http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2010/sep/03/morrissey-china-subspecies-racism
For almost three decades, indie rock icon Morrissey has made almost as many enemies as devoted fans willing to hang on his every melancholy-drenched lyric. Described by one high court judge as "devious, truculent and unreliable", the former Smiths frontman is no stranger to controversy and criticism. But tomorrow he reignites a simmering row about his views on race in an interview in Guardian Weekend magazine, in which he describes Chinese people as a "subspecies" because of their treatment of animals.
Morrissey, a vegetarian and animal rights advocate who last year abandoned the stage at the Coachella festival in California because of the smell of cooking meat, described the treatment of animals in China as "absolutely horrific", referring to recent news stories about animals in Chinese circuses and zoos. He told interviewer Simon Armitage: "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."
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."
Armitage said Morrissey was typically and deliberately provocative throughout the interview. "I thought at the time it was a dangerous thing to say into a tape recorder. He must have known it would make waves, he's not daft," he said. "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."
Morrissey said in a statement tonight: "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. There are no animal protection laws in China and this results in the worst animal abuse and cruelty on the planet. It is indefensible."
His latest comments are not the first time the singer has provoked accusations of racism. Some of his song titles and lyrics have attracted criticism, including the tracks Bengali in Platforms – "He only wants to embrace your culture/And to be your friend forever/ … Oh shelve your western plans/ … life is hard enough when you belong here" – and National Front Disco.
In 1992 NME accused Morrissey of "flirting with disaster" and racist imagery after wrapping himself in the union flag while on stage in Finsbury Park, north London.
In the same year, the singer, now 51, was quoted in Q Magazine stating that he did not want to be "horrible or pessimistic" but he didn't "really think, for instance, black people and white people will ever really get on or like each other. I don't really think they ever will." While in 1994 he told Select magazine that the National Front should be given a clear voice or platform in order for them to be "less of a threat".
The war of words with NME continued in 2007 after Morrissey, who lived in Rome at the time, was quoted in an interview with the magazine apparently criticising levels of immigration after being asked if he would ever consider moving back to England. "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."
At another point in the interview he stated: "England is a memory now. The gates are flooded and anybody can have access to England and join in."
Morrissey issued a writ for defamation against the magazine and its then editor Conor McNicholas, saying the publication had "deliberately tried to characterise me as a racist … in order to boost their dwindling circulation".
He vehemently denied the accusations of racism. "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," he said in a statement.
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".
The singer appeared to have left little room for explanation in his controversial comment, he added. "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."
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."
- posted on 09/04/2010
Politicization, one of the best friends of animals should be able to freely express him views no matter Chinese are a subspecies or not. I think he is already leading by example - he does not eat any animal body parts because he's a vegetarian. All the animals should thank him. But some other persons he can do nothing about them because they don't even give a damn for what he said. I just ate some fish. According to him, I'm of a subspecies. So what? What is he? Being the best friend of animals seems not any honor to me. - Re: Guardian: Morrissey Reignites Racism Row by Calling Chinese a 'Subspecies'posted on 09/06/2010
我想在一个社会里,对动物的残忍和对同胞的残忍是成正比的。有人给我们捅一下子,我觉得是件好事。虽然我还吃肉,但越吃越少了。吃肉时,也常常伴有内疚。希望科学界早日制出美味乱真假肉。 ;)
但是我觉得这不是个简单逻辑问题。一个社会应该按照自己的文明程度制定可吃与不可吃动物类之分。比如我吃螃蟹时,道德困惑就小多了。
这是个不容易的问题。 - posted on 09/06/2010
我昨天刚煮了几个活螃蟹, 心里带着极度愧疚:) 听锅里渐渐没了声息, 我一直在想, 那也是生命唉。 可是螃蟹太美味, 不吃又对自己太残忍:) 真的是困惑啊:)
touche wrote:
我想在一个社会里,对动物的残忍和对同胞的残忍是成正比的。有人给我们捅一下子,我觉得是件好事。虽然我还吃肉,但越吃越少了。吃肉时,也常常伴有内疚。希望科学界早日制出美味乱真假肉。 ;)
但是我觉得这不是个简单逻辑问题。一个社会应该按照自己的文明程度制定可吃与不可吃动物类之分。比如我吃螃蟹时,道德困惑就小多了。
这是个不容易的问题。 - posted on 09/07/2010
actually the whole human being now is a subspecies for Homo sapien called
Homo sapien sapien, compare to Homo sapiens idaltu, Homo sapiens neanderthalensis , etc.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human
中国人吃食确够残忍,尤以猴头羹。估计是没有得折腾别人,只好折腾自己人,连
自己人也折腾不成,就只好折腾动物。幸好植物没有感觉。。。
记得托尔斯泰曾说,以后人肯定会渐走向素食的路。原因是:古罗马角斗场以折腾
人为娱乐,现在废止掉了。我想再往古吃人也是随意的吧,那往后,动物的权力估
计也得维护。以前西班牙Hacienda折腾土著人的性命,Las Casas为此打人权官
司,Conquistador说,是不是他们驱使牛马也不成?
谁知道呢?人折腾人起来还是最凶,记得长春会战,鸦啄人尸,现代炮火与核子武
器会文明些。
策兰从集中营出来,看德国老太为死了一只狗痛哭,痛苦不已。
我这人一扯就远了,打住。
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