At the 2014 Golden Globe Awards, Bono, the lead singer of U2, rejected Puff Daddy’s request for a hug on stage. This moment occurred when U2 was presenting their song “Ordinary Love” from the film “Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom.” Bono humorously declined the hug, saying, “No, no, no,” which was seen as a light-hearted and spontaneous interaction. The incident caught attention because of the unexpectedness of the moment and the playful nature of Bono’s response. It highlighted Bono’s personality and his willingness to engage with the audience in a humorous way.
The answer is probably pretty simple: Bono (musician) was up there to commemorate a personal and global hero, Nelson Mandela , and Sean Combs (musician) had been making a bit of a spectacle of himself at the awards already which continued as U2 (band) took to the dais to accept their award. In short: solemn met douchey, and the former refused to smooch the latter.
Imagine for a second that you are taking the stage to accept an honor, but more importantly to praise a civil rights icon and leader, and to bring an important film about that man to the attention of more people — but as you climb the steps into the spotlight you’re accosted by an ignoramus sing-songing about the open bar at the awards, “Let it flow, let it flow, let it flow!”
Since the ‘90s, Bono has embraced sarcasm, wit, humor, and showmanship, but at heart he is a serious and passionate MOFO who cares. A lot. He can and has gotten pissed when people tread on a moment of deep sincerity. Obviously, Puff Daddy had no awareness of the significance of that moment, so he was treading all over that moment.