Simon Armitage's Anti-Morrissey Agenda

[balconyfool]

Throughout the article it seems apparent that Simon Armitage f***ing hates Morrissey. Simon characterizes Morrissey as decrepit and self-absorbed to the point of delusion. He dismisses Morrissey's lyrical talents; "in fact, Morrissey isn't a poet. He's a very witty emailer," then goes on to equate Morrissey's career with the Smiths to his own garage band. Is Armitage threatened? I don't know, take a look at his poetry. http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/the-golden-toddy/

SA: "Do you own a valid driving licence?"

M: "What kind of bland, insipid question is that?"

SA: "It's a good question, isn't it? Has anyone asked you it before?"

M: "No. But that's hardly a surprise, is it?"

Is Simon Armitage a very witty anything?

 

[Scarlet1987]

Thank you for posting this...I feel it's a case of hell hath no fury than a jealous fat weedy northerner scorned.

I agree with you...then again it seems every f***ing interviewer does the same thing to him

 

[Dave2006]

Nonsense.

Simon is very clearly a huge Smiths and Morrissey fan, he has said and written lots about his love for the band and the man.

http://forums.morrissey-solo.com/showthread.php?t=92611

[youtube]j3Hn6wWjTZc&feature=player_embedded[/youtube]

And he was one of the people singing Morrissey's praises during the One Show interview (from about 3.30)

Dave

 

[Uncleskinny]

Nonsense.

Simon is very clearly a huge Smiths and Morrissey fan, he has said and written lots about his love for the band and the man.

http://forums.morrissey-solo.com/showthread.php?t=92611

[youtube]j3Hn6wWjTZc&feature=player_embedded[/youtube]

And he was one of the people singing Morrissey's praises during the One Show interview (from about 3.30)

Dave

This. Of course he has no anti-Morrissey agenda.

P.

 

[Amy]

Throughout the article it seems apparent that Simon Armitage f***ing hates Morrissey. Simon characterizes Morrissey as decrepit and self-absorbed to the point of delusion. He dismisses Morrissey's lyrical talents; "in fact, Morrissey isn't a poet. He's a very witty emailer," then goes on to equate Morrissey's career with the Smiths to his own garage band. Is Armitage threatened? I don't know, take a look at his poetry. http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/the-golden-toddy/

SA: "Do you own a valid driving licence?"

M: "What kind of bland, insipid question is that?"

SA: "It's a good question, isn't it? Has anyone asked you it before?"

M: "No. But that's hardly a surprise, is it?"

Is Simon Armitage a very witty anything?

 

[andveganpancakes]

Hm yeah I guess someone as articulate as yourself has a pretty scrutinizing eye for subtextual analysis.

Um there was certainly a dissonant tone to the piece. I can't quite put my finger on it. I think this is the best part, "The bereavement, it seems, is mine, in the sense that he won't be seen dead with me. And I am to be replaced in the images by a cat. "

 

[Kewpie]

Hm yeah I guess someone as articulate as yourself has a pretty scrutinizing eye for subtextual analysis.

Um there was certainly a dissonant tone to the piece. I can't quite put my finger on it. I think this is the best part, "The bereavement, it seems, is mine, in the sense that he won't be seen dead with me. And I am to be replaced in the images by a cat. "

It's not anti-Morrissey, he's simply disappointed with Morrissey's disapproval of the first photo session.

 

[georgejallen]

Oh dear. What a bitter thread-starting post. I suggest that you're defensive of Morrissey to the point of delusion. Only deluded in the way we all get when we're angry, but still. Simon Armitage is a decent person and a good poet, and it's surely obvious and common knowledge that he doesn't have an anti-Morrissey agenda.

 

[platypus]

This has been blown way out of proportion. Morrissey's not a racist and Simon Armitage doesn't have an "anti-Morrissey agenda". What a shit storm this has turned into.

 

[Raphael Lambach]

Terrible but funny

 

[georgejallen]

Terrible but funny

What is?

 

[billybu69]

Throughout the article it seems apparent that Simon Armitage f***ing hates Morrissey. Simon characterizes Morrissey as decrepit and self-absorbed to the point of delusion. He dismisses Morrissey's lyrical talents; "in fact, Morrissey isn't a poet. He's a very witty emailer," then goes on to equate Morrissey's career with the Smiths to his own garage band. Is Armitage threatened? I don't know, take a look at his poetry. http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/the-golden-toddy/

SA: "Do you own a valid driving licence?"

