Standardisation is an important factor to cultural phenomenon, in which music becomes standard and repetitive. The Beatles image became standardised moving from leather jackets and jeans to identical suits and hairstyles. Image influenced youth and style, the standardisation of their image made The Beatles commercial to adopt the production line to produce own art forms, this challenges their authenticity.
All art is a commodification as there is no art without an audience. Some would argue that The Beatles are capitalists, that art is packaged and sold; a culture industry. It is important to note the album ‘Beatles for Sale’ could demonstrate this. However they became subversive when they moved from a subculture to a hippie stage.
Fandom played a role within The Beatles, this is obvious from the beginning of the film. Extremities of fandom led to the death of John Lennon and the stabbing of George Harrison. The Beatles have a huge label attached to the 60’s, not musicals such as The Sound of Music which we discussed. Harold Wilson latched onto The Beatles influencing politics; illustrating how big they had become. A Hard Day’s Night contributed to the acceptability of regional accents and Englishness, moving away from received pronunciation seen on television etc.
In conclusion The Beatles and the film demonstrate that the relationship to commodity can lead to an authentic self expression, an emotional realism. Hybridity of young people creates vibrant cultures to express own meanings. The way music is produced is down to industry but the way it is used cannot be predicted. The Beatles lead us to ponder: Is commodity there to sell itself?
This link may be of use ‘I was there when The Beatles played the Cavern’. First two minutes of part two discuss image and interviews with fans.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PNXnv8ltVcQ&feature=channel_video_title
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