Posted November 28, 200717 yr NME v Morrissey Magazine interview causes a stir BBC6 MUSIC NEWS 28 Nov 07 - Morrissey and his management team have threatened NME Magazine with legal action today. It follows an article published in the music magazine this week which accuses The Smiths man of using “inflammatory” language centred on the issue of immigration in Britain. Morrissey’s team heard about the possible damaging nature of the feature in an anonymous tip-off in October. In response, NME editor Conor McNicholas reportedly said on 29 October they were just “rumours and untruths” and that Morrissey’s words were “benign when argued in isolation.” The NME journalist that carried out the interview, namely Tim Jonze, has personally written to Mozza’s representative Merck Mercuriadis denying that the comments had anything to do with him. The credits for the piece read: Interview: Tim Jonze / Words: NME. According to true-to-you.net, Jonze, who also writes for The Guardian, said: “I should mention that for reasons I'll probably never understand, NME have rewritten the Moz piece. I had a read and virtually none of it is my words or beliefs so I've asked for my name to be taken off it. Just so you know when you read it.” Merck claims that upon receiving this, he immediately wrote to NME Editor Conor McNicholas, who allegedly replied after three days. In response, McNicholas claims that the comments in the piece are “fair and balanced”, and writes: “Obviously no-one is accusing Morrissey of racism - that would be mad given what Morrissey says - but we do say that the language Morrissey uses is very unhelpful at a time of great tensions.” You can read the solicitors letter issued to the NME – see next post:
November 28, 200717 yr Author Morrissey vs. the NME 27 November 2007 Morrissey vs. the NME Many of you in London will have seen today's NME with Morrissey on the cover while others around the UK, the rest of the world and online will discover it during the course of the week. We had agreed to do a cover story with the NME in October around the New York shows to announce details for 2008. We were alerted to the fact that the NME were potentially doing a hatchet job on Morrissey on the 16th of November by an anonymous post on morrissey-solo.com. We immediately contacted the magazine's editor Conor McNicholas who refuted the suggestion that the NME would be anything less than supportive and personally posted on the site categorically denying the "rumours and untruths." As you will all see from this week's cover story, this was not the case and appears to simply have been a strategic action to ensure we did not take legal steps to stop the interview being published. We believed his assurances that all was well until we received the following email from Tim Jonze who did the interview: "Hi Merck, Hope you're well. I should mention that for reasons I'll probably never understand, NME have rewritten the Moz piece. I had a read and virtually none of it is my words or beliefs so I've asked for my name to be taken off it. Just so you know when you read it. Best, Tim" When we received this we immediately called Conor McNicholas who after a three day delay responded in the form of the email that follows: "Hi Merck. I need to drop you a line about the Morrissey piece running in NME this week. It's going to be much stronger than we'd originally discussed. Having lived with Morrissey's comments from the second interview and discussed with the editorial team we're running a piece where the comments aren't ducked and NME's position is made very clear. While Morrissey is obviously entirely entitled to his point of view we're not beholden to re-print them without comment. And given that his views are not those that we'd normally expect to come from someone in the very liberal world of rock'n'roll, we're not able to either support them or print them without comment. Obviously no-one is accusing Morrissey of racism - that would be mad given what Morrissey says - but we do say that the language Morrissey uses is very unhelpful at a time of great tensions. I am - as I say in the magazine - fully confident that Morrissey's comments are simply the result of a man in his 50s looking back nostalgically on the England of his youth, but his reasoning for that change is unreasonably skewed towards immigration and as a title we think that's wrong. I think he's simply naive and doesn't understand the atmosphere here. I don't think he wishes anyone any harm but I don't think he understand the climate or the possible interpretation of his comments either. The feature is, I believe, a fair and balanced piece. It's not sensationalist but it doesn't ignore the story either. I have been particularly careful to include all the key moments where Morrissey mitigates his position or makes a strong commitment against racism. The reaction of both you and Morrissey has been very much on my mind when making decisions surrounding this piece. As you know, I wish I'd never fond myself in this position making these very difficult decisions. I have, to be honest, found the whole experience very depressing. I don't have a reputation of running pieces such as this because it's not in my nature. I am also a huge Morrissey fan, my gold disc for 'You Are The Quarry' is still one of my proudest possessions and still takes pride of place in my living room. And while I'm sure Morrissey didn't sign off each of the discs and its recipient, I felt it was a measure of where I'd got the NME to with him. What I'm trying to make clear is that I never wanted to be in this place but as editor I've simply not had another option. I'm not going to try and second-guess your reaction but I can imagine it won't be great - another depressing factor given how much I've genuinely enjoyed working with you over the last few weeks. During this whole difficult process you never been anything other than balanced and reasonable - far more than most other managers I've worked with! - and I've really