Piers Morgan In Defense Of Axl Rose

[Loaded NightraiN]

Morgan has an agenda if you care to look behind the words.

Which is....?

[wight gunner]

Morgan has an agenda if you care to look behind the words.

Which is....?

His chat show, in the UK its called My Life, where a star, talks about themselves and their upbringing, can't think why Axl would be a major coup can you....

He is to some degree responsible for the dirge that is "culture and talent" through his media work.

[StardustGirl]

Morgan has an agenda if you care to look behind the words.

Which is....?

His chat show, in the UK its called My Life, where a star, talks about themselves and their upbringing, can't think why Axl would be a major coup can you....

Yes, of course, Axl is so grateful for positive words that he'll do whatever Piers asks him to.

(Not saying that Piers wouldn't want Axl as his guest and not saying that positive words don't help if Axl wanted to do an interview, but why can't people just enjoy a positive tune for a change and stop overinterpreting everything.)

[raindogs70]

A lot of people are doing their "final word" segment, Bill Maher has his "New Rules", Anderson Cooper as the "Rediculist".

Maybe the Rock Hall thread shouldn't have been closed just yet, if people in the media are still commenting on it. 

Expect diminished interest in attending it from other artists. Deep Purple's prob. going to be the next controversial band, but Ian Paice said he'd prob. not go, and Ritchie Blackmore - put it this way, his wife said that they supported Axl's decision. Nothing wrong with Steve Morse playing "Smoke on the Water", but Blackmore's Night sells out with the new age crowd. Doesn't need the Rock Hall whatsoever.

Axl's letter was a warning shot in what's to come. All those no-shows mean less money at the dinners.

[cyllan]

Morgan has an agenda if you care to look behind the words.

Which is....?

His chat show, in the UK its called My Life, where a star, talks about themselves and their upbringing, can't think why Axl would be a major coup can you....

Yes, of course, Axl is so grateful for positive words that he'll do whatever Piers asks him to.

(Not saying that Piers wouldn't want Axl as his guest and not saying that positive words don't help if Axl wanted to do an interview, but why can't people just enjoy a positive tune for a change and stop overinterpreting everything.)

Piers's agenda is self-promotion and fame by association. As, wight gunner pointed out, Axl would be a major coup for his chat show and allow him to apply the hack's preferred MO of sucking up to target, extraction of info, and kicking when down.

StardustGirl - the reason why I can't "enjoy a positive tune" is because it's been played on an out of tune, worm-riddled piano. Morgan oozes insincerity like an over-ripe camembert and if I had to watch him interview Axl, I'd be squirming more than he was during his questioning at the Leveson enquiry.

To put it succinctly, I'd no more trust what comes out of Piers Morgan's mouth than that which emanates from the pen or keyboard of Mick Wall. So on this occasion, I'm afraid the celebratory bottle of champers has to go back on ice. 

[DoctorNo]

I know a lot of you are psyched to see a mainstream media defense of Axl, but this whole segment was bullshit. He absolutely mischaracterized Axl's statements.

Morgan says that Axl "shredded the invitation to pieces... slamming the honor" - that he'd want "nothing to do with the Hall of Fame" - and that Axl's press release was an "enraged missive."

From Axl's letter to the Hall:

"... regardless of this decision and as hard to believe or as ironic as it may seem, I'd like to sincerely thank the board for their nomination and their votes for Guns' induction."

From Axl's followup statement:

"It took a lot of focus and soul searching to be sincere and informative while making a genuine effort to be somewhat diplomatic. "

Does that sound enraged? Does that sound like Axl is "slamming the honor" or throwing TVs out hotel rooms?

Then Morgan describes Axl's followup statement as "snarling," displaying on-screen the portion where Axl says,

'I still don't exactly know or understand what the Hall is or how or why it makes money, where the money goes, who chooses the voters and why anyone or this board decides who, out of all the artists in the world that have contributed to this genre, officially "rock" enough to be in the Hall?'

Now, I saw this segment before I read Axl's letter to the fans. I thought Axl sounded pretty pissed in that paragraph - naturally, since Morgan says Axl is "snarling." But what's Axl's very next fucking sentence in that letter?

"This isn't an attack."

There's nothing "snarling" at all in the followup statement. The whole letter is filled with love and thanks to the fans. And what does Axl say in the post script of that statement?

"If anyone does choose to pick this up as has been done previously I'd appreciate if you'd run in full including this paragraph so as not to give a partial picture, have things taken out of context or to imply or inadvertently give the impression this was intended for other outlets."

