Bono Interview in Rolling Stone

The friendliest place on the web for anyone that follows U2.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
Social media on this sort ruins brain cells, as evidenced by some of the truly hypocritical posters attacking Bono over this complete non-issue.

The people on this forum going after Bono are themselves engaging the issue in a very sexist manner. You can't say that you believe in "strong women" when you infantilize them and treat them like little children to be coddled. They can take an offhand, poorly-chosen word where the person saying meant no offense and has been very clear about true equality during his lifetime. It is sad and, frankly, sexist, that several here are taking such a hysterical position, because THEY are devaluing women by doing so, not Bono.
Ha. Yeah, no, that's not what is happening. "Actually, YOU are being the sexist one by taking it that way" is one of the laziest Reddit "by your logic" nonsense arguments, and has been so even when it was en vogue five fucking years ago.

Again, I don't think Bono meant it pejoratively, but that's a failing of his in not understanding the words he choosing, not the people who read the quote. He's a fucking writer, he should know better. I don't think he's sexist. I think he said something incredibly stupid, and I don't fault anyone who doesn't read every Bono interview for not understanding what he was trying to say. Old white dudes commenting on gender is a tricky subject at best, and to do so in such an offhandedly thoughtless way is a recipe for trouble.

This is not hysterics. I've said I think the best outcome is him having a reckoning with what he said. You're the one who thinks it's hysterics because it's "PC mob mentality" run amok or whatever.
 
Well, I would not have used the word in the way Bono did. Not because I think he meant offence by it, or that there's anything necessarily insulting about the world "girly." I just think that, in this case, it's not an accurate descriptor.

I mean, I really can't quite see how Bono defines "girly" music in this context, except as a lack of rage. And I don't think rage is something women lack, musicians or otherwise. So if it's men that are making this "rageless" music Bono has a problem about, it's a problem with those men. But rage and angst know no sex, so the comment is bizarre in that way. I wonder how people would feel if he used the word "emasculated" instead? He probably should have just said that music isn't angry enough these days, and left it at that. It would have been more accurate and saved him a lot of trouble. And people on social media would be able to sleep better.

Anyway, since I'm certain he meant no offence by it, I choose not to be offended. In fact I've seen a lot more men offended by this comment than women, frankly.
 
Last edited:
Ha. Yeah, no, that's not what is happening. "Actually, YOU are being the sexist one by taking it that way" is one of the laziest Reddit "by your logic" nonsense arguments, and has been so even when it was en vogue five fucking years ago.

Again, I don't think Bono meant it pejoratively, but that's a failing of his in not understanding the words he choosing, not the people who read the quote. He's a fucking writer, he should know better. I don't think he's sexist. I think he said something incredibly stupid, and I don't fault anyone who doesn't read every Bono interview for not understanding what he was trying to say. Old white dudes commenting on gender is a tricky subject at best, and to do so in such an offhandedly thoughtless way is a recipe for trouble.

This is not hysterics. I've said I think the best outcome is him having a reckoning with what he said. You're the one who thinks it's hysterics because it's "PC mob mentality" run amok or whatever.

It's too bad that logical arguments escape you. I know rational thought can be difficult when you've bought wholesale into an ideological mindset that demands you find certain things offensive regardless of intent.

The fact that you think he needs to have a "reckoning" with what he said is sad. Is this really what things have come to? And your comments about "old white dudes" show where you are really coming from on the topic. It's funny how the more people like you talk, the more your own bigotry comes out.

As another poster pointed out, with the sick outrage culture that has developed over this sort of thing, Bono will be FORCED to apologize and say the correct things. Language control is paramount to you fascistic fuckheads.
 
Anyway, since I'm certain he meant no offence by it, I choose not to be offended. In fact I've seen a lot more men offended by this comment than women, frankly.

That's because the men who are offended can't help but make it about themselves, so that they can be seen as the "protector", and as "enlightened." That type of man is among the most sexist that you'll ever find. What has happened in Hollywood is a great example.
 
Language control is paramount to you fascistic fuckheads.

giphy.gif
 
The people on this forum going after Bono are themselves engaging the issue in a very sexist manner. You can't say that you believe in "strong women" when you infantilize them and treat them like little children to be coddled. They can take an offhand, poorly-chosen word where the person saying meant no offense and has been very clear about true equality during his lifetime. It is sad and, frankly, sexist, that several here are taking such a hysterical position, because THEY are devaluing women by doing so, not Bono.

You know what really grinds my gears? That when people speak up to say "You know, that's not okay to say that," we get called "sensitive" and "offended."

Fuck that noise.

Like "snowflake," the word "offended" has lost all meaning. I'm not offended, I'm not sensitive, I'm just speaking the fuck up.

Frankly, I'm more worked up about that than I am about Bono saying "girly."

I don't have much to add beyond what Cori's response is. But I'll note the supreme irony of using the word "hysterical", which has an etymology that reveals a long association of women being classified as mentally ill on the whims of men.

https://www.theguardian.com/media/m...ar/08/mind-your-language-feminisation-madness

That's because the men who are offended can't help but make it about themselves, so that they can be seen as the "protector", and as "enlightened." That type of man is among the most sexist that you'll ever find. What has happened in Hollywood is a great example.

You know you want to call us "white knights". Just do it. Show us your true alt-right colors.
 
