Did anyone else think U2 performance at the SB was in poor taste?

Myself | 2banana

[2banana]

Maybe I am crazy but a few things that I thought were in poor taste -

1. They only got to the "C's" of the people killed on 9/11. They had plenty of time if they had started during their first song

2. Sewing the US flag to the interior of your jacket does not show respect for that flag

3. Bono doing the heart shape finger thing on his chest was pretty lame

4. Did Adam Clayton have a Che Guevara T-Shirt on?

5. The song that U2 played when the names of the 9/11 victims were being scrolled was "Where the Streets have no name." This is really a depressing song (with a nice beat). I have often wondered if the song is about hell (read the lyrics below - it sure does not sound like a fun place). Couldn't they have picked a better song like "40", "Gloria", "If God Will Send His Angels", "The Unforgettable Fire", "With or Without You" or even a religious song (We Will Overcome, Onward Christians Soldiers, etc.)

I want to run
I want to hide
I want to tear down the walls
That hold me inside
I want to reach out
And touch the flame
Where the streets have no name

I want to feel, sunlight on my face
See that dust cloud disappear without a trace
I want to take shelter from the poison rain
Where the streets have no name

Where the streets have no name
Where the streets have no name
We're still building
Then burning down love, burning down love
And when I go there
I go there with you...
(It's all I can do)
The cities a flood And our love turns to rust
We're beaten and blown by the wind
Trampled into dust
I'll show you a place
High on ta desert plain
Where the streets have no name

Where the streets have no name
Where the streets have no name
Still building
Then burning down love
Burning down love
And when I go there
I go there with you
(It's all I can do)

[Huck]

I thought they would do something in poor taste, but compared to my expectations, they behaved well. They played a couple of hits, Bono kept his potty talk under control, and that was about it. The display of the flag was taken as a show of support, I thought, and it didn't bother me. I didn't get the list of names thing, but I guess it was meant as a tribute. Anyway, I am not sure how one puts on a "tasteful" half-time spectactle at a football game. I guess it's theoretically possible. Maybe good old Ray Charles or something. But I thought it could have been much worse.

[Phantom Lord]

They should have had Metallica play Don't Tread On Me

[twyn1]

They only got to the "C's" of the people killed on 9/11

The report from people who were in the stadium was that it seemed that the names had already scrolled thru once (I know I saw some "M" names), and when the "curtain effect" came down, the names were then projected all the way up onto the ceiling of the stadium, then slowly faded away

[Mr. Bird]

I didn't think it was in poor taste. I agree that their very own repertoire has several songs that may have been more appropriate. However, I like "Streets" and think the intro is absolutely riveting.

"Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" with the Baptist choir a la "Rattle and Hum" would have brought the house down.

[Hildy]

You people will pick at anything! Think about this: They could have played, "Everybody Wants to Rule The World!" Now, THAT would have been in poor taste!

[mitchbert]

I thought the performance was fine but elements of the production struck me as in poor taste. I'm referring specifically to the shots over the crowd that showed the fans cheering U2 while the names scrolled in the background behind the band. It's an easy thing to overlook and if I remember correctly they didn't come back to it repeatedly. Maybe someone in the booth decided to not to use that angle again until the screen was down. Just my opinion.

[gnarledmaw]

Think back to the earliest fans of U2. The original fans were either self-absorbed, socialism promoting, pseudo-intellectual lesbians or the hoplophobic, pencil necked, effeminate, pantywaists who inexplicably were trying to get a piece of the first group.

U2 performance in bad taste? Id say letting them into the country was in bad taste. The band is made up of communist sympathizers and promotes a peace at all costs mentality. Id rather plant my kids in front of a tv tuned to network television than let a talent less hack like Bono brainwash my children with his message.

[Hildy]

You people will pick at anything! Think about this: They could have played, "Everybody Wants to Rule The World!" Now, THAT would have been in poor taste!

[2banana]

They went through the people killed in the airlines first (by flight and then by alphabetical order of the people killed in those flights). When they got to the WTC killed, they only got to the C's (I was watching closely for some friends that I knew - thinking - I wondered if they ever thought their names would be on a superbowl - and they never got to them)

[finnman69]

U2 was great and got the crowd in a fantastic mood. There was no reason for the entire Superbowl to be somber. As for the flags..pick, pick pick.

What was in truly poor taste was letting Semenstain quote Lincoln.

[MotleyGirl70]

They should have had Metallica play Don't Tread On Me

Or Seek and Destroy by Metallica.

U2 was lame. They should have had Paul play at half time.

[vin-one]

Didn't see it I watched Fear Factor, during Halftime, with a running clock
from the network to let us know how much time to kick off.
What a great Idea. And the view was much better than bono.....

[stevio]

My wife and I were contemplating if they did the scrolling name thing as a gimmick. I mean, Bono is a confirmed liberal and he has used prior tragedies to promote his own self-righteous indignation.

[skeeter]

I think Bono was attempting to show respect & support for the US. In his own condescending way.

I'm not a big U2 fan, but I didn't mind their performance.

[kellynla]

U2? I can think of about a hundred American groups who would have been better...but it was an improvement over last years half time entertainment.

[yikes]

To show how out of sync I am with contemporary music, I had never seriously listened to U2 before last night. I thought that their performance was fabulous! I thought that the entire Super Bowl was well done. Congrats to Fox and to whomever produced it.

[aomagrat]

Who's U2?

[ImpBill]

I was so certain that I wouldn't care for the performance I switched channels for 1/2 and hour.

The best performance of the evening was given by the United New England Patriots. It was one of the most enjoyable Super Bowls I have watched for a long time, especially given the fact that I really didn't care who won.

U2/Bono aren't and never have been a priority for me to support in any manner.

[Mike-o-Matic]

I didn't get a lot of it either (particularly song choice), but then, I usually don't get whatever U2's going after.

If you ask me, the halftime gig was nowhere near as moving as the pregame presentation. When Reagan's voice hit my ears... well, that was unexpected. I'm not ashamed to say my eyes welled up with tears. Too bad they had to include Slick (the idea behind that segment was to hear from all the living ex-prezzes).

But overall -- Well done, Fox!