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Ethan Hawke puts the 'Who's your favorite Beatle?' debate to bed forever in passionate exchange

He uses a night out with the guys metaphor to prove his point.

via Montclair Film/Flickr and Scanpix/Wikimedia Commons

Ethan Hawke and The Beatles.

One of the biggest debates over the last century of popular music is "Who is your favorite Beatle?" This began in 1962, when the Fab Four had their first big hits in England, and young girls wore badges featuring photos of John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, or Ringo Starr, proudly proclaiming their favorite.

Who you choose as your favorite says a lot about you. If you liked Paul, you’re like the cute one who you could take home to your mother. John's fans enjoyed a guy with a bit more edge and a sharp sense of humor. George's admirers loved “the quiet one” for being a bit mysterious, but when he came out of his shell, he was just as charming and funny as the rest. And what's not to love about Ringo, the affable life of the party, who was the best actor in the group?

Ethan Hawke on The Beatles

However, actor and Beatle fanatic Ethan Hawke believes that there is only one correct answer to “Who’s your favorite Beatle,” and that is none of them. He shared his passionate opinion with Kareem Rahma on his wildly popular SubwayTakes social media series.

Using a microphone clipped to a New York City MetroCard, Hawke laid out his hot take on The Beatles.


“The magic of the Beatles. The reason why you care about John Lennon. The reason why I care about John Lennon is cause of the chemistry. It's the combination that created the greatest rock band in the history of the world. It is undeniable that what they did together is they were the sum of all parts. And to say I have a favorite Beatle, it's like saying I have a favorite ventricle of my heart,” Hawke says.


He then explained their unique chemistry as if they were four guys hanging out in a club. “Who makes the party happen? Ringo Starr. Here's the problem. If you're just hanging with Ringo, somebody please have a substantive conversation,” Hawke continues. “Somebody's gotta say, hey, guys, why were we born? Why do we have to die? And that's where George comes in. And somebody's gotta take the piss out of George, who's just as smart as him. That's where Lennon comes in. And Lennon starts hogging the conversation. And then you got Paul. Paul's like, ‘Hey, man, why don't we play some music?’”

Hawke shared a similar opinion when he created a mixed CD of music by The Beatles' members after the break-up for his daughter’s birthday. In the liner notes, he explained why, even though they were no longer in the same band, their solo hits complemented each other perfectly.


“There's this thing that happens when you listen to too much of the solo stuff separately—too much Lennon: suddenly there's a little too much self-involvement in the room; too much Paul and it can become sentimental—let's face it, borderline goofy; too much George: I mean, we all have our spiritual side but it's only interesting for about six minutes, ya know? Ringo: He's funny, irreverent, and cool, but he can't sing—he had a bunch of hits in the '70s (even more than Lennon), but you aren't gonna go home and crank up a Ringo Starr album start to finish, you're just not gonna do that. When you mix up their work, though, when you put them side by side and let them flow—they elevate each other, and you start to hear it: T H E B E A T L E S,” Hawke wrote.

The Beatles' incredible music never seems to fade away; it is passed down from generation to generation because it possesses a timeless quality that touches people as deeply now as it did in the 1960s. The band’s story feels just as important as that of four young men from a gloomy port town in post-war England, who took inspiration from rockers across the pond and created their own sound that transcended that of their idols. The Beatles remain intriguing figures because, despite being incredibly talented and charismatic individuals, they relied on one another to create something truly transcendent.

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College student went social media-free for 3 years. Here are the 4 surprising ways she 'missed out.'

A bit of counter-programming for those of us feeling guilty about our time spent online.

Photo credit: Canva

Social media, when used wisely, can have a lot of benefits.

We've heard so much about how detrimental our collective reliance on social media is. How it robs us of our mental health (not to mention our joy) by making us compare ourselves to others, adhere to advice that is trending rather than what comes from a verifiable source, hyper-fixate on political issues in the name of staying “informed”…the list go on and on and on.

With these factors in mind, it’s understandable that many folks opt out of social media altogether. That’s what college student and TikTok creator Billy (@1ilyp00h) decided to do for three whole years.

However, after coming back to the apps, she was surprised to learn she felt like she genuinely missed out on some pretty good, life-improving things.

