had lost them to V2 that very day. So I liked Kelly’ s chutzpah, especially when he heard there were Britpop stars in the next poolroom, like Robbie Williams, Alex from Blur, and Emma from Lush. CM: Oh yeah— you told me. And Jarvis( Cocker from Pulp) was there.
IE: It was one of those amazing nights where I thought,“ I can’ t believe all the amazing adventures I’ ve had!” So I decided to finally share that story in your article. But you know what? Nobody wanted to hear about it! Nobody gave a flying fuck.
CM: Right. It’ s kind of like, there’ s always been people who … there’ s always been trolls, always been detractors, and anybody who sticks their neck out has enemies. But I think with the internet, the brakes are off, and there’ s no available restraint. But the idea that the internet is completely sensitive is also very worrying, and very Orwellian. People are getting arrested here in the U. K. for liking tweets, so it’ s kind of crossed a line. And the State can’ t intervene in that kind of thing, unless you’ re breaking the law. So whatever’ s going on online, it has to be. breaking the law— that’ s the distinction.
IE: Here in America, the law has kind of become a gray area … CM: But law is a gray area— that’ s the thing. It’ s
like war. War and its narrative are always gray. I remember after 9 / 11, there was this big push to create black and white truth, but it just doesn’ t work like that, does it? Goodies and baddies? It’ s all about ambiguity and grayness and nuanced facts, and there are people who don’ t want to live like that. And you know, I had a great tour of the U. S. just now, and just to talk about this kind of thing
that you’ re touching on, I drove from the East Coast right through America, through Texas, up into New Mexico, Arizona, then up through California to Seattle. And as much as you can in five weeks, I got a real taste of the magnificent country, and I almost retraced the Westward expansion of the American story. And I did find that— whether you’ re in Texas or you’ re in Seattle, where the two extremes felt the most visible, with the extreme polarization of one’ s opinion and position— it was very sad, actually. People had sort of an anger and a disgust at the other side, and it’ s a great shame that— whatever you think of someone like Charlie Kirk’ s politics, regardless of your opinion— it was very sad that one person who was into dialogue and was all about getting people to talk to each other was the one who got popped off. Because I don’ t think most people are at extremes— most people are in the middle. Most people have very similar values and share those, so everyone’ s kind of being pushed, and the noisiest people are right at the edges, the edge of the positions. But most people agree. And if it really comes newreleases March 6
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10 illinoisentertainer. com march 2026