Do you feel tired of Morrissey's verbal attacks?
- Thread starter Kewpie
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Iona Mink
Despitemybetterjudgement
Worm
Taste the diffidence
I disagree. There's room for dissent. He's just one voice. He won't spoil anyone's Olympic Games experience. He won't tarnish any medals or piss in anyone's pool (Michael Phelps will take care of that).
Some of the artistic choices Morrissey has made, and some of his recent comments-- his wit nowadays is a vase cracked over the head rather than a skillfully-wielded rapier-- have caused a lot of good will that people once felt for him to be used up. I understand people don't like his recent outbursts, but in my opinion a lot of the reactions (not just here, but in the press as well) have seemed over the top and, tellingly, lacking in good humor. Nobody's in the least bit generous toward him. I don't recognize the caricature people have concocted, this supposedly grumpy old man banging his tin cup against the paving stones to draw attention to himself whilst the rest of the pop pageant gracefully glides by. He's having fun. Maybe not the PETA propaganda, which he's deadly serious about, but the rest of it? The William and Kate hate, the anti-Olympic screeds? Morrissey is having fun. He's more relaxed and happy than I've ever seen him. The viciousness coming his way is unwarranted and, to be honest, I think it has more to do with his age than anything he has said or sung.
"undiminished, with a heart that longs for light"
Some of the artistic choices Morrissey has made, and some of his recent comments-- his wit nowadays is a vase cracked over the head rather than a skillfully-wielded rapier-- have caused a lot of good will that people once felt for him to be used up. I understand people don't like his recent outbursts, but in my opinion a lot of the reactions (not just here, but in the press as well) have seemed over the top and, tellingly, lacking in good humor. Nobody's in the least bit generous toward him. I don't recognize the caricature people have concocted, this supposedly grumpy old man banging his tin cup against the paving stones to draw attention to himself whilst the rest of the pop pageant gracefully glides by. He's having fun. Maybe not the PETA propaganda, which he's deadly serious about, but the rest of it? The William and Kate hate, the anti-Olympic screeds? Morrissey is having fun. He's more relaxed and happy than I've ever seen him. The viciousness coming his way is unwarranted and, to be honest, I think it has more to do with his age than anything he has said or sung.
"undiminished, with a heart that longs for light"
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Anonymous
Guest
I'm still trying to get my head around the concept of there being something wrong with Morrissey not wanting to ride on the zeitgeist bus? We need Antagonists. In a few weeks time when the whipped up Olympic hysteria has blown over, we'll be knee deep in headlines about how shit life once more. Do we nudge him on the shoulder at this point and tell him it's now ok to speak?
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DAVIE
Guest
He doesn't need to make infamous comments just to get his name in the paper. He needs to stop blackening his name and stop destroying his popularity. I wish he could just be known as the lyricist and singer for one of the best bands in the whole world and the "king of Indie" who still managed to remain as successful in his solo career. But unfortunately, no. The last 5 years has been the worst for him ever and his name is NEVER seen in a positive way. NEVER.
Orson Swells
Well-Known Member
But Morrissey has always been a dissenter. That's the point of him. In fact, that's what I thought people liked about him. Apparently I was wrong! He'll never be a cuddly Stephen Fry character. He threatened to be so in 2004, but it just isn't him.
My only criticism is his targets are too obvious: Will and Kate are boring; the Olympics are nationalistic; the Royals are archaic. No kidding. Because of the retrospective liking of The Smiths, people forget his views were totally out of step back in the day too. I can't see any problem with him saying these things. They're fairly obvious most of the time. It seems like a complete non-story to me.
It also seems to me that the papers really just jump on any statement he makes these days and try to make a story out of it. I'm not sure why they do it, but they do. Maybe he's right. Maybe nobody else says anything of interest.
My only criticism is his targets are too obvious: Will and Kate are boring; the Olympics are nationalistic; the Royals are archaic. No kidding. Because of the retrospective liking of The Smiths, people forget his views were totally out of step back in the day too. I can't see any problem with him saying these things. They're fairly obvious most of the time. It seems like a complete non-story to me.
It also seems to me that the papers really just jump on any statement he makes these days and try to make a story out of it. I'm not sure why they do it, but they do. Maybe he's right. Maybe nobody else says anything of interest.
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DAVIE
Guest
He seems desperate though. That's what makes him look so silly! He doesn't need to write or say stupid things to get noticed. Morrissey repeats things over and over again. The Royals are one of them and I wish he'd stop treading old ground. He doesn't like the royals. Fair enough, I don't either. But I don't cry about it endlessly.
