In the midst of filming some kind of ad for T-Mobile (and on the heels of all those "Let's go Outback tonight" commercials to which the band leased a song), Of Montreal frontman Kevin Barnes issued a lengthy statement to Stereogum –titled "Selling Out Isn't Possible"–defending the band's decision to license its music and image. Among the highlights:
"The only way to avoid selling out is to live like a savage all alone in the wilderness."
"In the art industry, it's extremely difficult to be successful without turning yourself into a cartoon. Even Hunter S. Thompson knew this. God knows Duchamp and Warhol knew it. Some artists are turned into cartoons and others do it themselves. I prefer to do it myself, at least then I can control how my cock is photographed."
"The worst kind of person is the one who sucks the dick of the man during the daytime and then draws pictures of themselves slitting his throat at night. Jesus Christ, make up your mind!"
"The thing is, I like capitalism. I think it's an interesting challenge. It's a system that rewards the imaginative and ambitious adults and punishes the lazy adults."
"I'd much rather go to IKEA than to stand in some bread line."
"I realized that the negative energy that was being directed towards me really began to inspire my creativity. It has given me a sense of, "Well, I'll show them who is a sellout, I'm going to make the freakiest, most interesting record ever!!!"
"There are so many confused young people running around now polluted by this alloyed version of the tenets of the punk rock manifesto. Of course they're confused."
