Cheeks speaks!
Don’t Know “Cheeks?” Let Brad Bell Tell You All About Him!
by Michael Jensen, Editor
April 8, 2010
Growing up in Dallas, TX, Brad “Cheeks” Bell knew several things early on: that he was gay, that he was going to be an artist and that he was going to find success in Los Angeles. Now twenty-four-years old, Brad not only makes a living off of his art, but has established a website - Cheektopia.com - where people of all kinds can come together to share their art and celebrate the creation known as “Cheeks.” Bell’s YouTube videos, consisting of both comic pieces and music videos, have over 400,000 streams and he’s getting ready to shop his first pilot around Hollywood.
But what kind of art does Brad do? (Hint: Think "internet!") And who exactly is “Cheeks?” (Hint: Think "zany!") What does Cheeks want? (Hint: Think "rule the world of entertainment!") AfterElton.com recently caught up with the man to find out those answers and more.
AfterElton.com: Let's start with Cheeks. Is Cheeks a character you play, your alter ego or is Cheeks just Brad but with a different name?
Brad "Cheeks" Bell: The way I see it, Brad is more the act because Brad is the one that has to function in normal society. Cheeks is more who I am. I kind of see life as something of a cosmic joke. I really don't think we should take any one thing too seriously, which I would hope you can see reflected in the world that I do.
AE: For people reading this interview who don't know anything about Cheeks, how would you describe him?
BCB: I would describe Cheeks as a free-spirited, fun-loving person who is comfortably encouraging everyone to express themselves, and creates something that provokes conversation and thought, and at the same time, he can laugh at things that are not easy to laugh at.
AE: It seems like you have a lot of different avenues to Cheeks. Twitter, you've got Cheektopia, and your music and comedy videos. What is your approach to Cheeks and how you are getting him out there in the world?
BCB: I'm one of those people who thinks everything is art to a degree. I know that's a cliché, but I do see the world that way. But the internet is my medium and that's the canvas on which I express myself. I do that in a variety of different ways, be it music or satire or video, inspiring people who might be following me on Twitter. I'm a big believer in all different outlets for art, because, collectively, if we can jam enough different channels, then we can make a positive difference out in the world.
AE: How did you come to realize how you could take advantage of the internet and evolve into this web presence that you've created?
BCB: I think it was first through YouTube when I started posting on there and realized when I was tagging different topics, YouTube sort of generates its own audience. You don't have to go out and find an audience. They come to you because of what you're discussing. I put a couple of things up for fun just to see what would happen, almost as an experiment. Before I knew it, I had a lot of people really responding to what I was doing, and really affected by what I was doing, so I started putting more effort and more thought into how I was going to create content I could release on a regular basis.
AE: How many YouTube videos and how many music videos have you done?
BCB: I've done two music videos thus far. I'm actually in talks with an artist about working on my next one. I've done about fifteen comedic satires.
AE: How many views have you gotten on those?
BCB: Total? I think it's around the 400,000 mark.
AE: Describe Cheektopia. What exactly is that?
BCB: That is a network for people to come together and share their art. Ultimately, that's what I want to create through what I do: conversation and connection. I think that's really what makes something art, when people come together over it and there are new ideas, and actions taken as a result of those ideas, relationships that are formed, lives that are changed. Cheektopia is just that. We actually just passed a thousand members, and I'm really excited about that, and we keep climbing. It's people coming together to share whatever they want, and express themselves in a free environment where they don't have to be afraid.
AE: What is the average Cheeks fan like? It seems like you have a lot of women who follow you, as well as gay guys. Is that accurate?
BCB: I would say that's accurate. I think it's pretty broad when I look at my statistics on YouTube. The men and women are anywhere from 18 to 65. It has a pretty broad appeal, which is what I really like about it. Self expression and having a good time, questioning your reality, that's something anyone can do. It doesn't know any age or limit or gender or sexuality.
AE: What was it like growing up in Dallas? You seem pretty out now. Have you been out for quite a while?
BCB: Yes. There was really no hiding for me. [laughs] I'm mean, there was never any doubt. There was no going undercover. It was an interesting experience. Clearly, like I said, I knew growing up that was not where I was going to stay. I was not comfortable there. I didn't feel I could express myself safely, really. Plus, the weather is not enjoyable.
