ADecentMelody said:
money-hungry, cause-exploiting fan-deceptors who use human disasters to propagate their careers.
Wow, that is a concise way to sum up U2's existence! But some parts I do disagree with though:
1. Money-hungry: U2 members are probably worth $100 million each, yet they still do little things to pinch the extra profit such as website membership, multiple versions of the same album, high ticket prices, high merchandise prices, iPod deal to get commissions from U2 iPod, Apple deal to have some bonus tracks exclusive only to iTunes and the Complete U2.
2. Cause-exploiting: from African aid (Live Aid), to Amnesty International (Conspiracy of Hope tour), to Greenpeace (Alternative NRG cd), to the Fight Against Poverty (Netaid), to the Tibet benefit (Tibetan Freedom concert), to 9/11 (A Tribute To Heroes), to other things I may have left out (AIDS, etc.) it seems U2 jump from one cause to the other. And all these causes are high-profile and nets them great publicity which means more exposure and will sell more records. There seems to be too many causes to actually have one real focus. Whether this is exploitation or not is up to the fans and critics to decide. But I think it is a safe assumption that their public appearance to all these varied causes helped them sell more records and did their image more good than harm.
3. Fan-deceptors: I'd refer this to the disgruntled members of U2.com because I luckily never fell for the bait.
4. who use human disasters to propogate their careers: I think it is not U2 who use the human disasters. It is the human disaster that needs U2, then U2 are there always ready to help. And an incidental result of their helping out these human disasters is that their careers are propogated. So both parties mutually benefit and no one is taking undue advantage of the other.
I really love your short and concise way of putting things - short and straight to the point. Nevertheless, all these traits attributed to U2 has not yet hindered or compromised the quality of their music. So that is why I still love them and listen to them.
Cheers,
J