George Michael

Nothing, as they say, foreshadowed that the lead singer of the popular 1980s band Wham! George Michael (actually George Panayiotis, an ethnic Greek) would become one of the main disturbers of public peace at the beginning of the new millennium. Back then, he sang simple pop, of course, about love (today his old hit Last Christmas has been re-sung even by the Strelka), jumped around the stage in gym shorts, "boasted" of stubble and hairy legs. After a couple of years of solo career George Michael, characterized by an obviously masculine image, admitted to homosexuality.

In 1998, wanting to get out of depression after the death of his mother and then boyfriend, he aroused himself in a public restroom until he was arrested by the police. And then he made an Outside music video dedicated to it. But today, that clip pales in comparison to Freek's most scandalous video yet. The $1.5 million clip is censored, and the artist is embarrassed to even promote it. The full version can be seen only on the Internet and only for money. George Michael in a red suit imitating muscles, beauties with plastic breasts - exactly like porn stars from virtual reality - on all fours nearby. A Chinese woman, like advertising toothpaste, but so shamelessly erotic that even the TV screen fogs up... The singer himself is squeezing the girl as if he is already telling a vulgar joke about it in the company of tipsy movers.....

For the first time George Michael wants to create a parody of the world of developed sex and capitalism around him, so to speak, to ridicule and denounce. And he is taken seriously and accused of depravity and pedophilia. It's his own fault. In interviews, he is always so detached, cold and respectable that no one would ever suspect him of acting. There are no more distant things from each other than George Michael and sexual promiscuity. What, in fact, is his "freak" - abnormality, perversion?

- Probably, many people resent that in recent years you are always trying to push the boundaries of "what is decent" ...

- I don't do anything obscene. I get criticized for things I had nothing to do with. It's just amazing that the lines from my single "Come on kids, don't be afraid. It's a world of tits and ass, so get ready," people take it literally. George Michael is luring kids into sexual play. I'm not the one doing the luring! I'm just voicing others, only without ad-libs, in plain text. I'll give you a hint. As you listen to "Freeek," imagine that it's not George Michael singing it, but the owner of a porn site, the owner of a video rental store with "adult" movies, etc.

- Let's talk about your relationships with women. Let's imagine a situation: one of your girlfriends, dreaming of children, asks you to become a sperm donor.

- I would say no.

- You don't want kids?

- I just think a child should grow up with two parents. I haven't looked into gay adoption yet, so what's there to talk about? I realize I'm missing out on a lot by not having children, but... You can't be a father without enjoying a woman.

- George, you're known not only as a destroyer of public morals, but also as a fashionista. Do you remember your most expensive purchase?

- Gianni and Donatella Versace came to a few of my shows and invited me to their place. They said I should definitely come down to the showroom. I decided: great, I'm going to get something for free. So I picked up some clothes and they gave me 20% off... The next day I was flying out, I was wearing a beautiful light corduroy jacket from Versace, and the woman at passport control asked me to give her an autograph. As I was signing, I managed to stain my sleeve in red ink. This ruined the jacket irrevocably! So I bought the item for £1700 and "killed" it the very next day!

(from an interview with Joe Willey, Elena Semyonova)