(Read the first part of this 2-part series on Conchita Wurst at Radio Popolare, here).
Conchita Wurst’s interview at Radio Popolare is telling about her personality
Conchita Wurst’s interview with Stefano Paolo Giussani at Radio Popolare in Milan is intriguing. Not just because of her answers to questions about Sanremo (see first part), Vladimir Putin (she has a funny comment about something he did being “kinda gay”) and why it’s important for people to become heroes through small daily actions, but also because of what they show about her personality.
Particularly as the audio file is unedited, so there are sections both before and after the interview you would never get to hear on the actual show itself. (Audio file available here).
And if you take the time to listen carefully to what she says, and how she reacts to certain comments, you can learn a lot about her.
Conchita Wurst is horrible at accepting compliments
I’ve noticed in other interviews, Conchita Wurst is horrible at accepting compliments (sorry, love, you are). That being said, it is still a lovely quality she has, as it proves to me she’s not as stuck on herself or as ‘selfish’ as she might sometimes like us to believe, and she more than proves that here.
From the first question Giussani starts to ask her, “In the new video, Heroes, Conchita is like a Michelangelo masterpiece……”, she starts to deflect the compliments. Always in a humorous way, but deflection nevertheless.
“Oh really”, Conchita jumps in with,and I can only imagine the look on her face. She’s quickly told by Giussani, however, “Yes you are. Don’t worry. You are. Really.” And, for the moment at least, she stops trying to push away the nice thing being said about her.
It doesn’t last long, however, before Giussani is telling her he likes her beard (and can I just say he is a lovely interviewer, and completely in love with Conchita). And again, out comes the deflection, as she moves the attention away from her and onto him, and fumblingly replies, “Yeah… I can see you’re into beards. I think that’s a really nice one” (his, not hers).
She does, however, finally accept a compliment when Giussani tells her she’s so stylish and elegant, she could have just walked out of an Italian fashion magazine.
But back come the deflections minutes later when, after the interview is over, and she and Giussani are preparing to take a selfie together (see photo on part 1), he mentions how proud he was to be able to interview her as “You really are my artist of the moment”.
Conchita then jokes she’s sure, when he meets Lady Gaga, he’ll probably change his mind.
It turns out, however, Giussani has already met Gaga and he still prefers Conchita. And then he says the loveliest thing. “There is something inside your soul I really feel as strong. And as long as you can keep as strong, I can love you”.
And isn’t that what we all hope. That this incredibly wonderful person manages to stay just as she is, no matter what her future holds for her. Although, with all those furious deflections of compliments she always does, I have a feeling she probably will.
Perfection not required
In the months since Eurovision, as Conchita has continued building herself into the person she wants to be and, to some extent, the person she thinks we want her to be (we don’t want you to be anything but happy, love, and you really should remember that), she’s had a tendency to strive for perfection to such a degree, to me, it was just a little worrying.
So I thought this interview was thought-provoking as twice during it, she made comments that showed she’s no more infallible than the rest of us.
The first time was when she said she couldn’t remember what she had talked to Carlo Conti about backstage at Sanremo, and the second was when she admitted she didn’t hear Conti call her ‘Tom’ onstage.
And both are completely unimportant things but, to me, they are a small sign she is maybe subconsciously starting to realize we won’t stop loving her. Even if she isn’t perfect all the time.
Conchita Wurst and Jean Paul Gaultier
Finally, one last thing I always think is lovely about her. When the subject of Jean Paul Gaultier comes up, she does a bit of a dance around the idea of she and him being ‘friends’; always stopping short of quite believing it or saying that it’s so.
To me, it’s telling of where she still is in her head. Loving every moment of what is happening to her, but still not wanting to admit she could actually be friends with one of France’s biggest icons. As then, if she does, she has to believe she’s worthy of that friendship and of all the adoration she gets from everywhere else, and I think there’s a part of her that’s still not absolutely sure. (And isn’t that the sweetest thing!)
All I can say to that is every time I see Jean Paul Gaultier anywhere in her vicinity, he seems so besotted I don’t think there’s any doubt he classifies her as a friend, as well as more than just a bit of a muse. (See video below)