Randy Rainbow
Randy Rainbow | |
---|---|
Born | Huntington, New York, U.S. |
Occupation | Comedian, singer, YouTuber |
Years active | 2010–present |
Known for | Political satire, parody music |
Political party | Democratic |
Website | randyrainbow |
Randy Stewart Rainbow is an American comedian and singer, best known for videos published on YouTube, in which he spoofs interviews with famous figures and parodies musical numbers with a political focus.[1][2]
Early life[]
Randy Rainbow was born to a Jewish family in Huntington, New York. He grew up in Commack, New York. When he was 10 years old, his father, Gerry Rainbow (né Ribner),[3][4][5] a musician and talent booker,[6] moved the family to Plantation, Florida. Rainbow credits his grandmother as his greatest comedic influence. In a 2017 interview with The New York Times, he recalled "It was really my grandmother who was the biggest influence because she'd talk back to the celebrities and politicians on TV. She was a combination of Joan Rivers, Elaine Stritch, Betty White, and Bea Arthur rolled into one." After dropping out of community college in his early 20s, Rainbow moved back to New York to pursue a theatrical career. It was then he began blogging and making comedic videos.[1]
Career[]
Blog[]
Rainbow created his blog, The Randy Rainbow Bloggity BLAHg-BLAHg, to document his theatrical experiences and "kvetch about my day-to-day as a single homo in the city."[7][8]
Celebrity videos[]
In his early work, Rainbow stages fake phone conversations with famous people by editing real audio clips of those celebrities. He posted his breakout video, "Randy Rainbow is Dating Mel Gibson" in 2010. It received more than 60,000 views in one week and has since surpassed 170,000 views. Subsequent videos include "Randy Rainbow Calls Lindsay Lohan", "Randy Rainbow Calls Dr. Laura", "The Morning After Chelsea's Wedding", "Randy Rainbow Gets a Job (from Rachel Zoe?)", "Randy Rainbow Kicks It with Kanye West", and "Randy Rainbow Spends Christmas with Mel Gibson". Michael Urie appeared as himself in "Randy Rainbow Getting Married?" Tituss Burgess appeared as himself in "Randy Rainbow Stars in a Show!" Brent Corrigan appeared as himself in "Randy Rainbow Makes a Sex Tape (w/Mel Gibson)". Rainbow's cat Mushi also plays a prominent role in his videos.[9]
Rainbow's videos have been featured on a number of blogs. Popular LGBT blogs Towleroad and Queerty have reposted many of his videos since "Randy Rainbow is Dating Mel Gibson".[10][11] His Lohan clip was featured by Perez Hilton.[12] Rainbow made a guest appearance in Tituss and the Tightass Band, a 2010 benefit concert for The Trevor Project at New World Stages.[13] He also made a guest appearance in the third annual Living for Today benefit concert at the Laurie Beechman Theatre.[14] Rainbow appeared on the cover of Out Front Colorado.[15]
Political videos[]
Rainbow gained a larger audience and shifted focus during the 2016 American presidential campaign, with a series of spoof interviews and musical parodies skewering the election process and the candidates, especially Donald Trump, who became Rainbow's primary subject following his nomination by the Republican party and subsequent election. Among the musical parodies he has done about politics are:[16]
Title of parody | Release date | Original song | Original show, movie, or artist |
---|---|---|---|
Braggadocious | 26 Sep 2016 | Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious | Mary Poppins |
