I rather like the t shirt.... the 'debate' got rather lively on the Guardians Comment is Free

see you at the Roundhouse my children

Momus

Is the photograph in the upper left corner of the scan one of Conor McNicholas? If that's so, he doesn't look much older than Tim Jonze! Which makes me wonder... how much can these boys comprehend? No offense, I'm usually not the one to point at anyone's age as an intelligence factor, but the NME's arguments have been devoid of valid premises (kind of like making conclusions without facts, or with irrelevant info). Very strange magazine...

Nice pic! Morrissey looks likes the man of steel with that heroic pose!

had an interesting insight when he tried to interview Morrissey:

"I think (and this is based on meeting him and having read much of his press over the years) he has an almost clinical, Tourette's-like need to blurt out thoughtless things to people, and he's not even aware he's doing it, so when people retaliate, he genuinely has no idea why."

The picture is almost complete. Morrissey answered some questions in a typically "Bigmouth," Morrissey way. Unfortunately for him, he was speaking to an unsophisticated "journalist," who handed the story to an unscrupulous editor.

Conor McNicholas is being disingenuous when he states that he is in the truth-and-love business, and that no racism accusations were implied - he is there to turn profits, and he thought that exploiting the whole "Morrissey vs. NME" battle would be a good way to bolster sales and make the NME look like the guardian of tolerance. The magazine chose to mangle an interview done in good faith, and made an ugly mountain out of a molehill.

Morrissey is going to have a wonderful year, as are his fans.

McNicholas and Jonze may have learned something, but I doubt it. They should be ashamed of themselves for behaving in such an unprofessional, hurtful manner.

 

CM is back peddling now.

Looks like old Mozzer has had some work done around his eyes.

its very clear what the agenda is, sell more magazines, and who better to help them than Morrissey. NME is provoking and inviting people to debate(write letters) for the simple reason to keep the issue alive. Any other publication would have let this rest, and would never personally respond to a readers letters(especially an editor). It seems this is at the top of their AGENDA.

Dear Mr McRidiclous,

We don't think he's a racist, but... we want you think he's a racist. This is what you are bascially saying.

"To single out immigration as the key factor [to the loss of Britishness] is inaccurate and inappropriate."

Well, who gives you that moral authority? Did he specifically say it was the 'key' factor anyway? Moz is clearly expressing what is known as an opinion and your holier-than-thou so-called liberal-left agenda leads you brainwashed into thinking that is somehow wrong.

You have portrayed him in such a light that he had no alternative to act.

See you in court, if you dare take it that far.

Conor says that it's not about racism. But the cover said it for him. "Not Again" What was the "again" referring to? The whole NME bringing up "evidence" that Morrissey is a racist and showing it to everyone. It was the British Flag + "The National Front Disco" the first go 'round and now it's immigration.

How stupid.

As I remember it, The Face magazine collapsed a few years ago after Jason Donovan won his libel action against them. Let's hope Moz & Merck go all the way with this, so that NME can join The Face on history's scrapheap.

Nearly a whole page given over to a critical letter from 'Paddy' in Sussex & a reply from Conor Mc Nicholas which ranges over a vast area of topics as follows:

Technology/Globalisation/Aggressive Export of American Culture/Media Fracture and Expansion - in justification of last week's piece.

Somewhere ( in Thailand?), there's a tape which will show how Mr Jonze covered these complex areas of debate with Morrissey, and whether or not it is Morrissey who has 'singled out immigration as the key factor' in what is, indeed 'a complex debate about British cultural debate about British cultural identity and immigration'.

Is Jonze back yet? Where's the tape?

Given his admission to 'not knowing much about David Bowie' I'm sure forensic courtroom analysis of this tape would reveal how skilfully Mr Jonze was in covering these vastly more difficult and intellectually demanding topics on behalf of his Editor.

And whether the resultant article -with 'Words' attributed to NME, rather than himself, accurately corresponds to the taped conversation.

In summary, was the Article, but more importantly, the Front Cover - 'balanced and justified'?

Amazingly, Conor also refers to Morrissey as his 'mate'. He also says he'd love to 'kiss and make up' .............

Very droll, indeed...you're avin a larf, 'mate', innit?

It's interesting to me how The Smiths and Morrissey practically carried the NME through the 80s and probably the early 90's and now Morrissey is putting them out of business.
(I may be partially wrong? I'm rather young to remember the NME when it was okay.)

