There is no such thing as too much RuPaul and “Papa’s got a brand new gag!”
LOGO is dishing up a double dose of the world’s most favorite drag queen on Monday night (April 11). After a new episode of “Drag Race,” is the premiere of RuPaul’s new game show, “Gay for Play.”
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Celebrities competing include Rebecca Romijn and husband Jerry O’Connell, Kristen Johnston, Cheyenne Jackson and Amber Rose. Audiences will also recognize familiar faces from “Drag Race”: Ross Matthews, Carson Kressley and Michelle Visage.
Zap2it got to speak with RuPaul about the hilarious game show that asks quiz questions like, “Did Shonda Rhimes come up with the term: VaJajay?”
“You don’t have to be gay to play,” RuPaul says. “But it sho do help!”
Zap2it: Where’d you get the idea for ‘Gay for Play’?
RuPaul: I love games. Because Snatch Game every season is such a popular episode on “Drag Race,” we thought, let’s do a game show! Let’s do our version of those fun daily game shows that we all grew up watching as kids. They were so cheeky, so fun and so encoded with the gay sensibility.
[Like] “Drag Race,” the show is encoded with that gay vernacular. There’s a secret language that was created so that we could speak to one another without being harmed, or put out there and revealed for danger’s sake. There’s a mentality that goes along with that language, and “Gay for Play” has that language. The overall message is: Don’t take life too seriously.
How are you feeling about Season 8 of ‘Drag Race’ so far?
I love all the seasons. I love all the girls. I think they are so punk rock and they get it. They get that this life on this planet is so hypocritical and mediocre, why not become a shape shifter? Which is what we truly are, anyway. But why not go ahead and have fun with it regardless of what anybody has to say … and that’s what makes [the show] so compelling. These creatures have chosen to go against the grain. I love anyone who is smart enough to say fuck it.
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All the queens get along so well this season. Why do you think that’s happening?
It’s the normal thing. This show is all about finding your tribe.
How many seasons does the show have left?
No idea. I’ve been on the planet for a cute little time now. I’ve seen ebbs and flows. Movements regress — move forward and come back. It’s just the nature of humans. I thought disco would be around forever. [And] it was around forever, it just had to change its name and address. You had to repackage it in a way that people could consume it.
You’ll find on this planet, humans are more comfortable with fear than they are with the love. Our show has benefitted from an loving openness that we’ve had in the past eight years. But trust me, that changes as time goes on. It’ll come back. But it does change. Every season, I think, “Well, we got that one done. Let’s see if we can get another one in there.”
What’s your favorite challenge on ‘Drag Race?’
Snatch game! Which is exactly why “Gay for Play” is so exciting. It takes the fun of Snatch Game and adds other elements to it. It’s a combination of “Match Game,” “Hollywood Squares,” “Family Feud,” “Deal or No Deal” and a touch of “Solid Gold.” We have our own version of Gold dancers for “Gay for Play,” which is so much fun.
“Gay for Play” premieres right after “RuPaul’s Drag Race” on Monday, April 11, at 10 p.m. ET/PT on LOGO.
