November 1, 2023 • 35 mins
RuPaul, an unparalleled figure in the world of drag, reigns as the most commercially successful of all time, boasting 12 prime-time Emmy Awards, a Tony Award, and a coveted star on the iconic Hollywood Walk of Fame. In this episode of The Uppity Knitter Podcast, RuPaul joins host Siedah Garrett, to discuss his favorite hobbies, including his lifelong passion for rollerskating, showcasing his commitment by keeping a pair of skates in the trunk of his car, and by skating in the most unusual locations. When he’s not in front of the camera, this versatile artist enjoys cycling at dawn, reading, watching Judge Judy, and working on his 60,000 acre ranch in Wyoming. RuPaul's life is a tapestry of many talents and diverse interests.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:01):
Hello, I'm say to Garrett and Uppity Knitter and host
of the Uppity Knitter podcast Celebrity Hobbies Uncovered, a show
about your favorite celebrities and their unusual hobbies. Welcome. My
guest today is the ubiquitous actor, singer, songwriter, musician, recording artist, author, podcaster,
(00:23):
brand ambassador, Broadway producer, radio and TV show host, executive producer,
husband and all around write a dive, brother from another
mother and sister from another Mister ladies and gentlemen, please
welcome the most commercially successful drag queen in the history
of the world, with twelve Primetime Emmy Awards, a Tony Award,
(00:47):
and a star Hello on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Please one of my dearest friends, mister RuPaul Charles, my darling,
I must admit your handsome and view at the same time.
Speaker 2 (01:04):
You know, as you were saying that, I was thinking
of a birthday party you had about ten years ago
in the backyard. And we we had when I was
fifteen exactly, and we danced and danced. It was so
much fun. That is my most favorite memory of you, mine.
Speaker 1 (01:22):
To you when I have a photograph to prove it.
So much we were dancing. I love it.
Speaker 2 (01:29):
I love that And that was and you know, even
though there was a photograph of that of that event,
it wasn't something where everyone was, you know, videoing with
their phone. It was very chill.
Speaker 1 (01:40):
That was pre pre uh, everybody, break out your phone's time.
That was yes, yes, those were the days, like those.
Speaker 2 (01:48):
Were the days. And when you said up to the knitter,
my first thought was knitter please.
Speaker 1 (01:56):
That's so funny you said that. Did I ever tell
you what inspired the name for this podcast.
Speaker 2 (02:04):
No.
Speaker 1 (02:05):
Most of my public, our public knows me as a
singer songwriter, but they don't know that my favorite hobbies
are knitting and croucheng. So the name came from a
personal experience at a yarn store on the west side
of Los Angeles, and actually it was in Santa Monica.
I went there and there was a white lady's knitting,
(02:25):
you know, as white ladies do. And I was buying
yarn and I saw this little knitting circle and I
decided I want to just sit in and knit with
them for a little while. So I sat down and
I sat next to this woman who was knitting something
really pretty. It was in her lap, and I looked
over and I said, wow, that's really beautiful. What are
you knitting with? And she said, oh, this is just cotton,
(02:47):
I said, and then she looked at my lap and said,
what are you knitting with? I said, this is Kashmir.
She said, oh, aren't you?
Speaker 2 (02:55):
And I but he knitter kid you not?
Speaker 1 (03:01):
I kid you not. When she said that, I said,
what did you call me?
Speaker 2 (03:15):
She said nitter?
Speaker 1 (03:17):
I said, I'm thinking bit you, but I pronounced some teas.
Speaker 2 (03:22):
Oh that is hilarious. Yeah, every time I think of it, hilarious.
Speaker 1 (03:29):
I have to crack up. She was so red. I've
never seen a white person that color crimson in my life.
Speaker 2 (03:40):
Well, she didn't know, but she created a movement. And
here you are with your podcast called Uppity Knitter Darling.
Speaker 1 (03:50):
Yes and no.
Speaker 2 (03:51):
As a as a songwriter, are you always are you
listening to conversations and hearing things and going, oh, let
me write that down instantly.
Speaker 1 (04:01):
That's exactly how the phrase man in the mirror came
to me. I was listening to somebody's I was waiting
to write, and the person I was writing with took
a freaking phone call in the so I started looking
through my lyric book and I inside, I was seething slowly.
(04:21):
I flipped through the pages of my lyric book, saying
to myself, Oh, no, he didn't just get on the phone. No, no,
he didn't. So he continues this conversation. He says, he said, hey,
oh nothing, I'm not and I'm thinking, no, he didn't
say he's not that as I'm flipping through the so
he says, uh, the man what man? Oh, the man
(04:47):
in the mirror? Uh huh wrote down the phrase man
in the mirror. Two years later, I'm sitting with Glenn
and I'm just flipping through my lyric book as I do,
and he starts playing something and the phrase man in
the mirror virtually popped off the page. And I couldn't.
I couldn't stop the flow of lyrics coming to me
at that time. They were it was just all coming
(05:07):
so fast. It was crazy. But yeah, I do know that.
Speaker 2 (05:11):
It's really interesting you said that, and you tell that
story because you never know where that next big idea
is coming from. And even when you stepped into that
knitting circle, you know, initially, you know, the ego might
want to go, oh, wait a minute, this isn't a
place for me, or always this woman trying to throw
me shay. But you know more will be revealed, even
(05:31):
with the guy taking the phone call in the writing session.
You know, initially, yes, the ego is going to say,
wait a minute, I took time out, and take time out,
be respectful, be here again, you be here. But also
for you, it was interesting to listen and that you
got that lyric out of that session. So you know,
(05:53):
the blessing comes in many different ways, in different forms,
and you have to be present enough to hear uh,
to hear it when it shows up.
Speaker 1 (06:02):
Preach you better preach. You know, you really honored my
husband and I when you accepted our invitation to our wedding.
And one day I'm going to show you the outtakes
from that wedding video. You'll be laughing your ass off.
Speaker 2 (06:16):
I can't imagine. I can't imagine. It was a beautiful wedding.
What what outtakes? Everything went off beautifully.
Speaker 1 (06:23):
Okay, there was some behind the seeing things. It was anyway,
one day, we'll we'll, we'll do that. You often refer
to yourself as an introvert and that you love spending
time alone. Yeah, what are your favorite activities to do
in the in the hours of your solitude.
Speaker 2 (06:41):
Well, I do spend you know, I spend so much
time in front of a camera, in front of an
audience that I really need that time to recharge. And
this morning George and I together. Usually I do it alone,
but we rode bicycles around West Hollywood at probably it
(07:02):
was four thirty in the morning.
Speaker 1 (07:03):
Oh my god.
Speaker 2 (07:04):
And the city is so beautiful and it's sleeping. It's sleeping,
and the air is clean and it's cool, and you
can get all over town really really fast on a bicycle.
And we did that. But usually I do it by
myself because George is usually at the ranch.
Speaker 1 (07:23):
Right, tell us in our listening audience, who George is.
Speaker 2 (07:27):
George is my husband who we met on the dance
floor at Limelight Disco in New York City in nineteen
ninety four. Yeah. Nice, Yeah, Yeah.
Speaker 1 (07:40):
You and your husband owned a rant in Wyoming, right?
Speaker 2 (07:44):
Yes? Is it? Yes?
Speaker 1 (07:45):
Is it six hundred acres? Sixty acres or six thousand acres?
Speaker 2 (07:52):
Okay, it's none of those sixty thousand acres.
Speaker 1 (07:57):
Oh my god. Like man, you know, to our own
footy eggres. What the hell that's amazing? What do you
do with sixty thousand acres of wilderness, Wyoming.