Terrible for the other writers of the magazine that my have some talent, but cheers to Jonze and Connor for fu*king it up for everyone else!

Maybe Connor can get a job writing soap operas with all the twists and turns he's come up with in defending himself and the NME.

This whole debate thing is getting old really fast.

As much as I like his music (mostly his early work), I am really starting to despise Morrissey as a person.

"Boohoo, look at me, I am poor Morrissey. The world is harsh and treating me unfair. My life is so difficult. People are mean. Boohoo."

Please, for the love of God, get over yourself. Take your rockstar millions, move to some tropical island, rent yourself a couple of Bel Ami boys and get laid already.

And please, don't even get me started on that awful, poorly written statement in the Guardian. It has only proven one thing: Morrissey is a pathetic old git, who has been living way too long in Never Never Land. He and Michael Jackson should be friends. They're two of a kind.

I am so sick of Morrissey. Instead of paying money to Mike Joyce, the Judge should have ordered him to work in a 9 to 5 office job for a year. Maybe that would have given him some perspective.

These days Morrissey is nothing more than a spoiled little princess. He's no longer in touch with himself or the real world.

And we can all hear it. It's get clearer with every new album. His song say nothing to me about my life...

"There's a cash register ringing and
It weighs so heavy on my back..."

Yeah, right. Like too much money is one of my major concerns.

I've never read anything so ridiculous, just listen to the amazing lyrics he's written in the last 20 odd years and enjoy. Don't make up what isn't there!

Right --- Now that all of the music magazines, all of the web sites, press statements, various and important people in Morrissey’s career and so on … have heard about the {allegedly libelous} article, and the contents of the article, Conor proceeds to carry on with his Morrissey rampage in a sad attempt to spin this now into a sort of mmm ….. “let’s give the baby some cookies and candy” scenario. That’s what this reminds me of --- like Conor’s newly revised and poorly written words can be tantamount to treating Morrissey like a 9 month old in a high chair with a rattle. You are insulting his intelligence – you are a weirdo.

The “enemy” including but not limited to Tim & Conor himself made comments interfering with Morrissey’s career. It is a personal vendetta.

The “former frontman”, “the singer now currently living in Rome” and the ever so popular, and by the way God knows why “Morrissey, the son of immigrants”, beginnings of every anti-Morrissey publication and promotion.
All of these – all because of you, Mr. Cunter and all of your spawns, oops I mean children whereby, I mean in the literal way – maybe.

You think this will help with discovery – yeah.

Life is about the choices you make. Mr. Cunter, You ALREADY made yours the day you released the article.

BTW – Morrissey wouldn’t kiss you with Johnny Marr’s lips – you understand.

Kate

But the printed word might kill you

The critics who, can't break you
They somehow help to make you
The critics who, can't break you, unwittingly they make you

So don't let the good days, of the gold discs, creep up and mug you
With evil legal eagles, you know I couldn't last, accountants rampant, you know
I couldn't last
Every -ist and every -ism, thrown my way to stay, and the northern leeches go
on, removing, removing, removing

Then in the end, your royalties bring you luxuries, your royalties bring you
luxuries, oh but
The squalor of the mind, the squalor of the mind, the squalor of the mind, The

Unlike most pieces of writing, Conor McNicholas´ text makes less & less sense to me the more often I read it & the closer I look at it, which is a pretty interesting effect.

Unfortunately that´s the only interesting thing about the article.

Moz is the best he's ever been. Its the music stupid. Like it, Love it, or leave it. Who really cares what you decide. I LOVE IT!

He comes across like a pompous student.

Don't forget - Conor McPrickolas fixes NME poll results, awards Single Of The Week to Tim Jonze's label, and misrepresents interviewees. Let "Paddy of Sussex" come forward before any of us believe a word of this! I say that letter was fabricated to allow Conor to start back-pedalling...

this tadwry horsegobbler is STILL banging on about British culural identity and globalisation and fuck knows what else, despite the reader pointing out that the NME is supposed to be a music magazine. He still hasn't answered the question.

I am pretty sure Panthers are solitary animals and do not hunt in packs.

This for me is the real issue now, as it is pretty clear Morrissey is not a rascist and Conor is a complete dunderHEEEEEEEEED!

So it really doesn't matter.

My favourite part is Conor saying (I paraphrase) "It's not nice when you fall out with a mate."

