Unless you've actually been living under a rock, you'll know that Matty Healy, son of Denise Welch and also the singer in a band too, I guess, was dating Taylor Swift, and the whole internet has done a total 180 on him - a couple of months ago you lot had your tongues so far up that man's arse you were licking the back of his teeth, praying to get a kiss from him during 'Robbers' or queuing for hours to get barricade just so you could get spat on. Now, the man is up for an online public trial that might just be the wildest kangaroo court in history.

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The whole spectacle has also brought renewed attention to his numerous controversies. Oh boy, where do we even start? Let's just say that the disturbing comments he made on a podcast earlier this year have resurfaced, and they're so horrific that they've been compared to David Choe's repulsive rape remarks. It's gotten to the point where even die-hard Swift fans are contemplating withdrawing their support for her decision to be involved with someone who's so beyond unapologetically offensive.

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And believe me, Healy's controversies stretch way back, covering a wide range of allegations including racism and sexism. Oh, the irony! Swift's name was even dropped in some of the controversial comments he made in the past. In a truly bizarre 2016 interview, Healy passionately insisted that he would never date Swift, claiming it would somehow emasculate him. Meanwhile, he's been known for making racist remarks and stooping so low as to mock the ethnicities of his own fans during meet-and-greets. The guy has a knack for erratic behaviour both on and off stage, always craving a reaction from anyone within earshot.

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So, what did he actually do? Get comfy - it’s time we go through the Matty-Healy-is-Problematic Lore.

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Let's dive into the infamous appearance of Healy on The Adam Friedland Show back in February of this year. It's honestly a wonder it's only just now making headlines. Perhaps the delay has something to do with the fact that both Apple and Spotify swiftly pulled the episode from their platforms due to its offensiveness, or maybe it’s because this was around the time that the whole internet was trying to get into our Matty’s pants. But fear not, clips of the podcast are still circulating on social media, ensuring that Healy's disgraceful antics can - and hopefully will - live on to haunt him.

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During the podcast, Healy, along with Mike Mullen and Adam Friedland, decided to indulge in a delightful racist "discussion" after watching a clip of Ice Spice talking about her singing career and influences. They took it upon themselves to speculate about her ethnicity, mock her accent, mock Native accents, and spew derogatory comments about her background and appearance. They went as far as labelling her as "one of the Inuit Spice Girls" and a "chubby Chinese lady." Oh, and let's not forget Healy's joyful laughter as he encouraged the host to attempt some Japanese accents. Classy stuff, really.

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In that very same podcast, while casually sharing a story about getting caught masturbating at a party, Healy nonchalantly revealed that he was... enjoying pornography from a notorious hardcore site. And mind you, this isn't your run-of-the-mill porn site. No, this is a vile platform known for featuring videos that depict white men degrading and humiliating women of colour in the most despicable ways. It's a breeding ground for racism, violence, and sexism.

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Watching porn is grim enough as is, watching hardcore porn is actually vile, but actively seeking out fuelled torture porn is one of the more despicable things you can do with internet access, and joking about it might be even worse. Redditors who unearthed these comments decided to investigate the site and were left horrified and disturbed by its content. Some even questioned its legality, recalling previous allegations of exploitation and abuse targeting vulnerable women and sex workers trapped in desperate circumstances.

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Healy had the audacity to casually mention how a woman was being "brutalised" in the video he was enjoying when someone caught him in the act. He openly admitted to finding pleasure in watching women being violently degraded, as if it were a perfectly normal topic of conversation. Meanwhile, Mullen and Friedland, the other two freaks of nature on the podcast, seemed to see nothing wrong with Healy's comments, happily laughing along as he recounted the story. Maybe they were unaware of the repulsive nature of the porn site, but those who recognised its name - Ghetto Gaggers - were rightfully shocked and disgusted, and tbh it's easy to read between the lines and figure out what kind of porn site it is. I was expecting it to be awful, but when I googled that site my jaw was on the floor. "Ghetto Gaggers" is so extreme and violent that just describing it makes me nauseous. It's the most disgusting niche porn you probably can find that's just full of hatred for women, specifically about white men getting off on racially and sexually degrading black women. Here's a description of a scene I found on Reddit:

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“One time I saw a ghetto gaggers where they rubbed watermelon all over this woman who was already covered in vomit and nutted on her and the guy who throat fucked her and basically beat the shit out of her asked her “what would you feel is someone you loved saw this video” and to this day it’s the worst thing I’ve seen on the internet, somehow more gut wrenching than death and dismemberment.”

