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  1. #1
    DF VIP Member pattikins's Avatar
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    Default Morrissey reignites racism row

    In a word: dickhead

    Morrissey reignites racism row by calling Chinese a 'subspecies'

    Alexandra Topping
    guardian.co.uk, Friday 3 September 2010 21.53 BST
    Article history

    Morrissey, the former Smiths singer and author of the song Meat Is Murder, is a long-term vegetarian, animal rights advocate and campaigner against circuses and zoos. Photograph: Jake Walters for the Guardian

    For almost three decades, indie rock icon Morrissey has made almost as many enemies as devoted fans willing to hang on his every melancholy-drenched lyric. Described by one high court judge as "devious, truculent and unreliable", the former Smiths frontman is no stranger to controversy and criticism. But tomorrow he reignites a simmering row about his views on race in an interview in Guardian Weekend magazine, in which he describes Chinese people as a "subspecies" because of their treatment of animals.

    Morrissey, a vegetarian and animal rights advocate who last year abandoned the stage at the Coachella festival in California because of the smell of cooking meat, described the treatment of animals in China as "absolutely horrific", referring to recent news stories about animals in Chinese circuses and zoos. He told interviewer Simon Armitage: "Did you see the thing on the news about their treatment of animals and animal welfare? Absolutely horrific. You can't help but feel that the Chinese are a subspecies."

    A spokesman for Love Music Hate Racism, which received a donation of £28,000 from the singer in 2008 after his apparently anti-immigration comments made in music magazine NME convulsed the media, said it would be unable to accept support from Morrissey again if he did not rescind or dispute today's comments.

    "It really is just crude racism," said Martin Smith. "When you start using language like 'subspecies', you are entering into dark and murky water. I don't think we would, or could, ask him to come back after that."

    Armitage said Morrissey was typically and deliberately provocative throughout the interview. "I thought at the time it was a dangerous thing to say into a tape recorder. He must have known it would make waves, he's not daft," he said. "But he's provocative and theatrical, and it was one of dozens of dramatic pronouncements. I'm not an apologist for that kind of remark, and couldn't ignore it. But clearly, when it comes to animal rights and animal welfare, he's absolutely unshakable in his beliefs. In his view, if you treat an animal badly, you are less than human. I think that was his point."

    Morrissey said in a statement tonight: "If anyone has seen the horrific and unwatchable footage of the Chinese cat and dog trade – animals skinned alive – then they could not possibly argue in favour of China as a caring nation. There are no animal protection laws in China and this results in the worst animal abuse and cruelty on the planet. It is indefensible."

    His latest comments are not the first time the singer has provoked accusations of racism. Some of his song titles and lyrics have attracted criticism, including the tracks Bengali in Platforms – "He only wants to embrace your culture/And to be your friend forever/ … Oh shelve your western plans/ … life is hard enough when you belong here" – and National Front Disco.

    In 1992 NME accused Morrissey of "flirting with disaster" and racist imagery after wrapping himself in the union flag while on stage in Finsbury Park, north London.

    In the same year, the singer, now 51, was quoted in Q Magazine stating that he did not want to be "horrible or pessimistic" but he didn't "really think, for instance, black people and white people will ever really get on or like each other. I don't really think they ever will." While in 1994 he told Select magazine that the National Front should be given a clear voice or platform in order for them to be "less of a threat".

    The war of words with NME continued in 2007 after Morrissey, who lived in Rome at the time, was quoted in an interview with the magazine apparently criticising levels of immigration after being asked if he would ever consider moving back to England. "With the issue of immigration, it's very difficult because, although I don't have anything against people from other countries, the higher the influx into England the more the British identity disappears," he said. "If you walk through Knightsbridge on any bland day of the week you won't hear an English accent. You'll hear every accent under the sun apart from the British accent."

    At another point in the interview he stated: "England is a memory now. The gates are flooded and anybody can have access to England and join in."

    Morrissey issued a writ for defamation against the magazine and its then editor Conor McNicholas, saying the publication had "deliberately tried to characterise me as a racist … in order to boost their dwindling circulation".

    He vehemently denied the accusations of racism. "I abhor racism and oppression or cruelty of any kind and will not let this pass without being absolutely clear and emphatic … Racism is beyond common sense and has no place in our society," he said in a statement.

    Simon Price, a music journalist who has followed Morrissey's career closely, said his die-hard fans who have idolised him for more than 25 years would be unlikely to desert him, but others would be "appalled, if not exactly surprised".

    The singer appeared to have left little room for explanation in his controversial comment, he added. "What are the apologists going to say this time? It looks like in his old age Morrissey has forgotten to include the ambiguity, like he has done in the past. Maybe he just doesn't care any more."

