Saturday, April 17, 2010

Ringo Sez: "No Thanks, Benny."

We've all been following the bemusing and "hey-look-at-that-big-distracting-thing!" news that the Vatican has forgiven the Beatles for that "bigger-than-Jesus" hub-bub.

Giovanni Maria Vian, the editor in chief of L’Osservatore Romano, told The A.P. that he is a fan of the Beatles, and he minimized John Lennon’s notorious 1966 remark that the band at that time was “more popular than Jesus.” “In reality it wasn’t that scandalous,” Mr. Vian said, “because the fascination with Jesus was so great that it attracted these new heroes of the time.”


Umm, sure. What he meant to say is that Jesus was as popular as the Beatles.

Now, Ringo responds:
"Didn't the Vatican say we were satanic or possibly satanic? And they've still forgiven us?" the 69-year-old said.

In an apparent reference to the scandal over pedophile priests that has shaken the Catholic Church worldwide, he added: "I think the Vatican, they've got more to talk about than the Beatles."


I'm about as impressed as Ringo, myself.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Careful, Ringo. They might resatanize you.

steves said...

I gotta say, good on Ringo!

The irony, of course, is that I recall reading not too long ago that Mr. Starkey himself recently found religion.

So, we can't rule out the possibility that this may be a Beatle-ish way of saying "my god is greater than yours."

steve simels said...

It's a little known fact, but what John actually said was "We're bigger than Rod." Not God. And it was absolutely true, because Rod Stewart wouldn't get big until five or six years later...

cthulhu said...

Steve, according to the definitive biopic All You Need Is Cash, it was Ron Nasty who said "we're bigger than Rod." Oh well; I bet Lennon wished he'd said it first :-).

Speaking of the Rutles, was listening to the Underground Garage on Sirius the other day and "I Must Be In Love" came on; just another way that the Underground Garage is the coolest radio program around.

geor3ge said...

I see the Church has made the quantum leap to being only 45 years behind the times.

steve simels said...

Cthulhu:

My skinny tie band in the 80s used to do "I Must Be in Love" live. When it came time for the guitar solo, we always came perilously close to being convulsed with laughter and not being able to play further.
:-)

Nigel Tufnel said...

Back in the late 80s, I saw a promo on E! for some upcoming docu-crap on the Beatles, and the background music they used (behind footage of the actual Fab Four) was "Hold My Hand" by the Rutles.

Why? I think it was the trousers. I mean, I'd been in the garment trade, and I knew a thing or two about inseams . . .