The birth of Brit-pop!

[Chill]

And the death of Morrissey's fabled relationship with the NME. I know this picture is controversial, but I think it's fabulous. Beautiful, rich color. A lot of passion. And nope, not a hint of racism. Sorry, NME, you're retarded. Nationalism is a bit silly, but there's nothing wrong with being proud of where you came from -- as long as it doesn't mean you're an asshole to everyone else -- regardless of any ugliness in the past. Don't forget the ugliness. Don't sweep it under the rug, but don't let it make you ashamed to be who you are. White British males are white British males by accident. They could just as easily (and accidentally) have been born poor and black. They shouldn't feel guilty for the very accidental circumstances of their birth and life. This guilt leads to reactionary racism, contrarianism. Wouldn't it be a whole lot better to "accept yourself" and just do what you can to improve yourself and the world you live in and the circumstances of those who are poor and black or some other minority or female or any other category of oppressed and/or underprivileged people so that one day these categories won't exist and the accidental circumstances of your birth won't mean you're any better or worse off than anyone else?

Sorry for getting all philosophical. Here's the gorgeous pic now.

 

['Radar' O'Reilly]

Great picture indeed, I have never bought a copy of the NME since they did that piece on Moz.

The least said about the dense culture of Britpop the better, sadly it was very much in tune with white British youth of the 90s.

> And the death of Morrissey's fabled relationship with the NME. I know this
> picture is controversial, but I think it's fabulous. Beautiful, rich
> color. A lot of passion. And nope, not a hint of racism. Sorry, NME,
> you're retarded. Nationalism is a bit silly, but there's nothing wrong
> with being proud of where you came from -- as long as it doesn't mean
> you're an asshole to everyone else -- regardless of any ugliness in the
> past. Don't forget the ugliness. Don't sweep it under the rug, but don't
> let it make you ashamed to be who you are. White British males are white
> British males by accident. They could just as easily (and accidentally)
> have been born poor and black. They shouldn't feel guilty for the very
> accidental circumstances of their birth and life. This guilt leads to
> reactionary racism, contrarianism. Wouldn't it be a whole lot better to
> "accept yourself" and just do what you can to improve yourself
> and the world you live in and the circumstances of those who are poor and
> black or some other minority or female or any other category of oppressed
> and/or underprivileged people so that one day these categories won't exist
> and the accidental circumstances of your birth won't mean you're any
> better or worse off than anyone else?

> Sorry for getting all philosophical. Here's the gorgeous pic now.

 

[Chill]

I know what you mean. It's hard for me to think of the music as anything other than music that I just really like, since I am not a British teenager in the 1990s. I know there was an unfortunate subtext, but, well, it doesn't apply to me.

And I do believe what I wrote in the original post. It was meant as a gentle condemnation both of the people who do feel guilty for being what they are and who become self-loathing ultra-PC freaks as well as of people who turn it around and get so tired of being told that they (white males) are responsible (or have been) for all the worst atrocities of human history that they become ultra racist freaks.

 

[Bluenose]

A coincidence you should post that picture, Chill. It was used as a cover image for one of the NMEs I was browsing through today - dated 22nd August 1992 with the banner
"Morrissey: Flying the flag or flirting with disaster?"

Inside, there is a "Morrissey must be racist because he once said..." type of article. I had forgotten the extend of how they turned against him during this era. One of the things they criticised him for was the use of skinhead imagery.

Funny how only 2 years later it was suddenly "cool" to wear Fred Perrys and endorse English popular culture. Anyone would think the music press created Britpop...

 

[Hecky]

 

[Hecky]

You might not believe this,but some people are poor and white,it took a poor white bloke from Heckmondwike,to really really open her eyes.Apologies for cock up above.

 

[Ruffian]

> Sorry for getting all philosophical. Here's the gorgeous pic now.

I think it's a fantastic non-racist picture.. And of course (Ok, yeah, you've heard it all before) I was there.. remember it well.. can't say it was the best day out for 'Madness' reasons but it was certainly a great event.

Too many boring days out nowadays at gigs (oops there goes B&S again).. there should be more days like these!

Bit of passion never hurt anyone.. except in the heart sometimes.

Birth of Brit-pop.. ?? dunno about that claim though.. Morrissey and the Smiths were responsible for a lot more than a 2-3 year movement.

Ruffian

 

[Chill]

> You might not believe this,but some people are poor and white,it took a
> poor white bloke from Heckmondwike,to really really open her
> eyes.Apologies for cock up above.

I believe you. I'm not rich by any means and I'm white (okay 3 parts white, 1 part Mexican, but whatever). But yeah, I guess my post really applies to white guilt in general, which I believe is unproductive. I hate when people try to make me feel bad and apologize for things I can't help and have no control over and I've seen what that kind of guilt does to people. That's all.

 

[Chill]

> I think it's a fantastic non-racist picture.. And of course (Ok, yeah,
> you've heard it all before) I was there.. remember it well.. can't say it
> was the best day out for 'Madness' reasons but it was certainly a great
> event.

Lucky, lucky you.

> Too many boring days out nowadays at gigs (oops there goes B&S again)..
> there should be more days like these!

> Bit of passion never hurt anyone.. except in the heart sometimes.

> Birth of Brit-pop.. ?? dunno about that claim though.. Morrissey and the
> Smiths were responsible for a lot more than a 2-3 year movement.

I was being a bit tongue-in-cheek, calling it that. Although The Smiths certainly are the first band I'd really categorize as sounding anything like Britpop.

> Ruffian

 

[david]

> And the death of Morrissey's fabled relationship with the NME. I know this
> picture is controversial, but I think it's fabulous. Beautiful, rich
> color. A lot of passion. And nope, not a hint of racism. Sorry, NME,
> you're retarded. Nationalism is a bit silly, but there's nothing wrong
> with being proud of where you came from -- as long as it doesn't mean
> you're an asshole to everyone else -- regardless of any ugliness in the
> past. Don't forget the ugliness. Don't sweep it under the rug, but don't
> let it make you ashamed to be who you are. White British males are white
> British males by accident. They could just as easily (and accidentally)
> have been born poor and black. They shouldn't feel guilty for the very
> accidental circumstances of their birth and life. This guilt leads to
> reactionary racism, contrarianism. Wouldn't it be a whole lot better to
> "accept yourself" and just do what you can to improve yourself
> and the world you live in and the circumstances of those who are poor and
> black or some other minority or female or any other category of oppressed
> and/or underprivileged people so that one day these categories won't exist
> and the accidental circumstances of your birth won't mean you're any
> better or worse off than anyone else?

> Sorry for getting all philosophical. Here's the gorgeous pic now.

yes, but....that shirt!?!?

 

[Ruffian]

> Lucky, lucky you.

Wasn't that by the Lightening Seeds.. or was that Kylie Minogue. Sometime though, you wish you had a camera with you.. that was one of those moments!

> I was being a bit tongue-in-cheek, calling it that. Although The Smiths
> certainly are the first band I'd really categorize as sounding anything
> like Britpop.

oooh no.. disagree.. the Smiths are unclassifiable, certainly put in the Briutpop rack at your local record store...Don't gte me wrong, I like your Blurs Oasis etc etc but they were nowhere near to the status of 'Godlike influence' on a generation that they thought they were.

But your tongue in cheek sounds nice anyway.

Ruffian