u2

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My friend Seamus is from Ireland and he hates the band U2. I know. I was shocked when he told me. How could anyone from Ireland hate its most famous band? Does he hate the music? No. Does he hate the guys in the band? No. Does he disagree with their politics? Nope.

He does, however, strongly believe that entertainers shouldn't be preaching while they're entertaining. He objects to the fact that if you go to a U2 concert, you have to listen to Bono talk about world hunger or the environment or war between songs. It's not that Seamus doesn't think those are important topics, it's just that he thinks a rock concert is not the time or the place to discuss them.

"Imagine you're watching a Julia Roberts movie and all of a sudden she looks at the camera, gets out of character, and starts making a political statement," says Seamus. "It's the same thing. I don't think celebrities should be preaching to you when they're performing—especially when you're paying for it."

What do you think? Should musicians and celebrities be talking politics when we're paying them to entertain us?