Ridiculousness connected with U2??

[BVS]

Worked well how - financially?

Financially? NO.

Did you see the tour? I'm sorry you aren't getting it.

In that case, ATYCLB should have had an airport press conference. And HTDAAB should have had a missile silo press conference.

Would have been a little too literal, but hey if that's what you need.

 

[ntalwar]

Financially? NO.

Did you see the tour? I'm sorry you aren't getting it.

Would have been a little too literal, but hey if that's what you need.

It's not a matter of getting it or not. It's whether it's ridiculous or not. You say no, I say yes.

 

[BVS]

It's not a matter of getting it or not. It's whether it's ridiculous or not. You say no, I say yes.

Ok sure, but that whole era was ridiculous on purpose. Dressing as the village people, oversized cowboy hats, coming out of a lemon...that was the point.

 

[U2FanPeter]

U2 declining a US$10mil check to the charity of their choice from Pepsi. All they had to do was pick a charity. Nothing more.

u2fp

 

[BVS]

U2 declining a US$10mil check to the charity of their choice from Pepsi. All they had to do was pick a charity. Nothing more.

u2fp

Where did you hear this? Why would Pepsi give 10mil in U2's name without anything in return? Because they're fans?

Sounds fishy to me.

 

[vaz02]

U2 declining a US$10mil check to the charity of their choice from Pepsi. All they had to do was pick a charity. Nothing more.

u2fp

sounds a bit like endorsement to me , SELLING OUT.

glad u2 didnt go along with it.

 

[namkcuR]

U2's whole purpose in the 90s was showing how ridiculous it is to be a rock star. How ridiculous it is that just because they happen to write music that people like, they are treated like Gods. And how ridiculous it is that their identities are sold exactly the same way food and clothes are sold. How ridiculous it is that our society(and every developed society in the world for that matter) allows massive wealth for 'rock stars' and 'movie stars' and 'tv stars' - because 'rock music' and 'movies' and 'tv shows' SELL in places like K-MART - while there are people doing more important things but making far less money because they DON'T SELL. Popmart was ultimately a critique of the ridiculous importance society puts on money, fame, and image, and how celeberties all ultimately become just another item on a shelf in a store.

The K-Mart press conference was essentially U2 selling THEMSELVES as living, breathing merchandise in a bastion of consumerism as a way of overtly and bluntly illustrating the points I made above - the way their craft, and indeed the craft of every 'rock star', 'movie star' and 'tv star', is bought and sold as nothing more than a product.

 

[vaz02]

U2's whole purpose in the 90s was showing how ridiculous it is to be a rock star. How ridiculous it is that just because they happen to write music that people like, they are treated like Gods. And how ridiculous it is that their identities are sold exactly the same way food and clothes are sold. How ridiculous it is that our society(and every developed society in the world for that matter) allows massive wealth for 'rock stars' and 'movie stars' and 'tv stars' - because 'rock music' and 'movies' and 'tv shows' SELL in places like K-MART - while there are people doing more important things but making far less money because they DON'T SELL. Popmart was ultimately a critique of the ridiculous importance society puts on money, fame, and image, and how celeberties all ultimately become just another item on a shelf in a store.

The K-Mart press conference was essentially U2 selling THEMSELVES as living, breathing merchandise in a bastion of consumerism as a way of overtly and bluntly illustrating the points I made above - the way their craft, and indeed the craft of every 'rock star', 'movie star' and 'tv star', is bought and sold as nothing more than a product.

cool right up , some people just dont get the whole 90's thing.

 

[ntalwar]

cool right up , some people just dont get the whole 90's thing.

I think that was a problem- whether the message was transmitted or executed successfully to fans at that time is another story.

 

[U2FanPeter]

sounds a bit like endorsement to me , SELLING OUT.

glad u2 didnt go along with it.

Pepsi wanted EBTTRT since it was a big single and it played off of Coke's slogan. They offered 10m. U2 declined. They offered to give 10m to a charity of U2's choice without an endorsement. u2 declined.

u2fp

 

[U2FanPeter]

MacPhisto having his own dressing room away from the groups room.

 

[love2bmama]

back on topic.....

wasn't bono supposed to be a target of the IRA in the late 80's??

can someone either verify/expand on this or dismiss this as ridiculous??

I think this one is true, I believe Bono talks about it in the Michka Assayas book.

 

[angelordevil]

U2's whole purpose in the 90s was showing how ridiculous it is to be a rock star. How ridiculous it is that just because they happen to write music that people like, they are treated like Gods. And how ridiculous it is that their identities are sold exactly the same way food and clothes are sold. How ridiculous it is that our society(and every developed society in the world for that matter) allows massive wealth for 'rock stars' and 'movie stars' and 'tv stars' - because 'rock music' and 'movies' and 'tv shows' SELL in places like K-MART - while there are people doing more important things but making far less money because they DON'T SELL. Popmart was ultimately a critique of the ridiculous importance society puts on money, fame, and image, and how celeberties all ultimately become just another item on a shelf in a store.

