+
upworthy
Education & Information

Hilarious memes shows how our modern stars would have ruined the new Beatles' documentary

Beatles get back, Dave Grohl's influences, ariana grande

Bono, Dave Grohl, Ariana Grande

Director Peter Jackson’s new 468-minute Beatles documentary “Get Back” is a landmark achievement. It’s an in-depth, warts-and-all glimpse into the creative process of four of the most important musicians and cultural figures of the past 100 years.

The crazy thing is that’s not even an overstatement. Watching the Beatles pull tunes from the ether and then work them into some of the most enduring songs in the history of popular music is revelatory.

Like when Paul McCartney strums his way into writing “Get Back.”


Some have criticized the film for being too long, questioning the number of times one must hear “I’ve Got a Feeling,” but they’ve completely missed the point. “Get Back” is entertaining, but it’s not entertainment. It’s a Rosetta Stone for anyone who wants to decode the process of the masters. It’s an instruction manual for taking notes, rhythm and words and breathing life into them so they move bodies, hearts and minds.

Jackson’s brilliance is that he gets out of the way and presents the narrative as a race against the clock. The Beatles have a short period of time to write, record and, possibly, perform an album. Can they make it or will simmering resentments prevent them from reaching their goal?

Jackson also does the film a major service by keeping the opinions of others out. Lesser directors might have been tempted to interview other musicians to get their opinions on the historic footage.

Most importantly, the movie doesn’t have one minute of Dave Grohl explaining how the Beatles influenced Nirvana or Foo Fighters. Grohl is the undisputed king of the League of Extraordinary Rock 'n' Roll Know-it-Alls who lives to share his opinion on other musical artists in documentaries and on award shows.

Over the years, Grohl has fallen into self-parody for the number of times he’s claimed that an artist he’s discussing in a documentary or handing an award to has influenced either Nirvana or Foo Fighters.

Another way to ruin a rock 'n' roll documentary is by having an appearance by one of the other members of the League of Extraordinary Rock 'n' Roll Know-it-Alls such as Bruce Springsteen, Bono, Lars Ulrich, Questlove or John Legend.

These folks can always be counted on to give a self-important speech about an artist or band and find a way to make it about themselves.

Noel Gallagher of Oasis could also be a part of this group, but he’s usually pretty funny and self-deprecating in interviews so he gets a pass.

Appearances by the League of Extraordinary Rock 'n' Roll Know-it-Alls at the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame are especially egregious because, at one point, they were all renegades, now they give speeches at an establishment for the anti-establishment.

Jesse Hawken, the host of the Junk Filter podcast, had some fun at the expense of these blowhardy rock stars with a thread that showed just how bad it could have gone if Jackson let modern musicians comment on the Beatles’ greatness.









True

After over a thousand years of peaceful relations, European semi-superpowers Sweden and Switzerland may finally address a lingering issue between the two nations. But the problem isn’t either country’s fault. The point is that the rest of the world can’t tell them apart. They simply don’t know their kroppkakor (Swedish potato dumpling) from their birchermüesli (a Swiss breakfast dish).

This confusion on the European continent has played out in countless ways.

Swedish people who move to the United States often complain of being introduced as Swiss. The New York Stock Exchange has fallen victim to the confusion, and a French hockey team once greeted their Swiss opponents, SC Bern, by playing the Swedish National Anthem and raising the Swedish flag.

Skämtar du med mig? (“Are you kidding me?” in Swedish)

Keep ReadingShow less
Family

Mom comes out to her 7-year-old as a sexual assault survivor. The discomfort was worth it.

Sometimes speaking our truth can help history from repeating itself.

Canva

Almost all the important conversations are uncomfortable

Sarah Shanley Hope's story is frighteningly common.

As a kid, she went over to her neighbor's house one day to play with her best friend. While there, her friend's older brother sexually assaulted both of them.

Hope was only 6 years old.

Keep ReadingShow less
Family

Mom uses fruit analogy to teach her daughter a lesson in self-confidence

With a dragon fruit, a banana and two peppers, she explained why we shouldn't change ourselves based on other people's opinions.

Screenshot via Embassy of the People's Republic of China in the United States/Facebook

A mom explains the difference between opinion and fact using a dragon fruit and a banana.

Every human being is unique, and yet we seem to be hardwired to want to fit in with others. Sometimes, that longing for a sense of belonging can cause us to put too much stock in people's opinions of us and lead us to change who are to please others.

One mom has taken that tendency to task in a viral video in which she uses fruit to teach her daughter a lesson in being herself. In a video shared on Facebook by the Chinese Embassy in the U.S., a Chinese mom and her daughter speak to the camera while using a dragon fruit, a banana, and two different colored peppers as props.

First, they over the difference between a fact and an opinion. "This is a dragon fruit," is a fact. "A dragon fruit is tastier than a banana," is an opinion. Simple enough.

"Similarly, if a kid tells you your drawing is not good or that your hairstyle doesn't look nice, that's just their opinion. It doesn't mean it's a fact," the mom says. "We don't need to feel sad or unhappy because of someone else's opinion."

Keep ReadingShow less

It all can happen at just the right time.

Media outlets love to compile lists of impressive people under a certain age. They laud the accomplishments of fresh-faced entrepreneurs, innovators, influencers, etc., making the rest of us ooh and ahh wonder how they got so far so young.

While it's great to give credit where it's due, such early-life success lists can make folks over a certain age unnecessarily question where we went wrong in our youth—as if dreams can't come true and successes can't be had past age 30.

Keep ReadingShow less
Mental Health

The danger of high-functioning depression as told by a college student

Overachievers can struggle with mental health issues, too.


I first saw a psychiatrist for my anxiety and depression as a junior in high school.

During her evaluation, she asked about my coursework. I told her that I had a 4.0 GPA and had filled my schedule with pre-AP and AP classes. A puzzled look crossed her face. She asked about my involvement in extracurricular activities. As I rattled off the long list of groups and organizations I was a part of, her frown creased further.

Keep ReadingShow less
Joy

Her boyfriend asked her to draw a comic about their relationship. Hilarity ensued.

The series combines humor and playful drawings with spot-on depictions of the intense familiarity that long-standing coupledom often brings.

All images by Catana Chetwynd


"It was all his idea."

An offhand suggestion from her boyfriend of two years coupled with her own lifelong love of comic strips like "Calvin and Hobbes" and "Get Fuzzy" gave 22-year-old Catana Chetwynd the push she needed to start drawing an illustrated series about long-term relationships.

Specifically, her own relationship.

Keep ReadingShow less