MY NEXT GUEST IS A POP CULTURE ICON AND THE MOST FAMOUS DRAG
QUEEN IN THE WORLD.
PLEASE WELCOME BACK TO "THE LATE SHOW" RuPAUL CHARLES!
♪ ♪ ♪
>> HELLO!
HI!
YES, YOU GIVE ME THE EUROPEAN-- THE EUROPEAN KISS.
>> Stephen: YOU GAVE YOU THE EUROPEAN DOUBLE KISS.
>> YES!
>> Stephen: BECAUSE WHEN I HAVE GUESTS WHO-- THAT I KNOW
FROM EUROPE, I KNOW TO DO THE DOUBLE KISS.
AND I KNOW YOU FROM EUROPE.
>> I KNOW YOU FROM EUROPE NOW.
>> Stephen: AND I'LL EXPLAIN WHY.
BECAUSE YOU AND I WERE BOTH AT-- I INTERVIEWED THE FIRST LADY,
MICHELLE OBAMA, OVER AT THE 02 ARENA IN LONDON--
>> IN ENGLAND.
>> Stephen: AND GUESS WHO I'M HANGING WITH BACKSTAGE?
IT'S ME AND RuPAUL AND MALALA.
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) GETTING GLAM.
VIVA GLAM.
AND-- AND-- AND ADELE.
SHE'S NOT IN THIS PHOTO, BUT ADELE WAS THERE, TOO.
WHO WERE YOU MOST EXCITED TO HANG OUT WITH?
>> MISOBAMA!
>> Stephen: THAT'S TRUE.
THAT'S FAIR.
THAT WAS FUN.
AND NOW I KNOW YOUR MY FRIEND FROM ENGLAND.
>> YOU'RE ALL RIGHT, MATE.
( BRITISH ACCENT ).
>> Stephen: ARE YOU OKAY?
>> THAT WAS MY TAKEAWAY FROM THE WHOLE ENGLAND TRIP.
THAT'S MY THING, YEAH.
I SAY IT TO EVERYONE.
EVERYONE IS SICK OF ME SAYING IT.
>> Stephen: I'M NOT.
THE MET GALA WAS THIS WEEK ON MONDAY.
MARKING THE EXHIBIT-- OPENING THE EXHIBIT "CAMP: NOTES ON
FASHION."
RuPAUL.
WHAT IS "CAMP?" WHAT IS "CAMP?"
>> I WILL TELL YOU, MOST PEOPLE DON'T UNDERSTAND IT, BECAUSE
CAMP-- YOU HAVE TO BE ABLE TO SEE THE FACADE OF LIFE-- I'M
GOING TO GET FIST PHILOSOPHICAL UP IN HERE.
>> Stephen: DO IT.
>> YOU HAVE TO BE ABLE TO SEE THE ABSURDITY OF LIFE FROM
OUTSIDE OF YOURSELF.
SO THE IDEA OF DRAG IS CAMP BECAUSE WE'RE SAYING, YOU KNOW,
I'M NOT THISS THIS BODY.
I'M ACTUALLY-- I'M ACTUALLY GOD IN DRAG PLAYING HUMANITY, RIGHT.
SO WHEN YOU ARE IN THAT PLACE-- LET THE CHURCH SAY AMEN.
>> Audience: AMEN!
>> WHEN YOU ARE IN THAT PLACE THEN YOU CAN LAUGH AT THE
ABSURDITY.
IN TENTH GRADE, I LEARNED, MY TEACHER SAID, "RuPAUL, DON'T
TAKE LIFE TOO SERIOUSLY."
AND THAT IS WHAT CAMP IS ABOUT.
IT'S ABOUT SEEING THE ABSURDITY OF THIS CRAZY LIFE.
YOU HAVE READ THE PAPERS LATELY!
>> Stephen: WELL, LET ME SHOW YOU-- CHEAPER.
>> IT'S CAMP!
>> Stephen: LET ME SHOW YOU SOME REALLY-- SOME REALLY LOVELY
OUTFITS.
AND YOU TELL ME WHETHER THESE THINGS ARE CAMP, BECAUSE THERE'S
BEEN A FAIR AMOUNT OF CRITIQUES, OF EVEN THESE BEAUTIFUL OUTFITS
I'M ABOUT TO SHOW YOU, ABOUT WHETHER THEY ACTUALLY ARE CAMP.
HERE IS CELINE DION.
>> IT IS BEAUTIFUL.
IT'S BORDERLINE CAMP, AND I'LL TELL YOU WHY.
FIRST OF ALL, IT'S BEAUTIFUL, ONE OF MY FAVORITES FOR THE
WHOLE EVENING.
>> Stephen: IT LOOKS LIKE SHARE BOB MAKE, KIND OF.