appreciated that. I wanted you to get a heads-up in advance of publication. Hopefully we'll speak soon. Conor." Please note that Mr. McNicholas' email above was timed to arrive after his magazine was printed therefore preventing us from stopping the printing. When / if you read the interview, please look at the credits which are unique: Interview - Tim Jonze Words - NME When reading it we request that you think for yourself and consider what is question and answer and what is inflammatory editorial on the part of the NME which we assume can only be intended to create controversy to boost their circulation at the expense of Morrissey's integrity and for which no journalist is willing to be credited. It might as well say "anonymous." There is virtually no other artist with a more meaningful following across the history of the NME and it would appear that Mr. McNicholas thought the "new" NME could gain some credibility at Morrissey's expense. The story reads like a cynical exercise by yet another NME editor trying to put his name in the history books via a poorly thought out and terribly executed attempt at character assassination. As we all know, the NME does not speak for its readership, the artists do. Artists like Morrissey. The NME also does not speak for Morrissey. Anti-racist songs such as "Irish Blood, English Heart," "America Is Not The World" and "I Will See You In Far Off Places" tell you the true measure of the man. Conor McNicholas made a decision for reasons known only to himself to betray our trust and make himself out to be a hero at Morrissey's expense. As you can see from the legal letter below, we will be unrelenting in our quest to bring him / NME to justice. By the way, the good news of the day is that Morrissey signed his new record deal with Polydor / Decca this afternoon! We will soon be scheduling new singles and albums for next year, but one thing you can count on not happening is a 7" cover mount on the eNeMEy! Sincerely, Merck Mercuriadis 28th November, 2007 PS We are also delighted to announce that the six Roundhouse shows have all sold out. Thank you all for your support!
November 28, 200717 yr Author It's Morrissey Versus The NME As Race Row Ensues XFM.com Morrissey has found himself at the centre of a race row as the NME claims that in a recent interview the former Smiths singer's language, "at worst...echoes that used in the current manifesto of the crypto-fascist BNP." A feature published in this week's NME has sparked threats of legal action from Morrissey's management. The article focusses on an interview with Morrissey - who currently resides in Italy - discussing UK immigration issues with NME writer Tim Jonze and concludes that the frontman's language "At the very least smacks of naive hypocrisy...at the very worst?...Echoes that used in the current manifesto of the crypto-fascist BNP." Morrissey's camp were apparently tipped off last October about the potentially damaging article in the NME, which famously fell out with Mozza back in 1992 when it suggested he was flirting with National Front imagery. NME editor Conor McNicholas - who is now being accused of "betraying the trust" of the singer and his representatives - apparently reassured the Morrissey camp on October 29 that there were "rumours and untruths" about the story. However, according to true-to-you.net, the interviewer Tim Jonze wrote to Morrissey's representative Merck Mercuriadis stating “I should mention that for reasons I'll probably never understand, NME have rewritten the Moz piece. I had a read and virtually none of it is my words or beliefs so I've asked for my name to be taken off it. Just so you know when you read it.” Interestingly the feature is credited: Interview: Tim Jonze/ Words: NME. McNicholas has responded that the piece is “Fair and balanced”, adding, “Obviously no-one is accusing Morrissey of racism - that would be mad given what Morrissey says - but we do say that the language Morrissey uses is very unhelpful at a time of great tensions.” And in what is swiftly escalating into a war of words Mercuriadis has now posted the following message onto true-to-you.net: When / if you read the interview, please look at the credits which are unique: Interview - Tim Jonze Words - NME When reading it we request that you think for yourself and consider what is question and answer and what is inflammatory editorial on the part of the NME which we assume can only be intended to create controversy to boost their circulation at the expense of Morrissey's integrity and for which no journalist is willing to be credited. It might as well say "anonymous." There is virtually no other artist with a more meaningful following across the history of the NME and it would appear that Mr. McNicholas thought the "new" NME could gain some credibility at Morrissey's expense. The story reads like a cynical exercise by yet another NME editor trying to put his name in the history books via a poorly thought out and terribly executed attempt at character assassination. As we all know, the NME does not speak for its readership, the artists do. Artists like Morrissey. The NME also does not speak for Morrissey. Anti-racist songs such as "Irish Blood, English Heart," "America Is Not The World" and "I Will See You In Far-Off Places" tell you the true measure of the man. Conor McNicholas made a decision for reasons known only to himself to betray our trust and make himself out to be a hero at Morrissey's expense. As you can see from the legal letter below, we will be unrelenting in our quest to bring him / NME to justice. By the way, the good news of the day is that Morrissey signed his new record deal with Polydor / Decca this afternoon! We will soon be scheduling new singles and albums for next year, but one thing you can count on not happening is a 7" cover mount on the eNeMEy! Sincerely, Merck Mercuriadis 28th November, 2007 It seems the hatchet that was buried between NME and Morrissey over three years ago has been well and truly unearthed.
