Morrissey: ‘It seems to me’ that Kevin Spacey ‘has been attacked unnecessarily’

Morrissey performing at the Way Out West Festival

In the past, I’ve covered Morrissey’s interviews with an eyeroll and a chuckle because A) dude thinks he’s smart but he’s really an unhinged nutjob and B) few people give a sh-t about Morrissey these days unless he’s saying something crazy. But if Donald Trump has taught us anything, it’s that we need to stop rolling our eyes at dangerously stupid people. Morrissey was interviewed by Der Spiegel, and the AV Club got their hands on a German-to-English translation. I’m assuming Morrissey gave the interview in English, it was translated into German for the Germany publication, and then someone came along and re-translated the German into English. Here are some hot German takes from Morrissey:

On Brexit: The interviewer then moved on to Brexit, which Morrissey had previously indicated he supported. Now, he won’t say whether or not he supports the initiative, just that he was very happy with the fact that people voted for something that they had been told would be a mistake. He doesn’t seem to care if Brexit is good or not, he just appreciated that the public “ignored the media and decided for themselves,” saying it was “the biggest democractic victory in the history of British politics.”

On the Harvey Weinstein and Kevin Spacey scandals. Morrissey says that the whole thing has become “a play,” and that the definition of sexual harassment has become so broad that “every person on this planet is guilty… Anyone who ever said ‘I like you’ to someone else is suddenly being charged with sexual harassment.” Specifically, he says that the allegations against Kevin Spacey are “ridiculous,” saying: “One wonders if the boy did not know what would happen. I do not know about you, but in my youth I have never been in situations like this. Never. I was always aware of what could happen. When you are in somebody’s bedroom, you have to be aware of where that can lead to. That’s why it does not sound very credible to me. It seems to me that Spacey has been attacked unnecessarily.”

On Weinstein specifically: “People know exactly what’s going on. And they play along. Afterwards, they feel embarrassed or disliked. And then they turn it around and say: ‘I was attacked, I was surprised’. But if everything went well, and if it had given them a great career, they would not talk about it. I hate rape. I hate attacks. I hate sexual situations that are forced on someone. But in many cases one looks at the circumstances and thinks that the person who is considered a victim is merely disappointed.”

He thinks many musicians have slept with underage kids: “Throughout the history of music and rock ‘n’ roll there have been musicians who slept with their groupies,” he said, while clarifying that he was not one of them. “If you go through history, almost everyone is guilty of sleeping with minors. Why not throw everyone in jail right away?

[From The AV Club, the BBC & The Independent]

“When you are in somebody’s bedroom, you have to be aware of where that can lead to.” Oh, good, some people are still doing this. I can’t believe you were dressed that way, you know what that can lead to. I can’t believe you were at that party, you know what that can lead to. I can’t believe you were walking home alone, you know what that can lead to. There are literally dozens of men accusing Kevin Spacey of predatory behavior, or unwanted gropes and assault, of harassment on a wide scale for decades. And Morrissey is playing point-counterpoint about one 14-year-old kid and his presence at Kevin Spacey’s apartment.

As for what he says about Weinstein’s victims being merely “disappointed” – no. No. No. For the love of God.

Morrissey performing at the Way Out West Festival

Photos courtesy of WENN.

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90 Responses to “Morrissey: ‘It seems to me’ that Kevin Spacey ‘has been attacked unnecessarily’”

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  1. FishBeard says:

    So meat-eaters are pedophiles, but actual pedophiles are attacked unnecessarily?

    Screw off Morrissey.

    • Umyeah says:

      Oh God shut up Morrissey

      • Raina says:

        I cancelled this jerk a long time ago, but this interview also stinks of Morrissey having done the same shyte as Spacey. Waiting to hear about his dark past any day now. Unless he paid them off. Naturally, this is just my suspicion.

      • Valiantly Varnished says:

        @Raina – exactly. I would not be surprised is people came forward accusing him of something very similar. Anyone defending pedophilia is highly suspicious in my book.

    • Bazoo says:

      Just looked up the word assh*le in the dictionary. His picture was the description.

    • DrunkNachos says:

      My first suspicion is that Moz has a few underage boy skeletons in his closet too…waiting for a revelation from one of his victims in 3…2….

  2. Nicole says:

    *flips off this a-hole*

    • SilverUnicorn says:

      For this one, even 7 billions of us flipping him off wouldn’t be enough.

      He’s a white supremacist, rape apologist, UKIP voter and voted for Brexit. Thank God he didn’t have the chance to vote for Trump too.

  3. Renee2 says:

    He is an example of someone who has banked a lot of good will and has disappointed many. Was he like this in The Smiths??? He must have been although I just remember him being hateful and bigoted, and contrary when he got older. Perhaps it was just that he didn’t get as much press back then because the media landscape was quite different then.

