I'm Sort Of A Gay Man Trapped

When People Say, "show Your Face, You're Not Ugly." I Want To Say, "i Know. I'm Not Doing It Because I Think I'm Ugly; I'm Trying To Have Some Control Over My Image. And I'm Allowed To Maintain Some Modicum Of Privacy. But Also I'd Like Not To Be Picked Apart Or For People To Observe When I Put On Ten Pounds Or I Have A Hair Extension Out Of Place." Most People Don't Have To Be Under That Pressure, And I'd Like To Be One Of Them. I Don't Go On Twitter. Because When People Say Things Like, I Don't Know, "i Hope You Get Cancer And Die," It Hurts My Feelings.

I Don't Go To Shows Because I Just Want To Listen To The Music Performed Live. I Want To Get To Know The Person Who's Performing It. Or I Want To, Like, Take Away A Sense That I Had An Experience That Nobody Else Is Going To Have Again, Or A Unique Experience For That Moment.

I'm 39, And I Would Like To Be Able To Make Great Pop Music For Another 20 Years. And It Feels Like Creating A Sort Of Inanimate Blond Bob And Allowing Other People To Play The Role Of The Pop Singer, It Affords Me A Little Bit More Freedom In Terms Of My Expiration Date.

People Aren't Honest About The Horrors Of Fame. The Downsides Are So Overwhelming That, For Me, There Is No Payoff.

When I Was 10, My Parents Really Valued Success In The Arts, And I Thought If I Was A Famous 'something Artistic,' That They Would Love Me More.