Donald Clarke: The game is up for Morrissey the reactionary - The Irish Times

Donald Clarke: The game is up for Morrissey the reactionary - The Irish Times
How did we Smiths obsessives miss the signs in the 1980s. Because they were there

Excerpt:
"I was wrong about almost everything when I was young. Almost all young people are wrong about almost everything. Calm down. This is not one of those Irish Times columns that demonises a blameless generation. We’re demonising all generations.

Only old people have the proper perspective to tell that young people can’t get anything right. Only young people have the perspective to tell that old people are full of dung.

Warble the previous paragraph to a jangly sub-Byrds guitar. “I was wrong about everything when I was young. La dee dah!” If the tune is good you’re singing a Smiths song. If the tune is a dud you’re singing one of the endless neuralgic dirges that Morrissey has vomited up since the band split in the 12th century.

Apparently some reasonable, liberal people still regard Steven Patrick Morrissey as a hero. They didn’t recant when, in 2010, he referred to the Chinese as “a subspecies”. They waved away remarks made in 2007 concerning immigration. “The higher the influx into England the more the British identity disappears,” he said."

A long article discussing Morrissey then and now. Echoing some of the views put recently in various threads.
Regards,
FWD.

 

[ACTON]

It's a simple fact that immigration has certain limits, you cannot let the whole of Syria, and Africa next, into Europe (just like it's also a simple fact that a system that depends on eternal growth is impossible on a planet with limited resources, yet everyone still preaches the gospel of capitalism, but that's another story). It would make much more sense to invest in improving the situation for the people in certain countries, instead of waiting until they've had enough and desert their homes. Morrissey's views might *seem* extreme sometimes, but I actually think they're very reasonable, and based on fact and consequence as opposed to what falls out of the mouths of any random politician.
As for the accusations of racism, which I'm sure the article is full of without having bothered to read it, I think it's one of the dumbest things to accuse Morrissey of, a person who rescues an injured pigeon on the street and comes back to feed it some bread, or who helps a collapsing woman in a book store when everyone else looks away. Would he not have helped that woman if she'd been black or wearing a burqa? If you think the answer is "yes", then go ahead and call Morrissey a racist, and hear me laughing out loud meanwhile.

Exactly. But we're not supposed to have an opinion unless it is bland crap that doesn't impact anyone else's opinion. The Lazy Sunbathers are alive and well.

 

[g23]

poor Donald I thought him and mickey were still the only show in town.

No, they've been done away with, in favor of Pokemon, Teen Titans Go, and other loud overly frantic cartoons that I have to nod and smile about when my child tries telling me about them. But she's discovered novels lately, so maybe there's hope.

 

[gordyboy9]

I prefer peppa pig.

 

[Sister I'm a Poet]

The writer seems to be a moron overall, but this paragraph is spot on:

"The game is up on Morrissey. We can’t keep pretending he’s mischievously subverting expectations of the contemporary pop star. We should, for old times’ sake, do him the favour of believing that he speaks sincerely. Reactionaries can embrace him with enthusiasm."

Even a broken clock is right twice a day!

 

[Anonymous]

No, they've been done away with, in favor of Pokemon, Teen Titans Go, and other loud overly frantic cartoons that I have to nod and smile about when my child tries telling me about them. But she's discovered novels lately, so maybe there's hope.

Teen titans is exceptionally loud and frantic. So much so it hurts. So is ok ko. I personally am tired of Dora and watching finding Dorri twice a day

 

[Layne]

I'm done with Morrisey. So is my wife and several of our friends. I doubt we are alone. The game is up I assure you. I've even stopped listening to the old stuff. Introducing intolerant politics into this forum is unfortunate because it reveals how bigoted lemming-like some Moz fans are.

The lack of self-awareness is astonishing. You are so tolerant that you cannot tolerate Morrissey because he has some opinions that differ from yours (and probably many that do not differ). You are a shining beacon of tolerance and a wonderful representative of the liberal values that modern society holds so highly (or perhaps doesn't after all). Bravo.

 

[Vegan]

Morrissey's music is entertainment I like. Some of you- (like the unholy trinity of skinny benny and brummie) act like bitter ex-girlfriends.

But for the record it is nauseating that nitwits continue to take his Chinese comments out of context. Their culture is especially heartless and cruel to animals. Deal with it. If not, kindly go f*** off. I'm buying the new CD no matter how much you bitch, bitches.

 

[Vegan]

I've decided I'm buying 4 copies of the new album. One for me and three to cancel out brummie, skinny and benny's years of refusal.

 

[Anonymous]

Morrissey's music is entertainment I like. Some of you- (like the unholy trinity of skinny benny and brummie) act like bitter ex-girlfriends.

