The Guardian: "Michael Imperioli: ‘I still give Morrissey the benefit of the doubt’" (August 10, 2023)

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Michael Imperioli: ‘I still give Morrissey the benefit of the doubt’

Relevant parts:

"Loved your shows on NTS radio a few years ago. You played solo Morrissey tracks on each of them – what do you love about him, and his post-Smiths songwriting? And have your feelings towards him changed since he’s made some dubious comments in recent years? Pete Thorn

He’s uncompromising and very true to his art, to himself. As a lyricist, he’s on the level of Bob Dylan and Lou Reed to me: his intelligence, his wit and point of view. I think that’s why so many people connect to him, people who feel like outsiders. When they hear his lyrics and see him perform, they feel less alone in the world. I didn’t discover the Smiths until after I was finished with high school. I was very clueless musically. But when I was 17, I was in Manhattan and I had friends who quickly exposed me to the good stuff like the Smiths. I went from being in high school to going to acting classes with people in their 20s, 30s, 40s. In some ways I was happy to do that. But in other ways, I felt very much like a kid, straddling two worlds. I had moved in with my grandparents outside the city. I had a couple of friends and I enjoyed being in the city but I really didn’t feel like I belonged there. In many ways, I felt very alone. It’s a time of trying to figure out your identity. As a young person who wanted to be an artist, I felt I was looking for a certain freedom to express, and those other artists made me understand that that was possible.

I thought what he wrote about Sinéad O’Connor was spot on and brilliant – how easily she was abandoned by the music industry. He was as well. Bonfire of Teenagers was dropped by the label and still hasn’t come out. He’s on the edge of controversy a lot and they shy away from that. I’m not sure how racist the things he said were. To me they weren’t flagrantly racist. I’ve never met Morrissey but I do know a lot of people in the current band and people who have played with him in the past who are very smart, and the least racist people you could imagine. They adamantly express that racism is not a part of who he is, by any stretch of the imagination. I still give him the benefit of the doubt. I know a lot of people don’t, but somehow I still do. As an artist, considering what he’s done, he should always have the advantages of having a label promoting him. I think [his situation] is similar [to O’Connor’s] in a lot of ways."

&

"Top 5 albums of all-time? Screamadelica1

It’s so hard. The Wedding Present’s Seamonsters is tremendous. In Utero. There’s a two-disc Lou Reed live record, Take No Prisoners, from the Bottom Line [in New York, 1978] that is very revealing of who he was, especially at that point in time – he talks a lot through it. But also the performances are quite exceptional. Loveless is a towering giant of a record. I love Green Mind by Dinosaur Jr. The Smiths, all their albums. Vauxhall and I was my favourite of solo Morrissey. [Patti Smith’s] Horses is tremendous. The first Television album, Marquee Moon. The first New York Dolls album. So Alone by Johnny Thunders. I’m over the limit here but it’s too hard! [David Bowie’s] Hunky Dory really got me when I first heard that one, it was before I heard Ziggy Stardust and Diamond Dogs – my other two favourites. I got to meet Bowie backstage during the Reality tour, which was pretty thrilling. He was wonderful – friendly, present and kind. It was brief, but for me it was extremely important and memorable."


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Regards,
FWD.
 
The Guardian can't afford to alienate its very limited readership but sometimes its desperation to idolize Morrissey reveals itself.
 
Yeah, I'm surprised they even printed it. They're a pathetic so called newspaper.

It's nice to read what he said about current and former band members as well.
im sure micky has appeared on here years a few years ago.
 
I agree with Michael - his situation is like Sinead's.

He's been misinterpreted & exploited.

It's still possible for him to get better management, better advice on how to deal with media/social media & a record deal with a good record company.
Read that as "Sinbad" and wondered what he'd done and if it was the sailor or the comedian

What you said about better advice and management applies to both Sinbads tho'.
 
Read that as "Sinbad" and wondered what he'd done and if it was the sailor or the comedian

What you said about better advice and management applies to both Sinbads tho'.

Sinbad, the comedian, is truly funny (and doesn't use profanity in his jokes, so it's all smartly done).

He had a stroke a few years ago, and might never perform again. He did a special about 17, 18 years ago (I'd guess) on Comedy Central called Sinbad 'Where You At?' or 'Where You Been?' or something like that - it was brilliant. On the floor laughing just about him talking about leaving his Tshirt on the floor and his wife always picking it up.

In his early stand-up, he did use profanity. His father, who I believe was a pastor, was in attendance for a show - surprising Sinbad who found out he was there only about 20 minutes before showtime. Thus, Sinbad racked his brain and rewrote all of his jokes for the evening, then performed them - and to his amazement he got a much larger response to his 'clean' jokes than his old ones.
 
