The Irish band U2 gave a free, 20-minute concert at the Brandenburg Gate last week to mark the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. But MTV, which organized the event as part of the MTV Europe Music Awards, erected a 6-foot-high "sight barrier" so only the 10,000 people lucky enough to snag a ticket could see. Angry fans protested -- was it stupid of MTV to build a wall to keep people out of a concert celebrating the collapse of an infamous wall? (Watch U2 perform "One Love" at the MTV concert in Berlin)
How could MTV think this was a good idea? Fans and tourists certainly noticed the irony, says the Associated Press' Kirsten Grieshaber. "This is ridiculous," said frustrated Canadian fan Louis-Pierre Boily, 23. "MTV probably wants people to watch it on TV to get their ratings up."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
Why ghost guns are so easy to make — and so dangerousThe Explainer Untraceable, DIY firearms are a growing public health and safety hazard
-
The Week contest: Swift stimulusPuzzles and Quizzes
-
'It's hard to resist a sweet deal on a good car'Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
