Lettin it All Hang Out: An Autobiography

by RuPaul

A provocative glimpse into the mind of America's foremost drag queen includes the inside story of how he rose to stardom as a supermodel, plus beauty tips and more than fifty black-and-white photographs.

Genres: Memoir, Nonfiction, Biography, LGBT, Autobiography, Queer, Biography Memoir

240 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1995

About the author

RuPaul (born RuPaul Andre Charles) is an American drag performer, dance music singer, actor, and songwriter who gained fame in the 1990s; appearing in a wide variety of television programs, films, and musical albums. Though a catty attitude is often associated with drag queens, RuPaul intentionally displayed a "love one another" attitude to be set apart from them. Although primarily known for an extravagant drag queen persona, RuPaul has performed as a man in a number of roles, usually billed as RuPaul Charles.

Reviews

[Hester · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everybody say Love!

I seriously love RuPaul. Ru is a stunningly beautiful woman with the best pair of gams since Betty Grable. In this engaging chatty and glamorous (this book is overflowing with glamour thanks to an abundance of photos) autobiography he shares his path to fame and superstardom! Despite a few bumps, like working for Michael Alig and that VMA debacle Ru stays true to Ru and becomes the shiniest campiest diva since Liberace. How delightful it all is!

I must admit for years it has bothered me knowing that he worked for Michael Alig, it was such a relief to learn that RuPaul saw him for the disgustoid he truly is.

No matter how many Drag Superstars he crowns in the future RuPaul will always be the one and only true Drag Superstar of the world and be the most gorgeous one at that.

[Molly · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love Ru. I didn't think this was the best writing I've ever read, and I always like more salaciousness in my memoirs, but who cares- he's so great. For a man who makes a living wearing what some could consider to be a costume, he manages to be anything but fake.

[Christine Lucia Asha · Rating 5 out of 5]

MUST READ BOOKS in every genre:
Thriller Say Goodbye
Memoir The Yellow House
SciFi Murder by Memory
Romance Time Loops & Meet Cutes

I really liked this book! It was just like RuPaul was telling you personally his story. It even includes his sayings! All hilarous and exactly the same as they are on his shows today.

[Renata · Rating 4 out of 5]

First off: I get why this is out of print and hard to come by. It's a little less polished than Ru likes to come off today, and there are some bits that haven't necessarily aged well, in terms of language? But whatever, I'm not here to tone police RuPaul, I'm just here to adore.

It's fascinating how much of RuPaul's TV persona/catchphrases/etc are here fully formed 20+ years ago. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it.

[Sheehan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Ru...

This book is from the mid-90s when she was riding the wave of her Supermodel superhit, this book is written with so much intention, so self-assured that stardom was the way. Looking back from 2021, RuPaul's confidence is prophetic, the RuPaul Drag Race brand, the outlook, the mantras are now infused in popular culture, it is mainstream without diluting the intent. RuPaul Charles has made an industry of the same root values he espouses in this early autobiography. He is a businessperson in full effect, watch any one of the Drag Empire shows or events, worldwide, all encompassing, amplifying a whole culture of drag. In my lifetime, Ru has been creating a space that has moved drag from marginal to mainstream. The normalization of the subculture, the business behind it, the love-embracing and body positive outlook Ru brings to the world is a gift.

I'm all-in for this queen!

[Rachael Martin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is exactly what you think it is. It's not deep literature. It's not a psychological study. It is simply the story of a man who looks stunning in a dress.

RuPaul discusses his early years, working in the drag scene. He struggles emotionally and financially. Talks about his family. Talks about the success of his drag.

I was hoping there would be an in-depth explanation about all the secrets of the beauty of drag, but I suppose those secrets are the key to his success.

An easy read. No more, no less. But entertaining.

[Kim Reynolds-Jolles · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVE RuPaul. My daughter has been watching the Drag race shows and played Supermodel for me, almost lost it when I knew every word and danced (in the car). So I picked this book for my Black History Month book choice, he came from nothing, did what made him happy, never giving up. Work hard, do what you love, be who you are and everybody say LOVE... I want to know more...

[Bradley Hankins · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been trying to get a copy of this for so long and found it randomly in a used books store for 7$! And damn is this not a great autobiography! Of course when reading biographies one should expect it to be bias, but I truly felt like I’ve learned so much from Ru. And the writing is just as if RuPaul is right there talking to you in person; it’s so open and comfortable. Truly adored this.

[Laura Knaapen · Rating 2 out of 5]

The book covers a chronology of RuPaul's life up to 1995: dates, names, places. It's not the best writing style, but you can tell he's the one delivering the story. He also covers a lot of his philosophy of life, which got him through the rough spots. Mostly his philosophy is love, which is a pretty good message.

