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RuPaul Talks Gay and Straight Pop Culture and Why Drag Will Never be Mainstream

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Photo via RuPaul.com

“You could try to come for us and try to do it. You could never do it the way we do it.”

In an interview with Vulture, supermodel of the world RuPaul put on his reading glasses and shared his thoughts on Drag Race, gay and straight pop culture, and his upcoming game show, Gay for Play.

During the interview, RuPaul was asked about Drag Race, and the impact it's had on drag culture. "We're always inspired by the queens," RuPaul said. "And because it's like a school, we get a new crop of kids every single year -- that's how it stays fresh. These are the kids who grew up watching it, and their whole drag aesthetic comes from the show."

The show's impact has definitely been felt in mainstream pop culture, especially with shows like Lip Sync Battle on Spike borrowing elements of Drag Race's "lip sync for your life." When asked about the show, RuPaul didn't hold back any thoughts on the topic, saying "it's a poor rip off" of Drag Race, and an example of mainstream pop culture borrowing from gay culture.

"These other shows that rip off little bits of our show? Have at it," RuPaul said. "We've got plenty. You could try to come for us and try to do it. You could never do it the way we do it."

Although Ru believes this to be the case, he did feel that drag will never be mainstream, and what's happening now with drag culture is the most mainstream it'll get. "It's the antithesis of mainstream," RuPaul said. "But it will never be mainstream, because it is completely opposed to fitting in."

In regards to his upcoming game show, Gay for Play, Ru ironically takes from mainstream pop culture and places a gay filter on it, describing it as "hilarious, sexy, cheeky, and irreverent."

"It's the gay aesthetic done by gay people," RuPaul said. "Through our show and social media, the gay vernacular has been adopted by mainstream pop culture."

Read the full interview with Vulture here.

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