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)

 

[Lujissey .Moz is Luz]

The big guys don't sell records that has happened. Moz does not need money, he needs the stage to sing and feel his own existence, he is not racist, he is an icon in the flesh that we must respect and try to understand, his nickname "Moz" always seemed affectionate to me until I found out who and why he put it on, but I can not help but call him Moz because I tell him with affection, Moz is a singer with a unique style, with a personality that generates controversies but is a master in his own ! And and and

 

[ThePoliticalRevolution]

The big guys don't sell records that has happened. Moz does not need money, he needs the stage to sing and feel his own existence, he is not racist, he is an icon in the flesh that we must respect and try to understand, his nickname "Moz" always seemed affectionate to me until I found out who and why he put it on, but I can not help but call him Moz because I tell him with affection, Moz is a singer with a unique style, with a personality that generates controversies but is a master in his own ! And and and

moz wants me to leave him all my money.

 

[marred]

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.

Well you've made up your mind about one way it could go in your narrow viewpoint but there are many other ways that can go like what's happening at Disney these days. A lot of employees aren't too keen on working for an entertainment company that is now brazenly spouting woke politics. Some of those people who have spoken against this woke wave are losing their jobs because they refuse to tow the line. The assholes are the ones firing people.

Do some research and you may see it another way.

 

[marred]

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.

Yes it will eat itself eventually and they're eating their own but unfortunately this sanctimonious train wreck still has plenty of track to lay down because most people are cowards and just can't be bothered with conflict. Who can blame them really?

 

[Fake C]

Well you've made up your mind about one way it could go in your narrow viewpoint but there are many other ways that can go like what's happening at Disney these days. A lot of employees aren't too keen on working for an entertainment company that is now brazenly spouting woke politics. Some of those people who have spoken against this woke wave are losing their jobs because they refuse to tow the line. The assholes are the ones firing people.

Do some research and you may see it another way.

I did some research and found some data suggesting that if I don't believe in an employer's policies my best option is to get another job.
You don't have to agree with them. But they don't have to employ you.

 

[ZOOM FROM GLOOM]

Morrissey was born canceled, isn’t that why we love the guy?

 

[Lujissey .Moz is Luz]

moz wants me to leave him all my money.

Revo maybe Mozy makes you his only heir

 

[Vegan Cro Spirit 555]

you have to accept your co workers as "EQUALS" pretend you are in a zombie movie

 

[Deeeeeeeee]

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

True words.

I think Andy Rourke's basslines were quite brilliant. They rarely mimic the guitar. They create entirely unique melodies beside the guitars. He was really good.

 

[Dirk Blaggard]

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.

I agree he hasn't been "canceled" in a Harvey W kind of way , he has been around way to long for that.
But to suggest "He can stitll do whatver he wants in career terms" is nuts.
You only have to see how much his fan base has shrunk - probably by nearly half (in the uk by more)

In 2013 he sold out The Staples center. These days I do not think that would happen.
Nearly every venue he plays at, large nunbers of seats are "blacked out"

Its not down to M being old- D Mode , The Cure and various other artists still sell huge venues and are around M's age and have no trouble selling venues.
His resdency shows , are to ,limted seats and often are populated by the same kind of people each night.
Hardly anyone goes to the Morrissey nights ( the wiser people have called them Smiths nights, instead) and so on.
But the proof you need is he has an lp he wants to release, which he can't. Lots of people do not want to work with him, BMG etc and others wont give him the money he would like It is correct to think he is now a toxic artist - there have been people who know him , who have said he is a toxic person since Smiths days

I personaly, think he is great and enjoy most of his lps but the witch hunt has taken its toll.
Hopefully, he still enjoys himself and hopefully he will release some music somehow.
I think Dog On A Chain , Low In High school and the single I Thought You Were Dead are better than most of his post 2000 music. Lets be honest , its better than Sothpaw, also .

 

[Morrissey-so-old.com]

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 think it has more to do with his music now being terrible, terribly written and terribly produced. I’ve tried listening to his last 2 albums I honestly gave them a good listen and they were crappy nothing catchy or lyrically worthy of what he once put out in his younger days. Not even one song was any decent from low in high school and California son that compares from his earlier work. Also having ITunes and listening to snippets of the songs or Listening to them on youtube before you make a choice on buying the album or any songs he puts out does help determine and help some fans determine if they should buy his songs or albums where in the past none of that was available that’s what I did and it helped me determine that those last 2 albums ain’t worth shit to buy so that could be another reason for dismal sales. Yes his political and racial views have tarnished his image a little bit but he has a brainwashed fan base that view him as a god so his views doesn’t really bother them all that much. He will keep touring till he can’t tour anymore because that’s his form of income now, which he does terribly as well because he doesn’t maximize his tours or his vast song list. If he really wanted sold out shows at each and every show all he would need to do is do a tour where the set list would be an entire set list of smiths songs and maybe some early solo songs and he would sell out each and every show, he could probably sell out stadiums doing an entire smiths set list but he doesn’t and he will keep doing these mini tours every 2 or 3 years till he buys the farm or isn’t able to continue.

