Appalled because of no Smiths/Morrissey songs at Opening Ceremony

[123xyz]

@123xyz

ref: your recent inquiry

xyz123 : 'I'm still wondering how the "group-think" of "solipsists" works ...'

I didn't know so I asked 'BrummieBoy' on your behalf. He suggests you add the following titles to your reading list. I'll try and answer any further queries but it may be a few days as we're off to the Olympics. I'm so excited!!!!

best wishes
Sharon McCormick - Secretary to 'BrummieBoy'

Fromm, E. 1968. The heart of man : its genius for good and evil.

"The very need to achieve something creative makes it necessary to leave the closed circle of group solipsism and to be interested in the object it wants to achieve." (p. 94)

Fromm, E. 1973. The Anatomy of Human Destructiveness.

"Those whose narcissism refers to their group rather than to themselves as individuals are as sensitive as the individual narcissist, and they react with rage to any wound, real or imaginary, inflicted upon their group. If anything, they react more intensely and certainly more consciously. An individual, unless he is mentally very sick, may have at least some doubts about his personal narcissistic image. The member of the group has none, since his narcissism is shared by the majority." (p. 231)

http://workcreatively.org/biblio/key...p%20narcissism

Spare me the advice about narcissism. Diagnostic bracket creep, anyone ? I won't even get started on projection.

No, I will. Stop chewing on Erich Fromm ( yes, I'm very impressed) and have a further look. Grandiosity, non-transparency, humourlessness, the veiled threats of exclusion and control - do these sound familiar ?

Wasn't I meant to be on "Ignore" ?

[JamesDean]

To be perfectly honest I couldn't care less about whether The Smiths or Morrissey was acknowledged at the opening ceremony. The Olympics is about sport; it should be the athletes who have spent the past four years training passionately for their moment in the spotlight. If anyone is going to be honoured, it should be those people who have put so much effort into it; but people only seem to be more interested in which so called 'celebrites' are involved in the Olympics. Music Artists, Actors and such, have their own award ceremonies; this is one of the few things that the athletes get recognition in and still it is not about them as more people seem more interested in the opening than anything else. In addition, why are sports such as Football a part of the olympics? Like Singers and Actors, they have their own leagues and cups, so why do they need to impose on these less emphasised sports. As far as I am concerned, the only reason their is such hype around the Olympics this time around is because it is in our own country, which I find highly fake and irritating. People need to understand that the Olympics is about countries coming together to compete once every four years, and who cares about what pathetic excuses for celebrities are acknowledged. The only reason any of them bother to attend is because it gets them more exposure to the press anyway. So if you're going to moan about anything, moan about the fact that the masses don't seem at all concerned with the true meaning of the Olympics, which has become like nearly other of todays industries, another commodity by which the goverment can cheat and scam money out of the hard-working tax payers.

This makes a lot of sense and I can't disagree - but we're talking about the opening ceremony, not the entire olympics. You can think the ceremony to be very unimportant indeed but still legitimately bemoan the absence of an artist you believe should be in there; the opening ceremony is a form of art - or propaganda depending on exactly how cynical you are - and art is subject to criticism.

[JJKelsall]

This makes a lot of sense and I can't disagree - but we're talking about the opening ceremony, not the entire olympics. You can think the ceremony to be very unimportant indeed but still legitimately bemoan the absence of an artist you believe should be in there; the opening ceremony is a form of art - or propaganda depending on exactly how cynical you are - and art is subject to criticism.

I suppose that that is true, and whether people believe it or not, The Smiths had very British orientated music and were important, particularly in the indie scene and Morrissey is often regarded, not just by fans but critics as a figurehead of indie music. Still though, I do believe that the opening ceremony should be more centred around the events themselves, since that is what the people go there to watch, but you do make a good point.

[BrummieBoy]

Spare me the advice about narcissism. Diagnostic bracket creep, anyone ? I won't even get started on projection.

No, I will. Stop chewing on Erich Fromm ( yes, I'm very impressed) and have a further look. Grandiosity, non-transparency, humourlessness, the veiled threats of exclusion and control - do these sound familiar ?

Wasn't I meant to be on "Ignore" ?

