Bob The Drag Queen blew into RuPaul’s Drag Race purse-first and so confident that it seemed almost inevitable that she’d be the glamazon crowned Season 8’s winner in this week’s finale. Here, the lovable loudmouth sings the praises of competitor Kim Chi, schools judge Michelle Visage on the true meaning of “ratchet” and reveals how she’s begun spending her prize money.
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TVLINE | You entered the contest like you were doing your victory lap. Were you really that sure of yourself?
I was very confident. In my mind, I won RuPaul’s Drag Race when I got the call saying, “You’re on the show.” I remember sitting in a bar, watching my friend Bianca Del Rio win [Season 6] and experiencing that in my bones — it felt as if I’d won, like things to come. So when I walked into the room, I showed I had a lot of confidence and I never faltered from that.
TVLINE | Who did you see as bigger competition — Naomi Smalls or Kim Chi?
Probably Kim Chi, just because she’s a really brilliant artist with a great mind and a really smart businessperson.
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TVLINE | Although, how far could she really get just by being able to paint her face like Picasso?
Kim does have gorgeous makeup, but being America’s next drag superstar is more than just makeup and performing. It’s also being a smart businessperson, and Kim is that. She’s also a great person in general.
TVLINE | I really liked your advice to like one thing — any little thing — about yourself to start people down a path to self-acceptance. You should write a children’s book.
I’ve always loved working with children. I worked in children’s theater for years before I did drag and have always found children to be a source of joy for me. But I am not an author. I’m a writer but not an author, and I certainly don’t have any connection to publishers. But I’d love to have that be a message for people. It helped me get through a lot of tough times.
TVLINE | Now that you’ve legitimized “ratchet drag,” what’s next?
I never consider myself ratchet. That is a title that was thrown on me by Michelle Visage, and the world just sort of ran with it. But I think people don’t know what ratchet really means or what ratchet is. It almost sounds like people just think ratchet means black people when that’s really not the case. Also, I think a lot of people use it as a negative. I don’t see it as a negative. It doesn’t offend me. But I genuinely don’t think most people really know what they’re talking about when they say ratchet. They’re just sort of repeating something they’ve heard and using it before they do any research to find out what it means.
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TVLINE | For the record, what does it mean?
It was originated in Shreveport, La., which is known as Ratchet City. Shreveport has a lot of black people and a lot of black culture. So if you’re acting particularly like you are from Shreveport, they would just say, “You’re very ratchet.” It’s like saying you’re very New York.
TVLINE | What was your first big purchase with your prize money?
Last night, I bought some Sour Patch Kids, so I guess technically, that was my first purchase. [Laughs]
TVLINE | But seriously…
I’m going to invest back into my mission as a drag queen, which has always been three things: to give back to the community, to entertain children and to make people laugh. I plan on evenly distributing [the money] amongst those things, really.
Are you happy that Bob won? If not, were you rooting for Kim or Naomi? Hit the comments!
