My last posting made me think about another of my favorites, who very recently has made a comeback in a big way, RuPaul!

If you're under 10 you may not be familiar with RuPaul.  In the early 90's a Black Man in four inch stiletto pumps, with a hourglass figure, a flawlessly made up face and a blonde wig told the world "YOU BETTA WORK".  Not only did they work, they stop, stared and listened. RuPaul is the most successful "drag queen" in history. 

                   

In an interview with Arsenio Hall on his 90's late night talk show when asked why he performed/wore drag he responded candidly and honestly "cause I look damn good in high heels and a wig" and the audiences roaring applause backed it up.  There have been other drag performers but never have they reached RuPauls mainstream success.  RuPaul has had parts in major motion pictures, guest spots on mainstream television shows, a Mac Cosmetics contract, commercials for mainstream products, modeling on the runway and in print for major fashion magazines and designers and his own successful talk show. RuPaul has held his own in rumbles with Milton Berle responding to him "and now you wear diapers" on the MTV awards after Berle said he wore dresses and preformed in drag first and with Joy Behar of The View, telling her she needed a makeover because "you look a little butch" and threatening to "read" (read is a term used in the gay community for putting someone down or calling them out)  her after she said she wasn't taking beauty tips from a drag queen.

During the past 8 years RuPaul lowered his visibility because he said he felt the social and political climate was not friendly to his type of performing.  While quite a few high profile people have come out in the past few years they have all been very "normal" or "mainstream" types. Most people don't understand drag and think that it's sexually confused men who what to be women and while some do, it's not the majority. 


RuPaul in drag as Michelle Obama and out of drag as Barrack Obama.

Well new year, new President and First lady saw RuPaul re-emerge with a bang.  RuPaul's latest television show RuPauls Drag Race  aired late this winter and was a hit. It was the most successful program in Logo Television's history. So successful in fact that midway through it's initial run VH-1 (the home of RuPauls talk show) began airing reruns with equally high ratings.
      
"What other people think of me is not my business. What I do is what I do. How people see me doesn't’t change what I decide to do. I don’t choose projects so people don’t see me as one thing or another. I choose projects that excite me. I think the problem is that people refuse to understand what drag is outside of their own belief system. ”  RuPaul

RuPaul will be 50 next year, yes 50 and in our out of drag he looks mid to late 30's at best.  One another recent appearance in The View when asked whe didn't come out in drag he responded honestly again "when I'm in drag I'm getting a check honey" says that for RuPaul drag is a business. Do I suspect RuPaul will be performing in drag in his 70's, maybe, If he still looks "damn good in high heels and a wig."  And you know what I wouldn't blame him.  RuPaul has leveraged what he does best into a business and if he is working in his 70's it will be his choice.

I've added one of my favorite RuPaul videos below. I decided not to add Supermodel because you can find that one anywhere. The one below, LOOKING GOOD FEELING GORGEOUS, is hilarious. The introduction still cracks me up 3 years later. Enjoy.