Cultural Capital

Reflections on books and the arts from the New Statesman culture desk

Colbert knows I'm miserable now

Stephen Colbert interviews Morrissey.

By Alex Hern Published 11 October 2012 16:13

Dance, Morrissey, dance. Photograph: Getty Images

Morrissey is known for a lot of things: making music, draping himself in the Union Jack and making questionably nationalist comments, swinging bouquets of flowers round and round and round, and so on. But he isn't known for having a particularly riotous sense of humour about himself. Or really anything.

Stephen Colbert, meanwhile, is best when he is piercing wholes in pomposity. Usually the great and good of American politics, but anyone will do.

Put them together, and you get one of the better interviews with the former Smiths frontman in a while.

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View the discussion thread.

5 comments

Thu, 2012-10-25 19:42 — Kickingpeopleinface (not verified)

"he isn't known for having a particularly riotous sense of humour about himself. Or really anything."

Sheer ignorance. So silly. And also almost any other Morrissey interview on youtube is far superior to the Colbert one. Sheer ignorance again. Gosh. I hope you're embarrassed but I'm quite sure you're not

Sat, 2012-10-13 04:33 — Amir S (not verified)

Colbert and Morrissey are big fans of each others work. Guests on the show are asked to play along as if he were indeed being interviewed by a right-wing loudmouth.
Where's the story?

Among the Guardian/NS left, there's an intense hatred of earnest people (read the comments on any article about Julian Assange, for example). To these folks, a guy like Moz can do no right.

Fri, 2012-10-12 16:55 — Edgy Journalist (not verified)

>But he isn't known for having a particularly riotous sense of humour about himself. Or really anything.

How's work experience going for you so far Alex? Good luck in your GCSE's!

Fri, 2012-10-12 10:57 — jankaas (not verified)

Morrisey remains a humourless bully, who has that same single song template running around his head ad nauseum.

imho he spoilt nearly every single beautiful slab of music written by The Smiths with his dreary affected vocals. i.e. the gorgeous "How Soon Is Now?" absolutely ruined by his vocal....