Entrevista a John Lydon (The Guardian)

(Foto: http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Media/Pix/pictures/2008/09/22/johnlydon460.jpg )

Simpatize-se ou não com John Lydon/Johnny Rotten, a sua capacidade e persistência subversivas não deixam de ser  dignas de nota e, em termos pessoais, mesmo de alguma admiração...

Lydon foi entrevistado pelo jornal britânico The Guardian (jornalista Michael Odell) no âmbito do início da tournée dos PIL nos EUA. Uma longa entrevista, disponível na íntegra aqui, e cujo elemento distintivo é precisamente o modo como Lydon insiste em quebrar as mais elementares convenções sociais em cada uma das suas respostas...sempre polémicas, sempre irreverentes, inesperadas e (a maior parte das vezes) hilariantes....com excepção de quando aborda a dor pela perda dos pais, ou a sua dificuldade em lidar com a morte...

Ficam alguns excertos da entrevista.

Subvertendo a ideia (que ele sabe que existirá) de que se "vendeu" ao fazer anúncios publicitários televisivos (como os da manteiga "Countrylife", que se reproduzem abaixo), ele mostra-se enfurecido com a falta de visão de tantas outras marcas (tais como a da cerveja que bebe, ou dos cigarros que fuma) que não vêem o seu potencial:

"I showed what I can do with butter, right?" he says. "Eighty-five percent increase in sales. I'm very proud of them Country Life ads. They were funny and clever and classy like the Toblerone ads I grew up with. But no one's come in for me with anything else. Like … Red Stripe lager! I drink lakes of this stuff. Why haven't I been signed up for something like that? Or Marlboro fags? It amazes me that people don't get the opportunity of me. I sell."

Na verdade, na entrevista John revela que fez os anúncios da Countrylife para financiar a tournée dos PIL, depois daquilo a que chama de "sabotagem industrial" por parte da editora Virgin...

Questão: Sobre se se prepara fisicamente para os concertos:

"Nah! Never. None of that. Sorry. Not a sportsman. Not selling aerobics videos am I? I'm me. People will get me for two-and-a-half hours giving my all. And that's a lot. It's real, it's honest, and I don't need a personal trainer or someone with an oxygen tank at the side of the stage.(...) No, I will not work out for the people. They will accept my frailties. PiL is a rave full of real people with good hearts and minds. Morons will be refunded at the door."

Questão: Se sente falta de Malcolm MacLaren:

"Malcolm McLaren didn't inspire. He took credit for things he didn't do. So fuck him. I'm not great at dealing with death, I have to say. I find death very hard: my mum, my dad, Sid Vicious. I'm not a monster; I feel it and it scares me. One death at a time please is all my heart will bear."

Questão: Dicas de sobrevivência no contexto da recessão actual:

"Move to Italy. I mean it: they know about living in debt, they don't care. I stayed out there for five months while I was making a film called Order Of Death and they've really got it sussed. Nice cars. Sharp suits. Great food. Stroll into work at 10. Lunch from 12 till three. Leave work at five. That's living! Their fascist and communist regimes come and go but they don't really mind as long as the football team plays well and they've got Leonardo Da Vinci hanging in the gallery. It's amazing! You know we've made it so hard for ourselves living on that rain-soaked rock. We're in the EU, we have freedom of movement around the continent! I'm surprised that there isn't 60 million people at Dover making their way south to the boot-shaped promised land!"

Sobre o facto de Lady Gaga o ter apelidado de "awesome rebel":

"Did she? Did she really? I like that a lot. Oh, she's marvellous and I'm glad she has knowledge of my doings. I'm a sucker for a little bit of respect. But yes, I think Paparazzi was one of the best things last year. She's comic and clever.(...)"

Questão: Se já tem um iPAD:

"Is that what you put on your face when someone punches you in the face? We used a steak in my day ... hur hur. No, I do not have an iPad. Don't be ridiculous. Don't get me wrong: I embrace the internet up to a point. I maintain johnlydon.com as a fortress of truth against lies and viciousness and innuendo. It's the only way to keep the liars at bay. But I'm not so cosy with the internet that I need to carry it around on a thing that looks like a slice of toast. No way."

Aqui ficam então os anúncios publicitários "Johnny says Countrylife tastes the best":