drag community.
