VOL. V, NO. 9
FEBRUARY 21, 1964
Editor Addresses Beatles
in Open Letter
in Open Letter
Sirs:
I'm not quite sure what to say to you fellows, basically because I don't know if you can read or not. At any rate, there used to be a time when killing bugs would be as bad as killing any other of God's creatures (malice toward none. . . I think Abraham Lincoln said that) but times have changed (I said that).
For fear of a gaping hole on page two, I will not go into a discourse on your (the Beatles') talent which is, as you agree, non‑existent. Besides, effect more important than the cause after the cause has effected the effect, i.e., after you have done what you do.
At the lunch table I couldn't help notice a youth who had forsworn his repast and instead was in the process of transcribing assiduously the word Beatles 1,000,000 times. It seems some half‑witted teenager had written your name 30,000 times, and this zealot was trying to break the record. Glue often has the same effect on today's youth. Needless to say, that puts you in a rather sticky position.
I suppose it is all a matter of identification. The less discerning of today's youth are easily absorbed into your personalities, which are rather money‑grubilistic, (all we came for "is the money").
But whatever the nature of the Beatles, it is certain that you are nothing more than a passing fad. As for me, I'll stick to my Hula‑hoop.
The Editor
I'm not quite sure what to say to you fellows, basically because I don't know if you can read or not. At any rate, there used to be a time when killing bugs would be as bad as killing any other of God's creatures (malice toward none. . . I think Abraham Lincoln said that) but times have changed (I said that).
For fear of a gaping hole on page two, I will not go into a discourse on your (the Beatles') talent which is, as you agree, non‑existent. Besides, effect more important than the cause after the cause has effected the effect, i.e., after you have done what you do.
At the lunch table I couldn't help notice a youth who had forsworn his repast and instead was in the process of transcribing assiduously the word Beatles 1,000,000 times. It seems some half‑witted teenager had written your name 30,000 times, and this zealot was trying to break the record. Glue often has the same effect on today's youth. Needless to say, that puts you in a rather sticky position.
I suppose it is all a matter of identification. The less discerning of today's youth are easily absorbed into your personalities, which are rather money‑grubilistic, (all we came for "is the money").
But whatever the nature of the Beatles, it is certain that you are nothing more than a passing fad. As for me, I'll stick to my Hula‑hoop.
The Editor
