Morrissey interview in Vogue Turkey focused on gender roles, sex and love

Interview by Zülâl Kalkandelen of Vegan Logic for Vogue Turkey:

MORRISSEY: "YOUR REAL HOME IS YOUR BODY – NOT YOUR HOUSE OR YOUR APARTMENT!" - Vegan Logic

It is a pleasure for me to interview the one and only Morrissey for the third time. This time, I conducted this interview for Vogue Turkey for a piece focusing on Morrissey and gender roles, sex and love. Here are his fantastic answers! (If you are interested, my second interview with Moz: My second interview with Moz; and the first one.)
Zülâl Kalkandelen



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Re: New Morrissey interview in Vogue Turkey focused on gender roles, sex and love

"I believe foremost in humasexuality. We are all humans and we all love humans. If we could leave the debate at that, we’d all be OK, but instead we’re asked to clarify and limit our sexual desires so that others might know where they stand with us. But by doing this you are admitting that, no matter how long you live, you can never become a new person with a new life and new ideas. Why must sexuality be so unbreakable? We all know very well that each of us struggle with an outer reality and an inner reality, so why not combine them? It is rigid moral certainty and rigid moral indignation that traps us all, and if people were allowed to, for example, freely share their bodies, then the fuller their lives would be. Quite obviously I do not suggest any action enforced against the will of others, but it is fascinating to me how most people go through their entire lives saying absolutely nothing at all on the issue of sex or gender, as if they were in some form of sexual exile, or riddled with cancerous guilt. We don’t even know how our closest friends feel about their own bodies, yet we know their views on the most insignificantly cud-chewing nonsense. Are we all frozen in dullness? Is sex just an idea?"

:love: He explains how he defines humasexuality. Love the cud-chewing nonsense bit. So true. An institution of shame is built around certain topics e.g. sex and sexuality. Yet people freely share their views on politics and economics without batting an eyelash and with little concern as to how their opinions affect others. Fear keeps us closeted. Fear of being shamed. Fear of the ultimate rejection. Because our sexuality is so strongly tied to our core. Our identity. So we hide it. Guard it. Protect it from scrutiny. Reinforcing that shame in ourselves and in others.
 
Re: New Morrissey interview in Vogue Turkey focused on gender roles, sex and love

He is so much more of an entertaining read when he doesn't go off on one about the royals, Beckhams or nazi abattoir workers. This was relatively focused compared to other recent fayre.

P.
 
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Re: New Morrissey interview in Vogue Turkey focused on gender roles, sex and love

This is what I love about Morrissey. He's never been one to think inside the box. He's always lived within his own world and by his own rules - whether people liked it or not or tried to crucify him for what he believes in. I love that he never gets trapped or tied to society and challenges people to think for themselves. To question everything. This was a great interview and very inspiring. Thanks for posting it!
 
Re: New Morrissey interview in Vogue Turkey focused on gender roles, sex and love

This interview was a tough read for me in the best ways. Morrissey still challenges me to think about things I tend to avoid in ways I probably would not have allowed myself to consider otherwise.
 
Re: New Morrissey interview in Vogue Turkey focused on gender roles, sex and love

This interview was a tough read for me in the best ways. Morrissey still challenges me to think about things I tend to avoid in ways I probably would not have allowed myself to consider otherwise.

Yes - I feel the same. He's always inspired me to dig deeper and learn more about myself and to also try and free myself of all kinds of programmed ideas. It isn't easy. He's definitely a forward thinker and I fully admire people like that.
 
Re: New Morrissey interview in Vogue Turkey focused on gender roles, sex and love

Keene feels so proud.
 
Re: New Morrissey interview in Vogue Turkey focused on gender roles, sex and love

Forward thinking?

"Do you really think that you were created and placed on this planet in order to pay a mortage? "

Entitled, white, rich man hinting that security and independence from social handouts after the body is too tired to work? This is the devil speaking. Don't work hard. Don't be a land owner. Fritter your time on this earth giving into carnal pleasure. This interview is a f***ing train wreck. The questions are pompous. The whole thing is shit with no gold OTHER THAN Morrissey having the mental fortitude to not answer the leading questions. So there's hope.
 
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Re: New Morrissey interview in Vogue Turkey focused on gender roles, sex and love

Forward thinking?

I meant in general. The way he has lived his life and developed as an individual from the beginning. Not many people do this, and maybe that is why he's an "entitled, white, rich man" - as you put it. As far as the "carnal pleasure" bit goes, that's not what I was focusing on when I made my comment, even though, yes, I know that's what this interview was about. Sorry - as you seemed to have taken offense.
 
Re: New Morrissey interview in Vogue Turkey focused on gender roles, sex and love

I meant in general. The way he has lived his life and developed as an individual from the beginning. Not many people do this, and maybe that is why he's an "entitled, white, rich man" - as you put it. As far as the "carnal pleasure" bit goes, that's not what I was focusing on when I made my comment, even though, yes, I know that's what this interview was about. Sorry - as you seemed to have taken offense.

