Synergy: Bono Vlogs For NBC Nightly News From SNL Set

"Hello, my name is Bono, and I'm a rock star" — so begins today's rather unusual video blog from NBC Nightly News. Bono dropped by 30 Rock to speak with former Africa traveling companion Brian Williams (and, we'd wager, cameo in some sort of SNL digital short, seeing as he was there on site), and filmed this vlog on the SNL set "having just finished being Brian Williams' roadie." Wow. Brian Williams is having a Lee Woodruff sort of week. But then again, so is NBC — working the cross-promotional magic of having Williams host SNL has folded in a two-birds-with-one-stone promo from Bono, and, if our wee hunch is right, a pretty hot cameo for the show (never mind the spot on Conan the other night, and never mind sneaking in refs to all the other shows in one of Williams' promos for the show— available on the MSNBC and Nightly News video sites, natch). Lotta synergy there.

But, it should be noted, some nice synergy elsewhere — Africa. According to Bono, since Williams accompanied him to Africa last May the progress has been "astonishing": In Tanzania, 1.5 million more children are going to school, in Rwanda, 800,000 more, in Kenya, malaria is down 44% — all thanks to the $47 million in proceeds raised through Bono's "Red" campaign via the purchase of participating specially-branded products. Bono's vlog was meant to thank NBC viewers, to whom Bono attributed the boost ("This really wouldn't be happening without the kind of coverage we're getting on NBC, taking us into the American heartland, into the American heart"). All very lovely and amazing, actually — but totally apart from that, has there every been a more ridiculous-sounding combination of silly-sounding words than "Bono's vlog?"

Video here.

p.s. Charlie Gibson, I guess that's why you go to Africa with Bono.

Comments

[mikeodd]

06:55 PM on 11/04/2007

Yikes! It seems like the man just can't win. Guess one's has to be coked-out no-talent mess like Lindsay Blowhan or Britney to get any luv. Any armchair cynics who criticize his efforts should first stop and ponder their own or lack therof in addressing global problems.

[VivaZapata]

05:31 AM on 11/04/2007

What are those products? Who makes them and how? Are we victimizing one part of the world to help another. Bono is an egomanic. His puffed out self importance has helped here and hurt there, but what really matters is that he stays in the pubic eye.

[driven989]

06:16 PM on 11/03/2007

I am sooooooo sick of Bono! Thank you Southpark for pointing out that he is in fact, "the world's biggest piece of crap."

Bono has basically spoken out on every issue imagineable, but I've never once heard him speak out against the illegal occupation of Palestine. Well, I'm sure he knows what will happen to his career if he does...maybe he's smarter than he looks?

[liya]

06:01 PM on 11/03/2007

If you want to give money to help Africa, do it because you care, not because some egomaniacal rock star says you should.

Also, a lot of the charities Bono supports are either inefficient (like Keep A Child Alive), with most of the money given by hardworking Americans going to lawyers fees and celebrity fundraising shindigs, or are just schemes to make corporate America more money, like the RED campaign.

[godlessclif]

03:33 PM on 11/03/2007

Everyone is Pro Bono in Bush America.

[Pdubya]

02:53 PM on 11/03/2007

hmmm, vagina hour with tyra banks....I'm IN!

[ScorchedEarth]

02:01 PM on 11/03/2007

VLOGS by Bono... who cares?