RuPaul made history last year when winning a fourth consecutive Emmy for hosting a reality competition program while that program (“RuPaul’s Drag Race”) won a second consecutive Emmy in its own category. And by hosting “Saturday Night Live” on Feb. 8, RuPaul made history again — as the first drag queen to host the long-running late-night sketch comedy show.
RuPaul didn’t step onto the stage at Studio 8H to deliver a monologue in full drag — that was saved for a digital short sketch in which he talked about it being redundant to be on the cover of a drag magazine yet again.
In the digital short, Mikey Day played a photographer who told RuPaul that he is drag, but that was the problem in RuPaul’s eyes. “Where’s the next generation? We need someone new.” The answer to RuPaul’s prayers? Pete Davidson’s Chad, who was working crew on the photo shoot.
“Everyone, take five. Leave me with the future of drag,” RuPaul said.
This led to lessons on the art of the tuck — “You need to tape it down and back, not up and front,” RuPaul said when Davidson’s Chad walked out in tighty whities with duct tape on his stomach — and then lessons about clothes and beating one’s face.
“Pop your lips like you’re about to kiss,” RuPaul told him. But when he went in with tongue, RuPaul replied that he was a married man.
“You’re a man?” Davidson’s Chad replied.
“You didn’t know that? Huh,” RuPaul said.
And finally, it was time to find the song that speaks to Chad so he could lip sync for his life and eventually sissy that walk. The last part ended with him face-down in the crafts services table.
“I can mold you into the next RuPaul, and if you want to be the best, you’ve got to be willing to work your padded ass off,” RuPaul said. But when he said he didn’t want to be the next great drag queen, RuPaul said, “Some horses were born to run wild.”
See a behind-the-scenes look at Pete Davidson getting into drag below:
“Saturday Night Live” airs live coast-to-coast Saturdays at 11:30 p.m. ET / 8:30 p.m. PT on NBC.
