Skip to main content

Creativity Quote by Ayumi Hamasaki

"I read and watch movies. I can't go to the movie theater much anymore, though, because I get recognized. It's worse sometimes if I wear a costume and try not to get recognized. I watch most of my films on airplanes"

About this Quote

Celebrity is supposed to be a perk; Hamasaki frames it as a logistical problem with a punchline. The line about getting recognized in a theater is relatable on its face, but the sly turn is the “worse” part: even disguise fails, and the attempt to be anonymous can actually spike attention. That’s not just a funny contradiction, it’s a small portrait of how fame works in public spaces. Once you become a brand, people aren’t only looking for your face; they’re looking for the possibility of you. Suspicion becomes a kind of recognition.

The detail that she “read[s] and watch[es] movies” matters too. It sets up a normal-person routine, then shows how access to that normalcy gets revoked. Going to the cinema isn’t merely entertainment; it’s a ritual of public invisibility, sitting in the dark with strangers and being no one in particular. Hamasaki’s fame makes even darkness social.

Airplanes land as the perfect workaround: controlled environment, transient community, screens built into isolation. It’s also a subtly bleak compromise. She can still consume stories, but only in spaces designed for containment and movement, not belonging. That’s pop stardom’s trade: your work reaches millions, while your own life shrinks to corridors, back entrances, and in-flight time.

Underneath the casual tone is a clear boundary being negotiated. She isn’t asking for pity; she’s marking the quiet cost of being widely seen.

Quote Details

TopicMovie
SourceHelp us find the source
Cite

Citation Formats

APA Style (7th ed.)
Hamasaki, Ayumi. (2026, January 15). I read and watch movies. I can't go to the movie theater much anymore, though, because I get recognized. It's worse sometimes if I wear a costume and try not to get recognized. I watch most of my films on airplanes. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/i-read-and-watch-movies-i-cant-go-to-the-movie-117860/

Chicago Style
Hamasaki, Ayumi. "I read and watch movies. I can't go to the movie theater much anymore, though, because I get recognized. It's worse sometimes if I wear a costume and try not to get recognized. I watch most of my films on airplanes." FixQuotes. January 15, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/i-read-and-watch-movies-i-cant-go-to-the-movie-117860/.

MLA Style (9th ed.)
"I read and watch movies. I can't go to the movie theater much anymore, though, because I get recognized. It's worse sometimes if I wear a costume and try not to get recognized. I watch most of my films on airplanes." FixQuotes, 15 Jan. 2026, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/i-read-and-watch-movies-i-cant-go-to-the-movie-117860/. Accessed 5 Feb. 2026.

More Quotes by Ayumi Add to List
Ayumi Hamasaki on Fame, Anonymity, and Movies
Click to enlarge Portrait | Landscape

About the Author

Japan Flag

Ayumi Hamasaki (born October 2, 1978) is a Musician from Japan.

11 more quotes available

View Profile

Similar Quotes