One of my favorite things about a big royal story – like the wedding – is that British celebrities are often called on to “explain” the royal family to America. I saw a recent interview with Helen Mirren where she was trying to explain her republican politics while still being respectful about the royal family. Robert Pattinson also was called upon to discuss the royal family, and he seemed to identify with Kate Middleton, of course. Then, there are people like Morrissey. Morrissey hates his homeland, and he hates America and he hates pretty much every country except Morrissey-Land. Note: we covered Morrissey’s last controversy, where he referred to the Chinese people as a “subspecies” and then refused to apologize for it. So he gave an interview to BBC Radio 4, and he went off on the royal family:
Morrissey once sang “the Queen is dead.” Looks like he wouldn’t have been too upset had the metaphor been reality.
The legendary rocker, first of seminal 80’s band The Smiths and now a well into a prominent solo career, has been nothing if not outspoken since rising to stardom, often taking on contemporary English society. With the Royal Wedding just a day away, Morrissey shot out at his nation’s ceremonial rulers.
“Why would I watch the wedding? I couldn’t take any of that seriously,” he said in an interview with BBC Radio 4. “I don’t think the so-called Royal family speak for England now, and I don’t think England needs them.
“I do seriously believe that they are benefit scroungers, nothing else,” he continued. “I don’t believe they serve any purpose whatsoever. I’m not an anarchist, but I believe that people don’t want the Royal family — the so-called Royal family. They’re not royal to me, but they’re royal to the media for some reason.”
In his 1986 epic “The Queen Is Dead,” which launched the album of the same name, Morrissey shot broadsides against the family. Addressing Prince Charles, who was then recently married to Princess Diana, he sang, “I said Charles, don’t you ever crave/ to appear on the front of the Daily Mail/ dressed in your Mother’s bridal veil?”
In 2006, Morrissey, who has lived in Los Angeles since the mid-90’s and sang “London is dead” in the song “Glamorous Glue,” said of Charles, “The very idea of Charles being King is laughable. You might as well say that Ronnie Corbett will be king one day. I think that would give people more pleasure.” Corbett is a Scottish comedian who stands just five foot one.
[From HuffPo]
In the scope of Morrissey’s greatest racist, misanthropic hits, this interview sounds kind of subdued. I actually imagine there are quite a few British people who would agree with him.
If you want to hear Morrissey’s words for yourself, there’s audio here, at the BBC. I found a partial clip of the interview on YouTube, but since I didn’t want to listen to the whole damn thing, I don’t know for sure if this includes his royal family comments. I do know that towards the 5:40 mark, he talks about David Cameron. At the 9 minute mark he starts bashing Britain as being too-American.
Photos courtesy of WENN.
Spare me. This guy is nothing more than a media whore, trying desperately to make himself relevant-something he has not been for a very, very long time.
Ooooh, be quiet! The Royal Family costs us (the Brits) 62p each, and without them we’d have had David Cameron, Gordon Brown or Tony Bl**dy Blair as our head of state instead of the Queen – who is the hardest-working, most respected 85-year old ambassor a country could hope for. Plus, without royalty there is still inequality at birth and over-entitlement. Just look at Paris Hilton!
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I am soooo excited for tomorrow, can you tell?!!
I think Goopy should invite him over for brunch.
@tapioca
Was it necessary to mention Paris in the same comment as the beloved queen? LOL
YESSS!!
Team Morrissey! Kick the Royal white trash off welfare!
I am not British but I agree with this dude. no idea who or why he is.
douche nozzle.
Royals are useless but harmless I think they should have their day tommorrow. I do agree with him on the welfare recipient stance since all of their considerable wealth comes from the hard work and sweat of the British people over the last few centuries.
Isn’t 62p per capita, therefore it includes people who don’t pay taxes also, so the real figure is probably higher.
I don’t think we should be having a monarchy in this day and age, it’s archaic and demeaning to have system where an accident of birth sets people apart as royalty and subjects.
He is relevant, he doesn’t need to be mean to be on the cover of some magazine. Anyway, he has always talked like that.
And he is not racist, he hates everybody, there’s a huge difference.
I love Morrissey and I will put on some Smiths as I get up early tomorrow and start drinking Gin & Tonics to watch the Royal Wedding!! (** HUGE Anglophile, right here!!**)
Seriously? You were relevant 25 years ago. Now you are just some bitter old dude bitching.
wait-he hates america, but lives in LA?
i always love that kind of hypocrisy. It’s a
privelege and a luxury to be able to complain like that.
i mean, he could say i hate such an d such about american culture or england, etc. but blanket statements like that are just ridiculous.
