Carolyn Omine, Tress MacNeille and Yeardley Smith will discuss RuPaul appearing on America's longest-running sitcom.
The Simpsons TM and © 2018 Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation. All Rights Reserved.
The Simpsons TM and © 2018 Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation. All Rights Reserved.
Matt Groening & co. always seem to pick the ideal time to invite relevant guest stars to appear on The Simpsons. Princess of Pop Britney Spears made a heart stopping appearance in 2000, accidentally killing an elderly character. Lady Gaga appeared in 2012's "Lisa Goes Gaga," an entire episode dedicated to her.
Now an upcoming episode of The Simpsons is set to feature RuPaul, the world's most famous drag queen. 2018 is indeed the perfect time to invite Ru to guest star; Season 3 of RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars debuted in January to massive ratings, and Season 10 of RuPaul's Drag Race has cemented Ru's drag competition franchise as tentpole programming on VH1.
RuPaul's Drag Race fan art of contestant Alyssa Edwards drawn in The Simpsons style.
Source: kimitr0n.tumblr.com
A few details of the RuPaul episode have been announced, and the tea? It's piping hot. Picture this: Marge Simpson... as a drag queen. An official press release states, "Marge stumbles upon the world of drag, discovers her inner fierceness and starts serving housewife realness!"
This guest starring role will not be the first time RuPaul has been acknowledged in the Simpsons universe. Characters talked about Mother Ru back in 2006, in issue 115 of Simpsons Comics:
“After Ned told his kids that being a single parent meant he had to be a mommy and a daddy, Rod asked him if that was like RuPaul. Ned answered him quickly and said it was not like that.”
To celebrate this upcoming drag episode, RuPaul's DragCon LA 2018 will feature a special panel called "Drag and The Simpsons." Topics to be discussed include RuPaul's guest-starring role, plus "being female in a male-dominated industry and how the fem-positive message of drag can inspire and empower." Oh, and audience questions will be answered, of course!
Season 3 winner of RuPaul's Drag Race Raja will serve as the panel's special guest moderator.
Panelists include Carolyn Omine, a legendary Simpsons writer and Drag Race super fan. Born and raised in Hawaii, Omine has been writing for the animated comedy since 1998. She has won four Emmys for her writing on the series.
Tress MacNeille is also featured on the panel. MacNeille, a voice actress who plays over 22 notable Simpsons characters, is fittingly described as the "woman of a thousand voices." These include Agnes Skinner and male characters like Dolph, an elementary school bully.
The final panelist is Yeardley Smith, voice of Lisa Simpson. In a 2009 interview with The Guardian, Smith described The Simpsons as "the best job ever" and said she has "nothing but gratitude for the amount of freedom the show" has brought her. She has also won an Emmy for her work on The Simpsons.
Personally, I can't wait to attend this panel. Hearing all the inside scoop about The Simpsons, and its relation to LGBT culture, will be quite the experience. Plus, the audience will undoubtedly have some hilarious questions.
"Drag and The Simpsons" takes place Sunday, 2:30 PM in the Synergy Room.
Wanna be there with me? You can still buy tickets to RuPaul's DragCon LA 2018 here.
DerekPlease.com will be providing live press coverage from RuPaul's DragCon LA on May 11, 12 and 13, 2018! Follow our RuPaul's DragCon category for all updates.