November 28, 200717 yr Author Morrissey Supporters Hit Out At The NME 85% believe they betrayed the singer... by Scott Colothan on 28/11/2007 The NME has been feeling the wrath of Morrissey fans who are outraged at the magazine’s controversial feature which attacks The Smiths man for voicing his opinion on immigration. At the time of writing this piece, a massive 85% of Gigwise readers said that the magazine has betrayed Morrissey by publishing the feature. In a quick nutshell, despite pleas from Morrissey’s management to retract the feature, and an NME journalist curiously abdicating responsibility for the comments in the piece, NME editor Conor McNicholas went ahead and published the piece calling Mozz’a opinion ‘Naïve and inflammatory.” One particulraly damning section in the comments compares Morrissey's words to the BNP. Amongst Morrissey’s quotes to the magazine was: “Britain’s a terribly negative place… 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 identity disappears.” Gigwise has received a number of messages from people blasting the NME for their hard line stance against Morrissey. One wrote: “The NME are clearly mixing immigration with racism. I’m not against immigration at all, in fact it adds to our culture. But to even insinuate someone is racist for discussing immigration is very, very wrong.” Another complained: “Immigration is, unlike racism, a hot topic which can be condemned or supported quite viably, either way. So it is NME being quite naive to suggest casting an derogatory view on immigration is a racist view.” A clear Morrissey fan took it further, writing “I’m glad I have read this article before buying NME, as now I will not be buying it, Morrissey is a huge star, an icon - and if the rest of his fans feel like I do, then I shall be boycotting the NME from now on. Think they’ve shot themselves in the foot with this article. However, some do support the magazine’s stance against Morrissey, summed up by a Gigwise reader writing: “I also have read the article and you cannot argue with the fact that Mozza’s words read like the BNP manifesto. An organization who’s views and opinions are rooted in racism and fascist thought. England may have a problem with immigration but this is not the root cause of England not being the same place as it was 50 years ago. His comments are misguided.” Do you think Morrissey's comments are racist and that he should be hounded out of music or do you think the NME are a total disgrace to journalism for this hatchet attempt of gaining publicity when it's sales & reputation is at an all time low?
November 28, 200717 yr This is a very strage issue. After reading it, it seems to me that NME are not to blame. If Morrissey did an interview with NME and that is what he said, the NME surly have the right to publish exactly what he said. It also looks as if they have made a good stance against Morrissy and his team. NME shouldn't have to change there magazine (after or before it was published) for what seems as A "Change of heart" by Morrissey. I know i'm on the minority here but to me NME are 100% right on what they have and will do. The letter sent to NME by Merck Mercuriadis is childish and inapropriate in every way. Edited November 28, 200717 yr by Jonny
November 28, 200717 yr Author This is a very strage issue. After reading it, it seems to me that NME are not to blame. If Morrissey did an interview with NME and that is what he said, the NME surly have the right to publish exactly what he said. It also looks as if they have made a good stance against Morrissy and his team. NME shouldn't have to change there magazine (after or before it was published) for what seems as A "Change of heart" by Morrissey. I know i'm on the minority here but to me NME are 100% right on what they have and will do. The letter sent to NME by Merck Mercuriadis is childish and inapropriate in every way. This is the biggest load of rubbish I have ever read. Can't you read, or are you incapable of understanding what you read? Or did your brain switch off after the first post? When the journalist responsible for the interview, has said that Morrissey did not say exactly what he said. That is why this Guardian journalist ask for the interview to be firstly removed, then when it was not asked for his name to be taken off this piece. That is precisely why he was on Radio5 Live this afternoon, clarifying what has happenned, whilst the NME's chief editor Conor McNicholas was "unavailable for comment". The fact, that Morrissey has tonight threatened to go to the High Court in London, to sue for slander & defamation of character must tell you something. If things are what they seem, then I suspect Conor McNicholas is deservedly heading for a P45. If not also dragging the magazine towards it's own suicide as well after 50+ years. Especially, ironic considering in the same magazine, there is a review of Remi Nicole's album, which can be at best described as a character assassination, at worse be described as bordering on racist language itself.
