RuPaul: ‘These kids on our show have been through hell’

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RuPaul was featured on CBS Sunday Morning over the weekend, technically a rerun of a segment that originally aired in March. This was reaired after Ru won his third Emmy for Outstanding Reality Show Host and RuPaul’s Drag Race finally got the Outstanding Reality Competition award. If your parents and/or grandparents want to know about Ru, you can show them this interview.

Ru told CBS reporter Nancy Giles (who called Drag Race a “game show”, but I’ll give her a pass) that “I think ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race,’ at its core, is about the tenacity of the human spirit.” He went on to add that, “To watch a boy play with feminine things in a society that is so masculine, and come through it, and find their fire and their own voice, is a very powerful thing.” When asked how he handles those who don’t get him, he threw out his famous quote, “What other people think of me is none of my business.” I still want this embroidered on a pillow. Here are some other highlights from the interview:

On the need for a show like Drag Race: “I know that this show is for the kids out there who are looking for some type of guidance. These kids on our show have been through hell, literally. Their families have thrown them out of the house. They’ve been abused and beaten up. But they have come through and shined. That is the lesson right there.”

On “standing out” as a kid: “People in my family, my mother and my father, basically ignored it. It wasn’t something that they knew how to deal with. The kids in the neighborhood would say, ‘You’re a sissy.’ I’m like, ‘Oh, okay,’ you know? But because I am a sweetheart, no one ever really came for me in a really negative way.”

On becoming RuPaul: “I was always looking for the way to fit onto this planet. And I love to dress up. Through drag I was able to find who I really am. Period. Drag was never about wanting to be like a woman. It was always about challenging identity values of society, and saying, ‘I am whatever I put on.'”

On being named one of TIME Magazine‘s most influential people: “I didn’t set out to do that, but I was smart enough to realize this is my calling. You have to be open enough to hear the universe’s stage directions.”

I’d like to think I know a lot about RuPaul, but one thing I learned from this interview is that he has quite the affinity for vintage cars, showing off his powder blue 1968 Mercedes 280SL. Sweet ride. As always, I’m so glad that we live in a world where RuPaul’s Drag Race can exist. I’m Also thrilled that news shows skewed towards older audiences are running stories like these to help increase visibility and understanding.

In other Ru news, The Hollywood Reporter shared casting news about Ru’s new scripted show for Netflix, AJ and the Queen. Joining Ru for the upcoming comedy series are Josh Segarra from Orange Is the New Black, Michael-Leon Wooley, who voiced Louis the Alligator in Disney’s The Princess and the Frog, Katerina Tannenbaum from the Starz series Sweetbitter and Tia Carrere from Wayne’s World. According to THR:

Segarra will play Hector, Ruby’s boyfriend who has a dark and dangerous side. Wooley is Louis, a blind drag queen. Tannenbaum is set as Brianna, described as a clueless hooker with a deep connection to AJ. Carrere is Lady Danger, a comic villain who is infamous in the local drag scene for injecting cheap silicone into her clients at the clubs.

Sounds quite campy, but Ru is set to perform on every episode, so there’s that. And, boy, do I love RuPaul.

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8 Responses to “RuPaul: ‘These kids on our show have been through hell’”

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  1. Uppenyrcraut says:

    Go Ru! Love drag race…Bianca is my fave winner to date.

  2. Astrid says:

    I love his suits!

  3. CharliePenn says:

    I love Ru, too!

  4. JanetFerber says:

    Love Ru. Brave man. I wish Trump had one tenth of Ru’s strength, courage, compassion and integrity. What a world.

  5. Aims says:

    I adore Ru. Love him to bits!!

  6. Betsy says:

    God bless Ru and his nutty suits. He brings it.

  7. Trillion says:

    Ru makes America a better place. Hell, he makes the world a better place.

  8. Spike says:

    Rupaul gives me life. He has brought attention the heartache, pain, physical, and addiction, mental health challenges with the community.
    HIV status (Ongina) – http://rupaulsdragrace.wikia.com/wiki/Ongina

    (Trinity Bonet) – http://rupaulsdragrace.wikia.com/wiki/Trinity_K._Bonet

    Eating disorders – https://tonic.vice.com/en_us/article/mgmjzy/drag-race-tells-us-a-lot-about-the-queens-jacked-up-eating-habits

    Addiction/Mental health (Katya) – https://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/us_5a60d92ee4b01b82649d8594

    Addiction (Rupaul) – https://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/23/fashion/RuPaul-Drag-Race-television.html

    Alcoholism (LaGanja) – https://youtu.be/-5Iwc2wG7xw