Over the weekend, to the surprise of absolutely no one, Morrissey put his foot in his mouth… again. Yes, the Smiths legend and protector of all creatures (besides humans) has let his PETA-fueled rage get out of control. This time, he took his anger out on the Chinese people as a whole. But, as anyone who’s followed Moz’s career knows, they’re hardly the first to feel his sharp-tongued, asexual wrath. After the jump, we give you the rundown on 10 people or groups Morrissey hates. Add your favorite Moz takedowns in the comments.
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1. In case you missed it last night, watch Arcade Fire perform on The Daily Show (and gentle giant Win Butler tower over Jon Stewart). [via Twentyfour Bit]
2. Stephen Fry is putting together an unscripted one-man show that’s inspired by his fans on Twitter. [via The Star]
3. SMITH Magazine has posted a comic Harvey Pekar wrote before his death. [via Pop Candy]
4. After months of speculation about their status, Kanye West has confirmed his split from girlfriend Amber Rose. [via Showbiz Spy]
5. In honor of Friday the 13th, Morrissey has put together a list of his favorite 13 albums of all time. [via The Quietus]
Bonus link: The Ten Sexiest Celebrity Stoners
1. Disney has finally unloaded Miramax. The price? $660 million. The buyers? An investment group headed by “a California construction mogul.” [via Gawker]
2. Joe Queenan explores why 2010 has been the worst year for movies ever. A sample: “What does it say about the current season that the third installation of Toy Story is better than the first installation of anything else?” [via WSJ]
3. JJ Abrams is working on a film adaption of Boilerplate: History’s Mechanical Marvel, a graphic novel about the world’s first robot that’s set in the Victorian age. [via THR]
4. You can hear the entire leaked Daft Punk Tron: Legacy soundtrack now — but act quickly, before they take it down. [via Vulture] It turns out they were fakes.
5. Morrissey doesn’t think that Katy Perry and Russell Brand should get married. But Katy would still like him to sing at their wedding. [via Contact Music]
Bonus link: Ten Orange Things That Are Not as Orange as the ‘Jersey Shore’ Season Premiere
What’s so great about a 21-year-old photo of two grinning pop stars against a background of, well, nothing really? Why, the fact that the duo in question is comprised of infamous grouch-genius Morrissey and Rick Astley, one of the Internet’s longest-running punchlines, of course! It’s especially notable that the frequently pouty Moz seems just delighted to hang with a guy we never imagined he’d have much respect for. The scene took place at Top of the Pops in 1989.
[True to You via Slicing Up Eyeballs]
By and large people who like The Smiths indulge most heavily in listening to their music during “the sad years,” the time stretching from the self-conscious teen era to that point in your mid-20s when you start making enough money to properly support yourself. The problem with going overboard on listening to Smiths songs is that it can warp your brain. You might start to believe the sad world Morrissey lyrics embody is some sort of doomed romantic ideal worth aspiring to. In order to help you (or your little brother… or any other budding pseudo goths in your life) break the self-defeating Smiths cycle, here are a list of the top 10 most potentially damaging Smiths songs. Take our advice and avoid repeatedly listening to them at all costs, unless you want your brain to be rewired so its default setting is self-indulgent melancholy.
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“I’m bluffin’ with my muffin.” Do these sound like the words of a chaste woman? Despite the sexually explicit images Lady Gaga conjures up when she sings about wanting to “take a ride on your vertical stick,” the singer recently announced that she’s celibate: “I’m celibate. Celibacy’s fine…It’s not really cool anymore to have sex all the time. It’s cooler to be strong and independent.”
It’s entirely conceivable that celibacy is just another bubble suit Gaga is trying on, attempting to sheath her personality under ever-increasing layers of fan-base feints. Of course, Gaga wouldn’t be the first notable musician to dodge hypersexuality by subverting the possibilities of actual, physical sexual expression. Considering the level of sexuality expressed in some of these musicians’ music, maybe we shouldn’t be so surprised if they gravitate towards celibacy; it’s like the butcher who is a vegetarian just to avoid taking the stench of flesh home with him. After the jump, see our list of notable musicians who are or once claimed to be celibate, some more surprising than others.
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This, the 20th(!) mixtape in the Flavorpill series, is an homage to bands nicely pulling off the art of the Revival. Embrace the familiarity, and right click + Save As the 10 tracks after the jump — or cut a corner and download the mix in its entirety. And as always, let us know what you think.
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1. Kid Cudi is leaving Lady Gaga‘s Monster Ball Tour to focus on his next album and acting commitments. He will perform at scheduled dates through the end of January. [via Billboard]
2. Up in the Air, Inglourious Basterds, and Precious led the 16th annual SAG Award nominations. [via indieWIRE]
3. Sarah Palin was spotted in Hawaii wearing a John McCain campaign visor with his named blacked out. She coyly claims she was trying to go incognito. [via The Awl]
4. Morrissey has released an official statement in which he apologizes to fans for his last album, Swords, calling it a “meek disaster.” [via NME]
5. Good news: Your Big Mac will soon come with a side of free WiFi. Will McDonald’s become the new Starbucks for bloggers? [via Geek Sugar]
Bonus link: The decade’s best unread books
1. This week, all arty eyes will be trained on Art Basel Miami: “This is a very real test of the vitality of the Miami art fair market in particular and, really, the art fair industry in general. Honest reports from all Miami organisers will show everyone down at least 20 per cent [in profits], whether as a product of fewer exhibitors or lowered stand prices.” [via Financial Times]
2. Are these pop culture’s finest moments of 2009? (Maybe if you’re a geeky guy…) [via Wired]
3. Listen to “Hurricane,” the new 30 Seconds to Mars song featuring Kanye West. [YouTube via @stereogum]
4. Thanks in large part to a box office battle between New Moon and The Blind Side, the holiday weekend’s top 10 films grossed a record-setting $278 million. [via NYO]
5. Morrissey is planning to collaborate with Stella McCartney on a vegan shoe line. In unrelated news, he’s also talking about suicide again. [via TwentyFourBit]
Bonus link: iPod vs. Sliced Bread
1. Tom Cruise’s Cocktail is being adapted as a Broadway musical by legendary producer Marty Richards — and could feature Katie Holmes. [via NYP]
2. Morrissey will resume his tour in London after an onstage collapse/overnight hospital stay. [via NME]
3. 61-year-old composer Andrew Lloyd Webber has been diagnosed with prostate cancer, but expects to be back at work by the year’s end. [via THR]
4. After announcing that Amazon is releasing a Kindle reader for Windows, the company has said that they’re also working on an app for Macs. [via Fast Company]
5. Andy Warhol’s Michael Jackson portrait will go up for auction at Christie’s on November 10th. [via USA Today]
Bonus link: Microsoft Store rips off Apple Store (video)