November 28, 200717 yr This is the biggest load of rubbish I have ever read. Can't you read, or are you incapable of understanding what you read? Or did your brain switch off after the first post? When the journalist responsible for the interview, has said that Morrissey did not say exactly what he said. That is why this Guardian journalist ask for the interview to be firstly removed, then when it was not asked for his name to be taken off this piece. That is precisely why he was on Radio5 Live this afternoon, clarifying what has happenned, whilst the NME's chief editor Conor McNicholas was "unavailable for comment". The fact, that Morrissey has tonight threatened to go to the High Court in London, to sue for slander & defamation of character must tell you something. If things are what they seem, then I suspect Conor McNicholas is deservedly heading for a P45. If not also dragging the magazine towards it's own suicide as well after 50+ years. Especially, ironic considering in the same magazine, there is a review of Remi Nicole's album, which can be at best described as a character assassination, at worse be described as bordering on racist language itself. Excuse me for having an opinion. -_- It seems to me after reading a seemingly endless amount of interviews, press etc.. about Morrissey and his childish ways, he is unbalivable. The NME Editor may have got it wrong. But why would of Morrissey and his team even considered to start an legal case about the matter that NME published, or any other matter for that reason, if he or they wern't guitly or even sorry about what NME had written. In almost every interview you will ever read, Editors or whatever will twist the words. I'm not saying that he did say all of that in his interview, but he must of had the vagest idea on what NME would of wrote. And, if he did have this fallling out with the magazine as I saw earlier.... Why does he continue to do interviews for them? I havn't seen the Remi Nicole interview but I will. And if you are right abut what they said about her then I apoligize.
November 28, 200717 yr Author At last a balanced piece that tells things as they are: Morrissey vs NME: Mozgate Part II During an interview, Morrissey has opened his Big Mouth (again) and said something he shouldn't. Or ... has he? Guardian.co.uk Dave Simpson November 28, 2007 4:30 PM Consider these two statements: While, to the immigrant, entry to this country was admission to privileges and opportunities... the impact upon the existing population was very different. For reasons which they could not comprehend, and in pursuance of a decision by default, on which they were never consulted, they found themselves made strangers in their own country." "The gates of England are flooded. The country's been thrown away." The first is taken from the late MP Enoch Powell's notorious "Rivers of Blood" speech to the Conservative Political Centre on April 20, 1968. The second is attributed to Morrissey, on the cover of this week's NME magazine and under the headline "Big Mouth Strikes Again.... On dear, not again". At the heart of it is an extraordinary kerfuffle over immigration between Britain's respected veteran music publication and one of pop music's most widely-loved veteran Mancunians. The background is this: Following their recent Love Music, Hate Racism campaign the NME planned to give away a free Morrissey single to coincide with an interview with the ex-Smith in the paper. NME journo and Guardian blog contributor Tim Jonze (a Smiths fan whose photo of himself outside Salford Lads Club appears on the blog) met the man. During the interview, Morrissey apparently made some remarks about immigration. Jonze conducted a second - telephone - interview in which the remarks were not only repeated but expanded upon. Then the proverbial hit the fan. The Morrissey-sanctioned fan website true-to-you.net carries some eye-watering (often legal) correspondence between Morrissey's management and NME editor Conor McNicholas. The management accuse "the eNeMEy" of a "hatchet job", resisting attempts to stop publication, and point out Morrissey's "antiracist" songs such as Irish Blood, English Heart and I Will See You In Faraway Places. The NME editor says the paper are "not accusing Morrissey of racism," but says his comments are "unreasonably skewed towards immigration" and are "unhelpful at a time of great tensions." To further inflame or muddy the issue, writer Jonze has disowned what he says is a "rewritten" piece and asked for his name to be removed - bizarrely and telllingly, the story carries the credit "Interview - Tim Jonze; Words - NME". So what are Morrissey's comments? A music-based interview suddenly veers from chat about the industry and Johnny Marr to ask Mozzer (who lives in Rome, an immigrant there as his Irish parents once were into the North West) if he'd consider moving back to Britain. Morrissey:" ... [W]ith 