katfireblade

There is an old Bloom County comic that comes to mind. It had an Ozzy character, and it showed him on stage just screaming the lyrics for all he was worth; "Death, Satan, Kill, Die!" That sort of thing. Then he goes stalking offstage, and it shows him hiding behind an amp or something, giving himself a pepe talk. "Its okay Ozzy 'ol boy, you just have to get through this and them you can treat yourself to a nice cup 'o tea. I know there's all those people out there, but thats okay, the concert is almost over--" yadda yadda. I forget it exactly, but that was the gist of it. Then someone appears and tells him he's due on stage again, so he gets up, does the touch man strut back onto stage, and is once again screaming "Death, Satan, Kill, Die!" with no one the wiser that just seconds ago he was trembling offstage. And the audience loved him.

So what is he? Introvert or extrovert? World famous star, on stage, strutting and screaming for all he's worth, but in the back, he's shaking fit to die. If he's an introvert, where does he get the courage to go out on that stage at all? But if he's an extrovert, then why is he trembling backstage?

There's lots of people who watch me or hang with me who think I'm an extrovert. I guess in some ways now I am. I mean, its been so long and I've been through so much I didnt have any choice but to handle, and I guess after a while even the worst of us can learn a trick or two. But where people dont see, where I often dont even let my friends know, I am Mr. Star, trembling backstage, giving himself a pep talk between songs so he can find the courage to walk out there again and become a differnt person. And it amazes me how many people dont see this at work. Surely I dont bullshit the world that well....

....do I?

Feh. The last of the Absolut is staring me in the face, as well as the Red Bull still sitting over in the corner. Why the hell not? This week, I'm a fuckin alcoholic.

....I just noticed. You know the opening bit to Richard Cheese's version of "Closer?" Well, it sounds an awful damn lot like the opening to the "Sesame Street" theme song. And the implications there are highly amusing, and more than a little bit creepy as well.