But Worm, don't you think that he'd prefer to get them to back down now rather than have to go to court? It seems a bit illogical to wait months to show your hand rather than hit them with it now and get it all over.
I think it's more a matter of interpretation. Morrissey remembers the interview being harmless, even though the written version of the Q&A wasn't that much different to what was actually said.
No, because I think (and more legal-minded people can correct me if I'm wrong) if he reveals his argument now it will, at best, give the defense a chance to prepare a case and, at worst, actually jeopardize his case in court. I think Alcoholic Afternoons or someone has already said that the more he blathers in public the more he appears vengeful or unhinged, and could slip up.
It's very likely that you and Jones are correct and that he has no case. I really don't know. I just know that the NME slanted the coverage in a nasty way based on what I read with my own eyes. Whether he can win a case in court remains to be seen. I'd like to see him win. But even more than that, yes, I guess I'll concede that I'd prefer this was all a lot of sabre-rattling to settle out of court so he can get back to recording and touring.
The NME just doesn't get it. I don't know if you saw Andrew Collins' message on the Guardian blog, but in it he mentions Dele Fadele's "eloquent" piece on Morrissey in 1992, which concluded with this: "For what's it's worth, I don't think Morrissey is a racist. He just likes the trappings and the culture that surround the outsider element. He has some racist friends. And if he carries on this way, he'll have thousands more."
He'll have thousands more...
friends...not racist thugs he despises turning up to his gigs and buying his CDs, which he has no control over, but
friends. Andrew was quoting this as "eloquent"!
Later on, Andrew writes that it's great that the Union Jack was "reclaimed" by the Spice Girls and says that it's okay because they didn't "have a political axe to grind"-- implying Morrissey did!
The NME is blasting Morrissey for not choosing his words carefully on the one hand while committing the sloppiest, most damaging errors with the other. The "words matter" argument is a double-edged sword. Realistically I'm not sure Morrissey can win, but I'm behind his attempt, either to win in court or force a big settlement, because the NME needs some sense knocked into its head.