    • Morrissey was always an ass.

      • detritus says:

        This. And he’s been aware of it since the beginning too. Big Mouth Strikes Again.

      • Sixer says:

        He was always an ass. And Johnny Marr’s guitar playing made the Smiths, not twatface’s angsty lyrics. So there.

        PS: Jarvis Cocker for the win.

      • milla says:

        Sixer:

        Jarvis always for the win!

        I am actually sad about Morrissey. I used to like him but now… i understand why Albarn hates him. Let’s leave it at that.

      • Anon says:

        My husband drew this interview to my attention last night with the words “there’s no situation that can’t be made worse by Morrissey making a twattish comment.”

    • tealily says:

      I know, Renee2. Why, Morrissey? You made good music. Please stop talking.

    • Lala says:

      I can tell you…back in the heyday of The Smiths…Morrissey always came off like an asshole…but not inhumane…the older he’s gotten…the MORE he’s turned into the grumpy, racist, ignorant ass man totally betraying what and who he was…

      • DrunkNachos says:

        I always feel that old age (or the aging process in general) reveals who you truly are. Barring a head injury, one’s personality does not change radically. Moz was always ignorant and fearful, but he’s gotten more so as he’s hit his golden years. He reminds me of some old man who watches Fox news all day and that’s his only connection to the world.

      • Milla says:

        He was always a jerk. But he was sick recently and i really didn’t think he would become even bigger ahole than ever.

        Here’s why famous people should shut it. Most of the time they are just making things worse.

      • malechai says:

        You don’t change as you get older*… you just become *more so*. Whatever particular belief or bugaboos you have when you’re 25, are going to grow and become extra pungent as you age.

        *Barring some massive crisis or incident that changes your whole worldview.

    • Esmom says:

      Yeah, I don’t know. I was a huge Smiths fan but back then we didn’t know nearly as much about the people/personalities. You could pick up clues — some bigger than others, lol — about individual political leanings but the music was front and center. At least for me.

  4. frisbee says:

    saw this a few days ago and immediately thought ‘and how many underage kids have you interfered with you bastard. I’m becoming convinced that rape apologists/victim blamers like this arsehole are just as guilty as the pos’s they are supporting.

  5. Flipper says:

    Shut up Moz

  6. ell says:

    morrissey has been long cancelled by me. he’s a UKIP and brexit supporter amongst other things, let’s never speak of him again.

  7. Irrelevancy, thy name is Morrissey.

    • magnoliarose says:

      How about we start a new term for dismissal of worthless canceled people who are irrelevant-“Morrissey.”

      As in he needs to be a Morrissey. I have completely Morrisseyed him. What a Morrissey. I am going to sprinkle in conversations and emails and see if it sticks.

  8. Radley says:

    Still an all-around awful, bitter, disturbed human being.

    ETA: A person could make a hundred un-wise choices in my presence and still be 100% safe from sexual assault. There’s a responsibility for people to be decent. And it’s not hard.

  9. trollontheloose says:

    this guy has so low positive frequency. Almighty Morrissey no one ask his opinion about yet has to chime in .. He is a vampire, feeding on negativity. Every time I see his face, it’s physical: My body shakes from disgust. I feel that if I was to run into him I better have a magik juju/amulet with me to cast out his awfulness.

    • DrunkNachos says:

      I think you hit on something. I was a fan in the 80s and 90s, but his interviews always gave me the impression that he’s a seriously damaged person who is incapable of changing for the better. Its telling that he cannot maintain friendships or boyfriends! His damage can waft off the page in some of even his earliest interviews…

  10. Jag says:

    Kevin Spacey tried to rape a 14 year old boy. It doesn’t matter what else is said. He tried to rape a 14 year old boy.

    Morrissey needs to be investigated himself if he doesn’t think that the attempted rape of a 14 year old boy is anything bad.

  11. Kitten says:

    Wow. I’ve never seen someone with such little understanding of sexual assault and how that fits into power dynamics.

    His comments were physically revolting much like his pallor.

  12. happyoften says:

    In other words “I, too, have perved on underage groupies, and have been involved in questionably mutual sexual situations, so it can’t be THAT big of a deal… I am a great guy!”

    Honestly, anyone that defends Harvey and Kevin in this manner is immediately suspect, as far as I am concerned.

    And, he can piss right off with the once you enter a bedroom, you forfeit your right to complain about being molested bullsh*t.

  13. Lucy says:

    Garbage/Shirley Manson has already told him to eff right off via Twitter, which I found delightful.

