Morrissey is in the news again. In an interview with Simon Armitage of the Guardian Weekend magazine, the English pop-singer describes Chinese people as a “subspecies.” He made this comment in a discussion about the treatment of animals in Chinese circuses and zoos. According to Alexandra Topping of the Guardian Morrissey said,
“Did you see the thing on the news about their (the Chinese) treatment of animals and animal welfare? Absolutely horrific. You can’t help but feel that the Chinese are a subspecies.”
Despite the fact that Morrissey has denied accusations of racism and has even donated to Love Music Hate Racism in the past its spokesmen has had enough. In the Guardian piece, Martin Smith said they will not take money from the singer again. Smith said: “It really is just crude racism. When you start using language like ‘subspecies’ you are entering into dark and murky water. I don’t think we would, or could, ask him to come back after that.”
The last time I wrote about Morrissey I received a fair amount of criticism from readers and friends who thought I had misunderstood the singer. Therefore, before writing this piece I thought I might ask around and see what the reaction was to his latest statements. The people I interviewed fell into three categories:
1) Those who could care less about Morrissey and his thoughts.
2) Those who strongly sympathized with his feelings regarding animal cruelty in China yet felt his choice of words was regrettable.
3) Those who feel the singer was using theatrics to shock people into considering his message.
After carefully considering these viewpoints, I would like to offer my interpretation. Not surprisingly, I believe that Morrissey’s comments are offensive. This is why.
You should care about what Morrissey has to say because he has a little more power than the rest of us and his words have an effect on those who listen. Morrissey is a member of a select group of people who have reached a significant level of fame – most of us know who he is. He is also, most likely, wealthier than the rest of us. We can assume that anytime Morrissey wants to have his views heard all he needs to do is call up the local paper and set-up an interview. He also has the rare ability to put his money where his mouth is. This is true power and with it comes responsibility
Additionally, we identify Morrissey with the dominant white culture and so does he. If there is any question of this, please see his song entitled, “Irish Blood, English Heart.” With this in mind, his comment that the Chinese are a “subspecies” not only means that he believes the Chinese to be less than human – he also believes they are less than white. This biological message has been pushed by the far-right throughout history as a justification for genocide, torture, and slavery. This is the message of fascism, national chauvinism, and white nationalism. And it is chilling anytime it is echoed in the mainstream. When people like Morrissey make comments like this they quickly become poster boys for these movements and recruitment tools. See here, on the White Nationalist website Stormfront, how Morrissey’s words have caught fire.
Morrissey’s words are not just regrettable, they are ignorant. Being a recipient of white privilege, Morrissey does not get to make this a racial issue. I have read descriptions of the animal treatment in Chinese zoos, and yes, it is horrible. However, it is not based on a racial defect. By blaming it on the Chinese race, Morrissey fails to acknowledge the social and cultural context which allows this abuse to continue. As Protagoras (490-420 B.C.) said, “Man is the measure of all things” which is a precursor to the idea of cultural relativism – just as an individual knows himself well, so do cultures. If Morrissey is interested in improving conditions in China, he could spend some time there and learn about the context surrounding these issues.
Furthermore, by inserting racial hatred into the debate – Morrissey damages the credibility of his argument. With his money and fame, maybe it’s high time he hung up the microphone and used his power to advocate for improvements in food infrastructure, processing, and animal treatment. He could start by helping educate the public about the mistreatment of immigrant and refugee workers in our nation’s food processing plants.
Shock and awe does not apply to this case. I am sympathetic to his strong feelings about animal cruelty and I understand the lure of using theatrics to strategically get your message across. But I would urge him that this is not the way to move towards change – shocking words do not equal a well thought out strategy – especially if these words will simply create more division and misunderstanding which distract from the main message. Labeling the Chinese as sub-human is a reflection of Morrissey’s personal feelings and not a way to create a space for change. Unless, of course, that change he is advocating for is genocide.