The Most Important Relationship is With Yourself: with ALOK

Description: Internationally acclaimed artist, poet, author, comedian, and speaker, Alok Vaid Menon joins PRETTYSMART! They share:
What it was like being bullied as a child and how it impacted them.
Their daily relationship with self acceptance and self hatred.
How transitioning is not about gender for them.
Why they feel the most beautiful when they are telling the truth.
How we are politicizing just being and the impact of that.
Why they think so many people are triggered by the concept of transgender rights.
Their thoughts on color!
Why we all need to be more curious and have more fun.
What dopamine dressing is and how it’s beneficial for all of us!
Gendering in fashion and why we should degender it.
How we are all just souls playing dress up.
Questions to ask yourself every day to lead to a happier and more fun filled life.
Why we have to announce progress and look at small changes as big triumphs.
Why self forgiveness has been the hardest lesson for them.
Why they say their earnestness is their most controversial identity.
Follow Alok on Instagram here!

[@justinkonopka]

“Each one of us has so much expertise on what it means to be human, and when we remember that, then every person is a potential world renowned scholar.” “Being in a body is the ultimate form of Drag.”

[@dancingqueerNL]

Kindness is a choice, to yourself and others. And not letting the bullying, slurs and opinions of others define how you look at yourself. My take, I'd rather be ugly on the outside than ugly on the inside. I have been called horrible derogatory words, by family members and strangers. But as a non-binairy person I am living my biggest revenge: queer joy!

[@lucasr5196]

Alok, your words help me get through every day. Thank you for being who you are. Thank you for being yourself. It helps me feel like I can be myself too.

[@kriskabin]

Wonderful interview. Liberating. 👍👏

[@javawatson1350]

Hot Take: Humans are worth it

[@PRETTYSMART_Podcast]

you quoted my favorite line in the interview:)

[@javawatson1350]

It was such a wonderful conversation.Thank you :)

[@PRETTYSMART_Podcast]

@@javawatson1350 thank YOU ❤

[@keegisters]

Alok just has me stunned. Every second of this is fueling my love for humanity. I am so grateful that I get to be alive at the same time as Alok.

[@DavidDavid-yl6kb]

Yes.

[@nicorattray]

Wow, fantastic job 👏 I LOVED this conversation “The main event is that I’m alive, how about you??”

[@phumzileramasehla4753]

This conversation changed me♥️

[@otex_yt321]

I love you

[@__rm307]

This is also a guy who seeks to date straight men - and wonders why he “can’t get laid” and calls little girls “kinky” saying there’s no purity in little girls. I have a feeling that years down the line we’ll all be asking how this guy got so much pop culture praise. Narcs have a way of getting clumsier as they age.

[@frogspresso937]

First of all, when has Alok ever said either of those things ?? Secondly, they're getting recognition because they're spreading a movement of love that makes people feel good about themselves. If you can't see or accept that, I don't think you're getting the right message from them. Sure, everyone has the capacity to stand up & talk about their experiences, but few ever truly do & I'm glad Alok has had the confidence to speak their truth & spread their love. Also don't use the term 'narcissist' unless you're a trained psychologist in a professional setting, it's a bad look & an untrue take.

[@__rm307]

Imagine making a whole career out of just talking about yourself. A narcissist’s dream? What has Alok actually done? He’s not an artists, designer, writer etc. Literally all he does is talk about himself. I was bullied too - where’s my interview about how far I’ve come from elementary school? 🙄

[@__rm307]

Also his outfits are just tacky 😭

[@madhusudanrao375]

Exactly right? When people simply can’t digest your existence, all you do is voice yourself out there and STAND UP!

[@frogspresso937]

Really shows you haven't heard their spoken poetry nor read their book nor watched the video because they are a living, walking art piece, as everyone can be. & if you have a story to tell, tell it. Nobody's stopping you but yourself. Get a camera, or a pen, or a paintbrush -- tell your story.

[@davidbichsel1302]

I hope you'll find people, who will listen and care about your story.

[@kriskabin]

​@@__rm307 Your mother wants you to move out of her basement.