Morrissey - Dissertation Questions - Help Needed

Hi, I am currently in the middle of my dissertation which is focusing on fandom, specifically that of Morrissey’s male fans and the connection they have which makes it like no other.

Being an avid Morrissey fan and follower myself I felt this forum was the best suited for my questions.

I would appreciate it immensely if any of you could spare a few minutes of your time to answer as few or many of my questions as possible or even just post an overall opinion/summary of what you feel. It will be of great help.

Once again, many thanks in advance and I appreciate you taking the time looking.


- What is it about Morrissey that makes you call yourself a fan?

-How important is your fan identity to you? Is it of a personal nature or all about Morrissey?

- Would you consider Morrissey to be a part of your own identity?

- With regards to your personal identity, do you try to be like Morrissey or does his personal views/lifestyle have an impact on yours?

- In today’s contemporary society, do you feel that Morrissey brings the news regarding his viewpoints and general information to the media or that the media subject and target Morrissey as news?

- Considering your own personal experiences and knowledge regarding Morrissey, do you consider Morrissey in any form as a religious figure/or have any similarities?
/
- As a fan of Morrissey, do you yourself consider Morrissey’s following to be something of a religious following/cult in any way?

- Do you personally regard Morrissey as a celebrity or as an intellectual figure in today’s modern artistic culture?

- What is different about Morrissey fans and what is required in your own opinion to be considered a ‘genuine’ or ‘real’ fan of Morrissey?

Re: Morrissey - Dissertation Questions - Help Needed!

Hi, I am currently in the middle of my dissertation which is focusing on fandom, specifically that of Morrissey’s male fans and the connection they have which makes it like no other.

Being an avid Morrissey fan and follower myself I felt this forum was the best suited for my questions.

I would appreciate it immensely if any of you could spare a few minutes of your time to answer as few or many of my questions as possible or even just post an overall opinion/summary of what you feel. It will be of great help.

Once again, many thanks in advance and I appreciate you taking the time looking.[/B]


- What is it about Morrissey that makes you call yourself a fan?
I no longer consider myself a fan.

-How important is your fan identity to you? Is it of a personal nature or all about Morrissey?
I think that when I was a fan it was personal and based on the songs, and not his personal life. I've never read a book about him.

- Would you consider Morrissey to be a part of your own identity?
No.

- With regards to your personal identity, do you try to be like Morrissey or does his personal views/lifestyle have an impact on yours?
No.

- In today’s contemporary society, do you feel that Morrissey brings the news regarding his viewpoints and general information to the media or that the media subject and target Morrissey as news? Morrissey knows how to get headlines and they need something to fill the space between the advertisements. I think it's a mutually exploitative situation.

- Considering your own personal experiences and knowledge regarding Morrissey, do you consider Morrissey in any form as a religious figure/or have any similarities?
No

- As a fan of Morrissey, do you yourself consider Morrissey’s following to be something of a religious following/cult in any way?
His following is mostly made up of reasonable people but there is sort of an inner cult.

- Do you personally regard Morrissey as a celebrity or as an intellectual figure in today’s modern artistic culture?
I don't see him as an intellectual figure and when I think "celebrity" I think of people that are much more famous, and often for no reason, so really I see him as a pop star.

- What is different about Morrissey fans and what is required in your own opinion to be considered a ‘genuine’ or ‘real’ fan of Morrissey?
It's sad, this is the part of buying his music and seeing him live, (being a fan) is that some people that want to let everyone know they are "real fans." I am not a real fan and never was if it means meeting a list of requirements.

Re: Morrissey - Dissertation Questions - Help Needed!

Thanks for your input. Appreciated

Re: Morrissey - Dissertation Questions - Help Needed!

Just a quick mention....Male or Female it will be great to hear from you both....If female participants would rather just discuss the male fans and Morrissey that is absolutely fine and greatly appreciated.

