Morrissey seems to be getting more exposure from backing out of his appearance on ABC's Jimmy Kimmel Live earlier this week than if he had performed as scheduled. 

The former Smiths singer is firing back at Kimmel after the host's humorous on-air comments Tuesday night.  Morrissey, a longtime vegetarian had been scheduled to appear on the show that night but backed out in protest over the show's other scheduled guests -- he hosts of the A&E series Duck Dynasty and makers of duck hunting gear.

In a statement provided to Billboard, Morrissey says of Kimmel, "He found time to jokingly promote gun-ownership -- hugely amusing for the parents at Sandy Hook, no doubt," referring to December's elementary school shooting in Newtown, CT.  "He also promoted his special guests [from] Duck Dynasty -- who kill beings for fun."  Morrissey added that Kimmel "revealed his show to have an overwhelming loss of meaning."

Kimmel replied with a tweet, inviting Morrissey to visit his show if he wanted to express any additional "dumb statements." He then repeated the offer to appear on his show that he made Wednesday.

"I'm an open, even-handed person, and I consider all points of view," Kimmel said on Wednesday night's show.  "I've invited him to talk this out, and perhaps we will both be better men for it, but probably not."

Copyright 2013 ABC News Radio