Film & TV
RuPaul Confronts ‘Drag Race’ Contestant About Wearing Blackface
On the latest episode of ‘Drag Race Down Under’, RuPaul confronted Scarlet Adams on her past history of blackface.
RuPaul stopped Adams from exiting the stage to address the damaging pictures which had surfaced online, featuring Adams wearing blackface, brownface and mocking cultures.
Felicia Foxx, drag queen and Aboriginal activist, had previously outed Scarlett on social media on March 12th. In the caption Foxx exclaims, ‘MY CULTURE IS NOT A COSTUME’.
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Foxx continues, ‘my people & our culture is not a joke for anyone especially privileged dominating cultures making a mockery out of us.’
Adams has also recently been outed on social media of similar previous incidents. This included resurfacing videos of Adams calling Lee Lin Chin, a respected Australian news presenter, “that old, funny, Asian B*tch” in a previous live show. The drag queen then proceeded to lip sync the song ‘Kung Fu Fighting’
“I can’t deny it, that that happened. As a dumb, ignorant teenager I made some mistakes that I’m really not proud of. Every day I regret those decisions.” Replied Scarlet Adams on ‘Drag Race Down Under’.
“I regret the fact I used my platform as a performer to ridicule people who have faced systematic racism for hundreds of years. I’m so ashamed at the person I once was. I’m really sorry to you and everyone I’ve hurt.”
RuPaul acknowledged that there were “people who would want me to cancel you”, but did not appear inclined to punish Adams further. RuPaul continued, “I pray all of us can learn and grow from our mistakes.”
‘Drag Race Down Under’ is available to watch through BBC iPlayer.
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