“As time goes by, my individuality is affirmed by those writers who can’t stand my guts. They are constantly handing me backhanded compliments. There are certain journalists who profess to think I’m useless and they cannot fill in an application form for a driving licence without mentioning my name. I must mean more to them than their own mothers. And in their endless, poetic hatred of me, they have made me important.”
These comments from Morrissey, made during a 1991 interview with The NME, sprang to mind for me last Friday when I read an article in The Telegraph purporting to be about Morrissey’s long time promotion of vegetarianism and animal welfare. I naively thought the article would be rightfully applauding Morrissey for the incredible amount of good he has done in this department over the years. However, with a similarly twisted malice with which the press recently managed to turn the remarkable show of love from Morrissey’s fans into an opportunity to spew forth more of their hatred, they here take something for which Morrissey should be praised and respected, and use this as an excuse to write a thinly veiled hate piece. I’m not going to link to the article here as I don’t wish to increase their click revenue.
Although it is widely known that Morrissey has been a vegetarian since he was 11 or 12 years old, and that animal welfare is a subject he’s rather passionate about, so much of what Morrissey does for animals seems to go largely unreported by the mainstream press.
On his recent South American tour, he wrote to the National Director of JUNAEB, Jaime Tohá, to ask him to approve the inclusion of a vegan menu for school meals in Chile, as part of an initiative from Animal Libre.
Also in Chile, Morrissey came on stage wearing a t-shirt supporting the campaign against the recognition of the Chilean Rodeo as a sport. 131,000 people subsequently signed the campaign’s petition.
Proceeds from the sale of tour posters in Brazil went to Sociedade Vegetariana Brasileira – SVB (Brazilian Vegetarian Society), who were also invited to set up information booths at the Brazil shows.
Ahead of his appearance in Argentina, Morrissey wrote to President Macri, asking him to support a bill calling for the banning of circuses with animals. And ahead of his appearance in Mexico, Morrissey wrote to the President of the Chamber of Senators expressing support for a new bill proposed by Animal Heroes.
And this is just on his most recent tour. One can only imagine the amount of awareness and proceeds raised for such causes over the span of Morrissey’s career.
A long time supporter of PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals), Morrissey allows the organisation to set up booths at his shows to distribute promotional material, and has collaborated with PETA on various campaigns, such as the ‘Holidays are murder on turkeys’ campaign in 2017, the cat and dog neutering campaign in 2012, and the ‘Someday’ animation in 2014.
There are many, many other examples; a pop up shop at Battersea Cats and Dogs Home in 2015, a call for vegan leather car seats in 2016, a donation to PETA of the proceeds from the sale of a signed copy of Autobiography in 2013, objections to a beagle breeding facility in 2015. The list is endless. It could go on forever….
But whilst the mainstream press may fail to give proper credit, at least the pro-animal organisations seem appreciative. PETA named Morrissey UK Person of the Year in 2011, and in 2015 gave him the PETA Lifetime Achievement Award. In 2015 Morrissey also received the Hidden Heroes Gala Award from Mercy for Animals, as well as the Farm Sanctuary’s Special Award.
Looking ahead, Morrissey has stated plans to tour Canada, which he has previously boycotted in protest against the annual seal hunt, promising to make “sizeable donations to animal protection groups in each city that I play”.
Despite all this, the negativity from the press persists. Morrissey’s insistence that venues cease to sell meat on the night of his shows seems to be invariably mentioned more as an accusation against him, rather than a remark of admiration for such a bold and unique move, and for his apparent success in achieving such a simple yet unusual change to the accepted norm. Here Morrissey is not only ridding the venues of something that is so objectionable to him, but is raising awareness by forcing people to ask the question, “Is eating meat really necessary?” Alternative vegan food abounds on show nights. Perhaps some people might even try it, who wouldn’t have otherwise.
But people can also be inclined to become defensive when their beliefs and actions are challenged. The shocking footage of animal slaughter shown at Morrissey shows can leave some feeling confronted, but that’s kind of the point isn’t it?
“They assume you’ve adopted the moral high ground by refusing to eat a dead animal. And they’re right!” Morrissey, 2017
In many cases, it does the job. Long-time Morrissey fan, Kristin Collins, tells of how she became vegetarian and eventually vegan when, as a teenager, she attended a Smiths show back in the eighties.
“Meat Is Murder had only been out a few weeks when I saw The Smiths play in London. I was 17 and already a Smiths fan, but seeing them live was life changing. Morrissey’s impassioned singing of the title song was chilling, and I heard his words loud and clear.
I had been an animal lover since birth but had never connected the dots between the animals in our house and the ones my plate. But that night had opened my eyes.
Being an inspiration for saving animals is a gift that Morrissey has given so many of his fans. I’m grateful to him for that, and for all the animal lives he has saved over the decades.”
Another fan tells of how seeing the footage during “Meat is Murder” at a Morrissey show led not only to her becoming vegetarian, but to her rescuing hundreds of cats over the years, as well as dogs, and a donkey destined for the slaughterhouse, at her home in Italy.
“I consider this the greatest gift I received from Morrissey.” she says. “He opened my eyes in this sense. I’ll never, ever stop thanking him for giving me this reason to live.”
When Meat is Murder was released, The Smiths received an encouraging response, with Morrissey commenting in an interview at the time,
“Every day I read letters from fans saying how they have really been changed by our album, and that they no longer eat meat.” 1985
34 years later, Morrissey’s work continues, and he has rated this as one of his proudest achievements.
“Many people have told me that they stopped eating flesh because of something I said. I can’t ask higher than that and I wouldn’t aim for higher than that.” 2014
With thanks to Kristin Collins and Patrizia Formicola for their help with research.
Adventures of a middle-aged Morrissey fan 