Finally, this is of course entirely voluntary and nothing is expected from any of you, those who do contribute thank you very much it is great appreciated. Just to mention, under my university guidelines and ethics, needless to say under my own research and information sharing ethics, any information or feedback you give me shall remain completely anonymous and your privacy will be respected unless you give permission otherwise.

Many thanks

Re: Morrissey - Dissertation Questions - Help Needed!

See your inbox,
Regards,
FWD

Re: Morrissey - Dissertation Questions - Help Needed!

yeah, sifting through my unanswered PMs one like this is there, I'm just going to put my answers here

1. I consider myself a "fan" because I love much of his music and have gone to great lengths to see him in concert almost 40 times, which is more than I have seen any other of the musical artists who I adore
2. Weird question, so I have a weird answer, for a long time I would either introduce people I knew to his music or immeadiately like people just like people because they liked him too
not now though, usually his words and music just help we when I am feeling down, which is not often as it use to be, but he helps bring me out of it
3. My identity? Can't say for sure since I don't know what you mean by that, for me such is ever changing, NOT static, get it? Anyway, his music cerntainly informs my history.
For whatever that is worth, I am more about the now and future then I was when I was younger, I know, I am doing things backwards.
4. In some ways, but not the ones I think of as important to him, I tried not eating animals, it never worked for me & there is a certain "passive-agressiveness" to him to a degree and even more so to many of his fans that my brain now, sadly, attaches to him. I despise those who are cowardly and attack through screens rather than those of use who are, mostly:
honest, forthright and true, like me, but I cannot ignore, that especially here, many of his fans fall into this despicable "other" category.
5. I think Moz makes himself a target more than they come looking for him, I just hope he is OK with that, because while I don't agree with a lot of what he says, I think he should keep saying what he wants to!
6. No, but if I still believed in "saints" he would be one, warts and all
7. Yes, not for me, but for many I have met I do, most in a good way. However, the dregs of his "cult following" drain down to this site.
8. He is by far the most uneducated intellectual that I listen to, perhaps that is because most of what you term modern artistic culture is bankrupt imho
9. I don't recognize any of that shit, sorry

Re: Morrissey - Dissertation Questions - Help Needed!

Thank you ever so much for answering those for me! Very much appreciated.

Have I got a tip for you

You should send a PM to Realitybites about this. Many people here are simply average, but not Realitybites: she is educated and intelligent. She participates in all of Solo's thought-provoking discussions. Read her amazing blog for a flavor of what she has to offer: it is engaging, informative, interesting, inspiring, enlightening, and humorous. Several collections of her blog entries are available as free, downloadable e-books!

She receives many PM's, however, and is currently battling some large forces on this forum--so be patient.

Re: Have I got a tip for you

Cinna said:

You should send a PM to Realitybites about this. Many people here are simply average, but not Realitybites: she is educated and intelligent. She participates in all of Solo's thought-provoking discussions. Read her amazing blog for a flavor of what she has to offer: it is engaging, informative, interesting, inspiring, enlightening, and humorous. Several collections of her blog entries are available as free, downloadable e-books!

She receives many PM's, however, and is currently battling some large forces on this forum--so be patient.

Click to expand...

^Just to clarify, I was not being even remotely sincere and would strongly discourage anyone from acting on what I wrote.

^Just joking. I was being sincere.

Cinna said:

^Just joking. I was being sincere.

Click to expand...

Cinna said:

You should send a PM to Realitybites about this. Many people here are simply average, but not Realitybites: she is educated and intelligent. She participates in all of Solo's thought-provoking discussions. Read her amazing blog for a flavor of what she has to offer: it is engaging, informative, interesting, inspiring, enlightening, and humorous. Several collections of her blog entries are available as free, downloadable e-books!

She receives many PM's, however, and is currently battling some large forces on this forum--so be patient.

Click to expand...