From: Sharon McCormick - Secretary to 'BrummieBoy'
To: @123xyz ref: your further inquiry

Dear '123xyz'

You are indeed on the 'Ignore List' and will remain so. Permanently. My role as Secretary is to monitor the 'Ignore List' for libellous and defamatory statements about 'BrummieBoy'. I log on using his password and temporarily remove the 'Ignore' filter. Before I log off I replace the 'Ignore Filter'. He does not see you or any of the other "misfits, miscreants and misanthropes" as he describes those on the 'Ignore List'. A secondary element of this monitoring is to bring to his attention any legitmate queries, concerns and what he calls "cries for help and pleas for clemency", even if they are 'off-topic' to the thread. You appeared to be raising a legitimate query when you stated:

xyz123 : 'I'm still wondering how the "group-think" of "solipsists" works ...'


So, I presented your query to 'BrummieBoy' during yesterday mornings' 'Diary and Scheduling Meeting'. He advised the project group that "I am a compassionate cultural collosus, a benign and benevolent 'pope of pop', therefore no-one should be permanently excluded from the healing rays of the consciousness i am helping to manifest on this troubled planet." I am not allowed to mention any names from the 'Ignore List', only to raise enquiries without names so he can respond without "historical residues". He says "names are for tombstones, baby!" and that he doesn't judge by appearances but by content of character. Someone in the project group made a quip about Oscar and 'only a fool doesn't'. They were sacked and told to clear their desk!

I don't really understand all this as I'm only 'the secretary' and I just do what I'm told. I am allowed to tell you that this latest 'Jargon Factory' project is called 'Morrissey: Misfits, Miscreants and Misanthropes' and has a subtitle of 'Analysing the exponentially rising dis-ease burden of online pathologies-guidance notes on Internet Dissociative Identity Disorder in selected meta-narratives of post-modernity'. Again, I'm only typing this up as best I can from my dictation tape, but you seem a clever chap/chapess so I'm sure this additional information will be helpful to you.

In order to effectively respond to your additional query 'BrummieBoy' directed me to seek advice from the resident project psychiatrist, Dr Ekaterina Jones who has commented as follows:

'Dear '123xyz'

I refer to your recent communications with 'BrummieBoy' and our project secretary Ms Sharon McCormick. I have looked at the data and here are my observations.

You now appear to be denying that you sought guidance about the 'group-think' of 'solipsists' and that the advice on 'group solicism' quoted from Erich Fromm was not helpful to you. I regret that this was so. Your reference to Kramer's 'diagnostic bracket creep' is obtuse as no advice on medication to support your existential issues has been proffered.

http://thinkinggirl.wordpress.com/20...ozac-feminism/

We are not currently advsing a mass medication / innoculation of the 'Morrissey-Solo.com' community and, given its' international scope, we would not have any legal authority to implement such a course of action without negotiating with our international partners. It appears you are in Sydney, for example. You then appear to exhibit incipient 'thought disorder' as you list a series of 'pop psychology' concepts without any context or explanation. It occurs to me that your question 'Grandiosity, non-transparency, humourlessness, the veiled threats of exclusion and control - do these sound familiar ?' may be comparing 'BrummieBoy' to Morrissey. However, you do not elaborate or explicate sufficiently to confirm this supposition. The fact that you are 'very impressed' with 'BrummieBoy''s erudition and panoramic knowledge is noted, as is your further appeal to the 'social narcissism' of the group when you seek re-assurance and support by appending your obtuse reference to Kramer thus: 'Diagnostic bracket creep, anyone?' Your final cryptic remark about 'projection' appears similarly obtuse to the reference to Kramer. It is not clear to me how we can help you as you do not appear to be genuinely seeking to change and psychological therapy cannot be effective without this, whether online or 'IRL'. Perhaps the 'social narcissism' of the group can now respond and provide you with some guidance, but I'm not sure that will be sufficient for you.

We are very busy here with this exciting project. Unfortunately, our resources and time constraints mean we are unable to enter into permanent online therapeutic relationships. If you remain troubled by your interaction with 'BrummieBoy' and the 'group-think narcissism' does not stabilise you during this 'crisis': please seek assistance from your preferred provider 'in real life'. I hope this reply is helpful to you but I regret I will not be able to enter into further discussion with you as my professional ethics preclude fostering any such relationship. You appear to be in some distress. I hope you find the pathway to recovery that is appropriate, nourishing and healing for you.