For starters, the motivation that comes from seeing other people’s lives.

@1ilyp00h just my thoughts from my own personal experience :) #socialmediadetox ♬ original sound - billy newspaper

Sure, not being inundated with content showing other people living their best lives (or at least curating it to look that way) helps you be “content” with yourself, which Billy admits is a “good thing,” but it can also pave the way to stagnancy.

However, “When you’re on social media, you’re constantly challenged,” she said, noting how it’s inspiring to see people starting businesses, doing a career pivot, or even "crazy" things like climbing Mount Everest.

Going without that kind of exposure, it became “very easy to convince myself that I was doing enough,” said Billy. But being back on, she’s reminded what other things are “possible.”

There’s also the connections she missed out on with friends who remained on platforms like Instagram, X, or TikTok, and did a lot of communicating through there via DMs. Not to mention, the memes brought up that she had no idea about.

“There will be social situations where people bring up something that is viral on social media…and you’re like, hey guys, I actually didn’t see that, but I would like to be involved in the fun.”

social media, digital detox, instagram, snapchat, tiktok, x, memes, college, mental health A group of friends looking over the same meme. Photo credit: Canva

Not being able to “mindlessly interact” in this way is usually seen as a good thing, Billy noted, since it encourages intentionality. At the same time, “There’s something to be said about how nice it is to just sometimes see something that reminds you of your friend and just send it off to them and that’s starting a conversation between you.”

Then, Billy mentioned losing the impetus to capture memories. A common complaint against a social media-driven society is how people miss out on the actual experience of an event because they’re too busy trying to record it. But in Billy’s experience, she regretted not doing it.

“There’s a huge chunk of my life where I just don’t have photos of what I did and it’s sad because I remember now what I did in that time, but 50 years from now…it’ll mostly be gone.”

social media, digital detox, instagram, snapchat, tiktok, x, memes, college, mental health A couple taking a photo of their hike. Photo credit: Canva

Lastly, Billy said she missed out on ways to stay in touch with peripheral connections, such as acquaintances or people she met in a brief moment, like at camps or during summer internships.

Without something like Instagram, these types of people “fall out of your life completely,” which Billy says is a loss.

Down in the comments, other folks also stood up for the potential benefits social media has given them.

“Positive things TikTok has influenced me on: owning dairy goats, canning my own foods, learning how to sew, going to engineering school at 34.”

“Ive learned so many new hobbies and am so influenced by cooking and fashion on there.”

Others agreed that maintaining certain friendships seemed impossible without it.

“It became so hard to keep those people in my life and all of those friendships really suffered the second I deleted social media.”

There is certainly good reason to be wary of social media, but what we garner from Billy’s story is that with balance, we don’t have to miss out on any of the aforementioned benefits that social media does provide. Of course, this is easier said than done, what with the very addictive nature of the apps. But what a reminder to engage in digital detoxes from time to time. Maybe not all of us can do it for three years. But three days? That sounds doable.

It might be difficult to go offline for any extended period of time. And just like Billy did, we’re sure to miss out on some things, since it is such a constant backdrop in daily life. However, doing so helps ensure that when we do come back online, we’re able to do it without losing a bit of ourselves.

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11 things that are Gen X's gift to the world, no one else can take credit for

There's a theme here: Do it yourself.

via State Department Wikimedia Commons, Wikimedia Commons, and Jonathan Sloan/Wikimedia Commons

Tupac Shakur, a bungee jumper and a guy playing Street Fighter 2.

Gen Xers (1965 to 1980) are often called the forgotten generation because they are wedged between the much larger and culturally significant Baby Boomer and Millennial generations. Gen Xers are frequently overlooked because they were known as a nihilistic, sarcastic generation that was very skeptical of fame and power, and their youths were overshadowed by Boomer nostalgia. There's no greater proof of the generations' apathetic younger years than the fact that Gen Xers have yet to have a person from their generation elected president.

Even though Gen X may not be as discussed as Baby Boomers or Millennials (and they may not mind), we mustn’t forget that a lot of the culture and technology that we enjoy today was a gift given to the world by Gen X. Yes, they may be known as slackers. Still, they did change the world in their own DIY (do-it-yourself) way.


