He dodged the question from that writer from the New York Times: Did he really save a SINGLE life?
shareHe stole a hit of acid from me that probably would have caused me to jump off a roof and he took it himself.
HE SAVED MY LIFE!!!!!!
(i'm joking, of course)
I don't believe he dodged the question at all. He saved John Sinclair's life to begin with. IMO he saved a lot of other lives, too, as part of teh anti-war movement, by helping to end the war. Had it not been for the anti-war movement, a lot more would have died on that fools' errand. Know any vets who made it back alive? Many of them can thank Lennon, whether they want to admit it or no.
shareThey also owe a thanks to such as Jane fonda and Donald Sutherland. See "Sir! No Sir!"
But -- yes -- Lennon saved many lives, even before becoming as peace activist, by being honest, and thus waking many to the possibilities of thought, and transcending their cultural limitations and circumstances into better lives.
It's amazing the nastiness from those who refuse to be constructive -- even in their own lives, and in relation to themselves.
As if not saving lives would constitute some sort of failure? He caused awareness, not even necessarily changed minds, in those lives. Thats more than most people can do.
shareIt's smart to dodge or completely ignore a stupid question and Lennon was a genius, rarely wasting an opportunity to convey his message.
He was a truth teller and it's impossible to know how many lives will be saved as the truth continues to work for people. It's kinda silly, the notion of scoring how many lives will be saved between now and eternity because of John Lennon, but with all the big money so loudly lying today -- sophistry in service to the most venal policy profiteering -- John Lennon's voice itself is music.
This movie was a gift to my teenaged daughter and me and I was humbled to learn the degree to which I, as a twenty-something, had been swayed by the demagogues of Lennon's day, against this authentic gentleman.
1) I wasn't kidding in my earlier post
2) He, Yoko, and Elephant's Memory did two charity concerts for mentally handicapped kids who were living in squalor and by some accounts Lennon's actions "saved their lives."
Not related to the war, but still.....
Thank you for sharing this!
I was a bit nervous about putting my views out here on imdb but you have given me a gift by reporting some of the good news that I'd never heard.
While I still think that reporter's question was worthy being ignored by John at the time, I never meant to say the idea of his legacy of Love and healing is anything less than profound. John Lennon was a wonderful gift to humanity and I think this movie did a terrific job of keeping his memory alive and illustrating the contrast between him and the "civilization" he found himself in.
Thanks again Urish!
Well said.
And lovely.
"Keep on rockin'!" -- John Lennon.
Depends on what you mean by saving lives, if you mean it litterely then i don't think ou can answer it, but he inspired lots and lots of young people to pick up a guitar, so he saved them from a life of working 9 to 5 in a factory 5 days a week.
shareWell, I still work a day job and always have, but Lennon saved my life by giving me love of Music, and when Yoko helped him express world views, he changed my outlook of the world. I still play my guitar, not to emulate Lennon, but because it gives me life meaning.
shareWorking Class Hero kept me from killing myself....so yeah....he saved my life...
FEED ME A STRAY CAT
I was on the brink and that song came on the radio. It was like a slap in the face that I sorely needed. From what I'm reading, he saved many lives.
share"As soon as yer born, they make ya feel small,
by givin' ya no time instead of it all"
Funny Lennon saying that, with his son Julian
sitting somewhere without him around and on tour.
"Re: He dodged the question"
but sadly not the bullets..
he diodnt directly save anybody
he indirectly led to politicians learning a big segment of the US population wanted the war to end.
he MAY have indirectly saved some lives
speaking of sinclair:
They show that Lennon showed up at a concert for some guy busted for pot, John Sinclair.... then imply that it was the concert (and thus John) that got him sprung from prison. Is that REALLY what happened?
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NO, she asked him if he accomplished anything ... I think he did.
We all remember John Lennon, she is just a forgotten "that writer
from the New York Times".
"But -- yes -- Lennon saved many lives, even before becoming as peace activist, by being honest, and thus waking many to the possibilities of thought, and transcending their cultural limitations and circumstances into better lives. "
lmao i bet you felt good after you wrote that sentence huh.
John Lennon was a genius.......when it came to music. What he and many other actors/artists abuse is the spotlight. He spit out his *beep* about how he hated the U.S. so much yet he sure as hell loved our money. Shut up and sing. So sick of everyone sucking off peace activists musicians just because they abuse their power.
I think someone has already said something similar but I feel it was ok he 'dodged' the question because it was a stupid and pointless question. Like you haven't directly saved a life (though how could anyone argue that he certainly made countless better)so he should just give up and become as nihlisitic as everyone else? Makes no sense to me...People just always wanting to let other people know that what they done isn't worth a damn in the grand sceme of things...By the way jaskate22, your a moron. You say Lennon was a genius but should have shut up about politics and activism? Part of what made Lennon a genious (much more than his muscianship) was the lack of separation between what he felt or thought and the music. But you can just keep listening to a hard days night on repeat if you like....fool.
shareOr, do you think the Viet Nam War was a good idea...? Or, that Nixon was a good president? Lennon protested very specific things: war, intolerance, hatred, bigotry.
Are you not aware that the war Lennon was protesting was forcing young men to kill and die for a cause many of them did not believe in?
Are you not aware that the government of the day was corrupt... despised civil rights... was contemptuous of law... was run by drunken cowards, psychopaths, and lunatics?
"All we are saying is give peace a chance..." this you call *beep* For this, you tell his ghost to "shut up and sing?" (good job quoting the anti-dixie chicks slogan there, twitty bird, just in there was any doubt what species of knuckle-dragging trogolodyte you happen to be.)
An artist's job is to "comfort the afflicted, and afflict the comfortable". If John Lennon, and others like him, makes you feel uncomfortable... mybe it's because you are too comfortable....?
And I doubt you felt good after writing your response.
You wrote one of the dumbest things I'll read today on IMDb. Can you imagine that? That's a tall order, pal.
It's called a BRAIN. ~USE IT!
jaskate--Lennon made it clear that he loved the US, that is why he wanted to live here. Opposing wrong US government policy should not equate with hating America--quite the opposite. How is speaking out "abuse of power"? Maybe it is you who hates America, since you seem to be hostile to the principles of dissent and freedom that this country is based on.
shareWhere did he say he hated the US? Why would he fight so long to live here if he hated it? Baloney. He could have gone back to the UK and made money just as well.
And if an artist is gifted, it is an abuse of his gift NOT to use it for something meaningful.