Randy Rainbow

Randy Stewart Rainbow (born July 6, 1981) 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]

Randy Rainbow
Born (1981-07-06) July 6, 1981
Huntington, New York, U.S.
OccupationComedian, singer, YouTuber
Years active2010–present
Political partyDemocratic
Websiterandyrainbow.com

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 Trump and his administration are:[16]

Title of parody Release date Original song Original show, movie, or artist
Fact Checker, Fact Checker6 Feb 2017Matchmaker, MatchmakerFiddler on the Roof
You're Making Things Up Again, Donald22 Feb 2017Making Things Up AgainThe Book of Mormon
Unpopular1 May 2017PopularWicked
The Russian Connection 15 May 2017 The Rainbow Connection The Muppet Movie
Very Stable Genius16 Jul 2018Major-General's SongThe Pirates of Penzance
There Is Nothin' Like a Wall14 Jan 2019There Is Nothing Like a DameSouth Pacific
The Donald Trump Cell Block Tango28 Jan 2019Cell Block TangoChicago
Just Impeach Him28 May 2019BreathinAriana Grande et al
Suckers22 Jul 2019SuckerThe Jonas Brothers
Cheeto Christ Stupid-Czar29 Aug 2019SuperstarJesus Christ Superstar
GIULIANI! (Here He Goes Again)17 Oct 2019Mamma MiaABBA
He's Just a GURL Who'll QUID PRO QUO!22 Nov 2019I Cain't Say NoOklahoma!
That Don!20 Jan 2020GastonBeauty and the Beast
No Rules For Donald18 Feb 2020New RulesDua Lipa
Any Dem Will Do3 Mar 2020Any Dream Will Do Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
The Coronavirus Lament14 Mar 2020Adelaide's LamentGuys and Dolls
Social Distance22 Mar 2020Go the DistanceHercules
A Spoonful of Clorox25 Apr 2020A Spoonful of SugarMary Poppins
Distraction19 May 2020TraditionFiddler on the Roof
The Bunker Boy7 Jun 2020The Jitterbugdeleted from The Wizard of Oz
Poor Deplorable Troll6 Jul 2020Poor Unfortunate SoulsThe Little Mermaid
Gee, Anthony Fauci22 Jul 2020Gee, Officer KrupkeWest Side Story
Cover Your Freakin' Face29 Jul 2020Put On a Happy FaceBye Bye Birdie
Kamala!17 Aug 2020CamelotCamelot
I Won't Vote Trump13 Sep 2020I Won't Grow UpPeter Pan
If Donald Got Fired (featuring Patti LuPone)7 Oct 2020If Momma Was MarriedGypsy
How Will You Vote?30 Oct 2020That's How You KnowEnchanted
Don't Tell Donald He's NOT RE-ELECTED TODAY!17 Nov 2020Getting Married TodayCompany
Rudolph the Leaky Lawyer15 Dec 2020Rudolph the Red-Nosed ReindeerGene Autry
Sedition!8 Jan 2021Tradition (repeated by popular request)Fiddler on the Roof
Seasons of Trump 19 Jan 2021 Seasons of Love Rent
Marjorie Taylor Greene3 Feb 2021EvergreenA Star Is Born

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 the next day in an interview with The Advocate and in his video "I Won't Vote Trump".[18]

Personal life

Rainbow is 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
2016GOP DropoutRandy Rainbow6 episodes
2018RuPaul's Drag RaceSpecial GuestEpisode: "Breastworld"
2020Better ThingsAndrewEpisode: "New Orleans"
2020Take Me to the World:
A Stephen Sondheim 90th Celebration		Performer
(song: "By the Sea")		Television Special

Discography

In November 2019, he released a Christmas EP called Hey Gurl, It's Christmas![22] It features seven tracks; the title track is an original song.

Awards and nominations

In 2019, Rainbow was nominated for an Primetime Emmy Award for Best Short Form Variety Series.[23] He was nominated again for the same award in 2020. [24]

References
  1. 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.
  2. "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.
  3. "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.
  4. "Obituaries - Levitt Weinstein Memorial Chapels & Cemeteries". www.levitt-weinstein.com. Archived from the original on January 26, 2018. Retrieved July 17, 2018.
  5. "Gerald Ribner". Obituaries. tributes.com. Archived from the original on July 25, 2018. Retrieved July 24, 2018.
  6. "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.
  7. Voss, Brandon (July 26, 2010). "Mel Gibsons Rainbow Connection". Advocate.com. Archived from the original on December 14, 2011. Retrieved December 5, 2013.
  8. "RandyRainbow.com". Therandyrainbowblahg.blogspot.com. March 20, 2013. Archived from the original on February 7, 2011. Retrieved December 5, 2013.
  9. "Randy Rainbow". YouTube. Archived from the original on May 23, 2014. Retrieved December 5, 2013.
  10. 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.
  11. "Randy Rainbow News and Photos". Queerty. Archived from the original on July 31, 2017. Retrieved July 31, 2017.
  12. "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.
  13. 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.
  14. 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.
  15. 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.
  16. "Randy Rainbow Videos". YouTube. Retrieved January 3, 2021.
  17. 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.
  18. 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.
  19. "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.
  20. 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.
  21. 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.
  22. "Randy Rainbow — Recordings". Randy Rainbow. Archived from the original on March 28, 2020. Retrieved March 28, 2020.
  23. "Emmys 2019: List of Nominations". Variety. July 16, 2019. Archived from the original on July 18, 2019. Retrieved July 17, 2019.
  24. "72nd Emmy Awards Nominees and Winners". Emmys.com. Emmy's. Archived from the original on July 28, 2020. Retrieved July 28, 2020.
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