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Monday, August 30, 2004 ITHACACORNELL UNIVERSITY looked exactly as i imagined it, like those great northeastern ivy league schools i’ve read about in novels by JUDITH KRANTZ and DANIELLE STEELE. before we left LOS ANGELES for UPSTATE NEW YORK, everyone told us that CORNELL has the highest suicide rate among all the nations universities, so i felt especially purposeful in a lifesaving capacity...you know, my outreach program and all that jizz...oh...i mean jazz. once there, i was compelled to find the famous “suicide bridge” to see what kind of power it had over me, only to be told that there are actually 2 suicide bridges. that’s when i thought to myself “no wonder the statistic is so high, those poor kids don’t stand a chance”. my show was in a gymnasium where the sound echoed like the SUPER BOWL, which initially threw me off and i flubbed lyrics to the first 3 songs. the kids were very enthusiastic on their first day of school, which made for a real good time. tomorrow, we shoot a video for my new single “looking good, feeling gorgeous”. the story line is EXTREME MAKE-OVER meets THE SWAN. MATHU is doing my make-up/hair and MIKE RUIZ is directing. don’t forget to download the single (& remixes) on iTUNES and NAPSTER. you can also pre-order the album on AMAZON.COM . | Permalink Monday, August 23, 2004 UPDATESwe were shooting all last week in RANCHO CUCAMONGA, CALIFORNIA. picture it, all dolled up in 50’s clothes with the thermometer hitting 100 degrees. i still had a great time, though. i have one more day of filming ZOMBIE PROM. friday night, we caught the “red-eye” to NYC to do WIGSTOCK in the EAST VILLAGE & BEATSTOCK in NEW JERSEY. it felt fantastic to perform in TOMPKINS SQUARE PARK again after 12 years. i wore an outrageous western wear “ouch-fit” done in gold sequins that was to die for, literally. on the way to the limo, i twisted my ankle and couldn’t perform at the next venue. after it appeared on the front page of USA TODAY, i felt apprehensive about mentioning NAPOLEON DYNAMITE, but i have to because (in my opinion) it’s the best film of the year (after FAHRENHEIT 911). the remixes of my new single LOOKING GOOD, FEELING GORGEOUS are now available on iTUNES and NAPSTER. . | Permalink Thursday, August 12, 2004 Y'ALL...i'm busy filming ZOMBIE PROM, so i ain't got time to blog. in the mean time, check out this stunning review from KATORZEJAMES go rupaul! rupaul is redhot! miss rupaul charles' imminent cd "redhot" includes a timely rendition of depeche mode's naive 80s classic, "people are people" and imbues it with a realness and raw subtext only She could provide. the newly brunette, aggressively sexualized rupaul - - like ross in her liberated "boss" days - pointedly refuses to smile on the cover of "redhot". this time, miss thing is not pretending to be big bird for your pleasure. in her new songs, rupaul speaks frankly about haters, inequality and conflicted trannychasers. in "kinky/freaky" he sings menacingly about fatal thongs spied clearly through transparent dresses and thoughtfully informs his rival that "your man left his drawers on my canopy" and that "we were bumpin while you were at the mall". in 2004, with nothing to prove and nothing to lose, the new rupaul returns older and wiser, more relaxed, more cher-like - in designer jeans and camilsoles with her long hair "undone". the "ghetto chocolate barbie doll" is back to remind us just from whence lil' kim, xtina and mariah carey got some of that tangy flavor. "i've been doing (drag) for a hundred years, and all these looks, i've done before", she tells "gloss" magazine. the postmodern magpie rupaul is always referencing the divine ross on some level, and the inspirational "coming out of hiding" manages to quote the supremes, irene cara and and anthony newley in five short lines: "I’m coming out of hiding -I’m coming out My time is now no time for tomorrow No more livin’ in shame And if I have to beg, steal or borrow You will remember my name" in "my love sees no color" she bawdily celebrates the beautiful uniqueness and diversity of Others: "black or white, tonight is right... i get down with cocoa brown - sassy red i go to town and behold - young or old - and if i can be so bold to let you know - i dig mellow yellow catch my flow - and every color of the rainbow." "looking good, feeling gorgeous" is a love letter and rallying self-esteem shout-out to rupaul's core audience: supermodels, drag queens, Black girls, gay guys, hookers-at-heart and most importantly, the legions of gay, bi and transgender teenagers and ex-teenagers who continue to study fierceness at miss charles' flawless, well-shod foot: "how do i look? you look good! how do i feel? you feel good! how do i look? you look good! you’re looking good and feeling gorgeous well, she walks real steady in her high heel steppers she got lots of style she got lots of class" "feeling gorgeous" (as opposed to simply "looking gorgeous") is a spiritual imperative if you're living the glamorous life, and street diva will tell you that "walking real steady" with "lots of style and class" in very high heels is an important and undervalued skill. rupaul's gender warrior followers will eat up this deceptively air-headed, empowering dance floor affirmation. so, everybody say "love!" show some respect and make way for the o.g. diva. miss charles is back, and she is Black. beautiful, strong, fierce, relevant and righteous. if you are gagging, don't be 'shamed. just have another drink and go again, cause i know you can take it, mary. Katorzejames . | Permalink Wednesday, August 04, 2004 Gay Times (UK)Gay Times-How the heck are you? Ru-I haven't had any complaints (except for that one bloke from Brixton, UGGGGH!). GT-Where are you now? Ru-I'm in the sunroom of my house in the Hollywood Hills. GT-Have we caught you in the middle of something (if not, why not)? Ru-Yes, I'm