"You Are the Quarantined” ( Archived) (18)

I don't alwayss agree with what Morrissey has to say, but he does have a way of putting two fingers up at the establishment. We used to expect this from many musicians of the day. Not so much in these days of conformity and subservience as displyed by former rock legends Bruce Springsteen, Paul Simon, Patti Smith, Journey, LL Cool J.

"All those former rock-and-roll rebels enlisted for Mayor de Blasio’s Bread and Circuses event demonstrate their support for the new political compliance.".

You certainly do have hand it to Morrissey...

"Music for the Masses: The Debut of Pop Fascism."

Aug. 21, 2021

"Nothing at New York’s “Homecoming” vaccination concerts this weekend will match the March 17, 2020, jest where Morrissey began his London concert with an a capella rendition of the Skeeter Davis hit “End of the World.” He crooned the timely lament — then sneezed. At that point, the backdrop projection flashed a mock album cover photo of Morrissey wearing a COVID mask alongside a satirical title “You Are the Quarantined” (riffing on Morrissey’s 2004 comeback album You Are the Quarry).

Morrissey’s effrontery contrasts with the compliance of the “Homecoming” performers Bruce Springsteen, Paul Simon, Patti Smith, Journey, LL Cool J. They don’t share Morrissey’s iconoclastic pith. All those former rock-and-roll rebels enlisted for Mayor de Blasio’s Bread and Circuses event demonstrate their support for the new political compliance — somehow their participation conflates New York citizenship with their personal millionaire comfort, the easy life achieved through success and detachment from mundane subsistence.

The excuse that these stars celebrate New York City’s “return to normalcy” doesn’t jibe with Morrissey’s awareness of political threat and passive submission to ruling-class commands. Instead, de Blasio’s stars use their celebrity to convince the common folk to follow political fiat.

Springsteen, Simon, Smith, et al. backpedal from their former artistic stances on individual freedom — a quantifiably different approach from Morrissey’s belief in personal, idiosyncratic freedom. That “You Are the Vaccinated” joke parallels with You Are the Quarry as a warning against totalitarian efforts by insensitive, heartless citizens and egotistic politicians who would force their dictates upon you.

Cont.....

Bloomberg News reported that de Blasio’s event was planned to corral 60,000 people in Central Park for a stick-and-carrot vaccine inducement. Where Morrissey cajoled audiences to think for themselves, de Blasio’s pop stars participate in a reeducation concert — Bloomberg News also noted that “the celebratory tone contrasts with a harsher scolding.” De Blasio added, “We are doing this in an intentional way to keep creating more positive pressure for vaccinations. It is purposefully moving steps aggressively one after another.” Do the vaunted liberals Bruce, Paul, Patti, et al. agree with pressure? Are they secretly fond of aristocratic coercion? They turn their success into opportunities to lull listeners into partisan politics. Politicizing their fans’ affection is nothing less than a betrayal of trust and good will.

De Blasio’s music-for-the-masses project comes terribly close to other progressive notions for making American life more socialist; urging people to think of themselves as masses is simple bread and circuses. New York City’s municipal ability to quickly pull together events of public persuasion — from Juneteenth to the Canyon of Heroes parade for the seditious female Olympic soccer team to the parade for the COVID first responders during the current economic stress — smacks of tyrannical mass brainwashing. It exploits culture to reward obedience while pretending to celebrate humanity.

But the phrase “bread and circuses,” coined by Juvenal in the first century a.d. (from the Latin panis et circenses), described how politicians use diversion and distraction to satisfy a docile populace. Morrissey’s sneeze comes from his political-artistic soul, giving us back our humanity along with our vulnerability and our unique, if not always “common,” sensibilities.

Morrissey is the pop artist with the strongest record of opposing fascist presumptions (despite controversies wrought by journalists who misunderstand his complex observation of politics and society, whether in such superb recordings as “Bengali in Platforms” and “The National Front Disco” or in provocative interview statements).

By choosing “End of the World” (the epitome of pop music simple and deep enough to crush the childhood innocence of Morrissey’s generation), Morrissey half-kidded about civilization’s collapse in response to political plagues and government overreach. As a segue to the Smiths’ song “London,” Morrissey swiftly moved from nostalgic sentiment to full-on alarm about present-day fears. Howling at the end of “London” to match its rollicking terror about violent life change and the rupture of social, familial, and cultural ties, Morrissey laid out the large question: “Do you think you’ve made the right decision this time?”

Cont

Bruce Springsteen's daughter won silver in showjumping at the Olympics. Now really it doesn't get any more aristocratic than that. No clearer example of buying yourself a medal as though you were entitled to the prestige.

Only silver?

I would have though Brucey could have afforded gold.

I did start off with a few lines of my own..

Who would of thought that smoking pot at a family gathering would be legal but the family gathering would be illegal.

I think now you change your mind tomcatty?

You got sliver . Up person won gold medal .

You want to say this . I am not much intelligent

What exactly is the thread about ?