Is U2 making music for "white" people only?

[HelloAngel]

and Colombians, and peruvians, and brazilians... not just mexicans: mexicans are from mexico; don't forget the people (like me ) who lives at the south of that line

lore.

Well yes exactly! I was just using Mexico as an arbitrary example.

 

[Miggy D]

U2 doesn't also use the same type of English style. They don't use "ain't" often. Maybe if they made their song "Sometimes You Ain't Gonna Make It On Your Own" -it would appeal more to the blacks.

You are a bad person.

And 'the blacks'? What the hell is that?

 

[boystupidboy]

'the blacks'
thats the funniest comment i've read in ages

 

[Aardvark747]

 

[boystupidboy]

Hey Jick its not the blacks you want to worry about its those bloody orientals

 

[shaun vox]

alot of you dont know this but ADAM is half Black!








from the waist down that is!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Aardvark747]

from the waist down that is!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

That explains it!!

 

[intedomine]

U2 make music.

It's not white, black, red or yellow music at all. Sometimes there may be a tendancy for one skin colour to prefer U2 from other skin colours, yet it really isn't an issue.

U2 music is music for U2 fans. That is all that matters.

 

[Sunny69]

U2 music is music for U2 fans. That is all that matters.

well said

 

[U2_Guy]

I'm willing to bet they have more non-white fans than a lot of rock bands. Aren't they supposed to be really popular in Mexico and South America?

Do you think everyone in South America is black, brown or whatever?

No. And the U2 fans in my country are 99% white.

 

[Axver]

And the U2 fans in my country are 99% white.

You've done a survey now?

 

[fiesta79]

u2 doesnt make music for white people only. Well at least i dont think so. i say this because i am black myself and have been listening to u2 even before i knew it was u2. i know other black people who like u2.

 

[AtomicBono]

U2 doesn't also use the same type of English style. They don't use "ain't" often. Maybe if they made their song "Sometimes You Ain't Gonna Make It On Your Own" -it would appeal more to the blacks.

oh Jick...you are something else...will you marry me?

I basically agree with what many people have said - it's not a matter of colour or ethnicity, it's a matter of taste. U2's not targeting any specific group except for people that listen to rock music, which are generally white. However, this is not always the case, there are many exceptions. U2 is making music for white people just as much as any other rock band, I'd say.

 

[rjhbonovox]

I just ran acros this kind of opinion on a diferent (movies) forum.
That U2 is for "white people" only and that "color" people don't... i don't know... "like it"... (?)

What do you think?
SIZE]

Music for deaf people I reckon!

 

[Pop Artist]

I think U2 has a pretty diverse audience for what they are - a rock band composed of four Irish white guys. I know of four black women who are big fans of theirs.

As an aside - Springsteen, on the other hand...went to four of his stadium shows on the last tour...saw only one other brown person there besides me (I'm Latina btw), and no blacks or Asians at all. And this was in NY/NJ. I felt a little weird, a feeling that I definitely do not get at a U2 show (nor at other shows I go to).

 

[shaun vox]

actually i think u2 are making music for OLD people!!!!

 

[Sleep Over Jack]

Axl Rose will be making music for pensioners by the time he completes whatever he is doing..and Velvet Revolver are embarassing crap.

 

[financeguy]

I could see that one coming a mile away.......

 

[Sleep Over Jack]

It needed to be done.

 

[pub crawler]

Originally posted by jick

U2 doesn't also use the same type of English style. They don't use "ain't" often. Maybe if they made their song "Sometimes You Ain't Gonna Make It On Your Own" -it would appeal more to the blacks.

But on the other side, I don't think you'll see many U2 fanatics in a Jay-Z or Snoop or P.Diddy concert or internet fan forum.

anyone else find the "ain't" paragraph to be incredibly offensive and/or ignorant?

Yes, I find the quote offensive, but then again, this is the same jick who some time ago in one thread wrote the word "******" several times just to get a rise out of people like some kind of fucking eight-year-old. Jick needs to grow up.

 

[shaun vox]

Axl Rose will be making music for pensioners by the time he completes whatever he is doing..and Velvet Revolver are embarassing crap.

velvet revolver might not be as good as GNR but their music still kicks arss and their music is not for old people like you. and lets face it they look fucking COOL.

if its too loud your too old and the current u2 music suits you best i think!!



face it u2's new music is for OLD people!!!


booringggggggggggg.. zzzzzzzzzzzzzz sleepyyyyyyyyyy.
slow and going nowhere!

cant do this with u2's new music can you

 

[thrillme]

cant do this with u2's new music can you

You can do.....er there's no smilie for it. I saw a thread somewhere, U2 songs to "put you in the mood."

You can't do that to Velvet Revolver.

 

[shaun vox]

is this the one?

 

[beli]

This smilie? For U2 I mean. Shauns already using the appropriate smilie for guitar solo bands.

 

[jick]

Yes, I find the quote offensive, but then again, this is the same jick who some time ago in one thread wrote the word "******" several times just to get a rise out of people like some kind of fucking eight-year-old. Jick needs to grow up.

If you look at my profile you will realize I am from the Philippines. We aren't exposed to the black versus white problems in the USA. Sometimes you make a comment, you don't realize it is "offensive" to the Americans. I don't live in America - just to set the record straight.

So I used the word "******" in the past - what's wrong with that? Didn't Bono call Elvis the white ******? Or in the Boston DVD didn't he say "pull the trigger, rock 'n' roll ******"? When someone told me it was offensive, I never used it again.

Now, this innocent observation about the choice of language of the blacks is now misconstrued as offensive? If I say the British love to use the word "bloody" and spell it "colour" instead of "color" - is that offensive to? It is my own personal observation (not backed by statistics, but hey I can observe can't I?) that black musicians, especially the rap and r&b crowd, prefer to use "ain't" instead of "don't" - so what's offensive about that? It is also my observation that they convert their English nouns to plural with a "z" instead of an "s". Of course this is just a generalization, there are exceptions to the rule. Can't I just state an observation?

It is also true that U2 have not spelled song titles with "2" or pluralized their nouns with "z" (i.e. boyz) or used the word "ain't" often. So I just ad 1+1 together then my conclusion is that U2's music isn't designed to appeal to the other colors, just the predominantly the whites.

U2 have had their own black fan base - BB King loves U2, Michael Jackson loves U2, even Tiger Woods was spotted in the San Diego Popmart concert -so U2 have a black fan base. But these fans are incidental and are not the primary target market of U2.

So if there is anything offensive about what I am saying, please help me know why. Being from the Philippines, I am more exposed to the social struggles and Muslim/Christian conflicts around here than I am in-the-know about the sensitivity and what innocent statements about the American black vs. white conflicts are offensive of not. I just state my observations and generalizations, and I don't see anyting wrong with that. And every generalization does have its own exceptions to the rule.

Cheers,

J

 

[typhoon]

The word "******" is just really, really weird and Americans will forever be really, really weird about it. Best off not even touching it.

 

[starsgoblue]

If you look at my profile you will realize I am from the Philippines. We aren't exposed to the black versus white problems in the USA. Sometimes you make a comment, you don't realize it is "offensive" to the Americans. I don't live in America - just to set the record straight.

So I used the word "******" in the past - what's wrong with that? Didn't Bono call Elvis the white ******? Or in the Boston DVD didn't he say "pull the trigger, rock 'n' roll ******"? When someone told me it was offensive, I never used it again.

You can't honestly sit there and try to tell us you didn't know the 'n' word was a potentially offensive one to use. Geez, I'm not from the Philippines but I still know some offensive things to not say to someone of Philippine descent. I'm sorry but in the day and age of the global village ignorance is NO excuse.

The 'n' word is a very loaded word. It is not meant for casual effect. And trying to hide behind words someone else, even Bono, has spoken to justify your own actions is lame. The "n" words used by Bono weren't used in a derogatory manner toward a black individual....I think you are intelligent enough to realize the context and strong statement made in his use of the word as a social commentator and artist. But then again maybe you aren't.

 

[jick]

I'm not from the Philippines but I know some offensive things to say to someone of Philippine descent. I'm sorry but in the day and age of the global village ignorance is NO excuse.

The 'n' word is a very loaded word. It is not meant for casual effect. And trying to hide behind words someone else, even Bono, has spoken to justify your own actions is ridiculous. The "n" words used by Bono weren't used in a derogatory manner....I think you are intelligent enough to realize the strong statement made in his use of the word as a social commentator and artist. But then again maybe you aren't.

I used ****** in the past and I already refrained from using it, and I am sure my accuser can confirm this. And when I did use it, it wasn't meant to be in a derogatory manner. In my local language (Cebuano), the term referred to them are "nigro" so its not too far from "******" and we don't even consider it offensive at all. So when I innocently used it before, it was without any malicious intention. And up to this day, if I am speaking in my native tongue to a fellow Cebuano, I will still refer to them as "nigro" because that is how we understand and use it.

The bone of my contention and the main point of my reply to his/her post is that I am puzzled why he/she found the "ain't" versus "don't" observation offensive. No one other than him/her in this forum made that remark that it was offensive. I just want to know the reason why so that I can mark it for future reference and refrain from saying something of similar effect in the future.

