Billie Joe during AI in Peru

[lizziebix]

Are we discussing this because this is the first time on the 21CB tour he's said something completely outrageous?

But he's said outrageous things way before this. Why are we surprised?

Okay, I agree the Jobs line is out of line in whatever context it was said. You just don't say something like that in front of thousands of people. And the rest, that is the usually Billie Joe rant against technology. He's been singing that song for a long time. (Even if it's a bit hypocritical since he has a blackberry, tweets, and uses other technology to advance their shows and their music.)

[21 guns]

To quote Gandalf, "Many that live deserve death. And some that die deserve life. Can you give it to them?"

I think that gandalf quote means that we shouldn't decide who gets to live and who dies, not that some people don't deserve to live and we should kill them. Oh god I'm such a LOTR nerd...

[mallorymaloney]

I'm leaning more to the third option: we all know he's not the biggest technology fan in the world, add the fact that the audience was not responding as he probably expected them to do (while being more interested in taping the moment rather than living it), got mad, said angry stuff (of which he must've really meant the whole 'WE ARE ALIVE!', live-the-moment-rant, which was kinda LOL). Also, there's this thing (it's a theory of some sorts, if I'm not mistaken) that the way you act/react to things changes when you are on a stage, so everything gets amplified (a bit of St.Billie came out, maybe?).

So, in my best guess, it boils down to this: he was trying to engage the audience, got mad because everyone was busy filming/taking photos, started to rant about it, said some things that can qualify as a result of a moment of irrationality, and that's it. That's as simple as one can put it, because there's so many things involved (we're talking about a human being, after all!), that the complexity it's just too damn much to explain and put into words without this turning into a 100 page essay on human psychology.

Here's what I do when people get all irrational, shouting and spitting out words at me: I ignore them, tell them to chill, and come back when they've cooled down. It's impossible to deal and talk with anyone who's being irrational, there's just no chance.

I like it, I like it a lot. I think I agree with you pretty much 100% percent. You're not blubbering on about how you'll never listen to Green Day's music again because you've 'ZOMG LOST ALL REZSPEKTUH' for Billie Joe and the rest of the band, and you're not raging your ass off over the ridiculousless of the entire thing, either, and I like that.

You're really making your argument worse. I wouldn't wish for anyone to die, nor have I ever had that thought. Why you think that's bullshit just goes to show that you're trying to convince yourself of something by trying to generalize about everyone else.

Seriously? You've seriously never had a murdurous thought about anyone before ...? Not someone who's fucked you or someone in your family around seriously? Not terrorists? Not any of the presidents or world leaders who have done horrible things to their countries? Not rapists? Racists? Wife-beaters? Himmler? Hitler? lawlthirdgodwin Never once?!

And I'm actually asking, not just trying to be impressive ... I truly want to confirm you've never had a murdurous thought before.

[luvgirlcl]

I like it, I like it a lot. I think I agree with you pretty much 100% percent. You're not blubbering on about how you'll never listen to Green Day's music again because you've 'ZOMG LOST ALL REZSPEKTUH' for Billie Joe and the rest of the band, and you're not raging your ass off over the ridiculousless of the entire thing, either, and I like that.

Heh, thank you. I think this was, like I said, just a moment of irrationality, and that's it, there's no point in loosing more energy on it, we were trying to analyze something that you just can't. So going and saying 'omg, I'll burn all their CD's and protest against them' it'd be silly, cause it's not like he brought a puppy on stage and killed it...he did something we all have done (whether we said it outloud or not), and big fat news: he's human, just like the rest of us.

Bottom line is the good things about Billie Joe and the band for me as a fan, are not outnumbered by this tiny episode, the positive things for me about them are far more important and have had way more impact in my life than this little outburst.

That'll be my last opinion on the topic (unless someone starts a fire or something ) cause there's no point on chewing this any longer...but thank you for the conversation

[captain peroxide]

I think that gandalf quote means that we shouldn't decide who gets to live and who dies, not that some people don't deserve to live and we should kill them. Oh god I'm such a LOTR nerd...

No, I know. That's what I was saying too. I was saying Hitler deserved death, it just wasn't anyone's responsibility to give it to him.

[21 guns]

No, I know. That's what I was saying too. I was saying Hitler deserved death, it just wasn't anyone's responsibility to give it to him.

ooh okay, gotcha, good

[Isabel]

LOL. Do you seriously think that's originally from Family Guy?

Go read a book ffs.

Bit harsh?

[unexplainedbacon]

I'm surprised this thread is still open...haven't we all had enough?

[LMC]

Bit harsh?

Yeah, sorry about that. I totally forgot to put a little smiley in that post

[Desensitized09]

LOL. Do you seriously think that's originally from Family Guy?

Go read a book ffs.

Voltaire said it...

/offtopic

LOL. No shit, Sherlock. I know who originally said it. It's called a joke, ever heard of one? Damn, talk about judging people.