Speaker 2 (08:18):
Yeah, well it's it's it's a word, but it's really
land management. So you know, uh, he does. He does
a lot of different things with land management. There are
so many wild creatures on there, it's so beautiful. It
actually looks like Africa. It looks exactly like Africa. And uh,
I was just up there. I was up there about
(08:41):
a month, a month and a half ago, almost close
to two months, and you know, I'm on on the
four wheeler killing weed, checking all over the place. Yeah. No,
it's crazy because I had had a long weekend where
I was filming. I was filming drag Race, and I
had the weekend to go up there, went up there,
(09:02):
did work on the ranch, and then came back down
here to film some more.
Speaker 1 (09:06):
That's balance, baby, That's what that is. Do you have
a favorite pair of cowboy boots that you wear around
the ranch?
Speaker 2 (09:14):
You know what's funny is when I used to wear
a bunch of cowboy boots up there and be decked
out in all this western weear. But the truth is
the terrain doesn't really allow for that. So we're you know,
in wellies so that nothing can bite you all, you know,
because there's you know, there's mud and water and crap
(09:36):
all over the place. So you end up dressing very
utilitarian when you're up there. But I used to dress
up in full head to toe western wear, cowboy hats
and all that, just for the photo, you know, but
it's really not practical.
Speaker 1 (09:50):
Actually, I read somewhere that you read a lot while
you're at the ranch. What's on your night table right now?
Speaker 2 (09:58):
Right now? Somebody just gave me this book. You know.
I ended up reading a bunch of books at once.
Speaker 3 (10:05):
You know.
Speaker 2 (10:06):
One of the books that I read three times. I
may have told you this, that David Nathan book called
Respect by about Aretha Franklin. No have you read that? No?
Oh my gosh. Okay. So what he did was she
called him in to write her help her write her
(10:27):
autobiography about you know, twenty almost thirty years ago. And
he did that, and then she took out all the
juicy stuff right and put out something called From These Roots. Well,
I think seventeen years later he decided, you know what,
these juicy parts are way too good, So I'm going
(10:49):
to write a book called Respect. And that's what he did.
And I think I've read it three times. Oh my goodness,
because it is so good.
Speaker 1 (10:57):
It's going to be on my list.
Speaker 2 (10:58):
Another book that you should read is Ruth Pointer's book
called Still So Excited.
Speaker 1 (11:07):
You.
Speaker 2 (11:09):
Yeah, it's my favorite passage in there's when she she
was dating your duet partner, Dennis Edwards. Yes, and who
she I think she had a child by him or
something like that. But when they first hooked up. Uh,
he got into the bed and she went into the
bathroom to you know, freshen up. And she picked her
(11:30):
head out the bathroom door and said, hey, listen, Dennis,
do you mind if I take my wig off? And
he said, if you don't mind me taking mine off?
Speaker 1 (11:48):
It's so both of them. Oh my god, I love it.
Speaker 2 (11:54):
That is probably my favorite passage from any book.
Speaker 1 (12:01):
I love it.
Speaker 2 (12:02):
Oh my goodness.
Speaker 1 (12:04):
Do you enjoy share any other hobbies other than the
occasional bike ride at dawns?
Speaker 2 (12:08):
Well? Yeah, Well, we we love love music. You know.
In fact, to night we're going to a birthday party
and you know we plan to dance, dance, dance.
Speaker 1 (12:21):
I love it.
Speaker 2 (12:21):
We love that we love music. Now. One of the
things I told you this too, that he doesn't do
because he's not as coordinated as I am. But you know,
I will, I will go roller skating. And I've had skates.
I've probably had a pair of skates in the trunk
of my car since I can remember, you know, since
(12:44):
you know, I'm probably at sixteen now. As a kid,
I had, I had roller skates, you know, you know,
the kind of you sort of you tie on to
your own shoes. Remember those?
Speaker 1 (12:54):
Oh my gosh, of course I had a pair of those.
I even had plastic ones left thee Yeah, yeah, those were.
Speaker 2 (13:03):
My first skates. I've always maintained I've always had a
pair of skates. So I will take I take my
car up to the top of a parking structure where
there's nobody up there, open up the car doors, blast
my favorite music, and then have my own roller disco.
Speaker 1 (13:21):
Oh what is your favorite music to roller skate? Two route?
Speaker 2 (13:25):
Well, the classics, you know, Michael Jackson and Janet and
you know, all the classic stuff. But I love, you know,
I love a song that has a groove. You know.
When I think of classic skate songs, I think of
you know, George Fence and Quincy Jones Give Me the Night,
you know, and she you know chic exactly.
Speaker 1 (13:47):
Have you ever a roller skated with Nile. He's a
big roller skater.
Speaker 2 (13:49):
Now, I know he has that discoasis that's happened when
it was in La it was down in I think Pela's.
Speaker 1 (13:59):
Vertic Palace Verdy Oh Palace Verdi's Okay, yeah, that which
was too.
Speaker 2 (14:04):
Far to get to. Yeah, yeah, me because I'd go
to work in the morning. But then now he's got
it this summer in New York in Central Park and
it's it's a big hit. But you know, I used
to go to here in La or in Glendale the
Moonlight roller Way. Have you been there?
Speaker 1 (14:19):
No, I'm a world World on wheels, World on wheels.
Speaker 2 (14:22):
Well that thing closed, yes, yes, you know, but you
know I used to. I used to go all the time,
uh to go there. But you know, I work so
much that that's why I think. You know, I do
a lot of things on my own because I have to.
Speaker 1 (14:35):
You got to fit get Yeah.
Speaker 2 (14:38):
Yeah, And I love love the mornings. I always I'm
usually in bed by nine o'clock and I'm up by
four o'clock. You know what.
Speaker 1 (14:47):
Yeah, I usually go to bed at four o'clock. I
am and I'm up at like ten thirty, eleven eleven
thirty sometimes.
Speaker 2 (14:55):
Yeah, that was. That was my routine for most my
well up until the time I turned I think around
forty is when my body you know, you know what
it was. I quit smoking cigarettes in two and something
changed in my something changed, and I started going to
(15:18):
bed really early and waking up really early. And it's
been that way since.
Speaker 1 (15:23):
So since cigarettes. You only need like four or five
hours sleep, No.
Speaker 2 (15:26):
I've always only needed four or five hours sleep always.
Speaker 1 (15:30):
Yeah, I'm a six hour person.
Speaker 2 (15:33):
I could do. Hey, if you got six hours, I'll
take it, you know, Okay, I'll take it.
Speaker 1 (15:39):
I have to admit the last time I roller skated,
I ended up with a broken wrist. So if you
ever go skating together, I'm gonna need a bumper. I'm
just saying. Have you ever won skates in a parade?
Speaker 2 (15:52):
I never have, but once on drag race, I did
roller skate down the runway. I love that.
Speaker 1 (16:00):
But you're used to that. That must have been a
breeze for you. In a gown room though in a.
Speaker 2 (16:04):
Gag, I was in a gown. I should have been
in some slacks or something, but I was actually in
a gown. It's totally That.
Speaker 1 (16:12):
Sounds very dangerous. Have you ever skated in the nude room?
Speaker 2 (16:18):
No?
Speaker 1 (16:19):
I have not put that on your bucket list. It's
a blast, starling, It's so much fun. Anyway, Great, how
much I want to know this? How many complete revolutions
can you do on a pair of skates?
Speaker 2 (16:34):
Well, you know, before I start getting bored, I can
probably skate for I can probably skate for maybe an
hour and fifteen minutes before I just get bored of
going around and around. So then I'll switch the rotation,
because again, remember I'm doing it by myself, right. You know,
(16:54):
it's very few people actually have a pair of skates.
