Morrissey Central "A WRITER WRONGED" (June 24, 2024)

A WRITER WRONGED

June 24, 2024

NME fax surfaces from 2002

Hello Moz
It's NME's 50th anniversary issue and it's brought out the magnanimous old fool in us, so we'd like to make up. We're really sorry about all that racism stuff and taking the piss about that Union Jack business at Finsbury Park - we just didn't get the point you were making to be honest. We're not the brightest bunch up here, frankly, any lyric more complicated than "Sing, sing, sing, sing, sing" pretty much goes over our heads. But we've had our Dodgy Politics Spotting Dept working on Asian Rut and National Front Disco since 1994 and this week they gave the all-clear. So let's bury the hatchet, shake hands and be men about it. Waddayasay?
Mark Beaumont, NME.

A WRITER WRONGED - MESSAGES FROM MORRISSEY - MORRISSEY CENTRAL - A WRITER WRONGED

MESSAGES FROM MORRISSEY on MORRISSEY CENTRAL

www.morrisseycentral.com

 

[j*e*t]

Interesting contribution, appreciated.

Though just because he may have been inspired, that doesn't mean he shares the beliefs. He might be interested by crowd violence and football hooliganism, but would not himself partake.

Similarly with his interest in the Krays and Brady and Hindley. Just because he's intrigued by the dynamics of their actions, it doesn't mean he would himself do the same things, or even agree with them.

As Ashley very adeptly pointed out, Morrissey is skilled in storytelling and she is right to remind us that not everything should be considered to be automatically from his first person perspective.

I have often fallen into that trap, for sure.

He could just as easily be assessing why others would think or feel a certain way.

The problem with the defence of it being not his own views or first person perspective is that the views seem to align with those he has expressed in interviews. My go-to article for trying to understand his 2000s relationship with the NME is this Tim Jonze one from 2019, where he claims that Morrissey was 'intellectually incapable' of defending his own statements. I have tried at various times to see if any fans on solo are capable in his stead, but haven't found any. I don't read The Guardian but I know it has a reputation for being biased. If anyone takes issues with anything in this article, I'd be interested to hear what they think.

www.theguardian.com/music/2019/may/30/bigmouth-strikes-again-morrissey-songs-loneliness-shyness-misfits-far-right-party-tonight-show-jimmy-fallon

 

[Vesper Nocturne]

I find the collective ongoing decades-old obsession with trying to pigeonhole him in any and all ways, and on any and all subjects, such an absolute snoozefest and the worst kind of predictable bore.

Whether any of his statements or lyrics have had any degree of lack of clarity around them, or whether or not any fans think they agree or disagree with any of his words/lyrics/perspectives - neither of these are a “problem” or a reason for him to have to “defend” anything at all.

When perfect strangers use the words “problem” and “defence” when discussing his work OR his statements just because they’re panicking that his views may or may not align with their own, it comes across to me as very childish - in a foot-stompingly immature way.

Nobody controls any other human being. So why can’t some people just let his work touch their hearts? Without throwing in these juvenile demands that he owes anyone any explanation for any “problem” some strangers might think they have with him, or a “defence” for anything else?

He simply does not.

 

[new musings]

What did they say about them?

Check the original email where Ferry and Radiohead are mentioned. I don’t know what was said about them, but would be interested to see their apologies.

 

[Redacted]

Morrissey was 'intellectually incapable' of defending his own statements.

I think that's true

 

[Seymour Glass]

View attachment 106282
Infinitely better.

1000 percent. I'm still in disbelief that he actually "designed" the new Beethoven reissue.

 

[Anonymous]

I think that's true

He did fail his 11-plus exams

 

[BookishBoy]

I find the collective ongoing decades-old obsession with trying to pigeonhole him in any and all ways, and on any and all subjects, such an absolute snoozefest and the worst kind of predictable bore.

Whether any of his statements or lyrics have had any degree of lack of clarity around them, or whether or not any fans think they agree or disagree with any of his words/lyrics/perspectives - neither of these are a “problem” or a reason for him to have to “defend” anything at all.

