# Biggest Horse's Ass in Rock&Roll History? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 31, 2009, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-horses-ass-in-rock-roll-history/483883 "2009-01-31T17:42:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2009, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-horses-ass-in-rock-roll-history/483883/1 "2009-01-31T17:42:40Z")
I have to go with John Lennon in his late Beatles/early post-breakup period but before he became a reclusive weirdo. His pretentious attempts to act as the world’s conscience coupled with his shabby treatment of his own family propelled him into the horse’s ass stratosphere. The “Bed-In” unless it was done ironically and everybody missed the irony is one of the most retarded acts ever performed in the name of social consciousness. Lennon was a greasy punk of confused sexuality from the streets of Liverpool. He hit it big in pop music and the soft-headed of the world began to think him important. Where _he_ went awry was when he started to agree with them. John Mellencamp, Bono, Bob Geldoff, or Willie Nelson can all be pointed at as musicians who fancy having a cause but who have also done something substantive about it. “Give peace a chance!” Gee, why didn’t anybody think of that before? ---
**Author:** ![Jaledin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Jaledin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jaledin)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2009, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-horses-ass-in-rock-roll-history/483883/2 "2009-01-31T18:15:34Z")
GG Allin? Maybe not a malicious guy, but by any definition of the term, pretty much a horse’s ass. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2009, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-horses-ass-in-rock-roll-history/483883/3 "2009-01-31T19:12:37Z")
> [@Jaledin](#): > > GG Allin? Maybe not a malicious guy, but by any definition of the term, pretty much a horse’s ass. GG Allin was almost certainly seriously disturbed and/or near insane on some level. To be a horse’s ass sort of implies you have the capacity to know better and you still behave like a douche. ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2009, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-horses-ass-in-rock-roll-history/483883/4 "2009-01-31T19:37:42Z")
Lou Reed and Johnny Ramone would certainly rank fairly high on the _asshole_ meter, but that somehow seems different to me than pretentious douchebaggery, which is what I associate with “horse’s ass.” Johnny Ramone doesn’t come off as terribly pretentious, but more a cold, controlling jerk. Reed might qualify more between the two of them. Mick Jones of The Clash was purportedly an extremely difficult diva on the road ( according to Topper Headon, anyway ). But I imagine that isn’t particularly rare. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2009, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-horses-ass-in-rock-roll-history/483883/5 "2009-01-31T20:08:08Z")
You go after Lennon and don’t even _mention_ Jim Morrison?? ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2009, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-horses-ass-in-rock-roll-history/483883/6 "2009-01-31T22:59:43Z")
You go after Lennon and don’t mention Yoko? ---
**Author:** ![Kobal2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kobal2/32/20_2.png) [@Kobal2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kobal2)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2009, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-horses-ass-in-rock-roll-history/483883/7 "2009-01-31T23:03:02Z")
Yngwie Malmsteen. “You’ve unleashed the fucking fury !”. Google it, point and laugh. ---
**Author:** ![NDP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ndp/32/55_2.png) [@NDP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NDP)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2009, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-horses-ass-in-rock-roll-history/483883/8 "2009-01-31T23:36:35Z")
I’m tempted to name Phil Spector but I have a strong feeling mental illness has a lot to do with it. ---
**Author:** ![mutantmoose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a87d85/32.png) [@mutantmoose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mutantmoose)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2009, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-horses-ass-in-rock-roll-history/483883/9 "2009-01-31T23:43:25Z")
I always hear Van Morrison referred to as “famously irascible” I’ve always taken that to mean “horse’s ass”. ---
**Author:** ![bouv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc8723/32.png) [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2009, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-horses-ass-in-rock-roll-history/483883/10 "2009-02-01T00:46:32Z")
David Lee Roth. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2009, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-horses-ass-in-rock-roll-history/483883/11 "2009-02-01T00:48:01Z")