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. If you travel to Germany, it's still absolutely Germany. If you travel to Sweden, it still has a Swedish identity. But travel to England and you have no idea where you are... If you walk through Knightsbridge you'll hear every accent apart from an English accent." Cue NME outrage and branding of Morrissey as a "Tory." As the paper points out, this is not the first "immigration" controversy involving Moz and NME. In the 1990s the parties fell out after Morrissey was accused of "flirting with disaster" and racist imagery after draping himself in the Union Jack onstage. Such accusations were never levelled at Noel Gallagher and the Spice Girls, although in the latest interview NME again tackle Morrissey about the "ambiguous" lyrics of the song Bengali in Platforms and the notorious line "Life is hard enough when you belong here." To which he retorts that the song is written from the viewpoint of a "protagonist", who "didn't belong here." Annoyingly, no further clarification is sought or proffered. To further muddy the issue, unlike Powell's largely venomous, racially-slanted speech, Morrissey's follow-up interview comments consist pretty much of what you'd expect of any reader of this newspaper. Explicitly denying that immigration is the reason he doesn't want to live in Britain, he damns this country over the cost of living and the shooting of Jean Charles de Menezes, admits that managed immigration "enriches" the country, says his favourite actor and singer are from Israel and Iraq, says he finds racism "very silly" and supports the Love Music Hate Racism campaign. Indeed, he wanted the slogan on the (now withdrawn by NME) free single. Although the use of language like "the gates are flooded, anybody can have access to England" is perhaps unfortunate when taken out of context, in the context of the interview his position is remarkably similar to that adopted by all three mainstream political parties in this country - that immigration is beneficial but shouldn't be a free for all, nor should it be contrary to the retention of a firm and recognisably British national and cultural identity. Without wishing to sound like his hero Kenneth Williams, the latter is the central thrust of Morrissey's position. In fact, as NME know full well, the singer has been hankering back to a nostalgic, almost mythical England of tea rooms and bowler hats as long ago as the Smiths. He has displayed infuriatingly Philistine tendencies in unwelcome statements like "All reggae is vile". But while he may be old-fashioned, reactionary and remarkably, stubbornly resistant to our changing world and probably shouldn't have allowed himself to be embroiled in all this again, I am not convinced that he is anything more dangerous than his own famous description of himself as an "arcane old wardrobe". I agree with NME that in the current climate Morrissey's comments - and certainly, the way they have been sensationalised - are "unhelpful", so why are they a) prompted in interview and B) splashed across the cover of the paper? I'm sure NME will benefit from the extra publicity and furore, especially with its sales & journalistic reputation at an all time low. However, if Morrissey can be pilloried for expressing near identical views to David Cameron, is it any wonder he prefers to live abroad?
November 28, 200717 yr I'm on the edge now. It seems to me that NME wanted to do an interview that didn't focus or even talk about Racism/Imigration. But Morrissey brought it up. Maybe to make a point for some reason. I don't know. But NME were also to blame as well.... When they said in the paragraph before the second interview "These are the bits Extracted out of the conversation"???? What is that suppost to mean? That tells me that they have decided to take out the bits that only they won't to focus on. I can't fully blame NME (Or Morrissey). They were both to blame but for different reasons.
November 29, 200717 yr If Morrissey did say what is reported - so what? I agree with him - 110%. I dont really see how you can agree with his comments (IF he made them, and I wouldn't put it past the NME of 2007 to do a "cut and paste" job tbh. In the early 90s he made a rod for his own back by not explaining himself fully and I found myself completely anti-Moz, this however does seem to be a different story, and I'm more prepared to back him against an NME which these days has journalistic and ethical standards as low as rat pish....) tbh; how can he be all "anti-immigrant" when he himself IS an immigrant living in LA and Italy as he has done for the past decade, not to mention his Irish Catholic immigrant family background (as have approximately more than half of the denizens of cities like Manchester, Liverpool, Glasgow, etc....) If he has made these comments, then it would appear certainly very hypocritical of him....