plotting to reclaim my throne as The Queen of All Queens. GT-We’ve missed you, girlfriend – where have you been all our lives (four years can be a lifetime in gay years)? Ru-I took some time away from public life to focus on my personal life. Another reason I needed to chill was that the cultural climate here in America had shifted to the extremely conservative right, and that made my work very difficult. Four years later, the climate hasn't changed, but i feel recharged enough to mount a retaliation. GT-We hear you’re back in the saddle and recording music again. Tell all. Ru-Yes, and I'm very excited about it. "RuPaul Red-Hot!" has all the sassy fun and optimism that my audience expects from me, plus i got to sneak in a few personal songs that come from the inside of me (ooh, that sounds kinky!). the album is also stronger lyrically, melodically and vocally than anything i've ever done before. GT-Do you have a special someone right now? Ru-Yes, I'm dating royalty! you may have heard of him...The Prince of Darkness? GT-Gay marriage is very much on the political agenda in the States, can we expect to see you heading down the aisle? Ru-Satan doesn't believe in marriage, so I'm afraid the only time you'll ever see me heading down an aisle will be me pushing a shopping cart down the aisle at Sainsbury's. GT-You’re famously quoted as saying that every time you bat your eyelashes it’s a political statement – how are your eyelashes telling you to vote in this year’s presidential election? (Bush or Kerry) And why? Ru-My lashes are fluttering toward Kerry, not because he's such a prize, but because we must trim the Bush. GT-If you were standing for president what would be your campaign slogan? Ru-"Just because you want me, doesn't make you gay." GT-What’s it like living in America at the moment? Ru-It's like living in the 1950's. Repression and fear reign supreme in America, with a complete denial of truth, beauty, freedom and love. the pendulum will swing back eventually, but after what price has been paid? The good news is that the current situation has forced a lot of old vampires (like myself) out of dark places to make some changes, because quite frankly, the shit has gone on for far too long. GT-There’s nothing wrong with a bit of plastic surgery, but don’t you think it’s going a bit far having a clone made of yourself? (Please explain your Madame Tussaud’s waxwork – how did it come about?) Ru-I'd love to send her out to do some nightclub gigs for me...you know, put that bitch to work! Basically, they asked me to do it and i said "yes". then, for the next six months, they photographed and measured everything on me from head to toe and cock to frock. the weird thing is knowing that my wax portrait will be on this planet long after I've turn to dust. GT-We gather you like playing games, is this true? Ru-During my semi-retirement, I did a bunch of socializing with friends and family. I had parties at my house constantly...my favorites being the "game nights". we'd start with "charades" and then move on to "taboo" and finally "password" or "spotlight". it's a great way to cut through the bullshit of a person's affectations and get to the core of who they really are. GT-What – no naked Twister?! (a floor game where people bend over each other to reach different coloured spots) Ru-No. I like games that challenge the mind. It's interesting to study how different people solve a problem in a very limited amount of time.. the better players are the ones who allow us to witness their inner dialog. GT-Any other plans for this year? Ru-I'd like to tour around the world with this album, but for right now, I'm just gonna focus on today. GT-What are you going to do after this interview? Ru-It's "game night" over at (my longtime collaborator) Mathu Andersen's house tonight. "RuPaul Red-Hot!" will be released September 21, 2004 . | Permalink Monday, August 02, 2004 TRAINING DAYwe decided to take the train from HOLLYWOOD to LONG BEACH, rather than get caught in hella bad traffic driving my car. it was a very natural decision to make, after spending everyday for the past month submerged in the NEW YORK CITY subway system. the only real drawback is that the L.A. subway system barely goes anywhere that you’d wanna get to, plus you’d still need a ride once you got there. they also don’t have a “metro card” that allows you to transfer from trains to buses without paying a separate fee. in fact, you pay the train fare via an honor system that doesn’t verify whether you’ve paid or not. so basically, only a fourth of the passengers pay the fare. all and all, i have to say i enjoyed the trip, which took us through SOUTH CENTRAL, COMPTON and WATTS. i feel like i now have an even better understanding of the geography of L.A. we went to LONG BEACH for a costume fitting, and it took us under an hour to get there and just over an hour to get back. i’ve always loved the romance and mystery of trains. in 1988, i caught a train from L.A. to SAN FRANCISCO, and it was the most glorious trip you could imagine. the journey barreled through the rolling hills of NORTHERN CALIFORNIA and kissed the shoreline of the PACIFIC OCEAN. i was in heaven, pretending i was a character in some AGATHA CHRISTIE novel. i’d love to do a cross-country trip sometime. BRANDY SNIFFER i can’t stop listening to BRANDY”S new album AFRODISIAC. on the train, on the plane, in the car...non-stop! the content of the album has taken on deeper meaning with the events that have unfolded in the past 2 weeks. BRANDY’S baby daddy revealed that they were never married, countering BRANDY’S claim that they had divorced. then, late last week, BRANDY emerged from shame with the announcement that she is engaged to a man worth 75 million and that she has the dope-ass rock to prove it...something like 50 carats...POW! . | Permalink 2009 RuCo, Inc.—All Rights Reserved |
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