Does anyone talk about Morrissey so much (without even meaning to) that it pisses people off?

[Chill -- Soon to be a jumped up pantry girl]

When I first got into Morrissey, he was all I talked about. That's natural though. Then, annoyed at all the haters, I made a conscious effort not to talk about him to anyone other than fellow fans.

Now all of a sudden, I mention him in almost every damn conversation I have, even if I don't mean to. His words and experiences always seem relevant to the things I'm studying as well and so his name pops up in class discussions. In one class, we read "Among The Thugs" by Bill Buford and I brought the professor some lyrics to Morrissey songs that deal with hooliganism, racism and nationalism. Fortunately, he's a super cool guy and loved the lyrics and even xeroxed them for the entire class. It's getting really bad though. During lectures, if an idea is raised that reminds me of a Morrissey quote, I write it down in my notes. Almost everything triggers such a reaction. I think people are starting to get annoyed with me. But you know something? I almost like it. It's like I'm falling in love with Morrissey all over again, even though I never fell out of love with him. It's almost like the honeymoon phase has begun again.

Also, as a side note, the subject of the British press and its hysteria came up during our discussion of hooliganism. Somehow that led to a discussion of the British press in general and I brought up the Morrissey/NME/Union Jack scandal. The professor was able to sympathize with Morrissey. Apparently, one of his books about pedophilia was banned in the UK because the censors thought he was condoning it or something. I should play "Reel Around The Fountain" and "The Hand That Rocks The Cradle" for this guy!

 

[Shadowplay]

ALL THE f***ING TIME!!!!!!

My rabid love of Moz/The Smiths is even starting to turn some of my friends who like his music. Oops.

What can i say? I cannot help but love. And express that love. Frequently.

 

[Chill -- Soon to be a jumped up pantry girl]

It blows when even your fellow Morrissey fans tell you to shut the hell up.

 

[Your Professor the Pedophile]

she don't use butter, she don't use cheese, she don't use jelly or any of these, she uses vaseline

I quote Morrissey daily. I think about him all the time. I can relate to your post almost entirely. What I don't understand though is how you can talk of college level courses, and then talk about falling in love with Morrissey all over again. Even if you got into him at 14, it really has not been that long of a time to fall out of love with him, now has it? I am 30. I got into Moz when Viva Hate was released. I stopped paying attention for about 8 years. Now, I am more into him than ever. That's falling in love, out of love, and back in love with Morrissey. By contrast, you are just having a fling.

 

[Chill -- Soon to be a jumped up pantry girl]

Re: she don't use butter, she don't use cheese, she don't use jelly or any of these, she uses vaseli

Hence why I said I fell back in love with him without having ever fallen out of love with him. I've only been a fan for a bit under two years anyhow, so you give me more credit than I deserve. I'm 20 by the way and a Sophomore in college.

And I assure you, it is not a fling. It's going to be a long romance. I'm very loyal to the people and things I love.

 

[david]

> When I first got into Morrissey, he was all I talked about. That's natural
> though. Then, annoyed at all the haters, I made a conscious effort not to
> talk about him to anyone other than fellow fans.

> Now all of a sudden, I mention him in almost every damn conversation I
> have, even if I don't mean to. His words and experiences always seem
> relevant to the things I'm studying as well and so his name pops up in
> class discussions. In one class, we read "Among The Thugs" by
> Bill Buford and I brought the professor some lyrics to Morrissey songs
> that deal with hooliganism, racism and nationalism. Fortunately, he's a
> super cool guy and loved the lyrics and even xeroxed them for the entire
> class. It's getting really bad though. During lectures, if an idea is
> raised that reminds me of a Morrissey quote, I write it down in my notes.
> Almost everything triggers such a reaction.

Hey, this is good! If it helps you remember things in your lectures, making parallels with Moz songs is definitely a good thing.

I think people are starting to
> get annoyed with me. But you know something? I almost like it. It's like
> I'm falling in love with Morrissey all over again, even though I never
> fell out of love with him. It's almost like the honeymoon phase has begun
> again.

> Also, as a side note, the subject of the British press and its hysteria
> came up during our discussion of hooliganism. Somehow that led to a
> discussion of the British press in general and I brought up the
> Morrissey/NME/Union Jack scandal. The professor was able to sympathize
> with Morrissey. Apparently, one of his books about pedophilia was banned
> in the UK because the censors thought he was condoning it or something. I
> should play "Reel Around The Fountain" and "The Hand That
> Rocks The Cradle" for this guy!

