John Lennon is a cultural icon to millions. The late Beatle won the hearts of his generation with songs about peace and love, his tenacious anti-war activism, and his tenure with the record-breaking band. All of this made him a hero to both his fellow baby boomers and to modern fans of classic rock.
However, not everyone loves the rock and roll legend anymore. A trend on the video streaming app TikTok has begun where millennial and gen-Z creators are canceling John Lennon. 'For you' pages are now filled with youths voicing strong opinions about John Lennon and it has caused his fans to leap to his defense. Other fans, however, are starting to abandon their fandom as they learn about some of the problematic aspects of John Lennon’s history. While Lennon remains loved by boomers, zoomers do not seem as eager to embrace his legacy.
Most of the recent controversy revolves around revelations about Lennon’s less than celebratory antics, like his unfortunate record of domestic abuse, something that Lennon confessed to while he was still alive, and many feel that he never endured consequences for his actions. Since options are limited when you want to hold a dead man accountable, the “John Lennon hate” trend on TikTok was born. So, why is TikTok Trying To Cancel John Lennon?
6 Abusing His First Wife And Child
According to letters from some of Lennon’s former housekeepers, Lennon was an incredibly abusive and destructive presence for his first wife, Cynthia Powell. He was an absentee father most of the time, left drugs in places where their child could reach them, and he would strike his son for every little annoyance, like speaking too loudly or bad table manners. He would also sleep with other women and started his relationship with Yoko Ono while still married to Powell.
5 Abusing ‘Any Woman’
There are stories abound from creators on TikTok with jokes lampooning the star for his poor fathering skills, but what is also circulating on TikTok are clips of people summarizing Lennon's infamous Playboy interview where he confessed he had been violent towards women, that he used to beat up ‘any woman’ he felt had crossed him. Clips of Lennon in interviews confessing about his abusive tendencies and the hot takes of feminist TikTok creators now seem endless throughout plenty of users' 'For You' pages on the app.
4 The Jane Mansfield Story
Videos of a few TikTok creators have begun to share alleged anecdotes about Lennon’s other disgusting habits. One creator tells the story of how one night at a club, Lennon urinated in the beverage of actress Jayne Mansfield when she wasn’t looking. Then he watched her take a sip and regurgitate the drink. After Lennon began pointing and laughing, he then fled the club when Mansfield started in on the rock star. Allegedly, Lennon wanted “revenge” against the former Playboy Playmate for rejecting his advances. Considering the fact that Mansfield married Mr. Universe Mickey Hargitay, it’s fair to say that the famously lanky Lennon was not her type.
3 Problematic Performances And Songs
Footage of some of Lennon’s more problematic performances has also begun to circulate on the app as well. In some instances, we see Lennon mocking the disabled and mentally challenged with violent spasms in his performances, and sometimes we see footage of the peace activist making harmful and racist remarks about Asians and black people. A few of the singer's most problematic and offensive songs, particualry one titled "Woman Is The N*gger Of The World" have also begun to go viral on the app.
2 His Abuse Of Yoko Ono
Although Ono does not hold Lennon to a fault for his actions, she has revealed some truths about their relationship that are driving the movement to cancel Lennon. Ono, who was accused of breaking up the Beatles for years, revealed that it was John who was trying to insert Ono into every aspect of the band's life. Lennon allegedly was forcing Ono to forsake her own art to come with him to every Beatles performance and recording session. He even made her go with him to the bathroom. Experts on abusive relationships call this "creating dependency," and the anti-Lennon crowd on TikTok is not having it.
1 Kids Just Don’t Vibe To The Beatles Anymore
One important thing to keep in mind is that kids tend to reject the things that were popular with their elders, sometimes just out of a need to rebel, and other times because they understand things that their elders do not. The point is, times change and the times have significantly changed since Lennon's death in 1980. Many Millenials find it hypocritical that rich white men like the Beatles sing about things like ending war and acceptance of others when their own personal behaviors did not reconcile with that philosophy. It is a hard thing for classic rock fans to accept, but to Generation Z, the Beatles just aren’t cool anymore. They no longer symbolize rebellion to youths, they symbolize conformity and mass consumption. It might be conjecture, but this could also explain the new phenomenon of TikTokers trying to cancel John Lennon. Of course, it is clearly not the only reason.