Anyone Find Bono's Smoking Insanely Ironic?

[X-it 7]

I completely agree! Causes and irony aside, cigarettes destroy voices. I mean he has serious voice problems on EVERY tour! Listen to "In a Little While" and you will hear the voice of a man who needs to put down the cancer sticks. My God he's got enough money to buy the gum or the patch or something to assist.

Actually, doesn't EVERY member of U2 smoke? If they want to guarantee themselves four nice cases of lung cancer, just keep puffin.' Kick the habit, fellas. Go chew a straw or something.

 

[Catman]

It's hard to give up smoking, but atleast Bono hides it in public to be more of a proper role model for youngins such as myself

 

[Harry Vest]

Oh lighten up - Personally I'm sick of all the politically correct facists out there who have jumped on the "Smoking is the worst thing ever" bandwagon - sure it's not GOOD for you but neither is breathing the air in any major city or the preservatives in most of our food. Here's an interesting little fact - when the Nazi's first came to power in 1933 one of the first major pieces of legislation was to ban smoking in all public places - kinda reminds me of fanatic non smokers groups today. Coincidence - I THINK NOT!!!

 

[the olive]

I believe Bono circa 90-93 may have used smoking as a tool to change his voice. In several interviews he has admitted being ashamed of his voice in the 80's believing he sounded "like a girl". In the "Making of The Joshua Tree" video he cringes every time he hears himself scream on the tapes. As we know the band went through some big changes from 89-91 and I think that Bono really wanted to develope his lower key vocals. (ala Sinatra) Of course the cigarettes also became a part of the fly persona. He probably began regretting it all by the late 90's when he couldn't belt out the oldies like he used to.
Quiting smoking is extremely difficult. Ozzy once said "I've done every drug out there, the hardest to quit have been cigarettes".

 

[ylimeU2]

Hi!

I smoke. I'm a bad person. I can do no good in this world because I smoke cigarettes.

I guess that means Bono can't either.

 

[cardosino]

It would seem clear to me that smoking kills at least as many, if not more, people per year than abject poverty in Africa and is even more preventable.

As such, does it seem ironic that Bono smokes when he consistently spouts off about Africa and how we should do more to save lives there?

Don't get me wrong, I am all for what Bono's is preaching about and I try to give money each year to a number of causes that U2 has deemed worthy. However, i cannot help but feel that his smoking somewhat glamourizes this disgusting habit that kills millions each year.

This is a sort of apples and oranges argument that is obviously incongruent, but I thought I’d throw it out there to see what y'all think. . .

I find it insanely stupid. A singer with a failing voice continuing to smoke, moronic.

I quit after 14 years, it's really not THAT hard.

 

[ylimeU2]

Maybe not for you, but it's not so easy for a lot of people.

 

[cardosino]

Maybe not for you, but it's not so easy for a lot of people.

It wasn't easy, but by no means the hardest thing I've ever had to do. It's all relative I guess, depends how badly you want it.

Watching my Mom survive cancer was enough motivation, now chemo, THAT's hard.

 

[Shuey]

Ahh Its Those Dublin Bars that Before were Filled with People
with A Beer and A Smoke. That is the Heritage that the Irish
Grew up with . Its Ancient , and Mystical and Somthing that you
have to Experience . Time To Take A Trip to Ireland .

I Figure im Gonna Rent a Scooter , Stay one Night at the Clarence and Then Bolt Around Ireland on the Scooter. Gonna
Stop in every Bar i Get A Chance to and Shake it Down Irish Style.
But Yah Smoking Sucks.

 

[ultraviolet7]

It would seem clear to me that smoking kills at least as many, if not more, people per year than abject poverty in Africa and is even more preventable.

As such, does it seem ironic that Bono smokes when he consistently spouts off about Africa and how we should do more to save lives there?

Don't get me wrong, I am all for what Bono's is preaching about and I try to give money each year to a number of causes that U2 has deemed worthy. However, i cannot help but feel that his smoking somewhat glamourizes this disgusting habit that kills millions each year.

This is a sort of apples and oranges argument that is obviously incongruent, but I thought I’d throw it out there to see what y'all think. . .

Yeah it's an apples and oranges argument all right. Smoking is a personal decision - to be born in poverty isn't. It would be rather ironic if campaigned against smoking. And no I don't think Bono glamorises smoking - he's seldom seen smoking in public so I doubt that other than U2 fans people notice that he is actually a smoker.

 

[ultraviolet7]

Here's an interesting little fact - when the Nazi's first came to power in 1933 one of the first major pieces of legislation was to ban smoking in all public places - kinda reminds me of fanatic non smokers groups today. Coincidence - I THINK NOT!!!

Well it seems the Nazis did at least ONE good thing.