>> I MET HER IN THAT MOMENT, I SWEAR TO GOD, BOB MACKIE WALKED
BY AT THIS VERY MOMENT.
AND I SAID, "BOB, IS THIS YOUR DRESS?"
HE SAID, "NO, IT IS NOT MY DRESS."
IT IS BORDERLINE CAMP.
>> Stephen: WHY IS IT BORDERLINE?
>> BECAUSE CELINE DIDEON IS WACKY CRAZY.
>> AND LOVE HER, AND SHE'S CAMPY BECAUSE SHE GETS THE JOKE.
SHE'S IN ON THE JOKE.
THAT'S THE ANSWER, RIGHT THERE.
DID I HAVE IT?
I DO.
>> Stephen: HOW ABOUT THIS GENTLEMAN RIGHT HERE?
>> OH, THAT IS PURE CAMP, BABY.
THAT IS--
THAT'S COMP.
>> Stephen: WHAT WENT INTO THIS OUTFIT?
IS THAT SECONVENTION?
>> IT'S SECONVENTION.
IT'S ZEBRA.
DID THIS OUTFIT-- I DIDN'T WANT TO GO IN DRAG.
I THOUGHT IT WAS IT WAS GOING TO BE A SEA OF DRAG QUEENS.
I REALLY DID.
I THOUGHT ALL THE GUYS WOULD BE DRESSED UP BY DIVINE-- DIVINE
FROM THE JOHN WATERS FILMS-- NOT ONE PERSON WAS DRESSED UP AS
DIVINE.
>> Stephen: WOW.
>> I DON'T-- PEOPLE DON'T REALLY UNDERSTAND CAMP.
IT'S ABSTRACT TO MOST PEOPLE.
>> Stephen: NOW, WHAT'S THIS ON YOUR SHOULDER HERE?
IS THAT A SEQUIN RIGHT HERE?
>> IT'S A SEQUINNED ZEBRA.
>> Stephen: REALLY?
OH, I SEE.
YES, IT IS.
>> IT'S A ZEBRA.
IT WAS FUN.
WE HAD A GOOD TIME.
I D.J.'D AT THE END OF THE EVENING.
>> Stephen: OH, NICE.
>> I'M A VERY GOOD D.J.
>> Stephen: YOU SAID THAT-- YOU SAID THAT DRAG HAS ALWAYS
BEEN A POLITICAL STATEMENT.
HOW-- HOW IS WHAT YOU DO CHANGED IN THIS PARTICULAR POLITICAL
ENVIRONMENT?
>> WELL, WHAT WE DO IN DRAG IS MORE IMPORTANT TODAY THAN EVER
BEFORE.
CAN I GET AN AMEN UP IN HERE?
IT IS.
>> Stephen: WHY?
>> WELL, WELL, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THE JOB OF THE DRAG QUEEN,
THE CHARMIN, THE COURT GESTURE IS TO HELP PEOPLE UNDERSTAND
THAT LIFE IS NOT TO BE TAKEN SERIOUSLY.
LOVE IS SERIOUS.
KINDNESS IS SERIOUS.
BUT ALL THIS OTHER MISHEGAS IS NOT SERIOUS.
>> Stephen: THE WAY YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO DO THINGS--
>> THE WAY YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO DO THINGS.
>> Stephen: PROPRIETIES.
>> EXACTLY.
BUT BEING MEAN IS NOT NICE.
IT'S NOT COOL.
IT'S NOT CLEVER.
YOU ALL RIGHT, BABES?
AND-- SO DRAG REMINDS PEOPLE TO NOT TAKE THEMSELVES OR LIFE TOO
SERIOUSLY.
>> Stephen: WELL, THIS IS A-- HERE'S POLITICS AND DRAG.
THIS IS KIRSTJEN GILLIBRAND BACKSTAGE AT A DRAG CLUB IN
IOWA.
>> YAY!
>> Stephen: YOU CAN IMAGINE, EVEN 10 YEARS AGO, THIS BEING A
PHOTOGRAPH A POLITICIAN WOULD WANT TO HAVE OUT THERE?
>> NO, I CAN'T IMAGINE THAT HAPPENING.
THIS IS-- THIS IS REALLY GOOD.
I'M GOING TO SAY THIS.
YOU KNOW, GAY PEOPLE PAY TAXES.
DRAG QUEENS PAY TAXES.
I WANT A POLITICIAN WHO IS GOING TO COME TO MY DRAG CLUB IF I'M
PAYING THEIR SALARY, YOU KNOW.
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ).
>> Stephen: SURE, SURE.
>> Stephen: WELL, RU, ALWAYS GOOD TO SEE YOU.
"RuPAUL'S DRAG RACE" AIRS THURSDAY NIGHTS ON VH1.
RuPAUL CHARLES, EVERYBODY!
WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK.