In the UK at least, Morrissey during the 80's was seen generally as a rather fragile, slightly effeminate creature - a celibate lover of Oscar Wilde and poetry, who wore glasses, beads and women's blouses. All images which he would work hard to destroy over the next decade(s), when he physically filled out and started presenting himself as a boxing-loving, beer drinking front man for various rockabilly and chug-rock bands, who would be more at home in a pub than a library.
He was also, at least during the Smiths days, seen as the voice of the young, poor, working class student types: something which has been increasingly lost as he turned into some kind of distant multi-millionaire Elvis type figure living in LA.
Despite his outrageous statements at the time, I think he was generally considered a bit more of a charming eccentric in the 80's, than the grouchy old man of today. He used to sound like a radical left-wing figure - these days he sounds like a right-wing conservative (big or little C, take your pick).
Look at an early 80's video of Morrissey, and look at him today - and there is almost no similarity - he's changed himself to such an extent, it's like two completely different people. Which is fine, no one can stay the same forever. But the Morrissey of the Smiths days is long, long, gone, and his transformation in the eyes of the British public from 'student bedsit outsider' to 'cranky national treasure' is an interesting one.
