And Now It's All This...
Updated: Aug 5
Compare and contrast John Lennon’s extraordinary performance at the Bigger Than Jesus press conference with those of some Australian cricketers — a group chosen completely at random — who were also being hauled over the coals by the gentlemen of the press.
Steve Smith and David Warner blubbed in spectacular fashion after being caught cheating and, perhaps in fear of being banned and so missing out on sacks full of T20 gold, did rend their garments in a manner both striking and demeaning, begged forgiveness, and gave the cringing and the wailing and the gnashing of the teeth a right old go for good measure.
We turn now to Mr Lennon, and his well-documented troubles after an old UK newspaper interview was brought to the attention of America, which simply absorbed the headline in which he said the Beatles were “more popular than Jesus,” without bothering to ask anyone to read to them anything below it.
The US Bible Belt confirmed its well-earned reputation for tolerance by holding mass burnings of Beatles’ records and getting the local kid who went to college to write out their protest-placards for them. Peace and Love.
Meanwhile, a press conference was arranged. John was clearly rattled but, while he appeared about to crack on occasion, he looked the hacks in the eye, described what he said as “a fact” and fought back with magnificent defiance: “If I’d said television is more popular than Jesus, I might have got away with it.”
Yes, there were many more sporty types to choose from, but I just wanted to say, take that, you lachrymose larrikins; Lennon got death threats.