But for the record it is nauseating that nitwits continue to take his Chinese comments out of context. Their culture is especially heartless and cruel to animals. Deal with it. If not, kindly go f*** off. I'm buying the new CD no matter how much you bitch, bitches.

That comment was a low point for him and did not reflect well. True it does have context but instead of talking about that culture the comment reduces its horrors to being the result of race and discounts that there are Chinese vegetarians animal rights activists and many Chinese people who don't live in china and so aren't part of said culture. It was wrong to say it and I don't think people gave him a pass. People realized it was said in anger and just don't define him totally by that comment but many fans were not happy about it. As for the rest of his supposed allusions to racism ive never seen anything to suggest it. People who want to see it just piece together ridiculous supposed allusions to support there beliefs

 

[URBANUS]

Offerkofta översätts inte vidare bra, du.

Victim cardigan is the english word and offerkofta is the swedish word for it. If you google translate kofta you get cardigan.

But he really should wear a red pullover for those future interviews.

 

[ZOOM FROM GLOOM]

That comment was a low point for him and did not reflect well. True it does have context but instead of talking about that culture the comment reduces its horrors to being the result of race and discounts that there are Chinese vegetarians animal rights activists and many Chinese people who don't live in china and so aren't part of said culture. It was wrong to say it and I don't think people gave him a pass. People realized it was said in anger and just don't define him totally by that comment but many fans were not happy about it. As for the rest of his supposed allusions to racism ive never seen anything to suggest it. People who want to see it just piece together ridiculous supposed allusions to support there beliefs

yes, but M was commenting on those particular people that eat dogs. I think the reader will get this when reading the whole interview and knowing M 's views. Because it was an emotional response, he did unfortunately not select better wording for the public at large to understand what he exactly meant.

'As for the rest of his supposed allusions to racism ive never seen anything to suggest it. People who want to see it just piece together ridiculous supposed allusions to support their beliefs'

 

[Anonymous]

I'm looking on Twitter and have seen dozens and dozens of people who say they will not be buying Morrissey's new album based on his political comments. Moz once again sabotages himself. It's tainting the legacy of the Smiths too. Johnny Marr however is on his way to being canonized.

 

[ZOOM FROM GLOOM]

.

I've decided I'm buying 4 copies of the new album. One for me and three to cancel out brummie, skinny and benny's years of refusal.

don't worry, they made sure to place their orders way in advance, they're just as excited as everyone else, but they just won't admit to it.

 

[Quando quando quando]

No, they've been done away with, in favor of Pokemon, Teen Titans Go, and other loud overly frantic cartoons that I have to nod and smile about when my child tries telling me about them. But she's discovered novels lately, so maybe there's hope.

Yeah that's what Bob Hope said standing for the troops in Vietnam.
There's hope.
He was referring to his own name, I believe.

 

[Quando quando quando]

The writer seems to be a moron overall, but this paragraph is spot on:

"The game is up on Morrissey. We can’t keep pretending he’s mischievously subverting expectations of the contemporary pop star. We should, for old times’ sake, do him the favour of believing that he speaks sincerely. Reactionaries can embrace him with enthusiasm."

Even a broken clock is right twice a day!

No, it's not.
Only once.

 

[g23]

Yeah that's what Bob Hope said standing for the troops in Vietnam.
There's hope.
He was referring to his own name, I believe.

Hey, I'll take Harry Potter over Harry Stiles any day.

 

[Quando quando quando]

Hey, I'll take Harry Potter over Harry Stiles any day.

Yeah, know what you mean but Harry is so "decent", so morally good.
How can we ever be like Harry?
And should we wish for that?

 

[marred]

So morrissey doesn't want a lot of immigration. Is that really a hangable offense these days. How dare we.

Apparently it is.

 

[Quando quando quando]

Apparently it is.

Yes, immigration was always good, has been good, is good now and will be in the future. Especially for the immigrants who are so happy and grateful to live in our paradise.

And if you dare to say anything critical about it or asks questions you were a racist in the past, in the present and in the future so you are a racist no matter what.

And if you're not racist cause races don't exist you are at least a xenophobe, or a islamophobe.
That is, if you are white.
Labelling is so much fun.
I get it, I don't care anymore so now why don't you?

 

[celibate]

the Maida Vale gig was Exellent though ,don't go into this item,everyone must have an opion about Morrissey,so I, the single is grower,but the 2 songs at Jools ,oh God, my heart is pounding for another Maladjusted,safe,solid,but nothing what adds at his songs release, so I hope [not Bob] that the album is at whole better than the 2 songs at Jools...and dung is for Donald's bandwagon shit