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Kelon has 1.1 million followers on TikTok, but not all of them know who he is.
People would be like, I didnt even know this was you.
I was literally about to unfollow you cause I was like,Who is this person?
Kelon describes his approach to humor as akin todrag queen Bianca Del Rio.
Comedy, but being absolutely rude to people, he laughs.
Like many others, Kelon was first pushed onto TikTok by quarantine boredom.
Some fans are so dedicated that theyget FOMOover missing even two minutes of the Terri-verse.
How did you come up with your characters?They kind of just manifested themselves.
I basically based Terri Joe off of the showTrue Blood.
Jeorgia Peach is just an archetype of a person that I liked growing up.
And then Amethyst is another archetype.
What does your routine look like before going live?
Do you do any sort of preparation?No.
Everything I do is literally just on the fly.
Im never contemplating or thinking about the lives throughout the day.
I feel like its all a big improv thing.
Have you done improv or any key in of acting before?I havent.
Growing up, I was very shy.
I would never really talk to people.
Most of my creative outlets were either drawing or listening to music.
Once I get more comfortable, everything goes out the window and youll never get me to shut up.
I just start off as nervous.
I have been recognized in person, and I break out in sweat immediately.
I dont know what comes over me when I do the lives, but I dont feel like myself.
I feel like the character.
And on the live, I dont see everyone watching.
If I was in a room with 10,000 people watching me, I would literally faint.
But I dont see them, so it feels like just me and the other person Im talking to.
I wanted to talk about Terri Joe being in a wheelchairOh God.
I dont know how that started, actually.
I think people just wanted me to stand up because they wanted to see my whole body.
Youve been on a couple of lives where you ended up meeting people who actually use wheelchairs.
And then here I am just saying that Im in a wheelchair but Im not.
I just approach it by saying that I am in a wheelchair, but not permanently.
Like Im just sitting in it because I want to.
Instead of actually saying that Im paralyzed because thats kind of insensitive.
I feel like the line gets blurred a lot because I say a lot of things that are insensitive.
Well, I say things that are insensitive, but it also applies to me.
Like what?The homophobic, the racist, the fatphobic things.
Like, I would never say anything racial about someone thats not within my race.
I say the N-word all the time, but who doesnt as a Black person?
I know your lives sometimes end because TikTokbans them.Yeah.
I mainly get banned for harassment and bullying.
Thats the reasoning it always says.
But thats the comedy I do roasting.
So I dont know, Im gonna get flagged for that either way.
Thats why I just started making backup accounts.
And like, once I get banned here, well just move to the next account.
I will make stuff up about a person.
It doesnt even have to be true.
But I would just make a scenario up and be like, thats your life.
But Im not that kind of person in real life.
When you say odd one out, you mean becauseBeing very different.
I was always into art and music that wasnt quote-unquote very African American.
A big part of Terri Joes character is that she doesnt approve of homosexuality.
Ive been to church maybe ten times in my entire life.
Thats just funny in my brain.
Is there a reason why all three of your characters are women?I dont know.
I do feel more comfortable and confident being … like, portraying a woman.
I dont know why that is.
It just happens that way.
How would you describe your relationship with gender?I dont think I have one.
I feel like anything and everything applies to me.
I dont care to be referred to as he or she or they or them.
With gender or sexuality, I just never labeled myself that way.
So I dont care what people call me, cause it may apply, who knows?
Were any of those appearances planned?They just happened.
I feel like it was like a snowball effect.
Because it started off with Doja.
And then other people saw it, and I think it just all went from there.
Doja set herself up pic.twitter.com/u1OK3m0ulq
Madonna also seems to really enjoy going live with you.
She sent me Balenciaga glasses, and she also said she was gonna send me a Bugatti.
How did you feel about that?Im not a very in touch with my feelings kind of person.
I dont know what I feel most of the time.
But it was definitely cool.
Its definitely shocking to be rubbing elbows with people of A-list celebrity status.
But I really see everybody as the same.
I just see celebrities as people.
Theyre not benevolent beings to me as people sometimes make them out to be.
Hopefully, somewhere big.
Maybe one of the characters having their own TV show?
Ziwes viral Instagram lives evolved into aShowtime show.
We had a little Zoom call, and we just talked about where I see this going.
I told him the same thing I told you: I literally have no clue.
Then he was like, Well, well just keep in contact.
Or would you want it to be something scripted?I feel like it could be either-or.
I think that could be funny.
But also, it could be a talk-show throw in thing where I interview other people or celebrities.
I dont remember saying that, but it sounds like me.
So I just feel like I may have manifested all of this without even really trying to.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