November 29, 200717 yr Author Last Updated: Thursday, 29 November 2007, 17:24 GMT BBC News Morrissey sues NME over story Morrissey is to sue the NME after it failed to apologise for an article focusing on his views on immigration. The magazine criticised the former Smiths star for allegedly telling a reporter Britain had lost its identity due to high levels of immigration. A deadline to print the retraction passed at 1300GMT. His lawyers said they were now issuing legal proceedings for defamation on behalf of Morrissey against the NME and its editor Conor McNicholas. In a statement, the singer's lawyers said: "The NME had until 1pm today to print a suitable apology to Morrissey. Their only response to this deadline was to say that they 'do not have time to respond to the allegations.'" Earlier, the NME released a statement which read: "We can confirm that Morrissey's legal representatives have been in contact with NME and, pending the outcome of these discussions, we won't be commenting any further." Identity The magazine quoted Morrissey allegedly saying: "Although I don't have anything against people from other countries, the higher the influx into England the more the British identity disappears. So the price is enormous. "If you travel to Germany, it's still absolutely Germany. If you travel to Sweden, it still has a Swedish identity. "But travel to England and you have no idea where you are," the singer is reported to have said. The 48-year-old, who has spent the last decade in Rome and Los Angeles, was apparently responding to a question about whether he would return to live in the UK. In a follow-up interview concerning his comments, the NME reported that Morrissey had said: "It could be construed that the reason I wouldn't wish to live in England is the immigration explosion. And that's not true at all." "There are other reasons why I would find England very difficult, such as the expense and the pressure," he said. He is alleged to have added that he did not think his comments were inflammatory, but were "a statement of fact". The singer's manager accused the NME of "character assassination" on the singer's fan website, True To You. Tim Jonze, the freelance journalist who interviewed Morrissey, told the BBC that he didn't approve of the singer's comments and had found them "offensive" the way they had been rewritten by the NME. He said he had asked for his name to be removed from the article because it had been rewritten. "I didn't want my name on something I hadn't written, even if some of it might have been similar to what I wrote originally," he said. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Conor McNicholas is a politically correct middle class public school educated arse-wipe whose journalistic skills are only fit to write for the Bizarre column in The Sun, or for the 3am Girls gossip column in The Mirror. Compared to great New Musical Express editors & writers like Charles Shaar Murray, Nick Kent, Lester Bangs, Tony Parsons, Julie Burchill, Paul Morley, Danny Baker, Danny Kelly, David Quantick, Matt Snow, Andrew Collins, Stuart Maconie, Steve Lamacq & Steve Sutherland he is a disgrace to music journalism.
November 29, 200717 yr If Morrissey did say what is reported - so what? I agree with him - 110%. If he did say those things why should give care about his opinons! All he is a popstar and thats it! People who have London accents sound annoying anyway so I don't know what Morrissey is complaining about. HA, thats right, come get me! Edited November 29, 200717 yr by La La Land
November 30, 200717 yr People who have London accents sound annoying anyway so I don't know what Morrissey is complaining about. HA, thats right, come get me! :lol: :lol: Very true Kate, very true.... What people fail to realise is that most of these old-skool "Cockney Geeeezaaaaahhhhs" that still exist tend to have surnames like "Feeney", "O'Leary", "O'Connor" and "Fitzpatrick".... IE, they're all BLOODY IRISH!!! Like MOZ!!!! :lol: :lol: There's really very little "English" about most of these people anyway..... And frankly I found it totally bizarre him using Knightsbridge as an example - Knightsbridge is where you have about several museums and sodding HARRODS!!!! In short, it's bloody TOURIST CENTRAL there... Is he really surprised that he would encounter virtually no one in that area with a British accent..... Silly Moz...... :lol: :lol:
November 30, 200717 yr All he is a popstar and thats it! :lol: :lol: :lol: I think Morrissey is just a little bit more than 'just a popstar' :lol: :lol: :lol: An 'icon' may be better suited. Or someone who, whatever slurs get thrown his way, will absolutely say what he feels, regardless of political correctness. As he always has. And THANK GOD there is someone, somewhere with the balls to speak up. Politicians are terrified of saying what they really think about the subject (witness last night's hilarious fumbling and dodging on Question Time by everyone there bar the audience), the majority of people in the public eye are petrified of being tagged 'racist' and losing their careers by speaking up, and most of the serious media are too right-on to reflect what a helluva lot of British people are thinking... that there are far, far, far too many immigrants in Britain these days. I, for one, am sick and tired of seeing swathes of noxious halal shops in city suburbs, of seeing areas I was once well acquainted with now nothing more than white no-go areas, of seeing bookshops selling highly questionable anti-Brit material (yes - IN Britain - laughable, isn't it?) and sick, sick, sick of seeing women walking around in burkhas in this supposedly modern, forward-thinking, civilised country. Go on, hang me... but this is how I feel..... it seems long-gone are the days when Britain was quaint (yes, quaint... horrible word.... but an apt one I think), when there was such a thing as community even in cities, when it was unheard of for people living here to not speak the lingo, when people were actually really, really proud to be British. Chairman Scott, for one, will poo-poo all these ideas and notions but... you know what? I care little - this is how I feel - and no pathetic 'racist' slur will alter my views, I'm afraid. Bravo Morrissey. Thank God for musicians like him.