I have two here at the office. You do, yeah,
But but I.
Speaker 1 (17:01):
Meant like on your skates in a circle like a revolution.
Speaker 2 (17:04):
Oh you know what? I used to do that when
I was a teenager. I don't do that anymore. You know,
I'm at a certain age where I have to look out.
Speaker 1 (17:13):
For But in your heyday, do you remember how many
you could do?
Speaker 2 (17:19):
Oh? Probably, let's see, let's see, let me think about that.
Less than ten, you know, probably less than ten before
I got too Disney. Let me gonna say go ahead,
you know, I watched Judge Judy every single day I
have it.
Speaker 1 (17:34):
Did not know that, not know that.
Speaker 2 (17:38):
I love it? And you know I see reruns and
she's got a new show. Uh, but I watched the reruns.
But one time she was on there and she said
she asked a doctor what she could do to have
a long life, and the doctor answered her, don't fall.
Don't fall, because that's the beginning. And you've heard these stories. Heck,
(18:01):
that's the beginning of someone's spiral. Yes, their health spiraling down.
Speaker 1 (18:06):
Quickly, quickly.
Speaker 2 (18:07):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (18:08):
Wow, We're going to take a short break and we'll
be right back with RuPaul. Welcome back, everybody. We're here
with my dear friend RuPaul. I just want to tell
you that MJ can do in his heyday, when when
I was on the road with him, he would spin
eight full revolutions on the back of his heel.
Speaker 2 (18:36):
Wow.
Speaker 1 (18:36):
Eight We couldn't believe it until someone filmed it at
rehearsal and then slowed it down. Wow. It was insane.
That man was ridiculous, and I was That's why I
asked you, how many could you do on skates? Because
that's how many he did. It hit loafers.
Speaker 2 (18:53):
Okay, wow, he was incredible. Incredible.
Speaker 1 (18:57):
Now, Rue music, I know that you're a singer, musician, songwriter,
and producer, which are more than just hobbies for you.
Do you ever just sit at the piano and work
out melodies just for the joy of it? Or is
there always an end product in mind?
Speaker 2 (19:16):
There? Actually, there is always an end product in mind.
And what I do is I don't play instruments, so
a lot of times I will hear intros to songs
or instrumentals to songs, and I will write a melody,
a new melody on top of an instrumental and existing instrumental.
In fact, in the shower this morning, I was listening
(19:37):
to these remixes of your favorite singer, Shaka Khan. Yeah,
there were these. It was called Shaka re Rubbed and
they were these extended mixes, and I was listening to
I don't know if it was it was the Quincy
album of Shaka and Rufus was it? I think it
was some Love I think was the song and again,
(20:02):
and of course char I didn't have a pencil and paper,
but you know, normally I will take a tape recorder
and use an mental and write a melody on top
of it. I've done that many times.
Speaker 1 (20:14):
Great, that is a great idea. I never thought of
using that as a songwriting tool. That's brilliant, actually wow.
Speaker 2 (20:22):
Because as you know, as a songwriter, you know the chords.
There are only a few that really there are a
few that sound good together. So it's true, you know,
if it's jazzy or whatever, you can do different things.
But for the most part, you know, it's all been
done before.
Speaker 1 (20:37):
One hundred and fifty eleven times. But you got to
find a new way to say the same old thing.
That's the That's the brilliance of a good songwriter. Full disclosure, everybody,
You and I Rew have written songs together and recorded,
one of which was a duet from your Sleigh Bells
Christmas album. In twenty fifteen. We wrote this student called
Brand New Year.
Speaker 2 (20:58):
Do you remember.
Speaker 1 (20:58):
I love that so much.
Speaker 2 (21:00):
I love that song so much, I'm gonna I'm gonna
do a remix of that and put it out.
Speaker 1 (21:05):
It's It's good news day, It's a now, Yeah, it's
a okay. We had such a blast shooting that, and
we did the recording and shot the music video. It
was freaking as well.
Speaker 2 (21:18):
That was Yeah, Christmas special that was part of one
of the Christmas You know. It's funny. I believe I
have filmed four Christmas specials. If starting out in my career,
if someone had told me I do four TV Christmas specials,
I would have never believed them because I like Christmas,
but I didn't know it's going to be such a
(21:39):
big part.
Speaker 1 (21:40):
And Christmas specials are evergreen. Dude, you can roll them
again and again and again. I love it. I love it.
You also revealed that you love cars. I had no clue.
Speaker 2 (21:50):
Yeah, I always have. I've always loved cars, and I
have I have six of them, but I wish I
had more.
Speaker 1 (22:00):
Don't you have enough room? You got enough acreage in Wyoming.
You have as many cars. That's your hard desires.
Speaker 2 (22:06):
It's true. The only problem with having cars in Wyoming
is that you can't find anyone to fix them, because
when you have cars as old as mine, my oldest
car is I have two cars that are from nineteen
sixty eight, and so what are they to budget? I
have a nineteen sixty eight Mercedes to eighty SL and
(22:29):
I have a nineteen sixty eight Mercedes to fifty SL.
Speaker 1 (22:33):
Oh my goodness.
Speaker 2 (22:34):
And then I have a nineteen seventy to.
Speaker 1 (22:37):
Eighty sl Oh you just love collecting sls. It would appear.
Speaker 2 (22:41):
Well, I have a lot of sls. I have four
or something like. I have an eighty nine, like you,
I have that same.
Speaker 1 (22:49):
Car, don't you love? I just love the lines in
that car.
Speaker 2 (22:53):
I have an eighty nine. It's in great What color
is yours? Mine? Is that silvery blue? College nice? Or
with the dark blue top? Yeah? And then I also
have my mother's nineteen seventy nine Vobal that she brought.
She bought it brand new, and it was passed down
(23:13):
after she passed. It was passed down to my sister,
to another sister and another sister, and then I finally
got it about twelve years ago.
Speaker 1 (23:22):
And it's just park.
Speaker 2 (23:24):
It's it's park. I drive it. I drive it. You
know a lot of times I'll drive on Sundays when
I have the time, I'll go out to Malibu or
something like that. I wish I had a nineteen seventy
six Corvette Stingray. I want then you shall have it
nineteen then I shall have I don't have it. I
don't have the garage space. I shall have the garage space.
Speaker 1 (23:45):
Then you shall build it.
Speaker 2 (23:46):
I also want I shall build it.
Speaker 1 (23:52):
I want to build it, and they will come, they
will come.
Speaker 2 (23:56):
Go ahead, you what that's right? I want a six
Rose Royce silver shadow that. I want to put some
rims on it and paint it some fabulous color and
just you know, Abby rode my black ass all over
the place.
Speaker 1 (24:14):
You should paint it the color of that fly that
they named after you.
Speaker 2 (24:18):
Oh yeah, that would be hot.
Speaker 1 (24:20):
How amazing is it to have an insect named after you?
Was what was the name of that?
Speaker 2 (24:25):
I don't remember it was. I don't remember the technical
scientific name of that fly, but it was so beautiful.
Speaker 1 (24:33):
Oh you know what it is. This Australian scientist was
studying species of Australian soldier flies, right he said, he
was watching Do you know.
Speaker 2 (24:42):
This, I've read the story a while back.
Speaker 1 (24:46):
Okay, Well, a fly that he was studying as he
watched drag race. What's called He named this fly because
of an outfit he saw you in And it's called
the Opah lumarue Paul, and it's characterized by it's iridescent colors.
I must say I saw a picture of this fly.
This is the flyest fly I've ever seen.
