Another Pride Month Victory: RuPaul And Company Stole 'Family Feud' From Steve Harvey

By Kristy Puchko | TV | June 16, 2020 |

By Kristy Puchko | TV | June 16, 2020 |

TV audiences can’t get enough of RuPaul. American’s Queen of Drag has been slaying with season after season of RuPaul’s Drag Race and RuPaul’s Drag Race All-Stars. Then, this past Sunday, Ru and his crew pushed Celebrity Family Feud to the top of the ratings, when they tucked and turned out to face off against the cast of Freeform’s The Bold Type. It was a glorious Pride Month celebration, and host Steve Harvey wasn’t ready.

RuPaul’s celeb family was made up of long-time squirrel friend, podcast co-host, and Drag Race judge Michelle Visage, Queer Eye For the Straight Guy “OG”/ Drag Race judge Carson Kressley, two-time Drag Race runner-up Raven, and the one-and-only Latrice Royale, fan favorite queen and Miss Congeniality winner. As any Drag Race devotee might expect, this chosen family brought a lot of color and fun to the stodgy game show proceedings.

The fun of this clip begins with RuPaul facing off at the podium against The Bold Type’s Katie Stevens. Ru gets overeager, hitting the buzzer before Harvey’s able to finish the question, which began, “Name a way a woman can flirt with a man without—” However, Ru’s been werking it for decades, so he doesn’t break a sweat. He guesses what the rest of the question might be, “Name a way a woman can flirt with a man without him thinking that she’s a wh*re.”

Not getting that this is pretty standard drag humor, Harvey looks horrified. Almost as scared as Jimmy Fallon did when RuPaul checked him about his proper title.

Jimmy Fallon thought he has really done it this time & was probably already thinking of what to say at the press conference. RuPaul had Jimmy shook. 😂😂🤣 pic.twitter.com/Rz8POvlnAN

— #FeesMustFall (@MegaFunTweets) February 8, 2020

Anyhow, while Harvey is shaking his head in shock—and the audience is howling with laughter—RuPaul moves ahead and answers his own question. And he is right. #1 answer. This means gameplay goes to the Drag Race family, who each take turns answering, cracking jokes, and making Harvey look the fool as his inner homophobe twitches.

Let’s not forget that a regular part of Harvey’s shtick as a stand-up/personality is promoting toxic masculinity that posits gay men are not “real men.” So, of course, he has never seen RuPaul’s Drag Race. So, of course, he massacres the pronunciation of Michelle Visage’s name, flusters over Carson’s thirsty quips, doesn’t know how to handle Raven serving look with a generous side of leg, and asks what voice Patrice uses when she performs. You might think as a host, some basic familiarity with any of the above would be part of his job!

Harvey’s performance here is shameful and gross as he shuns queer culture with every agog look and the proclamation that he is retiring his “toasted plum” suit, as if it is something tainted. He thinks he’s funny, but his tired homophobia is the punchline, outshone by the vibrancy of the queens and company living for every moment.

In the end, the Drag Race team may have lost this round of the game to The Bold Type team (well snatched, girls). However, they were the real winners overall, stealing the spotlight from the hokey, homophobic host, and making us wonder, why hasn’t RuPaul been asked to headline Celebrity Family Feud?

Ru has amazing suits (from Klein Epstein & Parker), quick-witted improvisation skills, a beloved persona, an army of celebrity friends who’d gladly come out and play, and a growing nation of fans who’d giddily tune in for slaying, shade, and innuendo. Bringing Ru on helped push the ABC gameshow to the number one spot once, why not make it a habit?