Bon Jovi promotes volunteerism
Bon Jovi is using the occasion of his latest tour to promote volunteerism, and is apparently playing this video at each of his concerts:
I think it’s obvious that anyone who would willingly attend a Bon Jovi concert is in desperate need of direction as to how to spend his free time, but that video is liable to confuse Mr. Jovi’s fans. For one thing, Mr. Jovi begins his lecture by stating that he is “a big believer in the power of ‘we,'” and then states “the reality is, we’re all in this together.” Okay, I get that. But the song playing underneath all this is “Living on a Prayer,” featuring the line “We’ve gotta hold on to what we’ve got.”
Doesn’t that undercut Mr. Jovi’s message of sharing? Given the current state of the economy, all I’ve got is time. And I’m holding on to it.
(Aside: If you’re so concerned about how people spend their free time, Mr. Jovi, why did you sell your song “Living on a Prayer” to the Rock Band video game? Do you know how much time I’ve spent playing that game — and not volunteering?)
But Mr. Jovi’s message gets even more muddled, when he starts singing another song that I hadn’t heard of before (I admit I haven’t kept up with Mr. Jovi’s career the way I maybe should have — full disclosure: when I was in junior high school, a boy much larger than I made fun of me by creating his own lyrics to the song “You Give Love a Bad Name” that suggested I was homosexual*, and I have never liked Mr. Jovi’s music), the lyrics of which include the line, “We weren’t born to follow” (this is apparently the title of the song).
Isn’t Mr. Jovi suggesting that people follow? Specifically, that they follow his and the government’s ideas about “volunteering,” and “giving back”?
For crying out loud, isn’t it enough that I stay off welfare and unemployment? Isn’t it enough that I have my own health insurance? Now I’ve got to go and help some people hammer nails into buildings (a practice for which I am profoundly ill-suited, just ask anyone who used to ask me for help with things like that).
I hope that the people in my community do well, and are successful. But I’m a little confused as to why Mr. Jovi is also so concerned about my community. Maybe he should concentrate on creating songs that can’t be rewritten in such a way as to belittle a dreamy kid who’s maybe a little skinnier than most and yeah he reads comic books and French poetry and does gymnastics but that doesn’t make him gay.
Seriously, Mr. Jovi. We weren’t born to follow you.
*The bully’s lyrics, which are offensive and most definitely do not reflect language that I have ever used:
“Shot to the dick,
and he’s to blame,
You give fags
a bad name.”
No, it doesn’t make any rational sense, but his objective was to hurt, not to compose something sensible.
Latest posts by Ricky Sprague (Posts)
- Meet the start-ups that are thriving in the current economic recovery - May 27, 2016
- How a Wonder Woman comic from 1942 led to the Great California Cow Exodus of 2012, maybe - November 28, 2012
- A common-sense approach to restoring economic prosperity - November 19, 2012
- New Philip K. Dick novel too absurd to be believed - September 17, 2012
- My 90 Days, 90 Reasons submission - September 12, 2012
Print This Post
Mr. Sprague,
I firmly believe journalists have a responsibility to ensure the information they publish is accurate. Failure to take 5 minutes to check your facts makes your entire article pointless and certainly makes any past or future posts suspect as well.
Bon Jovi is a band, not a man. While Jon does publically use Jon Bon Jovi, his name is actually Bongiovi. Referring to him as Mr. Jovi is equivalent to addressing you as Mr. Gue.
Additionally, the video is not being shown at his concerts. Mr. Bongiovi does not use the band’s performances to promote his own personal political beliefs. He has mentioned, on more than one occasion, that his fans purchase tickets to see the performance and nothing else. Outside of a few song lyrics, Bon Jovi delivers on this promise. The video can be found on the band’s website for fans to view.
Lastly, I think it is a shame that someone is ridiculed for promoting volunterism and community responsibility. I’m sorry your tramatic junior high experience precludes you from being able to respect the message that Mr. Bongiovi is trying to convey. You have the right to disagree with his message but the attitude you convey shows you are still struggling to mature past those sad junior high years.
Ha! That’s hilarious Judi. Your deadpan is spot on. Bravo.
Judi,
I wish I had consulted you before I wrote this entry. It would have saved me a lot of embarrassment– you clearly know your Bon Jovi!
I would like to clear up a couple of things, however. You will note that in the first sentence of this piece I wrote that Mr, Jovi was APPARENTLY playing the video. I made not claim that he was actually playing the video. The reason I wrote “apparently” was because I did not read the entire article referenced before I wrote my piece. What I did is called “going off half-cocked,” and you might want to look into it before you criticize.
I do not have time to read everything about a subject before I offer my own expert opinion.
You mention that Mr. Jovi is a band and not a man, then you go on to state that Mr, Jovi “publically” uses the name “Jon Bon Jovi.” Which is it– a band, or a man’s name? You then state that his actual name is Bongiovi and I admit at this point my eyes started to glaze over, because I cannot keep up with all the names, band names, and pseudonyms. For clarity’s sake, I will continue to refer to Mr. Jovi as Mr. Jovi.
Finally, you claim to be sorry about my “tramatic” experience in junior high school– yet you add to my trauma by criticizing my work on this website! Let me tell you, that is an exceptionally traumatic experience. It’s like junior high school all over again.
Most especially hurtful was your calling me “Mr. Gue.” There was one particularly embarrassing incident in high school (the details are not important), after which I referred to as “Mr. Goo” for about six months. Your calling me “Mr. Gue” opened that old wound, and I’ll probably have to head back to therapy after this.
Anyway, since I don’t go around publicly referring to myself as Ricky Spra Gue, I don’t think your analogy holds. I do, occasionally, refer to myself as Ricky Von Sprague. But that is a subject for another comment.
I think Ricky Von Sprague sounds kinda bad ass. Like you would be the lead singer in a band. A really kick ass band. With hair and stuff. Kick ass hair and stuff. That rocks.
I’m fine with ‘Mr. Jovi.’ I like it. Judi is being too pedantic.
I’d rather listen to Bruce Spring Steen.
@Jeff…
or
Bob Dillon
Brian Adams
Jimmy Hendricks
Bonno
Neal Diamond
Cat Stephens
Stevie Nix
Share
Al Greene
Eddie Rabbit
Kenny Rodgers
M&M
Flee
…to name a few…
Hey, now, Ricky.
Don’t knock the name “Mr. Gue.” I ‘ve managed to live with it for 37 years. The problem is you’re mispronouncing it. It’s not “gooo,” like something you try to get off your shoes. It’s pronounced like putting a “g” in front of the word “you.” Similar to the word “cue.”
And with this pronunciation, it fits nicely into some wonderful phrases, like “Thank Gue!” and the Scorpions’ hit “No one like Gue!!”
Hate the name slayer, not the name :)
Mr Gue,
“Thank gue” so much for your comments. As someone who has had to suffer through all manner of disturbing mispronunciations of my name, I understand the annoyance you feel at my ill-considered statement. Please accept my apology.