Merged ----> *ALL* Bono On OPRAH Threads Are HERE (PICS as well)!

[martha]

Hey! You're an old fart!

Call me an old fart if you want, but the man was dead sexy in his little blue shirt and little white teeth. Maybe because we're nearly the same age, but I think Bono is almost hotter than he was during JT. All that compassion and intelligence, put into that sweet, little Irish...ahem... package. I'll take him, if you don't want him.

 

[GypsyHeartgirl]

I have great admiration for the work Bono is doing, and I have always relished in the fact that he almost always did it with his own unique style. He has met world leaders in mismatched clothes and backwards hats and gotten respect and results. He said once he didn't need to dress formally because he represented a very informal bunch of people! I also think that him not dressing up drew attention to him and helped his cause, like 'who's that character?' Well let me tell you! Looking like everyone else only makes you another sheep in the crowd.

I admire someone very much for holding to themselves and not doing something you wouldn't ordinarily do, aka 'ass kissing.' One of my favorite football players, Edgerrin James, was offered a lot of lucrative endorsements by agents who told him they could sell him to middle America if he cut his long dreadlocks and had his teeth redone to get rid of the jewels he had in them. He told them, if they didn't want a long haired guy with jewel studded teeth, they didn't want Edgerrin James, they wanted some other guy, why don't they go find him? He turned down all that money rather than turn into something he didn't want to be. Good for him!!

Now I know what Bono is asking for is much more important than endorsements, but as I stated he has had MUCH success before dressed as Bono, he even won over Jesse Helms! So I see no need for him to adopt the typical, boring politician look, and I lost some respect when I saw that he had 'sold out' to 'the man' and I was disappointed. One more thing- I saw Bobby Shriver, a Kennedy cousin and a leader of Bono's cause in the audience, and he had longish hair and casual clothes, so it must be okay!

 

[moon_is_playing_tricks]

Bono, what you're doing for this world is great, and you should be admired for it.

What a shame you have to look like such a geek doing it.

I am not liking Bono's Mr. Businessman look. I do not dig guys with short hair and suits, not even him. As I said before, my Bono drooling days are over, for now at least. I like rock stars, not yuppies.

*runs to Brandon Boyd*

*must finally, really stop coming to PLEBA since there is no longer any reason to*

Ok I'll stop now.

OK... I had sincerely hoped you were kidding, but well, the "there's no reason to come back to PLEBA anymore" remark kinda put the last nail in the coffin, so to speak.

Now, before I go and get my panties into a bunch, I'll take a deep breath and count to ten.

Nope, still got my panties in a bunch. Oh well.

What you said at the beginning, about Bono being commended for doing what he's doing - that's the important thing. Then you go and ruin your comment with the "it's a shame he had to look like a geek doing it." If ya want Bono to look like he did back in 1987 with the flowing brown hair and the funky clothes, freakin' go rent Rattle & Hum and watch it over and over and over until you die. Or watch ZooTV live at Sydney or the Interference video for Bono as the Fly over and over and over until you die. Because to be perfectly honest, people change and I seriously doubt Bono's ever going to look like that again. But since you're so incensed that Bono doesn't look Rock Star enough for you when he's campaigning for an important cause, maybe you should seriously just watch the video. You have obviously lost sight of what he's campaigning for and have instead chosen to focus on his looks. That saddens me. What he's campaigning for, what he thinks is an important cause, means NOTHING to you because you're more concerned about what he's wearing.

That's messed up.

Bono chooses how he looks based on what he's going to be doing. If he's going to be appearing on TV in front of millions of viewers, NOT PERFORMING, but POURING HIS HEART OUT and IMPLORING THE AMERICAN PUBLIC FOR HELP, you'd bet he'd be dressed appropriately. He looks a lot different sitting on Oprah's show than he did sitting on David Letterman's.

I don't understand what it is with the obsession of Bono's looks. Bono is a freakin' HUMAN BEING - what he wears is what he wears. I think the message he is trying to send is being lost to some people because they can't get past the trivial and the mundane. I think Bono looks good in anything he wears - I am personally more concerned about the messages he sends rather than what he wears. Then again, I've never been a fashionista and have my own quirky style and I could give a flying rat's ass what people think of my clothes. I think my personality and my mind is more important.