 

[Ruffian]

> > Now all of a sudden, I mention him in almost every damn conversation I
> have, even if I don't mean to. His words and experiences always seem
> relevant to the things I'm studying as well and so his name pops up in
> class discussions. In one class, we read "Among The Thugs" by
> Bill Buford and I brought the professor some lyrics to Morrissey songs
> that deal with hooliganism, racism and nationalism. Fortunately, he's a
> super cool guy and loved the lyrics and even xeroxed them for the entire
> class. It's getting really bad though. During lectures, if an idea is
> raised that reminds me of a Morrissey quote, I write it down in my notes.
> Almost everything triggers such a reaction. I think people are starting to
> get annoyed with me. But you know something? I almost like it. It's like
> I'm falling in love with Morrissey all over again, even though I never
> fell out of love with him. It's almost like the honeymoon phase has begun
> again.

You should scan the handout in and let us see what lyrics you chose ... I guarantee that would provoke a storm of comments! Nice work though.

> Also, as a side note, the subject of the British press and its hysteria
> came up during our discussion of hooliganism. Somehow that led to a
> discussion of the British press in general and I brought up the
> Morrissey/NME/Union Jack scandal.

Ahhh sigh.. the great Fisnbury park reminisces return.. We have this every few months ago, the old punx and the 'I was there' brigade!! etc.. haha.. Anyway, Morrissey looked gorgeous that day and then Britpop adopted the Union Jack (C) N.gallagher and that was alright then.

I like the Union jack myself. And let's be honest, Beach holidays in Benidorm would be a Naturists heaven if it wasn't for that design with the lack of Union Jack boxers and swimwear being available..!!

Ruffian

 

[Chill -- Soon to be a jumped up pantry girl]

I don't have a scanner, but the songs I chose all had something to do with violence and racism/nationalism. They were as follows:

Sweet and Tender Hooligan
Rushholme Ruffians
Bengali In Platforms
We'll Let You Know
National Front Disco

I know there are other songs I could have included, but those seemed good enough.

I also brought in the lyrics to "The Headmaster Ritual" and "The Teachers Are Afraid Of The Pupils," since we're also studying social binaries. The professor thought it was cool how Morrissey's perspective had shifted over a ten year period.

 

[Hugh, London]

people can now get bogus degrees, exactly what Chill is doing, Uni. Education has gone to the pigs!!

Get a real education, where you actually read some classics, and study a tried & true field.

Morrissey never went to college, and it shows.

Twat.

 

[Chill -- Soon to be a jumped up pantry girl]

Re: people can now get bogus degrees, exactly what Chill is doing, Uni. Education has gone to the pi

I'm taking an entire class just about John Milton this semester. Is that classic enough for you? I think Morrissey would more than approve of the education I am receiving. It's derived from a mixture of high and low culture, precisely as Morrissey's influences are. Morrissey, I'm sure can quote Wilde and Bolan in the same breath. And I can quote Keats and Morrissey in the same breath. It's the same thing as far as I'm concerned. There's no shame in not having a college education, but there's no shame in having one either.

Your attempt at winding me up, I'm afraid, has failed.

 

[Hugh, London]

For Chill

First off you are not Steven Patrick Morrissey, and you will never be. Your little obsession is getting out of hand. I fear drastic measures may need to be taken if you continue to carry on like this. We will chalk it up to youth!

High & Low Culture? We formally studied High Culture when I graduated from college in 1995. We left Low Culture learning to the streets, record shops, concerts, hanging out with our friends, dabbling in things we were not supposed to dabble in, seeing films that exposed us to the counter culture, reading books that subverted what the masses are taught to believe, viewing art that was considered risque, becoming part of subcultures like punk, Goth, indy. Some even discovered they were gay or bisexual along the way. But, we did not study these things in classrooms.

Ah, but such is the state of the Academy these days, because the Universities have gone to the liberals, and therefore have gone to the dogs. And though I am a true liberal, I feel the intolerance at universities for conservative or even moderate points of view is almost nonexistent. Liberals proclaim to be open minded, but what my very liberal graduate school taught me was that this is bollocks! Complete tosh, really! For liberals on the farthest reaches of the left can be just as closed minded as conservatives on the very precipe of the right. It is only liberal propaganda that tells us that liberals are the "open minded" ones, when they are really no more open minded than people on the other side of the political fence, or any side of the political fence(s).

Then, these same liberal hypocrites often graduate with their primary ambition in life being to make as much money as possible. In time, they often become the dreaded conservatives they once loathed. I have seen with my own eyes, time and time again.

I, on the other hand, remain liberal to the grave.

And I too can quote Morrissey & Keats & Wilde & Bolan in the same breath. And, I don't have to use the Internet to do it. I shall keep it short.

Morrissey:

"And when you want to live
how do you start?
where do you go?
who do you need to know?"

Keats:

"Beauty is truth, truth beauty.
That is all ye know on Earth
and all ye need to know."

Wilde:

"Experience is simply the name we give our mistakes."

Bolan:

"Metal Guru, is it you?"

 

[Chill -- Soon to be a jumped up pantry girl]

Re: For Chill

> First off you are not Steven Patrick Morrissey, and you will never be.
> Your little obsession is getting out of hand. I fear drastic measures may
> need to be taken if you continue to carry on like this. We will chalk it
> up to youth!

