I am a big fan of the music of The Smiths and Morrissey. I always have been and have realized over the years that Morrissey is going to say some things that I don't agree with but until today I have forgiven him. I just can't in good conscience forgive someone who calls a group of people a subspecies. Morrissey did just that. In an interview with The Guardian, Morrissey said, "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."
There are lots of people who treat animals poorly. Do I think animals should be treated well? Absolutely. As I have said before I have an adopted cat and dog that I got from a shelter and I hate people who treat animals cruelly just because they are animals. However, to call a quarter of the world's population a subspecies and when given the chance, stand by the statement is just wrong.
There are good and bad portions of society no matter your race or gender. I doubt he called them a subspecies when they buy his music or attend his concerts. Morrissey has been called a racist before and this is not his first attack against Asians. However, he has apologized in the past and for some reason I gave him another chance. I won't this time. I know too many people who are Chinese and Asian and who love their dogs and cats and animals and give time and energy and service to the love of animals.
You have gone too far Morrissey.
I understand the anger about the cruel treatment, but I'm sure even he knows what an over-the-top and ignorant statement that is. It adds nothing to the fight against animal cruelty.
ReplyDeletebtw, people - big pharma's moving into China to cut costs and all ...
i went to China for the first time in May and thought it was an amazing country filled with great people who have been through a lot. just because you don't agree with their politics of the Gov't doesn't mean the people of the country should get the brunt of your criticism. i'm sure there are lots of people in China who are opposed to the same things as Morrisey.
ReplyDeleteAsshole.
Enty, I completely agree with you. I felt exactly the same when I heard this story. He's gone too far and I cannot let this pass.
ReplyDeleteI adore The Smiths but Morrissey has always had a big, fat, controversial mouth.
ReplyDeleteHaving lived in China for several years, I have to say that in general animals do not receive the same level of advocacy that they do here. I will not share any stories as it will be too upseting for all. That being said, Tibetians don't have the same level of advocacy as they do here. In other words, China is a very different place than North America.
ReplyDeleteAlso as Enty pointed out, there is good and bad everywhere.
I think Morrisey spoke from his heart about animals, but it appears he knows little about people, despite the opportunities and experiences life has given him.
He should stick to singing, no more interviews..ever. The subspecies comment is way over the top, there are dog fights in South America, bull fights in Spain....cruel people live in every part of the world. He was so dumb when he said that.
ReplyDeleteI could care less about this guy. He boycotted my country, so I say a big fuck you to this fool.
ReplyDeleteHas he apologized yet?
ReplyDeleteNever liked him. He strikes me as a pretentious asshole. This didn't help.
ReplyDeleteI guess we wouldn't have heard anything about his comment if not for the subspecies part of it. Extremely poor choice of words, no doubt. Will his comments help any animals? Maybe. Too bad. And yes, he should stick to singing.
ReplyDeleteHe opened his mouth and showed all of us what a ignorant racist he is.
ReplyDeleteI don't need his music that bad.
Sigh. I do a lot of work with animal rights and welfare groups, and yes, China has an incredibly poor track record. Morrissey has unfortunately joined a growing number of people who seem to think generalizing about an entire culture is going to change things. I've heard people say similar things about Canadians based on our barbaric seal hunt, when the fact is, many of us are working VERY hard to end it for good. China has a few very active animal welfare groups, and I have high hopes for their work.
ReplyDeleteI have a less than favourable impression of a nation whose solution to the rather minutely possible spread of rabies in one province involved swinging dogs about by their hind legs and dashing their brains out on the sidewalk.
ReplyDeleteAlso there's the grotesque shark fin trade and a host of other unacceptable practices, some of which end up affecting our pets via our pet food store shelves.
Having said that, generalising never seems to make an effective or positive argument for change, either, Morrissey.
RocketQueen: If you don't hear it enough, thanks for your work. Greed is making it difficult for all folks who fight for the ways things ought to be.
ReplyDeleteMorrissey created this controversy, made people talk (and maybe act), but now he needs to sincerely apologize to allow good to happen. I would miss him if he doesn't.