Moonie

 

[Kristie]

Housewives that watch oprah and politicians are totally different audiences
Paul O'Neill even said that he didn't want to talk to Bono at first because of his image as a rock star. But being a politician which usually requires being at least a little open minded, gave him a chance - the audience of Oprah is much less likely to do that. If they turned on their show to see the regular Bono we all know and love they would say "Oh... Bone-o? Bah." and turn him off without listening to a word he says. Politicians for the most part were turned OFF by his image but were won over by his persuasive tongue.
gb: wouldn't you be?
me: Shush, I'm being serious.
Anyway, Bono said himself that he was very nervous to go on the show. He was trying to make as good as impression as possible, and that includes looking sharp. He's his own free man, he can wear a suit if he wants to, and don't forget he wore his usual bulgari shades so we don't forget that he is indeed Bono.
Either that or he forgot to pack his other glasses. Also remember he cut his hair months ago and not specifically for Oprah.
We who adore the rock star Bono, we've already recieved his message. It's the people who don't like it that are the ones he's trying to reach now.
So I wouldn't say he sold out.
Gb: You'd buy him, wouldn't you?
me: Oohhh yeah... HEY didn't I tell you to shush?
SO.
My point here is that I don't care whether or not you like how he dressed or not, that is your personal preference, it's that you understand WHY he did it.
Personally if Bono has to sell out to save millions of lives than I'm all for it.

And I didn't see anyone objecting to that suit in the picture with Gina...

so thus endeth my two cents on the matter

 

[hippy]

Lets get shirts made that say, "Proud to be a U2 fan".

I'll definitely vote for that!

 

[hippy]

Re: Hey! You're an old fart!

Call me an old fart if you want, but the man was dead sexy in his little blue shirt and little white teeth. Maybe because we're nearly the same age, but I think Bono is almost hotter than he was during JT. All that compassion and intelligence, put into that sweet, little Irish...ahem... package. I'll take him, if you don't want him.

Not without a lot of competition from me!

I agree wholeheartedly with what Daisy, Moonie, and Kristie said.

 

[verte76]

Re: Hey! You're an old fart!

Call me an old fart if you want, but the man was dead sexy in his little blue shirt and little white teeth. Maybe because we're nearly the same age, but I think Bono is almost hotter than he was during JT. All that compassion and intelligence, put into that sweet, little Irish...ahem... package. I'll take him, if you don't want him.

Yes, indeed, you've got competition.

 

[Hallelujah Here She Comes]

Now I know what Bono is asking for is much more important than endorsements, but as I stated he has had MUCH success before dressed as Bono, he even won over Jesse Helms! So I see no need for him to adopt the typical, boring politician look, and I lost some respect when I saw that he had 'sold out' to 'the man' and I was disappointed.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe Bono dressed very similarly as he did on Oprah when he fist started knocking on politicians doors, including Jesse Helms'. From the beginning of his work on this issue, he knew that if he was going convince the people he needed to convince, he'd have to move within their world. That meant, for a start, dressing as they dress. It would have appeared arrogant if he refused to dress as all other polliticians dress, simply because he is Bono. It would have been viewed as him thinking he was above the standards that everyone else in the political world follows. And when you're trying to get people who are already skeptical to listen to what you have to say, giving off the impression of arrogance is not a good place to start.

For that matter, since when is dressing in a suit where dressing in a suit is the proper attire 'selling out'? He's supposed to wear leather pants to the World Economics Forum because he doesn't want to appear less cool to his fans? Do you seriously think people would take him and his issue seriously if he did that? His goal was to get his point accross and save lives, so I seriously doubt fashion was his primary concern.

And you know what? I don't even care if this makes Bono a 'sell-out.' frankly, I'd rather have Bono be a sellout that saves lives than a perpetually cool rock star that isn't willing to give up a little of that cool in order to help others.

 

[hippy]

And you know what? I don't even care if this makes Bono a 'sell-out.' frankly, I'd rather have Bono be a sellout that saves lives than a perpetually cool rock star that isn't willing to give up a little of that cool in order to help others.

*applauds*

 

[GypsyHeartgirl]

Martha- don't forget I'm your age too, I got a month on ya!

Kristie- Don't forget that the 'housewives' who watch Oprah are my age, or a little older or younger, and we grew up with rock and roll, wild stuff from the 60's and 70's and would not at all be shocked by a rock star. Most of us are rock fans, even U2 fans!It's not like we're a bunch of 80 year olds who are offended by anything but suits, sheesh!

 

[moon_is_playing_tricks]

Martha- don't forget I'm your age too, I got a month on ya!

Kristie- Don't forget that the 'housewives' who watch Oprah are my age, or a little older or younger, and we grew up with rock and roll, wild stuff from the 60's and 70's and would not at all be shocked by a rock star. Most of us are rock fans, even U2 fans!It's not like we're a bunch of 80 year olds who are offended by anything but suits, sheesh!