I never said I was Morrissey and I wouldn't want to be him because, not being of the narcissistic sort, I'd have no one to worship. My obsession is by no means scarily out of hand. I merely enjoy quoting Morrissey and am constantly amazed at how he continues to be relevant to my life and the things I am studying. I think it's a credit to him that his words continue to hold the same urgency today as they did when he wrote them.

> High & Low Culture? We formally studied High Culture when I graduated
> from college in 1995. We left Low Culture learning to the streets, record
> shops, concerts, hanging out with our friends, dabbling in things we were
> not supposed to dabble in, seeing films that exposed us to the counter
> culture, reading books that subverted what the masses are taught to
> believe, viewing art that was considered risque, becoming part of
> subcultures like punk, Goth, indy. Some even discovered they were gay or
> bisexual along the way. But, we did not study these things in classrooms.

Out of all the classes I've taken at uni (including ones I took for fun during my gap year at a local one), only one has fully incorporated high and low culture. And that is the one I mention in my original post. I'm not talking about reading Seventeen magazine in class. I'm talking about reading new and new-ish classics. I see nothing wrong with this. Some of them say a lot more to me about my life than, say, the Republic of Plato, which I have also read. I know my Euripides and I know my Shelley. There's nothing wrong with knowing my Irvine Welsh as well. And there's nothing wrong with looking to pop culture and current events and and making connections between them and high culture. Yeah, a lot of people make these connections on their own, but some don't. I tend to do so, but I am taking this class because I like how it validates this practice. (Incidentally, none of the "low culture" things that I like were introduced to me at uni. I discovered them for myself, although perhaps not in such a glamorous way as you did. My hometown is a thoroughly unglamorous place full of thoroughly unglamorous people, myself included.)

> Ah, but such is the state of the Academy these days, because the
> Universities have gone to the liberals, and therefore have gone to the
> dogs. And though I am a true liberal, I feel the intolerance at
> universities for conservative or even moderate points of view is almost
> nonexistent. Liberals proclaim to be open minded, but what my very liberal
> graduate school taught me was that this is bollocks! Complete tosh,
> really! For liberals on the farthest reaches of the left can be just as
> closed minded as conservatives on the very precipe of the right. It is
> only liberal propaganda that tells us that liberals are the "open
> minded" ones, when they are really no more open minded than people on
> the other side of the political fence, or any side of the political
> fence(s).

My university is actually very moderate. I have had some ultra liberal professors and some less liberal ones. I think the profession attracts these types of people. Most diehard capitalist conservatives would rather make a mint doing something else, I'm sure. Being a private university that attracts many wealthy people, my school has more than its fair share of conservative students as well. They aren't quiet either. In fact, they complain quite a lot about how they feel left out because universities on the whole are so liberal. But I'd say they definitely make their voices heard on my campus. One of the beautiful AND maddening things about this class I keep mentioning is that we are encouraged to see both sides of things. The professor is as liberal as you can get, but he makes an effort to keep us honest. He says that liberals have the tendancy to think they are the chosen, intelligent people and everyone else are morons. I think this is very true. He says it's a failure of the imagination to say something like, "I don't understand how anyone could be a conservative," for instance. However, I do think this liberal "intolerance" is more of a reaction to conservative intolerance than anything else. Liberals, in general, tend to vacillate a bit more. A lot of us will admit it if we can see both sides of an issue. We're more likely to concede points. This is seen as weakness by conservatives and so there is the pressure to never admit to being wrong, to never embrace relativism.

> Then, these same liberal hypocrites often graduate with their primary
> ambition in life being to make as much money as possible. In time, they
> often become the dreaded conservatives they once loathed. I have seen with
> my own eyes, time and time again.

I agree with you there. I have never wanted to be rich. I'm going to a university that costs nearly $30,000 a year in tuition alone (on scholarship though, but I will be paying back my loans for room and board for many years) yet I have very little ambition. I want to write for some magazines, but that's more to spread my evil influence than to become rich (shades of "Frankly, Mr. Shankly"). I'd also like to teach high school level English. Pretty modest goals fitting of a liberal, I'd think.

> I, on the other hand, remain liberal to the grave.

Same here. Also, I get the sense you may be assuming that I converted to the liberal side simply because it's what a lot of university students do. Not so. But this post is really, really long so perhaps I will explain that later.

> And I too can quote Morrissey & Keats & Wilde & Bolan in the
> same breath. And, I don't have to use the Internet to do it. I shall keep
> it short.

> Morrissey:

> "And when you want to live
> how do you start?
> where do you go?
> who do you need to know?"

> Keats:

> "Beauty is truth, truth beauty.
> That is all ye know on Earth
> and all ye need to know."

> Wilde:

> "Experience is simply the name we give our mistakes."

> Bolan:

> "Metal Guru, is it you?"

Very impressive. The Keats quote is a bit cliched by now, but it's still my favorite one ever.