Stop me if you think that you’ve heard this one before – Morrissey’s being a prick again. This week’s edition of ‘regretting that Smiths tattoo you got at 18’ comes courtesy of the cancellation of an entire UK and European tour. ‘How come?’, do I hear you cry? Is he poorly? Bad news in the family? No, no. “Unforeseen circumstances”, apparently, which have conveniently arrived just after he was subjected to extensive criticism for supporting a far-right figure. What poor timing!
After the one-time foppish indie lad turned grumpy, problematic uncle lent his support to EDL dickhead Tommy Robinson, he – predictably – faced a tidal wave of backlash. “It’s very obvious that Labour or the Tories do not believe in free speech … I mean, look at the shocking treatment of Tommy Robinson,” Moz bleated in an interview, before going on to declare Ann Marie Waters, founder of anti-Islam party For Britain, a “humane version of Thatcher” who “believes in British heritage.” Of course.
Let’s not forget that previously, Morrissey has made headlines by comparing Halal meat and ISIS. He also referred to Hitler as ‘left wing’ and said that London Mayor Sadiq Khan “can not talk properly”. He later issued a new statement in which he said he “despised racism and fascism” and voiced his support for Muslims… before bigging up For Britain again. The guy, if you’ll excuse the language, is a fuckhead.
Now, he’s axed his upcoming tour, sending out his manager to whinge about the press’ treatment of the matter, singling out music journalist and protester Dave Haslam in a statement that reads more like a diary entry of a moody teenager than that of a professional music manager, decades into his career. “That ‘Has-Been Haslam’ character was never a Morrissey fan,” claims Moz’s manager. “And his agenda, stated as using music to spread peace, could not be any further from the truth. He is simply using the situation to gain some much needed attention to himself. Apparently his golden years have not been kind.” Because Moz’s have? Sit down.
Remarkably, a man who – in a former, Smiths-fronting life – would surely have been the far-right’s archetypal crybaby snowflake leftie luvvy, has veered wildly in the other direction. He’s gone from friendzoned philosophiser to stampy-footed, woe-is-me political brat, both guises every bit as pathetic as the other.
We saw a similar level of pissantry after that Der Spiegel interview, in which (in case you’ve forgotten, amidst all the other fuckery) he questioned the validity of claims of abuse made against Kevin Spacey amidst the #MeToo movement. Or did he? Well, yes, as it turns out – despite the fact that he vehemently denied that he’d ever said such a thing, and tried to call said magazine’s bluff by demanding they release the audio of the interview. Which they did. And he said it. How did he respond to that particular truth bomb? By refusing to do another print interview ever again. How grown up!
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Therein lies the problem with the far-right snowflakes of the world, for whom Morrissey is quickly becoming a musical idol (they can have him, tbh). While they love to sit there and bleat on and on about the softies of the left, as soon as they’re criticised themselves, they piss and moan all over the shop, like a Festival Republic punter who’s spent too long in the queue for the bogs. Stamping their feet and crying foul, despite spending day-in, day-out acting fucking foul themselves, the irony of their incessant whinging is, of course, lost on them.
So Moz, mate, give it a rest. If you’re going to sit there and bleat offensive, libellous things, and back up racists like there’s no tomorrow, you have to face the consequences. Crawling back into your hole when you get criticised for it, scoffing at the liberals for ‘censoring’ you, and leaving your poor, beleaguered and somehow-still-loyal fans on the receiving end of your snotty attitude? That joke isn’t funny anymore.