Um... i didn't get the impression from Kristie's post that people who watch Oprah are offended by people in suits. What I got out of it was her trying to defend Bono's choice of clothing based on the medium he was trying to reach - Oprah's audience. Trust me on this one... Oprah has made millionaires out of authors who have come on her show to plug a book. Before Oprah started her Book Club, she would have authors come on the show and the next thing you know, literally ten minutes after the show was aired, the phones would be ringing off the hook at the bookstore I worked at... that book would make it to the New York Times Best Seller list in a matter of days. Oprah is a very powerful force in America. I've seen what she can do.

I also know personally people who are turned off by Bono and people like Bono. My mother can't stand him - she doesn't like activists in general and what Rush Limbaugh says, goes and if Rush doesn't like Bono, my mom doesn't like Bono. So how does Bono reach the audience of people who could care less what he has to say? How can he reach people who are more concerned about the next show on Oprah that deals with re-decorating your home and making it more Feng Shui? (I'm being fecitious here - I don't know what's coming on next after Oprah... I'm just trying to make a point) He had a lot to contend with appearing on Oprah... there are a lot of people out there who believe that America has enough of its own problems - why bother trying to help other countries when we have enough of our own?

I'm not feeling very well right now... so I'm hoping my thoughts came out the right way.

Moonie

 

[wertsie]

I'm not feeling very well right now... so I'm hoping my thoughts came out the right way.

Moonie

Aw... Feel better Moonie!

 

[GypsyHeartgirl]

Um... i didn't get the impression from Kristie's post that people who watch Oprah are offended by people in suits.





Moonie

Um, I didn't either. That's why I tried to explain that people who watch it were not offended by people who DIDN'T wear suits. You read it wrong.

 

[GypsyHeartgirl]

One more thing, the comment about 'selling out to save lives' bugs me, because I went to so much trouble in my thread to try to show that I did know how important that was and I don't want it to look like I'm making frivolousness of the situation. Remember I did say that he had success before dressed in various casual ways and had his own style, which I think HELPED his cause by drawing attention to him by not looking like everyone else. Okay that one just hurt, rant over.

This really is pointless to discuss. He's gonna do what he wants and next week he may show up at the White House dressed in a clown suit. I remember when I used to get annoyed a long time ago when people wanted to give the band ' fashion tips'- I always said, they have the money to buy what they want, they can buy anything, so whatever they buy, they must want it. As long as it's their own choice, it's okay. I just think someone has been pressuring Bono to wear suits because remember a couple months ago he said he didn' t own one and had to borrow one, so I know deep down he doesn't really like them.

But girls, at the very end of the aftershow, when he took off those shades, didn't you just MELT? Okay, I did I did!

 

[BONOPOP]

I think we all are missing the point. It's not only a matter of the best clothes you can wear to make some kind of people respect you. Agree with most of you on that and of course, in some cases that is really important, not only for Bono, but for all of us, but what I'm trying to say here is Bono has a brain to decide and is old enought to choose his clothes, his haircut and the color of his glasses, no matter what we are going to think, for God's sake If some people don't like Bono's look right now, well, their choice, after all is a matter of taste

 

[GypsyHeartgirl]

I think we all are missing the point. It's not only a matter of the best clothes you can wear to make some kind of people respect you.

No, this IS the point I'm trying to make. It's wrong for someone not to be respected because of what they wear, that's discrimination. Is he not the same intelligent guy with the same wonderful ideas in that plaid shirt and green tie as he is in a suit? I don't think he should be judged by his clothes and I don't think he has been- he's had great success reaching important people with his message dressed various ways, and I thought that was cool. I think the idea of having to dress a certain way to be 'respected' is really old fashioned and unfair, just as other types of discrimination. I feel this way about all people and all jobs. It's a pet peeve of mine that has nothing to do with Bono, I feel like that all the time, it was just this time it applied to him. I'm sorry I ever got into this thread. I thought I could explain it intelligently and clearly, but I was misunderstood. I knew that when I saw that 'sell out to save lives' comments. I knew then my post had been either partly ignored or misinterpreted. Sigh. I'm tired of all this and I'm going to bed now.

 

[BONOPOP]

I'm sorry I ever got into this thread. I thought I could explain it intelligently and clearly, but I was misunderstood. I knew that when I saw that 'sell out to save lives' comments. I knew then my post had been either partly ignored or misinterpreted. Sigh. I'm tired of all this and I'm going to bed now.

I do understand what you said, but I do not agree with you. That's all

I don't think he should be judged by his clothes and I don't think he has been- he's had great success reaching important people with his message dressed various ways

Agree on that, but sorry, right now you're the one judging him in this case

Is he not the same intelligent guy with the same wonderful ideas in that plaid shirt and green tie as he is in a suit?