[LMC]

LOL. No shit, Sherlock. I know who originally said it. It's called a joke, ever heard of one? Damn, talk about judging people.

Yup, I've heard of jokes, but just like Billie (whom this thread is really about) I'm just human and I didn't take it as a joke. Please accept my sincere apologies.

[bollard_11]

Im suprised people are still going on about this. I mean the media obviously have not got wind of it, otherwise it would be this huge scandal and the band have been very quiet since. Quiet as in no tweets, no statement of apology or anything. I bet Billie thinks he went too far so is keeping his head down until the heat (if any) wears off

[Desensitized09]

Yup, I've heard of jokes, but just like Billie (whom this thread is really about) I'm just human and I didn't take it as a joke. Please accept my sincere apologies.

Lol, all of my posts are jokes. I honestly didn't take it literally or personally. It's all good, son! I would never really seriously quote Family Guy, haha. I was wondering if anyone would catch that though, so I'm glad someone did. I appreciate your apology, but there's really no need. Like you said, we're just humans

[Vespertine]

Well, I do believe technology is kind of ruining things, after I spoke with my friend today. I feel like I'm losing him to TV and computer. He's been acting really weird lately and all he does is watch movies and play computer games. It's ridiculous and makes me disgusted. He's always looking downcast and never wants to do ANYTHING. It's sad. I love the Internet and I actually think I spend too much time online, but I did some thinking and I feel like people are getting sadder and developing mental disorders because they end up feeling... empty, I guess. We all need to live, we need social interaction, whether we like it or not. If you look at it from another perspective, Billie has a great point. Kind of off-topic, but I wanted to say it.

[Daughter.of.Rage.and.Love]

I don't think Billie likes Steve Jobs, but I doubt he's sitting in his room contemplating murder on him or something.

I don't think it's right to wish death upon someone (to avoid more discussion and refrain from having to state exactly what I think; if that someone hasn't done something terrible etc etc), but I am pretty sure Billie doesn't actually want him dead. He was just bothered by the sea of cameras at the show, he doesn't like Steve Jobs, who also took quite a part in getting technology everywhere (even regardless of how he did that), he probably had been annoyed with the cameras for a while, emotions get amplified on stage because of adrenaline and stuff, and voila, there's Billie saying that.

It's not like he said it in an interview or something. He blurted it out in a, pretty intense if I might add, rant, without thinking it over in advance. Everyone says things they don't mean when they're angry. Who hasn't said in a heated argument they hated their parents/their sibling(s)/their life at least once? With a few exceptions, when you said that you didn't mean that either.

[Metanoia]

Sorry, but Hitler deserved to die. Preferably sometime before the 1930s. And it's stupid to pretend otherwise. The difference it's not for anyone to decide or make that choice. But he deserved to die.

To quote Gandalf, "Many that live deserve death. And some that die deserve life. Can you give it to them?"

okay maybe hitler is a bad example for this....or comparsion or whatever but still i'd never ever say....and not to my worst enemy....that he'd deserve to die idk....

[Nele]

I don't think Billie likes Steve Jobs, but I doubt he's sitting in his room contemplating murder on him or something.

I don't think it's right to wish death upon someone (to avoid more discussion and refrain from having to state exactly what I think; if that someone hasn't done something terrible etc etc), but I am pretty sure Billie doesn't actually want him dead. He was just bothered by the sea of cameras at the show, he doesn't like Steve Jobs, who also took quite a part in getting technology everywhere (even regardless of how he did that), he probably had been annoyed with the cameras for a while, emotions get amplified on stage because of adrenaline and stuff, and voila, there's Billie saying that.

Yeah, so that's why I don't get why he didn't say something like "Stop taking so many fucking pictures!" etc... oh well, I can stop disagreeing with what he said since he already said it anyway.

[Daughter.of.Rage.and.Love]

Yeah, so that's why I don't get why he didn't say something like "Stop taking so many fucking pictures!" etc... oh well, I can stop disagreeing with what he said since he already said it anyway.

My guess is that it was something like 'fucking cameras... fucking technology. fucking Steve Jobs', and throw copious amounts of adrenaline on top of that, and a declaration of hate for Steve Jobs comes out. And the "do you wanna live?! Do you want to die behind a fucking screen?! We're alive here" does have to do with the cameras.

I mean, I'm not defending him or saying it's not not right to wish death upon someone (nor am I claiming to know why Billie said that), but I can see his possible train of thought and how you would say something like that, even if you don't mean it.

[TheSaltOfTheEarth]

LOL this is STILL going on?

I don't think Billie likes Steve Jobs, but I doubt he's sitting in his room contemplating murder on him or something.

