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Morrissey pays tribute to ‘demented genius’ Elaine Stritch, notes ‘we are all pathetic human beings’

Morrissey has paid tribute to famed actress Elaine Stritch, who died yesterday at her home in Michigan the age of 89. And he did it in the most Morrissey way possible, making sure to condemn all of humanity in the process.

Morrissey released a statement to fan site True To You on the actress’ passing, which read:

“Elaine was my friend for a while. She was, of course, a demented genius — in loveable ways. Can we appreciate the people who are around us right now? The answer, of course, is No, for we are all pathetic human beings. It takes death for us to say aloud: thank you for everything, Elaine Stritch.”

Stritch, described as “tart-tongued” this week by the New York Times, was known for her roles both on Broadway and television screen, most recently as the mother of Alec Baldwin’s Jack Donaghy character in TV show 30 Rock.

In Morrissey’s 2013 autobiography, he described her as a woman who “eats chopped fruit from a large plastic Zip-lock bag.”

(We think that’s a compliment.)

He once introduced himself to the actress in a Los Angeles hotel, recalling in the same book: “Stritch stretches back one hundred years, a true star of the American stage, and a hallowed prize on any of her rare television appearances. She is a cauldron of Lucille Ball, Tallulah Bankhead, Coral Browne, Estelle Getty and Beatrice Arthur – her creaky tough-nut croak of a voice is loud enough to fill the hotel foyer. She is a blasé broad of yesteryear – so funny that people hope that she will soon stop talking.”

Morrissey’s new record, Would Peace Is None Of Your Business, is out now.