‘Sometimes the most political act is being yourself.’
–George O’Dowd from ‘Take It Like A Man‘ The Autobiography Of Boy George, with Spencer Bright.
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‘Sometimes the most political act is being yourself.’
–George O’Dowd from ‘Take It Like A Man‘ The Autobiography Of Boy George, with Spencer Bright.
Things In My Head 
I don’t believe in personal authenticity. You only burrow through multiple facades until finally you find a mask that not only fools others but also yourself – for a while at least.
I think a quote like this from O’Dowd – or just about any celebrity for that matter – is a perfect illustration. Someone who never appeared in public without a thick layer of makeup and a carefully constructed persona. A prominent gay rights activist who bullied and assaulted vulnerable male sex workers. Who had songs that could easily be read as a celebration of superficiality. Yet he seems no less attached to the notion of authenticity as a revolutionary virtue than the most uncompromising critics of PR and celebrity hype.
Maybe we sing the praises of authenticity precisely because we suspect it’s something we lack.
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