 

[Famous While Alive]

I think it has more to do with his music now being terrible, terribly written and terribly produced. I’ve tried listening to his last 2 albums I honestly gave them a good listen and they were crappy nothing catchy or lyrically worthy of what he once put out in his younger days. Not even one song was any decent from low in high school and California son that compares from his earlier work. Also having ITunes and listening to snippets of the songs or Listening to them on youtube before you make a choice on buying the album or any songs he puts out does help determine and help some fans determine if they should buy his songs or albums where in the past none of that was available that’s what I did and it helped me determine that those last 2 albums ain’t worth shit to buy so that could be another reason for dismal sales. Yes his political and racial views have tarnished his image a little bit but he has a brainwashed fan base that view him as a god so his views doesn’t really bother them all that much. He will keep touring till he can’t tour anymore because that’s his form of income now, which he does terribly as well because he doesn’t maximize his tours or his vast song list. If he really wanted sold out shows at each and every show all he would need to do is do a tour where the set list would be an entire set list of smiths songs and maybe some early solo songs and he would sell out each and every show, he could probably sell out stadiums doing an entire smiths set list but he doesn’t and he will keep doing these mini tours every 2 or 3 years till he buys the farm or isn’t able to continue.

I think side A of Low In High School is great, I liked most of IANADOAC too. Was it V&I level? Nah but they were pretty good albums to me

 

[BrummieBoy]

What an incredibly stupid article by someone who clearly knows very little about Morrissey and even less about The Smiths Family collective.

As fraud, boring Boomer authors like this head towards the cliff of Extinction one might be moved to regard their ludicrous opinion piece with charity and forbearance. One might, but I'm not.

Such incredibly ill-informed drivel makes this schmuck an ideal interviewer to obediently swallow Morrissey's bullshit whilst zoned on Zopliclone. No doubt carefully picked as a nitwit.

What a prannit! Zip it Coupland. Such clownery.

BB

 

[Morrissey-so-old.com]

I think side A of Low In High School is great, I liked most of IANADOAC too. Was it V&I level? Nah but they were pretty good albums to me

Mmmmm when your so use to great songs coming from an artist and he becomes watered down with age it’s hard to lower the bar, all the songs from his last 2 albums if he made those songs 25-30 years ago they would have been b-sides at best and those are probably the a-side songs coming off those albums and that’s a maybe, and the rest would have been scrapped, because if he made those songs back then they would most likely would never have made it on to anything because that’s how great he was with his song writing and the quality of music he had.

 

[TheSmiths_1985]

Mmmmm when your so use to great songs coming from an artist and he becomes watered down with age it’s hard to lower the bar, all the songs from his last 2 albums if he made those songs 25-30 years ago they would have been b-sides at best and those are probably the a-side songs coming off those albums and that’s a maybe, and the rest would have been scrapped, because if he made those songs back then they would most likely would never have made it on to anything because that’s how great he was with his song writing and the quality of music he had.

Yes, the past is a strange place.

 

[Deleted member 28602]

the moment in your own life, when you realise that your family members are just random human beings trapped in a house together, and the sooner you’re out of it, the better.

yeah, family life is completely overrated.

The percentages mentioned in this article are all very accurate.

 

[Anonymous]

I agree he hasn't been "canceled" in a Harvey W kind of way , he has been around way to long for that.
But to suggest "He can stitll do whatver he wants in career terms" is nuts.
You only have to see how much his fan base has shrunk - probably by nearly half (in the uk by more)

In 2013 he sold out The Staples center. These days I do not think that would happen.
Nearly every venue he plays at, large nunbers of seats are "blacked out"

Its not down to M being old- D Mode , The Cure and various other artists still sell huge venues and are around M's age and have no trouble selling venues.
His resdency shows , are to ,limted seats and often are populated by the same kind of people each night.
Hardly anyone goes to the Morrissey nights ( the wiser people have called them Smiths nights, instead) and so on.
But the proof you need is he has an lp he wants to release, which he can't. Lots of people do not want to work with him, BMG etc and others wont give him the money he would like It is correct to think he is now a toxic artist - there have been people who know him , who have said he is a toxic person since Smiths days

When I said 'can still do what he wants in career terms' I meant playing gigs and recording/releasing music (ie 'working'). He's still able to do both those things, with or without a record company. Him being 'unable' to release his new album is proof of nothing other than his own stinginess - he wants someone else to take the financial risk.

But nobody has a right to perform sell-out shows at big venues. If people have started to think your music sucks (or you've turned into an arsehole) you'll be playing to smaller audiences in smaller venues. And nobody is stopping Morrissey from doing that, as these new gig announcements prove.

Morrissey has not been cancelled in the slightest. A sizeable chunk of his audience have washed their hands of him (with good reason, IMO). That's all.

You're correct that Morrissey is now a toxic artist. But it's his fault, and his alone. Don't blame the fans for exercising their free speech in telling him to do one.

 

[Morrissey-so-old.com]

Yes, the past is a strange place.

Not as much as that present is.