Michael McGraw / PETA writes:

For Immediate Release:
January 7, 2004

Contact:
Michael McGraw 757-622-7382

MORRISSEY RAISES VOICE AGAINST IAMS’ DEADLY EXPERIMENTS ON DOGS AND CATS
Morrissey Takes Break From Recording New Album to Boost PETA Campaign

London — Morrissey has a bone to pick with pet-food maker Iams. The brooding pop genius and former lead singer of The Smiths has joined PETA’s campaign against Iams and vows to boycott the company until it stops conducting cruel and deadly experiments on dogs and cats. Taking a break from recording his new album—his first in more than five years—the famously shy musician brandished a handmade sign reading, “We Hate Iams,” and posed with three pampered pooches in an exclusive picture for the February 2004 issue of Index magazine. Morrissey and Index have given the image to PETA for use in its Iams Campaign.
       
Why are Morrissey and PETA fed up with Iams? A recent PETA undercover investigation revealed deplorable conditions at an Iams contract laboratory. At least 27 dogs were killed, while others died of illnesses that went untreated, despite assurances from Iams that no animal in any Iams test would ever be deliberately killed. PETA’s investigator found the following:

• Dogs and cats confined to small, barren cages, some for up to six years
• Dogs’ vocal cords surgically cut out so that they couldn’t bark
• Workers’ reports of a live kitten who was washed down a drain
• Kennels that were extremely hot in the summer and near freezing in the winter
• Dogs being force-fed vegetable oil through tubes inserted down their throats

“Animal lovers unwittingly fund horrendous cruelty to dogs and cats when they buy Iams products, and we’re thrilled that Morrissey is helping PETA get the message out,” says Mary Beth Sweetland, senior vice president of PETA’s Research & Investigations Department. “Animals shouldn’t live in squalor and misery for the sake of Iams’ profits.”

Broadcast-quality footage of animals in an Iams contract laboratory is available. For more information, please visit PETA’s Web site IamsCruelty.com. A copy of Morrissey’s anti-Iams photo is available at www.peta2.com.

Click PETA2.com "Join Morrissey in Speaking Out Against Iams' Cruel Animal Tests" page for enlargement or here

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Margaret also sends the link:

MORRISSEY JOINS NEW PETA CAMPAIGN AFTER LEARNING OF ATROCITIES - SF Gate Daily Dish section (Jan. 7, 2004)

alex writes:

from the dfarecords.com news page:

The DFA have interviewed Morrissey for a February/March cover story for Index Magazine. The interview took place at Sarm Hookend Studio in Oxfordshire England, where Morrissey is recording his new LP.
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Sergio Rabiela also writes:

The DFA's website (www.dfarecords.com) says that they conducted the interview w/ Morrissey for Index at Sarm Hookend Studio in Oxfordshire England, where he is recording his album. It should be interesting having the 'dancepunk' kings interviewing Moz.

Edd writes:

Howdy Folks, Happy New Year to you all!
My name is Edd Travers and I work as a caricaturist for the Scottish Cartoon Art Studio in Glasgow, Scotland. Thought you might like a look at my caricature of Mozzer. It was inspired by the recent-ish front cover of Word magazine and was drawn when I should've been working on other things! Should anyone want to contact me, my email address is:
[email protected]

or have a look at the studio website:
www.scottishcartoons.com

Click to enlarge

An anonymous person sends:

Meterosexuality - 3am Interview with Mark Simpson

METROSEXUALITY

"Northerness was crucial to The Smiths. Crucial because it gave them and Morrissey their scorn, their humour, their heart, their unpretentious pretentiousness and also their chippiness. The Smiths saved Englishness from the South who had held it captive in the basement of a posh house in West London. Since the 1980s it's become devastatingly clear that London and it's outer ring-road, the Home Counties, have nothing to do with England any more and in fact is set against it. The South East is now Global and Euro and, at a pinch, when all else fails, British long before it's English. England has been forgotten or buried by everyone who actually lives in England except northerners and London cabbies."
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Andrew Stevens interviews Mark Simpson, author of Saint Morrissey, about Northerners, Top Gun and the 'metrosexual'.

Catherine Cox writes:

There is to be a superb Smiths/Moz tribute night at Whitgift's, the swanky new club on Riverside, Norwich, Uk on January 12th (monday). Admission is £3 before 9 p.m. and £4.50 afterwards.

We will have a free drink for anyone gutsy enough to wear a Smiths/Moz t-shirt, and we will have new local tribute band 'Bigmouthed Men' to play a few numbers.

Come and enjoy!