The Beatles and Fandom: Sex, Death and Progressive Nostalgia

Description

Sex, death and nostalgia are among the impulses driving Beatles fandom: the metaphorical death of the Beatles after their break-up in 1970 has fueled the progressive nostalgia of fan conventions for 48 years; the deaths of John Lennon and George Harrison have added pathos and drama to the Beatles’ story; Beatles Monthly was predicated on the Beatles’ good looks, and the letters page was a forum for euphemistically expressed sexuality. The Beatles and Fandom is the first book to discuss these fan subcultures. It combines academic theory on fandom with compelling original research material to tell an alternative history of the Beatles phenomenon: a fans’ history of the Beatles that runs concurrently with the popular story we all know. Cover Half Title Title Copyright Dedication Contents Acknowledgements Introduction 1 ‘She Loves You’: Beatles Monthly 2 (Un)conventional: Beatles fan conventions 3 ‘Paperback Writer’, journalists as superfans: Hunter Davis, Ian MacDonald and Philip Norman 4 ‘Fanaticism’ and the Beatles 5 ‘Images of broken light’: The Beatles on YouTube 6 Paul Is Undead: Fan fiction, slash fiction and literary fiction 7 ‘I play the part so well’: Beatles tribute bands 8 ‘Ticket to Ride’: English cultural tourism and Beatles fans Conclusion Notes References Discography Personal Interviews Appendix 1 Appendix 2 Appendix 3 Index