WHY DO NON U2 FANS HATE Bono?

[U2STEVE70]

Everytime I go on another music forum no matter who the band is, when Bono is mention it is ALWAYS in a negative tone. ALWAYS. Why is this? He is a good singer and the work he does for Africia is great, so why does the B-man get no love outside of U2 fans?

 

[blueyedpoet]

nobody likes the giant

 

[YellowKite]

My brother once told me Bono is annoying to non U2 fans because whenever they hear about him it is usually in a non musical venue [i.e meeting the Pope or the President] and it just seems like grandstanding. Fans know what he is up to and that the effort goes back years and that U2 has not been left to flounder without their lead singer. Also, their music isn't being heavily rotated on the Top 40 so the music may not seem current to others, so when they see him in the news they think 'wtf is Bono up to now' to get press.

I thought it was a valid point, but it can be annoying to the U2 fan who feels that they need to defend our beloved Bono.

 

[mikal]

i always just laugh at those people. who cares what they think?

 

[Lemonfix]

We seem to have this discussion a lot around here

 

[BluRmGrl]

Because they are tasteless, ignorant trolls with no knowledge of the world beyond their feeble eyesight.

(Actually, it's like YellowKite said - people who don't keep up w/the band & Bono ONLY hear about him when he gets press attention for meeting a dignitary/politician - and then they have to wonder "WTF"???. )

 

[doctorwho]

I guess fans of artists rather hear about Bono going to rehab or divorcing his wife or getting in an accident or thinking of going solo or gaining 100 pounds or looking deathly thin or being an alcoholic or... It's far more interesting to hear about the downfall of a star than read about how much better they are than us.

 

[U2STEVE70]

My brother once told me Bono is annoying to non U2 fans because whenever they hear about him it is usually in a non musical venue [i.e meeting the Pope or the President] and it just seems like grandstanding. Fans know what he is up to and that the effort goes back years and that U2 has not been left to flounder without their lead singer. Also, their music isn't being heavily rotated on the Top 40 so the music may not seem current to others, so when they see him in the news they think 'wtf is Bono up to now' to get press.

I thought it was a valid point, but it can be annoying to the U2 fan who feels that they need to defend our beloved Bono.

This is not Bono's fault.

Someone said in a WHO forum once- "I don't agree with his politics" What is that suppose to mean? They don't believe in ending poverty in Africa or bringing the world closer together regardless of race creed or religion. Because that is Bono's "politics". I don't get it

 

[Lemonfix]

(Actually, it's like YellowKite said - people who don't keep up w/the band & Bono ONLY hear about him when he gets press attention for meeting a dignitary/politician - and then they have to wonder "WTF"???. )

I agree. Not everyone dislikes him because they are big meanies who hate charity, it's usually because people aren't really up to speed on everything he does. Sometimes die-hards forget that not everyone lives and breathes U2 and it's easy for them to get the wrong idea.

 

[typhoon]

You have to admit that Bono is a bit of a dork.

 

[thelaj]

I sometimes find Bono irritating in interviews I must confess. He seems to overcomplicate everything he says in an effort to appear intelligent (which he obviously is) wheras the other 3 just say it like it is.

Like Adam on the Rattle and Hum interviews:

So Adam, what do you think of people saying you shouldn't mix music and politics?

Adam: Well actually...I think thats kinda bullshit

Bono would talk in circles and sound very literate but to the outsider (especially the average guy on the street) it just seems like some bloke with shades chatting on crap

 

[typhoon]

Yeah, I think there are three things that balance out Bono for U2 fans (that outsiders might be unaware of):

• He has a pretty good sense of humor.
• He really believes what he says.
• The other three guys, his wife, Gavin, etc. keep his head from getting too big.

If you didn't know all that about him, then, come on, you'd think he was a twat too.

 

[Lancemc]

I don't think I'd consider anyone trying to save the lives of millions of starving children a "twat".

