https://www.theguardian.com/music/2011/oct/18/morrissey-nme-libel-case-jury
"Catrin Evans, the solicitor acting for McNicholas and IPC, told the high court on Tuesday that the case should be struck out because the three-year delay in proceedings showed that Morrissey was "not really interested" in the libel claim.
Evans argued that there was no evidence of Morrissey being harmed by republication of the
NME interview, in which the singer claimed that "the higher the influx [of non-British people] into England the more the British identity disappears". "
https://www.theguardian.com/music/2010/sep/03/morrissey-china-subspecies-racism
"Simon Price, a music journalist who has followed Morrissey's career closely, said
his die-hard fans who have idolised him for more than 25 years would be unlikely to desert him, but others would be "appalled, if not exactly surprised".
He added: "
For Morrissey's hardcore fan base, no matter what he says he can do no wrong, but this is not going to make those in the media feel favourably toward him and lots of doors will be shut to him that maybe had been ajar in the past."
http://www.completemusicupdate.com/article/nme-and-morrissey-settle-over-racism-claims/
"
NME’s publisher IPC Media had initially asked that the case be dismissed, arguing that it would be unfair to expect McNicholas, the interviewer Tim Jonze and then NME editor Krissi Murison-Hodge (Dep Ed at the time of the interview’s publication) to remember conversations and editorial decisions had and made over four years ago.
The company also pointed out that the fact that Morrissey had enjoyed much success as a recording and performing artist in the intervening years made a mockery of his claim the interview had harmed his reputation.
When those arguments were rejected, IPC said, as people tend to in these situations, that it was looking forward to its day in court. But sadly that day will never come, because an out of court settlement was announced yesterday.
From Guardian, linked above.
A spokesman for Love Music Hate Racism, which received a donation of £28,000 from the singer in 2008 after his apparently anti-immigration comments made in music magazine NME convulsed the media, said it would be unable to accept support from Morrissey again if he did not rescind or dispute today's comments.
"It really is just crude racism," said Martin Smith. "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'
Simon Price, again: ""What are the apologists going to say this time? It looks like
in his old age Morrissey has forgotten to include the ambiguity, like he has done in the past. Maybe he just doesn't care any more."
So, the Rock Against Racism rep think is it's racism, of course, and the rock writer agrees but thinks it's more like lazy trolling.
You also say it is trolling, and say the statement itself is racist, but doesn't make him racist.
I think he is xenophobic, and not necessarily racist. He feels that if people would stay in their own countries he wouldn't have a problem. He just doesn't want them to come and change the identity of England.
This is really splitting hairs, though.
There is more agreement than disagreement. I think "subspecies" was intentionally shocking language and therefore trolling. The question really is, does making a racist statement make someone a racist. You say no. The spokesman and the rock writer say yes. I see both sides. But then I remember Morrissey's long ago quote that "black people and white people are never going to get along." It's pretty hard not to see that as racist, in that he is saying black people are a distinct group, and white people are another distinct group, which is really stupid at the least. Maybe the question is "Morrissey: Racist or Simple?"
You COULD see this as neutral, but he's not saying "I love the international feeling of Knightsbridge." In the context of "If you travel to Germany, it's still absolutely Germany. If you travel to Sweden, it still has a Swedish identity," this is saying "England is being thrown away."
It's clearly xenophobic in context.
Because, in my opinion, he probably said exactly what they quoted him as saying. He also never denied any specific quote or tried to restate anything.
I think it was a victory because in fact they never said he was a racist. He made comments and then when his own statements were published took offense, or pretended to, when the article got the reception any sane person would expect. I believe he lied in saying his words were edited.
Also, to be completely honest, the apology was more, "Sorry if we offended you." But Morrissey managed to achieve a victory because public perception is that NME apologized.
And he's been doing it his entire career.
True! Good advice.
I think we agree on more in this than we disagree. I feel you misunderstood or I was not careful to be understood. The only thing to discuss is what is meant by "winning" the lawsuit. He was never going to receive damages. There weren't any. Besides that it's just a question of whether he can be held to the attention making statements he makes. And he's said so many things.... Bombing the homes of research scientists comes to mind. If he really stood for that he has the resources to see it done. The fact that he acts as a puppet for PETA makes me question his intelligence if not his sincerity. He boycotts Canada because PETA boycotts Canada but will play China, or the US for that matter? And the comment about Madonna's son was made a day after a meeting with Ingrid from PETA. She fed him that line. It is in their style.
Playing that slaughterhouse video during a concert is defensible I guess but I think sitting through "Meat Is Murder" would be torture enough. I don't eat animals and I don't want to watch them tortured. What kind of person can play that video and then go into the next number like nothing happened?
To bring it back on topic, I tried the game. I clicked the arrow and started seeing the new video for Meat Is Murder, but that kind of thing upsets me and I didn't watch.