Yep, he's always the same, and as intelligent as he is, he can choose whatever he wants to wear

 

[moon_is_playing_tricks]

I had this big ol' long post. But since I'm feeling pretty y, I'm only going to say a few things:

#1. Yes, I read your post wrong. I apologize for that.

#2. I don't understand why people who were responding to an obvious *dig* at Bono are being chastised/picked-on/what have you. Bono was called a freakin' geek. I just don't get it.

#3. Kristie's comment on 'selling out' - I can't speak for her, but the way I see it, Bono will do what he needs to do to get his message across - and if that means dressing a certain way to reach a certain audience, then so be it. I think that's what she meant. I don't know.

#4. I'm hoping that we can all agree that it doesn't matter what Bono looks like - really, it's the message he's trying to send.

that is all.

Moonie

 

[Liesje]

*scrolls quickly through pages of negetive comments*

:ahem:

I would like to say something nice........

I would still love Bono if he had a comb-over and stirrup pants

thank you, that is all!

 

[daisybean]

I would still love Bono if he had a comb-over and stirrup pants

Hey I had stirrup pants when I was a kid

Meh, it was the 80's what can I say

 

[Hallelujah Here She Comes]

One more thing, the comment about 'selling out to save lives' bugs me, because I went to so much trouble in my thread to try to show that I did know how important that was and I don't want it to look like I'm making frivolousness of the situation. Remember I did say that he had success before dressed in various casual ways and had his own style, which I think HELPED his cause by drawing attention to him by not looking like everyone else. Okay that one just hurt, rant over.

I'm sorry if my comment personally offended you. It wasn't meant to be a dig at you. It was clear from your post that you respect what he's trying to do. But I didn't understand how that meshed with your comment about wearing a suit being selling out. I don't think he was giving up his individuality. I think he was recognizing that to be most effective, he had to fit in. It felt like in your post you were saying that maintaining his individual style was more important than what he was try to accomplish, and that's what I took issue with.

 

[Hallelujah Here She Comes]

No, this IS the point I'm trying to make. It's wrong for someone not to be respected because of what they wear, that's discrimination. Is he not the same intelligent guy with the same wonderful ideas in that plaid shirt and green tie as he is in a suit? I don't think he should be judged by his clothes and I don't think he has been- he's had great success reaching important people with his message dressed various ways, and I thought that was cool. I think the idea of having to dress a certain way to be 'respected' is really old fashioned and unfair, just as other types of discrimination. I feel this way about all people and all jobs.

I'm sorry, but being judged by what you wear is just reality.Of course it's not fair. But I think Bono realized that the people he needed to reach, namely politicians and the non-U2 fan public at large, would be more willing to listen to him if he were dressed in a traditionally respectable manner. And I think that's what his ultimate goal was: to get the most amount of people to hear what he had to say. The outfit isn't the message, just a way of getting his foot in the door. Bono's ideas are the same no matter how he dresses. The difference is that now I think more people will be more receptive to them because of the way he dresses. Whether that is fair or not (and I agree that it is not), it's just the way it is. And what does it matter if the ultimate result is that an urgent issue receives the attention it deserves?

 

[GypsyHeartgirl]

what does it matter if the ultimate result is that an urgent issue receives the attention it deserves?

I was just saying that it has never mattered before, so why now is everyone saying he has to do this? If he impressed some of the most important men in the world dressed down, why suddenly does he need a suit to impress middle aged women in America, most of whom are probably baby boomers who grew up with rock and like rock stars, some even ex-hippies, who wouldn't want or need to be won over by a suit?! Look how he dressed on his trip to Africa, with the UN leader, and seeing most of the world leaders the last couple of years. He has gotten respect wearing his own style clothes before, bragged that he didn't even own a suit and I just held him up as some kind of extra cool hero for that, that he did all this great work and accomplished it while sticking to his own style and not caving into the old traditional hangups about clothes. I thought that was so special and cool, it disappoints me to see him go Mr. Suit, especially when he has proven it is not necessary! He has been out there crusading and winning in his casual clothes so I see no need to give up now.

Oh, and apology accepted, I really do care. I helped the Jubilee crusade that set up tables during the tour and I'm one of Sherry's Bono's Angels.

 

[Saracene]

No, this IS the point I'm trying to make. It's wrong for someone not to be respected because of what they wear, that's discrimination. Is he not the same intelligent guy with the same wonderful ideas in that plaid shirt and green tie as he is in a suit? I don't think he should be judged by his clothes and I don't think he has been- he's had great success reaching important people with his message dressed various ways, and I thought that was cool. I think the idea of having to dress a certain way to be 'respected' is really old fashioned and unfair, just as other types of discrimination.