Speaker 2 (25:07):
In my life.
Speaker 1 (25:08):
He's dressed for the Pride for Raid his entire life.
Speaking of Pride, I have a I have a Pride jacket.
This is my Pride cashmere coat that I made with
with the colors of the rainbow. Is beautiful.
Speaker 2 (25:23):
Thank you, thank you, gorgeous.
Speaker 1 (25:25):
I'm calling it black Pride. Yes, indeed, I.
Speaker 2 (25:28):
Love that frost. Well you know, uh no that I
saw that fly and it's got irridescent color to it.
Reality beautiful.
Speaker 1 (25:39):
He is beautiful. And when they showed that gown that
you had on with the wings, yes, I see how
you saw a fly in that. Definitely. You once revealed
on Jimmy Kimmel that you love what wrestling bro wrestling. Okay, wait,
is that just to watch or is it for you
(26:00):
to personally engage?
Speaker 2 (26:02):
Well, I think it's Honestly, I think it's a little
bit of everything, because it is theater and I love
I love the theatrics of it. It's they are basically
in drag. They're doing these characters that are over the
top and then sometimes sometimes uh they're even very very sexy,
you know, So I love I love extreme. It's extreme theater.
(26:27):
Is what it is.
Speaker 1 (26:28):
I'm gonna now think of that as extreme drag because
it is.
Speaker 2 (26:32):
Yeah, now that you say that, absolutely is.
Speaker 1 (26:35):
You just keep you keep growing and expanding. And I
have pride in me like I helped you in some way.
It's like I taught you what you know and now
now you are going forth and delivering it to the world.
I am so proud of your expansion and your creativity
(26:56):
and your growth. And you as as a as a
as a human are just a doll, so giving and warm,
and I just love.
Speaker 2 (27:04):
You so much. I really do so appreciate that. Thank you.
Speaker 1 (27:09):
Okay, I have one more question for you. I heard
you wear a size thirteen shoe.
Speaker 2 (27:15):
Right well, in men's shoes. I wear twelve in lady shoes.
I would wear a fourteen somewhere in there.
Speaker 1 (27:24):
Okay, here's my next question. Where in God's name do
you find size fourteen women's shoes. I've never heard of
such a place, except there's this one boutique in England
that serves the cross dressing community of England and they
(27:44):
have shoes that size.
Speaker 2 (27:46):
But like where tell me, Oh, trust me, it's not difficult.
It used to be very difficult. And the shoes in
larger sizes that you would find would be cross dresser shoes,
you know, and they look exactly the way you think
they'd look, right, but things have changed. There is a site. Uh,
(28:08):
there's a site that has the sexiest shoes in all
sizes you can imagine, all shapes and side. They have
every design you can imagine on the site.
Speaker 3 (28:20):
And you tell the name of this site, my friend,
It's called only maker O N L Y M A
k E R dot com.
Speaker 1 (28:32):
If you need a size fifteen, right, if you okay, okay,
And they're beautiful.
Speaker 2 (28:37):
Now full full disclosure here. You know, when I wear heels,
I wear them for a very short amount of time.
Speaker 1 (28:45):
Oh I thought you were going to say, just the opposite.
Speaker 2 (28:48):
Nope, nope, nope, I I put them on. This is
the drag race routine. I get ready. It takes you know,
we ki key and cut up and you know, have
plantain chips and you know, we take our time and
then I get ready, get dressed. We go and take
photographs with Albert Sanchez. Then I go and do my
(29:10):
runway walk and introduce the show. Yes. Then I go
back to my dressing room, take off everything below my waist,
put on a pair of pajamas and some slippers. I
beg your pardon, and we finished the rest of the
show with me behind the poet.
Speaker 1 (29:28):
Oh my god, I'll never be able to look at
that show in the same way again because I know
you're not wearing pants. Okay, Oh my god, Oh my god,
speaking of goo ahead, goodhead.
Speaker 2 (29:43):
So basically, when I'm in high heels, I walk about,
you know, the ten feet of the runway, and that's it.
I love it.
Speaker 1 (29:51):
Shell. I remember a trip to Japan. I went into
this very exclusive Japanese boutique and I was looking at
like belts and purses, and I saw the most beautiful
pair of shoes. I just fell in love with these shoes,
and I was like, oh my gosh. So I was
looking around the floor for a salesperson and they're all
(30:13):
in kimonos, right, So I I said, I call one over.
So she comes over. She says, man, help you. I said, yes,
I would like to see I want to try on
this shoe. Yes, ma'am, what size? I said nine? She said, oh.
Speaker 2 (30:33):
No no.
Speaker 1 (30:35):
Then she called over the other salespeople said in Japanese
that I wanted to size nine. Shoes and they were like,
oh no, no, no, I said, what are you guys
laughing at? She said, that's a man size. I said,
give me that damn belt and let me get the
hell out of here. I got on that store so fast,
it's crazy, So I know what it is. I may
(31:00):
as well have had a size fourteen. According to those.
Speaker 2 (31:02):
Whims here it was in Yeah, it was crazy. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (31:06):
Finally, we like to end the show with a little
segment where I ask my guests to share something that
happened to them or something that someone said or did
that came as a shock or a surprise. We call
this segment NDA What so, mister RuPaul, do you have
(31:28):
a Nita what moment?
Speaker 2 (31:34):
Well, let me think about that, because when you know,
you know, obviously there are a lot of things that
happen that are very surprising. You know, I won my
twelfth Emmy, and I please yes, because it's this is
the seventh consecutive win for host of a reality competition show.
(31:55):
So I thought this time for sure they would say, Okay,
we've had enough for year. So I was surprised at that.
But that's not really a knit or what story. Let
me think about it.
Speaker 1 (32:07):
It's when you what you probably said, No he didn't.
Oh no she didn't if that.
Speaker 2 (32:11):
Moment right, huh? I? Which is you know a lot
of I've lived a long time. I'm sure I have. Okay,
I'll take a moment. Let me think about me. Oh okay,
please share.
Speaker 1 (32:28):
Okay.
Speaker 2 (32:29):
Well we were talking about her earlier. But you know,
in nineteen ninety five, I was summoned for a command
performance for the Queen of Soul and George Good George
(32:54):
was with me, and he will he will tell you
he saw the same thing. Well, you know, before I
left to go to the venue, she sent her assistant
over with a check to pay me, and it was
written out by miss Franklin to me. And I looked
at the check and the check was made out to
(33:16):
Ruth Paul.
Speaker 1 (33:30):
She probably really thought that that was your name, Ruth Paul.
Bliss her heart.
Speaker 2 (33:40):
I appreciate that her heart, that knittle what moment her heart?
Speaker 1 (33:44):
Yes, Yes, indeed, you have been an absolute joy to
talk to and to know and to I feel absolutely
honored to call you my friend, my dear friend, Ruth.
I love you, and I'm wishing you even more expensive
and success in whatever dimension you decide to take over, queen,
because that's what you do when you get you get
(34:06):
a lane and you just want to take over that lane.
I love you and I love what you're doing. Keep
it up, baby, please.
Speaker 2 (34:12):
Thank you, my love, thank you, my black check. I
love it, I love it. Thank you. This has been
so much fun.
Speaker 1 (34:19):
Well, I will see you soon, God willing, and give
George my love, won't.
Speaker 2 (34:23):
You God willing? Okay, I certainly will.
Speaker 1 (34:26):
Bye. Thank you so much for joining us on The
Uppity Knitter Podcast. Celebrity Hobbies Uncovered, a show where your
favorite celebrities talk about their unusual hobbies. Join us next time,
see you then.