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The website itself actually jokes about how some of these women are being violated because they are desperate to pay for food and other necessities for their children. It’s more than likely that many women have engaged in the sexual torture so that they and their children can simply survive.

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Let's be clear here: Healy's comments were not some clever form of satire. They were direct, targeted racist attacks on Ice Spice and a sickening confession about his twisted viewing preferences. And let's not forget, these remarks only serve to reinforce prior accusations of his racism, sexism, and erratic behaviour. Bravo, Matty, for solidifying your status as a truly deplorable individual.

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Then there’s his questionable behaviour at the First Direct Arena in Leeds during The 1975's At Their Very Best tour. It was a cringe-worthy moment when Healy grabbed the mic and embarked on some sort of racist rant, proclaiming, "I don't think it's a racist thing to say..." Thankfully, his bandmates swiftly intervened by launching into the next song, effectively silencing his disturbing diatribe. Was this a joke? Probably. Is it uncomfortable to joke about holding micro aggressions and prejudice, especially in our current social climate? Abso-fucking-lutely.

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And the drama didn't stop there. Healy was caught on camera at another concert throwing up a Nazi salute while marching on stage as he got to "Thank you, Kanye, very cool.". Now, these lyrics from The 1975's song "Love It If We Made It" were intended to mock Donald Trump, who had used those exact words in a tweet to Kanye. Fans rushed to Healy's defence, claiming that the salute was simply part of his mockery of Trump and Kanye. However, Healy himself failed to clarify the gesture, leaving everyone puzzled about his true intentions. Regardless of any intended message, there's simply no excuse for publicly giving a Nazi salute in front of thousands of spectators. It's weird, insensitive, and oddly reminiscent of those lads in high school who made Nazi jokes and didn't even know they were well on the alt-right pipeline.

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Racism allegations have haunted Healy since 2020, following an insensitive tweet he posted about the Black Lives Matter movement. Just days after the tragic murder of George Floyd, Healy took to Twitter to share his perspective, stating, "If you truly believe that 'ALL LIVES MATTER,' you need to stop facilitating the end of black ones." What drew criticism was his ill-advised decision to include a link to The 1975's song "Love It If We Made It" in the tweet. Twitter users were quick to point out the inappropriateness of using the Black Lives Matter movement to promote his own music.

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After facing severe backlash, Healy deleted the tweet, only to repost it later without the link to the song. However, he followed up with yet another tweet, including a link to "Love It If We Made It." Naturally, this sparked further outrage, as Healy continued to try and generate interest in the song despite users explaining why it was insensitive to do so. While the song itself provides a thought-provoking commentary on modern society, it was entirely wrong for Healy to exploit the tragedy of Floyd's death for his own promotional agenda.

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Following the immense backlash, Healy eventually deactivated his Twitter account. In an interview, he stubbornly defended his initial tweet, claiming that he earned a mere "half-a-pence" for every YouTube view of the song. He also declared that he no longer wished to be part of the "culture war" and felt like a "pawn" of the left. Healy concluded by asserting that he didn't have to prove his anti-racist stance to anyone and showed no interest in addressing the accusations of racism hurled at him by internet users. He conveniently sidestepped the need to apologise for or acknowledge the insensitivity of his initial tweet.

