It wasn’t the stuffing, the candied yams, or even Aunt Barb’s cranberry mold that was the talk of Thanksgiving. If Twitter’s trending topics are any indication, the holiday winner was The Beatles: Get Back, Peter Jackson’s documentary consisting of remastered 52-year-old footage of John, Paul, George, and Ringo tooling around the studio, eventually laying down the tracks for what would be their final album, Let It Be.
The nearly eight-hour series, streaming on Disney +, was initially conceived as a standard-length film for theaters and drew from almost 60 hours of footage. It’s in conversation with Michael Lindsay-Hogg’s notorious downer of a documentary Let It Be, released in 1970. While one can still find acrimony in Get Back (including a stretch where George Harrison temporarily quits the band), the added space allows more room to show the group’s full creative process.
One aspect of the film that no one could have imagined decades ago would be online yuksters cracking one another up with Beatles-related memes. (Note: Some of the following memes include language that is not family-appropriate.)
Here’s one that takes a look at the widening styles between the band’s two principal songwriters, John Lennon and Paul McCartney.
A particularly amusing gag supposes that McCartney, who can be seen in the series spontaneously generating tunes such as “Get Back,” “Let It Be,” and “I’ve Got A Feeling,” was actually itching to get one of his more notorious late 70s tunes out of his system.
Another recurring sentiment is, “don’t these guys know they are witnessing history!?!” But I guess even recording masterpieces can eventually become another day at the office.
The late Harrison, the youngest Beatle and only 26 at the time of filming, contributed “I Me Mine” and “For You Blue” to the album. He has popped on social media for two specific reasons. First, everyone understands a frustrating co-worker, even if that co-worker is the famous McCartney.
And second, his outfits.
Well, let’s take a step back. No one in the Beatles (or around the Beatles) didn’t have a look.
Others are having their minds blown at the (in the words of critic Sheila O’Malley) “madness” of the group’s unrealized, far-fetched plans, such as bringing 2000 fans to watch them play a stadium show in Libya.
Folks are also rediscovering the glory that is Ringo Starr.
Some are also reflecting on just how intense McCartney was at this point in his life.
True fans spotted—with delight—that Lennon seemed to be well-aware of Beatles lore, even in the middle of a recording session.
It’s always hard to know who is pulling your leg online, but hopefully, this is true.
Of course, there are always naysayers, and some seem vexed that Jackson’s project has, I guess you could say a maximalist bent. Here’s one heckler who used Jackson’s previous work against him.
The Beatles: Get Back boasts as its climax the entire 42 minutes of the band’s famous January 30, 1969 rooftop concert, the last time they ever performed in public. Here’s a clip, in case you wondered if these guys were any good.
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