[Lenny Husen · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5, rounding up because this is a fine memoir, much more substantial than the other book I read by RuPaul which had the depth of a magazine article.
Every fan of RuPaul should read this book, published about 15 years before Drag Race.
This is a powerful story, not the best written in parts and not a fast read because it is a dense little book, but enjoyable and inspirational. There are lots of photos (black-and-white but no matter, they are great). Tips on being a Drag Queen and an honest reflection of his life (he/she/they do not care about pronouns so I am using he/him/his).
What was most interesting: RuPaul is gay man, not a transexual. He identifies as a gay man, and is quite masculine underneath all the wigs and makeup. Drag is the way he performs, and he didn't start out with cross dressing as his goal, but it worked, he had the very tall and thin body and the androgynous face to truly stand out as an entertainer, not to mention the confidence in "the woman in me."
He has strong self-esteem without being a narcissist and always had belief in himself.
He had suicidal thoughts at one point and at another point he was heavy into alcohol and other drugs...very impressive that he was able to recover. RuPaul, like Kim Kardashian, had the ability to become famous by sheer force of will, marketing and charisma.
He saves the discussion of his love life for the end of the book and that was a chapter worth reading.
I love that he has faith that this life isn't the only existence we have.
His philosophy of radical self-love is super cool. Wish I had read this 30 years ago when it was published.

(I don't believe you have to love yourself before you can love other people, I am living proof that you can adore others deeply and empathize with them while having self-loathing. I do believe that loving yourself makes you better able to love others and have more to give them of yourself without burning out. )

[Linda · Rating 3 out of 5]

A lighthearted and fun biography, just as advertised!

[Asia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Zmarnowany potencjał. :(

[Alan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved reading about Rupaul came to fame. I loved how honest and down to earth he is about his childhood. I would have loved if there was more about his romantic life as I felt he avoided it until the very last page.

The book was written in 95, I would love to read something recent although from watching his reality show he hasn't changed.

[Bekki Mills · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okay, I thought this book would be just a fun read, but Who has a better outlook on life than RuPaul?! Just love him!
Also, neat pics of him inside, including as a kid with a fro that takes two pages:)

[C · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Rupaul.

[Brittomart · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just have one thing to say: You better work.

[Cedarlakeinn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Awesome book. Fascinating individual.

[Hannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

i love rupaul. i loved this book.

[Brandon Gaukel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This I read when I was in Hawaii a couple of years ago. Never has a book been so funny and inspiring at the same time. Ru really does have the best message behind his story and that is love.

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I appreciate learning more about Mama Ru!

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was quite good I thought, for what it is. In that it captures a relatively early (shortly post "Supermodel" breakout into the mainstream) RuPaul, reminiscing on where he came from, and how he got here. This is someone who was fairly recently a New York City club kid, reflecting on his rise to fame, and how it happened and what it was like. And it's honest enough to be satisfying, for me.

You do get some spicy anecdotes, but not too terribly many. Overall, the degree of self-censorship seems relatively moderate, here. And in a funny sort of way, RuPaul's overwhelming sense of his own destiny and identity (which makes him a bit oblivious at times to his place in the bigger social fabric of cultures he interacts with) also makes him more honest about his experiences. Because he isn't really trying to position himself within drag culture or gay culture or club culture or what have you. "RuPaul" is the subject of RuPaul's interest and focus and drive. And so his failure to spin a narrative about his place in all this cultural history paradoxically results in some weird accidental honesty, I suppose.

This is not the best written memoir of its kind, by any means. But it is certainly much more interesting than any more curated product RuPaul would subsequently produce.

[K · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very quick read, very straightforward style. I wanted to get my hands on it because of all the references I'd heard to RuPaul's mother, and wanting to learn more about her. There was a bit more in the book, and I suppose that's all I can really ask.

It was interesting enough as an intro to The Scene (since I'm not at all versed in it, or exposed to it beyond TV), and I enjoyed all the pictures of young Scene RuPaul. But... those years are quite, quite obviously heavily glossed to avoid all the "seedier" aspects. And I still don't know who Lady Bunny really is in relation to RuPaul, even though they were friends coming up together. The book doesn't make any friendships very clear... it's entirely focused on Ru and her emergence into mainstream culture.

But despite being over $100 on the open market, I didn't feel like this offered a very thorough primer to understand the in-jokes and references people throw around regarding her. I feel like there could be so much more to learn about this person... Sadly, I guess we'll have to wait for the post mortems from cultural observers to really start unraveling the various characters of RuPaul, at least in print.