Sorry for being off-topic.

Cheers,

J

 

[starsgoblue]

U2 doesn't also use the same type of English style. They don't use "ain't" often. Maybe if they made their song "Sometimes You Ain't Gonna Make It On Your Own" -it would appeal more to the blacks.

Firstly, you're wrong about only one person finding offense to that. I saw at least two people who thought so and I myself thought it smacked of ignorance when I intially read it but I bit my tongue. Why would the use of 'ain't' appeal more to blacks? Is it because you think that they aren't capable of or educated enough to be speaking proper English? That's sure how it sounded by your comment.

Again...since you yourself claimed your defense of using the 'n' word was because of unfamiliarity with black-white relations in America, why are you purporting knowledge of African American vernacular by making that comment? Kinda deflates your self-inflated innocence balloon doesn't it?

Bono himself is tuned into the whole power behind the hip hop movement and has always been a vocal fan of the creative, social and rythmic implications of predominatley African American created music. He is very respectful of it and intrigued by it. Haven't you ever read chapter 3 of Bill Flanagan's U2 At The End Of The World? I think Bono articulately explain's U2's musical weaknesses throughout the whole chapter. I suggest you go and read the whole chapter again but here's a small quote of Bono's from that to demonstrate my point:

page 26 from Flanagan's U2 At The End Of The World
"Compare white rock to the state of African American culture. The black position is so much more modern, so much more plugged in, so much more postmodern even. They're begging, stealing and borrowing but creating new things, using the technology that's available. The springboard for rock & roll was the technology of the electric guitar, the fuzz box and printed circuits. I think it's fascinating that in Compton and in the Bronx, there are sixteen- and seventeen year olds who are part of the next century plugging into all this technology to create new sounds, while middle-class kids from Ivy League colleges are listening to music that is Neanderthal. Not Neanderthal in that it's raw and primitive screaming, but that the form and fashion of it is."

I think Bono points out right there the reason his own music may not appeal. Ain't that the truth.

 

[jick]

Firstly, you're wrong about only one person finding offense to that. I saw at least two people who thought so and I myself thought it smacked of ignorance when I intially read it but I bit my tongue. Why would the use of 'ain't' appeal more to blacks? Is it because you think that they aren't capable of or educated enough to be speaking proper English? That's sure how it sounded by your comment.

Again...since you yourself claimed your defense of using the 'n' word was because of unfamiliarity with black-white relations in America, why are you purporting knowledge of African American vernacular by making that comment? Kinda deflates your self-inflated innocence balloon doesn't it?

Bono himself is tuned into the whole power behind the hip hop movement and has always been a vocal fan of the creative, social and rythmic implications of predominatley African American created music. He is very respectful of it and intrigued by it. Haven't you ever read chapter 3 of Bill Flanagan's U2 At The End Of The World? I think Bono articulately explain's U2's musical weaknesses throughout the whole chapter. I suggest you go and read the whole chapter again but here's a small quote of Bono's from that to demonstrate my point:



I think Bono points out right there the reason his own music may not appeal. Ain't that the truth.

I never said that blacks are not capable of proper English. There is no proper English. People of all races speak and spell it differently, from the whites and the blacks, the British and the Americans, the Asians and the Africans ...it's all different. There are even telltale signs on how a Filipino speaks English which makes him different from other cultures and I am sure many of you have noticed that in my writing. But does that make my English style improper or the "ain't" style improper? I don't think so. English is so universal now so there is no proper way of speaking and spelling it. Since I am from a different country with no blacks, my exposure to their English is through their language on primtetime TV (sitcoms, NBA player interviews, rap artists, etc) and my observation tells me that they use "ain't" more often than "don't". Did I ever say it was improper? Never did, never will - so you are trying to ascribe a non-existent accusation to me perhaps to strike controversy. Even your own statement "that's sure how it sounded" is merely a statement of opinion.

Bob Marley is one of my favorite artists. And I see great beauty in Naomi Campbell, Tyra Banks, and Alicia Keys (sorry Beyonce just ain't my type). I got an album by Miles Davis and James Ingram. I have nothing against blacks. A mere observation of their English speaking methods compared to other races is not meant to be a derogatory comment in any way. Different strokes for different folks - I write English in my own Filipino way, and others write it in their own white or black or British way - that's fine and to me nothing is wrong as long as we all understand each other.

"To be united is a great thing, but to respect difference is an ever greater thing." --- Bono, Popmart Sarajevo 1997

Cheers,

J