I'm not attacking you, I'm attacking the ideas. They are NOT forward, they are promoting lethargy as social reform. If one were to just "be an artist!" and think not of a future or planning or order, then eventually the money lenders have an upperhand. People have to have a place to live. Ideally they OWN that place to live, otherwise they are at the mercy of powerful men who will f*** them over with interest, fees, dues, credit... Social and political reform has to have backbone of self-sufficiency. My mother whose legacy of dancing on top of a piano at the Playboy Club has ZERO retirement. Her retirement plan is ME. Her social security comes from my father's income. She cleaned houses under the table and is bitter those house owners aren't taking care of her. To create a class of bitter, 70-year-old, poor people dependent on government assistance (Please try living on $1000 a month for rent, utilities and food.) is to create a wasted class of people WHICH IS EXACTLY the devil's plan. "Just let your mind go and your body will follow." Yeah, and your kids are strapped with your debt, if you don't have kids (also his agenda) the government is expected to come to the rescue. If he wants to save animals he has to also save the people who will be saving the animals, God isn't going to swoop down in a cloud of sparkly pixie dust and magically say "Animals Yay, Humans have to pay!" It doesn't work that way. But let's get loaded and give the kind of interviews that make the FAUX INTELLECTUALS cream their anorexic jeans and say that people shouldn't work hard, they should just f*** and do drugs. I say NO. Trackerjacker poison identified by the f***er that poisoned him, I have an arrow saved for him and it isn't aimed for his head.
 
Re: New Morrissey interview in Vogue Turkey focused on gender roles, sex and love

Forward thinking?

"Do you really think that you were created and placed on this planet in order to pay a mortage? "

Entitled, white, rich man hinting that security and independence from social handouts after the body is too tired to work? This is the devil speaking. Don't work hard. Don't be a land owner. Fritter your time on this earth giving into carnal pleasure. This interview is a f***ing train wreck. The questions are pompous. The whole thing is shit with no gold OTHER THAN Morrissey having the mental fortitude to not answer the leading questions. So there's hope.
Reading the quote in context, that doesn't seem to be what Morrissey is actually arguing. He's not suggesting that people should abdicate all responsibility and live life in bacchanalian excess, but rather that people tend to let tradition and convention dictate the trajectory of their lives without ever really examining why, often at the expense of their true desires and aspirations. Some people are complacent, others are motivated by fear of ostracism from their family and community. Most of us wind up bound by the status quo in some way, shape or form. That's what Morrissey is getting at.

See also: "Once in a Lifetime" by Talking Heads.
 
Re: New Morrissey interview in Vogue Turkey focused on gender roles, sex and love

Good read. Thanks for posting.

I laughed out loud in the dark over the bit abou the sweaters and The Smiths.

Me too. Bit embarrassing on the bus mind
 
he just cant come out and say hes gay. Moz, even the country singers are coming out.
 
Re: New Morrissey interview in Vogue Turkey focused on gender roles, sex and love

Reading the quote in context, that doesn't seem to be what Morrissey is actually arguing. He's not suggesting that people should abdicate all responsibility and live life in bacchanalian excess, but rather that people tend to let tradition and convention dictate the trajectory of their lives without ever really examining why, often at the expense of their true desires and aspirations. Some people are complacent, others are motivated by fear of ostracism from their family and community. Most of us wind up bound by the status quo in some way, shape or form. That's what Morrissey is getting at.

See also: "Once in a Lifetime" by Talking Heads.

Okay, that's some pretty creative sidestepping. How about the voting thing? They keep asking him and he keeps saying "Well in England..." yet he's singing the song in countries that have shed a LOT of blood just to have the right to vote. He aligns with Feminism. Do you know the birth of Feminism can be traced back to the Women's Sufferage Movement? Do you know what they were SUFFERAGING? The right the vote. His title track literally smacks feminist progress across the face like a bitch that needs to shut the f*** up. He needs to zoom out and look at the big picture before he hits send, because he is channeling some dark shit since he's a cosmic target.
 
Re: New Morrissey interview in Vogue Turkey focused on gender roles, sex and love

I'm not attacking you, I'm attacking the ideas. They are NOT forward, they are promoting lethargy as social reform. If one were to just "be an artist!" and think not of a future or planning or order, then eventually the money lenders have an upperhand. People have to have a place to live. Ideally they OWN that place to live, otherwise they are at the mercy of powerful men who will f*** them over with interest, fees, dues, credit... Social and political reform has to have backbone of self-sufficiency. My mother whose legacy of dancing on top of a piano at the Playboy Club has ZERO retirement. Her retirement plan is ME. Her social security comes from my father's income. She cleaned houses under the table and is bitter those house owners aren't taking care of her. To create a class of bitter, 70-year-old, poor people dependent on government assistance (Please try living on $1000 a month for rent, utilities and food.) is to create a wasted class of people WHICH IS EXACTLY the devil's plan. "Just let your mind go and your body will follow." Yeah, and your kids are strapped with your debt, if you don't have kids (also his agenda) the government is expected to come to the rescue. If he wants to save animals he has to also save the people who will be saving the animals, God isn't going to swoop down in a cloud of sparkly pixie dust and magically say "Animals Yay, Humans have to pay!" It doesn't work that way. But let's get loaded and give the kind of interviews that make the FAUX INTELLECTUALS cream their anorexic jeans and say that people shouldn't work hard, they should just f*** and do drugs. I say NO. Trackerjacker poison identified by the f***er that poisoned him, I have an arrow saved for him and it isn't aimed for his head.

