One of the keys to the enduring popularity of the British singer Morrissey is his carefully crafted enigmatic persona. This critical book examines the role of enigma in the celebrity’s public life, exploring how a level of mystery is maintained through television interviews, videos, reviews and concerts, as well as through his music and lyrics. Of particular interest is the way in which enigma stimulates interest and desire in his audience, and how the artist manipulates traditional modes of masculinity and the conventions of pop music to further cultivate enigma.

Nicholas P. Greco is an associate professor of communications and media at Providence University College in Otterburne, Manitoba, Canada.

Nicholas P. Greco

Format: softcover (6 x 9)
Pages: 228
Bibliographic Info: notes, bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2011
pISBN: 978-0-7864-6274-2
eISBN: 978-0-7864-8689-2
Imprint: McFarland

Acknowledgments ix
Preface 1
Introduction 3
1. “That’s the Story of My Life”: Morrissey’s Career, Controversies and Comeback 17
2. “The Songs That Saved Your Life”: Critical Reception of the Works of Morrissey 33
3. “Let Me Kiss You”: Celebrity, Gender And Desire 77
4. “The Boy Racer”: Morrissey’s Changing Gender Identity in Music Video 109
5. “At Last I Am Born”: Morrissey in Live Performance 130
6. “We’ll Let You Know”: Inactivity and the Musical World of Morrissey 142
7. “The Harsh Truth of the Camera Eye”: Morrissey’s Enigma Through Mediated Performance 160
Conclusion 180
Chapter Notes 193
Bibliography 205
Index 213