Sorry, but you certainly sound like you're judging Bono by his clothes right now. And that's what all people do all the time anyway: they judge other people by their clothes and they wear clothes in order to give a certain impression of themselves to other people. Even when people say that they don't care about what they wear, that in itself is still a message about themselves they want to convey through their clothes.

If anything, U2 are one of the most image-conscious bands out there. They know that what you're wearing is sending out signals to people on what you're all about and they have used that knowledge throughout all their career. Look at Achtung Baby era - Bono didn't just wake up one morning and said, hey, I'm fed up with cowboy hats and I feel like donning black leather and giant shades for a couple of years. His whole look was carefully constructed to present a certain image of himself.

It's true, Bono had a lot of success getting his message through without wearing a formal suit, but I think that in those cases he was always plugging "Bono the rock star" along with "Bono the campaigner". Let's face it, most people are quite drawn to the whole rock star glamour aura, and I think that his "cool, rock star-casual" look in those cases was just as calculated. Perhaps he decided that, for this particular interview, he needed to cut down on the rock star thing and make a clear "statement" that he wasn't there to plug the next "Best Of" or whatever, but talk business and business only.

 

[Saracene]

He has gotten respect wearing his own style clothes before, bragged that he didn't even own a suit and I just held him up as some kind of extra cool hero for that, that he did all this great work and accomplished it while sticking to his own style and not caving into the old traditional hangups about clothes.

So basically you're saying that Bono has to dress in a certain way in order for you to think him cool, even though he's still the same person with the same great ideas underneath that suit? Because IMO this sort of thinking belongs to the same basket as the idea that a person has to dress a certain way in order to be respected.

 

[GypsyHeartgirl]

So basically you're saying that Bono has to dress in a certain way in order for you to think him cool, even though he's still the same person with the same great ideas underneath that suit? Because IMO this sort of thinking belongs to the same basket as the idea that a person has to dress a certain way in order to be respected.

I see your point. But he had already PROVEN that he didn't need the office/professional/suit look to be respected, and I respected that so much in him. I can see how you think I'm being the same way with the cool thing but the reason I spoke out is because have this really big pet peeve, hangup if you will, about society having to dictate the way a person dresses to show their self worth. I really think that sucks and is a form of discrimination. Bono was my hero for fighting that and I hated to see him become just another man in a suit who felt he needed it to be taken seriously.

 

[Saracene]

I see your point. But he had already PROVEN that he didn't need the office/professional/suit look to be respected, and I respected that so much in him. I can see how you think I'm being the same way with the cool thing but the reason I spoke out is because have this really big pet peeve, hangup if you will, about society having to dictate the way a person dresses to show their self worth. I really think that sucks and is a form of discrimination. Bono was my hero for fighting that and I hated to see him become just another man in a suit who felt he needed it to be taken seriously.

I guess I can see your point too; it's just that I don't think that Bono consciously set out to prove that you don't need a suit in order to be respected. I think he simply believes that you need to use different guises in different circumstances in order to achieve what you want to achieve.

Also, if you look at it from another perspective, as well as dictating the way "professional" people should look, society also dictates the way rock stars should dress and behave. If anything, it's supposed to be conventional and normal for them to wear something off-beat, so I would argue that by wearing a professional suit Bono is actually being a truly unconventional rock star.

Anyway, it's not like this was the first ever time Bono wore a suit; I saw plenty of photos of him dressed formally with a couple of Washington officials, and if I remember correctly, he also wore a suit when he was meeting with the Pope.

 

[Bonofire]

Look he didn't wear a tie and his shirt tail was hanging out over his pants

YES I loved it when he took off his shades!! Wasn't it cute when he told Oprah there was a bee on the shades?

Can any of you please make stills of that part?

 

[Scarletwine]

I agree the message is the main point, not the man's looks. I certainly wouldn't be in this forum if I only cared about the band's looks. Their music and their message has always meant more or I wouldn't have been a fan for all these years.

I really don't want to get in to debate about the suit, but Bono's choice of clothing looks nothing like any of the "suits" where I work. I mean come on - how many people do you see in suits that have the tails hanging out longer the the jacket or the sleeves that long and unbuttoned. So while he makes an effort to play the game, he retains his individuality.

 

[Bonofire]

Great stories!

Originally posted by Savannah

WOW! Those are so awesome! It pays to look through more than just the last page of a thread! Woo-hoo!