I'm glad I had that experience. I feel that's where you develop a lot of your character. That's definitely where I got my sense of humor. As a kid, I needed to deflect from the fact that other kids wanted to beat me up and make fun of me, so I became the funny guy. And it teaches you a lot about life. It certainly gives you a perspective of the world you might not have otherwise.
AE: I take it high school wasn't entirely positive?
BCB: It was okay. What was interesting for me in high school is that I started high school right after Will & Grace came on the air. I went from being an outcast to being sort of exotic, because all of a sudden, gay became trendy within like a year or two. I started high school really unpopular, eating lunch with one friend at the back of the cafeteria hiding from everyone, and I finished high school nominated for "Most Talented" and hanging out with the popular kids and getting invited to parties and all that stuff. It was interesting to see that transformation happen.
AE: That's kind of cool. It's nice to have a somewhat positive spin on it.
BCB: Yeah, it ended up being positive. It was a little unsettling that it was just because of who I slept with that I was suddenly being considered chic and cool, but I wasn't complaining because people weren't giving me a hard time anymore. At the same time, it was a little inauthentic. You don't know anything about me. You just all of a sudden think I'm cool because it's all of a sudden cool to be gay. But like I said, I wasn't complaining.
AE: It beats my high school experience, so take it and run!
BCB: Exactly. I'm glad I had that environment instead of having to be completely hidden away. I'm not the kind of person who can keep a low profile. [laughs]
AE: There's a lot of talk that we're moving into a post-gay world, as a young gay man, what's your take on that?
BCB: I think we still have a ways to go, but I do see it happening. I think one of the most important thing now is the visibility of the diversity in the gay community. Right now, there are certain marketable, packaged gay products that the mainstream can understand, but one of the most amazing things about the gay community is the diversity and all the different walks of life that exist within it.
I also think that can apply to the straight community. I think we're seeing an era where straight boys can wear makeup and that doesn't make them gay. Gay people, in turn, can express themselves however they want to without being afraid of people not understanding it being labeled with stereotypes.
Eventually, or hopefully, we'll get to a point where everyone just is and there is no particular fashion or way, everyone is unique, and everything is diversified and fragmented. I do think we still have a long ways to go, but we have come a long way, for sure.
AE: Are most of your friends gay or is it pretty diverse?
BCB: It's very diverse. I've always been that way. I sort of make friends with a wide range of people, so it's very interesting when I throw parties and they're all in one room together. I have friends that are 19-year-old gay guys and 35-year-old straight guys and 40-year-old straight women. One of my best friends in the world is a straight woman and she's 51, and one of my other best friends is 24 and he's straight. I've always been very eclectic with my friends. I think that's important for perspective for life in general, but especially what I do as an artist.
AE: What artists do you admire? Who are some of the creative people you look up to?
BCB: I really enjoy Fischerspooner, because I feel they tackle music from a very artistic place. Seeing them live is like performance art. It's incredible. Another example of an artist that works in multiple mediums is Madonna. Of course. It always comes back to Madonna, doesn't it? [laughs]
And of course, Lady Gaga. I really enjoy what she's doing as far as keeping the emphasis on the art. That's what it's about. It doesn't mean that it can't be entertaining and marketable, but at the end of the day, it's still art, and I really respect that. Andy Warhol said, "Good business is the best art." That's pretty much in a nutshell how I see things.
AE: What's the next step?
BCB: Well, I just finished a pilot. We're going to shop it as a television pilot and as a web series simultaneously. It's a comedy about three musicians called Front Men. It's going to be very funny. I've seen some of the footage that's been cut together so far and it's going to be great. I can't wait to start shopping that around. I'm also going to continue doing the comedic satires. I just did one last week that already broke into the top ten comedy videos on YouTube, so that's been doing very well. That would be "Gaga Brain Damage."
AE: Where would you like to see yourself 5 years from now? What's the Cheeks plan?
BCB: Five years from now, I will be leaving a successful television show to pursue a live, multi-media spectacle that will incorporate performance and dance and music and comedy and screens, all in one venue.
AE: You really plan on doing it all, don't you?