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Then there's his remarkable talent for offending fans. During one of his meet-and-greets, Matty decided to target an Irish fan named Dervla. Now, Dervla, being a loyal supporter, eagerly shared her name with Healy. And how did he respond? Brace yourself for the wittiness: "What? It sounds like something you move gravel with." Ah, such class and charm! Dervla, being the good sport that she is, tried to pass it off as a humorous encounter, but others quickly called out the unnecessary rudeness of his comment. Some self-proclaimed defenders of "British humour" attempted to salvage the situation, but most agreed that it was simply childish and impolite, especially when directed at a fan.

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Healy, the maestro of cultural understanding, managed to astonish Irish fans even further. While gracing the stage in Dublin, he made the stunning declaration that the Irish are "a simple people." It's truly remarkable how Healy can effortlessly offend both individuals and entire nations. What a talent!

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Oh, let's not forget about Healy's delightful escapades of Frenching-with-fans. You must've seen the cringe-worthy TikTok videos. If you haven't; first of all, lucky you; secondly, I'll describe it for you: a bunch of fans are reach out to touch Healy's face as he leans down into the crowd, and what does he do? He goes ahead and sucks on their fingers. The sheer absurdity of the moment was abruptly cut short by a security guard who probably couldn't handle witnessing such a bizarre act. But here's the kicker: this wasn't the first time Healy caused a stir by locking lips with fans during their concerts. I guess he's really committed to the idea of sharing saliva with his admirers.

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But hold your judgment, juuuuust a little. Healy did have the decency to ask for consent before indulging in his finger-sucking adventures. And let's not forget, one brave woman even stepped up to defend him from the backlash. After all, singers kissing fans isn't an entirely unheard-of practice. Elvis Presley, the king himself, did it back in the day, but he also shagged 14-year-olds so I'm not really sure we can look to The King for moral guidance here. I just can't help but feel that this tired old act has become a bit creepy and overused. And what makes Healy's actions even more peculiar is his public statements about feeling "sexualised" by the band's fans. Ah, the contradictions of life.

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Pop singer and absolute Mother, Rina Sawayama has voiced her criticism of Matty, who is (unfortunately) her labelmate, at Glasto last weekend. Over the ominous nu-metal guitar riff introducing the song "STFU!", she stated, "I wrote this next song because I was sick and tired of microaggressions. So, tonight, this song goes out to a white man who watches 'Ghetto Gaggers' and mocks Asian people on a podcast. He also owns my masters. I've had enough."

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Sawayama is signed to Dirty Hit, a record label that also releases the 1975's music, and is run by the band's manager Jamie Oborne. Healy served as a director of the company between December 2018 and April 2023.

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Healy's comments received condemnation from ESEA Music, an organisation led by UK-based east and southeast Asian music industry professionals and artists, alleging that Healy promoted "flagrant racism and complicity in laughing along at harmful Asian tropes."

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The comments have plagued Healy for months, and finally, in April, he addressed the controversy on stage in Auckland, expressing that he had been misunderstood. "I'm kind of a bit sorry if I've offended you. Ice Spice, I'm sorry. It's not because I'm annoyed that me joking got misconstrued. It's because I don't want Ice Spice to think I'm a dick. I love you, Ice Spice. I'm so sorry."

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In an interview with the New Yorker, he was asked if the podcast comments deliberately provoked his fanbase. "A little bit," he replied. "But it doesn't actually matter. Nobody is sitting there at night slumped at their computer, and their boyfriend comes over and goes, 'What's wrong, darling?' and they go, 'It's just this thing with Matty Healy.' That doesn't happen."

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The Adam Friedland podcast was, for many, the turning point in which Healy's behaviour went from "Oh, he's just seeking attention" to "Wow, he actually means it." It's a wake-up call for fans and friends alike to seriously reconsider their association with this guy.

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You see, those comments shattered any last remnants of plausible deniability. It's no longer about being edgy or seeking laughs; it's about revealing his true colours. The podcast incident exposed a side of Healy that can no longer be excused as mere satire. It's time for some serious introspection, folks. Maybe it's time to reassess those connections and alliances, and ponder whether continuing to support someone who spews such offensive remarks is worth it.

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