 

[thelaj]

Plus, I think he falls victim to "rockstar with a cause" issue...a lot of people will see him going on about debt relief, yet he is worth millions. A lot of people without good knowledge of him will find that hypocrtical. Though I think Live 8 lessened that a bit...

 

[typhoon]

I don't think I'd consider anyone trying to save the lives of millions of starving children a "twat".

That was my point with bullet point number two, but God, forget it, I hate these threads.

People don't like Bono because he won't play "Mofo" live, that must be it.

 

[Lancemc]

I understand what you said, but I don't see many people campaigning for what he does who don't really believe in it. Does that make sense?

 

[typhoon]

Sorry, that was rude. Anyway, I see what you mean. I think people see another celebrity with a pet cause and assume he just likes feeling important or something.

 

[Lancemc]

Oh yeah, there's definitly a deadly case of that going around the celebrity world these days. It's just that I can't see why people hate Bono if they even know a small percentage of what he does.

I guess that if they are so ignorant that they aren't aware of anything he fights for they might be inclined to dislike him, but for Christ's sake he's Time's person of the year. It's practicaly common knowledge by now.

 

[Bono's shades]

Everytime I go on another music forum no matter who the band is, when Bono is mention it is ALWAYS in a negative tone. ALWAYS. Why is this? He is a good singer and the work he does for Africia is great, so why does the B-man get no love outside of U2 fans?

What music forums do you visit? At the Bruce Springsteen board I visit, Bono is almost as loved as he is here. I also visited a general-interest type discussion board yesterday and there were a lot of people there who were saying how happy they were that Bono was one of the Time Magazine people of the year (There were some haters as well saying the usual "he's a an arrogant ass" line, but it was pretty much 50/50).

Believe me, Bono is far from being the most hated celeb out there.

As far as why some people do hate him - well, they don't know him as well as we do. And I have to admit, even though Bono can be wonderfully articulate sometimes, other times I listen to him speak and I just roll my eyes because he sounds like he's trying hard to sound poetic and just ends up sounding pretentious. And his claims of U2 being the best band out there is bound to tick off fans of other bands.

The criticism that always pisses me off is that he's just into the humanitarian stuff because he has a big ego and wants attention and publicity for himself. The only reason I can think of for people making that accusation is pure ignorance.

 

[thelaj]

As for saying how can people dislke Bono without knowing a great deal about him, just look around!
People always make assessments based on shaky knowledge. Look at how many people criticise government policy without knowing the ins and outs. Bono is no different.

 

[SiW87]

I hear this a lot about him:

Arrogant

and

Pompous.

I really don't see Bono as coming off as any of those things, and if he does: Doesn't he have a right to?

I suppose when you are -unquestionably- the biggest band in the entire world today, the most popular band, not only the greatest live act today but of all time, an album that is a smash hit throughout the world, huge singles, helping to end world poverty, and being Time's Person of the Year... I suppose you can be.

 

[thelaj]

My mother (who is a U2 fan) says Bono has a "Messiah Complex" and is a "Megalomaniac". I can understand how people think that, he does seem to have his finger in a lot of pies. Not enough 2006 album pies if you ask me

 

[Bono's shades]

My mother (who is a U2 fan) says Bono has a "Messiah Complex" and is a "Megalomaniac". I can understand how people think that, he does seem to have his finger in a lot of pies. Not enough 2006 album pies if you ask me

Bono himself has joked about his "Messiah Complex" on many ocassions. If it were really that bad, I don't think he'd be capable of joking about it. Megalomaniacs tend not to have a good sense of humor about themselves.

 

[thelaj]

I think Bono is a cool guy, but LemonAid posted this earlier from a recent interview in The Observer:

"I'm over the concept of rebel music but I'm not over the idea of rebellion, especially against yourself, U2 are so lucky as a group it's like we've robbed the bank of Monte Carlo, it's been a bit of a charge and plenty of people have fallen off the wagon train but the important people are still on board, it's not about getting bigger it's about getting it right, but I've a hunch it's going to get even bigger, I think it might be time for a departure with the next album, I think we can make some extraordinary music, get some of that otherness back we had in the Nineties, the pot-smoking fans of Sixties psychedelic music are dreaming up the 21st century, he's quoting Keats, that truth is beauty, beauty truth, and there's a place on the Spanish steppes where...."