What did Morgan do? He took one sentence, out of context, and portrayed the letter as "snarling," which is absolutely not the case. EXACTLY what Axl asked the media not to do.

In short, Morgan paints Axl's letter as a rude tirade, an angry Fuck You to the Hall of Fame and the music establishment. That's an absolute lie. Axl wrote a very polite letter, declining the honor, to protect his integrity and that of the current band. Not to slam the HoF or anyone else.

A blind, ignorant, and fraudulent defense of Axl is not better than a blind, ignorant, and fraudulent attack on Axl.

GnR does not need this asshole in their corner.

[StardustGirl]

My personal opinion about Axl's letter differs from that presented by Piers - yet I feel his rant was a change of tune in major media and I think as such quite welcome. Media people say what they will, we can't pick and choose who says what. Local media here in the north of Europe only repeats the same negative sh*t that's been going around for years, so much so that I barely tolerate to read anything GNR related these days. If there is gonna be some change, I more than welcome it. I don't care who started it or who spreads it, I don't even care if it's not completely accurate - the sh*t going around currently surely isn't.

[raindogs70]

I know a lot of you are psyched to see a mainstream media defense of Axl, but this whole segment was bullshit. He absolutely mischaracterized Axl's statements.

Morgan says that Axl "shredded the invitation to pieces... slamming the honor" - that he'd want "nothing to do with the Hall of Fame" - and that Axl's press release was an "enraged missive."

From Axl's letter to the Hall:

"... regardless of this decision and as hard to believe or as ironic as it may seem, I'd like to sincerely thank the board for their nomination and their votes for Guns' induction."

From Axl's followup statement:

"It took a lot of focus and soul searching to be sincere and informative while making a genuine effort to be somewhat diplomatic. "

Does that sound enraged? Does that sound like Axl is "slamming the honor" or throwing TVs out hotel rooms?

Then Morgan describes Axl's followup statement as "snarling," displaying on-screen the portion where Axl says,

'I still don't exactly know or understand what the Hall is or how or why it makes money, where the money goes, who chooses the voters and why anyone or this board decides who, out of all the artists in the world that have contributed to this genre, officially "rock" enough to be in the Hall?'

Now, I saw this segment before I read Axl's letter to the fans. I thought Axl sounded pretty pissed in that paragraph - naturally, since Morgan says Axl is "snarling." But what's Axl's very next fucking sentence in that letter?

"This isn't an attack."

There's nothing "snarling" at all in the followup statement. The whole letter is filled with love and thanks to the fans. And what does Axl say in the post script of that statement?

"If anyone does choose to pick this up as has been done previously I'd appreciate if you'd run in full including this paragraph so as not to give a partial picture, have things taken out of context or to imply or inadvertently give the impression this was intended for other outlets."

What did Morgan do? He took one sentence, out of context, and portrayed the letter as "snarling," which is absolutely not the case. EXACTLY what Axl asked the media not to do.

In short, Morgan paints Axl's letter as a rude tirade, an angry Fuck You to the Hall of Fame and the music establishment. That's an absolute lie. Axl wrote a very polite letter, declining the honor, to protect his integrity and that of the current band. Not to slam the HoF or anyone else.

A blind, ignorant, and fraudulent defense of Axl is not better than a blind, ignorant, and fraudulent attack on Axl.

GnR does not need this asshole in their corner.

It says a lot when he took the time off instead of booking shows in Europe right after LA. They needed the break, and he put the time aside to think about going. The Rock Hall didn't acknowledge the past 15 years of his career, and that was a big sticking point not just with him, but the fans that are going to the shows and like Chinese Democracy.

The decision to play seemed to be more about Adler regaining credibility as a drummer. I'm sure Axl hopes Steven has success, just so he can stop harping on the old days. I wouldn't be surprised if Axl just went to check it out. Opening act...highly doubtful.

Even though Slash and Duff attended the induction ceremony, they've criticized it as well. But I think it's cool that Duff paid for his trip & table by lining up the reading the night before. I'm surprised no one had thought of doing something like that before.

[slashsbaconpit]

Is there a video clip or something that of Howard Stern's comments?

[faldor]

Is there a video clip or something that of Howard Stern's comments?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rGRrScj_Qrg&feature=player_embedded

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5631HlIt64g&feature=relmfu

[slashsbaconpit]

Thanks!