Feature  RuPaul
Red~Hot Again
By Nicholas Rupp After nearly four years focusing on his family and himself, RuPaul is back in the spotlight with a new album, a reinvigorated attitude, and a rare Salt Lake City appearance for Utah Pride. When RuPaul Andre Charles was born in November 1960, his mother predicted that her baby boy would one day become an international superstar because, she said, “Ain’t another motherfucker alive with a name like that!” While that may be true, there’s more than just his name that’s unique to the larger-than-life drag queen. By the end of the ’90s, RuPaul had taken his trademark “Glamazon” style, fierce wit, and unabashed opinions through nearly every pop culture medium. After years of performing in Manhattan nightclubs, RuPaul’s big break came in 1993 with the hit single “Supermodel (You Betta Work)” and major label debut album, Supermodel of the World. Over the next 6 years, he received an Emmy nomination for his work (as a man) in the TV movie A Mother’s Wish; released two more albums; appeared in several films, including the Brady Bunch movies and the gay indie favorite But I’m a Cheerleader; hosted his own talk show on VH1; wrote a best-selling autobiography, Lettin’ It All Hang Out; and through a high-profile endorsement deal became the “First Face” of MAC cosmetics. After all that, it was no wonder that in 2000, right after the unveiling of his wax portrait at Madame Tussaud’s museum in Times Square, RuPaul decided to take a break to focus on his extended family and “the man I love.” He says, “I needed to reconnect with a part of me that I had left behind and devote time to my personal growth.” Now, RuPaul is geared for a comeback of queen-sized proportions. Later this month, his new dance CD, RuPaul Red~Hot, hits store shelves. He says, “I felt compelled to make this CD because of what’s happening socially and politically in the world right now. I’m ready to shake things up a bit. I’m recharged, looking good and feeling gorgeous … and ready to let them have it!” RuPaul spoke with QSaltLake last week to talk about his new music, his passion for people, and his upcoming visit to Salt Lake City. He once famously said, “You’re born naked and the rest is drag. I think everyone is in drag — I just have more fun doing it.” After just twenty minutes with him, it’s clear that RuPaul has more fun doing just about everything. RuPaul: Hey, Nicholas! QSaltLake: Hi, how are you? I’m good. Just stuffing down this last bite of my chicken salad. Busy day today, huh? Oh, you said it! But I still have my wits about me, though I’ve been up forever and by the end of this I may start to go wacky on you. Well let’s get started so you can be done with your day. Tell me about the new album. It’s the best thing I’ve ever done. It’s got fun, great dance stuff that people expect from me, and also some meaningful messages. You know, a lot of people have asked me about political aspects of my album and I’ve told them that any time a person does whatever they want to do, it’s a statement. So this album is political in that respect. I talk about love, the man I love, what that love means if we’re men, if we’re women, whatever. I talk about my own personal journey, which is a very political thing. It doesn’t talk specifically about Iraq or the president or whatever, but I’m talking about political statements of a personal nature, of being yourself. You came to the Sundance Film Festival in 2000 with “The Eyes of Tammy Faye.” Had you been to Utah before that? Oh yeah! I’m a graduate of Bring’em Young University. You ever been to Bring’em Young? I have, I’ve been there. They’re very nice. And so young! Yeah, young and married. I know, right! What’s with that? Now, are you from Utah? I am. I’m a native. Oh, wow. What part? Salt Lake City. I was there for a private party once. A guy had me come there for a private party years ago. I can’t remember his name. It was about ’96 I think. What did you think of Utah before you’d been here? I know the reputation precedes it. Actually, in 1980 I drove by myself from Chicago to San Diego and I went through Utah. I remember getting dizzy going through all the curves around the mountains, but it was just turning into springtime so it was icy in places and snowy in places and I just remember thinking it felt like an acid trip — it was so beautiful. What about socially or politically: any thoughts on our culture here in Utah? Well, you know, listen … to each his own. I grew up in that sort of hippy mentality that you can just do whatever you want as long as it doesn’t hurt anybody else. And you know, religion is not something I like to dwell on. It has its place for a lot of people. My own personal view is that it’s not something that I’d like to be involved in, but if they get something out of it, good for them. You’re performing at The Vortex on Sunday night, our Pride Day; will you be in the parade? I’m not going to make the parade. Right before, I’ll be in Brazil and we’ll be flying in just in time to make it to the club. In fact, right when the offer from Salt Lake came in I got invited to do Rio de Janeiro the same night and they were offering more “goodies” and stuff, but I thought, “How often do I get to go to Salt Lake City to perform?” Honestly — I thought I was needed in Salt Lake City more, and I don’t know when I’ll be asked to come back to Salt Lake. There’s sometimes an attitude among the proponents of the gay marriage movement that drag queens, or the more radical side of the gay community, could be damaging to the cause. What do you think about that? Conservatives who want to fight the movement have already made up their minds. Drag queens are not going to make anyone’s opinion worse. Whatever their mind’s set at, it’s done. Any smart person knows that one part of a community does not represent the whole group. It’s kind of shortsighted to think that one could. We see Rush Limbaugh on television; that doesn’t mean that all conservatives are big, fat, drug addict liars. Let me tell you something: people always forget that the modern gay rights movement was started by drag queens. It’s funny — black people in this country in the ’50s and ’60s were trying to assimilate and