Eye-opening clip of RuPaul in 1993 resurfaces – and fans are obsessed: ‘He’ll always be kind of mother’
RuPaul was still making an impact back in 1993. (MTV)
On a day back in distant 1993, 16 years before the first series of RuPaul’s Drag Race, MTV sent one of their reporters to “search for a six-foot-five drag queen in a white limo”.
That drag queen? RuPaul himself.
“Shopping with RuPaul” was re-released from the vault and posted to MTV’s YouTube channel, before it found its way on to Twitter.
Filled with RuPaul-isms that really shouldn’t have stood the test of nearly 30 years of time like “Everybody say ‘love!'” and “You better workkkkk” she takes the MTV presenter to a mall, and the internet is “OBSESSED”.
One user reacted to the video by writing that despite RuPaul’s many controversies (see: comments about trans competitors on Drag Race), she is certainly giving off superstar vibes in this clip.
“I have such a complicated relationship with how I feel about RuPaul because there’s so much evil but so much icon at the same time like whether I like it or not he’ll always kind of be mother.”
In red booty shorts showing off that RuPaul is “eight feet tall and six of it is legs“, the queen of drag encourages members of the public in a shop to strut their stuff and feel their fantasy.
The members enlisted include a store clerk, shoppers, the MTV presenter and one man that the internet has taken particularly kindly to…
RuPaul dances, signs autographs and takes photos with a family who – hilariously – look mildly terrified.
Some have lamented the fact that RuPaul seems to have changed so much, but then again, being the face of a multi-million dollar franchise like Drag Race will do that to you.
Drag queen Yshee Black even responded to the clip, writing: “This is LITERALLY gonna be me at drag con all weekend not a care in the world.”
RuPaul is quite literally on a coffee enema in the clip, but it’s refreshing to see the glamazon so relaxed.
The video also proves that he was literally destined to be a superstar; there’s a reply to everything and an assuredness that isn’t seen often.
“What do you do when people stare?”
“I actually dress like this so people stare.”
“What’s your next big challenge?”
“World domination.”
And dominate the world he did.
“I’m a result of the change that is happening… if they don’t get me, the change is still gonna happen.”
The video was released by MTV to commemorate season fifteen of RuPaul’s Drag Race moving to the channel.
The 15th and “biggest” season of the flagship drag show is premiering on Friday 6 January at 8/7c on its new home on MTV in the US.
RuPaul’s Drag Race season 15 will premiere exclusively on WOW Presents Plus in the UK on 7 January at 2am.
The latest season will see sixteen drag artists compete for $200,000 and the coveted title of ‘America’s Next Drag Superstar’, with celebrity guest judges set to include Ariana Grande, Meg Stalter, TS Madison and Janelle Monáe.
