In the 7th grade, RuPaul read a book that had a profound affect on him: George Orwell’s “Animal Farm.”
“It gave me a good understanding of how politics work,” he said. Almost 40 years later, it is this understanding, in part, that has caused the 6-foot-four-inch drag diva to step back into the public spotlight. “I’ve been out of the loop for several years,” he said. “And I said ‘I just can’t sit by and let this happen any more.'”
RuPaul shared his gripes about the current political situation, stating, “We’re living in a culture of fear. It’s very malicious, especially to use that fear for political gain.” Last week the former Queen of Manhattan released his third and arguably his hottest album yet to date. And while it is not explicitly political, the drag diva explained that projecting his identity is the best way he can think of to speak out. “The most political thing I can do is to just be me. Just going out and being part of the social landscape again, that’s my contribution,” he said.
The collection of club anthems on RuPaul Red Hot voice a recurring theme of acceptance and love for one’s self, sprinkled with the occasional bouts of sass and bedroom talk.
“Right now is a very dark time,” he continued. “Most people don’t realize it because we’ve got our iPods, our SUVs and our Starbucks. But in truth for us old-timers who know how to see beyond, it’s a very scary time – when they’re mixing the church with the state and whether I pay my taxes but I can’t marry the person I love with all my heart.”
Despite any animosity for the administration’s policy on gay marriage, RuPaul, 44, said that to him, current legislation does not necessarily apply. As for right now, he’s flying solo. “I wouldn’t poo-poo it if it walked up and kissed me on the lips,” he said, explaining that his lifestyle is just too busy. “I go to bed at 8:30 at night, wake up a 3 a.m., have my oatmeal, take my bath, and I have to be at the radio station at 5 a.m.,” he said, referring to the daily radio show he hosts.
But even without a steady significant other, the lyrics on reveal no shortage of sexual escapades. Either the sizzling Scorpio has a wild imagination or enough experiences to write about for a lifetime. Confidently he sings, “More woman than you’ll ever need/more man than you’ll ever be/ two lovers for the price of one.”
“With this album, I’m not making any excuses,” he said. Noting the song “Looking good, feeling gorgeous,” RuPaul said that it’s the perfect song to encourage women “to go out there and knock ’em dead. You’ve gotta look good and feel good, and one way to do that is to pep yourself up – to look in the mirror and say, ‘You know what? You look damn good baby. Knock ’em dead.'”
When asked whether or not he says that to himself every morning, RuPaul answered, “Absolutely. I can’t say it enough. Especially when we’re living in a consumer culture where the only way they can get you buy stuff that you don’t need is to let you know you don’t have everything. Like you’re not fully clean, unless you’re zest-fully clean. When you’re inundated with all that sort of information, you’ve got to take the initiative turn it around. “One of RuPaul’s interpretations of ‘turning it around’ involves a three-hour beauty regimen transforms him into drag. “Foundation, body makeup, eyebrows, lashes, lip lining, contouring. But it’s not just because I’m a man. That’s what that process is like for anyone who’s going to be photographed,” he said.
During an awkward portion of this Monday morning interview, The Hatchet apologized for sounding perverted when asking RuPaul, “What are you wearing?” over the phone. To which the diva replied “Prada suit, Louis Vuitton checkerboard shoes and a Louis Vuitton bag. The suit is a deep burgundy monochromatic, and I have a matching shirt, no socks.”
RuPaul explained another of his personal philosophies, stating, “The key to life really is doing service. And before you can do service for other people, you gotta do service for yourself.”
