Valueless Opinions in "A Hard Day's Night"

[BurtWorm]

I watched it last night. Even though I bought the DVD a year ago, I hadn't watched it all the way through, so I haven't seen this film since college (about 20 or so years ago).

I'd forgotten about this brilliant scene in which George is corralled into an interview with the producer of a teenager's TV show to give (or receive, actually) his opinion about certain examples of teenage fashion. This was the scene that popularized the Liverpudlian expression "grottie" for grotesque, which George proclaims some shirts he's supposed to find "gear." The scene satirizes the contempt culture producers feel for the masses whose opinions and tastes they're paid good money to shape (as they pretend to "mine" for it).

Quite a radical scene, that one, and unusually honest (thanks to George Harrison's deadpan delivery). It would be almost impossible to find such sharp satire about the culture industry so purely executed in this post-modern age, when everyone is owned by somebody.

But of course, the Beatles were owned by others, too. And they were in the position of producing culture for a youth "market," which their owners--i.e., United Artists and EMI--were counting on them to hit in a big way. The mind boggles over the ironies of a youth culture commodity satirizing the commodification of youth culture. Interestingly, though, the money behind "A Hard Day's Night" was unusually enlightened and very hands-off, according to the story-behind-the-movie interviews accompanying the film on the DVD. They said, in effect, here's the money, do what you will with it. We trust you.

*Sigh* It was a different age...

[beawr]

1. Of Course, they did change

The Beatles got completely away from their owners soon enough...This of course is the reason we got the Monkees - a more palatable pre-fab four. I think we have Bob Dylan to thank for the Beatles' conversion.....

[BurtWorm]

2. I think it was something about the times that made that escape possible

and I wonder if there's something about these times that makes escape impossible. In the 1960s, the commodifiers didn't quite have a handle on the youth "market." The rebellion got away from them. They didn't have the sophistication they thought they had to deal with it. But in the intervening years, they've become much more sophisticated.

Does rebellion have half as much chance to trample the commodifiers anymore? I'm really afraid if the answer is no. I'm dying to see the question tested.

[ProfessorGAC]

3. I Love That Scene, Too

And the fashion mavens are so clueless as to whom they're speaking! LOL!

What the Beatles did and said, for the next five years, was so much more important than what those culture shapers did, and those folks dismiss George's opinion like so much clutter.

That is a wonderful movie because there are some important elements in it, yet it doesn't take itself too seriously, as a whole.
The Professor

On Edit: Forgot to mention the "owned" issue. The Beatles, at one point, i think it was around Revolver, wanted to put a couple of adventerous things on the album. Paul asked George Martin if he thought they would get away with it. Martin's reply was "You can do anything you want. You're the bloody Beatles!" So, at some point, they got away from being owned because they became bigger than the marketing machine around them.

[BurtWorm]

5. Not taking itself seriously

Is there a single satire that's been made recently that you can say the same thing about? I don't know. I'm thinking about satire on the Comedy Channel, even the Daily Show, which I tend to like, and I can't say it doesn't take itself too seriously. There's something about all satire these days that is so knowing. Maybe it's true of all satire for all times. It's never innocent. But satire these days is just dripping with self-knowledge.

I know I'm being vague and over general.

Just comparing that scene in AHDN with anything in the Daily Show. Maybe the key difference is that the former punctured--defeated--a subject that viewed itself as superior, while the latter is, like most satire these days, resigned to the way things are.

[ProfessorGAC]

8. No, You're Not Being Too Vague

You're right. I use a different term for that, as well. I refer to it as being too self-aware. You know a slight wink and a glance type of thing, making sure that we plebes are getting the joke. It's one the things that's always irritated me about Letterman.

What rankles me is the notion that the satirists are so much more clever than the audience. While that may actually be true of the population at-large, the audience for satirical humor is likely to be as clever as the satirists. You'd think the satirists would get that fact.

Also, i'd agree that most of what passes for satire is actually sardonic wit. It's not puncturing, it's just making an observation about the futility of it all.

The Professor

[yolatengo]

4. I'd be quite prepared for that eventuality...

Hahahaha.

I like how George describes The Beatles 'Msting' (as in MST3K) the
'Susan Campey Show'.

You can read the whole scene at the bottom of:

http://www.beatlezone.net/files/Ahardday-9.htm

cheers,

Bigby

[BurtWorm]

6. Thanks for that!

I loved that bit too!

SIMON: You can be replaced you know, chicky baby.

GEORGE: I don't care.

SIMON: And that pose is out too, Sunny Jim.The new thing is to care passionately, and be right wing. Anyway, you won't meet Susan if you don't cooperate if you don't cooperate you won't meet Susan..

GEORGE: And who's this Susan when she's at home?

SIMON: (playing his ace) Only Susan Campey,our resident teenager. You'll have to love her. She's your symbol.

GEORGE: Oh, you mean that posh bird who gets everything wrong?

7. the line that stays with me is

when the ask Ringo if he's a "mod" or a "rocker" and he says he's a mocker.

Haven't seen that movie in years...