Speaker 2 (34:42):
The Uppity Knitter Podcast is brought to you by Black
Chick Productions. Our show is hosted by Sya Garrett, Our
producer is Eric Neurie, and we're recorded and edited by
Felicia Morris at Marris Media Studios in Los Angeles.
Speaker 1 (34:56):
Special thanks go out to our friends at iHeartMedia and
Sene the Women
Hello, I'm say to Garrett and Uppity Knitter and host
of the Uppity Knitter podcast Celebrity Hobbies Uncovered, a show
about your favorite celebrities and their unusual hobbies. Welcome. My
guest today is the ubiquitous actor, singer, songwriter, musician, recording artist, author, podcaster,
(00:23):
brand ambassador, Broadway producer, radio and TV show host, executive producer,
husband and all around write a dive, brother from another
mother and sister from another Mister ladies and gentlemen, please
welcome the most commercially successful drag queen in the history
of the world, with twelve Primetime Emmy Awards, a Tony Award,
(00:47):
and a star Hello on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Please one of my dearest friends, mister RuPaul Charles, my darling,
I must admit your handsome and view at the same time.
Speaker 2 (01:04):
You know, as you were saying that, I was thinking
of a birthday party you had about ten years ago
in the backyard. And we we had when I was
fifteen exactly, and we danced and danced. It was so
much fun. That is my most favorite memory of you, mine.
Speaker 1 (01:22):
To you when I have a photograph to prove it.
So much we were dancing. I love it.
Speaker 2 (01:29):
I love that And that was and you know, even
though there was a photograph of that of that event,
it wasn't something where everyone was, you know, videoing with
their phone. It was very chill.
Speaker 1 (01:40):
That was pre pre uh, everybody, break out your phone's time.
That was yes, yes, those were the days, like those.
Speaker 2 (01:48):
Were the days. And when you said up to the knitter,
my first thought was knitter please.
Speaker 1 (01:56):
That's so funny you said that. Did I ever tell
you what inspired the name for this podcast.
Speaker 2 (02:04):
No.
Speaker 1 (02:05):
Most of my public, our public knows me as a
singer songwriter, but they don't know that my favorite hobbies
are knitting and croucheng. So the name came from a
personal experience at a yarn store on the west side
of Los Angeles, and actually it was in Santa Monica.
I went there and there was a white lady's knitting,
(02:25):
you know, as white ladies do. And I was buying
yarn and I saw this little knitting circle and I
decided I want to just sit in and knit with
them for a little while. So I sat down and
I sat next to this woman who was knitting something
really pretty. It was in her lap, and I looked
over and I said, wow, that's really beautiful. What are
you knitting with? And she said, oh, this is just cotton,
(02:47):
I said, and then she looked at my lap and said,
what are you knitting with? I said, this is Kashmir.
She said, oh, aren't you?
Speaker 2 (02:55):
And I but he knitter kid you not?
Speaker 1 (03:01):
I kid you not. When she said that, I said,
what did you call me?
Speaker 2 (03:15):
She said nitter?
Speaker 1 (03:17):
I said, I'm thinking bit you, but I pronounced some teas.
Speaker 2 (03:22):
Oh that is hilarious. Yeah, every time I think of it, hilarious.
Speaker 1 (03:29):
I have to crack up. She was so red. I've
never seen a white person that color crimson in my life.
Speaker 2 (03:40):
Well, she didn't know, but she created a movement. And
here you are with your podcast called Uppity Knitter Darling.
Speaker 1 (03:50):
Yes and no.
Speaker 2 (03:51):
As a as a songwriter, are you always are you
listening to conversations and hearing things and going, oh, let
me write that down instantly.
Speaker 1 (04:01):
That's exactly how the phrase man in the mirror came
to me. I was listening to somebody's I was waiting
to write, and the person I was writing with took
a freaking phone call in the so I started looking
through my lyric book and I inside, I was seething slowly.
(04:21):
I flipped through the pages of my lyric book, saying
to myself, Oh, no, he didn't just get on the phone. No, no,
he didn't. So he continues this conversation. He says, he said, hey,
oh nothing, I'm not and I'm thinking, no, he didn't
say he's not that as I'm flipping through the so
he says, uh, the man what man? Oh, the man
(04:47):
in the mirror? Uh huh wrote down the phrase man
in the mirror. Two years later, I'm sitting with Glenn
and I'm just flipping through my lyric book as I do,
and he starts playing something and the phrase man in
the mirror virtually popped off the page. And I couldn't.
I couldn't stop the flow of lyrics coming to me
at that time. They were it was just all coming
(05:07):
so fast. It was crazy. But yeah, I do know that.
Speaker 2 (05:11):
It's really interesting you said that, and you tell that
story because you never know where that next big idea
is coming from. And even when you stepped into that
knitting circle, you know, initially, you know, the ego might
want to go, oh, wait a minute, this isn't a
place for me, or always this woman trying to throw
me shay. But you know more will be revealed, even
(05:31):
with the guy taking the phone call in the writing session.
You know, initially, yes, the ego is going to say,
wait a minute, I took time out, and take time out,
be respectful, be here again, you be here. But also
for you, it was interesting to listen and that you
got that lyric out of that session. So you know,
(05:53):
the blessing comes in many different ways, in different forms,
and you have to be present enough to hear uh,
to hear it when it shows up.
Speaker 1 (06:02):
Preach you better preach. You know, you really honored my
husband and I when you accepted our invitation to our wedding.
And one day I'm going to show you the outtakes
from that wedding video. You'll be laughing your ass off.
Speaker 2 (06:16):
I can't imagine. I can't imagine. It was a beautiful wedding.
What what outtakes? Everything went off beautifully.
Speaker 1 (06:23):
Okay, there was some behind the seeing things. It was anyway,
one day, we'll we'll, we'll do that. You often refer
to yourself as an introvert and that you love spending
time alone. Yeah, what are your favorite activities to do
in the in the hours of your solitude.
Speaker 2 (06:41):
Well, I do spend you know, I spend so much
time in front of a camera, in front of an
audience that I really need that time to recharge. And
this morning George and I together. Usually I do it alone,
but we rode bicycles around West Hollywood at probably it
(07:02):
was four thirty in the morning.
Speaker 1 (07:03):
Oh my god.
Speaker 2 (07:04):
And the city is so beautiful and it's sleeping. It's sleeping,
and the air is clean and it's cool, and you
can get all over town really really fast on a bicycle.
And we did that. But usually I do it by
myself because George is usually at the ranch.
Speaker 1 (07:23):
Right, tell us in our listening audience, who George is.
Speaker 2 (07:27):
George is my husband who we met on the dance
floor at Limelight Disco in New York City in nineteen
ninety four. Yeah. Nice, Yeah, Yeah.
Speaker 1 (07:40):
You and your husband owned a rant in Wyoming, right?
Speaker 2 (07:44):
Yes? Is it? Yes?
Speaker 1 (07:45):
Is it six hundred acres? Sixty acres or six thousand acres?
Speaker 2 (07:52):
Okay, it's none of those sixty thousand acres.
Speaker 1 (07:57):
Oh my god. Like man, you know, to our own
footy eggres. What the hell that's amazing? What do you
do with sixty thousand acres of wilderness, Wyoming.
Speaker 2 (08:18):
Yeah, well it's it's it's a word, but it's really
land management. So you know, uh, he does. He does
a lot of different things with land management. There are
so many wild creatures on there, it's so beautiful. It
actually looks like Africa. It looks exactly like Africa. And uh,
I was just up there. I was up there about
(08:41):
a month, a month and a half ago, almost close
to two months, and you know, I'm on on the
four wheeler killing weed, checking all over the place. Yeah. No,
it's crazy because I had had a long weekend where
I was filming. I was filming drag Race, and I
had the weekend to go up there, went up there,
(09:02):
did work on the ranch, and then came back down
here to film some more.