Now to me, THAT is exactly why people hate bono.

 

[doctorwho]

I'm sure if these people were around in 30 A.D., they'd claim that Jesus has a "Messiah Complex" too.

And while I don't want to compare Bono to the savior of Christianity, I will say that there are similarities - as there are with anyone who has true conviction. Obstinance and confidence are often misinterpreted as arrogance. Conviction is considered pompous. Using fame for good is nothing more than show-casing one's next film/album/TV show/book.

We worship celebrity - especially in the U.S. and the U.K. - but at the same time, celebrities are also loathed. We enjoy seeing Britney have trouble in her marriage, we love seeing Mary Kate be deathly thin. But if either of them actually supported a good cause and wanted to inform the world, we'd dismiss them as "brainless celebrities". Bono's proven he has a brain, so therefore he must be attacked in other areas - like his ego.

It's sad that people look at the person and not the cause. Nonetheless, if Bono at least gets people's attentions and causes them to think - even for a moment - then the insults are worthwhile. I'd rather have a bit of arrogance do so much good, than "cool" doing nothing.

 

[indra]

I think Bono is a cool guy, but LemonAid posted this earlier from a recent interview in The Observer:

"I'm over the concept of rebel music but I'm not over the idea of rebellion, especially against yourself, U2 are so lucky as a group it's like we've robbed the bank of Monte Carlo, it's been a bit of a charge and plenty of people have fallen off the wagon train but the important people are still on board, it's not about getting bigger it's about getting it right, but I've a hunch it's going to get even bigger, I think it might be time for a departure with the next album, I think we can make some extraordinary music, get some of that otherness back we had in the Nineties, the pot-smoking fans of Sixties psychedelic music are dreaming up the 21st century, he's quoting Keats, that truth is beauty, beauty truth, and there's a place on the Spanish steppes where...."

Now to me, THAT is exactly why people hate bono.

Oh my god....did the sentence ever end?

 

[kimby]

Everytime I go on another music forum no matter who the band is, when Bono is mention it is ALWAYS in a negative tone. ALWAYS. Why is this? He is a good singer and the work he does for Africia is great, so why does the B-man get no love outside of U2 fans?

Look--there were plenty of people who hated him back in the '80's. Well before he got into the causes he's into now.

The reason? Because he's opinionated and has a big mouth--and is not afraid to use it!

 

[LyricalDrug]

That was my point with bullet point number two, but God, forget it, I hate these threads.

People don't like Bono because he won't play "Mofo" live, that must be it.

Hehehe ... too funny.

I think it'll be interesting to see if Bono has to ditch his pious, serious, save-the-world persona in a couple years, like he did in 1991, after the weight of it became too much to bear.

Anyone think the cycle has come full circle again, and we're due for another alter ego Bono? I kinda miss The Fly and Mr. Macphisto...

 

[thelaj]

I think it'll be interesting to see if Bono has to ditch his pious, serious, save-the-world persona in a couple years, like he did in 1991, after the weight of it became too much to bear.

Anyone think the cycle has come full circle again, and we're due for another alter ego Bono? I kinda miss The Fly and Mr. Macphisto...

I doubt it, since it could be percieved he was only "acting" like he wanted to "save the world" for his own selfish reasons. Perhaps he might tone it down (less speeches?) but I doubt he would drop it.
Bono has always been interested in this kind of work (Live Aid, Conspiracy of Hope etc) but it seems more intense now because of increased media attention and his speeches in the concerts. Thats my opinion anyway.

 

[U2girl]

It's the deadly "celebrity with a cause" mix, also he tends to have an ego when talking about U2's music.