    He added: "For Morrissey's hardcore fan base, no matter what he says he can do no wrong, but this is not going to make those in the media feel favourably toward him and lots of doors will be shut to him that maybe had been ajar in the past."

    http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2010...species-racism
    'Punctuality, regularity, discipline, industry, thoroughness, are a set of 'slave' virtues.' G. D. H. Cole

  2. #2
    DF VIP Member GTI's Avatar
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    Default Re: Morrissey reignites racism row

    This is the problem with a lot of animal rights activists, they live in a distorted reality. Brigitte Bardot is another one, the rancid old racist cunt.
    "You have reached the end of you free trial membership at BenjaminFranklinQuotes.com"
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    VIP Member CzarJunkie's Avatar
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    Default Re: Morrissey reignites racism row

    I think some people are oversensitive when it comes to both animal rights and racism. I don't see anything overtly racist about what he has said, he certainly didn't mean it in that context. To be fair, China do have a very ropey record on animal rights. The dwindling numbers of many of the world's most endangered species are as a result of China's insatiable appetite for shit like Tiger's cock, Rhino horn and Shark's fin.

    I've no time for the cunt usually, but I think it's an overreaction to brand him a racist. As for his comments on immigration, again, some people seem too oversensitive to what is essentially the truth.

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    DF VIP Member tigger3's Avatar
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    Default Re: Morrissey reignites racism row

    It's just more paper shite to sell their papers, they all do it. Journalists want a controversial comment, so they just drop hints & bang the bullets fired, they've got their big scoop, Morrissey's got his publicity!

    On the 26th September Morrissey is re-releasing 'Everyday Is Like Sunday', now you may not buy the single but now you've got Morrissey awareness. Publicity good or bad?

    Every Day Is Like Sunday release

    I'm not saying it's right & everyone (in their right mind) knows the Chinese are not a subspecies. He gave £28,000 to LMHR & got very little publicity, dunno how much he got paid for this interview, probably be a nice donation to LMHR no doubt?

    Tig3

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    DF VIP Member BBK's Avatar
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    Default Re: Morrissey reignites racism row

    The guy is just a total miserable old twat. Miserable old twats tend to spout a whole load of bullshit - this TV shows like Grumpy Old Men.

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    Default

    Odd article because I was reading the actual Simon Armitage interview only this morning & it was nothing less than a full on praise be to Morrisey report (turns out that the interviewer is a bit of an obsessive).

    So it looks like the publicity & praise is given with one hand & then one comment from the interview is turned into a scathing report with background history.
    No sympathy for the devil; keep that in mind. Buy the ticket, take the ride...

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    Default Re: Morrissey reignites racism row

    Make'S me want to make a post about old skool dad's in the united kingdom title says "Shock Horror" all dad's are racists !!
    In fact i will lol
    I STINK GET OVER IT !

  8. #8
    DF VIP Member tigger3's Avatar
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    Default Re: Morrissey reignites racism row

    Quote Originally Posted by beansontoast View Post
    Odd article because I was reading the actual Simon Armitage interview only this morning & it was nothing less than a full on praise be to Morrisey report (turns out that the interviewer is a bit of an obsessive).

    So it looks like the publicity & praise is given with one hand & then one comment from the interview is turned into a scathing report with background history.
    If it had been just an arselick interview, then it would have been forgotten by now, it's controversial, so now it's news/publicity. Like I originally said, it's value for both Morrissey & the newspaper, simple.

    Tig3
    P.s. to BBK, if you don't understand Morrissey's lyrics then you are right to think he's a miserable old twat.

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    DF VIP Member BBK's Avatar
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    Default Re: Morrissey reignites racism row

    Quote Originally Posted by tigger3 View Post
    P.s. to BBK, if you don't understand Morrissey's lyrics then you are right to think he's a miserable old twat.
    I've never given his lyrics much attention Tig, I hate his voice, I hated the sound of The Smiths back when I first heard them. To me he sounds like a whiny old git, when I've seen him interviewed (not often, but thinking back to Jonathan Ross last year or so) he just came over as a miserable twat. Like Mariah Carey comes over as a vacant cow, and I know nothing about her, he comes over as a miserable twat.

  10. #10
    DF VIP Member tigger3's Avatar
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    Default Re: Morrissey reignites racism row

    Quote Originally Posted by BBK View Post
    I've never given his lyrics much attention Tig, I hate his voice, I hated the sound of The Smiths back when I first heard them. To me he sounds like a whiny old git, when I've seen him interviewed (not often, but thinking back to Jonathan Ross last year or so) he just came over as a miserable twat. Like Mariah Carey comes over as a vacant cow, and I know nothing about her, he comes over as a miserable twat.
    Fair point BBK, he's definitely got the marmite factor. I've seen him many times & I love his work, a lot of his stuff is very funny (to me). & I think that it's good that even the stuff that is "miserable" reflects life, it's not all lovey-dovey or mindless shite (well mine isn't).

    Happy in the haze of a drunken hour!

    Tig3

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    DF VIP Member BBK's Avatar
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    Default Re: Morrissey reignites racism row

    Its each to his own with music. One of my oldest and longest friends is a huge Smiths / Alternative fan, I've never understood it myself, but I guess thats what makes music so incredible. One mans meat (sorry Morrisey) is another mans poison!

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    DF VIP Member super mike's Avatar
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    Default Re: Morrissey reignites racism row

    Quote Originally Posted by tigger3 View Post
    he's definitely got the marmite factor.
    I like that as a discreet, almost something you could say in polite company way of calling someone a bender. I am going to use it myself and pretend I thought of it.

    I know it isn't what you meant at all

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    DF VIP Member tigger3's Avatar
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    Default Re: Morrissey reignites racism row


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