These are some very interesting stories from some very different points of view, and of course I respect them all. I didn't want to say anything here, but since EP and America's post, I feel like my story is almost the opposite of hers! See, I am a YOUNGER fan who didn't care much for POP! Am I weird?
Wertsie, you say your family loved U2, and you were raised on it, like me, and we are the same age! But the reaction was not the same. What did your U2-ey family think of POP? Mine didn't like it, but that wouldn't influence me, I'm my own person and I like what I like and don't what I don't. For me, U2 had literally always been there. I never really thought a lot about them, I just liked them.
I was in high school when POP came out. All the people knew I was "the U2 girl" with the t-shirts, U2 doodled on my notebooks, always quoting songs and stuff. I sure got harassed about POP. Of course most people never noticed U2 or cared one way or the other, but some who were really into music started to bug me about Discotheque. They went "boomcha" at me and did a stupid imitation of U2's imitation of the Village People. They said their new album sucked and they were a bunch of wacked out geeks now. (Most of these kids had thought AB was VERY cool, even years after its release!)
Then something I am not proud of happened- I did not feel the urge to defend the band. Yes, I was sick of being joked on, but, I couldn't disagree with the insults, because I kind of saw their point. I- denounced them.
I told the people at school that I "used" to like them, but I agreed with them that the new stuff was kind of bad, they had really changed and I didn't like it. When they asked me if I was still the U2 girl, I did defend them and their old stuff and told them not to let POP ruin their opinion of U2's whole career, and we could still appreciate the other stuff. Well lots of those people only count what's the newest, so they wouldn't listen.
I'm a really big fan again now, and though I admit it takes some things awhile to grow on me, POP just doesn't do a thing for me. It's my least favorite U2 album. I don't hate it, I just don't like it as well as the rest. I'm a really big fan again now, and though I hate to admit it, I was ashamed back then, but now it's a good time to be a U2 fan, and I am PROUD. Like I said, I never would have said I didn't like POP just to avoid being bugged about it if I really didn't feel that way. I believe in standing up for what you believe, and now I defend them wholeheartedly to those who call them "dinosaurs" and "old" and don't give them the credit and respect they have earned. I have some friends my age who like them, but some never will because they are so old, and that is sad but true. I am in nursing school now and I rarely see most of the jerks from high school, so I don't know what they think now. I have kept in touch with anyone I care about. My family really likes ATYCLB and so do I. I hope you don't think I'm terrible, I only thought this was a different story that should be told too. I am the U2 girl, a U2 crazed fanatic, and nothing takes away from that just because there was one small part of their career I wasn't too happy with. Once again I would like to state that I fully understand everyone's personal feelings on this subject, I do not condemn or criticize anyone for anything they've said, because only YOU know how YOU feel- and hope you'll all allow me the same benefit.
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~"Mirrors on the ceiling, we drink champagne on ice, and she said "we are all just prisoners here, of our own device"~
From Hotel California, but referring to those of us trapped in Mr. MacPhisto's dungeon
[This message has been edited by SamanthaPuff (edited 04-10-2002).]
[This message has been edited by SamanthaPuff (edited 04-10-2002).]