 

[Liesje]

I'm not really sure how I feel about this whole thing. I have never smoked anything or taken a single drag. You can call me a stuck-up, but it took my grandpa four massive heart attacks, including one that put him in a coma, to quit smoking. My dad has been smoking since high school. He's not even 50 and has already had a tumor removed from his back, a tumor removed from his neck (and this was a risky surgery that often leaves patients unable to smile b/c of nerve damage), and he's developed pneumonia a few times. To me there's just not one single good reason to smoke, not one, ever. It's nothing like some other "vices" that in small amounts are actually harmless or even beneficial. It hurts me to see Bono smoke and then blow it off, not because I'm judging him for it, but b/c I KNOW that affects his family. I'm not going to judge him by it b/c I do stupid, unhealthy things too, but I can't pretend I don't care. We have this arguement with my dad all the time....if he really thinks he *can't* quit and doesn't care, at least try for OUR sakes. I think smoking is rediculous because it destroyes so many lives and relationships for such pointless reasons. On one hand I say, "Whatever, Bono. Your life, your choice....I don't care" but I've seen what it can do and the tensions and frustrations it creates in otherwise close family relationships. I know it's not easy to quit. My grandpa hasn't smoked in probably 20 years and he still has to resist temptations when he's around other smokers, but really my grandpa shouldn't even be alive today.

 

[Macfistowannabe]

I'd be a hypocrite in a half if I found Bono's smoking insanely ironic...

I'd be happy for him if he quit, but I respect his efforts for Africa regardless of his personal decisions.

 

[Moonlit_Angel]

I completely agree! Causes and irony aside, cigarettes destroy voices. I mean he has serious voice problems on EVERY tour! Listen to "In a Little While" and you will hear the voice of a man who needs to put down the cancer sticks.

...I dunno, I think his voice sounds great.

Anywho, smoking...personally, it's not for me at all. I can't stand the smell-my parents wouldn't have had to give me a talk about cigarette smoking to keep me away from it, 'cause the smell alone is a good enough reason for me. It gives me a headache if I'm around it too long. I don't understand how anyone can stand the smell.

But, at the same time, if someone else wants to smoke, it's their body, their choice to make. How those around them want to deal with the person's smoking is up to those people and the smoker-that's something they have to sort out amongst themselves. But a flat out ban on smoking won't solve the problem, as people will still find ways to smoke.

All the preaching in the world won't do any good-if a person really wants to quit, if they're serious about kicking the smoking habit, they will find a way to do so and they will take care of it themselves. Preaching just tends to make it seem like someone's a bad, horrible person because they smoke, and that is just not true. That's not the intention of most people who want a loved one to smoke, no, but that's how it might come across sometimes.

And besides, like Harry Vest said, practically everything is looked at as unhealthy for us nowadays. We all, at some point and time, put things into our bodies that are probably not meant to be there. So to condemn somebody else for doing something that we're all guilty of doing doesn't make much sense.

Angela

 

[Liesje]

But, at the same time, if someone else wants to smoke, it's their body, their choice to make. How those around them want to deal with the person's smoking is up to those people and the smoker-that's something they have to sort out amongst themselves.

I agree, except that it's not just their body. When they have a massive heart attack and die at the age of 45...the spouse, kids, friends, and family are devastated. In my dad's case, we have some family issued b/c since my dad says he just "can't" quit smoking, my brother basically does whatever he wants to, like smoke, drink, do drugs, b/c my dad won't set an example and feels like a hypocrite trying to make him stop. My grandpa doesn't remember his last major heart attack, but everyone else remembers sitting with him in the hospital while he was comatose for a week and helping him through the surgeries and therapy.

My beef with smoking is that it just seems so selfish. Why do people want to destroy themselves and their families?

 

[financeguy]

Well... I personally find cigarette smoking very repugnant, with virtually no redeeming qualities, but to smoke or not to smoke is a choice each person makes.

Indra I'm not trying to be smart, but in another thread you said you were an occasional pot smoker. Is your stance not a teensy bit hypocritical?

 

[financeguy]

Oh lighten up - Personally I'm sick of all the politically correct facists out there who have jumped on the "Smoking is the worst thing ever" bandwagon - sure it's not GOOD for you but neither is breathing the air in any major city or the preservatives in most of our food. Here's an interesting little fact - when the Nazi's first came to power in 1933 one of the first major pieces of legislation was to ban smoking in all public places - kinda reminds me of fanatic non smokers groups today. Coincidence - I THINK NOT!!!

I largely agree with Harry Vest on this. Smoking isn't even the major cause of cancer, believe it or not. It is a cause, yes, but not the most significant. The thing about the Nazis is funny. To add another related point, Teddy Roosevelt and Churchill were both smokers, Hitler was fanatically anti-smoking. Now remind me, who was it won the war again?

