Bono Is An Asshole

Bono Says, “Rock On Dr. Marty” - Part 4

Dr. Marty discussed I’m Your Man, the Leonard Cohen tribute film. “Some of my clients like the film for the music, some like it for the spiritual qualities of Leonard, and personally, I think all his Zen stuff is overplayed - you know? - plus too many people turn it into a form of regimented denial and then wonder why they still feel left lacking.”

I was surprised by his Zen comment. He was the type who would fall for faux Zen.

“For the purpose of our work here - you know? - Bono is the more critical, his character is the important one.” Apparently, U2 is a theme, the Rattle and Hum montage, the fake, miniature Joshua tree near his desk, and now this comment. The lyrics of One Tree Hill fit:

The sun so bright it leaves no shadows

Only scars

Carved into stone

On the face of earth

Joshua stopped the sun by God’s command so that it shined brightly into the eyes of his enemies. He imposed order on their wildness, cutting down those who wouldn’t succumb. Was that what Bono was trying to do to The Edge on the cover of Rattle And Hum?

Dr. Marty continued, “I would like you to imagine that your character - Alice Hopper for you Dee, and ‘Bogart’,” again with his air-quotes, “or whoever for you Tom - your imaginary character will play the role of Bono in a movie that tells everyone about your incredible talents and life. Part of what we want to do with my coaching stuff is prepare our character for this role. We might have to make this a project.”

“Alice tells my story. What a great idea!” Dee said. She opened her new organizer, took notes as if to plan a new project. “Kind of scary, though.”

I planned to forget my character as soon as I could. That was a worthy project.

“Dee, I think that Alice would be honored to tell your story,” Dr. Marty said. “She sounds like a beautiful person and one who you have a good relationship with.”

She is a beautiful person.

“Thank you. I still need to have a good story for her to tell.”

“You will,” he said. “No doubt.” His reassurance lingered.

I was next. “Tom, I’m concerned about talking out this assignment with you because it sounds like we have a lot of work to do before we’re going to get going anywhere. But at least we get to start with the end even if there seems to be a lot of work to do.”

His idea is that Bogart-Asshole, acting Bono, full of self-styled, erudite opinion, narrates the biography of my life with a persuasive, Irish brogue.

That won’t happen.

… continued

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Bono Says, “Rock On Dr. Marty”

Part 4: Bono Is An Asshole
Part 3: Rattle And Hum
Part 2: “Unmanageable Undoability”
Part 1: Pause