My takeaway was completely different—to the point that I actually feel as though we may have read different interviews. Perhaps I'm dense, but I'm honestly having hard time relating what you're saying here to anything put forth by Morrissey in his replies. And I'm completely lost by the anorexic jeans, drugs, poison and arrows. I can't even respond beyond saying I don't understand what you're saying or what it has to do with this interview…and I am trying. I always try to see your POV, even if I disagree.

Reading the quote in context, that doesn't seem to be what Morrissey is actually arguing. He's not suggesting that people should abdicate all responsibility and live life in bacchanalian excess, but rather that people tend to let tradition and convention dictate the trajectory of their lives without ever really examining why, often at the expense of their true desires and aspirations. Some people are complacent, others are motivated by fear of ostracism from their family and community. Most of us wind up bound by the status quo in some way, shape or form. That's what Morrissey is getting at.

Yes. This is where I'm with it as well, and frankly, I think I've wound up bound by that status quo not because I've been responsible for my own life, but because I haven't. I actually think Morrissey is getting at taking control and rejecting passivity, not just letting one's life happen as a result of good fortune or privilege.
 
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Re: New Morrissey interview in Vogue Turkey focused on gender roles, sex and love

Okay, that's some pretty creative sidestepping. How about the voting thing? They keep asking him and he keeps saying "Well in England..." yet he's singing the song in countries that have shed a LOT of blood just to have the right to vote. He aligns with Feminism. Do you know the birth of Feminism can be traced back to the Women's Sufferage Movement? Do you know what they were SUFFERAGING? The right the vote. His title track literally smacks feminist progress across the face like a bitch that needs to shut the f*** up. He needs to zoom out and look at the big picture before he hits send, because he is channeling some dark shit since he's a cosmic target.
How am I "sidestepping"? I was referring specifically to what Morrissey said in this interview relating to social expectations of love and relationships. Morrissey may very well be promoting what is an arguably irresponsible position on voting elsewhere, but that bears no relevance to the remark you originally quoted or the subject matter discussed in this interview.
 
Re: New Morrissey interview in Vogue Turkey focused on gender roles, sex and love

Okay, that's some pretty creative sidestepping. How about the voting thing? They keep asking him and he keeps saying "Well in England..." yet he's singing the song in countries that have shed a LOT of blood just to have the right to vote. He aligns with Feminism. Do you know the birth of Feminism can be traced back to the Women's Sufferage Movement? Do you know what they were SUFFERAGING? The right the vote. His title track literally smacks feminist progress across the face like a bitch that needs to shut the f*** up. He needs to zoom out and look at the big picture before he hits send, because he is channeling some dark shit since he's a cosmic target.

I think you're missing his point completely, which is 'what is the point of this world we live in? why this order, this way of life that we must all confirm to from the moment we are dragged into this world to the moment we're buried in or scattered across it?' People have been voting for generations and yet look, we're now in the year 2014(!) and what's on the news, day in and day out? The same old ridiculous nonsense that has been going on for decades (war, terrorism, unemployment, issues with immigration, tax rises etc.)! All these things are happening because our governments are allowing them to happen. They are the cause of them; they are the ones who have established and in many cases, continue to ensure such restrictions to a better, unified world. So where has voting gotten anyone? Sure, things have become liberated and democratic in some areas of the world but you have to think on a grander scale. As Morrissey says, there's more to life than paying your mortgage. And yet, why are you paying a mortgage in the first place? Surely something essential like shelter should be free, or at its worst, affordable for everyone?

If I'm coming across as patronising, well, I don't mean to. But if you start to think what the world would be like without a monetary system, with everybody able to have and share the same things, then you're beginning to think on the right track of a place we should be aiming towards.
 
Okaaaaaaay. What part of this statement:

"A lot of people prefer entrapment and orders and even alienation, yet there is so much within that could be teased out, and we could all surprise ourselves, but most of us prefer simple ignorance. Do you really think that you were created and placed on this planet in order to pay a mortage? "

Is NOT saying that owning a home is "entrapment" and "ignorant?" Please explain how he is not alluding to home ownership as "following orders?"

Don't even get me f***ing started on his simplification that all married people are sad and all single people are happy. Marriage is not evil. It's like saying Penguins are stupid because they mate for life, so let's just kill them.
 

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