Some people might find it weird that I like a variety of different music styles and artists, and do not understand how I can listen to some artists and then to some who are so very different from them. It's not for them to understand. It's my interest, my enjoyment, my entertainment. One thing the artists I like have in common is that they went through some very hard times in their lives, and got through it. They also followed their passion for music and put their talent to good use. They show how important it is to not give up. And this kind of message spans genres. For me, an artist who has passion, motivation, and a will to fight means more than someone who is only in it for the fame, for the money, for the compliments.
I only very rarely add to my list of artists I really admire/love/respect and thoroughly enjoy. Sometimes they are artists who have been around for a long time. Recently, I ended up watching a Culture Club video. Of course, I knew about them. Their music was part of my childhood, but I never really cared. I did not understand them for a variety of reason (not starting to speak English until I was eight was one major reason, and having very conservative parents another). At that time I only had eyes for Michael Jackson and Madonna (which I kind of kept a secret). I don't even know how Boy George ended up on my radar. It was very random. But then I started wondering: "Hm, what is that guy doing these days? Is he still alive? Who is he actually?" So I did some - very superficial - "research".
I found out that he was a judge for the current season of "The Voice UK". Usually not my kind of show, but I was curious (and I have no idea why I suddenly cared about Boy George). Fortunately, I could catch up with BBC iPlayer, so I watched the first episode, then the second, the following day the third, and since then I watched it every week. Mainly because of Boy George. I don't know why, but he just makes me happy, and I could listen to him talking for hours (and some of you know how easy I fall in love with voices - and how random this appears to others).
But I still knew nothing about the man. I looked up the Voice Facebook site and saw some vicious comments about him. Some seemed odd to me, about his past. I thought: "I do not really care about his past, but if I want to understand where that hate comes from, I need to learn more." From my experience as a Michael Jackson fan, I knew that there had to be something that makes people talk like this - even if there was no truth to it. I wanted to know what it was about Boy George that outraged some people. I knew nothing. And I never knew more than three or four of his songs.
So I learned more about him, watched some older interviews, and spent one afternoon just taking it all in.
It was a lot to take in.
I now understood why some people don't like him and think he's not a good person, but I do not understand how people can hold on to something that happened in the past for so long, and judge his character so negatively. He could have done worse things. And it's admiring how he got through his addiction, how he overcame what people call his "downfall", and how he managed to come out of it all as such a beautiful character. The first thing I noticed about him when I saw him on the Voice was the sparkle in his eyes, the joy, but also some deep sadness. I was simply intrigued and deeply touched - and did not understand why. He also made me smile, and even laugh - I basically just enjoy seeing him, and hearing him talk. And I am not a person who simply gets enchanted by people. I like animals more, they are just more honest than people.
I am tempted to learn more about him - but I also am not sure whether I should. I care about him the way he is now. Do I need to know more about his past? Is it really important? He wrote two books, but should I read them? On one hand, I think I should, because I'm sure there are some relevant messages in those books that might help me along my own way. Maybe his story is the story I need to learn about to be able to overcome the block I face in my life right now.
All of that research happened yesterday afternoon. This morning, I woke up after a dream I can't really remember. I only know that I had Boy George's eyes in my mind when I woke up and that he was in that dream. I wish I could remember what happened.
I feel like writing a letter to him.
I feel like writing in general.
And you all know how long I have not written on this blog. Last year, I thought my energy was coming back to me, but it was only temporarily.
Will it be different this time?
I only very rarely add to my list of artists I really admire/love/respect and thoroughly enjoy. Sometimes they are artists who have been around for a long time. Recently, I ended up watching a Culture Club video. Of course, I knew about them. Their music was part of my childhood, but I never really cared. I did not understand them for a variety of reason (not starting to speak English until I was eight was one major reason, and having very conservative parents another). At that time I only had eyes for Michael Jackson and Madonna (which I kind of kept a secret). I don't even know how Boy George ended up on my radar. It was very random. But then I started wondering: "Hm, what is that guy doing these days? Is he still alive? Who is he actually?" So I did some - very superficial - "research".
I found out that he was a judge for the current season of "The Voice UK". Usually not my kind of show, but I was curious (and I have no idea why I suddenly cared about Boy George). Fortunately, I could catch up with BBC iPlayer, so I watched the first episode, then the second, the following day the third, and since then I watched it every week. Mainly because of Boy George. I don't know why, but he just makes me happy, and I could listen to him talking for hours (and some of you know how easy I fall in love with voices - and how random this appears to others).
But I still knew nothing about the man. I looked up the Voice Facebook site and saw some vicious comments about him. Some seemed odd to me, about his past. I thought: "I do not really care about his past, but if I want to understand where that hate comes from, I need to learn more." From my experience as a Michael Jackson fan, I knew that there had to be something that makes people talk like this - even if there was no truth to it. I wanted to know what it was about Boy George that outraged some people. I knew nothing. And I never knew more than three or four of his songs.
So I learned more about him, watched some older interviews, and spent one afternoon just taking it all in.
It was a lot to take in.
I now understood why some people don't like him and think he's not a good person, but I do not understand how people can hold on to something that happened in the past for so long, and judge his character so negatively. He could have done worse things. And it's admiring how he got through his addiction, how he overcame what people call his "downfall", and how he managed to come out of it all as such a beautiful character. The first thing I noticed about him when I saw him on the Voice was the sparkle in his eyes, the joy, but also some deep sadness. I was simply intrigued and deeply touched - and did not understand why. He also made me smile, and even laugh - I basically just enjoy seeing him, and hearing him talk. And I am not a person who simply gets enchanted by people. I like animals more, they are just more honest than people.
I am tempted to learn more about him - but I also am not sure whether I should. I care about him the way he is now. Do I need to know more about his past? Is it really important? He wrote two books, but should I read them? On one hand, I think I should, because I'm sure there are some relevant messages in those books that might help me along my own way. Maybe his story is the story I need to learn about to be able to overcome the block I face in my life right now.
All of that research happened yesterday afternoon. This morning, I woke up after a dream I can't really remember. I only know that I had Boy George's eyes in my mind when I woke up and that he was in that dream. I wish I could remember what happened.
I feel like writing a letter to him.
I feel like writing in general.
And you all know how long I have not written on this blog. Last year, I thought my energy was coming back to me, but it was only temporarily.
Will it be different this time?
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