[Jo · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've been a fan of RuPaul since Supermodel came out but I am still surprised by how much I enjoyed this book. I've watched his hit show, Rupaul's Drag Race, and listen to his podcast. So, I've heard some of his slogans/mottos and have heard some of his stories but now I have a more complete picture. Whatever shallow preconceived notions are thrown out of the window with this book. You get to see the person behind the persona and are better for it. Rupaul tells his whole life story and his rise to semi-stardom. He explains what wounds helped formed him and how heeling from those wounds helped him evolve. He uses his outlandish look as a tool to free those that want to do whatever they want but feel that society would not accept them. He enjoys giving a royal FU to society's standards and it has worked well for him. What surprised me was that he never really thought about using 'drag' to make him famous but realized that it was what the people wanted. He has some very profound views on life, love and feminine energy. I highly recommend this book to his fans and those that are open-minded enough to learn from the world's most successful drag queen.

[Lívia Maria · Rating 4 out of 5]

A autobiografia de RuPaul é metade a história dela e metade autoajuda, mas te ajuda a entender um pouco do que ela pensa enquanto artista, da mensagem por trás da personagem. A leitura flui bem, mas eu queria saber mais sobre os detalhes da carreira e talvez não seja essa a forma que ela tenha escolhido se narrar aqui. O livro foi publicado em 1994, um pouco depois do grande boom dela na indústria musical e mainstream, então não tem muitas reflexões sobre isso, mas é possível perceber algumas observações interessantes acerca do background de RuPaul e da sua formação artística. Ler esse livro em 2021 é interessante em determinados momentos e eu ressalto a passagem que ela olha para Oprah como uma inspiração, sabendo a grande magnata midiática que ela também se tornou.

[Carmen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful story of learning to view the world with kindness. Great tales of one of my favourite persons: RuPaul. No criticisms really, but would have loved some dates on the chapters.
I always wanted to know about his name- its all there! Not a food at all.
"My mother kept a copy of Ebony magazine from July 1960. The cover story was on Fats Domino, and inside there was a photo spread of him and his friends hanging out by the bar in the living room of his mansion. One of the friends in the picture was called Ripoll Roberts, and my mother had drawn an arrow pointing to his name with “Boy” written alongside it."
There it is - so many questions answered and so much about his life that shaped the man and Queen that he is.

[Sabrina Nicole · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a fun insight to Ru's world, and I definitely enjoyed moments of it. As usual, some of Ru's language and way of thinking got in the way of enjoying it.


MILD SPOILER
ie; the segment about the KKK and the review of someone in blackface as part of one of his favorite movies. Not really gonna fly for me, and as a black person, I find both abhorrent but go off.

HOWEVER, I love Mama Ru as an icon, someone willing to follow their goals and do what they set out to do. Ru is entertainment. RuPaul Charles had a rocky road, but definitely will go down in history for what he's done for drag and the LGBTQ movement.

[Marsmannix · Rating 2 out of 5]

First let me say, i love me some drag queen realness, and Mama Ru is the ur-queen of them all.
His first memoir, published in 1994, just as his career took off, is of course a little dated. It reads like it was dictated, and it may very well have been. Ru didn't complete his formal education, but no matter.
So many details glossed over that should have had a fuller treatment. As it is, it's a cute little snapshot of Baby Ru, who would go on to become the Supernova of the Drag Universe.
If you love Ru, you gotta read this, to complete your library.

"if you can't love yourself, how in the hell you gonna love somebody else?"

[Deborah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked a lot of things about this autobiographical book. First of all, it was filled with wonderful photos of RuPaul’s life. It was real; it was not sugarcoated and fake. He used the vernacular quite effectively throughout the book while providing the reader with lots of factual information about himself; his sequencing was quite excellent. Sometimes you felt like you were right there with him. The book was extremely interesting and quite difficult to put down, because you never knew what he was going to be up to next. His creative layering of his life experiences helped the reader to understand how his life has unfolded and led him to where he is today.

[Wendell Barnes · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very interesting autobiography about one of the more interesting personalities of today. Ru has made himself a millionaire through grit and determination and hard work. The book includes many photos and sidebar lists for further insight into the author’s life. I was not aware of this book until the recent publication of the author’s memoir, so I decided to read this as a preface. Very entertaining and readable throughout; however, some parts may be a bit upsetting for a less liberal reader.

[Jane Subsinsky · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful, fun, raunchy memoir. Strong start and finish, some parts in the middle read like an in depth resume. Loved her recollection of recognizing unfolding life-patterns and emotional-scripts. Relevant to contemporary girlboys and queers. IF YOU CAN'T LOVE YOURSELF, HOW IN THE HELL ARE YOU GONNA LOVE SOMEBODY ELSE. CAN I GET AN AMEN?!