When perfect strangers use the words “problem” and “defence” when discussing his work OR his statements just because they’re panicking that his views may or may not align with their own, it comes across to me as very childish - in a foot-stompingly immature way.

Nobody controls any other human being. So why can’t some people just let his work touch their hearts? Without throwing in these juvenile demands that he owes anyone any explanation for any “problem” some strangers might think they have with him, or a “defence” for anything else?

He simply does not.

I do know what you mean, and the whole thing is remarkably tiresome by now. But it's literally because his work touched hearts so profoundly that these reactions are as extreme as they are, so I hope he's able to take the abandonment by so many fans in that spirit, somehow.
Either way, the astonishing songs will outlive and outlast us all.

 

[ZOOM FROM GLOOM]

I do know what you mean, and the whole thing is remarkably tiresome by now. But it's literally because his work touched hearts so profoundly that these reactions are as extreme as they are, so I hope he's able to take the abandonment by so many fans in that spirit, somehow.
Either way, the astonishing songs will outlive and outlast us all.

many ‘fans’ have gone, so many true fans have stayed.

 

[gordyboy9]

starlord deepgay like raygun still yearning for the morrissey with a bunch of flowers sticking out his arse,he has moved on,most people have moved on,and yet for some reason you and raygun are still stuck in the past.

 

[gashonthenail]

Bengali in Platforms especially is one I see people calling racist and I really can't defend it. Perhaps Morrissey intended the phrase 'shelve your Western plans' as kindly advice but isn't it just a version of the 'Pakis go home' that was daubed on immigrants' homes and neighbourhoods? Also, 'life is hard enough when you belong here' implies that he thinks they don't belong here. For someone who doesn't seem to like being labelled or told what to do himself, what gives him the right to address others this way?

I wasn't following Morrissey at the time of Madstock, but it seems to me that whatever that twerp Mark Beaumont has to say is irrelevant today. I found an academic paper quite good at explaining the background - the Morrissey part starts on page 221 and considers how the combination of skinhead backdrop, Union flag, Morrissey's prior comments, lyrics and penchant for Oi! contributed to the backlash. In the section before that, it considers Madness' tolerance of skinheads in their fanbase.

I feel that Morrissey's continued posting of the skinhead image is unhelpful. For all I know they were two sweet young women just out to look rebellious, equal to the men, stylish and interesting, but from memory the Derek Ridgers book the photo came from included skinheads posing by giving the Nazi salute. Anyway, seeking to iconify skinheads of unknown allegiances was risky as the public perception of skinheads was generally negative. It really does just dredge up questions as to Morrissey's own allegiances currently.

pure.royalholloway.ac.uk/ws/portalfiles/portal/37259136/Benjamin_Bland_RHUL_PhD_Thesis_2019_Final_Digital_Submission.pdf

If a black song writer wrote a song about a white person trying to get down with the homies, would anyone bat an eyelid? Does a white English person 'belong' in Bangladesh? Again, no one would bat an eyelid. But the song isn't about that. Do any of us 'belong' any where? Life is a shit show, and perhaps thankfully, we are all just passing through.
Skinheads were a huge part of British and Irish working class culture in the 70s. And guess what - some skinheads were racist. And guess what, many weren't. Many would argue that true skinhead culture is anti-racist. But as a song writer why would Moz avoid difficult topics? Life is often brutal and cruel. People are often brutal and cruel. It would be great if it were otherwise - but it is not. And writers write about reality. Even fantasy and science fiction - it all comes back to reality in the end.

 

[j*e*t]

As I have said before, these issues with his lyrics are repeatedly quoted on social media and used as evidence of his racism, or at least questioned, as happened in the post I replied to in the first place. I have stopped looking at X because of all the hostile tweets about Morrissey, including death threats, which I have duly flagged up for X to deal with. Like many fans, I am trying to understand someone I feel love for and whose music is my favourite of all time. Morrissey raised the topic by posting an old email on Central. I have resisted joining the conversation on his politics on many previous threads where it didn't seem relevant. Morrissey has challenged us 'what would you do if you weren't afraid?' and after much thought I realised that if I wasn't afraid of causing upset or making a bad situation worse, I would speak my mind freely and without fear of the vindictive, demeaning hostility so often found here, so that is what I am doing.