BCB: I do. It's impossible to reinvent the wheel, because everything's been done, but I do think it's possible to put old wine in a new bottle.
by Michael Jensen, Editor
April 8, 2010
Growing up in Dallas, TX, Brad “Cheeks” Bell knew several things early on: that he was gay, that he was going to be an artist and that he was going to find success in Los Angeles. Now twenty-four-years old, Brad not only makes a living off of his art, but has established a website - Cheektopia.com - where people of all kinds can come together to share their art and celebrate the creation known as “Cheeks.” Bell’s YouTube videos, consisting of both comic pieces and music videos, have over 400,000 streams and he’s getting ready to shop his first pilot around Hollywood.
But what kind of art does Brad do? (Hint: Think "internet!") And who exactly is “Cheeks?” (Hint: Think "zany!") What does Cheeks want? (Hint: Think "rule the world of entertainment!") AfterElton.com recently caught up with the man to find out those answers and more.
AfterElton.com: Let's start with Cheeks. Is Cheeks a character you play, your alter ego or is Cheeks just Brad but with a different name?
Brad "Cheeks" Bell: The way I see it, Brad is more the act because Brad is the one that has to function in normal society. Cheeks is more who I am. I kind of see life as something of a cosmic joke. I really don't think we should take any one thing too seriously, which I would hope you can see reflected in the world that I do.
AE: For people reading this interview who don't know anything about Cheeks, how would you describe him?
BCB: I would describe Cheeks as a free-spirited, fun-loving person who is comfortably encouraging everyone to express themselves, and creates something that provokes conversation and thought, and at the same time, he can laugh at things that are not easy to laugh at.
AE: It seems like you have a lot of different avenues to Cheeks. Twitter, you've got Cheektopia, and your music and comedy videos. What is your approach to Cheeks and how you are getting him out there in the world?
BCB: I'm one of those people who thinks everything is art to a degree. I know that's a cliché, but I do see the world that way. But the internet is my medium and that's the canvas on which I express myself. I do that in a variety of different ways, be it music or satire or video, inspiring people who might be following me on Twitter. I'm a big believer in all different outlets for art, because, collectively, if we can jam enough different channels, then we can make a positive difference out in the world.
AE: How did you come to realize how you could take advantage of the internet and evolve into this web presence that you've created?
BCB: I think it was first through YouTube when I started posting on there and realized when I was tagging different topics, YouTube sort of generates its own audience. You don't have to go out and find an audience. They come to you because of what you're discussing. I put a couple of things up for fun just to see what would happen, almost as an experiment. Before I knew it, I had a lot of people really responding to what I was doing, and really affected by what I was doing, so I started putting more effort and more thought into how I was going to create content I could release on a regular basis.
AE: How many YouTube videos and how many music videos have you done?
BCB: I've done two music videos thus far. I'm actually in talks with an artist about working on my next one. I've done about fifteen comedic satires.
AE: How many views have you gotten on those?
BCB: Total? I think it's around the 400,000 mark.
AE: Describe Cheektopia. What exactly is that?
BCB: That is a network for people to come together and share their art. Ultimately, that's what I want to create through what I do: conversation and connection. I think that's really what makes something art, when people come together over it and there are new ideas, and actions taken as a result of those ideas, relationships that are formed, lives that are changed. Cheektopia is just that. We actually just passed a thousand members, and I'm really excited about that, and we keep climbing. It's people coming together to share whatever they want, and express themselves in a free environment where they don't have to be afraid.
AE: What is the average Cheeks fan like? It seems like you have a lot of women who follow you, as well as gay guys. Is that accurate?
BCB: I would say that's accurate. I think it's pretty broad when I look at my statistics on YouTube. The men and women are anywhere from 18 to 65. It has a pretty broad appeal, which is what I really like about it. Self expression and having a good time, questioning your reality, that's something anyone can do. It doesn't know any age or limit or gender or sexuality.
AE: What was it like growing up in Dallas? You seem pretty out now. Have you been out for quite a while?
BCB: Yes. There was really no hiding for me. [laughs] I'm mean, there was never any doubt. There was no going undercover. It was an interesting experience. Clearly, like I said, I knew growing up that was not where I was going to stay. I was not comfortable there. I didn't feel I could express myself safely, really. Plus, the weather is not enjoyable.
