RuPaul as a guest on The Daily Show with Trevor Noah
On Thursday, 22 March—just a couple hours after the premiere of RuPaul’s Drag Race season 10—The Daily Show with Trevor Noah aired, featuring an interview with RuPaul Charles himself.
RuPaul makes his entrance wearing a cowboy-inspired green gingham outfit—perhaps a subtle nod to his rancher husband, Georges Lebar.
‘You have been in the game a long time, you’ve been successful for a long time,’ Noah says to Ru.
‘I didn’t choose the game, the game chose me,’ RuPaul responded, followed by a round of cheers.
‘Many people would argue that RuPaul is the reason drag became widely accepted in society. Is that a contradiction in a way, is that a paradox, drag being accepted? Because in many ways, drag is meant to bump mainstream,’ Noah asks.
‘Drag really breaks the fourth wall,’ Ru replies.
‘It really says you are not who you think you are, you’re actually playing a role. So most people can’t accept the idea that they, too, are playing a role. So no, I don’t think drag will ever really be mainstream unless people evolve to this place where they are these existentialist gurus,’ he says with a laugh.
‘What does drag mean to you?’ Noah asks.
‘Money, mortgage, mortgage payment, car payment…’ RuPaul answers, with acclimation from the audience.
‘It has paid your bills, but it’s also done something really powerful where in many ways, it defies what masculinity is meant to be,’ Noah says.
‘It’s a punk rock statement,’ RuPaul says of drag. ‘It says to this masculine-dominated culture, “you know what, I’m not gonna fit in this box, I’m not gonna fit in that box, I’m gonna say woo-hoo boxes—who cares about boxes” you know?’
‘The only way I could survive this life was to just be a heckler and have fun with it,’ RuPaul says. ‘Everyone takes everything so seriously—I can’t do that.’
‘[RuPaul’s Drag Race] is a really fun show, and we’re living in this world, and it’s really controversial as well—like the voting, this last season now, people were really up in arms about who got chosen to be the winner. Like, you guys basically brought in your own electoral college. Why did you do that?’ Noah asks.
RuPaul laughs. ‘You know, all the girls are winners. Whoever takes home the cash, that’s a whole other subject. But they’re all winners.’
‘But there’s one winner with money,’ Noah deadpans.
‘Oh trust me, those bitches are out there right now making $100,000 a night,’ Ru responds. ‘They are pulling in the coinage, they are making the dollars, and they are all winners.’
‘But the fans are outrageous, they get very excited. So it doesn’t matter who wins, they’re gonna be talking,’ RuPaul explains, imitating the fans bickering.
‘If you could change one perception that people have of drag in the world, what would that change be?’ Noah asks.
‘You know what, I learned years ago, I can’t change the world. I can change my mind, but I ain’t concerned with other people. You think I’d be sitting in this seat if I was caring about what other people have to say? Ah-ah. I am not studying other people. Because other people are crazy, they’re crazy, they really are,’ RuPaul says jokingly.
‘What’s in this?’ RuPaul asks, picking up his mug.
Watch the full episode here:
The Daily Show with Trevor Noah – Extended – March 22, 2018 – RuPaul Charles | Comedy Central
OFFICIAL WEBSITE. Watch the full episode online. Ronny Chieng weighs in on Facebook’s data-sharing scandal, Trevor talks to survivors of the school shooting in Parkland, FL, and RuPaul Charles discusses “RuPaul’s Drag Race.”
