Let’s talk about dismissing artists for moral reasons, and be honest about it. I wrote a long text about R. Kelly yesterday – please, do read it, I beg of you – and the struggle to dismiss artists you like. (Just to be clear: the struggle in that case was very small indeed, because what he has done trumps any potential enjoyment to get out of his music.)
If you don’t like an artist dismissing her or him comes much easier of course. I think Morrissey is evil, for example. Maybe I wouldn’t make quite the same harsh judgment had I grown up on The Smiths, had I stared into the dark while listening “There Is A Light That Never Goes Out” when I was 16. But I haven’t and yes, I’m grateful for that, as dickish as that sounds.
Because I’m quite convinced that Morrissey is a tool of alienation. Misanthropy and irony for irony’s sake are a drag and should be left behind once you reach the age of 19. And when he’s “moral” it’s even worse, because then he’s incredibly smug and lumps the whole world in with his own failings. Anti-humanism – and make no mistake, that’s his ideology – is very unappealing.
I’ve also read enough statements about how the Chinese are a sub-species or how immigrants are robbing England’s soul – dude’s a racist, clear and simple. And when you get on stage two days after the Oslo killings and say that “We all live in a murderous world, as the events in Norway have shown, with 97 dead. Though that is nothing compared to what happens in McDonald’s every day.” you are beneath contempt. Because, again, make no mistake: he was telling the survivors and families and friends of victims that their grief is meaningless. Morrissey is the Fred Phelps of Animal Rights at this point.
I don’t care about or for his music. So does that mean I can see him more clearly than other people who love it? Once again: I don’t know, so you tell me. I’m pretty sure it’s not a persona though. That is him. So please: no excuses. Also: his autobiography is like 20% proud tales of how he screwed old bandmates out of money. Stingy motherfucker.