Magpakailanman: Taylor Sheesh, the Pinoy Taylor Swift! (Full Interview) #MPK
Ikinuwento ni John Mac Coronel ang kanyang mga pinagdaanan bago siya nakilala bilang isang sikat na drag queen na si Taylor Sheesh.
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00:00 Mark, how old were you when you felt that you were different?
00:05 Actually, I don't remember how old I was, but I felt that I was around grade 4.
00:10 - You were still young. - Yes.
00:13 - So about 9 or 10 years old. - Yes, something like that.
00:17 What did your parents react to that?
00:20 At first, they didn't accept it.
00:23 - They were angry. - You were still young, 9 or 10 years old.
00:26 At first, they didn't notice it. I was still in school, I was still a becky.
00:32 But when I got home, I was a different personality.
00:35 Why? At that young age, 9 or 10?
00:38 - I was a bit scared. - Of your parents?
00:41 Yes, that they might not accept me or that they might fire me.
00:45 - I was in those instances. - But in school?
00:48 In school, I was really gay.
00:51 - I was loud and loud. - You were open to your classmates and friends.
00:55 - When you felt that you were different, - Yes.
01:01 did you force yourself to be gay?
01:05 - I tried, but it didn't work. - You tried? How?
01:09 I tried to avoid my gay friends.
01:12 I wanted to hang out with guys, so I tried.
01:15 But it didn't work. I wasn't straight.
01:19 So you weren't the type of baking boy who likes to play with girls,
01:26 - who wears girls' clothes. - No.
01:29 - You weren't like that? - I didn't wear clothes, but I played with girls.
01:33 - Dolls? - I played with dolls, and cooked.
01:37 I stole my brother's underwear because there were gifts for him from his dad.
01:41 So your parents were the same, strict? They didn't want you to be like that?
01:46 - Yes, they didn't accept me. - Oh my.
01:48 - Your mother? - Yes.
01:50 What did your parents tell you?
01:52 They told me to stop being like that, and to control my weight.
01:58 How did that feel?
02:01 - I was afraid. - You were obeying them.
02:05 Yes, I was. Sometimes I would limit my weight in school,
02:09 or I would avoid my gay friends.
02:12 - I would say, "For now." - Were you the only male in your family?
02:15 No, I had a second brother.
02:17 - Did you have a girlfriend? - I had a nephew.
02:19 - You had a nephew? - Yes.
02:21 What did you dream of when you were a teenager?
02:27 I wanted to be a flight attendant.
02:31 A flight attendant? There are also male flight attendants, right?
02:36 Yes, a male flight attendant.
02:38 Why?
02:40 I wanted to travel, and see different people.
02:46 Since I have a personality, I wanted to use it.
02:51 I wanted to be a flight attendant.
02:54 But your studies didn't continue there, right?
03:01 - Yes. - What did you get?
03:03 My mom bought a course for me.
03:06 I don't think I can take that course because it's expensive.
03:11 So my mom bought me an Associate in Computer Technology.
03:15 - You finished that course in two years? - Yes.
03:18 When did you start to idolize Taylor Swift?
03:24 In 2009, in my third year of high school.
03:27 - You were still in high school? - Yes.
03:29 I heard her song "15".
03:32 I was really into that song.
03:35 I had a crush on her at that time.
03:38 - You had a crush on a guy? - Yes.
03:40 - You had a crush on a guy? - Yes.
03:42 She was aware that I had a crush on her.
03:45 Okay.
03:47 What was the title of that song?
03:50 - "15". - "15"?
03:52 - Yes. - The title was "15"? - Yes.
03:54 I'm sorry. I'm not familiar with those songs.
03:58 Can you sing a line or two?
04:02 I can sing "National T.V."
04:04 Sing a little bit so I can identify.
04:09 "Cause when you're 15, somebody's gonna tell that you're..."
04:14 "They love you and you're gonna believe them."
04:17 "At a young age, they can manipulate you."
04:20 It's like puppy love.
04:24 Did you fall in love with the song or Taylor Swift?
04:29 I was really into the song.
04:31 After that, I listened to her other songs.
