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 death of John Lennon and George Harrison has added pathos and drama to the Beatles' story; Beatles Monthly 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.

Richard Mills is a Senior Lecturer in Literature and Popular Culture at St. Mary's University, UK. He has been programme director for the Film and Popular Culture, Cultural Studies and Irish Studies degrees. He is co-editor of Mad Dogs and Englishness (2017).

I found it hard to put down ... The Beatles and Fandom is absolutely recommended reading for Beatles researchers and music fandom scholars. * IASPM Journal * Mills takes a deep dive into the Beatles' history, and he explains their influential longevity and sustained credence as a group and as individual musical entities ... [Those] in the world of academia will find this journey to understanding the artistic phenomenon known as the Beatles-where, why, and how it began and why it still continues-right down Penny Lane. Summing Up: Recommended. Graduate students, researchers, faculty. * CHOICE * [T]his book is primarily an academic study and is a globally researched project that reflects how the band's influence imparts nostalgia not from a whimsical standpoint, but as a deep-seated thought-provoking exposition that leans on the reader to get underneath the superficial ... I give this 4 out of 4 beetles. * Beatles-Freak's Reviews * A fresh, comprehensive take on the fans we thought we knew for all these years! The Beatles and Fandom will be an indispensable resource for Beatles and pop culture scholars, as well as a fascinating read for anyone else seeking to know more about fans of the Fabs. * Katie Kapurch, Assistant Professor of English, Texas State, USA, and co-editor of New Critical Perspectives on the Beatles (2016) * The Beatles and Fandom shows how looking back can be a way of creating new communities, mash-ups, tributes and commentaries. Covering an impressive variety of fan practices and media, Richard Mills challenges stereotypes and engages with the real complexities and pleasures of Beatles fandom. Whether analysing the 'journalist-as-superfan', Beatles Monthly or the band's presence on YouTube, this thought-provoking book leaves no room for doubt: fan studies is fab. * Matt Hills, Professor of Journalism and Media, University of Huddersfield, UK, and author of Fan Cultures (2002) *