Posted on 02/03/2002 3:32:29 AM PST by ejdrapes
NY POST/By ZACH HABERMAN, MARK STAMEY, ANGELINA CAPPIELLO and TODD VENEZIA
Rocker-with-a-cause Bono got U-too nasty in front of a gray-haired crowd of about 1,000 CEOs and other biz-world bigwigs at the World Economic Forum - by touting his fight against the "corporate mother----er." The foulmouthed frontman opened an exclusive all-star concert Wednesday night with a passel of potty talk while praising his pal, Vivendi Universal boss Jean-Marie Messier.
Bono praised Messier for helping with his struggle to reduce Third World debt - and "fight the corporate mother----er."
The quip gave a punk-rock shock to a crowd that included the likes of Shimon Peres, Bishop Desmond Tutu and Sidney Poitier. It also drew a load of uneasy laughs.
While Bono - a forum participant set to powwow with Bill Gates today - sounded like a street anarchist, actual anarchists went corporate as protests again fizzled.
One group of WEF opponents even donned natty black business suits at the 53rd Street YMCA yesterday to show they are "here to have a civilized debate."
One protest outside a Gap store on 54th Street and Fifth Avenue attracted more eporters than protesters. The 100 anti-globalization activists displayed the stump of a giant redwood tree to protest the clothier, accused of cutting down a forest.
There were no arrests yesterday. Today will see the first large protest, as the "Another World is Possible" group is set to march under police permit to the Waldorf-Astoria, where much of the event is being held.
Wednesday's all-star concert featured acts like opera singer Renée Fleming, Lauryn Hill and Herbie Hancock. Security was so tight backup musicians had to wear ID badges on their costumes while on stage.
Yesterday, it was back to business as participants tackled terrorism.
After Germany's interior minister criticized U.S. policies in Guantanamo Bay, Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) shot back.
"If one of their skyscrapers were destroyed, I don't think you would feel very good about it," he said. "But still, the people at Guantanamo are being well treated."
It took four people to write this bribble? What is a Bono anyway? Sounds like something the cat leaves in the box.
Bono praised Messier for helping with his struggle to reduce Third World debt - and "fight the corporate mother----er."I'll meet you at Starbucks to plan the revolution.
Bono is the biggest joke of an idiot and hypocrite. I wish someone would do a movie based upon him ala "This is Spinal Tap." His pompousness is a parody of himself. For example, eschewing wealth while once every two years doing the complete corporate-rock-star thing: release album, support album, big glitzy tour lasting 18 months and covering 50 cities, appear on every TV program possible, have MTV specials on the group and the tour...
And he'll talk about, say, "We want to play to the ordinary bloke, to be intimate with our audience, to get all the #$%^&* crap out of the way, the trappings, yadayadayada. Yet their tours consist of nothing but minimum 30,000 seat areans and $75 dollar tickets? I mean, if he cared so much about people being ripped off by mean old corporations (which are groups of shareholders like you, me, our parents and grandparents, our churches and anyone else who has mutual funds), then why not play for FREE?
Oh---and Bono's crusade for debt forgiveness---that creditor nations should forgive the debts of 3rd world countries: I imagine that Bono has some debtors---U2 is a corporation, I'd be willing to bet, so, to start with, will Bono announce that, say, the consignees of albums, say, Tower Records, U2's will be forgiven and not required to pay? How about the licensee of the U2 name who manufactures T-shirts---let him off the hook for the last, say, 500,000 T-shirts and baseball caps. Maybe the promotor in Madison Square Garden won't have to pay the band's take for a week's worth of performances? Hmm. I don't THINK so!
PS---while not necessarily my favorite music of all time, I dig U2 and think they are a very creative band. My fave U2? "Discotheque" from that "Popmart" era; also the Mission Impossible theme by the U2 rhythm section (I forget their names...Adam something? Gawd, these guys standing behind Bono at press conferences every day look like what Brutus must have looked like at the Forum beside Caesar.) God played a cruel joke on HIS people: he made many or most of our greatest musical artists either gay, liberal or both, so Godly conservatives have to suffer through lectures about Walden pond (i.e., Don Henley) and food-banks (i.e. Bruce Springsteen) and rain-forests (many, I am sure) inbetween really great tunes. No one ever said God didn't have a sense of humor.
Bono should stick to his music, about the only thing he does well. At any rate, I'll keep Bono's anti-corporate stance in mind next time his band puts out an album - I'll just download the "mother----ker" off Gnutella. Down with the big corporations! Yeah, baby!
'Potty-talk'; I love it!! Yeah, I guess Vivendi Universal (corporation) is OK because it is BONO'S m-fer. Everyone's else's corporation is bad! I get so weary of Bono and his ilk who have more money than they have sense!
To each his own. I always thought he sounded like a wailing version of Boy George.
As they say, opinions are like a**holes -- everyone has them.
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