He does not get the irony: He is as priveleged as the queen. that said, i’m sure i’ll see clips of the wedding on blogs, etc but i dont plan to watch it.
though it’s like the oscars-people want a reason to celebrate and check out something beyond their own lives.
that sounds like a fun time-so to each his own.
and i love kate-in fact i like her more and more the more i see her.
even if she did ‘wait’ for the job.
who hasn’t put in their years for a lifestyle they want?
I think men do it all the time-climb the ladder, schmooze, and noone gives them sh*t for it.
she still seems like an honest, decent person to me. and we can use all of those we can find.
time will tell.
and you can tell william does really love her, regardless of his rumored wandering eye. you can tell by the body language-he is a bit enamored of her, IMO
He just wouldn’t be the same ol’ Moz if he wasn’t being misanthropic and bitching about something or other… *sigh*
That said, love the Smiths and his earlier work…
So he hates everything and everyone. Great.
No offence but Morrisey have written some fantastic songs (try for example ‘Stop me’ either the original version or the fab mark ronson/merriweather version…) just sayin…
Ah whatever, just Morrissey being Morrissey, doing his usual ‘bad fairy at the christening’ routine. It’s hardly noteworthy and he’s not saying anything that countless other people haven’t said/are saying.
Totally agree with him. The whole thing is a grotesque waste of money. There are people sleeping on the streets in the cities of England, maybe they should be looked after before we all have to pay for gratuitous pantomime weddings. Its so wrong and unjust.
It’s a shame that it had to come from him, because I agree with him entirely. The first Elizabeth that the current one so disparaged had a stack of flaws and faults that reached higher than the Andes, but at least she had a job to accompany all of those tasty, tasty swans. It’s interesting to see how passionately everyone is responding to this, both positively and negatively and seemingly nothing in between. I’m not trying to pull a Castro, but what is this but one gaggle of rich people marrying into a clan of richer people? I’m happy for them insofar as I don’t wish them any specific harm, but beyond that who are they but the strangers on my money who force each other into a vetting process more extensive and lengthy than that used by the FBI should they ever want to marry? I remember when Adrienne Clarkson became Governor General–after the Queen forced her and her live-in boyfriend John Ralson Saul to make it legal? You stand in some rubble and wave a little to a camera after an air raid and suddenly you hold martrimonial court over adults living on a different continent. Hubby is granted all the dalliances his member can sustain, but because of the perma-scowl of some old housefrau nothing should be done. You fall in love with a man, but due to the fact that he divorced his adulterous wife and just isn’t special enough to be granted access to that totally earned rarefied world (and let’s not forget the sins of the uncle being visted upon the niece), your sister, SISTER can effectively tell you to do away with any lofty aspirations of free will or suffer the consequences of being booted out of paradise. If one of my sisters did that, you’d never find their bones. And as far as her little kept pet Phillip goes, people aren’t laughing because the don’t understand the content the joke aren’t hip to your edgy sense of humour, they’re not laughing because in to qualify as a joke, something funny has that have been said and believe it or not, some fools don’t enjoy listening to racial slurs. Think you’re funny? Mount an act and go to the Just For Laughs festival. If you’re not in Montreal, kindly goosestep off a cliff. It would be interesting to see how David Starkey is going to manage to prostrate himself before and completely deride the family in the aftermath.
Jason, what the hell?
((( beginning a slow clap)))
(((now standing))))
Go Morrissey. In total agreement.
Wake me when all of this nonsense is over…..
(((pulling covers over head))))
He’s a complete knobend, but he isn’t wrong. They’re of no real use, and while a lot of people have a soft spot for them in Britain, quite a lot do NOT. This wedding nonsense is annoying but harmless, IMO.
He may be a douche but he has a point in this aspect
Team fucking MORRISSEY!
i want that hat d queen is wearing. yes;i’m old-fashioned.
@Jason, why don’t you go straight to hell?
never liked that guy but i have to admit that he has a fucking point.
The beauty of Morrissey is that he is an equal-opportunity hater. He hates pretty much everything and everyone. He’s still got a great voice, though his songwriting has lapsed.
He rescued me from a dismal ’80s adolescence, so perhaps I’m too forgiving…
What has Contrary Mary done for anyone but himself and how come it was ok for him to be on the dole.
The Royal Family keep history alive while doing so much for charities, tourism, the economy and tradtions.
What has Morrisey done for anyone but himself.
ooooh look! It’s a troll named Jason!!
Can’t stand Morrissey, but not being British, I have nothing worthwhile or sensible to say about his comments regarding the royals.
Down with monarchy, up with anarchy!
That said, I’ll be tuning in to see Kate’s fabulous dress.
One old queen dissing another one.
