Pajiba

Man, FUCK Bono

How would you react to this if you were Bono? Sure, you're pumped because they're making a movie about you and that feeds your endlessly starved ego -- but they're calling it "Killing Bono." They might as well call it, "Hey Bono, everyone thinks you're a douche."

You're Bono, so you're not smart enough to be conflicted. You're just...hmph...you're so confused you're paralyzed (let it be known that I don't actually have any idea about Bono's intelligence -- I'm making an assumption based on the fact that I've never seen him without his sunglasses, but I know for a fact that it isn't always sunny -- especially in fucking Ireland).

You know where it's always sunny? Yeah, you know. Go ahead. Somebody say it.

I refuse to recognize there is still a band called U2 after Achtung Baby. The current douche-crew going around calling themselves 'u2' are impostors.

/same goes for Metallica after Black album

....his butt?

"Who's Bono again?"

A musical has-been who died skiing into a tree.

To start, I wouldn't really call myself a U2 fan. I acknowledge that Achtung Baby was brilliant, but I also find value in some of the later singles, like "Elevation" and "Beautiful Day." I don't get why War is such a big deal, but hey, no one's perfect. I also don't get why everyone is so keen to shit on Bono.

While I spend my days complaining about my "day job" and writing reviews that serve no real purpose except to make myself feel better, like I'm some kind of second-hand artist, this guy is going out and trying to make the world (and I'm talking about the whole fucking world here, whether it's places that love U2, hate U2, or would eat a U2 record if they were handed one) a better place. I don't claim to endorse, or even know, Bono's personal politics, but I've got nothing but respect for someone who looks at the world around them and instead of giving way to complacency and apathy says "Nuh uh, I'm gonna try and fix this." So let's give this guy a break, let him comb our shit out of his hair, and let him get onto it.

...

Oh, and Ben Barnes sucked a nut as Prince Caspian.

I fell in love with U2 after Joshua Tree, and I really enjoyed Achtung, Baby. I've liked some of their other songs here and there, but I've since been largely disappointed by how pop their sound has gotten.

And I must add that Death by Hippopotamus is absolutely correct in his (her?) assessment of Ben Barnes' performance in Prince Caspian. It was an awful movie to begin with, but Barnes' craptastic accent? I'd rather listen to U2's Pop on a loop for all eternity (that's supposed to be a punishment, btw).

it's too strange all this hatred!
because Bono's a real unpretentious and clever guy and U2 is one of the best band in live!
OK their last album is boring and in live they're the best

Oh BooFuckingHoo

Does Pajiba on the whole like anyone?

I think Pajiba just likes holes.

The early activism, the tone and tenor of U2's music was the very last hurrah for old school rock and roll, the dying echoes of a generation that once upon a time sincerely believed that we could change the world.
Nothing changed. It only grew worse. Aids and starvation continue ravaging Third World countries who suffer crushing loads of international debt. Rival nations still threaten each other with nuclear annihilation. We are almost a decade into pointless wars against Middle Eastern nations and our futures are leveraged by the Chinese, who prop up a shattered economy in which jobs become increasingly scarce. We face a divided nation with one side more than willing to throw racial slurs and threaten violence against our President.
There was a time when U2's anthems brought tears of joy to my eyes; now they only bring a profound sense of grief and loss for what was and what will never be.

Ditto, Death By Hippopotamus!!

I think U2 have recorded some pretty amazing things and are not so great anymore, even though they're still better than most little hipster/ indie bands getting a lot of attention. (Some of wich I really like).
And I relly value this 'stadium bands' who are not afraid to be big and popular, like U2, Bon Jovi, Bruce Springsteen, Coldplay, and such, even though I may not like them so much at times..
(Will I be kicked out of pajiba, now?)

Fuck all this hipster Bono hate. The man can sing. He's a rock star. Rock stars are by definition egotistical assholes.

I was never the rabid U2 fan, in fact I came to like the band only after seeing them live in the early 90s. Way late and several dollars short - I don't love everything they've done. But by Godtopus they are a fantastic band, and a huge part of their success is Bono himself. He can be whomever the hell he wants just like the rest of us.

I'm reminded of a joke.

Said Bono during a rock concert, clapping his hands in a dirge-like rhythm, "Every time I clap my hands, a child in Africa dies of starvation." Said a fan in attendance, calling out from the humility-silenced crowd, "Stop fucking clapping, then!"

