The Detroit Free Press, reprinting an article the Atlanta Journal Constitution, had this attention-getting banner today, on page 6E: “Beatles aren’t so radical 40 years later”.Gee. Y’think? Could it really be possible that after forty years of hindsight we might have gotten used to them, grown familiar with them? Maybe later this week they’ll have an article about how after one hundred years cars are commonplace or how after 150,000 years we’re acclimatized to breathing air.
Yeah, I admit, likening The Beatles to a necessity like oxygen is a bit of a stretch. But The Beatles have survived the test of time and are still memorable and popular and almost as ubiquitous. And in today’s music world, with its dearth of melody, their songs are still vibrant and full of life and blissfully singable. It’s a sad state of affairs though when the anniversary of their Ed Sullivan Show appearance (tomorrow) will be toasted by the likes of Pharrell Williams and Vince Gill at the Grammys (tonight). If you want a real tribute to The Beatles, I wholeheartedly recommend the Concert for George DVD.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
And speaking of televised musical moments that galvanized the country, I believe Janet Jackson when she says it was an accident. I believe she showed more than she intended to show. Having said that, I also concede that all the crotch grabbing, sexual language, and flag desecration had no place in the halftime show. And I also believe the crotch humor, horse flatulence, erectile dysfunction talk, and kids feigning to swear had no place during the game’s network-approved commercials. What can I say — I’m a prude. Exposure to sophomoric TV made me this way.