Here are 11 gifts that Gen X gave to the world

1. Reality TV

This one is a mixed bag because over the past 30-plus years, a lot of reality TV hasn’t exactly been at the pinnacle of American culture. But, initially, in 1992, MTV debuted The Real World, featuring a group of Gen Xers living in an apartment together in New York City. It was a powerful statement on whether or not a group of young Americans from different ethnic groups, regions, and sexualities could live together under the same roof. Eventually, the show became all about people hooking up, losing its cultural relevance.

2. Golden Age of hip-hop

The first rappers who picked up microphones in the South Bronx in the late '70s were most likely Baby Boomers, but the Golden Age of hip-hop, from the mid-’80s to mid-'90s, was created by Gen Xers. In this time, we had gangster rappers such as N.W.A. and Snoop Dogg, as well as political activists like Public Enemy and KRS-One. Artists who brought rap to the front pages, including Notorious B.I.G. and Tupac Shakur. Wordsmiths who drew inspiration from jazz, such as De La Soul and A Tribe Called Quest, and the boom-bap artists who made rap mainstream, including L.L. Cool J, RUN DMC, and Beastie Boys.


3. Extreme sports

In the 1990s, one of the most overused buzzwords was “Extreme.” The soft drinks were extreme. The games on your Game Boy were extreme. Even on Wayne’s World, the close-ups were extreme as all get-out. But the most extreme that one could get was in the world of sports, where in the ‘90s people were always tempting the reaper while bungee jumping, mountain biking, skateboarding, base jumping, paragliding, or anything that Dan Cortese could cram into MTV Sports.

4. Blogs

Before social media and online articles existed, bloggers were the first to share their thoughts and feelings on the Internet, a space then known as the World Wide Web or Cyberspace. Early bloggers used platforms such as LiveJournal and Open Diary, while some wrote their own code. These personal musings serve as a touchpoint for early Internet culture and formed the framework for many of the online platforms we use today.


5. Music festivals

Yes, Boomers, we know that Woodstock first happened in 1969. Gen Xers heard about it every day of their lives growing up. However, the modern music festival really took off after 1991’s Lollapalooza, curated by Perry Farrell of Jane’s Addiction. Lollapalooza was the culmination of ‘90s alternative culture, priding itself on bringing together top bands in alternative rock and hip-hop with legacy acts, cult bands, and extreme sideshows.

6. Grunge music

Even if you don’t like grunge rock, you have to thank the genre for wiping the airwaves of the scourge of hair metal that dominated in the late ‘80s. Grunge rock was born in the late ‘80s in Seattle and was a confluence of the slow, heavy sounds of early metal, such as Black Sabbath, and the do-it-yourself, anti-establishment punk scene that started in the late ‘70s. Grunge was gritty, thumbed its nose at rock star excess, and brought thrift-store fashion to the forefront of youth culture.


7. The Indie film movement

While Boomers can lay claim to the early indie film movement sparked by 1969’s Easy Rider, that was squashed by the blockbuster era of the ‘80s. The rise of independent film festivals and award shows, video stores and the era’s DIY attitude created a new crop of filmmakers armed with, as filmmaker Kevin Smith would call it, “A credit card and a dream,” and led to a new generation of filmmakers including Smith (Clerks, Chasing Amy), Quentin Tarrantino (Pulp Fiction, Reservoir Dogs), Richard Linklater (Slacker, Dazed and Confused), and Stephen Soderberg (Sex, Lies, and Videotape, Oceans 11).

8. Coffee house culture

Kids of today often lament that there aren’t any third spaces, after home and work, to meet up with friends and just hang out. In the time before the great Starbucks takeover, coffee shops were a place in the ‘90s where young people, especially teenagers and adults too young for the bar scene, hung out and spent long hours on shabby, thrift-store decor, arguing over who killed Laura Palmer on Twin Peaks.

- YouTube www.youtube.com

9. A healthy dose of skepticism

Of course, skepticism has been around since the dawn of man, but Gen Xers brought it to an art form. It’s hard to imagine in 2025 that from the late ‘80s until 2001, young people in America didn’t really care that much about politics. They had very low voter turnout and were skeptical about people in power. Gen X was more concerned with selling out than buying into the system. Some may find that level of apathy appalling, but there’s something to be said for putting politics on the back burner and focusing on things that bring more satisfaction in life than following an ugly “zero-sum” game.

