What do you think of Morrissey getting his band to wear sloganed t-shirts?

[Maurice E]

He's done it quite a few times now.
Last night it was 'We hate William and Kate', there's been one or two about McDonalds/KFC etc, and of course the infamous F*** Morrissey Solo debacle.
I'm not 100% sure but I think it's usually just the band that wear them (tho I think Morrissey joined in for the solo ones).
I'll try and give a decent set of options...

 

[Uncleskinny]

I find it opportunistic and pandering to the local politics. Sure, it's not out of kilter with previous comments he's made, but bearing in mind the current UK/Argentina spats (even today, Tierra Del Fuego tourists turned away), he knows exactly what he's doing, and winning over the audience. This after the Argentinian president railed against William being posted over there. Play the hand you have, says I.

P.

 

[CrystalGeezer]

I find it opportunistic and pandering to the local politics. Sure, it's not out of kilter with previous comments he's made, but bearing in mind the current UK/Argentina spats (even today, Tierra Del Fuego tourists turned away), he knows exactly what he's doing, and winning over the audience. This after the Argentinian president railed against William being posted over there. Play the hand you have, says I.

P.

Isn't it a bit like getting riled up over an ampersand or a stop sign? They are useless symbols with no real power that cause traffic jams when they are in town. I don't get it.

 

[Maurice E]

I find it opportunistic and pandering to the local politics. Sure, it's not out of kilter with previous comments he's made, but bearing in mind the current UK/Argentina spats (even today, Tierra Del Fuego tourists turned away), he knows exactly what he's doing, and winning over the audience. This after the Argentinian president railed against William being posted over there. Play the hand you have, says I.
P.

Oh, I'd never thought about it in that context - was just assuming it was prompted by his general anti-royalist views...

 

[Amy]

It's just attention-seeking really, and he's got an unusual sense of humour so I wouldn't be surprised if he finds it hilarious. Dressing the band up does seem like a control thing, some sort of power trip. He's reminding us who the "star" is and who are merely his employees. Still can't believe he made the band go on stage in skimpy swimwear, with poor old Boz in drag...Alain would never do that shit

 

[billybu69]

Oh dear, were you not embarrassed beyond belief? Do these people have no pride. The things he's had them do and wear,The majority of the band are foreigners and will have no interest in the royal family, yet they 'll dress ridiculously or worse pose naked, at the drop of a hat, poor boz and that 7" single nonsense, I wonder how much they get paid? it must be fortunes to be so regularly belittled.

The thing that most winds me up is the two facedness, all last year we had the bitching at solo, Boz on facebook ballooning about how we are all so negative about the band, we upset them saying that they aren't capable of doing justice to the classics, but we can't voice an opinion about that keep it to yourself. If you feel the new material is sub par who are you to comment. Your opinions should be kept to yourself, how dare you come on here complaining that Morrisseys lyrics haven't been the same since he stopped plagiarizing the books he's read. Your all so negative whingeing about the cancelled shows, walking off stage for no genuine reason, but he's the artist and you can't voice anger, it's negative, brings the site down, being negative all the time.

Yet how idiotic is the list of pet hates we've had to listen to over the years, George Alagiah.....George Alagiah for f***s sake he's a f***ing news reader how can anyone give a flying f*** one way or another. Don't be racist though, be careful what you say there, don't dislike people as a general thing, but make these half wits wear t shirts announcing hatred for individuals that's ok we'll have a go at individuals to get in the paper, but sue you if you make me look like I hate multiple people. How can it be ok to express a hatred of two people for no reason other than an accident of their birth, yet demand recompense if a paper makes you sound like you hate multiple people. How large or small is the number of people you don't know your allowed to announce an opinion about on a t shirt? and it be ok?

So just to be clear t shirt opinions are fine web site opinions are bad.

I think that should be added to poll, sorry for the rant but it struck a nerve.

 

[Maurice E]

Yet how idiotic is the list of pet hates we've had to listen to over the years, George Alagiah.....George Alagiah for f***s sake he's a f***ing news reader how can anyone give a flying f*** one way or another. Don't be rascist.

What's rascist? Discrimination against rascals?
Hehe! Actually, I agree with pretty much everything you say. I think this whole t-shirt thing could be a new low point...

 

[billybu69]

What's rascist? Discrimination against rascals?
Hehe! Actually, I agree with pretty much everything you say. I think this whole t-shirt thing could be a new low point...

I was on a roll, there's no stopping the rant to spell check.

 

[Luke Action McClure]

I didn't mind the 'f*** Fur' ones. However, when I saw the William & Kate T-shirts, they made me think about what it was the Moz was trying to do. It also made me think whether any of the band would dare try to refuse to wear one, or even bring up such a stance. Could they refuse? I suspect previous band members have been edged out of the circle for lesser crimes.

I agree, Kate & William should not a target for hate. He was born a prince. They happened to fall in love. If he hates them both because they are pro-foxhunting, fair enough. But unfortunately, there are a lot of pro-foxhunters out there, and so to pick on William & Kate specifically seems unfair.

I think it is a little humiliating for the band. They are clearly told to wear them. Let's see what comes next... "We hate anyone who is more popular than us" or "We hate anyone who has more money than us", or ultimately "We hate everyone, except maybe Julia and Moz's mum"

 

[Oh my god. it's Robby!]

though I really don't care either way what t-shirts anybody wears
matching ones in a band just seems so 2000

 

[Worm]

I think it is a little humiliating for the band. They are clearly told to wear them.

This.

He might as well come out in a purple top hat and velvet jacket with the band dressed up as Oompa Loompas. It further reinforces the impression they're hired guns without anything creative to offer.