Yours sincerely
Dr Ekaterina Jones.
Project psychiatrist to 'Operation Morrissey-Solo.com'

.cc Kristeen Young
.cc Artangel
.bc 'other interested parties'


Sharon here again. I typed up the Dr's note but I have no idea what it means. I hope it helps you "going forward" as 'BrummieBoy' says about everything we do. Please don't nit-pick about any typos or grammer mistakes I've made. I'm only an intern here and I really, really want to get taken on full-time. 'BrummieBoy' is a hard and demanding taskmaster, but I'm loving it! (blush! flush!) I see you've edited your reply and I was doing that but 'BrummieBoy' went ballistic because I hadn't noted that I was editing my typos and such, rather than correcting any errors from him. 'BrummieBoy' doesn't make mistakes. I can't believe i got this gig!!!!!!

Must go now as he's back from the gym and wants to review the Edinburgh gig before we go to the Olympics. Gr8 2 chat! Laters!

regards.....

http://www.secretarythemovie.co.uk/html/synopsis.html

[CrookedLittleVein]

I think I'm beginning to like this place again.

[BrummieBoy]

..Doesn't the fact that you and your two chums have dismissed her as a schiztophrenic psycho bitch creepo, and have basically disowned her socially..online-wise..yet YOU choose to strike up dialogue with her anyway..strike you as slightly ironic??
Maybe she's not the only one who needs to schedule a visit with a local psychiatrist.

Clearly, this 'Skylarker' needs a forceful managed intervention from the other caring members of this forum 'community'.

regards

[international playboy]

I thought the opening ceremony was excellent! I wasn't shocked not to hear a Morrissey/Smiths clip. It would have been great to hear it, but then again, I still enjoyed the rest of the music.
I recorded the ceremony and have watched it twice. My girlfriend is Belgian and she thought the show was excellent as well.
It made me feel proud to be British

[Oh my god, it's Robby!]

I think I'm beginning to like this place again.

yeah, some of BB's stuff is actually funny to read
though a bit harsh on "123xyz"

[PregnantForTheLastTime]

I am a secretary but I must admit that my job is nowhere near as exciting as Sharon McCormick's. All I do is expense reports and restaurant reservations and so forth.

I'll just head over to the "insane megalomaniac" section of the employment ads on Craigslist and see if I can find someone crazier to work for...

[Worm]

I am a secretary but I must admit that my job is nowhere near as exciting as Sharon McCormick's. All I do is expense reports and restaurant reservations and so forth.

I'll just head over to the "insane megalomaniac" section of the employment ads on Craigslist and see if I can find someone crazier to work for...

Walter White might be hiring, I hear. Just watch out, there's a lot of turnover.

[Qvist]

Who cares. The olympic opening ceremony is a colossal non-event.

[PregnantForTheLastTime]

I don't work for criminals as a matter of policy. That's why I work for a hedge fund manager. Derp.

[CrookedLittleVein]

yeah, some of BB's stuff is actually funny to read
though a bit harsh on "123xyz"

Extremely funny. I can't imagine anyone taking offence: BB's tongue is so firmly in his cheek he must look like he's scoffed an entire Toblerone.

I'd consider going down the mass 'ignore' route myself but the people I generally detest on this site do, unfortunately, on the odd occasion, post interesting insights. The swines.

[BrummieBoy]

Who cares. The olympic opening ceremony is a colossal non-event.

Morrissey cared enough to mention it live on stage in Manchester on Saturday night. You're supposed to be a 'senior member' around here.
Pay attention!

http://www.live4ever.uk.com/2012/07/...ning-ceremony/

[goinghome]

Justme over on AYNIM found the response from Manchester Town Hall suits to Morrissey's comment on receiving no awards -

http://menmedia.co.uk/manchestereven...fficial-honour

Could an anti-award award of some kind be designed?

[Theo]

The Olympics are not being held in Germany. If they were, such a reference to the Israeli athelete slaughter would be relevant within a wider cultural accounting of the German holocaust.