  14. Bettyrose says:

    I used to think his a-hole schtick was an act, but after reading his autobiography (don’t judge. I have my reasons.) I think that he may genuinely lack an ability to understand human behavior and sexuality. That doesn’t preclude him from learning to be a decent human, but he acquired fame and wealth pretty young so he never had to fit in to survive. I’m not defending or excusing him.

  15. Deanne says:

    I used to love the Smith’s when I was a teen. It was bad enough that he was an unhinged racist and bigot, but now he’s adding rape apologist and victim blamer? STFU Morrisey.

  16. Lala says:

    It breaks my heart that a singer I have been following since the 80s…that made music that damn near SAVED MY SOUL…has turned out to be such a UNYIELDING POS….he is SO CANCELLED!

    • belle says:

      Same. The Smiths really helped me through very dark times. He is an amazing song writer and singer, but this is unforgivable and unavoidable. He is a HUGE disappointment. I almost wish he died in the 80s…

    • Lucy says:

      You saved your own soul, Lala. He’s not worth it and you’re far better than he is.

  17. Morrissey gonna Morrissey; i.e. be an a-hole.

    And lord knows what he’s hiding himself.

  18. Meggles says:

    I’m not old enough to know The Smiths (I do listen to a lot of music from my parent’s generation, like the Clash, but the Smiths never seemed to have the same cross-generational appeal). It’s weird for me and probably for most people under 30 to see this guy who they’ve never known as anything other than “man who is famous for occasionally coming out with weird rants about things” being given so much attention. Thank God he is rapidly spiralling into total obscurity.

    • Kali says:

      The smiths were post the clash and punk. Great music at the time but Morrissey revealed himself as a twat quite quickly. He had a big fan girl base at the time, so he’s still trading on it. The clash on the other hand , brilliant, revolutionary.

      • Meggles says:

        Oh sorry I wasn’t suggesting the Smiths and the Clash were contemporaries, just using them as two examples of bands whose heyday was of a previous generation. Punk was long before I was born, yet I still love the Clash and feel that they are a band with a great deal of contemporary cultural resonance. Most people today could probably name one or two Clash songs (or at the very least would recognise them), and I bet nearly everyone could name a bunch of Elvis and Beatles songs. The Smiths broke up when I was a toddler, but I doubt most people of my generation could name a single Smiths song, unless they’d “discovered” the Smiths more recently and become a particular fan.

        God, the Clash are/were so amazing. I just discovered the other day that Mick Jones lives in my friend’s neighbourhood in Notting Hill Gate and regularly gets the same bus as her, and anyone who doesn’t think I’m capable of riding random buses to stalk 70s musicians doesn’t know me at all.

    • belle says:

      Plenty of younger folks listen to the Smiths, but I have a feeling that number of fans will decrease after hearing his dribble. He always says asinine garbage, but this is the last straw. I’ll always love The Smiths, but Morrissey is canceled.

    • Parigo says:

      The Smiths are the greatest. If you’ve never listened to the Smiths, you should! Great music. I think Johnny Marr is still cool.

    • magnoliarose says:

      He was before my time, but I love The Smiths. Older siblings and idolizing them informed my pop culture knowledge greatly. I used to spy on them, not very well and one of the bonuses was music.

  19. thaisajs says:

    “If you go through history, almost everyone is guilty of sleeping with minors. Why not throw everyone in jail right away?”

    Excellent idea. Let’s throw them in jail and MAYBE YOUNG KIDS WON’T GET ASSAULTED BY SEXUAL PREDATORS.

    Sorry to yell, but the news on Charlie Rose and Rep. John Conyers has pushed me over the edge this a.m.

    • InVain says:

      Are you guilty of it? Doubt it. Me either. We’re probably not the only ones. That quote right there is an admission of guilt, and it sounds even worse when he clarifies that he’s not one of them, right after saying EVERYONE. He’s so gross.

  20. TR says:

    He’s such a dick. But are people going to defend him like they’re defending Armie Hammer or no? I mean, they’re both out here in interviews caping for sex offenders.

    • Valiantly Varnished says:

      Uh no. What Armie Hammer said was accurate AF. He at no point defended Nate Parker. But he did point out how in Hollywood if you’re white and a rapist you are protected- and celebrated. If you’re black and a rapist? Not so much.

      • magnoliarose says:

        Your name befits you. Valiant. You are trying to explain facts without addressing the emotional or specifics of the cases, but that seems to get lost in reactions.
        That was the only point. Nothing more. It is like people are adding their own feelings about a fact when there is nothing subjective about what happened to both men.
        Their crimes and behavior are a separate issue that no one is excusing. Pointing out something that is true doesn’t mean a person agrees with everything.

    • Alex says:

      @magnoliarose, funny that, I recall you doing exactly the same on the article about hugh hefner.

