Bono: Saint or Dickhead?

[Greg_phpbb3_import1]

This might be a point for ED, but Bono is at Pebble Beach this weekend at the behest of Rupert Murdoch. He's invited the hoi poloi and Murdoch summoned Bono to give a speech.

[Dr. Ivor Yeti]

Bono is evil cuz he does charity work an he sings waaaaaay better than Bob Geldoff, but Bob geldoff INVENTED Big Charity and Bono is stealing his invention! Evil Bono, Evil!

[El Dingo]

OK let's clear this up.

I don't think Bono is a dickhead.

I think he's extremely egotistical which is the worst thing you can be to this devotee of Buddhism and Casteneda.

My current pop hero is Wayne Coyne of the Flaming Lips. He is a millionaire who lives down the street from his mom in Okalhoma City. All he cares about is music and spreading a message of peace.

My problem with Bono is me. I am a struggling middle-class worker who identifies with those that respect the working class. I never get the feeling Bono respects the working class. His sunglasses represent the worship of the God of cool. Everything he does for 'charity' stinks of patronization. He's a photo-op celebrity with no real passion for humanitarianism.

Again I mention his support of ultra-right winger Rick Santorum and his willingness to be associated with George Bush whom even Arnold Schwarzenegger tries to distance himself.

All of this I could forgive if U2's music didn't suck so much. If you feel their currrent music is as good as 'I will Follow', 'Gloria', 'Seconds' and "New Year's Day' then more power to you.

In my book Bono is an ass who lost his muse and is just looking for the next photo op.

Long live Sir Bob and The Boomtown Rats!

[Greg_phpbb3_import1]

The world could be like this:

Bush Sings

[El Dingo]

Now he's gone and shown his compassionate side by buying a 40% interest in 'Forbes' magazine.

The magazine IS struggling so I guess it counts as 'charity work'.

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[Greg_phpbb3_import1]

What could be worse than making money and investing it? I don't know why I didn't see it before. And he invested in a profitable enterprise. If you do need to do the dark deed of investing, please make sure you lose money doing it.

[Greg_phpbb3_import1]

ED decides to double his support for Bono. Note: according to ED that is Bono's actual head size.

[Haggis Killer]

Bono's head is only that big, in relative terms, when he's wearing his cowboy hat. Otherwise, his head is perfectly in line with the rest of his shrimpenstein body. Come on! He's dinky! Little squirty runt boy! I could carry him around in my pocket. He'd get lost in one of PPFY's shoes.

I'll put it more nicely:

He is minute.

How's that?

[King Bob]

Well I think Bono can be annoying, but not terribly so. U2 is still writing some good music, so I have to cut him some slack. (Sorry ED, but some of the 80s stuff has not aged well. But then, they always were a singles band.)

But working with Green Day? That's just too much! As DM would say, WTF? And Green Day, who totally suck and have not significantly evolved in their whole career, who pretend to be punks but have image consultants and wear designer clothes, and have an incredibly annoying singer who sings in a fake accent. They're the fake Clash, all style and no substance. To me, this is the real sellout.

[Greg_phpbb3_import1]

Sort of. It's kind of like watching a traffic accident. Unfortunately, nobody dies.

Bank of America "One"

[El Dingo]

But working with Green Day? That's just too much! As DM would say, WTF? And Green Day, who totally suck and have not significantly evolved in their whole career, who pretend to be punks but have image consultants and wear designer clothes, and have an incredibly annoying singer who sings in a fake accent. They're the fake Clash, all style and no substance. To me, this is the real sellout.

Not significantly evolved? Green Day is light years away from their Operation Ivy roots. Pretending to be punk? Anyone who calls themselves a 'punk' today doesn't have the right to lick Jello Biafra's balls. In fact, a true punk would applaud 'selling out' because it makes you even more punk by being despised by another clique (punks).

And 'American Idiot' is a great rock and roll record. It will still be selling when 'How to Dismantle and Atomic Bomb' is lining the $.99 bin at Amoeba.

As far as being the fake Clash I think you are talking about Rancid. Green day is the fake New York Dolls.

Ah, screw it. Let's settle this with whisky and pistols.

[King Bob]

I just don't see that much growth in Green Day. I'm thinking about the sound and the playing. Of course I have to base my opinion on my memory of the songs I've heard on the radio. But I don't see the song American Idiot being that far advanced from Welcome to Paradise, especially considering that they are twelve years apart. Or from Live Without Warning for a later song. (Consider that the Clash went from White Riot to Magnificent Seven in three years. XTC went from White Music to Black Sea in two.) I think of it as the neo-punk curse of not having any roots other than punk - there's nothing to draw on. (Which is, in my opinion, why all those pop-punk bands a few years ago all sounded so similar.) And I have to admit that I think trying to be punk is about as artistically significant as trying to be rockabilly.

BACK TO BONO - I think that some of the tunes on "How to Dismantle" are good. City of Blinding Light I really liked. Musically I think they are doing some interesting things. But I don't think that any song can burn into our consciousness the way the songs of our youth did, and to expect that is unrealistic. So the later work is doomed to never measure up to expectations. Similarly, the work itself will lack that youthful energy or engagement, but it may have other virtues.

I think that U2 working with Green Day shows more interest in breaking into a new market than making music. Like they need the money - they don't even have to pay income tax!

[Dr. Ivor Yeti]

Green Day is a garage band. Punk is dead.

[Drunk Monk]

...sorry, I meant Sir Bono.

U2's Bono gets honorary British knighthood
(Reuters)
Updated: 2006-12-26 17:10

DUBLIN - Irish rock star and rights campaigner Bono has been awarded an honorary British knighthood, the British Embassy in Dublin said on Saturday.

"Her Majesty The Queen has appointed Bono to be an honorary Knight Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire in recognition of his services to the music industry and for his humanitarian work," the embassy said in a statement.

Fellow Irish rocker Bob Geldof, also a high-profile rights campaigner, received the same award in 1986. Honorary knighthoods are awarded to non-British nationals.

A statement on the U2 Web site (<!-- w --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.u2.com">www.u2.com</a><!-- w -->) said Bono was "very flattered to be honored, particularly if the honor ... opens doors for his long standing campaigning work against extreme poverty in Africa."

'A huge fan'
British Prime Minister Tony Blair said he was delighted Bono had chosen to accept the award.

"I'll leave it to others far more knowledgeable than me to talk about U2's music. All I'll say is that, along with millions of others right across the world, I am a huge fan," he said in the letter, reprinted on the No. 10 Web site (<!-- w --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.pm.gov.uk">www.pm.gov.uk</a><!-- w -->).

The prime minister said he felt more qualified to talk about Bono's personal commitment to tackling global poverty and, in particular, to Africa. "I know from talking to you how much these causes matter to you," Blair said.

The knighthood is the latest award for 46-year-old Bono. In 2003, he was given the Legion D¡-Honneur by President Jacques Chirac on behalf of the French government, for his contribution to music and his campaigning work.

Last year Bono was awarded the Time Person of the Year 2005, along with Bill and Melinda Gates, for his work promoting justice and equality.

The British Embassy said Bono would receive the award from the British ambassador to Ireland in a ceremony in Dublin shortly after New Year's Day.

Bestowal of an honorary award does not confer the title 'Sir' on the holder.

Oh dang, didn't read that last part. Nevermind.

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/entertainme...768109.htm

[Greg_phpbb3_import1]

Much like americans, the irish do not believe in the monarchy form of government. That is why we don't get to use "sir". Public Education ain't what it used to be.

Do you get all your news from the China Daily? There's more to the world than China, DM. At least I think so.