I'm glad I had that experience. I feel that's where you develop a lot of your character. That's definitely where I got my sense of humor. As a kid, I needed to deflect from the fact that other kids wanted to beat me up and make fun of me, so I became the funny guy. And it teaches you a lot about life. It certainly gives you a perspective of the world you might not have otherwise.
AE: I take it high school wasn't entirely positive?
BCB: It was okay. What was interesting for me in high school is that I started high school right after Will & Grace came on the air. I went from being an outcast to being sort of exotic, because all of a sudden, gay became trendy within like a year or two. I started high school really unpopular, eating lunch with one friend at the back of the cafeteria hiding from everyone, and I finished high school nominated for "Most Talented" and hanging out with the popular kids and getting invited to parties and all that stuff. It was interesting to see that transformation happen.
AE: That's kind of cool. It's nice to have a somewhat positive spin on it.
BCB: Yeah, it ended up being positive. It was a little unsettling that it was just because of who I slept with that I was suddenly being considered chic and cool, but I wasn't complaining because people weren't giving me a hard time anymore. At the same time, it was a little inauthentic. You don't know anything about me. You just all of a sudden think I'm cool because it's all of a sudden cool to be gay. But like I said, I wasn't complaining.
AE: It beats my high school experience, so take it and run!
BCB: Exactly. I'm glad I had that environment instead of having to be completely hidden away. I'm not the kind of person who can keep a low profile. [laughs]
AE: There's a lot of talk that we're moving into a post-gay world, as a young gay man, what's your take on that?
BCB: I think we still have a ways to go, but I do see it happening. I think one of the most important thing now is the visibility of the diversity in the gay community. Right now, there are certain marketable, packaged gay products that the mainstream can understand, but one of the most amazing things about the gay community is the diversity and all the different walks of life that exist within it.
I also think that can apply to the straight community. I think we're seeing an era where straight boys can wear makeup and that doesn't make them gay. Gay people, in turn, can express themselves however they want to without being afraid of people not understanding it being labeled with stereotypes.
Eventually, or hopefully, we'll get to a point where everyone just is and there is no particular fashion or way, everyone is unique, and everything is diversified and fragmented. I do think we still have a long ways to go, but we have come a long way, for sure.
AE: Are most of your friends gay or is it pretty diverse?
BCB: It's very diverse. I've always been that way. I sort of make friends with a wide range of people, so it's very interesting when I throw parties and they're all in one room together. I have friends that are 19-year-old gay guys and 35-year-old straight guys and 40-year-old straight women. One of my best friends in the world is a straight woman and she's 51, and one of my other best friends is 24 and he's straight. I've always been very eclectic with my friends. I think that's important for perspective for life in general, but especially what I do as an artist.
AE: What artists do you admire? Who are some of the creative people you look up to?
BCB: I really enjoy Fischerspooner, because I feel they tackle music from a very artistic place. Seeing them live is like performance art. It's incredible. Another example of an artist that works in multiple mediums is Madonna. Of course. It always comes back to Madonna, doesn't it? [laughs]
And of course, Lady Gaga. I really enjoy what she's doing as far as keeping the emphasis on the art. That's what it's about. It doesn't mean that it can't be entertaining and marketable, but at the end of the day, it's still art, and I really respect that. Andy Warhol said, "Good business is the best art." That's pretty much in a nutshell how I see things.
AE: What's the next step?
BCB: Well, I just finished a pilot. We're going to shop it as a television pilot and as a web series simultaneously. It's a comedy about three musicians called Front Men. It's going to be very funny. I've seen some of the footage that's been cut together so far and it's going to be great. I can't wait to start shopping that around. I'm also going to continue doing the comedic satires. I just did one last week that already broke into the top ten comedy videos on YouTube, so that's been doing very well. That would be "Gaga Brain Damage."
AE: Where would you like to see yourself 5 years from now? What's the Cheeks plan?
BCB: Five years from now, I will be leaving a successful television show to pursue a live, multi-media spectacle that will incorporate performance and dance and music and comedy and screens, all in one venue.
AE: You really plan on doing it all, don't you?
BCB: I do. It's impossible to reinvent the wheel, because everything's been done, but I do think it's possible to put old wine in a new bottle.