Speaker 1 (09:06):
That's balance, baby, That's what that is. Do you have
a favorite pair of cowboy boots that you wear around
the ranch?
Speaker 2 (09:14):
You know what's funny is when I used to wear
a bunch of cowboy boots up there and be decked
out in all this western weear. But the truth is
the terrain doesn't really allow for that. So we're you know,
in wellies so that nothing can bite you all, you know,
because there's you know, there's mud and water and crap
(09:36):
all over the place. So you end up dressing very
utilitarian when you're up there. But I used to dress
up in full head to toe western wear, cowboy hats
and all that, just for the photo, you know, but
it's really not practical.
Speaker 1 (09:50):
Actually, I read somewhere that you read a lot while
you're at the ranch. What's on your night table right now?
Speaker 2 (09:58):
Right now? Somebody just gave me this book. You know.
I ended up reading a bunch of books at once.
Speaker 3 (10:05):
You know.
Speaker 2 (10:06):
One of the books that I read three times. I
may have told you this, that David Nathan book called
Respect by about Aretha Franklin. No have you read that? No?
Oh my gosh. Okay. So what he did was she
called him in to write her help her write her
(10:27):
autobiography about you know, twenty almost thirty years ago. And
he did that, and then she took out all the
juicy stuff right and put out something called From These Roots. Well,
I think seventeen years later he decided, you know what,
these juicy parts are way too good, So I'm going
(10:49):
to write a book called Respect. And that's what he did.
And I think I've read it three times. Oh my goodness,
because it is so good.
Speaker 1 (10:57):
It's going to be on my list.
Speaker 2 (10:58):
Another book that you should read is Ruth Pointer's book
called Still So Excited.
Speaker 1 (11:07):
You.
Speaker 2 (11:09):
Yeah, it's my favorite passage in there's when she she
was dating your duet partner, Dennis Edwards. Yes, and who
she I think she had a child by him or
something like that. But when they first hooked up. Uh,
he got into the bed and she went into the
bathroom to you know, freshen up. And she picked her
(11:30):
head out the bathroom door and said, hey, listen, Dennis,
do you mind if I take my wig off? And
he said, if you don't mind me taking mine off?
Speaker 1 (11:48):
It's so both of them. Oh my god, I love it.
Speaker 2 (11:54):
That is probably my favorite passage from any book.
Speaker 1 (12:01):
I love it.
Speaker 2 (12:02):
Oh my goodness.
Speaker 1 (12:04):
Do you enjoy share any other hobbies other than the
occasional bike ride at dawns?
Speaker 2 (12:08):
Well? Yeah, Well, we we love love music. You know.
In fact, to night we're going to a birthday party
and you know we plan to dance, dance, dance.
Speaker 1 (12:21):
I love it.
Speaker 2 (12:21):
We love that we love music. Now. One of the
things I told you this too, that he doesn't do
because he's not as coordinated as I am. But you know,
I will, I will go roller skating. And I've had skates.
I've probably had a pair of skates in the trunk
of my car since I can remember, you know, since
(12:44):
you know, I'm probably at sixteen now. As a kid,
I had, I had roller skates, you know, you know,
the kind of you sort of you tie on to
your own shoes. Remember those?
Speaker 1 (12:54):
Oh my gosh, of course I had a pair of those.
I even had plastic ones left thee Yeah, yeah, those were.
Speaker 2 (13:03):
My first skates. I've always maintained I've always had a
pair of skates. So I will take I take my
car up to the top of a parking structure where
there's nobody up there, open up the car doors, blast
my favorite music, and then have my own roller disco.
Speaker 1 (13:21):
Oh what is your favorite music to roller skate? Two route?
Speaker 2 (13:25):
Well, the classics, you know, Michael Jackson and Janet and
you know, all the classic stuff. But I love, you know,
I love a song that has a groove. You know.
When I think of classic skate songs, I think of
you know, George Fence and Quincy Jones Give Me the Night,
you know, and she you know chic exactly.
Speaker 1 (13:47):
Have you ever a roller skated with Nile. He's a
big roller skater.
Speaker 2 (13:49):
Now, I know he has that discoasis that's happened when
it was in La it was down in I think Pela's.
Speaker 1 (13:59):
Vertic Palace Verdy Oh Palace Verdi's Okay, yeah, that which
was too.
Speaker 2 (14:04):
Far to get to. Yeah, yeah, me because I'd go
to work in the morning. But then now he's got
it this summer in New York in Central Park and
it's it's a big hit. But you know, I used
to go to here in La or in Glendale the
Moonlight roller Way. Have you been there?
Speaker 1 (14:19):
No, I'm a world World on wheels, World on wheels.
Speaker 2 (14:22):
Well that thing closed, yes, yes, you know, but you
know I used to. I used to go all the time,
uh to go there. But you know, I work so
much that that's why I think. You know, I do
a lot of things on my own because I have to.
Speaker 1 (14:35):
You got to fit get Yeah.
Speaker 2 (14:38):
Yeah, And I love love the mornings. I always I'm
usually in bed by nine o'clock and I'm up by
four o'clock. You know what.
Speaker 1 (14:47):
Yeah, I usually go to bed at four o'clock. I
am and I'm up at like ten thirty, eleven eleven
thirty sometimes.
Speaker 2 (14:55):
Yeah, that was. That was my routine for most my
well up until the time I turned I think around
forty is when my body you know, you know what
it was. I quit smoking cigarettes in two and something
changed in my something changed, and I started going to
(15:18):
bed really early and waking up really early. And it's
been that way since.
Speaker 1 (15:23):
So since cigarettes. You only need like four or five
hours sleep, No.
Speaker 2 (15:26):
I've always only needed four or five hours sleep always.
Speaker 1 (15:30):
Yeah, I'm a six hour person.
Speaker 2 (15:33):
I could do. Hey, if you got six hours, I'll
take it, you know, Okay, I'll take it.
Speaker 1 (15:39):
I have to admit the last time I roller skated,
I ended up with a broken wrist. So if you
ever go skating together, I'm gonna need a bumper. I'm
just saying. Have you ever won skates in a parade?
Speaker 2 (15:52):
I never have, but once on drag race, I did
roller skate down the runway. I love that.
Speaker 1 (16:00):
But you're used to that. That must have been a
breeze for you. In a gown room though in a.
Speaker 2 (16:04):
Gag, I was in a gown. I should have been
in some slacks or something, but I was actually in
a gown. It's totally That.
Speaker 1 (16:12):
Sounds very dangerous. Have you ever skated in the nude room?
Speaker 2 (16:18):
No?
Speaker 1 (16:19):
I have not put that on your bucket list. It's
a blast, starling, It's so much fun. Anyway, Great, how
much I want to know this? How many complete revolutions
can you do on a pair of skates?
Speaker 2 (16:34):
Well, you know, before I start getting bored, I can
probably skate for I can probably skate for maybe an
hour and fifteen minutes before I just get bored of
going around and around. So then I'll switch the rotation,
because again, remember I'm doing it by myself, right. You know,
(16:54):
it's very few people actually have a pair of skates.
I have two here at the office. You do, yeah,
But but I.
Speaker 1 (17:01):
Meant like on your skates in a circle like a revolution.
Speaker 2 (17:04):
Oh you know what? I used to do that when
I was a teenager. I don't do that anymore. You know,
I'm at a certain age where I have to look out.
