When The Beatles‘ music started gaining traction and their songs began getting played worldwide, it wasn’t long before various news stations and media outlets wanted to meet the boys behind the noise. When the public eventually got a glimpse of the band, it only heightened their popularity, as it turned out that an attractive and humorous group were behind the hits.
Footage of The Beatles still circulates today, as a barrage of reporters asks them mundane questions, and the band can’t help but provide wry comments in return. “Quick question: where do the hairdos come from? What’s the originality?” Asks one reporter. “My scalp,” replied George Harrison. “What kind of girls do you like?” Asks another. “My wife,” says John Lennon coyly. “They think your haircuts are un-American,” states one man. “Well, that’s very observant of them because we aren’t American,” replied Paul McCartney.
The point is, yes, they were a band writing excellent songs, but they were also very funny. It seemed that while they took the music seriously, the same didn’t apply to themselves, and it meant that the group were incredibly loveable and charming. So, with a band that has humour so evidently in their hearts, it begs the question, how would they react to people parodying them?
The Rutles were a Beatles parody band originally a product of fiction. Their film gained enough popularity that they eventually toured and recorded music. People enjoyed the humorous take on the outfit, meaning they never struggled to sell out crowds or get to the heart of the public. However, what did the actual band think of their comedic counterparts? Funnily enough, the humorous foursome were big fans.
John Lennon took a particular shine to their ability to make fun of their lives, to the extent that when the band sent him a copy of their film, Lennon refused to return it. He even offered advice on songs they should cut or how they could be changed to avoid running into any legal trouble.
McCartney took a bit more convincing. According to Neil Innes, one of the band’s creators, he was very upset when he first saw the movie. That being said, his attitude to the group eventually changed, especially when he learnt that another one of the creators, Eric Idle, grew up near Liverpool. It’s reported that when speaking to his wife about The Rutles, McCartney said, “Hey Linda, it’s okay, he’s a scouse, he’s one of us.”
George Harrison had a very positive stance toward the parody band, as he was involved in creating the film that initially brought them to people’s attention. He said he was liberated by seeing what was quite a serious topic for some parodied, and he even starred in the film as a reporter.
Finally, Ringo Starr had mixed feelings but was generally quite happy with the film’s outcome. He said that some of the scenes depicting sadder topics hit too close to home, but he was generally a fan.
The humour with which the band could accept a parody of their lives is an excellent example of the kind of sense of humour they all had to begin with. The fun-loving and charming Brits that took the world by storm did so because of their inability to take themselves too seriously. This is an attitude that certainly resonated in their reception to The Rutles.
