Just Not Into RuPaul

[Shana A]

Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Just Not Into RuPaul
Posted by Monica Roberts at 1:46 PM

http://transgriot.blogspot.com/2009/02/just-not-into-rupaul.html

RuPaul's back on TV with a reality show called RuPaul's Drag Race on Logo. Yeah, I know I've griped for years about the lack of visibility of GLBT African-Americans in the media, but this is one show that I and many African-American GLBT peeps won't be watching.

The reason? Many of us consider RuPaul a sellout.

RuPaul's road to Clarence Thomas-Condoleezza Rice territory basically began in 2002, when he started defending Chuck Knipp and his odious blackface minstrel show that many of us in the SGL community and our allies have major problems with.

[tekla]

I liked this remark...
It's hard to take Ru seriously anymore

Exactly when was that RuPaul's intention anyway?

I always liked this quote
"I've dedicated my career to fighting the mundane. My hope is that my career will be a shining example to children everywhere that life is more meaningful when you are not afraid to see all colors of the rainbow."

And this quote from Ru hangs on my office wall.

Nobody promises anything in show business and you understand that from day one.

[RebeccaFog]

You have an office?

I agree that people should stop trying to pigeon-hole celebrities. 

[tekla]

Well we have our crew rooms, at the Fillmore it's called "The Hell Room" and at the Warfield its called the Menorah room.  They have TVs, VCR/DVD, Wireless Internet and all that - you don't expect us to have to listen to all that racket do you?

[RebeccaFog]

All that loud stuff would drive me nuts.

[tekla]

Me too most of the time, hence our hide-outs.  But as RuPaul would say, 'it pays the bills.'

[V M]

Oh wow! I didn't know RuPaul was still around. Oh well. Desperate times call for desperate measures 

[Julie Marie]

I saw his show today and it was painful.  It's a show for drag queens (gay men) to strut their stuff.  It in no way represents transsexuals for who they are and gives us a bad name.  I think Ru needs to educate the audience of this.

Julie

[tekla]

I don't think the idea has anything to do with educating people, its not like its on PBS, I think its on LOGO, which is a gay network.  Like everything RuPaul has done, its about promoting RuPaul, paying the bills and all that.  Its show biz, not education.

[RebeccaFog]

I saw his show today and it was painful.  It's a show for drag queens (gay men) to strut their stuff.  It in no way represents transsexuals for who they are and gives us a bad name.  I think Ru needs to educate the audience of this.

Julie

Camping it up in drag is a rich tradition for gay men.  I understand that their shows have nothing to do with trans issues overtly, but, it is one of the ways gay men express themselves and play with their own nature.

I don't think it's meant to denigrate anyone.

[tekla]

Drag has a long and rich tradition in the theater going back as far as we have plays and notes, old Willie the Bard was quite fond of using it, but of course then, ALL parts were played by men or boys.

And I'll say this about the drag queens, they seem very happy with themselves and other people seen to like them too, and if you have a choice between being AbFab or miserable, I'll take the Absolutely Fabulous option.