The Bono Thread (1 Viewer)

[7 - No tomorrow]

As Western stars re-release 1980s charity hit, many Africans say it's a demeaning relic that can do more harm than good.

'We got this, Bob Geldof, so back off' - Africa - Al Jazeera English

I'm all for kicking Bono, and even Geldof, but surely the song title was not meant to be taken literally?
The song was not a Christmas awareness exercise for the African continent.
To take it on face value is the stuff of hacky standup.

 

[nooleen]

i think the point is that it was massively ignorant and patronising.

 

[Lili Marlene]

Even taken at face value, I always thought the point was that people were too hungry to have time to care about Christmas, not that they were too busy practicing STRANGE VOODOO RELIGIONS

 

[7 - No tomorrow]

i think the point is that it was massively ignorant and patronising.

Is it?
The Ethiopian famine was horrific, and no one was doing anything about it.
People were dropping dead on the telly and they were telling you about it and then going to the sport.
The song is a plea for attention. Is it patronising to draw a contrast between plenty and famine? Maybe. I guess.
But no one was doing anything. The aid agencies were overwhelmed. It was a pure shitshow.
A lot those comments seem to be saying that people took the song to be about Africa. I don't remember it that way. It was about the Ethiopian famine.

 

[Unicron]

Only only heard about 2 of the rewritten lines on the news last night, there was much rolling of the eyes, out of which death can spring in the form of tears apparently.

 

[nooleen]

Is it?
The Ethiopian famine was horrific, and no one was doing anything about it.
People were dropping dead on the telly and they were telling you about it and then going to the sport.
The song is a plea for attention. Is it patronising to draw a contrast between plenty and famine? Maybe. I guess.
But no one was doing anything. The aid agencies were overwhelmed. It was a pure shitshow.
A lot those comments seem to be saying that people took the song to be about Africa. I don't remember it that way. It was about the Ethiopian famine.

i'm going to take the word of actual african commentators on this one all the same

 

[7 - No tomorrow]

i'm going to take the word of actual african commentators on this one all the same

Fair enough.
I don't see anyone on there calling the original ignorant or patronising though.
They seem to have a problem with everything that's come since moreso.

 

[nooleen]

"grotesque", "dripping with the "White Man's Burden"", "awful", "paternalistic", "messiah complex", "offensive", "patronising", "white Western saviourism", "perpetuates stereotypes"

"This erases the history of state actions in fostering armed conflict and the deliberate displacement of civilians. The 1984 and 1989 Ethiopia famine relief editions did not recognise this history. The genocide in South Sudan was also absent in the 2004 version to raise money for Darfur. "

 

[Lili Marlene]

The original is/was great; well meaning and innocent and ignorant and patronising all at once. It's an event in the West, not in Africa though.

I have no time for the 2014 version, these are people who should know better.

 

[7 - No tomorrow]

"grotesque", "dripping with the "White Man's Burden"", "awful", "paternalistic", "messiah complex", "offensive", "patronising", "white Western saviourism", "perpetuates stereotypes"

"This erases the history of state actions in fostering armed conflict and the deliberate displacement of civilians. The 1984 and 1989 Ethiopia famine relief editions did not recognise this history. The genocide in South Sudan was also absent in the 2004 version to raise money for Darfur. "

There seems to be a lot of taking the original to be referring to Africa as a whole, which I don't think anyone at the time took that way. And the only person they ask who was alive at the time is the white guy.
To answer the lady's point, there was a shit ton of commentary at the time about the Ethiopian government's culpability in prosecuting the war with the rebels. It was well-covered.
In fairness, it was probably difficult to put in a pop song.
Does anyone really get a messiah complex from that 1984 recording?

All the songs that have come since have probably been more and more unnecessary. I'm shocked there is one this year. Well, I am and I amn't. They are just celebrity circle jerks at this point, so maybe not surprising at all.
Aid efforts have come a long way in the 21st century, people are better informed. We can give to organisations that target specific needs and problems, and it's a far-improved situation. In 1984 you had a Trocaire box.
That's where I am. If someone wants to say they experienced it differently, well fair enough.

My main problem with the piece is that it asks the question whether Africans know it's Christmas or not, which seems to wilfully miss the point.
This is the third thing I've read this week asking that question. I mean please.
I will scream like Bono if I see one more goddamn thing online questioning Christmas awareness levels in Africa.

 

[therealjohnny]

Lest we forget

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[nooleen]

My main problem with the piece is that it asks the question whether Africans know it's Christmas or not, which seems to wilfully miss the point.
This is the third thing I've read this week asking that question. I mean please.
I will scream like Bono if I see one more goddamn thing online questioning Christmas awareness levels in Africa.

meanwhile in africa they've been having that fucking song directed at them every decade for 30 years.

 

[rettucs]

yeah, I'm still horrified (as a European) by this

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[therealjohnny]

yeah, I'm still horrified (as a European) by this

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It wanes a bit after the 4th minute of guitar soloing

 

[nooleen]

yeah, I'm still horrified (as a European) by this

think how venusians must feel

 

[therealjohnny]

It wanes a bit after the 4th minute of guitar soloing

oops--thought i was replaying to the Hear N Aid post

 

[magicbastarder]

meanwhile in africa they've been having that fucking song directed at them every decade for 30 years.

do they know it'd band aid time at all?

 

[7 - No tomorrow]

meanwhile in africa they've been having that fucking song directed at them every decade for 30 years.

Thank God it's them, instead of us.

 

[7 - No tomorrow]

A very good way to boycott the Band Aid circle jerk single would be to donate to a deserving charity.

 

[Cormcolash]

Another good way would be to get Bono and Bob Geldolf to shoot each other.

Does Peaches know it's Christmas time?