04:36 I was really into her other songs.
04:39 I fell in love with Taylor Swift.
04:43 Did you already have a crush on her when you were good at lip-syncing?
04:50 - No. - Your talent?
04:52 I really didn't have any idea.
04:55 When did you start?
04:57 How did you find yourself?
05:01 "Wait, I think I have a talent."
05:04 When it started in 2017,
05:07 my friend introduced me to drag race.
05:12 It's all about gays.
05:14 I watched it and I was entertained.
05:16 I watched it the whole season.
05:18 My friends were just playing around with lip-sync battles.
05:23 We went to a club in BGC.
05:26 We were dressed up in drag.
05:29 We thought it was just a party.
05:31 We didn't expect there to be a lip-sync battle.
05:33 I asked my friend to join.
05:36 Didn't you sing Lady Gaga?
05:39 Yes, "Bad Romance" was the last one.
05:41 There was a theme that night.
05:43 - What theme? - Lady Gaga night.
05:46 We were dressed up as Lady Gaga.
05:49 I won. I didn't expect it.
05:52 I just went with the flow and the humor.
05:56 Why did I win?
05:58 I discovered that I had potential.
06:01 So you didn't have a plan?
06:04 I just wanted to be an audience.
06:07 I was entertained by the performers.
06:10 I didn't want to wear women's clothes before.
06:14 I wanted to be able to express my feelings.
06:17 I wanted to be a hot girl.
06:20 Why did you join the contest?
06:22 My friend pushed me to join.
06:25 - He literally pushed you? - He said, "Join the contest."
06:28 - I didn't expect it. - You resisted?
06:31 Yes. I thought it was just a runway.
06:33 I was wondering if I was doing it right.
06:37 I was glad I won.
06:39 I discovered that I had already auditioned for that bar.
06:43 I was hoping to have a chance to be on comedy.
06:48 Did you really get sick?
06:51 I had body dysmorphia.
06:54 I was mentally ill.
06:57 I felt like I was super thin.
07:01 It was unhealthy for me.
07:03 I ate too much.
07:05 I felt like I ate too much.
07:09 I wasn't proud of my body.
07:15 - What kind of illness was it? - Body dysmorphia.
07:19 - Body dysmorphia? - Yes.
07:21 What kind of illness was it?
07:23 I was just thinking that I wasn't accepting my flaws.
07:31 But whatever I ate or worked out, it was the same.
07:36 What did you not like about yourself?
07:39 - Being thin. - Being thin?
07:43 Yes. I was like, "Oh, okay."
07:45 There are thin people who are caring.
07:47 But there are thin people who look unhealthy.
07:50 That's how I feel now.
07:52 - Up to now? - Yes.
07:54 Whatever I eat, I take vitamins and consultations.
07:58 It's still the same.
08:00 It's good to eat.
08:02 I think it's my metabolism.
08:05 Have you tried to consult a doctor?
08:07 Yes. It's okay.
08:09 They suggested vitamins and diets.
08:14 - I tried it. - But you're healthy.
08:17 Yes. I just rarely get sick.
08:19 - You're strong. - Yes.
08:21 - You don't get tired easily. - No.
08:24 - If you eat well, you'll get... - I'll eat.
08:27 I'll eat. I'll powerlapse.
08:29 After that, I'll be full.
08:32 After that, I'll be hungry again.
08:34 Then, I'll eat.
08:36 Why do you say that you're sick?
08:40 - It's normal. - Yes.
08:42 But sometimes, when I'm alone,
08:45 I see myself in the mirror before I fix my makeup.
08:49 I feel like, "Why is my body like this?"
08:52 I feel like there's something wrong.
08:55 I always think that...
08:58 - There's something wrong. - You think you're ugly?
09:00 - You think you're ugly? - Yes.
09:02 I feel like my body doesn't fit.
09:04 - Your body? - Yes.
09:06 I feel like it doesn't fit.
09:08 I want to have a little bit of fat.
09:11 That's okay. I want to lose weight.
09:16 - I feel like I'm going to lose weight. - I tried to lose weight.
