Bono has worn goofy-looking sunglasses in just about every public appearance since, say, 1991. And if you’ve felt uncharitable, those sunglasses have been evidence of a truly inflated sense of self-regard. But in U2’s recent appearance on the UK’s Graham Norton Show, Norton finally asked Bono if he ever took the things off, and his answer was this: “This is a good place to explain to people that I’ve had glaucoma for the last 20 years.” Oh.

As The Telegraph explains, glaucoma threatens blindness and makes people who have it more sensitive to light, so those sunglasses are entirely functional. “I have good treatments and I am going to be fine,” Bono said. “You’re not going to get this out of your head now and you will be saying ‘Ah, poor old blind Bono.'”

So we’re going to have to stop making fun of Bono for the sunglasses. If you’re really determined, though, I’m sure you can find some other reason to make fun of Bono.