 

[Redacted]

Bengali in Platforms especially is one I see people calling racist and I really can't defend it. Perhaps Morrissey intended the phrase 'shelve your Western plans' as kindly advice but isn't it just a version of the 'Pakis go home' that was daubed on immigrants' homes and neighbourhoods? Also, 'life is hard enough when you belong here' implies that he thinks they don't belong here. For someone who doesn't seem to like being labelled or told what to do himself, what gives him the right to address others this way?

I admit this song has given me pause too.

 

[j*e*t]

I admit this song has given me pause too.

In what way? My own understanding was originally more along the empathy for the outsider meaning, perhaps because of Morrissey's gentle tone of singing. It's only since seeing it analysed by those critical of Morrissey that I have wondered if they had a point. I addressed the issue here because it seemed the best place for a discussion. Perhaps the days for that are long gone.

 

[Redacted]

In what way? My own understanding was originally more along the empathy for the outsider meaning, perhaps because of Morrissey's gentle tone of singing. It's only since seeing it analysed by those critical of Morrissey that I have wondered if they had a point. I addressed the issue here because it seemed the best place for a discussion. Perhaps the days for that are long gone.

I did not know how to take it when I heard it and I am still not sure. It's hard to ignore that Morrissey's parents and family are immigrants and he is claiming to be someone who belongs. Is it because he is white? It could be about empathy, but some Bengalis are Muslim and therefore I think the song could be attributed to Morrissey's obvious dislike of Muslim immigrants disguised as empathy. This one honestly could go either way for me. I totally understand National Front Disco and did from the beginning, it is very clear to me.
Which I guess brings me to the skinhead imagery, there are many anti racist skinheads and many artists have played around with Nazism, Nazi imagery, band names that have Nazi meanings and I don't think any of them are pro Nazi, nor is Morrissey.

 

[j*e*t]

I did not know how to take it when I heard it and I am still not sure. It's hard to ignore that Morrissey's parents and family are immigrants and he is claiming to be someone who belongs. Is it because he is white? It could be about empathy, but some Bengalis are Muslim and therefore I think the song could be attributed to Morrissey's obvious dislike of Muslim immigrants disguised as empathy. This one honestly could go either way for me. I totally understand National Front Disco and did from the beginning, it is very clear to me.
Which I guess brings me to the skinhead imagery, there are many anti racist skinheads and many artists have played around with Nazism, Nazi imagery, band names that have Nazi meanings and I don't think any of them are pro Nazi, nor is Morrissey.

It's complicated in many people's eyes by his latter-day endorsement of For Britain. On the Nazi imagery issue, I used to buy into the defence put forward by Siouxsie-types that it was just used for shock value, but seeing this video in which Phranc (I think) discredits this, I'm now doubtful (24:00). All this is long ago, and for today's fans, some reassurance that any money they shell out in support of Morrissey won't contribute to some racist would-be politicians would be welcome.

 

[goinghome]

It's complicated in many people's eyes by his latter-day endorsement of For Britain. On the Nazi imagery issue, I used to buy into the defence put forward by Siouxsie-types that it was just used for shock value, but seeing this video in which Phranc (I think) discredits this, I'm now doubtful (24:00). All this is long ago, and for today's fans, some reassurance that any money they shell out in support of Morrissey won't contribute to some racist would-be politicians would be welcome.

What that video says is that young people wear symbols for all kinds of reasons, often for their cool look without knowing what they mean or thinking about it too deeply.

There was never any danger money for Morrissey was going to be passed on to a politician of any hew!

DJCarr just wrote this thoughtful note on another thread:
"For an artist focused on the "cancel vultures" Moz still manages to sell out Las Vegas shows and get referenced in surprising places. It's almost as if all that furor about cancellation is, and always has been, much ado about nothing."

