If Conchita Wurst was president, what would be the first proclamation she would make? That was a question asked of her on the French show C à vous last week. It was an interesting question, particularly as when Conchita is asked by journalists if she would ever like to get into politics she always says “No. I’m an artist”.
As for her answer? In full, it’s this (as it’s quite difficult to hear what she says in the video below over the dubbing French TV does):
Well, I would create, obviously, equality for everyone. Because it’s just ridiculous to me that we still have to discuss about the sexual orientation, the color of your skin, your religious beliefs.
I think the most important thing is to accept everybody has a different point of view, and we have to get along together as good as possible. But, I think the worst thing you could do is judge people because they think in a different way.
I think everyone deserves respect, so I show everybody respect even if they are not, you know, in terms of thinking the way I do. But I would love to understand it, and I would love to talk to those people and get the point why do they see things differently.”
Now me, when I hear any artist talk about not judging people and everyone deserving respect, my alarm bells do go off as, let’s face it, it could be nothing more than one gigantic PR campaign. You know, “make the artist look as Buddha-like as possible, and then everyone will love her”.
With her, however, even though I’m quite sure she has a certain ‘image’ she wants to keep up, I still believe her 100 percent. And I believe she believes it too.
What’s even more interesting here, though, is where this kind of conversation naturally leads. Especially when the comment she made after this was her usual one about wanting to meet Vladimir Putin.
And that’s to the subject of Conchita Wurst being a ‘political icon’. As every time someone calls her that, she tells them point blank she’s not.
What interests me more about Conchita being or not being an icon, however, is her take on it. And why she is so adamant she isn’t.
Because here is what she also said about being an icon on Le Tube in France last week (see video below):
“You know people tend to call me a symbol or a spokesperson and, you know, it’s an honor, that I get this kind of description but I don’t see myself like that. Because I’m just me.
I’m not perfect. I just say things that I think are right but it’s not the ultimative (she means ‘ultimate’) truth. There are so many people disagreeing with what I say. The only person I represent is myself. If others follow what I say, then I’m thankful for that. But I never promise anything, except being true to who I am.”
And what always fascinates me about her when she says these things is her idea that a political icon has to be ‘perfect’. And so she thinks she can’t be one because she’s not, and because she’s just saying what she believes. Besides so many people still disagree with her.
And I just want to tell her, “Honey, that’s what a political icon is. They just tell the truth the way they see it. It’s often a truth that would benefit the most people, and a truth they don’t stop talking about even if people disagree with them, because they can’t see the world working properly any other way. And that’s what you do.”
But, see, I’ll also go one step further when it comes to Conchita Wurst. One step further than just political icon. Because, to me, she’s far more than that.
I’ve always thought since I first heard her talk about her beliefs (and not just talk about them but the way she talks about them), the logical conclusion for her a few years down the road is a nomination for a Nobel Peace Prize.
Because the Nobel Committee awards the Peace Prize to people who do an incredible amount of work for human rights or international peace.
Conchita Wurst, she’s talking about equality for everyone, regardless of their sexual orientation, skin color, or religion. Universal equality. And you don’t get much more ‘human rights’ than that.
But, she’s talking about it in such a matter of fact way, to some extent she’s more of a prophet than an icon (cover your ears, Conchita, because, hell, if you can’t deal with ‘icon’, ‘prophet’ is far too much for you to handle). (Yeah, I’m evil).
And, as soon as she gets that message fleshed out, and decides what she’s going to do with it, she’ll be a force of nature, and people will sit up and take notice.
Thing is, she’s already a bit freaked out about being called a ‘political icon’. Can you imagine how she’d feel if she was suddenly a Nobel Laureate? Now that would not only make my day, it would make my life. (Did I say I was evil?)