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

It would seem clear to me that smoking kills at least as many, if not more, people per year than abject poverty in Africa and is even more preventable.

As such, does it seem ironic that Bono smokes when he consistently spouts off about Africa and how we should do more to save lives there?

Don't get me wrong, I am all for what Bono's is preaching about and I try to give money each year to a number of causes that U2 has deemed worthy. However, i cannot help but feel that his smoking somewhat glamourizes this disgusting habit that kills millions each year.

This is a sort of apples and oranges argument that is obviously incongruent, but I thought I’d throw it out there to see what y'all think. . .

my sympathies bud... say even a mildly bad thing about bono's africa work... even something that isn't even putting it down... and ya get flamed like never before. it's fun.

 

[GG_The_Fly]

Re: Re: Anyone Find Bono's Smoking Insanely Ironic?

my sympathies bud... say even a mildly bad thing about bono's africa work... even something that isn't even putting it down... and ya get flamed like never before. it's fun.

It's been an interesting experiment to say the least. . . it's so funny because i am such a proponent of his work and i even spent six months in africa helping work with oncological sequalae of AIDS in poverty stricken areas - but i think that those ideals are indirectly at odds with smoking when that vice has been an integral part of your onstage personas. Oh well. I tried.

 

[Do Miss America]

Re: Re: Re: Anyone Find Bono's Smoking Insanely Ironic?

when that vice has been an integral part of your onstage personas. Oh well. I tried.

One tour 14 years ago.

 

[financeguy]

Re: Re: Re: Anyone Find Bono's Smoking Insanely Ironic?

It's been an interesting experiment to say the least. . . it's so funny because i am such a proponent of his work and i even spent six months in africa helping work with oncological sequalae of AIDS in poverty stricken areas - but i think that those ideals are indirectly at odds with smoking when that vice has been an integral part of your onstage personas. Oh well. I tried.

The difference is, people who die of smoking related illnesses are usually adults, and in some cases, even make it to old age. Those dying in Africa are very often children. So, I see no hypocrisy in Bono's stance on the issue in this regard.

One could claim there is hypocrisy in the likes of Bono preaching to others while not giving away his own wealth - I think that is a more legitimate point than the smoking issue.

 

[Liesje]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Anyone Find Bono's Smoking Insanely Ironic?

One could claim there is hypocrisy in the likes of Bono preaching to others while not giving away his own wealth - I think that is a more legitimate point than the smoking issue.

Yeah, you're right. Bono should buck up and quit smoking. Then he could donate all the money he spent on cigs and give it to the poor.

 

[Moonlit_Angel]

I agree, except that it's not just their body. When they have a massive heart attack and die at the age of 45...the spouse, kids, friends, and family are devastated.

Yes, that's very hard, and I feel horrible for those who lose loved ones to things like that. But, and I do not mean this to sound bad, if people don't die from smoking, they'll die from something else-like I said earlier, everybody has put things in their bodies that aren't meant to be there, any one of those things could kill us at some point and time. And there's many people who smoke, and yet that is not the thing that kills them, too, they die from something else.

Originally posted by LivLuvAndBootlegMusic
In my dad's case, we have some family issued b/c since my dad says he just "can't" quit smoking, my brother basically does whatever he wants to, like smoke, drink, do drugs, b/c my dad won't set an example and feels like a hypocrite trying to make him stop.

Perhaps your dad could talk to your brother sometime and make a pact with him that both of them could work to quit whatever they're doing together, and if one gets better and the other's still struggling, they can help them, or something else along that line. Sometimes it's easier to try and quit something when you've got someone else going through the quitting process with you, 'cause they're gonna understand better than anyone else what you're going through, after all.

And as for being able to quit and stuff, again, like I said, people can quit drinking/smoking/doing drugs...but only if they and they alone really want to, are really serious about doing so. John Lennon was able to quit drugs cold turkey. He said it was a weird experience just dropping them altogether, but he managed to do it. Adam Clayton managed to get his life together in a short amount of time. Why? Because they were serious about stopping with that lifestyle. They were truly committed to it.

Originally posted by LivLuvAndBootlegMusic
My grandpa doesn't remember his last major heart attack, but everyone else remembers sitting with him in the hospital while he was comatose for a week and helping him through the surgeries and therapy.

My beef with smoking is that it just seems so selfish. Why do people want to destroy themselves and their families?

Most people who smoke don't do it intending on hurting their family and friends. Some might do it for spite, yes, but a lot of people do it because it relieves stress in their lives, or because it's just something they enjoy doing. They don't plan on making their families go through some of the crap that they might go through with a smoker in the house, they don't think about the possiblity that they might wind up like your grandpa.