They were relevant at the Olympic Opening Ceremony because it was the 40 year anniversary of when those Israeli athletes were murdered at the Olympics. According to press reports, the reason they decided not to have any moment of silence was because various Muslim governments threatened to boycott the London Games if they did so. So, your London Games are marked forever in history as having bowed to disgusting bigots. That's in addition to the opening ceremonies pushing the propaganda about how great it is for the arms of the socialist state to wrap themselves around our children.

There were no corporate advertising breaks throughout the BBC coverage. Never has been in any Olympics.

I'm glad the United States Olympic team gets its funding from corporate sponsors instead of sucking up tax dollars as I don't think the American people want to work their fingers to the bones to pay for that stuff. I guess you prefer the North Korean way. When the North Korean weightlifter lifted 3 times his weight to win gold he said he doesn't deserve credit, it was Kim Jong Il who enabled him to do it. Ha! That reminded me of President Obama yapping, "Hey, if you have a business, you didn't build that!"

Hey, Morrissey, you know your music career? You didn't do that. Others created rock 'n' roll and the state created the conditions that allowed for the music industry, which enabled you to have a career as a singer. Come bow down before the state!

Anyway, your London opening ceremonies were not so pure. Your stupid Queen to participated in a corporate commercial for the next James Bond movie, and not so coincidentally I see commercials for that movie every time I tune in to the games. They also included Samsung product placement in your ceremonies:

[BrummieBoy]

Dear 'Theo'.

You are a troll. Off-topic. Straw Men. Flame-baiting. This will be my final response to you as you did not complete the 'homework' assignments I gave you to further your understanding of British culture. My secretary, Sharon McCormick, does not appear to have placed you on the 'Ignore List' so I will have to provide an appropriate sanction to her.

You claim:

''They were relevant at the Olympic Opening Ceremony because it was the 40 year anniversary of when those Israeli athletes were murdered at the Olympics. According to press reports, the reason they decided not to have any moment of silence for the anniversary of the murder of the Israeli athletes was because various Muslim governments threatened to boycott the London Games if they did so. So, your London Games are marked forever in history as having bowed to disgusting bigots. That's in addition to the opening ceremonies pushing the propaganda about how great it is for the arms of the socialist state to wrap themselves around our children."


Then your complaint is with the 'Olympic Family' not with Danny Boyle's artistic vision. You speak, as before, from a position of blissful cultural and corporate indoctrination. Your views are based on deliberate ignorance and mis-information. When you state 'accouding to press reports' it is an appeal to the haven of your ideological safety zone of NBC/Fox. You have not followed my instructions to investigate the failure of NBC to broadcast the sequence which very subtly and devastatingly critiqued not only terrorism but the state terrorist responses to it, in particular 'Guantanamo Bay':

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...-audience.html

This sequence was soundtracked by an explicitly Christian hymn 'Abide With Me' so you're totalitarian corporate regimes decision to censor it managed to alienate almost everyone right or left, religious or not. You are one of the disturbed minority of American cultural blowhards who dominate your country and revel in taking pride in an ignorance of other cultures. Unfortunately for you and them, British culture is not entirely dominated by toadies fawning to American cultural and militaristic dysfunctionality. In summary: 'America Is Not The World' and 'America Is Not The Olympics'.

Your 'straw man' references to North Korea are irrelevant. British Olympians are not fully state funded, they are mostly funded by private sector employers and public fund-raising events. However, a key motif of this Olympics has been an explicit commitment to the future provision of sports opportunities for young people, hence the genius decision of Danny Boyle to have the Olympic cauldron lit by 7 teenagers rather than by our greatest Olympian at that time, Steve Redgrave.

You then, metaphorically, put your gun to your head by stating:

'Hey, Morrissey, you know your music career? You didn't do that. Others created rock 'n' roll and the state created the conditions that allowed for the music industry, which enabled you to have a career as a singer. Come bow down before the state!'