say to the world at large, “We are not only as good as whites, but we can be better.” The people who personified that were Diana Ross and Bill Cosby. When hip-hop came along, it became cool to say, “You know what? We’re gonna act like nig-gaz from the ghet-to and it’s fine!” And that’s when people like Diana Ross became out-of-chic, because of that. So, I can’t wait for the day when gay people take on what they used to think of as their “poor relations,” when they take on being fem or sissy or whatever and say, “Hey, this is us, be what it may — we’re making no apologies.” Every culture does that, you know, has that sort of evolution where we used to say, “Oh, we want to pretend like we’re straight. We can be as normal as anybody else.” Until someone thinks, “You know what? We fucking are what we are!” I can’t wait for the day when men — you know, men — are prissy and fem and fey! You’ve had notable success as a male actor. Would you like to do more work outside of your female persona? I have to be honest; it’s not the most fulfilling for me. I don’t think of myself as an actor at all. I’ve done films and I’ve acted but I don’t think of myself as an actor. As an artist it doesn’t fulfill me the way I wish it did. I wish that I could finish a scene and go, “Ooh, I loved that! That was great!” But I’ve never felt that. I’ve always done it because I loved the project or what it meant, but as an artist I’ve never loved acting the way I love music. What’s your proudest accomplishment as an artist? As an artist? My book. My book got to reach a lot of people. It achieved what I’m trying to do with this new album. Some funny, ha-ha, light humor balanced out with some really strong messages that I think haven’t been dealt with. What are you passionate about? Music. Music is number one. But you know, I love people and I love unraveling their personalities and getting to sort of discover them. I love playing charades and I have a lot of parties where we play charades and games. People work out a charade or a puzzle and in that moment when they’re playing you can see how they work, how they think, who they are. It’s a gift. Someone is generous enough to allow us to see their process and you can fall in love with them. I love that — absolutely love that. Do you have a musical guilty pleasure? Something that people would be surprised you listen to? You know, I’m never ashamed of the stuff I like to listen to. Some of the stuff I like that I’m listening to now is Van Lear Rose by Loretta Lynn. I’m listening to the new Blondie album, The Curse of Blondie, and Alicia Keys, The Diary of Alicia Keys. At the gym the other day I was listening to Jody Watley’s Greatest Hits. But guilty pleasures … I love Aaron Tippin — he’s a country singer. I love a lot of country. I love Shania. I think people are surprised when gay men love country music. Well, it’s passionate and it’s emotional. It’s like a show tune. It is like a show tune. I don’t want to generalize but a lot of us have a lot of feelings that are very, very sensitive, so some of the music that goes along with it — we love that. Have you heard Pam Tillis’ stuff? Yeah. Oh my god, she’s amazing. Just amazing. She’s probably, well — okay, I’ll say it: She’s probably my favorite female in country, but you know I can change my mind anytime. See, Dolly is in a whole league of her own. Dolly is beyond that realm. In your day-to-day life, you are not in drag. You go to work and you put on your work outfit, right? Yes, absolutely. I dress as a woman to perform and it pays the mortgage. I’m in business and that’s what the customers want. How much of your work outfit is currently your creation and how much is publicists and stylists and makeup artists? Because I imagine when you were starting out it was all you — all your creativity and hard work. Well, the idea of how I want to look is my idea and I work with a lot of people who can help me make it happen. I know what works for me and what works for my age and my body and stuff so I have the idea of it and how I want to come across, but within that context I’m very open to what the others have to say. They know me very well and what I want. On RuPaul.com you keep a weblog, an online journal; what prompted you to start and what keeps you writing as openly as you do? I started writing when I was sort of living underground so people could have a connection with what I was doing and get a clear view of me outside of what they read or saw on television. I don’t know how much longer I will do it now that I’m getting back on the road and more involved in my public life. I don’t know if I can handle it then. It becomes very personal. When you’re doing the writing on an out-there level, it’s giving up part of yourself. Since I wasn’t giving putting the music out there I felt like I could give this part of me, but now that the other work is gonna be out there, I’ll probably take a break from the weblog for a while. You’ve been successful with music, with books, with movies and TV. What’s next? What do you want to accomplish? I’d love to produce other people and, you know, manage and guide other artists.
Is there anyone in particular you’d like to produce right now? I definitely want to produce someone who isn’t known yet. I also want to have a line of clothes and a line of makeup. I’d love to be like Suzanne Somers with all that stuff. We’re out of time, but thank you for talking to me. Oh, thank you, Mr. Rupe. Wait, how do you pronounce your last name? Rupp. Rupp. (long pause) Well, can I call you Rupe? You can. You can call me anything you want. All right, Mr. Rupe. You know, if you asked me to marry you I’d RuPaul Rupe. We could probably work that out. Okay! (laughs) Thanks again. Thank you, sweetheart! Right before his disappearance from the public eye RuPaul said, “I’m 6-foot-4 in my stocking feet. But with my hair, my heels and my attitude I’m through the motherfucking roof, baby!” A few minutes with RuPaul and there’s little doubt that his four-year-old proclamation is as true now as it ever was. RuPaul will perform at The Vortex, a private club for members, 404 South West Temple, on Sunday, June 13.
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