ABOUT WOMEN
Even youngest girls worshiped at the altar of Beatlemania

By Christie Wilson
Advertiser Staff Writer

I was in third grade when the Beatles first set foot on U.S. soil. I remember watching them 40 years ago on "The Ed Sullivan Show" — or at least I think I do. After having seen the footage replayed so many times, I can't be sure if I'm remembering the original broadcast or the many reruns of it.

Although my 8-year-old pals and I were too young to enlist in the mobs of weeping teenyboppers who swooned at the mention of John, Paul, Ringo and George, we, too, were swept up in Beatlemania. We spent our precious nickels and dimes on Beatle bubble gum, trading cards, plastic rings, buttons and anything else bearing their trademark mop tops.

We lined up for their movies and watched their cartoon show. We even assembled our own version of the Liverpudlians. Using tennis rackets as guitars, we "jammed" in our garage, lip-syncing to their songs.

I was always picked to be George. We know now that George, the quiet one, was overshadowed by Lennon-McCartney and that his creativity and musicianship were not fully credited until after The Breakup. But back then, he was considered the least swoon-worthy of the Beatles — yes, even less so than Ringo, who compensated for his goofy looks with a sense of playfulness.

We would also later fall in love with Beatle knockoffs, namely the "Pre-fab Four" known as The Monkees. (Micky was my fave. What a cut-up.) These were risk-free romances practiced from a safe distance and secretly recorded in our diaries and scrapbooks.

I don't know if boys in those days had musical idols. They may have admired Elvis, but I can't recall any girl singers from that era who elicited the same response from the male population that the Beatles generated among young females. More likely, boys glommed onto sports stars.

We were never crazy in love with any other singers or bands like we were with the Beatles. The lads would provide the soundtrack for the bulk of our teen years. We studied their lyrics for an eighth-grade English project, we dressed in ashram-inspired fashions and wore love beads.

We didn't start a revolution, but we sure rocked out to their tunes on the car radio while cruising out to Sandy Beach.

Of course, each generation has its boy bands. Please stop angrily typing my e-mail address. The Beatles' impact on world history is indisputable, and I am in no way comparing their musical contributions to the Backstreet Boys or *NSync.

But they did launch themselves in America as a boy band, with essential pop ditties such as "I Want to Hold Your Hand" and "All My Loving." And like Nick, Brian, Kevin, Howie and A.J. (OK, it's a little embarrassing to admit I know their names), the Beatles provided millions of tweenage girls with a taste of first love.

Reach Christie Wilson at cwilson@honoluluadvertiser.com or (808) 244-4880.