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Morrissey – The Boy With The Foot In His Mouth
Morrissey has given another interview, which of course means he opened his big mouth and insulted another group of people.
If there’s two things the singer is known for it’s his strong belief in animal rights and vegetarianism as well as his tendency to stir up controversy with racist remarks.
In a Sept. 3 feature with the Guardian Morrissey didn’t hold back when sharing his views about the Chinese.
“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,” the singer said.
Poet Simon Armitage, who interviewed Moz for the Guardian, explained that he thought the quote was “a dangerous thing to say into a tape recorder. He must have known it would make waves, he’s not daft. 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.”
If fans expect Morrissey to say he’s sorry, the British newspaper notes that the singer has already released a statement – in which he justifies his quote.
“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,” he said. “There are no animal protection laws in China and this results in the worst animal abuse and cruelty on the planet. It is indefensible.”
Photo: Doug Seymour
Moz sings his heart out at Philadelphia’s Academy Of Music.
Back in 2007 Morrissey shocked fans and critics when he shared his thoughts on immigration with NME.
“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. … England is a memory now. The gates are flooded and anybody can have access to England and join in.”
The singer denied he was a bigot by issuing a writ for defamation against the magazine and its former editor Conor McNicholas. In a statement he declared, “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.”
To help clear his name, in 2008 Morrissey made a donation of £28,000 ($35,522) to the Love Music Hate Racism campaign.
The organization now says it won’t accept any future donations from the singer unless Moz apologizes or disputes his recent remarks.
“It really is just crude racism,” said spokesman Martin Smith, according to the Guardian. “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.”