The royal family aren’t going anywhere, they’re our biggest tourist attraction, therefore they more than earn their keep. So people can bitch and moan all they like (including Morrisey) it’s not going to make a bit of difference.
Everybody I’ve spoken to this week is watching the wedding and judging by the union jacks everywhere, not many agree with him.
In this case, Morrissey is correct!
Yay Morrissey! Hopefully the protesters will ruin their stupid wedding! Throw some paint on that dumb, ugly bitches dress!
I havent been interested in them since Diana. She was the only one who was worth anything,before or since. I am fairly certain they offed her so as not to have an arab heir to the thone of publicity..I could not be less interested.
Ugh says the guy who sings some of the worst and most annoying songs ever!
I’m no royalist but I despise Morrissey infinitely more.
Nothing quite like this angry, useless, overprivileged idiot. They’re always the ones whinging the loudest.
I wouldn’t mind so much if anybody else had said it lol
I happen to side with him on his distaste for the anti/un-ethical tendencies in China (and other places) as far as animal treatment, ecological protection, chemical additives and so on and so on… they dont have very healthy or responsible standards. But I wouldnt call the people a subspecies- condemn the acts, not the person. As far as the royals, why not have them? 🙂 They arent exactly doing any harm.
And bashing things too american– I get that too. I get where he comes from, I guess, but not how he communicates it. It sounds much better put to music, doesnt it?
The Mozzfather has spoken and he is on the money!
Nothing he said in that interview is unreasonable or shocking. Does Cameron really think that giving people the day off for this tasteless spectacle is going to make them forget about thousands of job loses and huge public service cuts?
Morrissey is just speaking the truth, as he has always done. I for one will enjoy listening to The Queen is Dead tomo and hoping someone is going to poke Camilla with a stick again.
It’s called short-man syndrome.
His hateful words reflect a man unhappy with his lot in life.
If he’s so worried about benefit scroungers, why doesnt he try to get the radical muslim scum, who want to overthrow Britain, off welfare??? These people live off the taxpayer while trying to undermine them. Its sick. And the politicians that allow them to do it are even sicker!
And BlessMeAllah is probably one of them
Considering millions will be watching the wedding obviously they ARE relevant to millions of English people and people throughout the world.
Well said, tapioca (comment #2).
I’m Canadian, and I think that the royalty is a very important part of my country’s cultural heritage. In the last 10 years the Royal family has made strides in modernizing and reinventing themselves, ie leading charity campaigns, not bequeathing titles to minor royals (Prince Edward’s daughter is simply Lady Beatrice), getting jobs, being properly educated (university educations! FOR THE PRINCESSES, TOO!), marrying commoners. I hope Will continues with these trends, and I hope they silence anti-monarchists to some extent.
As for Morrisey: who cares? He was barely relevant 25 years ago, why does anyone even PRETEND to care about this blowhard now?
More idiotic uninformed vitriol about the tax payer footing the Queens bills.
The country actually owes her money.
A couple of hundred years ago one of the previous monarchs was in deep debt he made a deal with the government to take over the crown lands and be paid a stipend for their use (the civil list from which the Queen receives her income) last year the crown lands took in 173 million pounds the queen cost the tax payer 36 million.
The deal is that the Queen allows the government to collect the money from the crown lands in return for their expenses being paid, but each new monarch has to agree to the arrangement when they become king or queen for it to take effect.
Just wait till Charles eventually gets to the throne he has no intention of agreeing to a renewal of the deal and legally the crown lands income, all 170+ million GBP of it, will be his to do with as he pleases.
The other royals receive money from a different fund, in effect they are paid to do a job just like you and me, their job entails opening hospitals, charity events etc Princess Anne is the hardest working she recently had 72 engagements listed for one month alone, often doing three events in one day.
So lay off the they cost us money crap they are worth their salary (except Andrew who is a major sponger and laze about)
Team MOZ! How can anyone say that they are harmless?!? When the british tax payers foot the bill for all their unnecessary opulence. Bunch of grifters! And they are not even legitimate Brits, The “Royals” are germans and eugenicists.
More idiotic uninformed vitriol about the tax payer footing the Queens bills.
The country actually owes her money.
A couple of hundred years ago one of the previous monarchs was in deep debt he made a deal with the government to take over the crown lands and be paid a stipend for their use (the civil list from which the Queen receives her income) last year the crown lands took in 173 million pounds the queen was paid 36 million out of that for her expenses , in effect the government made 137 million pounds ($US165)on what is legally her property.
The deal is that the Queen allows the government to collect the money from the crown lands in return for her expenses being paid, but each new monarch has to agree to the arrangement when they become king or queen for it to take effect.