A mate?

You don't set up a "mate" in the national press, dear Conor McKnickerless, dragging up past "glories" of the last time your other friends knocked down your "mate". What an utter pillock. I somehow get the impression that even if Moz was his "mate" (it's quite an un-Morrissey word, isn't it? Although I can hear him saying "matiness"), he won't be after all this!

It would be interesting to know how many emails etc Conor received. I sent one in, but it probably wasn't used. In fact, I dunno if it was used or not seeing as I WOULDN'T want to buy that shitty magazine anyway!

Fuck off, McNicholas!

This whole pantomime is nothing more than a misguided attempt to boost the NME's flagging sales figures (and, God knows, they could do with a boost).

Your rag is just a shadow of its former self and deserves to go the same way as 'Sounds' and 'Melody Maker' (and I speak as a former reader).

Mark my words, Morrissey will outlive you by decades.

NME will suffer - not Morrissey. He has been a LOVED artist for the last 20 years and his fans will continue to Love him. NME is a pathetic shit rag.
So get used to it. Like it or Lump it - This is the way to go.

Morrissey looks like he can whip some ass in that photo!!

Morrissey sues NME for libel.
Judge awards Morrissey one million pounds damages.
Judge orders that the money be paid to Mike Joyce.
Wouldn't that be great? One of Moz's much maligned 'high court judges' would make it official that Moz isn't a racist & Mike Joyce would get his money & maybe shut up about it!

This is much bigger than a singer versus a magazine by the way. If this goes to court it's going to be a judge deciding if it's racist to have opinions on immigration.

Bring it on.

Childish playground tactics have never been more exemplified -- this place should win the award
"Insult anyone and everyone, whether you know them or not".
Logic dictates

"You lot are morons"

Get behind him and forget this shit
It's boring!!!
Unfortunately, being white he looks skinnier than his black counterpart.
I have faith in his heart.
One of his closest mates is Wayne Rooney
Enough said.

The guy wrote national front disco.
"England for the English"
Unless I'm totally "thicko" that spells it out
Don't give me your orwelian shite, he finds immigrants offenisve, so what?
Eric Clapton supported Enoch Powell back in the day when we could have stopped the shit.

Go kick ass Ricky
We'll be waitin, watchin and stayin up all night
Love ya kidda

Racism goes without saying.
Come on lads PROVE he's a shirt-lifter.
Now, that is an issue worth 2.95.

It's LE Morrissey. Je suis LE Morrissey.

I love Paddy from Sussex (have I got that right now?) I can see why they chose his letter.

I am from the Netherlands and live in the US. The same thing is going on in my country, cheap labor is being hauled into the country literaly by the bus loads. I understand that people are looking for a better way to live. I am not a racist when I say that the Netherlands that I know does not exist anymore. It's diluted by all the new influences, flavors, languages and cultures that have mixed in. Am I a bad person for feeling sad about that? No, I can freely say things like this because I am not Morrissey. For decades the (Britisch)media have tried to catch him and strap him in. They don't listen to his lyrics (or in this case words on a interview tape), they only have eyes for the controvercy. For there is money to be made! It pains them that everytime they think they 'have' Morrissey, he says something unexpected. Damned! Why isn't he another crashing bore that is afraid to show intelligence? Thank god at least one lock-jawed pop star says something I can relate to. It just goes to show that media, governments, education, plainly everybody that knows whats good for the masses caters to the stupidest denominator. Just close your eyes and be lulled to sleep, just read NME and they'll tell you what to believe.

How anyone could hope to get away with portraying you as a racist, Morrisey, is beyond me. Coming from an immigrant family and growing up in Britain myself, I have always felt you were one of the most compassionate souls around (towards humans and other beings), as anyone who understands your lyrics would easily appreciate. May I also say thank you - your honesty and integrity have been an inspiration for decades.

-Upekha

I must admit, Mr McNicholas' response falls very much in line with my own thoughts. What is English identity founded on? We're a nation of immigrants, made up of whoever took it upon themselves to come and live on this little rock off the coast of several countries with more wine and sunshine to recommend them.
What is a better marker of English identity? Being born here by chance, or choosing the place as your home?
I think the editor has it right on this one. Morrissey brought it up himself, and the fact that his comments have been interpreted by some as plants by the NME to spark a row about race, speaks for itself. Think a little harder, Moz, before opening that big mouth.