09:18 - Isn't that normal? - Yes.
09:20 - But it has a different effect. - Really?
09:22 Yes. I feel like I'm sick even though I don't have any.
09:27 I don't feel confident when I go out.
09:30 - I feel like I'm too thin. - How long have you been sick?
09:34 It's been a long time.
09:36 Maybe since high school.
09:38 I was a bit chubby in elementary.
09:41 Then, in high school, I started to get thin.
09:45 I was being told that I'm fat.
09:48 - I was always in the feeding probe. - Other people were spreading rumors.
09:51 Yes.
09:53 It was a bit stressful.
09:55 How did you get over your illness?
09:57 I just accepted it.
09:59 I did everything I could.
10:03 I just needed to accept it.
10:05 I always look at the good side.
10:08 I'm thankful that my body is in good shape.
10:12 I rarely get sick.
10:14 Yes. That's right.
10:16 How much do you weigh now?
10:18 I'm 44 kilos.
10:20 44 kilos.
10:22 - So, you're not even 100 pounds yet. - No.
10:24 - You're not yet. - I think so.
10:26 - How tall are you? - I'm 5'7".
10:28 - You're really underweight. - Yes.
10:32 You're still small. Is your body that small?
10:36 No. I'm still chubby until grade 6.
10:39 I'm still chubby.
10:41 But, when I got to high school, I started to get fat.
10:44 I don't know why.
10:46 What was the first thing that you discovered?
10:48 How did you become a professional?
10:51 I discovered it in a club that I joined.
10:57 The manager there was watching me.
10:59 After I won, the next day, he messaged me
11:02 - if I can audition. - Yes.
11:04 He asked me to audition for his bar
11:07 so that he can have weekly shows every Friday and Saturday.
11:10 He gave me tips, advice, and suggestions
11:14 to improve my drag.
11:17 So that I can discover who I am as a performer.
11:21 What did you experience in the club?
11:25 There were people who weren't yet cultured in the world of drag.
11:30 For example, there were worse.
11:34 When you're already hanging out,
11:37 after a show, some people pull wigs.
11:40 There were random people who pull wigs without consent.
11:44 There were people who hug you out of nowhere
11:47 just to take a picture.
11:49 I felt that my body was weak.
11:53 I didn't want to do any physical activities
11:55 because my body is weak.
11:57 I'm quick to pull wigs.
11:59 So, there were bars like that.
12:01 We were just educating people
12:03 to at least ask for consent.
12:08 But isn't that how it is in clubs?
12:11 We accepted it, especially those who are already drunk.
12:16 Yes, that's how it is.
12:18 We just told them,
12:20 or even their friends,
12:22 that this is the culture we should respect as performers.
12:26 Because we're the ones who are left behind in that club.
12:30 Of course, during the pandemic, those clubs were closed.
12:34 How did you survive without a job?
12:39 I applied as a call center agent.
12:42 I worked from home.
12:44 During rest days or free time,
12:46 my friends and I would do FB live shows.
12:50 We would do live shows on Facebook
12:52 so that our drug would continue
12:55 and so that there would be more audiences.
12:58 How did you become famous?
13:01 How did you become known as Taylor Swift?
13:04 It started last year in May
13:09 when Taylor Swift announced The Eras Tour.
13:12 The leg of her tours.
13:16 Unfortunately, there was no Asia.
13:18 I mean, there were no Philippines.
13:20 Only Singapore and Japan.
13:22 So, Swifties Philippines contacted me
13:26 to do a tour
13:29 so that fans could at least experience it.
13:31 And us too, no matter what.
13:33 We made a concept,
13:35 what songs we would do,
13:37 what costumes.
13:38 When we performed at the mall,
13:40 I didn't expect it to be a boom.
13:45 Because the day after the performance,
13:47 I came home from work.
13:49 Someone tweeted a random person from another country
13:53 in an article on Rolling Stones.
13:55 At first, I thought it was just a random page.
14:00 But when I read it, I verified the account.
14:03 It was really Rolling Stones.
14:05 I saw it and I was like, "Oh, I'm in trouble."
