UnHerd: Morrissey will never be cancelled" by Douglas Coupland (May 4, 2022)

Morrissey will never be cancelled

Forty years on, his prickliness is why we still love him

unherd.com

Forty years on, his prickliness is why we still love him

by Douglas Coupland

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Related items:

• Douglas Coupland comes clean about his 2006 Morrissey interview - Sep. 16, 2009
• "Papal attraction" - Douglas Coupland meets Morrissey, The Observer (Mar. 19, 2006)

 

[LuvMozzy]

Articles like this are all well and good, but it doesn't get him what he wants, does it? Moaning about collaborators, trumpeting chart positions - none of it matters. The fact is no matter how many right-wing commentators says he's been 'cancelled', the truth is that people don't want to buy his recorded product any more, and why could that be? Some over-arching conspiracy to shut folk with 'unpopular opinions' down, or could it possibly be that people are voting with their wallets and where they are informed about his utterances, views and allegiances, simply don't want to give him money any more? Because it has always been, and always will be about the money

As to the article itself, it's a disjointed mess of a jigsaw - several unconnected vignettes pasted together as a "will this do".

That’s exactly how Douglas Coupland writes his books and short stories.

I love the article and couldn’t agree more about Johnny Marr, too.

 

[ACTON]

Bias is a funny thing, isn't it? A 60-odd year old doesn't sell many records any more because he's a racist, if you believe he's a racist.
Otherwise they don't sell many records any more because, unless you're Paul Weller, old men don't sell a lot of records.

Robert Smith (The Cure), Gary Numan, Depeche Mode, Vangelis, Tangerine Dream, New Order, etc. They do well but don't sell mega records because the music machine is clogged up with absolute shite like Adele and Ed Sheeran pushed like rancid junk food by millionaire moguls and convulsively consumed by a public too complicit, dumb, and lazy to demand more.

 

[TheSmiths_1985]

As to the article itself, it's a disjointed mess of a jigsaw - several unconnected vignettes pasted together as a "will this do".

 

[Vegan Cro Spirit 555]

Rinnnnnng

yes hullo, heard.com here, may I be of assistance?

yes you may , as a matter of fact...

who am I speaking with, If I may ask?

Uxxxx Sxxxxx is the name , cobbling is my game

o i see, well, how can we be of assistance?

You can assist by firing the moron that said Morrissey has not been cancelled. HES A MORON IN NEED OF FIRING
did anyone in that poor excuse for a blog even read the article?
Some over-arching conspiracy to shut folk with 'unpopular opinions' down, or could it possibly be that people are voting with their wallets and where they are informed about his utterances, views and allegiances, simply don't want to give him money any more? Because it has always been, and always will be about the money

As to the article itself, it's a disjointed mess of a jigsaw - several unconnected vignettes pasted together as a "will this do".

could it???? could it??? could it be people are voting with their foot? by walking?? is this moron unfamiliar with the custom of walking with the foots

we will get back to you momentarily.

CLUNK COBBLING OVER

 

[SuedeMoz]

"The Smiths were still one of those bands where you know that after rehearsals or shows, none of its members ever went out for beers"

Really? There's been plenty of talk about the band on the piss at the time - this guy loses all credibility about knowing his subject by the second sentence.

I don't think he meant no one in the band did any drinking... just that they as a band they weren't chummy and all hanging out together post shows... which I think is pretty well commented on over the years.

 

[SuedeMoz]

In my mind The Smiths were 75% Morrissey, 24% Johnny Marr and 1% the others.

True words.

I think what he said after that is true: But the sum of the band’s isolated solo efforts isn’t greater than their whole.

 

[Paul Andrews]

Another North American dullard who doesn't 'get' The Smiths. The clown even calls the band 'New Wave'. Totally clueless throughout an article riddled with inaccuracies and misapprehensions. Coupland is one of those epic masturbators who probably painted his bedroom walls black as a teenager to scare his parents. His books are overhyped middle class wank too. Just f*** off already.