The Nasty Woman | 24 Oct 2016 | The Lonely Goatherd | The Sound of Music |
Alternative Facts | 24 Jan 2017 | Jellicle Cats | Cats |
Fact Checker, Fact Checker | 6 Feb 2017 | Matchmaker, Matchmaker | Fiddler on the Roof |
You're Making Things Up Again, Donald | 22 Feb 2017 | Making Things Up Again | The Book of Mormon |
Unpopular | Apr 29 2017 | Popular | Wicked |
The Russian Connection | 15 May 2017 | The Rainbow Connection | The Muppet Movie |
The Covfefe Broadway Medley | 2 Jun 2017 | Various | |
Before He Tweets | 5 Jul 2017 | Before He Cheats | Carrie Underwood |
The Room Where It Happens | 21 Jul 2017 | The Room Where It Happens | Hamilton |
How Do You Solve a Problem Like Korea? | 25 Sep 2017 | Maria; Rocket Man | The Sound of Music; Elton John |
Desperate Cheeto | 11 Oct 2017 | Despacito | Luis Fonsi featuring Daddy Yankee |
She Was 16 Going On 17 (Roy Moore Was 32) | 11 Dec 2017 | Sixteen Going on Seventeen | The Sound of Music |
All About His Base | 29 Jan 2018 | All About That Bass | Meghan Trainor |
Stand By Your Man (Donald Trump) | 14 Feb 2018 | Stand by Your Man | Tammy Wynette |
You Can't Stop His Tweets | 9 Apr 2018 | You Can't Stop the Beat | Hairspray |
Rudy and The Beast | 7 May 2018 | Beauty and the Beast | Beauty and the Beast |
A Very Stable Genius | 16 Jul 2018 | Major-General's Song | The Pirates of Penzance |
If You Ever Got Impeached | Aug 27, 2018 | If I Only Had a Brain | The Wizard of Oz |
Omarosa | 4 Sep 2018 | Oklahoma! | Oklahoma! |
Kavanaugh | 24 Sep 2018 | Camelot | Camelot |
Just Be Best | 15 Oct 2018 | Be Our Guest | Beauty and the Beast |
Trump's Favorite Things | 5 Dec 2018 | My Favorite Things | The Sound of Music |
There Is Nothin' Like a Wall | 14 Jan 2019 | There Is Nothing Like a Dame | South Pacific |
The Donald Trump Cell Block Tango (Part 1) | 28 Jan 2019 | Cell Block Tango | Chicago |
Cruella DeVos | 5 Apr 2019 | Cruella de vil | 101 Dalmatians |
Barr! | 29 Apr 2019 | Belle | Beauty and the Beast |
Just Impeach Him | 28 May 2019 | Breathin | Ariana Grande et al. |
Suckers | 22 Jul 2019 | Sucker | The Jonas Brothers |
Cheeto Christ Stupid-Czar | 29 Aug 2019 | Superstar | Jesus Christ Superstar |
GIULIANI! (Here He Goes Again) | 17 Oct 2019 | Mamma Mia | ABBA |
He's Just a GURL Who'll QUID PRO QUO! | 22 Nov 2019 | I Cain't Say No | Oklahoma! |
That Don! | 20 Jan 2020 | Gaston | Beauty and the Beast |
No Rules For Donald | 18 Feb 2020 | New Rules | Dua Lipa |
Any Dem Will Do | 3 Mar 2020 | Any Dream Will Do | Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat |
The Coronavirus Lament | 14 Mar 2020 | Adelaide's Lament | Guys and Dolls |
Social Distance | 22 Mar 2020 | Go the Distance | Hercules |
Andy | 6 Apr 2020 | Sandy | Grease |
A Spoonful of Clorox | 25 Apr 2020 | A Spoonful of Sugar | Mary Poppins |
Distraction | 19 May 2020 | Tradition | Fiddler on the Roof |
The Bunker Boy | 7 Jun 2020 | The Jitterbug | deleted from The Wizard of Oz |
Cover Your Freakin' Face | 29 Jun 2020 | Put On a Happy Face | Bye Bye Birdie |
Poor Deplorable Troll | 6 Jul 2020 | Poor Unfortunate Souls | The Little Mermaid |
Gee, Anthony Fauci | 22 Jul 2020 | Gee, Officer Krupke | West Side Story |
Kamala! | 17 Aug 2020 | Camelot | Camelot |
I Won't Vote Trump | 13 Sep 2020 | I Won't Grow Up | Peter Pan |
If Donald Got Fired (featuring Patti LuPone) | 7 Oct 2020 | If Momma Was Married | Gypsy |
How Will You Vote? | 30 Oct 2020 | That's How You Know | Enchanted |
Don't Tell Donald He's NOT RE-ELECTED TODAY! | 17 Nov 2020 | Getting Married Today | Company |
