John Lennon accused the press of “shellacking” Yoko Ono and Linda McCartney. John had a (probably controversial) take on the situation. Despite any drama from back in the day, Yoko and Linda more than proved themselves.
John Lennon revealed why he and Yoko Ono had ‘deep sympathy’ for Linda McCartney
During a 1980 interview in the book All We Are Saying: The Last Major Interview with John Lennon and Yoko Ono, John discussed the public perception of Yoko and Linda. “You know Linda has taken the same kind of shellacking Yoko got and we have a deep sympathy for her because we know what she’s been through,” he said.
“She got the same kind of insults, hatred, absolute garbage thrown at her for no reason whatsoever other than she fell in love with Paul McCartney,” John added. “It’s just a crying shame the way both Linda and Paul — uh, Linda and Yoko were treated.”
John Lennon partly blamed women for the hatred faced by famous women
John blamed some of the media for this hatred. “It’s just a reflection of the state of the minds of people in the media who should know better,” he opined. “I mean, they’re bloody educated people, aren’t they? But they can be so narrow and petty and stupid.
“They were insulting them on such a personal level — about the way they look and things like that, that they would never do to anybody, man or woman, in person,” he added. “I mean, how dare they? I mean, that fed the fires of the public who picked up that attitude.” John said women in the press were partly to blame for the hatred directed at Yoko and Linda. In John’s opinion, women often got in the way of other women.
Yoko had a different take on the situation. She was shocked that her haters got so interested in the lives of others. Yoko wished people would be more concerned with their own business. She pitied people who thought she was more intriguing than anyone else. The conceptual artist said that random passers-by on the street had lives that were interesting and full of miracles.
How Yoko Ono’s and Linda McCartney’s songs performed on the charts in the United States
Despite the press’ hostility to Yoko and Linda, they each found some solo success on the pop charts. Yoko’s solo single “Walking on Thin Ice” became a minor hit in 1981, not long after John’s death. “Walking on Thin Ice” climbed to No. 58 on the Billboard Hot 100 and stayed on the chart for 10 weeks. In addition, Yoko’s work with the Plastic Ono Band has stood the test of time.
Meanwhile, Linda created a single called “Seaside Woman” credited to Suzy and the Red Stripes. That record reached No. 59 on the Billboard Hot 100 and spent a total of five weeks on the chart. Linda also earned co-writing credits on many popular Wings tunes, including “Jet,” “Another Day,” and “Band on the Run.”