Speaker 1 (17:13):
For But in your heyday, do you remember how many
you could do?
Speaker 2 (17:19):
Oh? Probably, let's see, let's see, let me think about that.
Less than ten, you know, probably less than ten before
I got too Disney. Let me gonna say go ahead,
you know, I watched Judge Judy every single day I
have it.
Speaker 1 (17:34):
Did not know that, not know that.
Speaker 2 (17:38):
I love it? And you know I see reruns and
she's got a new show. Uh, but I watched the reruns.
But one time she was on there and she said
she asked a doctor what she could do to have
a long life, and the doctor answered her, don't fall.
Don't fall, because that's the beginning. And you've heard these stories. Heck,
(18:01):
that's the beginning of someone's spiral. Yes, their health spiraling down.
Speaker 1 (18:06):
Quickly, quickly.
Speaker 2 (18:07):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (18:08):
Wow, We're going to take a short break and we'll
be right back with RuPaul. Welcome back, everybody. We're here
with my dear friend RuPaul. I just want to tell
you that MJ can do in his heyday, when when
I was on the road with him, he would spin
eight full revolutions on the back of his heel.
Speaker 2 (18:36):
Wow.
Speaker 1 (18:36):
Eight We couldn't believe it until someone filmed it at
rehearsal and then slowed it down. Wow. It was insane.
That man was ridiculous, and I was That's why I
asked you, how many could you do on skates? Because
that's how many he did. It hit loafers.
Speaker 2 (18:53):
Okay, wow, he was incredible. Incredible.
Speaker 1 (18:57):
Now, Rue music, I know that you're a singer, musician, songwriter,
and producer, which are more than just hobbies for you.
Do you ever just sit at the piano and work
out melodies just for the joy of it? Or is
there always an end product in mind?
Speaker 2 (19:16):
There? Actually, there is always an end product in mind.
And what I do is I don't play instruments, so
a lot of times I will hear intros to songs
or instrumentals to songs, and I will write a melody,
a new melody on top of an instrumental and existing instrumental.
In fact, in the shower this morning, I was listening
(19:37):
to these remixes of your favorite singer, Shaka Khan. Yeah,
there were these. It was called Shaka re Rubbed and
they were these extended mixes, and I was listening to
I don't know if it was it was the Quincy
album of Shaka and Rufus was it? I think it
was some Love I think was the song and again,
(20:02):
and of course char I didn't have a pencil and paper,
but you know, normally I will take a tape recorder
and use an mental and write a melody on top
of it. I've done that many times.
Speaker 1 (20:14):
Great, that is a great idea. I never thought of
using that as a songwriting tool. That's brilliant, actually wow.
Speaker 2 (20:22):
Because as you know, as a songwriter, you know the chords.
There are only a few that really there are a
few that sound good together. So it's true, you know,
if it's jazzy or whatever, you can do different things.
But for the most part, you know, it's all been
done before.
Speaker 1 (20:37):
One hundred and fifty eleven times. But you got to
find a new way to say the same old thing.
That's the That's the brilliance of a good songwriter. Full disclosure, everybody,
You and I Rew have written songs together and recorded,
one of which was a duet from your Sleigh Bells
Christmas album. In twenty fifteen. We wrote this student called
Brand New Year.
Speaker 2 (20:58):
Do you remember.
Speaker 1 (20:58):
I love that so much.
Speaker 2 (21:00):
I love that song so much, I'm gonna I'm gonna
do a remix of that and put it out.
Speaker 1 (21:05):
It's It's good news day, It's a now, Yeah, it's
a okay. We had such a blast shooting that, and
we did the recording and shot the music video. It
was freaking as well.
Speaker 2 (21:18):
That was Yeah, Christmas special that was part of one
of the Christmas You know. It's funny. I believe I
have filmed four Christmas specials. If starting out in my career,
if someone had told me I do four TV Christmas specials,
I would have never believed them because I like Christmas,
but I didn't know it's going to be such a
(21:39):
big part.
Speaker 1 (21:40):
And Christmas specials are evergreen. Dude, you can roll them
again and again and again. I love it. I love it.
You also revealed that you love cars. I had no clue.
Speaker 2 (21:50):
Yeah, I always have. I've always loved cars, and I
have I have six of them, but I wish I
had more.
Speaker 1 (22:00):
Don't you have enough room? You got enough acreage in Wyoming.
You have as many cars. That's your hard desires.
Speaker 2 (22:06):
It's true. The only problem with having cars in Wyoming
is that you can't find anyone to fix them, because
when you have cars as old as mine, my oldest
car is I have two cars that are from nineteen
sixty eight, and so what are they to budget? I
have a nineteen sixty eight Mercedes to eighty SL and
(22:29):
I have a nineteen sixty eight Mercedes to fifty SL.
Speaker 1 (22:33):
Oh my goodness.
Speaker 2 (22:34):
And then I have a nineteen seventy to.
Speaker 1 (22:37):
Eighty sl Oh you just love collecting sls. It would appear.
Speaker 2 (22:41):
Well, I have a lot of sls. I have four
or something like. I have an eighty nine, like you,
I have that same.
Speaker 1 (22:49):
Car, don't you love? I just love the lines in
that car.
Speaker 2 (22:53):
I have an eighty nine. It's in great What color
is yours? Mine? Is that silvery blue? College nice? Or
with the dark blue top? Yeah? And then I also
have my mother's nineteen seventy nine Vobal that she brought.
She bought it brand new, and it was passed down
(23:13):
after she passed. It was passed down to my sister,
to another sister and another sister, and then I finally
got it about twelve years ago.
Speaker 1 (23:22):
And it's just park.
Speaker 2 (23:24):
It's it's park. I drive it. I drive it. You
know a lot of times I'll drive on Sundays when
I have the time, I'll go out to Malibu or
something like that. I wish I had a nineteen seventy
six Corvette Stingray. I want then you shall have it
nineteen then I shall have I don't have it. I
don't have the garage space. I shall have the garage space.
Speaker 1 (23:45):
Then you shall build it.
Speaker 2 (23:46):
I also want I shall build it.
Speaker 1 (23:52):
I want to build it, and they will come, they
will come.
Speaker 2 (23:56):
Go ahead, you what that's right? I want a six
Rose Royce silver shadow that. I want to put some
rims on it and paint it some fabulous color and
just you know, Abby rode my black ass all over
the place.
Speaker 1 (24:14):
You should paint it the color of that fly that
they named after you.
Speaker 2 (24:18):
Oh yeah, that would be hot.
Speaker 1 (24:20):
How amazing is it to have an insect named after you?
Was what was the name of that?
Speaker 2 (24:25):
I don't remember it was. I don't remember the technical
scientific name of that fly, but it was so beautiful.
Speaker 1 (24:33):
Oh you know what it is. This Australian scientist was
studying species of Australian soldier flies, right he said, he
was watching Do you know.
Speaker 2 (24:42):
This, I've read the story a while back.
Speaker 1 (24:46):
Okay, Well, a fly that he was studying as he
watched drag race. What's called He named this fly because
of an outfit he saw you in And it's called
the Opah lumarue Paul, and it's characterized by it's iridescent colors.
I must say I saw a picture of this fly.
This is the flyest fly I've ever seen.
Speaker 2 (25:07):
In my life.
Speaker 1 (25:08):
He's dressed for the Pride for Raid his entire life.
Speaking of Pride, I have a I have a Pride jacket.
This is my Pride cashmere coat that I made with
with the colors of the rainbow. Is beautiful.
Speaker 2 (25:23):
Thank you, thank you, gorgeous.
