Is Bono overexposed in the media?

[Zoots]

After last night's Music Rising show, CNN.com promptly put Bono on the front page even though, correct me if I'm wrong here, hasn't it been The Edge who is doing all the work with musicians affected by Katrina? I can't help but wonder if Bono gets too much of the spotlight sometimes. I do realize that he is the one mainly involved in the ONE campaign, Africa and other global issues and I do appreciate his work. But sometimes I wonder if the other 3 guys get drowned beneath the towering figure that is Bono.

 

[RademR]

well, he's the lead singer, so it happens a lot.

but ya, i think he gets overexposed sometimes.

 

[vaz02]

Yeah of course , thats where all the anti bono crap comes from too.

 

[LemonMelon]

But Edge "doesn't want to be on the news". Bono "wants to be on the news".

 

[U2democrat]

The main thing I get frustrated with is when the media is like "Bono and U2" or whatever...I want to say Bono is a MEMBER OF U2 he is not seperate! They're 4 buddies in a band TOGETHER Bono is not a stand alone figure.

 

[Chizip]

Yeah of course , thats where all the anti bono crap comes from too.

indeed

 

[U2girl]

And lead singer in a band getting the most attention is a surprise because...?

I remember seeing an interview with Billie Joe from Green Day and Edge, but no Bono. Edge also spent more time on stage at the performance, actually.

 

[Bonochick]

Bono is the frontman and the most widely-recognized member of the band. His picture is what will grab attention, and the media knows it.

 

[Zoots]

I remember seeing an interview with Billie Joe from Green Day and Edge, but no Bono. Edge also spent more time on stage at the performance, actually.

I know! Which is why seeing a picture of just Bono on the front page of CNN was a bit surprising.

 

[U2Man]

When you're as fat as Bono, it's no wonder that you get overexposed in the media.

 

[gherman]

Bono's just a media hog that deserves to be spanked!!!

 

[Utoo]

Come on, folks, the lead singer in any band is the one who gets all the press. No one knows who the rest of the band is unless you're into music, and you barely know the drummer & bassist unless you're into the band. If the band is really famous, you know the singer & the lead guitar. I bet there are dozens of people on here who can't tell me who the rest of the Rolling Stones are besides Mick & Keith. Besides Steven Tyler, who else is in Aerosmith? Sure, a bunch of us know--but we're all on a band forum. Regular old people who don't give a rat's ass about music can't tell you. How many people in the world can really tell you who on earth Larry Mullen Junior & Adam Clayton are?

To the world, the lead singer is the figurehead of the band.


All that said, I think that U2 in general is a bit overexposed at the moment.

 

[U2Man]

All that said, I think that U2 in general is a bit overexposed at the moment.

 

[Utoo]

Shocking, I know.

I think that if one of their biggest criticisms from non-fans and from non-00s fans is that they're "trying too hard," I think that the constant CNN/TIME/New York Times stories about the charity work, the current saturation of releases (U2byU2 & ZooSydney now, Milan or Popmart next year?, 3-D IMAX next year?, tour this fall, new album who-knows-when)...it all kind of adds up. Not to mention that here in DC, at least, U2 has constant airplay & they're continually used as the pre-commercial "grabber" on radio stations---"After commercial, we'll have RHCP, Coldplay, and U2!" In a sense, it's almost as if they're gearing up for their 1988-89 "Rocks Hottest Ticket"/R&H status where they'd had an amazin peak, but the world was itching to be sick of them.

I personally don't mind, since I'm a U2nut like the rest of us. And I can't quite decide if an ever-present, all-encompassing image is good, bad, or in between. In the meantime, however, it seems that they are going at it full-force.

 

[LyricalDrug]

Bono's been overexposed since about '82.

 

[U2Man]

Bono obviously likes the attention, the others don't to the same extent.

I know what you're saying Utoo. But isn't that the way you keep yourself in the mainstream as an ageing rock band?

 

[Chizip]

some opinions from a sports meassage board i post on:

I like some U2, but what do they have to do with New Orleans, anyway? Well, besides prancing around like they're something special. Thanks guys, for caring so much about NO that you would be willing to sing songs to an audience that could probably give 2 :!: about you.

bono thinks he has to be involved in everything

After I explained that it was not Bono's, but the Edge's Music Rising cause...

That's nice, but I'm still sick of them.


How about bringing houses back to NO while they're at it??

I used to like U2 a lot; some of their stuff I still listen to.

But ever since Bono has gotten himself involved in every political situation known to man and has been quoted as saying something basically akin to: "Our music is the most influential and important of any music ever made", I've lost a lot of respect and interest for U2.

U Pooh,...I may vomit.

Nothing worse than a multi group jam, man they suck!

absolutely agree...Green Day opened with the perfect Wake Me Up when September Ends while U2 closed with the predictable Beautiful Day.

And I have no problem with musicians that have opinions. I do have a problem with musicians that use their celebrity simply to spout off in everything they do, every performance they make, every album they produce. Messages are planted in young minds that listen to all kinds of music, granted, but not even giving kids a chance to make up their own minds on certain issues isn't fair, in my opinion. As much as he brags about how influential his music is, I'm sure he's not the only one, to be fair. I bet the Rolling Stones or the Beatles probably had the biggest egos in the world at one point, too(and the living ones perhaps still do)

I actually saw U2 at the Superdome in 1997, so I thought it was kind of cool. Bono is a loser though, he thinks he's some sort of hero to disadvantaged people all over the world. He's the white Oprah. I'm sick of him and his (happy) sunglasses.

so while most of these people are idiots, the constant overexposure of Bono for all his causes does open him up to much of this criticism

 

[U2Man]

I'm sick of [...] his (happy) sunglasses.