I don't think it's right to wish death upon someone (to avoid more discussion and refrain from having to state exactly what I think; if that someone hasn't done something terrible etc etc), but I am pretty sure Billie doesn't actually want him dead. He was just bothered by the sea of cameras at the show, he doesn't like Steve Jobs, who also took quite a part in getting technology everywhere (even regardless of how he did that), he probably had been annoyed with the cameras for a while, emotions get amplified on stage because of adrenaline and stuff, and voila, there's Billie saying that.

It's not like he said it in an interview or something. He blurted it out in a, pretty intense if I might add, rant, without thinking it over in advance. Everyone says things they don't mean when they're angry. Who hasn't said in a heated argument they hated their parents/their sibling(s)/their life at least once? With a few exceptions, when you said that you didn't mean that either.

THIS exactly. completely.

[Maddy.]

i know he wants people to have fun and enjoy the shows by putting away their cameras, but doesn´t he stop and think that maybe this `generation´ so to speak, enjoys the show by actually making tons of pictures and films of the show. crowds have changed, shows are different from years ago. it´s like billie can´t handle that.

[colour_me_stupid_]

This thread is still going? Wow

[Nele]

My guess is that it was something like 'fucking cameras... fucking technology. fucking Steve Jobs', and throw copious amounts of adrenaline on top of that, and a declaration of hate for Steve Jobs comes out. And the "do you wanna live?! Do you want to die behind a fucking screen?! We're alive here" does have to do with the cameras.

I mean, I'm not defending him or saying it's not not right to wish death upon someone (nor am I claiming to know why Billie said that), but I can see his possible train of thought and how you would say something like that, even if you don't mean it.

Oh, I get your point. Problem is that I found the whole speech ridiculous and unnecessary, so yeah. xD

[Metanoia]

I personally dont get that whole hype about cameras at concerts anyways.....i can make pictures and videos to capture my favorite moments of the show and later look at them with a smile and i STILL enjoy every minute of a show i go to idk...

[mallorymaloney]

Yes, people, we're still discussing this, and there isn't a problem with that. If you don't have anything substantial to contribute then don't bother posting at all. Seriously, WTF. Just because something happened more than a few hours ago we're no longer allowed to speak of it ...?

And as for bringing cameras to shows, IDK, even before Billie's outburst I had decided to leave my camera at home the next time I attend a show, because it seriously fucked me over a few times. For example, the GD show I went to in August? I would've probably gotten barrier if I wasn't fucking around with my camera, trying to show it into my jean shorts pocket under my skirt, because then I wouldn't have taken so long getting to one of the ticket scanner.

I also found it really distracting, making sure I had it on me at all times, because I lost mine at a GD show I went to last summer, so I was super paranoid. Plus, after awhile I just put the thing away, and it was only then that Billie and Mike truly started paying attention to me.

That reason alone is worth leaving my camera at home next time, in my opinion!

[Maura99]

Well, I do believe technology is kind of ruining things, after I spoke with my friend today. I feel like I'm losing him to TV and computer. He's been acting really weird lately and all he does is watch movies and play computer games. It's ridiculous and makes me disgusted. He's always looking downcast and never wants to do ANYTHING. It's sad. I love the Internet and I actually think I spend too much time online, but I did some thinking and I feel like people are getting sadder and developing mental disorders because they end up feeling... empty, I guess. We all need to live, we need social interaction, whether we like it or not. If you look at it from another perspective, Billie has a great point. Kind of off-topic, but I wanted to say it.

Totally agree with what you said. Ironically, some people are now getting lonelier because of all this technology.

Another example: Facebook. It seems like nowadays, everyone just stays at home updating their Facebookpage... collecting 'friends' they don't even know or like... and talk about nothing or bitch about things that aren't relevant to be upset about. Because nothing really ever happens to them. Because they never go out and actually do and experience stuff for themselves. It might seem fun, and maybe I'm just old-fashioned and I should just go with the times (and look at it as a new level or form of social interaction) but it all feels so empty to me. Empty... and fake.

However, it is not my right to judge other people, everyones entitled to do what they want; this is just my opinion.

Like I said before, it might have come out wrong (it certainly wasn't the right way of saying it) but Billie made an good point. And at least it got people thinking.

About the cameras at concerts: if Billie is anything like I think he is, it's not surprising to me that this infuriates him. I imagine that things were totally different back in his day.

The whole point of going to a concert/show is to completely loose it (or 'go crazy' like he puts it all the time) for just that one night; you should be totally in the moment and just let go of everything else. If you're constantly worrying about getting a great shot, or constantly thinking to yourself 'omg, I should be recording this!', that's not very likely to happen. So you're actually missing the whole point of you being there.

However, I must admit, I regret not having some footage of myself from the shows I went to. And I did watch videos from YT that other people made. So I am a total hypocrite for being against cameras at shows... I do too enjoy re-watching those videos and reliving the moment.

Can't we compromise? Record one thing, just for the memories, and go absolutely crazy for the rest of the show!