Quick note on Morrissey's 'Classic' Autobiography.
There's a
lot of people vexed by Morrissey's autobiography being released as a
'classic' by Penguin (one US fantasy author was particularly put out on
Twitter last night).
Why anyone thinks it's meant seriously is
beyond me. Morrissey, love him or loathe him, is an artist whose lyrics
and public persona are built on irony. He doesn't ACTUALLY think his
book should be an immediate classic and neither does Penguin.
It's not
meant to be taken literally or seriously, rather it is an amusing masterstroke by the guy whose first recorded song contained the line 'England
is mine and it owes me a living'. Bit of a clue there.
And, no, I'm not saying the American's don't 'get' irony. Ben Stiller, by way of example, is a master of it in his performances.
ReplyDeleteThe one observation I'll always love Christopher Hitchens for: "The literal mind is baffled by the ironic one, demanding explanations that only intensify the joke."
ReplyDeleteNever read that one. Bit of a classic. And my adventures in SF online fandom convince me of its truth daily.
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