Two others undergoing some recent PR rehab, are Julian Assange and Jeremy Corbyn. They were disproportionately excoriated by the media as well. At least Morrissey had given them some grist for the mill but in all three cases, the Guardian writers overstepped the mark by leaps and bounds, were unprofessional and vulgar, and abused their power. Even Alan Rusbridger, former Guardian editor, called out the changed lax ethics, This sort of in-house consensus that does away with respect and due process is far more normalised now.

Morrissey obviously took an interest in alternative politics that sometimes met right-wing criteria, but if he did, so d0 millions of people, and it's all still perfectly legal. Furthermore, politicians who claim people on the right are anathema to civilisation, prove themselves to be perfectly capable of enacting regulations that meet exactly the same criteria, sometimes for 'appeasement' i.e. to give some satisfaction to an electorate showing growing support for authoritarian measures being promised by others. Tightening of immigration, and curtailment of speech and protest, are typical examples, and these seem to be happening everywhere, regardless of what stripe of political party is in charge. It looks like you and the rest of us will have to live with a complex Moz who doesn't necessarily always fully think through the fall-out of his replies.

Is that any good to you, dear j*e*t?

 

[j*e*t]

What that video says is that young people wear symbols for all kinds of reasons, often for their cool look without knowing what they mean or thinking about it too deeply.

There was never any danger money for Morrissey was going to be passed on to a politician of any hew!

DJCarr just wrote this thoughtful note on another thread:
"For an artist focused on the "cancel vultures" Moz still manages to sell out Las Vegas shows and get referenced in surprising places. It's almost as if all that furor about cancellation is, and always has been, much ado about nothing."

Two others undergoing some recent PR rehab, are Julian Assange and Jeremy Corbyn. They were disproportionately excoriated by the media as well. At least Morrissey had given them some grist for the mill but in all three cases, the Guardian writers overstepped the mark by leaps and bounds, were unprofessional and vulgar, and abused their power. Even Alan Rusbridger, former Guardian editor, called out the changed lax ethics, This sort of in-house consensus that does away with respect and due process is far more normalised now.

Morrissey obviously took an interest in alternative politics that sometimes met right-wing criteria, but if he did, so d0 millions of people, and it's all still perfectly legal. Furthermore, politicians who claim people on the right are anathema to civilisation, prove themselves to be perfectly capable of enacting regulations that meet exactly the same criteria, sometimes for 'appeasement' i.e. to give some satisfaction to an electorate showing growing support for authoritarian measures being promised by others. Tightening of immigration, and curtailment of speech and protest, are typical examples, and these seem to be happening everywhere, regardless of what stripe of political party is in charge. It looks like you and the rest of us will have to live with a complex Moz who doesn't necessarily always fully think through the fall-out of his replies.

Is that any good to you, dear j*e*t?

So, not really challenging the content of The Guardian's article about the NME are you, sugarpuff? Too many people adopt or signal extremist politics whilst being ignorant of the connotations and history. I've accepted that Morrissey is as unapologetic as a dead man. My worry is that he still has the potential to go full Kerouac before the end!

 

[goinghome]

He did fail his 11-plus exams

Not all of them.

Len Brown of NME said that after Morrissey was given notice of the 2nd symposium on his music that took place in the University of Limerick in 2009, which Brown would speak at, Morrissey's indirect response on the appointed date was via the release of the track, I'm Throwing My Arms Around Paris. The support B-side track opened with the lines, "because of my poor education, I don't expect your invitation."

So, not really challenging the content of The Guardian's article about the NME are you, sugarpuff? Too many people adopt or signal extremist politics whilst being ignorant of the connotations and history. I've accepted that Morrissey is as unapologetic as a dead man. My worry is that he still has the potential to go full Kerouac before the end!

There's little difference on this occasion between The Guardian and the NME, honey monster, considering Tim Jonze writes for both. Morrissey obviously has concerns about how he sees certain events in the world unfolding. These can be construed in different ways. A year or so ago he did actually apologise for impressions formed, and he appealed to his audiences to at least listen and talk to each other. If you're looking for perfection, and 100% accurate comprehension, you won't find it, not even in the mirror.

Also, check out these wise words - https://www.morrissey-solo.com/threads/paul-auster-on-flawed-artists.152266/#post-1987600636