Speaker 1 (25:25):
I'm calling it black Pride. Yes, indeed, I.
Speaker 2 (25:28):
Love that frost. Well you know, uh no that I
saw that fly and it's got irridescent color to it.
Reality beautiful.
Speaker 1 (25:39):
He is beautiful. And when they showed that gown that
you had on with the wings, yes, I see how
you saw a fly in that. Definitely. You once revealed
on Jimmy Kimmel that you love what wrestling bro wrestling. Okay, wait,
is that just to watch or is it for you
(26:00):
to personally engage?
Speaker 2 (26:02):
Well, I think it's Honestly, I think it's a little
bit of everything, because it is theater and I love
I love the theatrics of it. It's they are basically
in drag. They're doing these characters that are over the
top and then sometimes sometimes uh they're even very very sexy,
you know, So I love I love extreme. It's extreme theater.
(26:27):
Is what it is.
Speaker 1 (26:28):
I'm gonna now think of that as extreme drag because
it is.
Speaker 2 (26:32):
Yeah, now that you say that, absolutely is.
Speaker 1 (26:35):
You just keep you keep growing and expanding. And I
have pride in me like I helped you in some way.
It's like I taught you what you know and now
now you are going forth and delivering it to the world.
I am so proud of your expansion and your creativity
(26:56):
and your growth. And you as as a as a
as a human are just a doll, so giving and warm,
and I just love.
Speaker 2 (27:04):
You so much. I really do so appreciate that. Thank you.
Speaker 1 (27:09):
Okay, I have one more question for you. I heard
you wear a size thirteen shoe.
Speaker 2 (27:15):
Right well, in men's shoes. I wear twelve in lady shoes.
I would wear a fourteen somewhere in there.
Speaker 1 (27:24):
Okay, here's my next question. Where in God's name do
you find size fourteen women's shoes. I've never heard of
such a place, except there's this one boutique in England
that serves the cross dressing community of England and they
(27:44):
have shoes that size.
Speaker 2 (27:46):
But like where tell me, Oh, trust me, it's not difficult.
It used to be very difficult. And the shoes in
larger sizes that you would find would be cross dresser shoes,
you know, and they look exactly the way you think
they'd look, right, but things have changed. There is a site. Uh,
(28:08):
there's a site that has the sexiest shoes in all
sizes you can imagine, all shapes and side. They have
every design you can imagine on the site.
Speaker 3 (28:20):
And you tell the name of this site, my friend,
It's called only maker O N L Y M A
k E R dot com.
Speaker 1 (28:32):
If you need a size fifteen, right, if you okay, okay,
And they're beautiful.
Speaker 2 (28:37):
Now full full disclosure here. You know, when I wear heels,
I wear them for a very short amount of time.
Speaker 1 (28:45):
Oh I thought you were going to say, just the opposite.
Speaker 2 (28:48):
Nope, nope, nope, I I put them on. This is
the drag race routine. I get ready. It takes you know,
we ki key and cut up and you know, have
plantain chips and you know, we take our time and
then I get ready, get dressed. We go and take
photographs with Albert Sanchez. Then I go and do my
(29:10):
runway walk and introduce the show. Yes. Then I go
back to my dressing room, take off everything below my waist,
put on a pair of pajamas and some slippers. I
beg your pardon, and we finished the rest of the
show with me behind the poet.
Speaker 1 (29:28):
Oh my god, I'll never be able to look at
that show in the same way again because I know
you're not wearing pants. Okay, Oh my god, Oh my god,
speaking of goo ahead, goodhead.
Speaker 2 (29:43):
So basically, when I'm in high heels, I walk about,
you know, the ten feet of the runway, and that's it.
I love it.
Speaker 1 (29:51):
Shell. I remember a trip to Japan. I went into
this very exclusive Japanese boutique and I was looking at
like belts and purses, and I saw the most beautiful
pair of shoes. I just fell in love with these shoes,
and I was like, oh my gosh. So I was
looking around the floor for a salesperson and they're all
(30:13):
in kimonos, right, So I I said, I call one over.
So she comes over. She says, man, help you. I said, yes,
I would like to see I want to try on
this shoe. Yes, ma'am, what size? I said nine? She said, oh.
Speaker 2 (30:33):
No no.
Speaker 1 (30:35):
Then she called over the other salespeople said in Japanese
that I wanted to size nine. Shoes and they were like,
oh no, no, no, I said, what are you guys
laughing at? She said, that's a man size. I said,
give me that damn belt and let me get the
hell out of here. I got on that store so fast,
it's crazy, So I know what it is. I may
(31:00):
as well have had a size fourteen. According to those.
Speaker 2 (31:02):
Whims here it was in Yeah, it was crazy. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (31:06):
Finally, we like to end the show with a little
segment where I ask my guests to share something that
happened to them or something that someone said or did
that came as a shock or a surprise. We call
this segment NDA What so, mister RuPaul, do you have
(31:28):
a Nita what moment?
Speaker 2 (31:34):
Well, let me think about that, because when you know,
you know, obviously there are a lot of things that
happen that are very surprising. You know, I won my
twelfth Emmy, and I please yes, because it's this is
the seventh consecutive win for host of a reality competition show.
(31:55):
So I thought this time for sure they would say, Okay,
we've had enough for year. So I was surprised at that.
But that's not really a knit or what story. Let
me think about it.
Speaker 1 (32:07):
It's when you what you probably said, No he didn't.
Oh no she didn't if that.
Speaker 2 (32:11):
Moment right, huh? I? Which is you know a lot
of I've lived a long time. I'm sure I have. Okay,
I'll take a moment. Let me think about me. Oh okay,
please share.
Speaker 1 (32:28):
Okay.
Speaker 2 (32:29):
Well we were talking about her earlier. But you know,
in nineteen ninety five, I was summoned for a command
performance for the Queen of Soul and George Good George
(32:54):
was with me, and he will he will tell you
he saw the same thing. Well, you know, before I
left to go to the venue, she sent her assistant
over with a check to pay me, and it was
written out by miss Franklin to me. And I looked
at the check and the check was made out to
(33:16):
Ruth Paul.
Speaker 1 (33:30):
She probably really thought that that was your name, Ruth Paul.
Bliss her heart.
Speaker 2 (33:40):
I appreciate that her heart, that knittle what moment her heart?
Speaker 1 (33:44):
Yes, Yes, indeed, you have been an absolute joy to
talk to and to know and to I feel absolutely
honored to call you my friend, my dear friend, Ruth.
I love you, and I'm wishing you even more expensive
and success in whatever dimension you decide to take over, queen,
because that's what you do when you get you get
(34:06):
a lane and you just want to take over that lane.
I love you and I love what you're doing. Keep
it up, baby, please.
Speaker 2 (34:12):
Thank you, my love, thank you, my black check. I
love it, I love it. Thank you. This has been
so much fun.
Speaker 1 (34:19):
Well, I will see you soon, God willing, and give
George my love, won't.
Speaker 2 (34:23):
You God willing? Okay, I certainly will.
Speaker 1 (34:26):
Bye. Thank you so much for joining us on The
Uppity Knitter Podcast. Celebrity Hobbies Uncovered, a show where your
favorite celebrities talk about their unusual hobbies. Join us next time,
see you then.
Speaker 2 (34:42):
The Uppity Knitter Podcast is brought to you by Black
Chick Productions. Our show is hosted by Sya Garrett, Our
producer is Eric Neurie, and we're recorded and edited by
Felicia Morris at Marris Media Studios in Los Angeles.
Speaker 1 (34:56):
Special thanks go out to our friends at iHeartMedia and
Sene the Women
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