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Worm
Taste the diffidence
Yes! How are his Olympics comments different than his acid commentary on Live Aid or the "Do They Know It's Christmas" single back in '85? Those were also "defining national moments" when "everybody agreed they were wonderful". He saw through those charades and spoke up. Some loved him for that. I guess they've all changed...
Iona Mink
Despitemybetterjudgement
No Davie. Desperate would be him being a judge on The Voice.
Orson Swells
Well-Known Member
Very true. I think Morrissey is one of those artists who stays exactly where he is. Then every now and again the world revolves around to his way of thinking.
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DAVIE
Guest
But wearing stupid printed t-shirts isn't? I dunno, maybe he isn't desperate. But sometimes it just feels like its desperation.
Worm
Taste the diffidence
I've seen this a lot. Where does this notion come from?
Between-song banter and messages sent to his own fan club do not qualify as "desperate". Yeah, sure, he knows his comments will get picked up by the press, more than likely. He knows these aren't private comments. Still, a person would have to be daft to think he was actually expressing outrage that he didn't have the key to Manchester or didn't have his songs included in Danny Boyle's opening extravaganza. I mean, come on. There's some degree of actual outrage in his comments from the stage and online, sure, but there's also a healthy amount of sarcasm and irony-- when did Morrissey suddenly start appearing like Mussolini to his own fans? Goodness gracious sakes alive.
There are times when I think Mark Simpson should be banned from any Morrissey commentary whatsoever. And then there are times like this when I think he might well be the only qualified person on Planet Earth to help us understand Morrissey. Where has everyone's sense of humor gone?
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Orson Swells
Well-Known Member
I know what you mean, but he says it and then the press go and make a story out of it. I'm not sure why they do. Morrissey Hates The Royal Family doesn't seem such a big story after 26 years!
Bluebirds
Well-Known Member
Where's the Voltaire option?
I'm sure this "furore" will give us another few pages in the autobiography. At least someone in the world of vacuous musical celebrity still refuses to toe the party line.
Did you witness the Stone Roses last night? Exclusive secret gigs in that London for Adidas. How rock n roll and anti-establishment, particularly after their anti-monarcy diatribes at their Heaton Park gigs. Still I guess thats what happens when your lead "singer" is sponsored by Adidas
I'm sure this "furore" will give us another few pages in the autobiography. At least someone in the world of vacuous musical celebrity still refuses to toe the party line.
Did you witness the Stone Roses last night? Exclusive secret gigs in that London for Adidas. How rock n roll and anti-establishment, particularly after their anti-monarcy diatribes at their Heaton Park gigs. Still I guess thats what happens when your lead "singer" is sponsored by Adidas
Orson Swells
Well-Known Member
I saw him in Manchester and his comments were dripping in irony and humour.
Oddly, it didn't seem to be reported this way...
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DAVIE
Guest
Maybe it's just the printed tshirts that seem a bit desperate? I think I'm just fed up with the media making Morrissey look like a nasty man. Rather than Morrissey's comments, although you have to admit that he doesn't help himself sometimes. The whole Norway killings quote was definately not funny.
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Anonymous
Guest
Because we don't have a proper press anymore. A tweet, a statement, or a press release = a story. Until a few years ago they had to ring around a few people for a quote to make up a "storm" or a "backlash" Nowadays they just take the reaction of a twitter feed. It's all too easy.
Iona Mink
Despitemybetterjudgement
I suspect it wasn't reported this way because those reporters weren't there. All they get are words on a screen. From there they take the most obvious interpretation.
Why do people feel the need for emoticons sometimes? It because most communication is non-verbal and writing on a screen can leave huge gaping holes when trying to gauge someone's intonation.
There is no conspiracy.
I think it's good that Morrissey has an actual opinion, unlike many of the vain so called artists, of today. I also think it's quite possible that Morrissey keeps making these comments, deliberately because he finds it hilarious that the press actually care so much. I mean, how many times to they have to write that Morrissey has said something anti-royalist? Everyone knows that he is so why do they need to make a massive deal over it. What this really shows is not how desperate Morrissey is, but how uninteresting all of the other artists out there are, because if there was somebody young and fresh, who actually had something intellegent or controversial to say, it would be them and not Morrissey constantly in the press. In addition, it also shows how bland the press are, if they have to repeat the same stories over and over; clearly they just can't find anything interesting or new to tell.
Iona Mink
Despitemybetterjudgement
As opposed to dressing the band up as nuns? It is all tongue in cheek as it has always been.
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