Morrissey was supported through his teenage and early adult crises by a 'basic income' from the British State (other taxpayers) for most of the time from leaving school at 16 to becoming a musical entrepreneur and businessman in partnership with Johnny Marr in his early twenties. You clearly have no idea of Morrissey's history. He was directly supported by the state/community for many years, presumably through a benefit paid in recognition of his illness. Morrissey has not shared these details in public. As he became wildly successful in Britain in the 1980s he would have paid appropriate taxation more than repaying his benefits and thus contributing to the support of a younger version of himself. Morrissey explicity railed against Margaret Thatcher's simplistic neoliberal agenda during these years.

Morrissey owes the British state nothing, even though he once claimed 'England is mine, and it owes me a living'. Presumably this was a reference to the British state rather than to the network of SME enterprises and entreprenuers whose efforts fund our state/community as much as do national and transnational copoprations (other than egregious tax avoiders such as the Amazon corporation). I have no idea if Morrissey is still a resident of these 'Isles of Wonder' for taxation purposes and it is none of my business except and unless he expresses views related to this nation's finances. He does not appear to have done so, as the greatest financial crisis of all time remains subservient to his quaint fixations on the British Royal family and the dietary habits of omnivores.

Anyway, your London opening ceremonies were not so pure. Your stupid Queen to participated in a corporate commercial for the next James Bond movie, and not so coincidentally I see commercials for that movie every time I tune in to the games. They also included Samsung product placement in your ceremonies:


I have no idea if Samsung are an 'official sponsor' or whether this product placement was a guerilla marketing move similar to that used by the 'Beats By Dre' corporation who handed out branded TeamGB headphones to the British Olympic team. I couldn't care less. Any commercials you see when you tune in to the games reflect American corporate advertising not the Olympic games. In a supposedly 'free market' the NBC stranglehold on Olympic coverage is simply risible. Many of my online American contacts are using the WWW to escape NBC and it's intrusive advertising. The BBC allows me to watch the games with minimal corporate intrusion.

The Queen of England is hardly 'stupid'. She made her dramatic acting debut in an homage to the Bond genre, which you will recall is an extremely right-wing oeurvre from the works of conservative cultural writer Ian Fleming. Perhaps you have only watched the movies and have not read the books.

In agreeing to 'jump out of a helicopter' and, metaphorically exposing her knickers to the world below, Elizabeth 11 in one genius move rendered Morrissey's cantankerous Republicanism ridiculous. I am also a Republican. As Morrissey is no longer resident in these 'Isles Of Wonder' his views on our constitution and historical institutions are irrelevant. In this respect, sadly, he is no different to all the other embittered ex-pat trolls who provide such amusement in the comments section of The Daily Telegraph, albeit with a slightly novel blunt axe to grind. 'The Daily Telegraph' is a British newspaper. You may not have heard of it.

There is so much to admire about the history, culture and people of the United States of America. I have never visited your country but I hope to do so one day. Friends of mine who have shared their holiday and work adventures in America are almost universally enthusiastic about your country, other than a profound disturbance with regard to issues of race and religion. I do not speak on behalf of Britain and you certainly do not speak on behalf of America.

You are a troll. I do not feed the trolls.

regards.....

NB: Any and all typographic, spelling and grammatical errors are due to my intern. I have dictated this final reply to you whilst watching the judo.

[Cornflakes]

Just an update.

The torchlighting segment was titled "There Is A Light That Never Goes Out".

http://www.london2012.com/mm/Documen...DE_English.pdf

[Worm]

Just an update.

The torchlighting segment was titled "There Is A Light That Never Goes Out".

http://www.london2012.com/mm/Documen...DE_English.pdf

Nice find.

On page 18, Fuck Buttons are abbreviated to F Buttons. Sheesh.

[Qvist]

Morrissey cared enough to mention it live on stage in Manchester on Saturday night. You're supposed to be a 'senior member' around here.
Pay attention!

http://www.live4ever.uk.com/2012/07/...ning-ceremony/

So? I don't think what he said contradicts what I said.

Careful there with Theo. He's like some weird mutant intellectual lifeform that actually feeds on well-earned contempt. Anyone with a reasonably sane sense of self who's gotten the feedback he has around here would have left this site long ago. But then of course, someone to whom the words "reasonably sane" could justifiably be applied in any respect would not have produced the statements he gets ribbed for in the first place.