By the way, since we've talked of irony in this thread, I personally would like to point out the slight irony that just came to mind in GG_The_Fly having that alter ego of Bono's as part of their s/n and yet speaking out against smoking, as I've seen many a picture of Bono from his Fly days smoking.

Angela

 

[Liesje]

Yeah, ok, I realize people can do whatever the fuck they please with their bodies, but I want someone to tell me WHY (yeah, smokers here, please get in on this) WHY do you do this to yourselves and your family? Just because you like to? You need to? It's fun? Cool? Why?

 

[sallycinnamon78]

Yes. He's an adult, reponsible for 3 kids, and he STILL doesn't have the sense to wear a seatbelt? Agree completely with you there - he's an intelligent guy and should know better.

We all know that many fatalities occur like this. It doen't take a minute to clip a belt on for Christ's sake.

Rereading this thread - just to correct my own error: I meant 4 kids, not 3.

I completely agree! Causes and irony aside, cigarettes destroy voices. I mean he has serious voice problems on EVERY tour!

I'm not arguing with your point, or anyone else's for that matter, about cigarettes being harmful and extremely damaging - we ALL know that you are right on that score.

Listen to "In a Little While" and you will hear the voice of a man who needs to put down the cancer sticks. My God he's got enough money to buy the gum or the patch or something to assist.

A singer smoking is fairly stupid, yes, as apart from the usual health risks and damage to his body, he's destroying one of his most valuable assets, one upon which he relies to make a living.
I do understand the point you're making there.

I love In A Little While - I think it's one of the best songs on the album, and that is largely due to Bono's vocal. He wouldn't have sounded half as convincing 20 years ago when his voice was strong as a foghorn. In this song he is portraying himself as he has become, and as he IS NOW. Damaged vocal cords, messed up soul from too much smoking/drinking/partying/general tomfoolery. His voice fits the song perfectly - and if anything, in my opinion, the song is designed to fit his voice.

That's not to undermine the harm smoking does.

It wasn't easy, but by no means the hardest thing I've ever had to do. It's all relative I guess, depends how badly you want it.

Watching my Mom survive cancer was enough motivation, now chemo, THAT's hard.

Damn right it's not easy, and yes, I agree. That said - I haven't given up yet.

I'm watching my sister die at the age of 21. She has lung cancer and various other forms.

She asked if it was due to smoking. The docs said, no way in hell would that happen at her age.

The first thing she told her specialist was that she would give up smoking immediately. He told her not to, as with everything else she is going through, her heart (which is weak anyway) wouldn't take the pressure of withdrawal.

Obviously I'm far more concerned about her than myself - but I know that if I tried to give up smoking now, I would fall on my arse, and would cope even less well. When I'm (hopefully) stronger, I'll quit. Not now.

I do have a success story though: my mum's best friend Perry started smoking when he was 11. By the time he was 25, he was on 60 a day.

When Perry was 38, he had to have an operation. It was just routine surgery, he had some problems with his sinuses and they had to be sorted. No problems with the surgery were expected as it was standard.

During the operation, Perry's throat started bleeding. This gave the surgeons a fright to say the least! When he came round he was told that if he didn't stop smoking IMMEDIATELY he would die young.

So, having been a smoker for 25 years, he quit. Didn't cut down, or set a time limit... he just quit, having been on 60 a day. That was 8 years ago. I take my hat off to him - trhat is some amazing willpower.

 

[Windmilllane]

What about Larry?

He's a vegetarian and he smokes

Whaz up wit dat?

 

[Windmilllane]

Yeah, ok, I realize people can do whatever the fuck they please with their bodies, but I want someone to tell me WHY (yeah, smokers here, please get in on this) WHY do you do this to yourselves and your family? Just because you like to? You need to? It's fun? Cool? Why?

It's all about looking cool

 

[cardosino]

What about Larry?

He's a vegetarian and he smokes

Whaz up wit dat?

No pork in a cancer stick, vegetational nutrition of a sort I guess, even for those around him who don't really want it

 

[melovekittens]

Smoking is just hurting them. The fact that Bono smokes is not causing world devistation

 

[X-it 7]

To Sally Cinnamon:

VERY interesting and intriguing point re: In a Little While. It too is one of my favorite songs on that album; didn't mean to belay that fact. I used to smoke and I too am a singer. Almost immediately after I quit, I was amazed at how much cigarettes had been constricting my voice. However, you're very right: that tune would not have packed the same punch had Bono been singing it in his "Unforgettable Fire/Bad" voice. When ATYCLB came out I think I recall a review that noted how Bono's voice was "worn, but powerful as ever." I guess you can't blame cigarettes completely for the wear and tear on his vocal chords as the guy's been singing for almost 30 years now.

Anyway, great point.