‘Mama, kudos for saying that. For spilling’ Drag Race meme explained
This is where the ‘Kudos for saying that’ meme comes from. (YouTube/@RuPaul’sDragRace/Twitter/X)
If you’re a queer person with an X/Twitter account, it’s likely that you’ve seen the RuPaul’s Drag Race meme this week that says: “Mama, kudos for saying that. For spilling.”
Divulging serious trauma during a therapy session? “Mama, kudos for saying that. For spilling,” replies your therapist.
Emotionally coming out to your family members? “Mama, kudos for saying that. For spilling,” they respond.
But kudos for what? What is spilling? Here’s everything you need to know about where the meme originated, and some of the best follow-ups.
Where does the ‘Mama, kudos’ meme comes from?
The meme actually comes from a pretty heartfelt and serious discussion on RuPaul’s Drag Race.
In the most recent episode of Drag Race season 16 (15 March), contestant Q revealed to fellow queen Plane Jane that her look on the runway was inspired by the red Aids awareness ribbon, and dedicated to the generation of queer lives lost during the HIV/Aids crisis.
The drag performer proceeded to open up about her own experience of being diagnosed, saying: “I have been HIV-positive for two years.
“When I first got my diagnosis, I felt really lost and alone,” she said through tears. “I tested positive when I was 24. I was scared about how I was going to be treated by family and people around me who don’t understand it because it is so stigmatised.”
But she went on to say how much support she’s had from her husband since then.
In response, Plane Jane replied, with all sincerity: “Mama, kudos for saying that. For spilling.”
The pair then hugged each other.
What does spilling mean?
In the queer dictionary, “spilling” refers to the idea of “spilling the tea,” which means sharing gossip or interesting news. So, by saying “thank you for spilling,” Plane Jane was essentially saying: “Thank you for sharing that news with me.”
Of course, the seemingly “unserious” response from Plane Jane to such a significant and personal revelation has sent the gays of social media into a spiral, and spawned countless memes of the phrase being used in serious situations.
Some of the best include the phrase alongside famous dramatic scenes from The Sixth Sense, Heartstopper and Game of Thrones.
Has Plane Jane responded to the ‘Kudos for saying that’ meme?
In a post on X/Twitter, Plane Jane confirmed that she meant what she said in good faith.
“I meant it sincerely,” she wrote. “Very proud of Q for sharing her status on national television.
“That isn’t to say that I’m not severely socially impaired though, but I think we’ve all clocked that by now.”
Q recently deleted her X/Twitter account following abuse from social media trolls, so it’s not certain whether she’s seen the memes or not. But either way, she’s kick-started a conversation linked to HIV awareness, and the memes will only make that louder.
RuPaul’s Drag Race season 16 continues on Fridays on MTV in the US and WOW Presents Plus internationally.