The K-Mart press conference was essentially U2 selling THEMSELVES as living, breathing merchandise in a bastion of consumerism as a way of overtly and bluntly illustrating the points I made above - the way their craft, and indeed the craft of every 'rock star', 'movie star' and 'tv star', is bought and sold as nothing more than a product.

Great points.

I don't think think Pop has ever been more relevant than right now.

 

[AtomicBono]

Great points.

I don't think think Pop has ever been more relevant than right now.

I second you seconding his points

and yes, Pop was ahead of its time, I think. ZooTV, too. Mass media overload, celebrity obsession, and a consumeristic society.

 

[ntalwar]

I second you seconding his points

and yes, Pop was ahead of its time, I think. ZooTV, too. Mass media overload, celebrity obsession, and a consumeristic society.

Do you think in a way U2 became part of whom they meant to mock? Take the U2 Ipod, ABC/ONE, World Cup, TV ads with U2, etc.

 

[namkcuR]

Do you think in a way U2 became part of whom they meant to mock? Take the U2 Ipod, ABC/ONE, World Cup, TV ads with U2, etc.

Yes. It is this very paradox that has caused so many die-hard U290 fans to have such a hard time embracing U2000. In some ways, Bono has become the rock star he was parodying with The Fly.

 

[Canadiens1131]

Do you think in a way U2 became part of whom they meant to mock? Take the U2 Ipod, ABC/ONE, World Cup, TV ads with U2, etc.

Yeah, of course. That's the whole 'mellowing-out rockstars in their 40s' thing though. I can accept the fact that U2 can be lame and do car commercials and such now. I wouldn't be that shocked.

Congratulations on ruining this thread earlier on by the way

 

[hcbiggs2002]

back on topic.....

wasn't bono supposed to be a target of the IRA in the late 80's??

can someone either verify/expand on this or dismiss this as ridiculous??

As ridiculous as this may sound to some, but yes this was a very true threat! Infact just last years April there was a short article about this in the Belfast Telegraph where it says that Bono talks about it the Bono in Conversation with Michka Assayas book. But I knew about this before either the book or said article.

 

[WildHoneyAlways]

Assuming you're serious, what is brilliant about rich rock stars holding a press conference in a store where poor people shop?

Poor musicians holding a press conference at Neiman Marcus - now that's brilliant.

Why do you assume that only poor people shop at Kmart?

Now that is ridiculous.

I second/third the notion that U2 has some ridiculous fans.

 

[U2girl]

thanks for the enlightment

U2's whole purpose in the 90s was showing how ridiculous it is to be a rock star. How ridiculous it is that just because they happen to write music that people like, they are treated like Gods. And how ridiculous it is that their identities are sold exactly the same way food and clothes are sold. How ridiculous it is that our society(and every developed society in the world for that matter) allows massive wealth for 'rock stars' and 'movie stars' and 'tv stars' - because 'rock music' and 'movies' and 'tv shows' SELL in places like K-MART - while there are people doing more important things but making far less money because they DON'T SELL. Popmart was ultimately a critique of the ridiculous importance society puts on money, fame, and image, and how celeberties all ultimately become just another item on a shelf in a store.

The K-Mart press conference was essentially U2 selling THEMSELVES as living, breathing merchandise in a bastion of consumerism as a way of overtly and bluntly illustrating the points I made above - the way their craft, and indeed the craft of every 'rock star', 'movie star' and 'tv star', is bought and sold as nothing more than a product.

Of course, it's also ridiculous to say they didn't enjoy the airplane rides, the multiple cars, the cool clothes, the villas, the fancy lifestyle, fame and the money they made. They were owning up to being celebrities and rock stars.
"Owning up to the hipocrysy of my own heart".

I think Bono only in the past few years got the role of "rock star" right. After running away from it, then mocking it, he finally has learned to deal with it.

 

[ntalwar]

Of course, it's also ridiculous to say they didn't enjoy the airplane rides, the multiple cars, the cool clothes, the villas,
the fancy lifestyle, fame and the money they made. They were owning up to being celebrities and rock stars.
"Owning up to the hipocrysy of my own heart".

Great point. I feel the MESSENGER is just as important as the message.
It turns into hypocrisy for many when the rich mock the very system that made them rich in the first place, while enriching themselves doing it!

Congratulations on ruining this thread earlier on by the way

I thought that was your specialty
Seriously, this was a dying thread before my 1st post (it was at the bottom of. page 1 of the forum).