Bono is tired. He may have raised all sorts of awareness back in his day, but but over time people have realized the hypocrisy of a man, rich beyond most people's wildest dreams, cutting corners to keep his assets untaxable while preaching about the need for charity and aid. I'm pretty sure that, if all the liberal celebrities in the world cut their spending to a single house, combined they could BUY Africa and feed all those suffering malnutrition until they gruesomely exploded.

Ditto Cindy and JohnDenversWingman. It's so easy and boring and yes, conformist, to hate whatever/whoever has gotten a lot of press or stardom or has just been around a long time and think you're hip/righteous/in good taste for doing so. Have you actually listened to their new work or seen them live recently? And what is "faux" about the philanthropy? At least the man is doing something. What are YOU doing?

The real question is, have any of you douchenozzles actually read the book that this film is based on and do you think that it will make a good film?
Personally speaking, I thought that it was good, but would be better adapted as a faux-biography, because as soon as you attach U2's name to a project, you get people pontificating about how self-righteous Bono is, without noticing the irony of their own actions/statements.
I like U2, but they are not the be-all and end-all of modern music.
Bono isn't the greatest guy in the world, but he does more than most Pop/Rock stars in raising both funds and awareness of injustice in this world.
Get over yourselves and look at a slightly bigger picture, twats.

@ ling
If the British, French, American, and so many other governments stopped building bombs and guns and selling them to 3rd World nations to use on their own people and their neighbours, FOR JUST ONE DAY, we would have saved more lives than Bono.
Rail against the people responsible for the misery and suffering, rather than those that try to do something about it.

Oh, and as for U2, "Atomic Bomb" had its moments but not enough of them. It sits on a shelf somewhere. I quit listening after that, though I did see "It Might Get Loud" and Edge seems like a genuinely nice guy.

@ tinmo

*applause*

I think I must draw on my analytic skills and diplomacy, gruellingly learned at university and say to you, Pajiba, in the most scientific detached fashion i can muster, "Fuck Off"

now, to elaborate, in a more detailed way, Pajiba, "Fuck Off"

Like many have said, this is a man who has throughout his career been political and vocal, long before he was famous enough for anyone to give a shit. so he wrote some catchy tunes that made a fortune and now he keeps on plodding trying to do his bit as a citizen, and you piss and whine? Fuck off.

Just as an aside, the band has also poured much of its earnings into local businesses from where they come from, trying to keep their own community alive, while at the same time using their fame and public voice to try and influence world affairs in a positive way.

So, again, with ultimate politeness, take your "faux activism" and shove it up your useless fuckwit ass.

...and then i just read Timmo's post and feel like a jackass

It's threads like this that keep me coming back to Pajibaland. Because everybody is a little bit right. Do U2 suck a lot more than they used to? Yes. Would I still rather listen to Bono wail than to whichever 'next big thing' is panting over the radio? Yes. Does it seem a little hypocritical of Bono to live his amazing rockstar lifestyle and then tell us to give all our money to Africa? Yes. Does he have a point that Africa have basically been given the very pointy end of a very pointy stick? Absolutely.

Will I see this movie? Probably not, if I'm perfectly honest. Because I never seem to get to movies much anymore.

One thing to ponder, though: these days, more and more effort is actually going into reminding people that 10 years ago, world governments put into place a whole stack of goals to end world poverty by 2015. And then basically said 'fuck it, we can't be bothered'. People like Bono are actually there to remind us that we supposedly voted for these people who promised so much and are giving so little. Sure, Bono could probably buy Africa. If all of the people going to his concerts gave just $1, we could probably eliminate world debt. The point is that the world promised something and decided it was too hard and gave up. Reminding people to pull their heads out and demand action is actually kind of admirable.

If I could step away from the Bono hate for a minute (go ahead, just keep fighting among your selves), could someone explain why a film about four Irish lads is being cast entirely with Brits? Oh the irony since U2 spent the first 15 years of their career making sure everyone knew they were Irish not English.
Also, where are they going to find an actor hot enough to play Larry?

Maybe Bono himself sums himself up best:

I like the sound of my own voice
I didn't give anyone else a choice.

I loathe Bono. It's only one of the gazillion things Figgy and I have in common.

As an Irish 'jiban let me just say, Feck Bono and his tax exile arse, lecturing the rest of us on our responsibilities to the rest of the world while he stashes his own cash in some Dutch bank account.