Alex James: Britpops Real "Charmless Man"

(IMG SOURCE: https://gilbertblecken.wordpress.com/blur-site/)

When rising to stardom in the early months of 1991, Alex James was a staple piece of what would soon be known as Britpop culture. He was recognizable on stage with a presence of 70s funk style in his subtle dance moves. Girls loved his fashion, his angst, his humor and his ‘big big big bass’! So why does the modern resurgence of Britpop fans look at him with such disdain?

From his claim to stardom in the U.K. scene it was already apparent from the beginning that he didn’t have much care for those who came to see Blur at their gigs. It was normal for his mates Graham Coxon and Damon Albarn to hang around giving autographs to fans after the shows but Alex had plans of drinking and lounging on his bum after shows. People get exhausted, understandably so when you’re an entertainment act that performs every night- but never repaying fans is a bit harsh and Albarn thought just that. One night after a show Alex did his normal routine, complaining about fans pestering the four musicians for autographs while sipping on a pint, most likely with a side of cheese, when Albarn couldn’t handle the attitude anymore. He shouted at James, telling him “Alex will you stop fucking moaning about on a stamp so you don’t have to sign your name on a photograph, these people made you rich” his whole life would be nothing without the fans, they pay his bills and if he can’t respect them then why have them (Patrick Murphys Thinkin Back: Memories of Damon Albarn & Other Friends)? Although there are only a few tales of speculation around his care for fans, it is public knowledge that Alex is a demeanor of the idea that low class is not one deserving of respect.

In the General election of 2019 for the new Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, the talk of Brexit and Tories vs Labour were hot in global media. Working class brits feared what could be brought to the U.K. if Boris Johnson, conservative party member, won over Jeremy Corbyn, labour party member, and Blur fans were mildly shocked to see what Alex James had to say. James stated in a tweet on December 6th that he “just cannot bring [him]self to vote for Jeremy Corbyn'' with the hashtags ‘CantBeCorbyn’ and ‘BBCDebate’ (tweet pictured above). Yet another case of a rich bloke losing their head and forgetting what a low class society can be like. Plenty of replies now deem him as a “Tory cheese pest” or a “hater of the poor”.

Now it isn’t a rare occurrence for a star's head to explode with egocentric gases brought from being in the public eye; celebrities believing that their status allows them to do anything they’d like whether it be good or bad. Living in a world of sex, drugs, and rock and roll, claims fly around like planes in the sky, people getting called out almost everyday with a sharp hawkeye focus on household names. In our modern media it is common for men and women to share their stories of sexual assault with an army of people behind them for support; Alex James is no stranger to this movement. In 2016 lead singer of Lush, Miki Berenyi, did an interview with i- D where she discussed the struggles and power of being a woman in a band. In this interview she brings up her BBC4 Girl in a Band documentary that aired in 2015 “where [she] mentioned Alex James biting [her] arse and thinking it was hilarious and something [she] was bound to enjoy ([she] didn't)”, though James wasn’t the only offender he still holds an accountability that MUST be held to his name (how to be a woman (in a band) with lush’s miki berenyi). No one should have to face what Alex James, as well as plenty others, put people through! No one should have to deal with scummy actions inflicted by scraggly men who have far too much money in their wallets and their faces worshipped by the media as if they’re angels of the Earth who never face the consequences of their actions!

Alex James now resides in a country house making cheeses for the public to feast on year round. Though his name is still in connection to the music industry, hosting ‘Feastivals’ for chefs and musicians to display their talents at, he is no longer the young teen heartthrob he once was. A title that man should never hold again. His fingers should stick to playing his bass, far away from any keyboard and his mouth should stay glued to a cigarette so no one has to hear a rich man speak again.

By Dandy Perry