 

[gordyboy9]

what a boring thread,off topic is a lot more interesting.

 

[Mike Rourke]

Haven't read the article, just the headline.
What does Douglas actually mean by 'cancelled'? If it's have all your new songs effectively boycotted from radio stations, shed 70% of your UK album-buying fanbase and lose 50% of your live audience, Morrissey has already been well and truly cancelled.
If it's to be unable to continue in any form whatsoever (including touring) including at a much reduced scale, then he clearly hasn't been cancelled. The show must go on!

 

[Snopes]

Bias is a funny thing, isn't it? A 60-odd year old doesn't sell many records any more because he's a racist, if you believe he's a racist.
Otherwise they don't sell many records any more because, unless you're Paul Weller, old men don't sell a lot of records.

Morrissey being racist has damaged his sales and legacy.

 

[Vegan Cro Spirit 555]

Morrissey being racist has damaged his sales and legacy.

WTF?? didnt you read the incoherent speech apparentely its about the money or unconnected vinagrettes
and Skinny is an expert on racism as well as everything else.
get with the game plan FFS

 

[marred]

It takes a lot to get truly cancelled.

Here is who I can think of who truly have been cancelled.
Harvey Weinstein
Kevin Spacey
R Kelly.. took him many years to actually get cancelled.

Who else?
All the people that were supposed to be cancelled are still doing whatever they want.
JK Rowling.. canceled and yet it never actually happened.
Chris Pratt.. didn't happen.
Dave Chapelle.. not even close

If you didn't rape someone or molest someone you pretty much can't be cancelled.

Morrissey not getting cancelled is really not some big story about his personal suit of teflon when he's just like everyone else with non-PC views.

We also have to stop wasting time talking about famous well off people getting cancelled. They'll be fine. It's the ordinary people that lose their jobs for saying the wrong thing at work or that refuse to tow the company line when it comes to identity politics that are the true victims of cancel culture. And yes we never hear about them or very rarely.

 

[marred]

Morrissey being racist has damaged his sales and legacy.

You and your ilk being ignorant and lazy is perpetuating this myth.

 

[Anonymous]

Clearly, Morrissey has been 'cancelled' in the current popular use of the word. How much has it damaged him, and is he able to survive OK in this state is the real question. Despite any audience number drop-off, I think he is in a pretty good state to weather the storm. I suspect the lack of any record deal signing has less to do with no offers being out there, than Morrissey having unrealistic financial expectations/demands.

Mozcan still get his art out there, even if it means just touring and Sam posting live videos on Youtube. It's more people like Graham Linehan (who seemingly can't get any work commissioned now) that are dependent on media gatekeepers who are really feeling the sting of cancellation.

 

[Les Tameside]

We also have to stop wasting time talking about famous well off people getting cancelled. They'll be fine. It's the ordinary people that lose their jobs for saying the wrong thing at work or that refuse to tow the company line when it comes to identity politics that are the true victims of cancel culture. And yes we never hear about them or very rarely.

Absolutely. And one might reasonably suspect, that even if this movement achieved the apparent aim, of robbing its opposition of a living, it’s thirsts would still not be slaked: it’s not that kind of animal.

The funny/tragic thing is that it operates without the slightest awareness of the generosity Western democracy extends to it, daily.

Anyway, given its nasty temperament, it will tear itself apart before if does lasting damage: Just like it’s historical predecessors.

 

[Anonymous]

Clearly, Morrissey has been 'cancelled' in the current popular use of the word. How much has it damaged him, and is he able to survive OK in this state is the real question. Despite any audience number drop-off, I think he is in a pretty good state to weather the storm. I suspect the lack of any record deal signing has less to do with no offers being out there, than Morrissey having unrealistic financial expectations/demands.

Mozcan still get his art out there, even if it means just touring and Sam posting live videos on Youtube. It's more people like Graham Linehan (who seemingly can't get any work commissioned now) that are dependent on media gatekeepers who are really feeling the sting of cancellation.

