U2-Apple, Here Come the Excuses: What About Intellectual Honesty?

All that was missing were the excuses. Now, maybe, the Apple-U2 issue can be shelved. Bono, vox penitent, wants to let us know how egregious the whole operation has been: “I had this beautiful idea and it transported us; the artists are inclined to do it — and it continues — out there. There are a bunch of rumors and so we also started spreading rumors in order to make ourselves heard.”*

Dear Bono, more than a bunch of rumors, there is a bunch of people out there who are still angry. In fact, the issue has not been resolved, even if moralizing about it is out of place; each of us, often, imposes something on others that he or she should not. An example? To stay in the musical context, illegal downloads come to mind. These two seemingly different things are [in fact] connected. While downloading illegally, do we not perhaps impose our will on the artist exactly in the way U2 and Apple imposed theirs on the public? If this was understood, we could affirm that ultimately, the consequence is always the same: “Let him who is without sin cast the first stone.”

In reality, the Apple affair diverted attention from the only really serious thing — the band’s voluntary decision to bestow upon the world a bad disc.

During a meeting, after having understood that the album just released was not exactly perfected, the four might have concluded that if the disc were put on sale, the eventual earnings would have barely overtaken the $100 million offered by the Cupertino powerhouse — therefore, why not profit from it? Refusing would have meant dealing with a noisy flop — as it’s known — in the stores, and with bad publicity affecting the upcoming tour to boot. Not to mention the distribution company; as soon as the losses had been realized, the classic “Best Of” fix would have immediately been imposed, or worse, a collection of Christmas songs to hang on the tree.

If everything we’ve said is true, the only thing seriously illegitimate and deserving such an inquisition would be the lack of intellectual honesty, would it not?

But let’s go back to Bono’s excuses. The artist continues to say, “We are dealing a little bit with megalomania, a touch of generosity, a pinch of self-promotion and the strong fear that these pieces into which we have poured our lives over the last few years could go unheard.”*

More timorous than rational, among the different albums that have come out after “Achtung Baby,” this last production is in line with the worst in the series.

In any case, the guy admits having an overblown ego; perhaps this is a euphemism? Bono wants to save the world by sitting at the table with statesmen, popes and nice company. Embarrassing attitudes, do-gooder position-taking and mellifluous declarations follow. Nothing is more disgusting than a rock star in full candor, one who does good and makes it known; one who suffers for human rights and makes it known. But the list of “good deeds” is long, so much so as to warrant asking whether the aforementioned charges are worse, compared with having the disc in one’s own phone library.

The ordinary disc jockey laments the times when rock stars, instead of showing off charitable smiles, made a display of the only thing in their power: the middle finger.

*Editor’s note: The original quotation, accurately translated, could not be verified.