Drag queen RuPaul Andre Charles was The View’s special guest on Tuesday’s show to promote his new book and TV show. Amid their conversation, ABC co-host Sara Haines broached the topic of public outrage and backlash to drag shows at libraries and other events for kids. According to her, “Everyone belongs at a drag show.” Charles also proclaimed that everyone, including you dear reader, was wearing drag every day; possibly right now!
“One of the things that appeals about a drag show and often the community, this is a community that took time to find clarity to see themselves to be authentic when it wasn't one actor on the stage, they had to pave their own way. So, I've always found everyone belongs at a drag show,” Haines proclaimed.
Does “everyone” include kids, Sara?
It’s worth the reminder that Haines admitted back in January that she hid the fact that Donald Trump was president from her kids. “I literally had to hide news for four years while Donald Trump was in. Because as they're learning what a president of the United States is, I didn't want to say, 'yeah and that's him right there,'" she said (She later whined about people reporting on it).
Charles played off of Haines and insisted that everyone on Earth was wearing drag because they got dressed every day and were putting on an act to appease everyone else. “Well, listen, you're born naked and the rest is drag. Everybody is playing a role, everyone. When you get out of the shower you put on your drag,” he argued.
He went on to defend drag as “art” and said that it was for people who didn’t take themselves too seriously:
So, here's the thing, art doesn't have to explain itself. Drag is art. Here's the thing, drag is -- pokes fun at the -- that stage play that I was talking about earlier, the roles that we play. It's there to remind you, do not take yourself too seriously. Don't take yourself too seriously.
[Applause]
Now, there are things that you should take seriously. Take kindness serious. You can take love serious. Take sweetness seriously but don't take yourself too seriously.
The conversation devolved into him taking swipes at those who opposed sexualized drag shows for kids. He asserted that “the people who want to go up against all that are afraid of our light, of our laughter, of our joy, of our dancing, our music.”
Adding that drag was “the antidote to all of this negativity. What we -- our biggest -- our biggest tool in fighting all that is our love and our joy. So do more of that.” Co-host Joy Behar agreed by suggesting, “They're jealous because they see you guys having so much fun.”
Moderator Whoopi Goldberg ended the segment by chiding drag show critics about how far they couldn’t go to ban them: “You know what the thing is that I particularly love, is you can ban the drag shows, but you're not coming in my house to turn my TV off. Now are you? No, you're not!”
No one was trying to do that, Whoopi.
The transcript is below. Click "expand" to read:
ABC’s The View
March 5, 2024
11:37:53 a.m. Eastern(…)
SARA HAINES: Well, Drag Race is one of the most popular shows on television right now.
RUPAUL ANDRE CHARLES: You mean there are other shows?
[Laughter]
HAINES: None that I've seen. [laughter] But this is all happening while simultaneously we're watching some places in this country ban drag shows. Now, I want to know your thoughts because to me having -- One of the things that appeals about a drag show and often the community, this is a community that took time to find clarity to see themselves to be authentic when it wasn't one actor on the stage, they had to pave their own way. So, I've always found everyone belongs at a drag show. What do you think of this?
CHARLES: Well, listen, you're born naked and the rest is drag. Everybody is playing a role, everyone. When you get out of the shower you put on your drag. Right?
So, here's the thing, art doesn't have to explain itself. Drag is art. Here's the thing, drag is -- pokes fun at the -- that stage play that I was talking about earlier, the roles that we play. It's there to remind you, do not take yourself too seriously. Don't take yourself too seriously.
[Applause]
Now, there are things that you should take seriously. Take kindness serious. You can take love serious. Take sweetness seriously but don't take yourself too seriously.
And the people who want to go up against all that are afraid of our light, of our laughter, of our joy, of our dancing, our music; that is the antidote to all of this negativity. What we -- our biggest -- our biggest tool in fighting all that is our love and our joy. So do more of that.
JOY BEHAR: I think they're jealous because they see you guys having so much fun.
CHALES: I think so too.
WHOOPI GOLDBERG: But you know what – You know what the thing is that I particularly love, is you can ban the drag shows, but you're not coming in my house to turn my TV off. Now are you? No, you're not!