 

[Utoo]

I know what you're saying Utoo. But isn't that the way you keep yourself in the mainstream as an ageing rock band?

It could be, but I think it's a "less refined" approach. I'd say that you could instead keep yourself in the minds of the world by putting out one great thing at a time instead of several things at once. That way you're constantly on the market, but you're not saturating it. Kind of a supply and demand approach, the same way they organized their performances at McGonagles, etc., when they were just starting out. Give enough great stuff to whet their appetites & make them clamor for your next release/performance/appearance.

 

[KUEFC09U2]

would the band not have been asked to take part in this? therefor if asked and they say no what would that look like then?
would we get the "U2 dont care bla bla", "they only wanna care when they want to"?

i know edge asked green day to help with the song and all, but the actual concert?

 

[U2girl]

I really don't think any cause less would change opinions of those who dislike Bono. Especially if they don't care to get the proper info in the first place.

U2 - and Bono in particular - have been overexposed since JT at least. They were given the mantle of "biggest band in the world" and all that comes with it. It's weak at best to say they "need" Bono's activism to stay in the mainstream. They get more than enough attention when they're on tour and when their albums come out.

"You need heroes. I'm backing away from the job" as he says in the Easter egg documentary on Zoo TV DVD. Fair enough, but he chose to be the guy waving the white flag. They chose to be a part of Live aid, and later they chose to be at the Conspiracy of hope tour. Even Zoo TV had them protesting Sellafield, getting Rushdie on stage and do the Sarajevo satellite broadcasts. So even if they didn't like the media portrayal, you can't say they didn't help to promote it. I didn't realise it was a crime and hipocrysy to happen to be rich and famous and, yes, for silliest of jobs possible, while having opinions and caring about issues. Had he been a regular rock star with booze, drugs and babes preferrably half his age he'd be mr Cool to the same crowd.

 

[Utoo]

would the band not have been asked to take part in this? therefor if asked and they say no what would that look like then?
would we get the "U2 dont care bla bla", "they only wanna care when they want to"?

i know edge asked green day to help with the song and all, but the actual concert?

They weren't asked..it was Edge's idea. And there's no problem at all with doing this concert----it was for a great cause. Hell, it was the cause of Music Rising.

 

[KUEFC09U2]

They weren't asked..it was Edge's idea. And there's no problem at all with doing this concert----it was for a great cause. Hell, it was the cause of Music Rising.

cool i just wasnt sure if it was edge who set the concert up aswell

 

[Chizip]

it was for a great cause. Hell, it was the cause of Music Rising.

well, it was for a decent cause

frankly i think most people down there would prefer getting food, shelter, employment and the rest of the essentials before getting a guitar, but the hearts in the right place

 

[Tiger Edge]

well, it was for a decent cause

frankly i think most people down there would prefer getting food, shelter, employment and the rest of the essentials before getting a guitar, but the hearts in the right place

That should really be the government's job though. It would probably look even more presumptuous.
Right now is the time for Music Rising. People are just getting back into homes and starting over again, they'll need their livelihoods back.
And they need to practice for March...

 

[Chizip]

from what i hear, a lot of the city still looks like a warzone down there. whenever i hear of music rising i get the image of a guy sitting in front of his destroyed home when all of a sudden the Edge strolls by and says "cheer up" as he's handing him a guitar. and then the Edge walks off into the sunset.

 

[Tiger Edge]

from what i hear, a lot of the city still looks like a warzone down there. whenever i hear of music rising i get the image of a guy sitting in front of his destroyed home when all of a sudden the Edge strolls by and says "cheer up" as he's handing him a guitar. and then the Edge walks off into the sunset.

Maybe there is a packet of rice in the soundhole with a deed to a new house.

I'll give Music Rising the benefit of the doubt. After if you are a musician who has lost his/her home, you'll need to start working again to help yourself out. Something about not giving men fish but teaching them how to fish.

 

[thankyou]

The very last comment of the performance was Bono saying pretty loud over the noise of the crowd, thank you to The Edge. He made sure that Edge was specifically thanked.
He wants to get attention on the issues he cares about, so he understands his name can get used for a good purpose, and knows that people might get sick of him. Bono's been quoted many times saying "I'm sick of Bono."
Bono doesn't control what gets printed on the front pages, as we all well know. They put on the front page whatever sells.

 

[LemonMelon]

absolutely agree...Green Day opened with the perfect Wake Me Up when September Ends while U2 closed with the predictable Beautiful Day.

And WMUWSE wasn't predictable? Geez, I saw that one coming from a mile away.

 

[bsp77]

I have heard a lot of comments (not as much here) that giving away instruments is not important and that rebuilding the Superdome is not important either, and that everyone should focus on food and shelter. But anyone who says that stuff does not understand New Orleans. Culture means a lot to them. They are proud of their musical history, they love their football team (even showing up with bags over their heads when they were the worst team in the NFL), they have the creole/cajun cuisine that is only found there, they regularly go to the French Quarter to party while their city floods (small floods, not Katrina). Just giving them back their homes and giving them food is great and all, but you can have those things in other cities. If we revitalize the city but not the culture, is it even worth it? I think Edge is doing something important even if many do not realize it.