RuPaul Says ‘Drag Race’ Fans Make Him Feel ‘Optimistic’

RuPaul hasn’t always had the most favorable things to say about the youths. (Though, to be fair, their music and aesthetic sensibilities are different and therefore worse than mine, which is good.) But in a new profile in The New York Times Magazine, the drag legend admits that yeah, the kids are all right.

Speaking to staff writer and Still Processing co-host Jenna Wortham, the host of RuPaul’s Drag Racewhich returns to VH1 with a new All Stars season this Thursdaysays that teen viewers of the drag competition series make him feel pretty good about the future, at least as far as gender fluidity and expression are concerned.

Big tings! My first New York Times Magazine cover story just dropped — and it’s on the QUEEN MUVA RU HERSELF! In print Sunday, online now! Link in bio ⚡️✨🙈✨⚡️

A post shared by 〰️ Jenna Wortham 〰️ (@jennydeluxe) on Jan 24, 2018 at 6:31am PST

“They are shifting the balance of masculinity and femininity. And that makes me so optimistic,” Ru said.”

As for why the generation that’s younger than millennials but haven’t been given a collective name yet that’s not stupid as hell relate to Drag Race, America’s number one Mahogany stan said that the series acts as a sort of escape hatch out of the parts of their lives that are weighing them down.

T-1 Day until your TVs are dripping in✨ GOLD ✨, darlings! #AllStars3 returns TOMORROW at 8/7c on @vh1 . @ajathekween

A post shared by RuPaul’s Drag Race (@rupaulsdragrace) on Jan 24, 2018 at 8:24am PST

“There is so much programming by social media, and how you have to construct your sense of self in line with how everyone else is constructing their sense of self. I think they see our show as a handbook for a navigation, and think, How can I rig this conveyor belt where I don’t have to go down that thing?” he said.

Elsewhere in the profile, we learn that the main challenge on the second or third episode of All Stars season 3 will be a group acting challenge parodying The Bachelor. The entire, super long profile is definitely worth a read, especially the bit about RuPaul trying to get people to guess “That Darn Scat!” in a game of “dirty charades.” Check it out here.