RuPaul is Workin' It with a new book, a new season of Drag Race and life in the fast lane. Windy City Times sped over for a chat with the queen of drag.
Windy City Times: Hi, Ru! I haven't talked to you since last year. How have you been?
RuPaul: Good and busy.
WCT: Tell our readers about your new book.
RuPaul: It's a culmination of questions and answers that I get asked on my Web site all the time. People write to me about my style esthetic and how I have been able to stay interested in what I do for so many years.
Basically, we are spiritual beings having a human experience so it is important to remember to not take life too seriously. That is really the gist of the book.
WCT: You were pretty deep when you stated in the book "whatever you proclaim as your identity in the material realm is drag."
RuPaul: It's really not that deep. Honestly, Jerry, that is all something that we intrinsically know. We just conveniently forget it. We can pretend to be who think we are. I think we all know that at our core.
WCT: I liked things that you said about cutting gossip and negative things out of life. It is good advice for the New Year.
RuPaul: Yes, it is true. You can fall into that trap and it seems harmless but the truth is it actually does harm to other people. The deepest part of it is that it harms you.
WCT: I don't watch the news on TV because it is depressing and can drag you down.
RuPaul: Oh, it really does. It is working in tandem with your ego. There is unlimited amount of love but limited amount of resources in the world. But there is still enough for everybody.
WCT: I have never thought you being on a diet before because you always seem so thin. But you actually have to work at it, too.
RuPaul: I say drag queen diet in the book because it sounds so good. I like the way exercise makes you feel. I like food when it is not clogged up in my body. Certain food combinations make my digestive system slow down. I don't like that feeling because I feel groggy and sluggish. I can have bread just not with meat and vice versa.
WCT: I love the picture in the book of you as both Obama and his wife, Michelle.
RuPaul: Yeah, that's fun. We did the Sarah Palin picture for Christmas this year but it didn't wind up in the book.
WCT: I have to see that. People can find items like that on your Web site?
RuPaul: Yes rupaul.com .
WCT: Now you have a second season of RuPaul's Drag Race with more contestants and guest celebrities.
RuPaul: The production value is so much better. It is really dynamic. I have seen the first four episodes of the show so far. It is compelling and the kids really draw you in. They make you want to root for them. There is also a ruthless element to it because it is a competition show. Having seen the first season, they are keen with agenda and strategy. They have the advantage of the first season that they saw the show and they got the lay of the land. Especially with this younger generation they have a sense of entitlement going on that my generation did not have. This makes for really good television.
WCT: Well, I know now there is a whole new generation that can enjoy your music and projects that didn't get to know you back in the '90s, like I did.
RuPaul: I think that is fantastic. That's why doing new things such as the book are important. I love working on the show because I get a good taste of the younger kids and how they are. If I can mentor them, I am sure on some level that they are mentoring me.
WCT: It's almost Valentine's Day. Do you think it is hard to find love as a drag queen?
RuPaul: I think it is hard for anyone to find love. When you define what love is then it is usually not what people think it is. What most people define as love is most likely a chemical romance of adrenaline and endorphins. Over time you understand that love is more to do with really seeing someone and allowing them to be themselves. Allowing that to flow through you also. I know that sounds so esoteric and strange but we use the word love for so many things.
You can love Mexican food but then you can love your parents. By all means they are not the same level but we use the same word. There is more to love than Valentine's cards and chocolates. Love is not what you hear in a Diane Warren song. It is not hard to find love. I can fall in love with the barista at Starbucks. But it is more about how I can allow someone to not put the cap on the toothpaste and let them be themselves over a period of time. The chemical thing is easy but the long-term thing is difficult.
WCT: My boyfriend does not put the cap on the toothpaste and it drives me crazy!
RuPaul: Well, if you really love him then you will not want to change him. It's not your job to change someone, and that is really what love is. It's understanding that and being okay with it.
Get ready to fall in love with the new season of RuPaul's Drag Race, currently running on LOGO, along with his new book, Working' It. Visit LogoTV.com for more details.
