Yahoo News Luxx Noir London moves RuPaul to tears with 1986 tribute look on RuPaul's Drag Race runway
Luxx Noir London just gagged RuPaul a bit — for sure.
The New York City queen moved the Emmy-winning drag superstar to tears on Friday's episode of RuPaul's Drag Race, when she sashayed down the runway in a look inspired by Mama Ru's early days as a budding queen in 1980s Manhattan.
Luxx hit the Main Stage for the Rip Her to Shreds category rocking a recreation of a distressed ensemble RuPaul first wore while performing with the former band.
"This look was inspired by RuPaul herself, she wore this look in the 1980s, she was in a punk rock band called Wee Wee Pole. It's this shiny, Liberace, Max Max feel," Luxx said in a voiceover. "This hair is the largest hair I've ever worn in my entire life, it's just giving. This is true supermodel vibes right now."
MTV/World of Wonder Luxx Noir London wears a RuPaul tribute look on the 'Drag Race' Rip Her to Shreds runway.
Later, at judging, RuPaul took a moment to recognize the contestant's consistent attention to detail, after Luxx has spent most of season 15 referencing iconic moments from not only Drag Race's past (from Laganja Estranja on the premiere to Roxxxy Andrews a few weeks later), but pop culture at large. The queen also wore a hybrid RuPaul/Beyoncé tribute look for last week's Night of 1,000 Beyoncés runway.
"Let me just talk about this look. I'm going to try to talk about it without crying, okay? Because I wore this look in 1986, and it just brings back so many great memories for me. I was just a freak running around New York City," RuPaul said before wiping away tears with a white cloth.
MTV/World of Wonder RuPaul cries over Luxx Noir London's tribute look on 'RuPaul's Drag Race' Rip Her to Shreds runway.
She continued, setting Luxx up for an ace bit of banter in front of the panel.
"If you'd asked me if I'd be in this seat, hosting a television show, back then, you know what my answer would've been?" she asked, to which Luxx quickly responded: "'Yes!'"
"Yes!" RuPaul quipped back. "So, it all comes full circle. Thank you."
Luxx isn't the only queen serving references this season, however; RuPaul referenced a legendary moment from her own past on the show's 200th episode, when the 62-year-old hosted the judging panel while wearing a red-leather look inspired by her 1994 MAC Viva Glam initiative that donated proceeds from sales of cosmetics products to the MAC AIDS fund.
MTV/World of Wonder; MAC Cosmetics RuPaul revives MAC Viva Glam red leather look on 'RuPaul's Drag Race' season 15 runway.
RuPaul has continued her fight for LGBTQIA+ rights well into 2023, when she spoke out against conservative politicians introducing anti-drag and anti-trans legislation around the country, and partnered with the ACLU and Drag Race production company World of Wonder to establish the Drag Defense Fund to help the organization fight for LGBTQIA+ rights.
"'Hey, look over there!' — a classic distraction technique, distracting us away from the real issues that they were voted into office to focus on: jobs, healthcare, keeping our children safe from harm at their own school," Ru said Wednesday in a video message, referencing Drag Race winner Jaida Essence Hall's iconic quote from the season 12 political debate challenge. "We know that bullies are incompetent at solving real issues. They look for easy targets so they can give the impression of being effective. They think our love, our light, our laughter, and our joy are signs of weakness, but they're wrong, because that is our strength. Drag queens are the marines of the queer movement. Don't get it twisted and don't be distracted. Register to vote so we can get these stunt queens out of office and put some smart people with real solutions into government."
RuPaul's Drag Race continues Fridays at 8 p.m. ET/PT on MTV. See Luxx's tribute look to RuPaul above.
Subscribe to EW's Quick Drag podcast for recaps of RuPaul's Drag Race, including reactions with the cast, special guests, and more.
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