November 30, 200717 yr :lol: :lol: :lol: I think Morrissey is just a little bit more than 'just a popstar' :lol: :lol: :lol: An 'icon' may be better suited. Or someone who, whatever slurs get thrown his way, will absolutely say what he feels, regardless of political correctness. As he always has. And THANK GOD there is someone, somewhere with the balls to speak up. Politicians are terrified of saying what they really think about the subject (witness last night's hilarious fumbling and dodging on Question Time by everyone there bar the audience), the majority of people in the public eye are petrified of being tagged 'racist' and losing their careers by speaking up, and most of the serious media are too right-on to reflect what a helluva lot of British people are thinking... that there are far, far, far too many immigrants in Britain these days. I, for one, am sick and tired of seeing swathes of noxious halal shops in city suburbs, of seeing areas I was once well acquainted with now nothing more than white no-go areas, of seeing bookshops selling highly questionable anti-Brit material (yes - IN Britain - laughable, isn't it?) and sick, sick, sick of seeing women walking around in burkhas in this supposedly modern, forward-thinking, civilised country. Go on, hang me... but this is how I feel..... it seems long-gone are the days when Britain was quaint (yes, quaint... horrible word.... but an apt one I think), when there was such a thing as community even in cities, when it was unheard of for people living here to not speak the lingo, when people were actually really, really proud to be British. Chairman Scott, for one, will poo-poo all these ideas and notions but... you know what? I care little - this is how I feel - and no pathetic 'racist' slur will alter my views, I'm afraid. Bravo Morrissey. Thank God for musicians like him. I've not problem with it. They don't harm me in any way. Do you not like Chinese/India food? People only seem to pin point the non whites. What about the Polish. There are a lot of Polish people in the UK. In Dubai there are a lot of immigrants from the UK living there. What you think about that??
December 1, 200717 yr I've not problem with it. They don't harm me in any way. Do you not like Chinese/India food? People only seem to pin point the non whites. What about the Polish. There are a lot of Polish people in the UK. In Dubai there are a lot of immigrants from the UK living there. What you think about that?? To be fair to Russ, he has mentioned the Poles before, but what I dont get is the fact that people seem to ignore the fact that many thousands of Americans, Australians, Canadians, etc live here, the Poles are in the EU, so I feel they should have the same rights of freedom of movement within the EU as enjoyed by the Brits, French, Germans, Scandinavians, etc.... Anthing else is pure hypocrisy, but what we can and perhaps should do is limit the number on NON-EU citizens coming here, seeing as how the EU is expanding, and so long as the criteria was fair for everyone, including the Americans, Canadians, Aussies, etc, then there would be no problems.... Perfectly good point about Brit ex-pats in places like Dubai, Saudi, etc, it does seem to me that we expect to have the privelege to travel wherever we want in the world so perhaps the privelege should be there for all, and to be fair to Moz, he does point this out in the full text of the interview, so I am prepared to say that he is in no way being hypocritical by being an immigrant himself in Rome or the US.... Russ's comments about "Halal" are just totally illogical and silly tbh, I dont really see the point in slagging off someone's eating habits..... We eat BLACK PUDDING ffs, UGH!!!! :puke2: And if it's problem he has with the method of slaughter, well then perhaps he should look into what goes on in the slaughter of veal calves and lambs, pretty nasty really..... Sorry, but unless you are a card-carrying vegan or vegetarian you have no right to prattle on about how others choose to slaughter cattle or chickens....
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