Cinna said:

^Just to clarify, I was not being even remotely sincere and would strongly discourage anyone from acting on what I wrote.

Click to expand...

Cinna said:

^Just joking. I was being sincere.

Click to expand...

I see...so it's a joke disguised as the truth disguised as another joke disguised as a truth again.

Re: Have I got a tip for you

Cinna said:

You should send a PM to Realitybites about this. Many people here are simply average, but not Realitybites: she is educated and intelligent. She participates in all of Solo's thought-provoking discussions. Read her amazing blog for a flavor of what she has to offer: it is engaging, informative, interesting, inspiring, enlightening, and humorous. Several collections of her blog entries are available as free, downloadable e-books!

She receives many PM's, however, and is currently battling some large forces on this forum--so be patient.

Click to expand...

"Yes you must be crazy, Mama

you got to be losing your mind

Yes you've got to be crazy woman

You've got to be losing your doggone mind"


"You Must Be Crazy" by Nappy Brown





-Read realitybites blogs from the past two weeks, and then see if you can make this same declaration again. I know you might be joking and if so, cool. I can honestly say I like all of the blogs on this site, with the singular exception being hers. I don't have the time, or the desire, to write why I think her blogs from the past two weeks have been awful. I literally encourage everyone to read these blog entries and judge for yourself. Judge for yourself.

Re: Have I got a tip for you

Justin Playfair said:

"Yes you must be crazy, Mama

you got to be losing your mind

Yes you've got to be crazy woman

You've got to be losing your doggone mind"


"You Must Be Crazy" by Nappy Brown





-Read realitybites blogs from the past two weeks, and then see if you can make this same declaration again. I know you might be joking and if so, cool. I can honestly say I like all of the blogs on this site, with the singular exception being hers. I don't have the time, or the desire, to write why I think her blogs from the past two weeks have been awful. I literally encourage everyone to read these blog entries and judge for yourself. Judge for yourself.

Click to expand...

I just had to reply to this. An absolute gem!

Reelaround said:

I just had to reply to this. An absolute gem!

Click to expand...

Thanks Reelaround! I think the delicious "jazz-blues" mix of Nappy Brown is what truly took the post over the top.

realitybites said:

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If the red potato is directed at me then thats cool. If its directed at Reelaround then you're a complete idiot. Actually, your blog posts from the past two weeks already prove that you are. Reelaround is a fantastic contributor to Morrissey-Solo.

Happy Lovers questionary

I got private mail to answer some questions

I'm unable or it's not clearly to explain how The Smiths and Morrissey are for me

how many of you Lads got the same mail, cause there's already a fake facebook acount of me [celibate cry...which is not me, but someone with
toomuch time has made it, it has no info only the Morrissey -solo facebook like is seen] I have a facebook but use a diferent mailadress and my real name
on facebook, and only Dutch and or 2 Belgium friends plus a Dutch Lad who lives with a Belgium woman , but she's is counted.[FYI]

So am I getting fooled by mr Happy Lover, or got more of you this questionary in your private inbox?

thanks for reading

Re:

celibate said:

I got private mail to answer some questions

I'm unable or it's not clearly to explain how The Smiths and Morrissey are for me

how many of you Lads got the same mail, cause there's already a fake facebook acount of me [celibate cry...which is not me, but someone with
toomuch time has made it, it has no info only the Morrissey -solo facebook like is seen] I have a facebook but use a diferent mailadress and my real name
on facebook, and only Dutch and 1 or 2 Belgium facebook friends.

So am I getting fooled by mr Happy Lover, or got more of you this questionary in your private inbox?

thanks for reading

Click to expand...

Some users post a thread which asks others to help their academic study and other projects.

I also received a PM from user HappyLovers, but replied him not to send unsolicited PM.

He posted a thread and started sending PMs to other users which was rather pushy.

I've been a forum moderator since 2007, he was the first user to send PMs directly to other users.
Hopefully he learnt forum etiquette.