14:07 I was there, I didn't expect it.
14:09 What do you mean you're in trouble?
14:11 It was unexpected.
14:13 I saw the details, I got the right ones.
14:15 I was like, "Oh my God, it's true, it's Rolling Stones."
14:18 That's when the broadcasting companies started.
14:22 I contacted them, I had an interview.
14:25 Until now, I can't forget it.
14:28 How was it when your parents accepted you?
14:34 At first, I didn't really come out on stage.
14:38 There were times like that.
14:40 After the next gig, I would be reported on the internet,
14:45 on TV.
14:47 When I went home, we didn't talk about it.
14:51 Maybe they just accepted it quietly.
14:53 "Oh, this is how famous my son is."
14:56 I was really shocked.
14:58 So it means they already accepted you.
15:02 They already accepted me.
15:03 They understood you.
15:04 They understood me.
15:05 So your relationship with them is good now.
15:09 It's really good.
15:10 Sometimes, they watch shows with our family.
15:14 When there's a venue nearby.
15:16 Really?
15:17 Yes.
15:18 What did you want to say?
15:20 There are parents who can't understand or accept their children
15:29 who went through the process that you went through.
15:32 For me, for parents who have children like that,
15:37 we shouldn't pressure them.
15:40 Take their time first to discover who they really are.
15:45 After that, we shouldn't force them to accept us.
15:51 We should accept them as who they are.
15:53 Because they go through the process themselves.
15:56 Yes.
15:57 That's what you mean, right?
15:59 Yes.
16:00 That you should guide your parents first.
16:04 Yes.
16:05 To know who they really are.
16:07 Yes.
16:08 What is your message to those who are being bullied
16:13 or envied?
16:15 What is it?
16:16 Aside from being envied.
16:18 Aside from being envied.
16:19 Yes.
16:20 At first, I was just letting them post comments.
16:23 I was just letting them post comments.
16:25 I said, "I'm done."
16:26 I was bored.
16:28 I was like, "Why did I waste my energy on just one comment?"
16:33 So I said, "I want to have more posts."
16:35 Because there's more engagement in one post.
16:39 It's more uplifting.
16:41 I said, "Thank you."
16:43 We should be grateful to our fans.
16:45 You appreciate it more now that you have a bash.
16:47 Yes.
16:48 I said, "I have bashers."
16:49 It means that we're getting famous.
16:51 That's what they said.
16:52 But how is your personal life?
16:54 It's okay.
16:55 It's super okay.
16:57 Especially with my friends.
16:58 Because those shows won't be a show without my friends.
17:04 They've been my best friends since 2013.
17:06 They're there.
17:07 Really?
17:08 I'm with them every day.
17:10 They're one of my chosen family.
17:13 It's okay for now.
17:16 How do you foresee your future?
17:20 Not necessarily as Taylor Schiff.
17:23 But you, as a person.
17:26 What's your plan?
17:28 What do you want to happen in your life?
17:31 I want to have a house.
17:33 That's what I want.
17:35 I want to perform internationally.
17:39 In the US.
17:41 That's my plan.
17:42 But not as Taylor Schiff.
17:44 I want to be a drug-persona.
17:47 So that people will know that I can do more than just being Taylor Schiff.
17:53 I want to be validated in other places.
17:55 Or to be recognized.
17:57 Why?
17:58 Aside from Taylor Schiff, who else do you want to be?
18:03 I want to be a drug-persona.
18:05 As Mac.
18:06 Drug-persona.
18:07 Yes. More on comedy.
18:09 Something like that.
18:10 Meaning to say, you want to be a drug-persona.
18:16 You're being a performer now.
18:18 You want to improve.
18:20 You want to be better.
18:21 Yes.
18:22 To be a professional.
18:23 So you want to continue in that profession as a drug-performer.
18:26 Yes. As long as my body can handle it.
18:28 Go, love.
18:29 Okay, Mac.
18:31 May you always have luck in your chosen profession.
18:37 Thank you for your time.
18:40 Thank you.
18:41 Good luck.
18:42 Thank you.
18:43 (laughing)