Morrissey hasn't been cancelled. He can still do whatever he likes in career terms. It's just that a sizeable amount of his fanbase have decided they want nothing more to do with him. Their money, their choice.

And as for Linehan - I wouldn't have too much sympathy for him. He stuck his nose into a fight that had nothing to do with him, crowed so long and loud as to give the impression he was willing to die on that hill... and whines like a toddler now he's died on that hill. It's no wonder his wife has left him. What a berk.

 

[bored]

Haven't read the article, just the headline.
What does Douglas actually mean by 'cancelled'? If it's have all your new songs effectively boycotted from radio stations, shed 70% of your UK album-buying fanbase and lose 50% of your live audience, Morrissey has already been well and truly cancelled.
If it's to be unable to continue in any form whatsoever (including touring) including at a much reduced scale, then he clearly hasn't been cancelled. The show must go on!

Last time I saw him live was in 2019 and the audience was quite big. I would guess around 7000 people in Maryland.

He doesn't need the money. He has millions. He gets to go out and pad his bank account and do what he loves, play live, and even if the numbers are down a little it's not 50% and it's not enough to make it not worth it.

Everyone has shed 70% of their album buying audience.

Morrissey never got radio play in the first place.

All your arguments that he's been canceled have no foundation in reality.

If Morrissey can pull more fans in more cities than Johnny Marr on any given night, would you say that Johnny is cancelled or just that he never anything without Morrissey?

 

[Skylarker]

Articles like this are all well and good, but it doesn't get him what he wants, does it? Moaning about collaborators, trumpeting chart positions - none of it matters. The fact is no matter how many right-wing commentators says he's been 'cancelled', the truth is that people don't want to buy his recorded product any more, and why could that be? Some over-arching conspiracy to shut folk with 'unpopular opinions' down, or could it possibly be that people are voting with their wallets and where they are informed about his utterances, views and allegiances, simply don't want to give him money any more? Because it has always been, and always will be about the money

As to the article itself, it's a disjointed mess of a jigsaw - several unconnected vignettes pasted together as a "will this do".

I disagree. But you've blocked me, because you can only shit out a myopic polemic and then cover your ears and run.

You're a good guy. C'mon. Let's talk. Come down from those self righteous heights.

Planet Earth isn't such a bad place.

 

[Lujissey .Moz is Luz]

This guy starts by saying that The Smiths arose from the work of the gods and almost by chance, etc. This was not random both Morrissey and Marr had a dream and went there with everything, they went to look to create a great band, so they became obsessed with achieving it. Moz was introduced to the world of music writing articles on that subject, being president of a fan club, going to places where he could meet people from the environment, etc. and Marr did something similar.Both obtained a result = The Smiths from a series of causes that each of them were creating, there was a dream in common and both were creating the conditions for it to be reality . then it was not chance, nothing is by chance there are universal laws that are real, in this case the law of cause and effect, the law of attraction they generated a series of causes and effects and the great result comes from faith obsession and effort to reach the great dream, so it is with all things.There is no destiny we are the creators of what happens to us in our life, from what we think we generate the causes that give us the corresponding result This man makes mistakes, eg Marr and Rourke knew each other since they were in school, and treats Morrissey well and at the same time hits him does not seem to know the history of the band or Moz

 

[Fake C]

We also have to stop wasting time talking about famous well off people getting cancelled. They'll be fine. It's the ordinary people that lose their jobs for saying the wrong thing at work or that refuse to tow the company line when it comes to identity politics that are the true victims of cancel culture. And yes we never hear about them or very rarely.

No, these people are assholes and they live in a world with other people so they have to learn to play nice. If you're saying things that get you fired or you don't accept your coworkers as equals then losing your job is probably deserved. Of course we'd have to look at individual cases to determine that but it's much simpler to just play the victim card, isn't it?
If you have an employer they can fire you for many reasons. Whether or not you agree with these reasons isn't relevant.