"Sugar Ball" is the eleventh episode of the fifth season of ''

RuPaul's Drag Race ''RuPaul's Drag Race'' is an American reality competition television series, the first in the ''Drag Race'' franchise, produced by World of Wonder for Logo TV (season 1–8), WOW Presents Plus, VH1 (season 9–14) and, beginning with the f ...

''. It originally aired on April 15, 2013. Marg Helgenberger and

Bob Mackie Robert Gordon "Bob" Mackie (born March 24, 1939) is an American fashion designer and costumier, best known for his dressing of entertainment icons such as Lucille Ball, Carol Burnett, Diahann Carroll, Carol Channing, Cher, Doris Day, Marl ...

are guest judges.

Alaska Alaska ( ; russian: Аляска, Alyaska; ale, Alax̂sxax̂; ; ems, Alas'kaaq; Yup'ik: ''Alaskaq''; tli, Anáaski) is a state located in the Western United States on the northwest extremity of North America. A semi-exclave of the U.S ...

wins the episode's mini-challenge and main challenge. Detox is eliminated from the competition after placing in the bottom two and losing a lip-sync against

Jinkx Monsoon Jerick Roman Lamar Hoffer (born September 18, 1987), better known by the stage name Jinkx Monsoon, is an American drag performer, actor, comedian and singer best known for winning the fifth season of '' RuPaul's Drag Race'' and the seventh sea ...

Episode

For the episode's mini-challenge, the contestants participate in a puppet show in which they playfully insult each other.

wins the mini-challenge. For the main challenge, the contestants create three looks for the Sugar Ball. The categories are: Super Duper Sweet 16, Sugar Mama, and Candy Couture. Marg Helgenberger and

are guest judges. On the runway, Alaska and Roxxxy Andrews receive positive critiques, and Alaska wins the challenge. Detox and

receive negative critiques are place in the bottom two. They lip-sync to "Malambo No. 1" by

Yma Sumac Zoila Augusta Emperatriz Chávarri del Castillo (September 13, 1922 (birth certificate) or September 10, 1922 (later documents) – November 1, 2008), known professionally as Yma Sumac (), was a Peruvian-American coloratura soprano. She was one ...

. Jinkx Monsoon wins the lip-sync and Detox is eliminated from the competition.

Production

The episode originally aired on April 15, 2013. Mackie was later a guest judge on the eleventh episode ("

Glitter Ball A disco ball (also known as a mirror ball or glitter ball) is a roughly spherical object that reflects light directed at it in many directions, producing a complex display. Its surface consists of hundreds or thousands of facets, nearly all ...

") of the show's sixth season.

Reception

Oliver Sava of '' The A.V. Club'' gave the episode a rating of 'A'. In 2014, Marcus Wratten included one of Roxxxy Andrews's runway looks in an overview of the "best self-made ''Drag Race'' ball looks in

herstory Herstory is a term for history written from a feminist perspective and emphasizing the role of women, or told from a woman's point of view. It originated as an alteration of the word "history", as part of a feminist critique of conventional hist ...

" and wrote: "With her 'Candy Couture' look ... Roxxxy Andrews made a startlingly strong case for turning Willy Wonka's chocolate factory into a gay club. Making a fringe rainbow dress out of candy laces? Give her the golden ticket right now."

References

2013 American television episodes 2013 in LGBTQ history RuPaul's Drag Race episodes Works about ball culture {{LGBTQ-tv-prog-stub