  21. Katherine says:

    He literally did not say one thing I agree with. His take on sexual harassment and assault is appalling. I hope more people are educated on the topic because yes, these are very, very wide spread – doesn’t mean they are acceptable behavior.

  22. Melanie says:

    He hasn’t been relevant for years, so maybe this is just his way of trying to reclaim the spotlight. Loser.

  23. HK9 says:

    F-k you Morrissey

  24. QueenB says:

    I dont have energy for the rest so I’ll just focus on the last thing: Its something that isnt really brought up in these days. I think there are sooo many musicians that have done it, I agree with him in that regard.
    And throw them all into jail? Yes, Morrissey, lets do it.

  25. zuzusgirl says:

    “the person who is considered a victim is merely disappointed.” Yea, I was “disappointed” at 7 yrs old. Shut the fuck up.

  26. lucy2 says:

    Why are we, or anyone, paying this mess any attention? He’s wrong on, like, everything. Stop giving him a platform.

    • belle says:

      Because he has a new album and die hard fans still sop up his ignorance like it’s never out of fashion, which is bankable for Der Speigel. However, it is good to hear these things because now I know to never support this asshole ever again.

  27. holly hobby says:

    Who is this clown and why is the press giving him exposure? He can go take a walk off a short pier too.

  28. belle says:

    This one really hit me hard. Morrisey is a crazy asshole with ass-backwards views that go against what he supposedly looks down on. He’s a fuckin’ hypocrite at his finest. But I absolutely LOVE The Smiths, their music got me through a lot. But I am also a survivor and this interview just convinces me that he is hiding some skeletons of his own. He is done.

  29. Valiantly Varnished says:

    Morrissey is trash. He has a history of saying racist bigoted crap about Muslims and immigrants. So him defending a pedophile and victim-blaming is par for the course. Let’s stop giving thhis garbage individual attention.

  30. Nuzzy says:

    I see a generational thing going on in people’s responses to this issue:

    Older generation: What do you expect – that’s the way it is and it’s never going to change. You should have known better.

    Newer generation: Yeah… the thing is, we’re not okay with the way things are – let’s see if people will keep doing it when we shine this spotlight on it.

  31. Amaria says:

    So typical of this a**hole. Why was anyone interviewing this guy? He’s both an idiot and irrelevant now. What’s worse, is that I’ve heard such comments so many, many times. Some ppl go out of their way to blame the victim and spare the attacker. I don’t get it. A few years ago, a guy started following me on a street, shouting disgusting things, when I didn’t react, he started physically trying to stop me and drag me into an alley. A passer-by helped me get rid of the guy and walked me to a nearby shop, where I could call a taxi. I was terrified. When I told someone it happened, some time after, the first thing was – “what were you wearing?”, “why were you in the street after dark?”. I was in a thick coat, because December, coming home from a railway station. Why does it matter? Are we not allowed our personal freedom because someone feels entitled to doing what he wants to us? I can’t. I just can’t. And nobody believes you, everyone just belittles your feelings and experience. I’m so tired of this rape culture.

    • Sophia's Side eye says:

      I believe you.

    • Candion says:

      I’m sorry. I hate victim blaming. Happens in a lot of crimes. Still having to explain myself when I was the victim of a stalker. People think I’m crazy! I didn’t do anything the stalker was the person who messed up MY life!

  32. Madly says:

    Makes you wonder what this guy has done himself to think so.

  33. Applepie says:

    He has always been a pompous twat, however this interview has been translated 3 times…..could be Chinese whispers? Hope this brings awareness to this industry meaning fewer difficult situations for potential victims and outing of more abuses. Weinstein and others should be made examples of, throw the book at them.

  34. lisa says:

    I’m supposed to go see him in a couple of weeks. I’m such a fan and have been since i was just a kid. his music was everything to me when i was in high school. but i just can’t anymore. he’s been problematic in the past but i love the music so much. but this is where i have to get off the train.

  35. Parigo says:

    I LOVE the Smiths, but old Brexit Mos can F off. So can Johnny so old Rotten. I guess money and age make people oblivious to compassion and life. I’ll need to check myself continuously in the future.

  36. WTF says:

    Allegations of abuse will surface against him in 3….2….1
    You only defend pedophilia and sexual assault if you perpetrate them

  37. JoJo says:

    The only thing I can agree with is his last statement about the music industry, but only from a purely factual standpoint. It does seem like that industry could be next, and I’m guessing it’s a deep well. I don’t think there’s any question that it was commonplace for the super-bands of the 60s, 70s, 80s and probably recent decades to get involved in some way with groupies that were minors.

  38. Candion says:

    I’m glad you posted this. Totally disgusting to say anything remotely like this. I cancelled going to see him live because of his stupid remarks.