Chad Is The Future Of Drag & RuPaul Makes Him Sissy Up That Walk On SNL

Pete Davidson’s Chad character on Saturday Night Live has been a lot of things. He’s been Jennifer Lopez’s love interest, he’s traveled through time and space to get a glimpse of the afterlife, and now he’s...the future of drag?

“Where’s the next generation? Drag needs someone new!” RuPaul laments on the set of yet another cover shoot for Drag Magazine. Mid-lament, RuPaul locks eyes with the future of drag, Chad. Plucked from obscurity as an assistant on set by none other than drag’s most iconic queen, RuPaul himself, Chad, whether he’s really aware of it or not, is chosen. Let the makeover montage commence! 

Chad has a lot to learn. He gets the crash course in everything from tucking, beating his face for the gods (doing the perfect face of makeup), and how to sissy up his walk. Chad doesn’t quite master...well, most of it. He does impress RuPaul in his attempt to lip sync for his life proving that commitment to the lip-sync is as important, if not more important, than doing a technically good job. 

If anyone can create the next “It” girl, it’s RuPaul, but even RuPaul knows the only way to achieve superstardom is to want it. In all the sketches we’ve seen Chad in since Davidson debuted the character in 2016, we haven’t seen him want too much. It’s part of his...charm?

With a blunt and unceremonious “no,” Chad turns down the opportunity to become the next great drag queen. In everything Chad learned in such a short amount of time, he didn’t quite catch RuPaul’s name. “Bye Ruple,” he says as he lumbers, more than sashays, away. “Some horses were born to run wild,” RuPaul says wistfully knowing what could have been. Apparently, even RuPaul isn’t immune to the inexplicable allure of Chad.

Chad might not take it seriously, but Davidson committed to the role and really dove into drag for the digital short. In a timelapse shared on Saturday Night Live’s Twitter, Davidson sits in the makeup chair for at least two hours getting ready.