Language control is paramount to you fascistic fuckheads.

says the guy who took it upon himself to spend his entire first month or more on this forum incessantly attacking certain posters and trying to police what sort of opinions people were allowed to post about the new U2 songs.
 
I don't have much to add beyond what Cori's response is. But I'll note the supreme irony of using the word "hysterical", which has an etymology that reveals a long association of women being classified as mentally ill on the whims of men.

https://www.theguardian.com/media/m...ar/08/mind-your-language-feminisation-madness



You know you want to call us "white knights". Just do it. Show us your true alt-right colors.

Unlike you, I use words based on their dictionary meaning, not what an ideological subset of people say a word means.
 
You know what really grinds my gears? That when people speak up to say "You know, that's not okay to say that," we get called "sensitive" and "offended."

Fuck that noise.

Like "snowflake," the word "offended" has lost all meaning. I'm not offended, I'm not sensitive, I'm just speaking the fuck up.

Frankly, I'm more worked up about that than I am about Bono saying "girly."

:up:

Thank you.
 
I guess this whole thing just makes me very uncomfortable.

Cori, to your point, I’m not in position to say if people are being over sensitive or not, so I apologize for that comment.

I guess my point is that I think shit like this gets overblown in every direction these days. Everyone gets offended now and it’s almost become white noise to me and I’ve stopped giving a shit.
 
Cori, to your point, I’m not in position to say if people are being over sensitive or not, so I apologize for that comment.

Oh gosh, you don't need to apologize - it was more of a general comment that had been building up this year after spending too much time online. :)

Is his comment getting overblown? Sure, but considering no one will be talking about it by the weekend, I'd say no.

It's 2017. Many things get overblown. It's the age we live in. If you're a public figure, you'd better choose your words carefully. Or you can not give a shit and deal with a potential shitstorm and hope it's brief.

This one will be brief. Someone will say something shitty tomorrow and Bono can go back to his shiny new hobby of investing.
 
Last edited:
Manipulation and control of language is a key feature of fascism.
Only when it's coming from the government.

What you really resent is that society has moved to a point where you can't just say whatever you want with no consequences anymore. People are going to criticize you, and you're lashing out. "They're the real racists because they think the things I say mean something! I'm just talking! I want to go back to not having to worry about empathy! I want to not care about anyone with a different life circumstance!"

Fuck off.
 
"They're the real racists because they think the things I say mean something! I'm just talking! I want to go back to not having to worry about empathy! I want to not care about anyone with a different life circumstance!"

:up:

It chaps my hide that "considering the feelings of others when I speak and act" has become something people sneer at as "PC culture" or whatever.
 
Only when it's coming from the government.

What you really resent is that society has moved to a point where you can't just say whatever you want with no consequences anymore. People are going to criticize you, and you're lashing out. "They're the real racists because they think the things I say mean something! I'm just talking! I want to go back to not having to worry about empathy! I want to not care about anyone with a different life circumstance!"

Fuck off.


Ah, that's some great moralizing there. You guys even beat out the religious right when it comes to that.
 
I guess this whole thing just makes me very uncomfortable.

Cori, to your point, I’m not in position to say if people are being over sensitive or not, so I apologize for that comment.

I guess my point is that I think shit like this gets overblown in every direction these days. Everyone gets offended now and it’s almost become white noise to me and I’ve stopped giving a shit.
What's happening is that people are starting to bring politics to the places they were not before. For people who have been fucked over by our political and economic system, politics have always been inescapable. And they're finally getting an opportunity, thanks to the proliferation of media outside the previously established structures, to get their voices heard and achieve some level of influence.

It's a wild time, but it's a net positive, because it's forcing people who would otherwise be able to put politics aside to reconcile that for many people, that is not an option. Allowing significant portions of society to be walled off, where politics should be avoided, isn't an option anymore. Because to continue on that way is to ignore all the suffering that is going on.

That may seem melodramatic to bring up in light of the subject matter of this conversation, but it's the broader point that needs to be beaten back against. Bono isn't going to suffer from this, but he is going to have to think. It's not mob mentality. It's trying to educate. He's 57 years old and has been rich for the majority of his life. He spends a lot of his time focused on certain things he's dedicated his life. Some things he's going to miss. Okay. Deal with it, learn from it, move on.

The point is, this isn't PC culture run amok, and it's not something we can roll our eyes at and ignore.
 
:up:

It chaps my hide that "considering the feelings of others when I speak and act" has become something people sneer at as "PC culture" or whatever.

You don't get it. Here, George Carlin did a good job explaining why political correctness is dangerous:

Educate yourself.
 
Oh gosh, you don't need to apologize - it was more of a general comment that had been building up this year after spending too much time online. :)

Is his comment getting overblown? Sure, but considering no one will be talking about it by the weekend, I'd say no.

It's 2017. Many things get overblown. It's the age we live in. If you're a public figure, you'd better choose your words carefully. Or you can not give a shit and deal with a potential shitstorm and hope it's brief.

This one will be brief. Someone will say something shitty tomorrow and Bono can go back to his shiny new hobby of investing.



Lol that’ll do it. And I’m not trying to diminish the affects of harassment and sexism. I think the overexposure has just been exhausting. It’s to the point where I honestly have no clue what is ok to say anymore!
 
Back
Top Bottom