> [@Scumpup](#): > > I have to go with John Lennon in his late Beatles/early post-breakup period but before he became a reclusive weirdo. His pretentious attempts to act as the world’s conscience coupled with his shabby treatment of his own family propelled him into the horse’s ass stratosphere. The “Bed-In” unless it was done ironically and everybody missed the irony is one of the most retarded acts ever performed in the name of social consciousness. > Lennon was a greasy punk of confused sexuality from the streets of Liverpool. He hit it big in pop music and the soft-headed of the world began to think him important. Where _he_ went awry was when he started to agree with them. > John Mellencamp, Bono, Bob Geldoff, or Willie Nelson can all be pointed at as musicians who fancy having a cause but who have also done something substantive about it. > “Give peace a chance!” Gee, why didn’t anybody think of that before? [Pinky] I think so, Brain, but if we give peas a chance, won’t the other vegetables feel left out? [/Pinky] Of course, the “Bed-In” was done ironically. The media were completely whooshed. It was certainly dine with a nod and a wink and I think most of John’s fans got the joke. “Hair Peace” and “Bed Peace?” John’s famous sense of humor at work. He was a lot more closely allied with Groucho Marx than with Karl Marx. He could be short with clueless fans who asked him to sing “Yesterday” or another one of Paul’s songs, but that’s a bit understandable. I’m not defending him, I don’t have any evidence that he _wasn’t_ a horse’s ass. His abandoning of his first wife Cynthia, and son Julian undoubtedly qualifies. But a lot of his words and actions did go over the heads of most of the “establishment” figures of the times. ---
**Author:** ![cornflakes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9d8465/32.png) [@cornflakes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cornflakes)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2009, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-horses-ass-in-rock-roll-history/483883/12 "2009-02-01T01:20:54Z")
Gene Simmons, enough said? ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2009, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-horses-ass-in-rock-roll-history/483883/13 "2009-02-01T01:37:49Z")
> [@Jackmannii](#): > > You go after Lennon and don’t mention Yoko? You go after Yoko and don’t mention . . . I got nuthin’. ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2009, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-horses-ass-in-rock-roll-history/483883/14 "2009-02-01T02:09:11Z")
Joe Cocker ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2009, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-horses-ass-in-rock-roll-history/483883/15 "2009-02-01T03:10:17Z")
> [@cornflakes](#): > > Gene Simmons, enough said? Serious tool, fer sher. ---
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2009, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-horses-ass-in-rock-roll-history/483883/16 "2009-02-01T03:30:49Z")
Boz Scaggs. R. Crumb in issue #18 of _Weirdo_ magazine (yes, as a matter of fact, I _do_ have a complete collection of _Weirdo_ magazine) illustrated a friend of his meeting Boz Scaggs in a bar. She said, “Sorry to disturb you, but I just wanted to say how much I like your music.” to which Boz replied “Yeah, well I hope you have a nice death.” ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2009, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-horses-ass-in-rock-roll-history/483883/17 "2009-02-01T03:32:45Z")
Chuck Berry. A guy who installed cameras in public rest rooms so he could videotape women peeing definitely belongs on this list. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Second\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@The\_Second\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Second_Stone)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2009, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-horses-ass-in-rock-roll-history/483883/18 "2009-02-01T03:37:56Z")
Roger Waters. And I really like his music. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Second\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@The\_Second\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Second_Stone)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2009, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-horses-ass-in-rock-roll-history/483883/19 "2009-02-01T03:38:59Z")
> [@gaffa](#): > > Boz Scaggs. > > R. Crumb in issue #18 of _Weirdo_ magazine (yes, as a matter of fact, I _do_ have a complete collection of _Weirdo_ magazine) illustrated a friend of his meeting Boz Scaggs in a bar. She said, “Sorry to disturb you, but I just wanted to say how much I like your music.” to which Boz replied “Yeah, well I hope you have a nice death.” Well I hope I have a nice death. Just not soon. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2009, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-horses-ass-in-rock-roll-history/483883/20 "2009-02-01T03:48:42Z")
> [@astorian](#): > > Chuck Berry. > > A guy who installed cameras in public rest rooms so he could videotape women peeing definitely belongs on this list. If perverted behavior is the standard, no one can measure down to [Gary Glitter](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gary_Glitter). Hey! [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-horses-ass-in-rock-roll-history/483883.md?page=2)