M: "What kind of bland, insipid question is that?"

SA: "It's a good question, isn't it? Has anyone asked you it before?"

M: "No. But that's hardly a surprise, is it?"

Is Simon Armitage a very witty anything?

Ludicrous statement Armitage is obviously one of us.

 

[goinghome]

He's definitely been a fan of Morrissey as per the previously posted clips above, but he belongs more to a cultural in-group, to 'people who are nice'. His poems are very well-made and clever, often with an almost calculated shock value for its own sake. Less grounded and traditional in aim than, for example, this poet - http://www.seamusheaney.org/seamus_heaney_poems.html

 

[balconyfool]

Here's the thing: the phrase "anti-Morrissey agenda" was a facetious attempt at capturing the broader picture here. Basically the bottom line is that in this particular article there's an uncomfortable dynamic between Armitage and Morrissey. I'm not saying that Armitage isn't a Morrissey fan, but for whatever reason, and I'm not sure, there is a definite air of antipathy. For instance Armitage tells the reader, "I have never particularly wanted to meet Morrissey," and cites the high court judge's damnation of Morrissey as "devious, truculent, and unreliable". This caricature of Morrissey is what Armitage was expecting and I think this opinion shines through Armitage's love of Morrissey's music.

 

[Media Whore]

Um there was certainly a dissonant tone to the piece. I can't quite put my finger on it. I think this is the best part, "The bereavement, it seems, is mine, in the sense that he won't be seen dead with me. And I am to be replaced in the images by a cat. "

I read that as being tongue very firmly in cheek.

 

[Amy]

Hm yeah I guess someone as articulate as yourself has a pretty scrutinizing eye for subtextual analysis.

Um there was certainly a dissonant tone to the piece. I can't quite put my finger on it. I think this is the best part, "The bereavement, it seems, is mine, in the sense that he won't be seen dead with me. And I am to be replaced in the images by a cat. "

Or perhaps the opening post was so blatantly far from the truth that I didn't feel any compulsion to explain why it was wrong. "Simon Armitage f***ing hates Morrissey" is a complete and utter falsehood, as has been highlighted on here by people with more patience than I for such fools.

 

[Media Whore]

Here's the thing: the phrase "anti-Morrissey agenda" was a facetious attempt at capturing the broader picture here. Basically the bottom line is that in this particular article there's an uncomfortable dynamic between Armitage and Morrissey. I'm not saying that Armitage isn't a Morrissey fan, but for whatever reason, and I'm not sure, there is a definite air of antipathy. For instance Armitage tells the reader, "I have never particularly wanted to meet Morrissey," and cites the high court judge's damnation of Morrissey as "devious, truculent, and unreliable". This caricature of Morrissey is what Armitage was expecting and I think this opinion shines through Armitage's love of Morrissey's music.

It's amusing that amongst certain circles Armitage is accused of being egocentric and self absorbed for he didn't ask "the hard questions" however to bring a little bit of background to his subject he is accused of having an axe to grind.

Would you have preferred a fluff piece? Something reminiscent of Hello!? A photo spread of lazy afternoons spent with Morrissey showing him sipping rosé while doing découpage perhaps?

 

[balconyfool]

It's amusing that amongst certain circles Armitage is accused of being egocentric and self absorbed for he didn't ask "the hard questions" however to bring a little bit of background to his subject he is accused of having an axe to grind.

Would you have preferred a fluff piece? Something reminiscent of Hello!? A photo spread of lazy afternoons spent with Morrissey showing him sipping rosé while doing découpage perhaps?

While I always approve of découpage, it'd be nice if you actually responded to any of the arguments I brought up in the post that you quoted. If you have a relevent rejoinder I'd like to hear it.

 

[Black Cloud]

Would you have preferred a fluff piece? Something reminiscent of Hello!? A photo spread of lazy afternoons spent with Morrissey showing him sipping rosé while doing découpage perhaps?

But this is a fluff piece. They sent fanboy Simon Armitage to meet his hero Morrissey, and the article we get is about that, which is really not very interesting. Driving license? Really? This isn't Paris Review "Writers At Work"-caliber stuff, is it?

 

[ray_afraid]

I feel it's a case of hell hath no fury than a jealous fat weedy northerner scorned.

I don't think Simon has it out for Moz, but this quote is very funny.