Thanks anarchi. While China's practices seem to be most visible these days, I could rattle off half a dozen other nations that are also using extreme extermination methods to rid themselves of strays at the moment. That being said, shark finning and the practice of skinning caged animals ALIVE in China has GOT to stop. Japan is also at the top of the list for its treatment of cetaceans. But if a country like Canada is willing to trade seal fur for China's cat and dog fur, how much better are WE?? Sorry, I get a bit emotional over this stuff.
ReplyDeleteFor anyone interested, the WSPA is a great organization working on animals issues worldwide. They could always use more support :)
I'm not getting into a whole thing here, but I don't really think anyone should tell the natives what they can/cannot do on their own land. You know, the land we raped and pillaged them for?
ReplyDeleteok, I am going against the grain here. When I first read it, I was a little upset as well. I now interpret his statement to mean Chinese nationals are 'less than human' for the way they treat animals. Whatever he meant, I will still listen to his music. (and btw, I'm Asian)
ReplyDeleteBut if a country like Canada is willing to trade seal fur for China's cat and dog fur, how much better are WE??
ReplyDeleteWhat???? Cat and dog fur?
OMG, please don't enlighten me. Sometimes ignorance truly is bliss. I don't advocate use of fur anyway but can't wrap my brain around someone wanting cat or dog fur.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was in China, I was surprised at the lack of birds. No seagulls at the waterfront and no pigeons in the park. I guess they eat them too.
ReplyDeleteMorrissey is like Mel Gibson without drunk crazy anger
ReplyDeletelol @ Mango - okay, but if you change your mind, let me know :)
ReplyDeleteCaliGirlinVa - I don't see the distinction. Either way you interpret it, he's generalizing a whole group of people based on the actions of a few. I'm white, and I find him to be a racist ass.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteYikes...
ReplyDelete@ Sunnyside1213
ReplyDeleteYou didn't see any pigeons in Chinese Cities? Wow, i wonder where you went. I lived in Xi'an, one of the most polluted cities and there were pigeons everywhere.
It wasn't until I went into the countryside and saw a pheasant that saw a "real" wild animal.
And I agree with you all that much more good can be done with education and patience than with Morrissey's derision and racism. The Chinese people that I know are kind and gentle, but I think raising the standards for human living in their country is a first priority. Only then will they begin to care about how animals are treated.
I agree with lapin and CaliGirlinVA (and always with RocketQueen as usual)
ReplyDeleteAs for me, and going into what lapin was saying, I also have a less than favorable view of a nation that condones this. While I understand and totally agree with RocketQueen that Morrissey shouldnt hold an entire population responsible when there are some activists fighting to change animal cruelity the fact is it is probably the social norm there for many people to turn a blind eye or take in stride the things done to animals, and so Im not going to say calling them a sub-species is right but as a Sociologist Im being taught that sometimes you do have to generalize since there is so many ppl in the world, and his generalization that large sums of people dont give a shit in some countries, particularly in China, is a freaking fact.
Should he have used such racist bigoted terminalogy NO, but only because this discredits the other truth of what he is saying. Which is to call attention to countries that try to pull off this shit. Guess what, when it comes to human and animal suffering it is everyone's problem and we should all be involved to stop it, period.
The Huffington Post made a really good point that in his view if you treat an animal badly, you are less than human, so maybe this helps to explain his weirdo racist remark
ReplyDeleteEnty, in all honesty you cannot buy factory farmed fast food meat, particularly chicken, and then claim to abhor cruelty to animals. There is little crueler than factory and battery farming. Check out www.chickenout.tv
ReplyDeleteThanks Jasmine - and I'm going to go look for that HuffPo article! <3 to the birds and beasts!
ReplyDeletedumb ass ignorant prick.
ReplyDeleteMorrisey could have re-phrased his comments and been more effective. I wonder if animal lives are cheap there because human life is cheap there? Hell, it's cheap everywhere these days.
ReplyDeleteSoph, unfortunately, is absolutely right.
It reminds me a little bit about that Onion article from a few weeks back:
ReplyDelete"Local Man Already Knows Everything He Needs to Know About Islam".