"We had this party in New York, and there were a lot of gay men there dressed up as the characters. I showed up just looking like myself, but it was a real case of shame. They looked so fantastic. We could never quite live up to it"
About this Quote
Saunders is doing what the best comedians do when faced with adoration: she swerves away from self-congratulation and makes herself the butt of the joke. The setup is already deliciously specific - a New York party, gay men in costume, a fandom that understands the characters as a kind of drag canon. Then comes the punchline disguised as confession: she arrives "just looking like myself" and feels "a real case of shame". It’s inversion as wit. The creator of the thing is outperformed by the people who love it.
The subtext is a quiet tribute to queer audiences as co-authors. If this is about Absolutely Fabulous (and it reads like it), Saunders is acknowledging that the show’s exaggerated femininity, its camp surfaces, and its performative identities were never fully owned by the straight people who wrote and acted them. Gay men show up not merely as fans, but as artisans, polishing the characters into their most crystalline form. Her "They looked so fantastic" lands as praise and as a recognition that camp often reaches its apex in queer hands.
"We could never quite live up to it" is also a sly demotion of celebrity. Saunders punctures the hierarchy where the star is the ultimate authority. Instead, authenticity ("myself") is framed as the weaker costume, while transformation is the real achievement. It’s humility, but it’s also cultural reportage: fandom, drag, and queer nightlife don’t just celebrate pop culture - they upgrade it, and the originals have to accept being lapped.
The subtext is a quiet tribute to queer audiences as co-authors. If this is about Absolutely Fabulous (and it reads like it), Saunders is acknowledging that the show’s exaggerated femininity, its camp surfaces, and its performative identities were never fully owned by the straight people who wrote and acted them. Gay men show up not merely as fans, but as artisans, polishing the characters into their most crystalline form. Her "They looked so fantastic" lands as praise and as a recognition that camp often reaches its apex in queer hands.
"We could never quite live up to it" is also a sly demotion of celebrity. Saunders punctures the hierarchy where the star is the ultimate authority. Instead, authenticity ("myself") is framed as the weaker costume, while transformation is the real achievement. It’s humility, but it’s also cultural reportage: fandom, drag, and queer nightlife don’t just celebrate pop culture - they upgrade it, and the originals have to accept being lapped.
Quote Details
| Topic | Funny |
|---|---|
| Source | Help us find the source |
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