Disheartening to see the once intelligent and articulate singer, Morrissey, smearing his legacy with hateful and ignorant statements, lately — downplaying sexual abuse, blaming the victims and ranting against Muslims and immigration:
“Everyone sleeps with minors. What are we supposed to do, throw them all in jail?”
“If you try to make everything multicultural,” says the Irish immigrant , “you will not have any culture in the end.”
And, to add insult to injury, he continues:
“I'm sad that Berlin has become the rape capital… because of the open borders.”
It beggars belief, really.. For what it's worth, regarding Berlin, according to recent statistics, sexual crime is actually on the decline in the city, while the overall number of reports across Germany has remained lower than the UK, Sweden and the US. It’s shocking to hear this once-refined artist beginning to sound as coarse as President Chump.
While no stranger to controversy throughout his long career, it becomes increasingly difficult for people of conscience to appreciate his art as he continues to spew such divisive and mean-spirited sentiments:
A cursory listen to his new album suggests that Morrissey has found lust in Tel Aviv while taking leave of the rest of his mind and good taste.
Yes, throughout history, there are far too many examples of artist acting badly. The question is: where do we draw the line, and withhold our support - when it infects the art? when it affects our core values? Truth is, what we are willing to overlook or pardon often says a lot about our own priorities.
Pity that an artist of Morrissey's heightened sensitivity should allow such steel to have crept into his soul (admittedly, over the years). Is this what occurs when one leads an isolated, self-absorbed life, feeding off negativity and quick to lash out in spite? Has the solitary cynic, finally, become an embittered, older man with little love left for the world?