Yeah, I'm surprised they even printed it. They're a pathetic so called newspaper.

It's nice to read what he said about current and former band members as well.
It made me curious to know which band members he has talked to and what they had to say about Morrissey.
 
I’m not sure how racist the things he said were. To me they weren’t flagrantly racist.

So they were racist, just not 'flagrantly racist' and 'I am not sure how racist' but racist nonetheless. I don't think this really helps.
 
I’m not sure how racist the things he said were. To me they weren’t flagrantly racist.

So they were racist, just not 'flagrantly racist' and 'I am not sure how racist' but racist nonetheless. I don't think this really helps.
Yeah, that part was quite lame.
And right before that he had said that current/former band members had "adamantly express that racism is not a part of who he is, by any stretch of the imagination"... maybe there was further involvement by the journalist there before he then said that.
 
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Moments after Michael said all this, James Gandolfini covered Michael’s mouth with a prosciutto-sized mitt and smothered him to death.
 
Nice Morrissey mention at the end of this extract of an interview with Michael Imperioli.

 
Yeah, that part was quite lame.
And right before that he had said that current/former band member had "adamantly express that racism is not a part of who he is, by any stretch of the imagination"... maybe there was further involvement by the journalist there before he then said that.
I think he used the word 'flagrantly' in the sense of 'obviously' or 'undoubtedly' but the 'racist' word itself is now so over-used and mis-used that it has become totally meaningless. Everything and everyone is considered 'racist' these days. Thomas the Tank Engine is 'racist'. Even just being white is considered 'racist'. It's similar to the accusation of being a witch - if you deny it, then you definitely are one, and if you admit it, then the accusation is confirmed. Sink or float, when they chuck you in the social media witch-trial pond, it's all the same in the end. The accusation sticks.
 
Point well taken. Now let's hope Depeche Mode does not post a link on their main home page aligning themselves with Ted Cruz, how they share his views, and suggest we nominate him for president.

Why not? And if they did, do you have to obey and vote for Ted Cruz? Have you lost all control over your own mental faculties?
 
Why not? And if they did, do you have to obey and vote for Ted Cruz? Have you lost all control over your own mental faculties?
Exactly. Some of these weirdos are so focussed on their favourite band/singer that they seem to have abandoned their own lives. You don’t have to agree everything everyone you like says.

Looking at Morrissey fans in particular, the nutcases fall into two camps: those who are in love with him, but the person he is now doesn’t align with the person they thought they fell in love with, so they have become spurned lovers who now hate Morrissey and must destroy him (UncleSkinny);
or those who are in love with him but refuse to believe he has become the person he is now, so actively overlook his “flaws” and blame others because they can’t cope with the fact that Morrissey is no longer the 27-year-old gladioli-wielding figure they devoted their lives to (Nerak Malarkey).

Those two groups dominate the narrative around him so much that people forget that the vast, vast majority of us just enjoy the music and will heap praise and/or criticism on him when he deserves it.
 
If you go back in time and read this site it was mostly about Morrissey's music, his tour, his band, The Smiths, Johnny Marr, and other artists. People meeting up at a concert, concert experiences, lyrics, tablature, and such. Now it is about Paul Joseph Watson and Fox News. He was a notional treasure and is one the greatest singer / songwriters England has ever produced bar none, but now he peddles the folks from Infowars on his official Website. It is like going to Depeche Mode's official Website to see a link to Josh Hawley's homepage and how they think he should be the next president of the USA, how much they admire him, and how he stands for what they believe.
Uhm, when was that? Cause I joined this site in 2012 and it seemed to have about as much negativity as it does now. And probably also coming from a few people, as now.
 
Exactly. Some of these weirdos are so focussed on their favourite band/singer that they seem to have abandoned their own lives. You don’t have to agree everything everyone you like says.

Looking at Morrissey fans in particular, the nutcases fall into two camps: those who are in love with him, but the person he is now doesn’t align with the person they thought they fell in love with, so they have become spurned lovers who now hate Morrissey and must destroy him (UncleSkinny);
or those who are in love with him but refuse to believe he has become the person he is now, so actively overlook his “flaws” and blame others because they can’t cope with the fact that Morrissey is no longer the 27-year-old gladioli-wielding figure they devoted their lives to (Nerak Malarkey).

Those two groups dominate the narrative around him so much that people forget that the vast, vast majority of us just enjoy the music and will heap praise and/or criticism on him when he deserves it.
Which camp would you place Johnny Marr?
 

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