Why do you assume that only poor people shop at Kmart?

LOL - Where did I say ONLY?

 

[Galeongirl]

As ridiculous as this may sound to some, but yes this was a very true threat! Infact just last years April there was a short article about this in the Belfast Telegraph where it says that Bono talks about it the Bono in Conversation with Michka Assayas book. But I knew about this before either the book or said article.

it's true.. I found a piece of it on Wikipedia (not that you can trust that site so easily, but I've heard about it before and think this is pretty accurate)

Following the Enniskillen bombing (1987), several newspapers claimed Provisional IRA paramilitaries had put Bono on a hit-list for his "fuck the revolution" speech following the bombing that left 11 dead and 63 injured on 8 November 1987. The singer had been advised to cut his on-stage outburst from the Rattle and Hum film but it stayed. Some papers suggested the film's charity London premiere on 31 October, would have to be cancelled. It wasn't, and U2 all turned up, although their attempts to busk in Leicester Square were prevented by crowds and police.

 

[silvrlvr]

On Pop, if you go back and look at it from today's perspective, you can see the beginnings of how U2 was planning to become its own brand. It didn't show up right away on HTDAAB; but by the time Bomb came out, they had honed it and now they're hitting their stride.

I don't blame them at all for this. Everything is commercial now -- name an art exhibit, a sporting event, a political convention, a Broadway show that doesn't have some kind of corporate or financial tie. There is very little art for art's sake that is commercially viable. But instead of letting others use the band, U2 is using them.

They do an iPod, they help Apple make money, they help themselves make money by selling iTunes. They let their songs be used in the World Cup, they help draw attention to ESPN's broadcasts, they give visibility to the U2 brand. They are not just a rock band anymore; they are a brand.

That might drive older fans away but it is attracting scores of new ones whose frame of reference is not punk rock but the new brand-driven world. Wouldn't KMart just kill now to have U2 link up with them again?

What will be interesting, though, is what it does to the music. Does it mean U2 can no longer take risks -- or do they have to take MORE risks with music because they have to keep the brand fresh?

 

[Bono's shades]

What will be interesting, though, is what it does to the music. Does it mean U2 can no longer take risks -- or do they have to take MORE risks with music because they have to keep the brand fresh?

I would say it would prevent them from taking risks. Changing a brand can be very risky in the corporate world. Look at what happened with the new Coke back in the '80s.

U2 need to stop thinking of themselves as a "brand" and start thinking of themselves as a group of creative musicians again. However, with all their corporate ties, I fear it may be too late.

 

[cypress]

I definately endorse the idea that U2 has some absolutely ridiculous fans and this thread proves it. The tour was named popMART so they held their press conference at k-MART. That was the perfect backdrop for announcing the new tour at the time. It is just that simple.

I laugh everytime someone brings up the Pepsi thing. Pepsi intended to use U2 as a pawn in its never-ending game with Coca-Cola. U2 did the right thing in declining. Even though the money would have went for a good cause, allowing Pepsi to use U2 simply to get a jab in at Coca-Cola would have cheapened the U2 name.

With I-pod and the World Cup, U2's songs are being used to benefit both entities without tarnishing U2's image. It is a very different kind of partnership than the Pepsi deal would have been. It is also a sign of the times. In the 21st century there are an ever-increasing number of avenues entities like rock bands can use to gain exposure for their music. U2 is exploring these avenues.. very carefully. I think they have done so very tactfully thus far.

 

[ntalwar]

I definately endorse the idea that U2 has some absolutely ridiculous fans and this thread proves it. The tour was named popMART so they held their press conference at k-MART. That was the perfect backdrop for announcing the new tour at the time. It is just that simple.

Guess which name came first? And the only ridiculous fans are those who think there is only one way to interpret U2's actions or music.

 

[BVS]

Pepsi wanted EBTTRT since it was a big single and it played off of Coke's slogan. They offered 10m. U2 declined. They offered to give 10m to a charity of U2's choice without an endorsement. u2 declined.

u2fp

This isn't what you posted earlier. They were trying to buy the song. I'm glad U2 declined. Why is this rediculous?

 

[Pero]

this thread went somewhere else with maintaining my interes for it.
On threadon't really know about any ridiculous things relating to u2. I think that whole 90's u2 was ridiculously good.

 

[dietcokeofevil]

Assuming you're serious, what is brilliant about rich rock stars holding a press conference in a store where poor people shop?

Poor musicians holding a press conference at Neiman Marcus - now that's brilliant.

Actually BOTH are brilliant.

Your idea should be used for the next album

 

[dietcokeofevil]

An aloof press conference is art? I think artists also can be at fault, escpecially if the fan base is established.

...or stuck in the Joshua Tree