Sugar Ball

{{Infobox television episode

| series = RuPaul's Drag Race

| image =

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| season = 5

| series_no =

| episode = 11

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| presenter = RuPaul

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| airdate = {{Start date|2013|04|13}}

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| guests = * Marg Helgenberger (Guest judge)

Bob Mackie (Guest judge)
Davina Foxx

| prev = Super Troopers

| next = The Final Three, Hunty

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}}

"Sugar Ball" is the eleventh episode of the fifth season of RuPaul's Drag Race. It originally aired on April 15, 2013. Marg Helgenberger and Bob Mackie are guest judges.

Alaska 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.

Episode

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| image1 = Marg Helgenberger by Gage Skidmore.jpg

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| link1 = File:Marg Helgenberger by Gage Skidmore.jpg

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| image2 = Bob Mackie, 1975.jpg

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| footer = Marg Helgenberger (left) and Bob Mackie (right) are guest judges.

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For the episode's mini-challenge, the contestants participate in a puppet show in which they playfully insult each other. Alaska 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 Bob Mackie are guest judges.

File:RuPaul DragCon 2022 (52073736880).jpg is eliminated from the competition.]]

On the runway, Alaska and Roxxxy Andrews receive positive critiques, and Alaska wins the challenge.{{Cite web |last=Rezsnyak |first=Eric |title="RuPaul's Drag Race" Season 5: Bitter, sweet symphony |url=https://www.roccitymag.com/EntertainmentBlog/archives/2013/04/16/rupauls-drag-race-season-5-bitter-sweet-symphony |access-date=2024-03-28 |website=CITY Magazine |language=en}} Detox and Jinkx Monsoon receive negative critiques are place in the bottom two. They lip-sync to "Malambo No. 1" by Yma Sumac. Jinkx Monsoon wins the lip-sync and Detox is eliminated from the competition.{{Cite web |last=Grčar |first=Anja |date=2020-09-19 |title=RuPaul's Drag Race: Every Ball Challenge, Ranked |url=https://screenrant.com/rupauls-drag-race-ball-challenges-ranked/ |access-date=2024-03-28 |website=ScreenRant |language=en |archive-date=2023-01-19 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230119160839/https://screenrant.com/rupauls-drag-race-ball-challenges-ranked/ |url-status=live }}

Production

The episode originally aired on April 15, 2013.

Mackie was later a guest judge on the eleventh episode ("Glitter Ball") of the show's sixth season.

Reception

Oliver Sava of The A.V. Club gave the episode a rating of 'A'.{{Cite web |date=2013-04-16 |title=RuPaul's Drag Race: "Sugar Ball" |url=https://www.avclub.com/rupauls-drag-race-sugar-ball-1798176604 |access-date=2024-03-28 |website=The A.V. Club |language=en |archive-date=2021-09-28 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210928171832/https://www.avclub.com/rupauls-drag-race-sugar-ball-1798176604 |url-status=live }}

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" 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."{{Cite web |last=Wratten |first=Marcus |date=2024-03-14 |title=The best self-made Drag Race ball looks in herstory |url=https://www.thepinknews.com/2024/03/14/best-drag-race-ball-looks/ |access-date=2024-03-28 |website=PinkNews |language=en-US |archive-date=2024-03-16 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240316164743/https://www.thepinknews.com/2024/03/14/best-drag-race-ball-looks/ |url-status=live }}

References

Category:RuPaul's Drag Race season 5 episodes

Category:Works about ball culture