Canadiens1160 said:
Although not alive at the time, I think a slight majority of the world's music-listening population didn't loathe John the way they do Bono.
This is a very dangerous and most likely wildly incorrect statement to make.
I say dangerous because it appears heavily biased and based on your personal experiences and/or memory.
I've talked to many people about Bono - often out of the blue - and ALL have said that they respect his work. Granted, my world is small, but when I have interacted people across the U.S. and bring Bono into the conversation, all say the same. Most also admit to liking U2 as well.
Lennon, now, of course, is highly revered, as are the Beatles. History is often kind to those who were liked at least at one point in time. In fact, time has even allowed some to think differently about the atrocities of Stalin and Hitler! With that in mind, I'm sure U2 and Bono will be loved one day by all as well. But during the height of Lennon's popularity, he was challenged - and challenged hard - by members of the media, and watched closely by the FBI. The famous "the Beatles are bigger than Jesus" comment - something that was taken horribly out of context (by the same media that pushed the Beatles to the forefront) - caused a massive rebellion against them. Many found Lennon to be nothing more than a wealthy pop star rebelling simply because he could. Ask older people about Lennon (i.e., those who would be about 60-65 now) and you may not receive the loving praise of Lennon as you do of the 40-somethings commenting about Bono.
My point is both are the same in many ways. Bono in his 20's was very much like Lennon - preaching and complaining. He may not have had "sit in's" or "bed in's", but he did preach in concert (very famously too). And U2's lyrics were often anti-war back then.
But the Bono of his 30's and 40's has been far more interactive - his efforts have really made a difference. He truly is changing the world in a tangible manner. This is a lot more than Lennon did in his 30's, after the Beatles disbanded.
One could argue that Bono couldn't be doing all that he's done without people like Lennon opening the door for him - and I accept that. But I still feel that Lennon could have done more than just protest (same is true with Dylan and N. Young and others of that generation). Perhaps it took until the 80's before musicians finally did more than just protest. Perhaps it took until the 00's before people would even listen to a musician as being a real political force. But it also took OCEANS of hard work on Bono's part to get to where he is. If he was just like Lennon, he'd still be preaching. Instead, he's preaching AND accomplishing. And that, to me, is the biggest difference.
Could Lennon have done more had his life not been taken from him by a crazed man? Possibly. But I'm hesitant to say how much - because, as I wrote above, he didn't really seem to do as much as he could. His music was powerful and he did make contributions to society, but not nearly at the worldwide level Bono has.
So is Bono as hated as you say? I say "no". The ramblings of those on a blue board are not reflective of society. Did Lennon open doors? And how! But could he have done even more with his fame? Yes. Fortunately, Yoko Ono survives and she has, even if she's been more quiet about it.