Ted Audio Collective Hi Ted Talks daily listeners.
I'm Ted's head of media and curation Hello Maltor stepping in for Elise Hugh and today we're bringing you something a little different.
It's a new format from the Ted stage that we're calling on the spot for an iconic speaker response to a lightning round of questions without any advance prep.
First up you may know him from RuPaul's Drag Race.
It's the Emmy winning drag icon himself RuPaul Charles.
It also hit me join RuPaul on stage for a moment at the end.
It's a treat. Enjoy it after a quick break.
Hello dollings. Now we're going to do a new format here which is on the spot.
I'm told it's on the spot and I will be answering a series of questions.
So we'll see how this goes.
All right let's start with our first question.
And again I have 10 minutes.
So we'll see I bet I can do it faster than 10 minutes.
Define bravery. Define bravery.
I think bravery is the ability to follow your bliss and make no excuses for that.
All right. Define brilliance.
I think allowing yourself to be a vessel a channel so that the source can work through you and you align yourself with that source.
I think that's brilliance.
What's the power of drag?
Now the power of drag it's like the Superman suit to Clark Kent.
It allows you to expand your idea of who you are of what you are and it's a very simple trick and it works.
I recommend everybody try it tonight.
What's the best way to slay?
Know thyself. Be thyself.
You are the best version of you.
So you can slay that way.
I get a round of applause for that.
Thank you over here. What's the first thing you notice about someone?
I notice they're aura. I can see I can sense what they're about what they're what they want.
You know for years I learn how to sort of shape shift myself into what I felt someone needed from me.
Listen, not the greatest thing in the world to do because you force you leave a little bit of yourself behind but it sure did teach me a lot about reading someone's character, you know, and my own character.
All right. What trait do you most value?
A sense of humor. People.
A sense of humor. My favorite thing to do in the world is to laugh.
My favorite thing in the world to do is to laugh and I've done a lot of things but if you have a sense of humor, yeah because I think if you have a sense of humor, you get it.
This is all an illusion.
Okay. Don't take any of it too seriously.
All right. What's the wisest way to be an adult?
Well, to be an adult, you have to be able to keep your mouth closed because there's a lot of things you want to say in the situations but an adult knows better.
Yeah, it's true. It's true.
You can't say everything to everybody.
You really just, you can't, I wish we could.
I wish we could. But we can't.
All right. If there's one thing you want AI to keep in mind, what is it?
I don't like that question.
Which of your dreams have not yet come true?
I would love to be able to put together a retail storyline that is just as magnificent as Patagonia and as free and all the things they've done.
I'd love to do that. Maybe there's maybe there's time.
Yeah. Oh, hi. What's the best way to say goodbye?
I really don't like saying goodbye.
I never have but I've learned to to be in the moment and to actually acknowledge someone and the time that we spend together.
I've learned how to sit in that.
I think I was always too sensitive.
So I never liked to say goodbye.
So the best way to say goodbye is to do it deliberately and to acknowledge that, you know, this could be the last time I ever see you.
So, you know, I'm gonna acknowledge that and I'm gonna stand in the moment.
That's great. That's fantastic.
And now back to the episode.
That was going to be 10 minutes and I have a four minutes and 37 seconds left.
You want the chat? You want to?
Shall we? Let's do it. Hey, if you have a question for RuPaul.
Oh, oh, I thought you were gonna chat with me.
You know, questions from the audience?
Why not? Well, I'll tell you why not.
Oh. I don't think in all the years I've taken questions from the audience.
I really, mostly people like to make comments.
That's true. And we don't really want comments.
Yeah. Yeah. Maybe you and I should come up with a few questions to ask me.
What would you like to tell everyone?
Okay. All right. RuPaul, what is the best piece of advice you've ever gotten?
That's a good question.
Thank you. My 10th grade teacher, Mr.
Penel, in Atlanta, Georgia, he said, RuPaul, my real name, do not take life too seriously.
The emphasis on too. He actually used some dirty language in there and you can fill in the blanks where he put it.
You can also swear on the stage.
No, no, darling. There may be Christian children here.
Darling. There are none.
You will. I can guarantee it.
But no, it was the best advice at the time.
I was in 10th grade. You know, I dropped, I flunked the 10th grade.
I repeated the 10th grade and then I dropped out in the 11th grade.
But of all the time I spent in school, that was the most valuable lesson.
Everyone, and as the years went on, it became more and more valuable because there, you have, it's like we are actors on a stage.
And as if the actors believe that they say 12th nights, some Shakespeare thing, the actors actually believe they are the characters they're playing.
And drag and laughter and all those things shake it up to say, hey, kiddo, you know, you're only playing a role.
This show will close and we're going to go on to another show and another show.
And another show. It's going to be fabulous.
Yes, it sure is. So don't get too invested in 12th night, darling.
So, yes. So, yes. Ripple is your real name.
Why did your mom call you Ripple?
Well, I will answer that question.
I just want to say if there are any people who want to get into show business, do not use your real name.
It's my real name because it ends up on all your, the public papers and all that stuff.
And you know, you're at the, the gynecologist or in the dentist chair and, you know, they know all your business, you know.
But my mother, my mother saw a psychic when she was pregnant with me.
And the psychic said, you're going to have a boy and he's going to be famous.
So my mother thought, you know, I'm going to name him Rupal Andre Charles because ain't another MF in the world with that name.
Yeah, my real name. Yeah, people call me Rue though.
Who is your favorite person on the planet?
My best friend who I happen to be married to.
His name is George LaBarr.
And he's so lovely and kind.
I think the greatest attribute humans can have is kindness.
That's number one. Number two is a fat ass.
And he's got both. He's got both.
And he's really, he's Australian.
He's absolutely lovely.
He's lovely. Okay, we have 45 seconds.
What's your favorite thing about television?
Oh my gosh, I learned everything I know from television.
I love it. I'm watching a show called Murder She Sat Down and She Wrote Right Now.
It's about 45 years old.
And I can't get enough of it.
I can't get enough of it.
I love it. Murder She Sat Down and She Wrote.
All right, ladies and gentlemen, it has been so much fun.
Thank you so much. Give love to somebody.
That was RuPaul Charles at TED 2024.
If you're curious about TED's curation, you can find out more about it at TED.com slash curation guidelines.
Thanks for letting me join this week's episode.
Bye for now. PRX