10. Gaming culture

Older generations may have enjoyed Pong (1972), but authentic video game culture came alive in the early ‘80s with games like Pac-Man, Donkey Kong, and Frogger. Gen X was the first generation to play on mass-produced home game systems such as the Atari 2600 and ColecoVision. This sowed the seeds for a gaming subculture to become part of the mainstream, where video games are worth nearly $200 billion a year.

11. Social media

Gen Xers were the creators of key platforms in the development of social media, starting with Blogger (1999), which allowed people to share posts. The significant change came in 2003, when MySpace, created by Gen Xers Chris DeWolfe and Tom Anderson, became the first mainstream social network. Gen Xers would also be behind the creation of YouTube (2005) and Twitter (2006). You can say Gen X is the forgotten generation, but in a world dominated by social media, it’s impossible to say they didn’t have a massive impact on the world of today.

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Expert's ‘Let them' theory inspires people to post on social media without fearing judgment

"Your social media is for your self-expression."

via TEDxSF and Canva/Photos

Mel Robbins and a woman looking at her smartphone.

Most people have a few hundred or more followers on social media, and it can be paralyzing to post something because even if you express a rather bland opinion, it’s bound to bother someone. It's also nerve-racking to post a photo of yourself or your family because you may be judged on your appearance.

You have a joke? Someone might find it unfunny. Went on vacation? A friend may subtly brag that they went somewhere nicer. Went out for a nice dinner? Your dietary choices may face scrutiny. Lost a few pounds and want to show off how good you look? You know who may get jealous.

How to post on social media without fear

The problem is, you’re letting others subtly control how you express yourself on social media. Mel Robbins, a podcast host, author, motivational speaker, and former lawyer, offers empowering advice for those holding you back: Let them.

@melrobbins

This is your sign to stop giving away your control to other people’s opinions… If you find that you take things personally, worry what other people think about you, are scared of being judged, or find that you can’t stop overthinking, you need to hear this episode of The Mel Robbins Podcast 🎧 “How to Stop Caring What People Think of You.” #melrobbins #melrobbinspodcast #letthem #peoplepleasing

“I want to remind you of something," Robbins says in a TikTok video. "Your social media is for your self-expression. It's for your business. It's for your artistry. It's not for your sorority sisters from college. It's not for your family. It's not for the women in your mother’s group. It's for you."

She adds that people’s reactions to your post are something that you have no control over. Instead, Robbins believes that you should take your life back by letting go of the need to control how others react to you.

Robbins' theory is so popular that she wrote an entire book about it, entitled The Let Them Theory.

“Let them think a negative thought about what you're gonna post," Robbins adds. "Let them unfollow you. Let them roll their eyes. Let them gossip. You can't control any of it anyway. The only thing you can control is you can control what you think of yourself...Let them think something negative. Let them do something negative, like unfollow you or write some comment or whatever...Let them know that the power is not in someone else. The power is in you.”

grandma, grand daughter, social media, photos, smartphone, park bench A granddaughter shares her social media post with grandmother.via Canva/Photos

Robbins is also clear that she’s talking about people looking to make posts about their business, a creative endeavor, or something about themselves that shows that they aren’t perfect. A lot of Robbins' work is about how to deal with difficult and toxic people, so she’s clearly not pushing people to feel free to make provocative posts that antagonize people, but to have the confidence to express themselves without worrying about pleasing everyone.

What is the locus of control?

Robbins' advice has its roots in psychology, in a concept known as the locus of control. It’s the extent to which people feel that the outcomes in their life are based on what they do (internal control orientation) or on events outside their personal control (external control orientation). When we say “Let them” to any host of reactions we get from people, we switch the locus of control to an internal setting, where we believe that by being unattached to opinions, we can better control the outcomes in our lives.

Next time you’re feeling a little trepidation before hitting “post,” don’t forget Robbins’ mantra: Let them. Their opinions don’t define you, but your willingness to share authentically does. Your social media feeds are your page to express your voice, not a monument to others’ expectations.

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