Rudolph the Leaky Lawyer | 15 Dec 2020 | Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer | Gene Autry |
Sedition! | 8 Jan 2021 | Tradition (repeated by popular request) | Fiddler on the Roof |
Seasons of Trump | 19 Jan 2021 | Seasons of Love | Rent |
Marjorie Taylor Greene | 3 Feb 2021 | Evergreen | A Star Is Born |
Mr. Biden, Bring My Vaccine | 9 Mar 2021 | Mr. Sandman | The Chordettes |
Ted and Lindsey | 5 Apr 2021 | Kansas City | Oklahoma! |
Clang, Clang, Clang Went Josh Hawley | 10 May 2021 | The Trolley Song | Meet Me in St. Louis |
Controversy[]
In August 2020, critics of Randy Rainbow circulated a collection of about 60 tweets posted between 2010 and 2016 on social media, highlighting his history of transphobic and racist statements.[17] Rainbow apologized on August 20 in an interview with The Advocate.[18]
Personal life[]
Rainbow is openly gay and Jewish.[19] He was born on Long Island, lived in Queens for 17 years and has been residing in Manhattan since July 2019. He has also lived in Florida, where he attended school, including community college.[20][21]
Filmography[]
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
2016 | GOP Dropout | Randy Rainbow | 6 episodes |
2018 | RuPaul's Drag Race | Special Guest | Episode: "Breastworld" |
2020 | Better Things | Andrew | Episode: "New Orleans" |
2020 | Take Me to the World: A Sondheim 90th Celebration | Performer (song: "By the Sea") |
Television Special |
Discography[]
In August 2012, Rainbow released two original songs: a jingle that he wrote for Chick-fil-A from when he worked there[22] and "An Old-Fashioned Wedding," plus a parody of Lady Gaga's "Born This Way" called "Born This Gay." On November 8, 2019, he released a Christmas EP called Hey Gurl, It's Christmas![23] It features seven tracks, including a studio version of "Trump's Favorite Things." The title track is an original song.
In June 2021, he announced the Pink Glasses Tour, which is set to start on September 17, 2021 in St. Louis.[24]
Awards and nominations[]
Rainbow was nominated for an Primetime Emmy Award for Best Short Form Variety Series in 2019,[25] 2020,[26] and 2021.[27]
References[]
- ^ Jump up to: a b Morris, Bob (June 23, 2017). "YouTube Star Randy Rainbow Brings Sass to His Trump Bashing". The New York Times. Archived from the original on July 31, 2017. Retrieved July 31, 2017.
- ^ "Randy Rainbow Has Built A Viral-Video Empire From His Queens Apartment". www.wbur.org. Archived from the original on March 28, 2020. Retrieved March 28, 2020.
- ^ "Gerald (Gerry) Rainbow, Class of 1953 - Monroe High School - Classmates". www.classmates.com. Archived from the original on July 17, 2018. Retrieved July 17, 2018.
- ^ "Obituaries - Levitt Weinstein Memorial Chapels & Cemeteries". www.levitt-weinstein.com. Archived from the original on January 26, 2018. Retrieved July 17, 2018.
- ^ "Gerald Ribner". Obituaries. tributes.com. Archived from the original on July 25, 2018. Retrieved July 24, 2018.
- ^ "In an Ugly Election Year, Randy Rainbow Uses Musical Parody to Bring on the Laughs". Archived from the original on July 18, 2018. Retrieved July 17, 2018.
- ^ Voss, Brandon (July 26, 2010). "Mel Gibsons Rainbow Connection". Advocate.com. Archived from the original on December 14, 2011. Retrieved December 5, 2013.
- ^ "RandyRainbow.com". Therandyrainbowblahg.blogspot.com. March 20, 2013. Archived from the original on February 7, 2011. Retrieved December 5, 2013.
- ^ "Randy Rainbow". YouTube. Archived from the original on May 23, 2014. Retrieved December 5, 2013.