Just wait till Charles eventually gets to the throne he has no intention of agreeing to renew to the deal and legally the crown lands income, all 170+ million GBP of it, will be his to do with as he pleases.
The other royals receive money from a different fund, in effect they are paid to do a job just like you and me, their job entails opening hospitals, charity events, being patrons of various intitutions etc Princess Anne is the hardest working she recently had 72 engagements listed for one month alone, often doing three events in one day.
So lay off the they cost us money crap they are worth their salary (except Andrew who is a major sponger and laze about)
Corbett for king!!! 😀
(and that is a fabulous hat)
Moz has written some of the best songs around. His humour is dark and twisty. (I like it) I’m not a fan of the Royals. I feel that monarchy is out of date and all the rules are stuffy and out of the Victoria era. I say be rid of them all.
Is Morrissey still alive? I could never understand his rubbish music in the Eighties and I still don’t understand it. He is obviously trying to be relevant, but he is a non-entity as well as a boor.
MORRISEY is DEAD – LONG LIVE THE QUEEN!! My Mum loves the Queen and the royal family: the only seal of approval that matters!
THE MORRISEY is DEAD – LONG LIVE THE QUEEN!! My Mum loves the Queen and the royal family: the only seal of approval that matters!
i too am a canadian, and i personally think the monarchy is nonsense and has/will always be an unnecessary cost, and i however am much more concerned with the election and personally think that is what canadians should focus on, not this garish and useless royal spectacle.
i for once am team morrisey
I’ve heard that this wedding cost 34 million in security and in some other circles I hear that it cost double that. It’s the taxpayers footing the bill. That’s a kick in the gut if you ask me, at a time where the recession is bad and unemployment is high.
He’s right, they are a bunch of parasites. The ignorance of the American and English populations as a whole is astounding and depressing. You people celebrate this wedding circus while England’s government is cutting funds for education, healthcare, transportation. Turn off the TV and read a while before it’s too late.
He wrote “How Soon Is Now”…which was the soundtrack of my life for a long time…
So…regarding this comment, he gets a pass from me…
@scotchy: Yup, just a few more days to go before the–what, 73rd federal election in the last six weeks?
It’s always such a crazy experience when either Canada or the States has an election of this kind, because the campaign periods are so, so VASTLY different. It really does take a lot of work to keep abreast of the issues when we only get five weeks as opposed to the years-long process in America, populations aside. At this point, whenever a new federal election is called, there’s a nation-wide eye roll because there are just too frequent. This is (I think) number five since Chretien left, so only seven years. Oy. I think I’ve had more voting episodes than periods in that time, it’s just crazy. I think I’d be more successful in collecting a drop of fresh water out of the Dead Sea than in a pursuit of a straight answer from Ignatieff, and as for the Right Honourable–in the last year and a half especially, it has frequently appeared to me that Stephen Harper would be far happier with Canada if not for all of us irritating Canadians. And that Guergis thing, what the hell was that?
I don’t know where you live, but I moved to Toronto in late 2007 and…oh my days. First, the city goes from being the 24th most expensive city in the world to the 8th, and just to poison the pot the some more, just to prove that we’re a city dominated by maniacs, they elect that walking miasma Rob Ford. Don’t get me started, do not get…augh, the worst! I think the classiest thing about him is the fact that he’s an ex-con. I just–what the shit-i-fuck? First it’s the gravy train, then he announces a transport fare hike for it BEFORE consulting the budget, then he just *finds* an extra 25 million that had been there whole time? Cuts off his first interview post-win with thhe CBC to coach football, did they not tell you when they were going to call, just like no one told him that he’d millions of dollars if he bothered to read anything? Cut idling time for cars by removing 50 per cent of the stop signs in the city!?!? AHHHH! Wants to repeal the nickel bag tax that was overwhelmingly popular because it forced us to depend a little bit less on plastic? And if you’re looking for money, why would kill off a revenue source like that? A Monchichi could govern with more competence and grace. Forget Argentina, it’s ‘Cry For Me Now, Megacity’.
And through all that, at least he dubiously earned his position. Primogeniture doesn’t ensure capability or usefulness. Tradition, pfft. A ruling monarch used to place his hands upon those afflicted with sarcoidosis because it was believed to act as a curative. Left that behind, didn’t they. History and tradition aren’t synonyms because tradition is a great way to just get away with all kinds of junk. Waving and ribbon-cutting don’t cut it.
Seems accurate on this one. What self-respecting man of Irish descent doesn’t think this, anyway? It’d be strange if an Irish descent singer or artist didn’t ultimately think this. Down with crass elitism.
And when you’ve kept down a few isles including Scotland and Ireland for this long why should you get so much glory for it? Monarchy in the UK in 2011 is overdue for an ousting.