 

[[email protected]]

...I just wonder if he will wear one soon that says something like " f*** ORDINARY BOYS.....Nowadays, I think my first solo album was crap, so I am removing that track( and faffing about with another), in the hope that what Few remaining fans I have left will buy it all over again, just to get a sub-standard previously unreleased track that I thought was too rubbish at the time to include in the first place anyway" or some such words of wonderment. I am fecking DISGUSTED that my favourite songwriter is trying to write one of my favourite songs EVER out of history. Rant over. thanx all for reading, if you actually did.

 

[Iona Mink]

Oh dear, were you not embarrassed beyond belief? Do these people have no pride. The things he's had them do and wear,The majority of the band are foreigners and will have no interest in the royal family, yet they 'll dress ridiculously or worse pose naked, at the drop of a hat, poor boz and that 7" single nonsense, I wonder how much they get paid? it must be fortunes to be so regularly belittled.

The thing that most winds me up is the two facedness, all last year we had the bitching at solo, Boz on facebook ballooning about how we are all so negative about the band, we upset them saying that they aren't capable of doing justice to the classics, but we can't voice an opinion about that keep it to yourself. If you feel the new material is sub par who are you to comment. Your opinions should be kept to yourself, how dare you come on here complaining that Morrisseys lyrics haven't been the same since he stopped plagiarizing the books he's read. Your all so negative whingeing about the cancelled shows, walking off stage for no genuine reason, but he's the artist and you can't voice anger, it's negative, brings the site down, being negative all the time.

Yet how idiotic is the list of pet hates we've had to listen to over the years, George Alagiah.....George Alagiah for f***s sake he's a f***ing news reader how can anyone give a flying f*** one way or another. Don't be racist though, be careful what you say there, don't dislike people as a general thing, but make these half wits wear t shirts announcing hatred for individuals that's ok we'll have a go at individuals to get in the paper, but sue you if you make me look like I hate multiple people. How can it be ok to express a hatred of two people for no reason other than an accident of their birth, yet demand recompense if a paper makes you sound like you hate multiple people. How large or small is the number of people you don't know your allowed to announce an opinion about on a t shirt? and it be ok?

So just to be clear t shirt opinions are fine web site opinions are bad.

I think that should be added to poll, sorry for the rant but it struck a nerve.

Don't apologise for the rant, I rather enjoyed it. You should do it more often.

 

[Worm]

So just to be clear t shirt opinions are fine web site opinions are bad.

I think that should be added to poll, sorry for the rant but it struck a nerve.

You're right to complain. Morrissey is openly applying a double standard. Did you see this in the just-published interview in Brazil?

Morrissey: The Internet means that anyone becomes a critic and, in general, the thrust of some is hurt and destroy because they can do it in the safety of their rooms with Star Wars in little, friendly Iowa. On the other hand, internet is the power of the people, and that's good because it makes the music critics useless. People are thinking for themselves, which means the death of innocence.​

I think what's interesting about this comment is that he does understand the double nature of the Internet. We all know that the Internet gives the people of the world an unprecedented platform through which to express themselves and bypass the traditional gatekeepers of information. At the same time, the Internet, when mis-used, quickly devolves into an ungovernable machine whose only purpose is to spread lies, misinformation and stupidity. It's a dilemma as old as Prometheus.

What it comes down to is this: the Internet is good when Morrissey likes it and it's bad when he doesn't.

Which is no more or less logical than 97% of the other things he's said over the years.

I think the only real story here is that he continues to belittle his band-- unintentionally, I'm sure, but that's precisely what he's doing.

 

[Amy]

I think the only real story here is that he continues to belittle his band-- unintentionally, I'm sure, but that's precisely what he's doing.

I'm not so sure it's unintentional. He can't have been oblivious to Boz' obvious discomfort when being made to pose naked/in a loincloth/ in drag etc etc, and I don't think the others ever looked particularly happy about it either. As billybu69 said - they must be getting paid an absolute fortune to let Moz endlessly make a laughing stock out of them like this.

 

[Worm]

I'm not so sure it's unintentional. He can't have been oblivious to Boz' obvious discomfort when being made to pose naked/in a loincloth/ in drag etc etc, and I don't think the others ever looked particularly happy about it either. As billybu69 said - they must be getting paid an absolute fortune to let Moz endlessly make a laughing stock out of them like this.

If your account is true, Mike Joyce suddenly starts to look intelligent and strong-willed in comparison. And that can't be, can it?

 

[CrystalGeezer]

I don't think he intentionally means to belittle them.

 

[Amy]

I don't think he intentionally means to belittle them.

He probably doesn't see it as "belittling" them, but he's still having a laugh at their expense - which is the same thing really, isn't it?

 

[Amy]

If your account is true, Mike Joyce suddenly starts to look intelligent and strong-willed in comparison. And that can't be, can it?

Morrissey never noticed Mike Joyce enough to bother trying to belittle him. I doubt he'd have even learnt Mike's name if Johnny hadn't told him it. "I feel tremendous indifference towards Bruce and Rick".

 

[Maurice E]

I'm not so sure it's unintentional. He can't have been oblivious to Boz' obvious discomfort when being made to pose naked/in a loincloth/ in drag etc etc, and I don't think the others ever looked particularly happy about it either. As billybu69 said - they must be getting paid an absolute fortune to let Moz endlessly make a laughing stock out of them like this.

I doubt he's paying them a fortune - just quite a bit more than they'd get from doing other musical stuff. I expect it's generally pretty enjoyable being in the band at the mo. The set list is amazing - they're getting to play a number of the greatest songs ever written (I Know It's Over, EILS, There is a Light etc) to hugely enthusiastic audiences singing along at the tops of their voices, in pretty exotic locations. All in all, quite a buzz, really...