- ^ Mandell, Sean (July 20, 2016). "Randy Rainbow Spells It Out: 'We Got Trump Trouble, America'". Towleroad. Archived from the original on March 16, 2015. Retrieved July 31, 2017.
- ^ "Randy Rainbow News and Photos". Queerty. Archived from the original on July 31, 2017. Retrieved July 31, 2017.
- ^ "ICYMI: Will & Grace Cast Sparked Even More Reunion Rumors With This Broadway-Style Hillary Clinton Support Song!". Perez Hilton. November 1, 2016. Archived from the original on July 31, 2017. Retrieved July 31, 2017.
- ^ Hetrick, Adam (October 30, 2010). "Tituss Burgess Performs Trevor Project Benefit Concert Oct. 30". Playbill. Archived from the original on July 31, 2017. Retrieved July 31, 2017.
- ^ Hetrick, Adam (October 22, 2010). "Jill Paice and Kate Jennings Grant Added to Living for Today Concert". Playbill. Archived from the original on July 31, 2017. Retrieved July 31, 2017.
- ^ Compton, Julie (October 13, 2016). "Comedian Randy Rainbow brings humor to tense election year". NBC News. Archived from the original on July 31, 2017. Retrieved July 31, 2017.
- ^ "Randy Rainbow Videos". YouTube. Retrieved January 3, 2021.
- ^ Bollinger, Alex (August 19, 2020). "Randy Rainbow's racist & transphobic tweets resurface. There are dozens". LGBTQNation. Archived from the original on August 25, 2020. Retrieved August 25, 2020.
- ^ Artavia, David (August 20, 2020). "Randy Rainbow on Emmy Nom and Resurfaced Racist, Transphobic Tweets". Archived from the original on August 25, 2020. Retrieved August 25, 2020.
- ^ "Randy Rainbow Is the Gay Jewish Crooner of the Christmas Season". www.advocate.com. December 13, 2019. Archived from the original on December 14, 2019. Retrieved April 25, 2020.
- ^ mike (July 15, 2019). "Randy Rainbow Moves To Upper West Side". I Love The Upper West Side. Archived from the original on September 18, 2020. Retrieved November 11, 2020.
- ^ Robinson, AuthorPam (July 17, 2019). "Huntington Native Randy Rainbow Nominated for Emmy". HuntingtonNow.com. Archived from the original on October 29, 2020. Retrieved November 11, 2020.
- ^ "WATCH Randy Rainbow Serves Chick fil A to Sarah Palin". www.advocate.com. August 2, 2012. Retrieved June 22, 2021.
- ^ "Randy Rainbow — Recordings". Randy Rainbow. Archived from the original on March 28, 2020. Retrieved March 28, 2020.
- ^ "@RandyRainbow". Twitter. June 7, 2021. Retrieved July 17, 2021.
- ^ "Emmys 2019: List of Nominations". Variety. July 16, 2019. Archived from the original on July 18, 2019. Retrieved July 17, 2019.
- ^ "72nd Emmy Awards Nominees and Winners". Emmys.com. Emmy's. Archived from the original on July 28, 2020. Retrieved July 28, 2020.
- ^ Lieber, Sarah Jae (July 13, 2021). "HAMILTON, Cynthia Erivo, Bernadette Peters & More Earn 2021 Emmy Nominations - See the Full List!". Broadway World. Retrieved July 17, 2021.
External links[]
- 1981 births
- Living people
- American bloggers
- LGBT Jews
- LGBT YouTubers
- LGBT writers from the United States
- Gay comedians
- LGBT singers from the United States
- People from Long Island
- People from Plantation, Florida
- LGBT people from New York (state)
- LGBT people from Florida
- 21st-century American comedians
- 21st-century American singers
- 21st-century male singers
- American male comedians
- American male singers
- Singers from New York (state)
- Singers from Florida
- Gay musicians
- Gay writers
- Jewish singers
- Jewish American male comedians
- 20th-century LGBT people
- 21st-century LGBT people