“He has no reason to complain” - Simpsons writer Tim Long talks Morrissey to the Toronto Star

(July 28, 2021)

Excerpt:

Another source of inspiration he’s found himself returning to: English rocker Morrissey, lead singer of ‘80s group the Smiths.

Long incorporated the Smiths’ music and band into “The Exchange” and wrote a recent episode of “The Simpsons” including a character “not entirely” based on Morrissey.

Long called it “a loving homage to Morrissey, for the most part, at least for the first couple of acts.”

But Morrissey took issue with the episode, which aired in April, with his manager issuing a statement calling it “hurtful” and ”hypocritical.“

“Morrissey maybe wasn’t thrilled about the character, and then the movie that I wrote also features not just music from the Smiths but also a scene involving the Smiths, and he’s going to think, ‘What is this guy’s problem?’” Long said with a laugh.

“But if I ever meet him I’ll have to tell him, ‘We shot the movie two years ago, this was not a reaction to you.’ I don’t think he had any reason to complain from the first one (’The Simpsons’ episode), but he has even less reason (with the film). It’s just a kid who loves the band, like I did.

“I was a huge fan. I never thought in a million years I’d end up in a feud with the guy. But life takes some weird turns.”


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This guy is really saying he doesn't understand why Morrissey would be mad? He is a complete dumbass, and he thinks everyone else is dumber than he is. What a condescending ass$#@*! You might can pass that off on One Direction fans, but don't bring that #*#& here!
 
Brilliant writer and Simpsons episode. Moz can’t accept the truth so he’ll whine about it until his final days of life in Vegas.
 
Sounds like a right twat. His depiction of Morrissey was lazy and boring and beneath the effort of the animators. Pointless rubbish. Moz should ignore it. Juvenile twats paying no respect. Anyone above the age of 15 who still watches The Simpsons needs to broaden their horizons.
Anyone, of any age who still listens to the rubbish Melvis spews is in desperate need of ear-candling. …and a crack on the head.
 
Apart from Skinny, I've never known anybody with the ability to come across as such a disagreeable, smug, pompous twat in so few words. Does this bloke create shit Moz themed crosswords as well?
Ever read or heard an interview with Morrissey?
 
Yeah, I've no idea why Morrissey would be upset by this 'fan' depicting him as a fat, racist meat-eater who fires sausages into the audience at his shows and reformed the Smiths as a cash grab. I don't understand why he isn't flattered at such a loving and truthful depiction. 🤔
How brave of "Anonymous".
 
I love what the Simpsons used to be, and it's hard to let go. But I prefer family guy now.
Now, THERE’S a show that could properly tackle the topic. “Man-child Melvis”. Stewy in a pompadour, spouting about veganism, while Brian rolls his eyes and eats a rib-eye.
 
This guy is really saying he doesn't understand why Morrissey would be mad? He is a complete dumbass, and he thinks everyone else is dumber than he is. What a condescending ass$#@*! You might can pass that off on One Direction fans, but don't bring that #*#& here!
^This is a Melvis fan. He calls this poster a “dumbass” for posting his opinion, accuses him of being a narcissistand then suggests the HE’S “condescending”.

Absolute, slap-worthy rubes ‘round here.

Fak Arf, Clown-shoes.
 
Is this all The Simpsons people have to talk about? It's mostly forgotten and it seems like they can't get over it.
That episode was watched and enjoyed by more people than have ever even heard of Melvis. Even with the Polish contingent.

Fak Arf.
 
That cartoon was really about Lisa learnin' to
assimilate into the set structure of society.
When Lisa first meets Quilloughby and feels
relaxed and free, it's all part of her imagination.
Then when Lisa goes to the Quilloughby concert,
she has to be rescued by her folks and her Mom
tells her she's "goin' through a phase".
Did ya really think it's a coincidence that Moz made
a record called I Am Not A Dog On A Chain and then
they make a cartoon discreditin' him?
The surface is just a facade folks.
 
That cartoon was really about Lisa learnin' to
assimilate into the set structure of society.
When Lisa first meets Quilloughby and feels
relaxed and free, it's all part of her imagination.
Then when Lisa goes to the Quilloughby concert,
she has to be rescued by her folks and her Mom
tells her she's "goin' through a phase".
Did ya really think it's a coincidence that Moz made
a record called I Am Not A Dog On A Chain and then
they make a cartoon discreditin' him?
The surface is just a facade folks.
Christ, I feel like I’m in a freshman dorm all over again.
 
That cartoon was really about Lisa learnin' to
assimilate into the set structure of society.
When Lisa first meets Quilloughby and feels
relaxed and free, it's all part of her imagination.
Then when Lisa goes to the Quilloughby concert,
she has to be rescued by her folks and her Mom
tells her she's "goin' through a phase".
Did ya really think it's a coincidence that Moz made
a record called I Am Not A Dog On A Chain and then
they make a cartoon discreditin' him?
The surface is just a facade folks.
Very astute. They inverted the usual story where a young girl gets sucked in by an occult band and becomes a dumb, wrung out groupie then gets taken back in by her parents to get her away from the lifestyle. Instead, they want us to believe that Moz is worse than that but with no relevant proof except repetition that he is any of those things they say he is. It's lunatic storytelling. And yes, that album title 🤓
 
Some people on here clearly don't have a clue how civil law works. The reason Morrissey couldn't sue them had nothing to do with some clever scheme to make the character 'not exactly like Moz so we can say in court that it wasn't meant to be him'. The law doesn't work like that. In this instance, it's totally obvious who the character was based on, and everybody who watched it knew it. Everybody commenting online knew it. Everybody on here knew it. That alone would be enough to make a defence of "it wasn't based on Morrissey" completely redundant and doomed to failure.

The reason Morrissey couldn't sue, which I assume his lawyers would have told him, is this: You can't sue for satire. To put it more bluntly, you can't sue someone for taking the piss out of you. Otherwise those old-fashioned acts who used to do over-the-top impersonations of famous people would have been sued every week. Spitting Image would have never even been made.

Morrissey should simply have taken this for what it was all along: a joke. But it seems he no longer has a sense of humour, and neither do most of his fans posting on here.
 

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