Morrissey’s management has lashed out at The Simpsons after he was parodied on Sunday night’s episode.
“Surprising what a ‘turn for the worst’ the writing for The Simpson’s (sic) tv show has taken in recent years,” reads a message on the 61-year-old singer’s Facebook page, which is run by Deckstar.
“Sadly, The Simpson’s (sic) show started out creating great insight into the modern cultural experience, but has since degenerated to trying to capitalize on cheap controversy and expounding on vicious rumours.”
The episode was titled “Panic On The Streets of Springfield” – a wink at the lyrics of “Panic,” the 1986 song by Morrissey’s band The Smiths. Lisa Simpson discovers the music of a singer named Quilloughby (voiced by British actor Benedict Cumberbatch) and his band The Snuffs after clicking on “If you hate everything, you might like this.”
Lisa summons Quilloughby as her imaginary friend and the pair attend Springfield’s Bummershoot Festival for a Snuffs reunion that Quilloughby described as a cash grab because he “lost my fortune suing people for saying things about me… that were completely true.”
I feel bad for the other Snuffs. But on some level they knew this might happen, though. @TheSimpsons pic.twitter.com/G59RYT6l2B
— Matt Selman (@mattselman) April 19, 2021
In his message on Facebook, Morrissey’s management said: “Poking fun at subjects is one thing. Other shows like SNL still do a great job at finding ways to inspire great satire. But when a show stoops so low to use harshly hateful tactics like showing the Morrissey character with his belly hanging out of his shirt (when he has never looked like that at any point in his career) makes you wonder who the real hurtful, racist group is here.
“Even worse - calling the Morrissey character out for being a racist, without pointing out any specific instances, offers nothing. It only serves to insult the artist. They should take that mirror and hold it up to themselves.”
The statement blasted The Simpsons as “unapologetically hurtful and racist.”
Before the episode aired, The Simpsons writer Tim Long told Variety that Quilloughby is a composite of artists like Morrissey, The Cure’s Robert Smith and Ian Curtis of Joy Division.
Long grew up in Canada “as a moody kid obsessed with catchy-yet-depressing indy music from England.” He saw The Smiths perform during their The Queen Is Dead tour in the summer of 1986 (most likely the July 30th show at Centennial Hall in London, Ont.).
“It’s safe to say they changed my life,” Long said.